AN: The prompt for this chapter is: A story that takes place entirely inside a vehicle
I lost where I was going with this one until I heard this quote, "When it was just the two of us at home – and I want you to think about this, Alice, I want you to remember. When it was just the two of us, it wasn't like being alone, but it also wasn't like being with another person. It was something in between. It was all the benefits of being alone, with none of the downsides." The quote is from the podcast Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink, I highly recommend it. Sorry this is shorter than the others. This is for the week of April 11-17. I know I need to get caught up, I'm working on it! Dedicated to Caitlin.
"You're on speakerphone." Elena says, and he grins at that although she can't see it. A little less than a six hundred miles and a nine hour drive if there's no traffic. She needs to keep her mind occupied as she drives down the highway and she hasn't talked to Elijah in a few days.
"Excellent." He says and she laughs. He can hear notes of a song he likes along with her voice as she asks him how he's doing. It's been too long since she's seen him, and although they've looked the same for a few decades she still wants to actually see him. New Orleans is calm this year and he wants to show her the city. No more escapes to cities far away and unseen places.
She asks how he's doing, he's her best friend on the continent. Bonnie and Caroline are in Europe for another month and he's on the same level as them anyway.
"I am well. At the moment, Niklaus is attempting to buy a property in England but Kol keeps attempting to outbid him. It's quite amusing to watch." Life is pretty quiet for the time being, and he asks how she is.
"Damnit." She swears.
"What is it?" He inquires, she doesn't seem very upset.
"Someone just cut me off." She answers. The joys of driving, she thinks. He relaxes, even though they both know if she got into a car crash she'd be able to walk away, the worry is always there.
"Stop, you're making me hungry. If you keep talking like that I'll be there an hour late and then I'll ruin your schedule." Elena says, and he laughs. He can't wait to see her, she's always good to be around. The drama from when they met is behind them, and they love just spending time together.
"And then we'll all suffer." Elijah jokes and she laughs harder. Another mile in a minute, cars come and go like the people driving them.
"That girl's wearing a graduation gown and cap." Elena notes aloud and remembers when she graduated. It was so much worry up to that point, but she made it, she made it and all she felt for a few weeks relief. Then adult life came knocking and so did the supernatural, but Caroline probably still has their caps and gowns.
"I wonder where she's going." Elijah says aloud and Elena admits that she doesn't know, maybe to family or friends. The girl's car is packed, and Elena finds the right answer.
"Hopefully somewhere better. It's a new chapter in her life."
It's Elijah's idea for her to describe other drivers she sees, and they make a game out of guessing where the driver started and where they're driving to and why. It's a harmless guessing game, and then they play another game.
"Would you rather explore space or the ocean?" Elijah asks and Elena has to think about it.
"Space. I'll take space over the ocean. Vampires don't need to breathe but we know more about space than our oceans so-" She trails off and he laughs.
There's another hour gone, six more to go.
"Have you ever wrestled a tiger?" Elena asks. Elijah exhales and he's quiet for a moment.
"Did you forget if you did or not, old man?" Elena teases and Elijah laughs.
"I've tangled with a few animals, tigers have not been on that list." Elijah admits and Elena lets out a laugh. She's close enough with Elijah that they can tell each other anything, and she tells him he wears too many plain colors, she's going to buy him patterned clothes and he laughs.
"I won't wear them." He says and she tells him she knows. Elijah is a man of habit, she wonders what he'd wear if suits went out of style.
"I can be very persuasive." Elena says, dragging the words out slowly.
"I know your game lovely Elena. Hiding or destroying my suits will not convince me to wear whatever you have in mind." Elijah says and Elena laughs.
Another hour passes in near silence, Elena turns up her music and listens to Elijah make noise on the other end.
Sometimes she doesn't miss everything all at once with Elijah, sometimes she just misses the noise he makes, just the little noises that let her know he's there, she misses that when she's alone occasionally. Sometimes it's not the noise but the feeling of being in the same city. He's her best friend on the continent and when they spend time together, it's balanced.
There's no expectation to keep the other entertained, they have their own time to themselves and it's not stressful. Being with Elijah doesn't feel like spending time with someone else exactly, but it almost feels like being alone but without the disadvantages of being alone. Sometimes they just stay in their own places in the same building and do what they need to. Elijah understands her and she understands him.
She wonders if anyone else quite understands it, there have been days where they've barely spoken, not because they were angry at each other, they just didn't need to verbalize what they were doing or wanted. It's nice, and Elijah eventually breaks the comfortable silence to tell her about global news.
Another hour passes and she begins to tell him about what she sees. She sees green and other cars, the people and the road, the grass and plants growing off the side of the road. Elena describes the towns and their people, the stores and how bored she is.
All of these towns blend together after she's gone through too many of them. All highways begin to look the same, all drives start to feel the same at one point or another.
"That was a two gas station town." She begins.
"Do you need gas?" Elijah asks.
"No. I was more surprised a town that small had two stations." Elena admits and she begins to tell him about the the town she barely remembers the name of.
The idea of stopping sounds tempting but getting to New Orleans early and eating sounds even better.
"Being a vampire definitely makes these drives a lot easier." Elena says and he agrees. Elena begins to sing along to a song he can hear from her radio and he remembers the words after a second of trying to place the familiar tune.
"Is going to that bakery on the corner part of your itinerary?" She asks as the song ends and he has to think for a moment, he does have a detailed and flexible schedule for when she's in New Orleans after all.
"It is." He confirms and she smiles, he just knows she does. It's her voice that tells him, the slight change in it informs him that she's smiling.
"Good." She says as the sky darkens with clouds.
He thinks about the times he's spent time with Elena alone. No inquisitive siblings or her friends, just them. Not the Original and doppelganger, just Elijah and Elena. They know, although they've rarely spoken about it, they didn't seek each other out for power, they were interested in the person under the titles they're known under. Elena's slipped through barriers and guards with ease, and he did the same.
"There's also a new bookstore I would like to go to with you." He mentions and she lets out an excited noise. She looks at the sign in the distance, more time had passed than she had thought.
"I'll be there in half an hour." She says, and then he's the one who grins.