Lestat dreamed.
It was dark, he hated being deprived of his vision, he felt sick, left inside a barn given the amount of straw around. No, not again. He stood up quickly, feeling despair hit him as he realized he was there. In his old home, two centuries ago and which he just couldn't forget, perhaps the most vivid memory of his humanity. He hated humanity, and he was about to be reminded why.
Lestat looked at the exit door of the place, ran towards it, forcing the handle. However, the door didn't even move, he was vulnerable, he knocked on the door hard, he screamed, but all he heard was evil laughter coming from the other side. He begged them to open it, but it was no use.
And then silence. A small window that was in the immovable door opened, and he looked into the other room. Nicki was there. Recently turned he noticed, with the blood marks on his neck from the bite. They stared at each other for a moment. "Nicki?" He sighed, how much he missed him!
However, the warm feeling didn't last long. The young man with brown hair and sad eyes looked back at Lestat, and then something strange happened, as he started to catch fire. It started with smoke in his chest, and the flame spread through Nicholas as he screamed, he floated in the air.
Lestat scratched the wooden door with his fingernails until they bled. "Nicki! Let me in!" He cried, helpless, incompetent, his screams overlapped those of the other. He hit his head on the door, groaned at the scene, the fire in the other room was burning along with that young vampire. "Someone help him please!" He screamed, hurt his fists kicking, banging on the door, and the moment the room was filled with heat, he woke up.
The vampire hit his head on the coffin, leaving a painful mark on his forehead. Lestat groaned, opening the lid and breathing quickly. It was just a scare, just a nightmare, but his heart was beating too fast. A life, a film flashed before his eyes when he put his hand to his chest: the nightmare was real. That really happened didn't it?
"Lestat, what the hell?"
He looked to the side and there was the fledgling in the coffin next to him. They were in their room, in their house, the warm lights of the space almost warming him with familiarity. Lestat looked at the sleepy face of Louis, who had certainly woken up from the knock.
Louis. The love of his life.
An affair that he thought had surpassed all his past and pain, after meeting that incarnate saint. He smiled at the other, suppressing the closeness in his heart. "What? Oh it's nothing my dear. I just hate sleeping alone" He stretched casually, almost felinely to exude as much boredom as he could. It was still very early, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep in there again, not alone.
He watched the younger man give a nod and prepare to sleep again, and that was when Lestat despaired. "Give me some space, come on" He asked, already getting up from his coffin without waiting for an answer, no matter how much Louis frowned.
"But you snore, and I can barely move" The fledgling complained in a bad mood. His bad-tempered human being, Lestat thought, ignoring that comment and entering the coffin with his love. Louis had to give him some space, still a little drowsy and grumpy from the inconvenience, but regardless, Lestat sank into his coffin and clung to the fledgling as if his life depended on it.
He cradled the brunette in his arms, kissing his neck, holding his hand and wrists in his hands, feeling the blood pulse through his fingers. The blonde thought he wouldn't be able to handle it if Louis lost his hands like Nicki did.
As he closed his eyes again he wondered, if he was the disease, if he passed it on to all his fledglings, and that was why he lost Gabrielle and the violinist. Whatever his problem was, he vowed to protect Louis from it.
A few hours passed, maybe he hadn't really let the other move that much, but it was always like that when they slept together. When the sun went down they eventually left the coffin and went to dress for the night. Louis finally got some time off from work, and the blonde was eager to make the most of it.
"How about we go out for a night?" Lestat suggested, watching the younger man look for a shirt. "The theater maybe? They're going to bring Faust-"
"Lestat, you know I don't care about going to those places.." Louis muttered a little sadly, and his maker hated seeing that, and loved it just the same. What a voluminous melancholy, but dangerous to a certain extent.
"Oh come on, darling. It'll be fun, I promise" The blonde insisted, getting closer to see if you could attract his attention to him, nicely. And Louis seemed to consider that, still a little uncertain since he had already been there a few times. He looked down and then at his maker.
