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#i want to especially know if the night lestat dropped him from the sky … is it true
percysheliey · 1 year
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sigh finished my second watch of iwtv … sick and twisted with the was it raining louis???? daniel !!!! stop it !!!!!
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murfpersonalblog · 29 days
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Lestat in Ep5: Louis as a Believable Victim
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Although I responded to comments in the post I made last night when the trailer dropped, IRL got in the way, so I had to wait to talk at greater length about this WILD shot of a bloody Lestat, presumably during the Ep5 fight, which we also see in the trailer.
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The Injuries
I wasn't the only one who saw Lestat's bloody face in the trailer and was like Ok, we're off to the races now! Cuz this implies SEVERAL things, some I'm more interested than others:
Lestat being bloody in and of itself doesn't surprise me--as seen in the film, even Claudia cut Les hard enough to made him bleed (more on that below). And we know there were MULTIPLE times Loustat physically fought, where Lestat (deservedly, he admitted) caught Louis' hands. However, I'm most curious about how long it took Les to HEAL.
AMC frustratingly does not follow a lot of the diehard Rules(TM) of AR's vampire universe (daywalking, being awake b4 sunset, smoking/drinking/eating/etc, Louis having the Fire Gift, etc).
How impervious they are to physical injury is another large point of contention, particularly when it comes to Ep5 & Ep6, when we see the full extent of Louis' injuries at Lestat's hands; and then see Louis get his payback after the hate-sex.
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Especially cuz in the books/film, these kinds of open wounds/bruises shouldn't actually be a thing! Vamp skin/flesh is VERY tough & resilient--we know as early as TVL & QotD that old/strong vamps are darn near hard as stone, though ofc it's not until PLatRoA that we learn WHY (cuz of the Luracastria in their/Amel's blood). It's quite the feat to hurt them; hence why AR vamps often bite/cut their own flesh to help their mortal lovers drink their blood, as human teeth/nails can't pierce it. And any wounds they DO get heal very rapidly.
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At the end of Ep5 Lestat floats down into the courtyard with a perfectly clean face. (Although his mouth was all bloody in the sky from having bitten Louis.)
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But in their bedroom (BEFORE Lestat dragged them into the courtyard) Lestat's forehead and nose/mouth are bloody.
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Until shown otherwise, I'm most willing to assume that Lestat was bloodied up, then his wounds rapidly healed & the blood evaporated, a la the film. What took Lestat mere minutes to recover from took Louis MONTHS on end. Cuz this was 1930/31, at the very peak of Louis' depression when he wasn't taking care of himself AT ALL. When Louis doesn't eat he is physically WEAK. But in his righteous indignation over Lestat choke-slamming Claudia, Lou's Papa Bear instincts/adrenaline allowed him to STAND UP & fight Les off of her.
There are MANY IRL cases where smaller/weaker people have been able to beat the crap out of much bigger/stronger opps--particularly if the opp isn't expecting it, or underestimates how serious/motivated their victim is (*cough* Ike vs Tina *cough*).
And ESPECIALLY if said opponent's deliberately HOLDING BACK and LETTING themselves get beat up. As we KNOW Lestat did!
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This is the very heart of Loustat's power imbalance. No matter how strong Louis is/gets, Lestat is still stronger, & more experienced. Just cuz Lou managed to smack some sense into Les, doesn't mean Les was EVER in any real danger from Louis (esp. since AMC!Lou never even set Les on fire 😔). AMC's been demonstrating over & over how the game was rigged from the start. Lestat, the "finest ACTOR to ever walk our stage," OFTEN played with his food and PRETENDED to to be weaker, stupider, or more vulnerable than he REALLY was, Monsieur "Did I Not Tell You I Was Bad At Cards?" de Lioncourt. In Ep6, Lestat WANTED Louis to get mad at him, and did NOTHING to defend himself when Louis went FERAL on him.
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I think Lestat was all bloodied up when they got back to NOLA cuz this was 1937. It's 6 years after Ep5, after Louis went through physical therapy so he could see & walk again--finally strong again--enough to swim the entire Mississippi River. That's what Lestat wanted most of all for Louis: healthiness & STRENGTH.
