Chapter Text
It took some time but Abolish managed to convince his boss to give them clearance after they mentioned that he was Owen’s sire. Cleo and Pearl quickly set everything up and they were off to the city.
It took about a day to get there but they managed and now here they were, standing before a large building surrounded by others that tried to rival its height. The city was so different but also the same as how Louis remembers.
Large buildings surrounded them, the streets full of people and cars, the air polluted by smoke. Lights flashed in front of shops, trying to catch customers attention. People milled around, heading in all directions, some in a hurry, some taking a leisurely stroll. The only real difference was what the buildings looked like and all the new technology that kept popping up, phones for example were everywhere. In stores, in people’s hands or pockets, even being advertised on buildings.
They entered a large building and Cleo and Pearl quickly chatted with the receptionist at the front desk before being lead to some waiting room to wait for Abolish.
Louis couldn’t figure out if he wanted to stand or sit. He’s restless, sitting here, his knee bouncing as his hands tighten into fists in his lap. It feels like an eternity but Louis knows that’s false, the hands on the clock have barely moved. Will Owen even recognize him? Will Louis recognize Owen? It’s been years since the pyre and Owen went through many things before he died.
Thankfully Abolish is very efficient and appears before Louis can spiral into his thoughts too much.
“Thank you for setting this up Abolish.” Louis says as he fiddles with his short claws nervously.
Abolish simply nods and continues to lead them down the maze of hallways. They must be getting close if the amount of vampires and guards signified anything.
A door came into view, its glistening surface casting back at them a warbled version of themselves. Abolish took a card out of his pocket and reached over to the pad on the right side of the door and paused, “I just want to warn you this is the holding area for the more…” he paused trying to figure out the right word before waving a hand and said, “aggressive beings so try not to get too close to any doors.”
They nodded and Abolish quickly swiped the card, the pad giving a cheerful beep before the door opened. Vampires and humans dressed in black walked the halls, some ignoring them and others nodding to Abolish before disappearing. Door after door lined the hallway walls, wailing and screeches could be heard behind some of them.
Louis shivered as he heard a particularly loud blood curdling howl sound from a dark room. Pearl seemed to shrink at the sound, her pointed ears drooping, her eyes turning a dark brown before snapping out of it and continued walking at a brisk pace.
Eventually they found the room they were looking for, silver letters posted on the door, Room 206. A clip board was posted next to the door and Louis could read some of the information that peeked out. A blank picture box was at the top with some basic info off to the side and underneath that were large bright red letters.
Name: Owen Miller Species: Vampire Age: Unknown Height: Appears to be 5’10
!DANGEROUS! AUTHORIZED PERSONAL ONLY!
All the information after that was a description of what Owen looked liked, the date he came in, and what seemed to be the start of any past info they had on him, which wasn’t much.
Louis quickly noticed the window and stared at the glass, the sterile white walls staring back at him. The room itself was empty, blank and lacked color. The only thing note able about it was the light pink stains on the floor and wall, the simple bed pushed into the corner, and the vampire that lay on it.
“Is this.. Can he see me?” Louis asked
Abolish shook his head, “The glass is one sided so we can see him but he can’t see you.”
Louis bit his lip and mumbled, “Could you… Would it be okay if I…”
He began to fidget slightly, being in such close proximity to his fledgling was making his instincts act up. The want to hug him, to scent him slowly creeping up on him and he could already feel a slight pressure in the back of his skull of a forming bond. It was making talking difficult, thinking even harder, thankfully Abolish seemed to understand well enough.
He nodded, “We’ll be in just down the hall, I’ll come and get you when it’s time to leave.”
Louis smiled appreciatively and watched the three of them disappear around a corner before he was left alone.
He tentatively reached forward and touched the glass, taking in Owen’s motionless form. He still wore one of Louis’ old suits, his hair was in its usual low ponytail but now from the top of his head down to his shoulders was brown and the rest of it was pure white. Louis wanted so badly to go to him, to take him somewhere safe. To hug him and hear his voice again after so many years of being separated but he didn’t and instead just continued to stand there. So much has happened between this point and the pyre and Louis couldn’t just ignore that. He couldn’t remember everything that he saw but he remembered the important bits.
Owen was hurt so he hurt others. Owen had been left alone to stew in bitter thoughts and vengeful anger for 200 years, that can change anyone even the kindest person.
“He’s a trouble maker, this one.”