"You were emotional the last time we went. I promise we'll go wherever you want later" Lestat placed his hand on his chest, convincing him that it would be great for them.
"Fine" Louis agreed, rolling his eyes. "Do you still have those suits?"
"Of course, mon cher." Lestat smiled like crazy, gently patting the other's chest and going to get their clothes.
_
They went to the theater. Lestat was very excited, and how could he not be? It was one of his favorite things, the best form of expression there was, which transcended humanity and vampirism. And doing this with his lover was a way of showing affection, of opening him like a book and letting Louis see his greatest passion.
The vampires entered the entrance hall, in the order they always did and evidently there was no money that wouldn't buy them a private cabin. However, this time he couldn't help but notice an uneasiness on Louis' part. Lost in that world that held the only good memory of where he came from, Lestat usually thought of nothing else, but the other's sighs all the way to the cabin left him a little annoyed at ruining the mood.
One arrived at the box, Louis took off his coat and just left it on the floor, making him frown a little. Lestat took off his own coat and rested on the chair, finally sitting down and waiting in an awkward silence for the lights to go out so his lover could sit with him. It was strange, uncomfortable in a way for both of them, but a 'safety precaution' as he himself had called it, as having them separated was just impossible to consider.
When Louis finally sat down in the chair next to him, he smiled a little but didn't get any response. "Grumpy? It'll be worth it" He stated, pointing to the actors on stage. He loved that play, and had a hundred and one comments about it.
It took a while for Louis to respond to that, generally not liking to talk during the play, but it was already being a bit inconvenient. "What had you told me?" The dark-haired started, the voice drawled in that philosophical tone that made Lestat already regret having asked. "About my own worth? About indignities for a greater purpose? If you must know, I don't think this is worth it." He pointed to the stage.
This struck a nerve in Lestat. How could Faust not be worth it?! It was simply a masterpiece. "What is wrong with you?" He whispered back, angrily. "The play hasn't even started!" He exclaimed offended.
"I don't like coming here" Louis admitted, looking at the stage, and that made his maker even angrier.
"You agreed to come and now you're ruining everything" The words spat acid. It was very difficult to get under his skin, and Louis did it masterfully every time.
It was only then that the fledgling looked at him, a mixture of disturbance and confusion on his face, crossing his arms. "It's just, they're worse tonight," he admitted.
"Who? The actors? You didn't even give it a chance-"
"No, their thoughts" Louis cut in, shifting his gaze back to the stage, even though he didn't seem to be able to pay attention.
Lestat frowned. "What thoughts? You're not making any sense"
With that, Louis stood up suddenly saying nothing more and leaving the private cabin with heavy steps. Lestat stood with his mouth open for a moment, watching this chaotic scene. He slammed his hand on the back of his chair in anger, and then looked at the stage, and then at the door, and only then decided to go after the other vampire. A play was nothing without anyone beside him, he was nothing.
Lestat walked past people in the hallway, trying to guess where his love was, and deep down he could sense it. It wasn't a maker and fledgling thing, maybe a two people who were obsessed with each other thing. He started opening doors randomly at some point, until he found himself in the place's vast, golden bathroom.
The place would appear to be empty if it weren't for the two of them, he slammed the door behind him and I saw Louis leaning against the large counter with the sinks. The dark-haired one sniffed, quickly wiping his face.
"Louis, what is it?" The blonde asked, taking slow steps across the polished floor to the other. And by that he meant the escape, the comments, and the way his face looked so depressing right now.
He watched the vampire shrug, trying to recover, but Lestat saw right through him. "It's nothing, we should go back.." He sighed.
But it was too late, as Lestat approached, their knees almost touching. "You're crying, Lou" He noticed, bringing a hand up to lightly touch his wrist. He didn't expect this, and it scared the hell out of him, he hated having to watch that.
"It's just.." Louis looked away, he didn't like crying, he rarely did that. Lestat had gotten used to seeing angry, or introspective, not like this.