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If letting Louis vent & feel empowered by beating him up would get Louis to crawl out of his passivity, Les would do ANYTHING for Louis--including playing along (a la the house rules w/ Claudia).
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So like I said, until we're told otherwise, I hesitate to give Les a pass, cuz the show's literally been weaving a narrative that presents Lestat as the oppressor and Louis & Claudia as the oppressed. Oh, Les' pretty face got bloody? GOOD! Serves the narcissist right; it'll build character! 🤣
Traumatized Victims: Believable =/= Reliable
The other side of the argument, pointing out the contradictions between Ep5 & the trailer, inevitably goes back to the dreaded question of Louis' reliability as a narrator & believability as a victim.
Louis' 2022 recollections are FLAWED, not LIES (a la the petty AF skulldragging he did in 1973).
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IMO, Louis' sincerity in seeking the TRUTH is what makes him 100% believable, even though he's OBVIOUSLY not 100% reliable. His memories are compromised, yes, but I DO NOT believe he is deliberately lying to Daniel in 2022. And it's already been established that book!Lestat VERIFIED that even when book!Lou contradicted himself, got details wrong, etc, his overall tale still captured the atmosphere of everything that went down, even at his utmost pettiest.
The ONLY outright "lie" Dubai!Lou tells Daniel is the whole "Rashid" ruse--but I strongly suspect that has WAY more to do with ARMAND and Devil's Minion (and AMC tryna throw us off the scent), than anything to do with Louis himself.
So yeah, regardless of Louis/Claudia getting it right about Lestat's face being bloody or not, S2 revisiting Ep5 I think will STILL capture the atmosphere of the toxic environment they were all living under, that culminated in what was obviously a REAL fight that DID happen, that was BAD enough that whatever happened to LOUIS--EFF Lestat, really, ffs--officially made Claudia mad enough to hate Lestat; and Louis guilty enough to go along with her Murder Plot.
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kc-anathema · 7 years
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Betrayal is a Three Edged Sword
Betrayal is a Three Edged Sword
Warning: Slash
Spoilers: Qotd
Disclaimers: I don't own the vamps, Anne Rice does. I make no profit off of this.
It was ten o'clock at night. The stars were beautiful in the sky, like diamonds, and the moon was a perfect crescent over the house on Rue Royal. A soft breeze played through the windows, rustling the curtains and cooling the humid air. Lestat could not have asked for a better night.
Slowly he gathered up the crystal vase and set it on the small table he had bought the night before, already covered in a fine, red cloth. Inside the vase he set one rose that had not yet opened, and placed two white candles beside it. The two antique chairs, which he had bought especially for this occassion, were placed at each end of the table. He turned the lights down low and prepared the proper music, soft and slow, just as Louis would like. Then with a final nod and sigh, yes, everything's fine, he sat down by the window and waited for his lover to come home from the bookstore. He stared at the golden ring on his left hand and smiled. Married to Louis de Pointe du Lac, finally.
"Louis de Lioncourt," he whispered. "Or Lestat de Pointe du Lac. Or maybe Lestat du Lac. What a wonderful sound. Hurry home, darling. We're going to have a pleasant talk tonight, just like you wanted to."
Meanwhile, Louis was standing in the stairwell of a cheap apartment complex, staring at the shoddy
door in front of him. He knocked gently, and a few seconds later it opened, revealing a finely built mortal just slightly taller than he was. The human had dusty brown hair, hazel eyes and a smile that was more kindly than lecherous, though there were elements of both in his lips.
"Louis, you came!" he laughed in delight. "I was worried you might stay away."
Louis smiled and entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him. "Never, Alan. I missed you." He lay his hand on Alan's face, brushing the soft hair away from those beautiful eyes. "I dreamed of you last night. Of your hands over my body..."
Alan bent a bit to kiss him. "Let's go inside. I've been waiting all day for you." He seized Louis' hand and drew him to the back of the bare apartment where the bed stood, sitting him on the edge. Alan knelt and took Louis' foot in his hand, slowly unlacing the expensive boot and setting it reverently aside. "You dressed up tonight," he noticed.
"I dressed for you," Louis corrected him.