Louis jumped and looked at the masculine figure that was now beside him. The figure wore a simple uniform that all the other agents in this area seem to wear, a black coat and tie. He also had bandages on his face and neck, Louis immediately recognized him as a vampire. Louis looked back at Owen, listening to the man ramble.
“Tried to kill me as soon as I got in.” He said, a small smile tugging at his lips. He as clearly amused by the idea. He chuckled “And to think, all I was trying to do was get him to eat something, heck I even suggested to my sire that we try adopting him into our coven.”
“…Kinda surprised we haven’t just staked him”
Louis rapidly turned to look at him again, eyes wide. “Oh sorry, where are my manners. You must be new here.” He stuck out his hand “I’m Edmund Grace, I’m one of vampire hunters here.”
Louis grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake “I’m Louis Thyne. Now what were you saying about staking?”
“Oh right, well the Shadow Organization deals in the supernatural, hunt down the more dangerous ones and work along side the good to keep human kind safe. This one here,” he pointed at Owen “has proven time and time again that he is too dangerous to be let out, but we can’t keep him here since he hasn’t been doing to well.”
Louis looked back at Owen. He couldn’t see his face but Edmond was right. The vampire’s hair was a mess of tangles and dried blood, the white parts of his hair stained a rusty color. His clothes fit him loosely and he could see some of his bones jutting out under his skin. Owen looked more like a corpse than a living being. It would be kinder to put him to rest but it still hurt to think about. His dearest fledgling put down like some animal, some dog.
“Edmond! Your needed in Sector 8.”
A voice called from the little box strapped to Edmond’s hip. Edmond sighed, “Welp duty calls, I’ll see you around?”
Louis wasn’t sure how to respond so he merely shrugged. Edmond seemed to accept the answer well enough and transformed into a bat and flew off down the corridor.
Louis sighed as he was left alone once more. He looked back through the window and watched Owen take off his hair tie. He looked down the corridor to see if anyone was coming before working up his courage and went to the door.
He took a deep unnecessary breath and walked through.
Owen never slept.
Not really anyway. Most of the time he just laid here, closed his eyes and pretended. When you’ve spent 200 years buried in a hole with nothing to do but grieve your dead lover and wishing for life to end, you get good at pretending.
Everyone left him alone when they thought he was sleeping which was perfect since Owen didn’t want others, he wanted one person but that person has been long dead. Owen sighed as he felt one of his legs fall asleep, tingling shooting up from his calf to past his knee.
Owen hated this place, he hated this room with its awful white walls and its vampire agents that always looked at him with pity. He didn’t want their pity or their food, what he wanted was Louis. As usual Owen wanted things that he couldn’t have.
Hunger pains shot through him causing him to curl up slightly. He whined slightly, instincts begging for food. Weak, he growled to himself. Why should his body constantly beg for more when it would constantly betray him.
Owen still remembered when the agents first gave him a live animal to feast on. He hadn’t eaten anything in ages, too tired and too shaky to drink from a blood bottle, as a last ditch effort to stop him from starving, the agents had given him a live pig. The thing didn’t seem to have any sort of survival instinct as it kept nosing around his bed, too oblivious to realize the person on the bed was a vampire. Eventually Owen got so tired of hearing its constant snorts and beating heart that he had slashed its neck open. Blood immediately started to gush out of the wound as the animal squealed and his instincts flared. Before he could think Owen lunged and began sinking his fangs into the animal’s flesh. His teeth ripped through muscles and arteries and veins and blood, so much blood. The red liquid quickly filled his mouth, covered his shirt, and coating his claws, but he didn’t care as he began to feast. The blood was rich, flavor exploding on his tongue, small memories of the animal’s life flashing before his eyes. He normally didn’t think when he got like this, too caught up on feasting to feel anything but this time was different. He had nearly finished when a memory rose up, one with fire and heat and screaming.
The smell of cooked meat felling the air, fat sizzling, muscles burning. Like cooked pork, the newly turned vampire thought numbly.
Just like clockwork his throat closed up, tightening. The blood no longer tasting sweet, the meat turned to ash in his mouth. Dizziness and nausea flooded him as began to gag and retch. All of the blood he had just gorged spilling out of him and onto the pristine white floor. He had laid there for hours afterwards, blood red tears staining his cheeks as he silently sobbed. They never gave him another animal again after that.