"You can tell me, we share everything" He waited, observing some conflict in the other about this, but tried to be patient with him.
"I don't know, it was easier when I couldn't read people's thoughts" Louis shrugged, even though his eyes were unfocused from his thoughts, still a little teary. "And it's not like I try to read them, but I feel like everything is directed at me, all this... contempt towards me" He muttered, even as he looked away elsewhere.
Lestat was surprised for a moment, although his face closed when the other started talking. It wasn't very common for Louis to talk about this or any of his other struggles, especially after he was turned and a veil fell between them. That was one of his biggest fears, that they would stop when the gift was given, just like what happened to his other fledglings.
"Louis, I'm so sorry you had to go through this." He frowned, taking the other's hand with one hand and placing the other over his heart. Lestat could do nothing to make it better, he would never understand, and he felt helpless because of it, he hated helplessness. He felt the fledgling's body lose some of its tension.
"I know it's silly of me, I hate being sad about it..."
"No, no," Lestat interrupted, not quite knowing what to say. "You shouldn't keep these things to yourself, I can't begin to imagine how horrible this feeling must be." He stared at the other for a while, massaging a finger over his heart.
Louis seemed a little touched by that, he was usually angry, bothered, hungry for blood lately, and then Lestat came and left him all limp, as if he was allowed to cry, to feel. Maybe that was the thing that caught his attention when they first met: they used to sit in the square, and Lestat would listen to him for hours. "You don't need to feel sorry for me" He stated, clearing his throat, but damn, Lestat seemed to be looking into his soul now.
And maybe he was. Lestat shook his head. "I was the one who dragged you here, I should have listened to you" He insisted. It was his fault, of course it was, he wondered if he would ever get it right.
But Louis just shook off those thoughts, moving so that his maker let go of him. "That's enough, we should go back" he put his hands in his pocket.
Lestat frowned, going after the fledgling and taking him by the arm. "No, we won't do it if you don't want to, and I know you don't want to" He didn't need to read minds to know that.
"I'm fine, it's nothing new. We're missing the play" Louis said a little upset, visibly still bothered by it. It hurt. He tried to be strong on the streets, but it was f*cking unfair.
"No." Lestat didn't let go of him, seeing that the fledgling was very upset, wanting to provide some kind of support without knowing how. So he just hugged Louis. It was something he had never done before, but he just couldn't stand to stand by and see Louis suffering, it was too sad, and he felt sorry for it. Lestat felt the other tense at first, finding that type of contact strange, then his body softened, and eventually his arms hugged his maker back.
"I said I'm fine" The fledgling murmured tiredly, but despite that he didn't let go of the other, kind of enjoying it a little. Lately he hadn't talked about how much these situations affected him, and Lestat made it seem so easy to get it off his chest. He felt loved, a novelty considering his troubled relationship with his mortal family recently.
"I know, you were always so strong" Lestat praised, letting the other lay his head on his chest, just because it was a good snuggle. And they were all elegant and the blonde couldn't keep his hands to himself. It was finally happening, finally he felt like he was giving some comfort, getting involved with someone who cared so much about him. He kissed his head.
"Lestat, are you swinging us?" asked a voice muffled by the suit.
"Oui. They're singing and the acoustics reach here, can you hear it?" Lestat muttered. He was actually rocking them a little in that hug, maybe that was stupid, but he would never miss the opportunity.
"Yes, I can hear it" The dark-haired one replied calmly, resting his chin on his maker's shoulder. "Although I don't feel much better doing it here" He admitted.
"Well, I wouldn't have you anywhere else, I wouldn't change a single thing" Lestat replied, kissing the fledgling's jaw, and then his lips, twice. And the youngest seemed to melt for a moment, a small smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
"When I landed America months ago I never imagined I would be here"
"Dancing hidden in the bathroom?"