"Don't think I don't appreciate it," Alan smiled. He removed the other boot, then unbuttoned Louis' shirt and slid it off of his lover's shoulder. Then he pushed him down on the mattress and undid the denim pants, placing it on the pile of clothes. "You are so beautiful every night."
"Never as much as you. Your eyes alone are gorgeous."
Alan gave him a long kiss, his tongue missing the fangs as always. "Always the flatterer, hmm?" He took off his own clothes, shedding them quickly on the dirty floor. "Will you fight me tonight?"
Louis grinned and put his arms around Alan. "Do I ever fight you, my love?" He kissed him again, loving the warm body on top of his. "Will you make me beg again tonight?"
Alan laughed eagerly. "Oh, yes, and I'll make you scream." He took a good hold of Louis' body and turned his slender body over, starting with a gentle massage over his back. He nuzzled Louis' throat and moved slowly down, waiting for the proper moment. The vampire beneath him moaned and twisted beneath him, pretending that he was struggling to get away, that he was a prisoner beneath his lover. Alan cruelly dug his fingers into his arms and held him down, driving his knees into his legs.
"I know you want it," he growled, "beg for it. Beg for it, you whore!"
"Please, give it to me," Louis whimpered, "I want it, I need you in me, impale me! Screw my brains out."
Alan chuckled. "You want me to fuck you?"
"Yes, fuck me, make me scream. Fuck me as hard as you can, make me hurt. I deserve it." Without any warning Alan thrust into Louis, slamming himself up against his body over and over. Louis gasped in exquisite pain, grasping the pillow to try to hang on. He felt Alan's fingers wrap into his hair and jerk his head back just to hear his cry of agony. "Oh please, no more, I can't take it! Mercy, please, master!"
"You little slut, you know you like this." One final thrust and then Alan forced him back up. He straddled Louis' arms with his legs and pulled his mouth open, easing himself between Louis' lips. Alan groaned as Louis sucked, and he drove himself further into him. "That's it...that's my suck slave..."
Finally he withdrew and stared at the beautiful captive beneath him. "Ready to take it again up the ass?" he asked in a lustful whisper, and Louis nodded fervently.
Lestat stared forlornly at the clock. Four in the morning. Where was his husband? He felt something wet on his cheek, and was surprised to find a tear there. He looked back at the table, then sighed sadly and got up to put everything away. The candles went back in the drawer, the table was put aside with the chairs, and he turned the lights off, except for the outdoor light. The rose went in the trash. He sat down in the dark living room, and suddenly he found himself sobbing quietly. He didn't know why, but he was unexplicably sorrowful. Why wasn't Louis home? Where could he be? Was he all right?
Soon he heard the faint sounds of someone walking up the path. Lestat wiped his tears away and ran to the front door, sweeping up his husband into his arms and kissing him. "Oh, Louis, where were you, I was so worried!"
Louis smiled indulgently and backed away. "I'm afraid I lost track of time at the store. Really, Lestat, you shouldn't get so worked up. I'm old enough to take care of myself." He left Lestat there at the door and started up the staircase. "I'm going to go to bed now, I'm already very tired."
Lestat watched him disappear into their room and fought down his tears. Louis just...left him...standing like a fool in the darkness...He hadn't noticed that the room was pitch black, or that Lestat had been crying...Lestat went up the stairs and entered their bedroom. Louis was only removing his boots. He would be sleeping in his clothes, which meant that he didn't want anything intimate tonight. Again.
Lestat was about to ask if he was feeling all right when he noticed Louis take something sparkly off of his wrist and set it down on the nightstand. He frowned in confusion. Louis hadn't been wearing any jewelry when he left. Louis took his boots and set them in the closet, not noticing as Lestat picked up the bracelet and looked closely at it. When he turned back, it was too late. His jaw dropped a little in shock as he realized he'd forgotten about it.
"Lestat, no..."
Lestat paid no attention to the common pattern on the surface. Instead he looked at the faint inscription on the inside. "To Louis," he whispered, "my sensual angel, love Alan?" For a moment, he did not understand. Louis held still, wondering if he was away with it. Lestat's mind worked slowly, as if under water.