Owen shifted, trying to get comfortable, and immediately regretted it as nausea shot through him, his head pounding. Whatever blood that was left from his last meal churned in his stomach. Eventually the nausea disappeared, though his headache did not. Carefully he raised a hand to his hair and started taking off his hair tie, hoping to relieve some of the pressure from his head. Owen sighed in relief as his headache lessened a tiny bit, strands of his brown and white hair draping over his neck.
He could hear someone was outside, two people speaking but Owen could hear no heartbeat. Vampires then. They were probably here to feed him again. Or, said a dark voice in the back of his mind, they were here to finally end his misery.
Owen wasn’t a fool, he knew what the organization did with the dangerous ones, the uncooperative ones. Someone’s face appearing from the depths of his memory. Well they were more something than someone when he saw them. He remembers seeing the feral werewolf a couple of times when he was being moved around. The thing mostly stayed in their wolf form but there was one time he was able to see their human form. The thing mostly stayed in the corner of their room or scratching at the walls while howling with furry. He still remembers the last time he saw them.
He was on his way to meet with a coven. The thing had howled and writhed as agents pinned them down and put silver shackles around their ankles and wrists, trapping the werewolf in their human form as they dragged the creature to some room. The other creatures were being oddly quiet during the whole ordeal. After he had returned from the meeting the creature’s room was empty, never to be seen again.
He could hear the door open as someone walked in, their steps light and graceful.
“Go away…” he growled, not really meaning it, only really saying it to keep up appearances. In the back of his mind it still chanted the same thoughts.
Please, let this be it… Just take me out of my misery… I don’t want to be here anymore
“Owen” said a silky voice, soft with nervousness and hope.
Owen’s eyes shot open. That voice. That voice brought back memories from a time long past. Of nights spent together sitting near a fireplace while the man next to him read to him softly. Of laughter and walks in the forest. The smell of old glue as the man next to him helped him to learn to read and write. It couldn’t be! The owner of that voice was dead, burned to nothing but ash and bones.
Owen slowly turned over convinced that this was some joke or a dream but it wasn’t, because Louis was right there. He wore different clothes and his hair was auburn instead of pristine white but it was still him. Same silky wavy hair, draping over his shoulder, same large innocent eyes, same red the color of rubies and garnets, same beautiful face.
Owen shot forward, trying to get to his sire but his knees gave out, not used to fast movements after such a long time of not moving. He felt strong arms catch him as they slowly slid down to floor. Owen’s eyes were blurry as he sobbed, bloody tears sliding down his cheeks.
In the back of his mind something clicked and everything became very loud as a singular word was repeated over and over again.
FLEDGINGFLEDGINGFLEDGINGFLEDGING
SIRESIRESIRESIRESIRESIRESIRE
Dozens of emotions flooded him as he sobbed. He whined and he could barely hear Louis coo back at him as he held Owen close.
“I- I’m sorry….. I-I…. I’m sorry” Owen mumbled between sobs. Louis didn’t respond and simply held him tighter, shielding him from the world.
Louis shifted and the smell of blood soon filled the air as he brought his arm to Owen’s face. His instincts cooed as he quickly began to lap at the blood oozing out, finally satisfying the relentless hunger.
They sat there for hours, simply holding each other as Owen sobbed and Louis switched between feeding him and petted his tangled hair. He could hear someone enter and began to growl but Louis shushed him softly before talking with the person behind them.
Owen couldn’t make out who the person was or what they were saying as his eyes were too watery and his ears buzzed. He felt a new emotion join the many others that he soon realized were from Louis.
Sadness Reluctance….. Determination
Louis put his hands in Owen’s shoulders and pushed him upright as Owen whined at the loss of contact. He began saying something that Owen couldn’t understand as he began to rise. Owen immediately reached out to him as he felt his hands leave his shoulders.
Owen wanted to shout, to scream as Louis’ slipped out of reach and he began to cry harder. “Please….. please…” was all he could manage to sputter out between sobs.
He see Louis’ blurry figure stop at the door and turn to look at him. Owen could hear that he was saying something but his blasted ears couldn’t make it out. Owen reached for him again as Louis’ figure disappeared behind the door.
Owen curled up on the floor, sobbing as he was left alone again.
Louis now knew the answer to his question. No they could never go back to those simpler days where it was just the two of them, together in a grey world. To much as happened, too hurt and anger but Louis was determined. The past was gone but he will fight for a future. A future where they could be together.
Louis halted at the door and turned around to get one last look at Owen. His fledgling reached out for him, for his sire and his instincts screamed at him to go back to him. He made a promise right then and there, to that sobbing fledging and to himself.
“I’ll be back for you, I promise.”