"Holding the love of my life" Lestat replied, kind of taking the other by surprise. It was a confession among so many others, but after the nightmare he had, the fear of losing intensified, as did his love. He sighed at the silence. "You make this perfect. I'm not just saying this to flatter you." He turned his face away a little, looking into his fledgling's eyes.
Louis looked at him suspiciously, patting his chest. However, before he could say anything else, a noise came from the door handle, indicating that someone was entering. Lestat barely realized what was happening, except that he felt the fledgling quickly push the two of them into one of the small bathroom stalls and cover his mouth, something valid, as the blonde started to chatter something against his hand.
His body had hit the wall, and he had Louis pressing down on him. "Shh shh" He asked for silence. And for a moment they were silent, listening to the man's footsteps through the vast bathroom.
He looked into the other's eyes, disappointed, and removed his hand so he could whisper. "You don't need to hide."
"Just...force of habit, and you'll pretend your hand wasn't touching my ass?" Louis argued, equally in a whisper when they heard the man enter the cabin next to theirs.
"I'm sorry, mon cher. It's force of habit" Lestat shrugged and received a light slap to the face. Taken by surprise, he chuckled, loud enough for the guy to hear something. As a result he had Louis kissing him. They suppressed laughter amidst the chaos, Lestat felt himself being pressed against the wall. He couldn't help himself, moaning. "Who has their hands on whose ass now?" He whispered in the other's ear, licking It.
Louis panted, pressing his hard member against his maker's thigh, and then bringing a hand to Lestat's chin and holding it tight. "Shut up" He whispered.
"Then make me!" Lestat responded, trying to free himself from that hand to try and bite it. It was then that he heard a third voice:
"Is everything okay over there?" Said the man inside another booth, suspicious.
Louis gave the blonde a disapproving look because of that noise, the vampires exchanged looks and Lestat raised his eyebrows until he felt the other reach out and squeeze his balls with one hand. "Ah" he stood on tiptoe. "Yes I'm fine!" He shouted at the other man, no matter how much his voice vibrated, it was all so intense with Louis, when they allowed themselves to just exist and be themselves. His parts burned, and his eyes on the other's too. "This play just made me emotional!" Lestat exclaimed, holding his man's wait tightly.
He blinked a few times, laying his head against the other's. They heard the man come out of the cabin and go to wash his hands, and Lestat hadLouis holding him like that. It was only when the man left that he let go, and the blonde gave a sigh of relief.
"Ah f*ck you and your strong hand" Lestat sighed, watching the other walk out of the cabin.
"Take me home" Louis asked.
"Oh, give me just a minute, you might have kind of just crushed my balls" Lestat poked the area with his hands and then let it go, even though it genuinely hurt and excited him at the same time."Home you said?" He looked back at the other, who looked as immaculate as ever.
"Yes, but you can stay if you want..."
"I'm coming, mon cher!"
They drove back home. Louis usually drove for them, but this time the blonde made a point of opening the door for him to get in and be the one to drive the vehicle through the streets. A pleasant silence settled between them, and Lestat was surprised when he heard the other begin to speak.
"Thank you for following me. This situations are inconsolable but... it was nice having you with me there" Louis admitted it, because it really meant something to him, he even took the liberty of leaving his hand on the driver's thigh.
"That's what lovers are for" Lestar responded with a smile so big it showed off his fangs, taking one of his hands off the steering wheel to rest on the fledgling's.
He felt good, with them exchanging thoughts, feelings, things that he always avoided because they reminded him of his own impotence: Maybe he couldn't save Louis and Nicki, but he would do his best to stay by his side now. Protect him, if not from others, then from his own thoughts.
"Do you want me to play Faust for you?"
"Honestly? No, I don't want to" The dark-haired one confessed, giving his thigh a little squeeze merely as a joke.
"You're playing with fire, mon cher" Lestat warned, and had the other smiling. And he had to look to the side to see it up close.
Louis felt embarrassed when Lestat looked at him like that, and happy too. "Eyes on the road!" Louis exclaimed, motioning for the other to look ahead.
The stubborn one obeyed.