The bracelet dropped out of his hands as he figured it out. He looked at Louis at first in disbelief, then in horror as he saw the guilt etched in his fledgling's face. That's where he'd been--
"How long?" he managed to gasp out. Louis held silent, but Lestat could piece the situation together. Married two years...and the nights Louis had 'lost track of time' had started only a month after... "Oh no," he whispered. "No, no, not real. Not you, you wouldn't...you love me..."
"Yes, I do," Louis insisted. "Lestat, please, let me--"
"I trusted you...all this time you've lied to me..." the realization was slow to sink in. "Lied to me...oh God, lied..." Louis reached out to brush his hand, but Lestat backed away as if Louis were a snake. "How could you? I love you!" Tears spilled out in a rush, and as he wiped them furiously away, he noticed the ring on his left hand. He held his hand up for Louis to see. "Does this mean nothing? Was what we went through, the vows of eternal love, was it all worthless?"
Before Louis could answer, Lestat dashed out of the room, intending to cry his heart out in the guest room. As he went inside, though, all he saw were shelves and shelves of books. The private library he'd created for Louis. He turned again and went down the stairs, not knowing where he was running to, just as long as it was far away from the hurt. Louis ran after him, hoping to catch up, but the death sleep came too fast for him. His legs turned to lead and he toppled down the stairs, asleep before he hit the first step.
Louis woke upon the floor, staring up at the stairs from ground level. With a muffled groan, he untangled himself and stood up. His head throbbed from the force with which it'd slammed against the wall the night before, but it didn't hurt as much as his heart did. All he could think about was Lestat's face as he realized what Louis had done, been doing, for years.
"What have I done?" he whispered inaudibly. "Oh, Lestat, I've hurt you all over again." But his lover could never want him again, not after this. He went up to the bedroom and opened a drawer, taking out a few sets of clothing and laying them on the bed. Then he went to the closet, brought his suitcase over and began to pack. A few of his favorite books went inside, along with a picture of Lestat. With a heartbroken sigh, he closed the case and walked downstairs. When he reached the floor, he stopped and looked around, trying to memorize every detail so he wouldn't forget.
As he was standing there, the door suddenly opened. Lestat stepped through, then stopped when he saw his fledgling in front of him, suitcase in hand. His eyes narrowed. "Oh, no, you don't. You're not running away again, I won't let you!" Before Louis could react, Lestat raced forward and caught him, slinging him over his shoulder. The younger vampire's arms were trapped beneath himself so that he couldn't fight back, and when he did struggle, Lestat tightened his grip enough to warn Louis not to.
Louis watched helplessly as he was carried back upstairs and flung onto the bed. He huddled on the edge while Lestat pulled a chair up and sat directly in front of him, putting his hands on his shoulders and making Louis stare him in the eye.
"All right, Louis de Pointe du Lac, you are going to tell me who this Alan is, where he lives, what he looks like, and why he's so damn better than I am! And afterward, I'm going to leave you tied up here while I go make sausages out of his intestines." He dug his hands into Louis' arms, making his husband wince. "Damn it, tell me!"
Louis stared into his eyes, at the anger and frustration he had caused. He could tell that Lestat was close to tears, even though he was trying to hide it. Louis could see all of the anguish and grief he was putting Lestat through with his selfish actions. He was hurting the one man he had promised to love and protect forever. He opened his mouth slightly, and the gates burst open. He started to cry like a child.
"Oh God, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Lestat," Louis whimpered. "I never meant to hurt you, I only--I just wanted to feel, oh, I just wanted...I didn't want to you to find out, I thought you were going to leave me, and I...I, I thought you would hate me. I know it was stupid, that's all I seem to be able to do. I'm such a fool!" He was beginning to lose control, his voice rising. "I keep hurting you and hurting you, and you keep forgiving me. And now I know you won't this time, and I'm losing you and it's all my fault and I'm so cruel, I don't deserve you, you deserve someone faithful, not some worthless slut!"
Lestat leaned back in shock as his lover started to scream hysterically. He had never expected this sort of reaction. He tried to shake Louis to break him out of this state, but Louis just sobbed harder. Lestat took a deep breath. Only one thing he could do. Lestat leaned forward and sank his fangs into his fledgling's throat, drinking up his blood and misery. Louis stiffened and stopped screaming, his body relaxing into Lestat's grip. After a minute, Lestat drew away and looked down at his lover. Louis' eyes were half-closed and glazed over, his body entirely limp like a doll's.
Lestat lay him back on the bed and took off his shoes, shirt, and after a moment's thought, his pants as well. Then he pulled the blankets up to Louis' throat and turned off the light. Sitting back in his chair, he stroked Louis' hair and waited for him to wake up again.
"Lestat?"
Lestat almost didn't hear the tiny whisper in the dark. "Louis, are you awake?"
"Mm-hmm."
The room was totally silent for a long time.
"How do you feel?"
Louis took a deep breath. "Weak. Tired." A moment passed. "Ashamed."
Lestat nodded. Louis could barely see his silhouette in the moonlight.
"Do you hate me?" Louis closed his eyes and braced for the worst.
Lestat heaved a sigh and shook his head. "No. I love you. But do you love me?"
Louis tried to nod and couldn't. "Yes."
"Then why?"
"I...it's such a crude, meaningless reason."
"Why?"
"I wanted to make love."
Lestat looked down at him. "But we do, whenever you let me."
"The way humans do."
Lestat gave a little gasp of understanding. "The way I can't," he whispered, hanging his head down. "Did you?"
"We had sex. We never made love."
"That's a rather fine way to describe it," Lestat said bitterly.
"I'm sorry--"
"Yes, you said that already. And I accept your apologies."
Louis winced at the cold tone. "Does it have to be like this between us now?"
Lestat sighed and shook his head. "No. I love you, and you say you love me--"
"I do--!"
"--but I cannot trust you."
The fledgling snifled, feeling the tears he couldn't afford to lose. "How can I earn your trust once more?"
Instead of answering, Lestat got up and raised the lights to a dim glow. Louis tried to rise up on his arms, but he was still faint, and he slipped back onto his pillow. Lestat smiled wrily and sat down beside him, softly caressing his face.
"It won't be easy, chere."
"I'll do anything you want."
"You mustn't leave the house. Ever. Not unless I am with you, do you understand?"
Louis nodded slowly.
"And you will only go out when I am beside you, and you will not stray from my side. You will come when I call you, and you won't speak to anyone I do not approve of. Understand?"
Louis nodded again, but he sighed sadly.
"What's the matter?" Lestat demanded, his feelings hurt. "Is staying with your husband such a terrible punishment?"
Louis' eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, no, it's not that, it's just..."
"Just what?" Lestat prodded.
"I just don't like clubs and loud concerts, that's all," Louis admitted.
Lestat was quiet for a moment, and then he chuckled. "Ah, my silly chere. I'm not so harsh as to force you to places that would hurt you. I want you to be happy. We'll go to places you want to go as well, bookstores, libraries, even travel if you want to. You merely cannot be alone when out of the house."
Louis smiled tenuously. "Then...you forgive me?"
Lestat grinned. "I can't stay angry with you for any real length of time." He sighed. "Last night, when I ran out, I walked around the city trying to think things through. At first I wanted to slap you around for hurting me, and then I wanted to find your mortal and slowly tear him to pieces, and then I just wanted to sleep it all off. And when I looked up, I found myself at your grave, and that's when I decided that if I kept this up and stayed away from you, that was where you'd ultimately end up. I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I went to ground beside your grave, and when I woke up, I came home and found you all packed up." He glanced down at Louis. "Where were you going?"
Louis shrugged. "Somewhere, I don't know. I think I wanted to go to another city where I could go to sleep."
"Which is why you were taking a picture of me?" Lestat smirked.
Louis gave a sad laugh. "I don't think straight when I'm overwrought."
Lestat nodded. "I've noticed that over the years. Feel better?"
Louis smiled. "Yes, I do. I love you, Lestat."
"And I love you, Louis. Go to sleep, darling. I'll bring you something to eat soon, and then I want you to rest for the remainder of the night."
"And tomorrow?"
"And tomorrow we'll go to that little, dusty bookshop and buy you another set of books for your library," Lestat said, kissing his lover's lips. "Now sleep, chere. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Louis nodded and closed his eyes. It was very easy for him to fall asleep. As soon as Lestat heard his soft breathing (Louis never snored), he shut the window and left the room.
Early in the afternoon right after they had fed, Lestat took Louis to the small bookstore, keeping his arm around his fledgling's waist to show his claim. Louis lay his head on Lestat's shoulder until they reached the back of the shop, where they separated only enough to search through the sections that interested them. Louis had already agreed not to leave Lestat's side even to move around the shelves, and in return Lestat had promised anything Louis wished, as long as he was never three feet from him.
Louis reached up to a high shelf and took down a thin book entirely in French. As he did, though, he heard a cry in a familiar voice. He looked to his right and saw his mortal lover at another shelf in plain view, reading through what seemed to be a sensational leather-bound book. With his enhanced sight, Louis could see that it was a copy of the Marquis de Sade's novel Justine. Alan suddenly yawned and stretched, raising his head.
Louis looked down and tried to hide his face in a book, but it was too late. Alan had seen him and was now rushing over. Lestat had not seen, though. He was still behind him, engrossed in a copy of Hamlet. Louis turned to his maker.
"Lestat, I want to leave now," he whispered furiously.
"What?" Lestat asked, confused for amoment.
"Please, Lestat, please," but Alan was already pulling up to them. He looked angrily at Louis.
"There you are! Why didn't you shown up yesterday? I waited all night."
"Alan, please go away. You shouldn't be here--"
"What, I can't talk to the guy I screw every weekend? Well, almost every weekend."
Louis put the book down, it was useless to try to hide now. His face started to burn in humiliation. "It's over, Alan. Please leave me alone."
"Over? Think you could've gotten around to telling me? Did you get tired of being on the bottom?" Finally Alan noticed the tall blonde standing next to Louis. "Is this the guy you're leaving me for? God, I thought you had better taste than this. He looks like...oh, hey, he is that rich guy! You loose little slut, is that what you're after? Money? You little whore. Does he pay you in books?"
Louis pushed his sob down and stepped closer to Lestat, who put himself between them. "How dare you say that about him," Lestat snarled. He wanted to squish this monster in front of him, but that might hurt Louis as well. "He is the most perfect creature in the world and you would insult him like this?"
"He's a creature, all right. Less than an animal. He's on all fours all the time, at least." Alan smirked cruelly. "Do you want to know what he does in bed, the sounds he made when I fucked him? He likes to beg and suck cock, does he do that for you? Does he call you master and beg to be screwed?"
Louis whimpered audibly and covered his face in his hands. "No, stop this, stop it! Why are you doing this? I've never hurt you."
"You're such a bitch, Louis. Whine about this, mope about that, would you please fuck me? The only good thing about you is your body."
That was it. Suddenly Lestat had his hand around Alan's throat, lifting him up off the ground. The mortal stared wide-eyed in terror at the unnatural strength as he struggled to breathe.
"Now listen to me, you bastard, you know nothing about him, and if you had any sense you'd have listened to him when he told you to leave. Now I'm going to give you a choice: would you prefer to be strangled, or torn apart?"
"Lestat!" Louis backed away, knuckles pressed to his lips. "No, don't, please don't!"
Lestat didn't hear him. His mind was too focused on the prey in front of him. He tightened his grip, then punched Alan solidly in the stomach. The mortal grunted and tried to double over, but he couldn't. His eyes started to roll back.
Louis couldn't watch. With a strangled cry, he raced out of the store, running down empty streets, not knowing where he was headed. His lungs tired but he kept going. He only stopped when he ran right into a lamppost, falling to the ground abruptly. Unable to stop himself, he put his head in his hands and cried violently.
A few moments later Louis felt strong arms encircle him, drawing him closer into a warm, loving hold. He lay his head on the hard shoulders and continued to weep for several long minutes. Hands caressed his hair, soothing the sore spot from where he'd run into the post, and he felt himself being rocked gently back and forth.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I'm so sorry."
"Shh, it's all right...calm down."
"I can't," Louis hiccuped, "I can't stop crying. Take me home, please, I want to go home." He felt himself being lifted up, so he threw his arms around Lestat's neck, sobbing into his hair. He knew they were flying because he could feel the wind rush by them, but the flight seemed interminable. Only after a long, long time were they back in their house, and then he was sitting on his bed. He looked up at Lestat with blood-shot eyes. "I feel sick," he whimpered. "I just want this to stop."
Lestat gave him a little smile. "I know. Try to calm down. Take deep breaths, believe me, that works."
Only gradually did Louis stop crying, the tears vanishing as Lestat wiped them away with his handkerchief. He wrapped his arms around Lestat, rest against his chest and closed his eyes. "I didn't
think I'd see him there," he sighed. "I didn't think he'd be so cruel."
Lestat cuddled him in his arms. "I know, baby, I know. It's taken care of. He won't bother you ever again."
Louis looked up in shock. "Lestat, you didn't kill him, did you?"
Lestat shook his head. "No, I knew that would hurt you. I believe he's in the hospital right now, where
he'll be for some time. When he gets out, he'll find all of his things packed up and a note telling him to leave town. All right?"
Louis nodded slowly. "I love you, Lestat."
Lestat grinned. "I know, Louis. I know."
Louis took a deep breath and leaned back. "I'm going to go read in the library. Care to join me?"
"Not just yet, dear. I need to make a phone call. But I will come up a bit later. Do us both a favor and sit on the sofa, won't you?"
Louis smiled and nodded. "I'll be waiting." He got up and left.
Lestat listened to his footsteps creak over the wood floors and through the squeaky door, and reminded himself to oil it later. He stood up, then walked downstairs and went to the dining room phone. He didn't want Louis to hear this conversation. Picking up the receiver, he dialed in the number and waited. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten...elev--
"Hello, who is it?"
"Armand, it's me, Lestat."
"Lestat? What on earth are you calling me about? Do you have any idea what I was doing when you--?"
"Damn it, it's not about me, it's--look, I need your help."
Pure silence on the other end.
"Lestat, I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you say you needed my help?"
"Yes, you can quit preening yourself. I have a question and I figured you'd be the one most likely to know."
Armand sighed in irritation. "It's about sex, isn't it? Why does everyone come to me for their love needs? What is it now, do you need a catalog for sturdy chains?"
"Do you really have something like--no, no, it's not that," Lestat cut himself off. "Is there any way for us to have sex?"
"Lestat, really, I would have thought you wouldn't have any problems like--"
"Sex the way mortals do," Lestat clarified.
"Ohhh...oh, I see. Uhmmm..."
From far away in the other room, another voice joined the conversation. "Hey, boss, come on, I'm getting cold, and it ain't like I can move to get a blanket!"
"Hush or I'll tighten the knots! Now let's see, how to explain this...Lestat, do you have any long candles nearby?"
"Yes, right here--Armand, if you think I'm going to use those--!"
"No no no. Just do as I say. Take one and lay it down flat on the table."
Unaccustomed to following instructions, Lestat still did as he was told. "All right, now what?"
"Make one end of it rise with your mind."
Lestat sighed impatiently, but he did anyways until it was standing straight up. "Okay, but how is this going to help?"
"Look at the candle and think about it. Coming, Danny!" The phone suddenly hung up. Lestat rolled his eyes and slammed the phone down. That didn't help much. He looked at the candle and let it fall, then made it rise again, over and over until he got sick of looking at it. A minute passed. Then his eyes widened as he made the connection. He looked back at the candle, lifted it, and dropped it.
"Oh my God...it's so damn simple..." His gaze slid wickedly up to the staircase at the library door. "Louis, sweet little Louis, if you want human-style sex, then you are going to get your wish!"
Louis sighed as he retrieved a book from a nearby shelf and opened it. He hardly glanced at the pages, though. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have been so hypocritical? He was always the one telling Lestat he needed to be more considerate, that he was too selfish.
"When I was the selfish one," he murmured. His hands grew limp until the book fell out of his hands, but he did not notice it. "And now I am so untrustworthy I must be put under constant scrutiny..." He lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes. That crying jag had worn him out. He just wanted to sleep for weeks.
Soft hands suddenly took hold of his shirt, sliding it over his head and off of his arms. He did not open his eyes. He knew Lestat loved it if he did not fight back, but he was also too tired to struggle. His shoes were unlaced and removed along with his socks. The buttons on his pants were undone, and then the frayed jeans were slipped off. Fingers ran through his hair, taking up a bunch to stroke his face and tickle his nose.
"Lestat..." Louis groaned, reaching up to stop him. Instead he found his wrists trapped in one of Lestat's hands, immobilizing him.
"Now, darling," Lestat grinned, "you have a choice. Either I can tie you up with silk rope, or I can tie you up in chains."
"Can I choose neither?"
Lestat shook his head. "Hurry up, or I'll choose for you."
"Silk," Louis said quickly. Chains were hard and cold, at least the rope was flexible. He opened his eyes and saw Lestat taking an end of the white rope and looping it over his hands, knotting it off tight. Lestat pulled his hands up over his head, then scooped his fledgling into his arms and carried him back to their bedroom. There the rope was tied up to the head of the bed so that Louis was stretched out conveniently.
Lestat smiled and held up two scraps of cloth. "Velvet, or silk?"
"Velvet."
The softer piece of cloth was bound over his eyes, and then he could only feel Lestat's hands running down over his body, holding sensitive spots and grazing others. Slowly he was turned onto his side, and then onto his stomach. His waist and hips were elevated with pillows, and a large pillow was eased under his chest to keep his face from the mattress. Lestat didn't want his fledgling to suffocate.
"Are you ready?" he whispered.
"Ready for what?" Louis asked curiously. He heard clothes being tossed to the floor, which meant that Lestat was undressing, but he still didn't know what his lover was up to.
"I made a phone call just now," Lestat said, easing on top of Louis. "To Armand."
"Armand?"
"Yes. I had a question to ask him."
"What was that?"
Lestat ignored him. "And he answered me better than I thought he could."
"What did he say?"
"Shh...just relax...whatever you do, don't fight me..."
"What?"
Louis would have asked something else, but then he felt Lestat begin to enter him, soft and slow as if he was afraid of hurting him. He felt it continue to enter him for what seemed like several minutes, and it just kept coming, filling him up. He groaned as it was pulled back a little, then pushed again, and back and forth...
Lestat put his arms around him, holding him tight. Every sensation was gentle and warm, like a hot river washing over them. They accidentally rolled to their left, and Louis lay in Lestat's arms as the steady rhythm continued. They both broke into blood sweats, unbelievably hot and yet chilled to the core. Louis was breathless, even though it was Lestat doing all the work. Lestat massaged his hands and chest, placing soft kisses on his cheek and shoulder, and whispering loving adorations into his ear. Louis could only whimper unintelligibly, moaning every now and then, too euphoric to do anything else.
"Are you all right?" Lestat asked.
Louis nodded faintly. "Don' stop...keep goin'..." he sighed deeply. "Oh...yes...God, tha'ss...tha'ss won'erful...perfect..."
Lestat grinned, but he was rapidly wearing down. The effort of keeping it up just right was exhausting. He had to untie Louis before he passed out, but his hands were almost too feeble to move. With the last of his strength, he undid Louis' knots and withdrew. Then blackness swallowed him up.
When he woke up again, he was still in bed, but now the blankets were up around his chin, and a cool compress on his forehead. He tried to sit up, but everything in the room swirled around him, and he slipped back under the covers.
"Lestat? My love, are you all right?"
Lestat glanced up with bleary eyes at his fledgling's face hovering over him. "Oui...I jus' tired...is all. Jus' tired."
"You blacked out afterward," Louis continued. "And then you felt so hot, I was worried you were sick."
"Non, just...not used to it. I have never made...made love like that, ever. So draining..."
Louis caressed his face tenderly. "It is almost time for sunrise. Shall I join you in bed?"
"Yes, but be gentle," Lestat whispered. "I'm so very tired."
Louis smiled and eased into bed, cuddling up beside him. "Then sleep. I'll watch over you until the death sleep comes." He adjusted into a more comfortable position and lay his head on the white shoulder. "Thank you, mon amor. Thank you so much."
"For what?"
"Everything. For making love to me. For loving me. For fighting to keep me yours."
Lestat smiled vaguely. "You do belong to me. I love you." With that he fell asleep.
Louis listened to his quiet breathing for a long time, and then closed his eyes. "I love you, too. I'll see you at twillight."
The End
#vc
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