Work Text:
Counting Days
I count the days since I last saw him, 215 days. I’ve killed a lot of bad things in that time, eaten a fair amount of calories and drowned my sorrows every single night. I miss him, and I hate it so much.
The war is finally over, but as soon as it was done, so was Louis-Cesare. The Consul banished him from her territory as a warning to Mircea to keep himself in check. I understand the politics of course, but I made my opinion known, loudly and with plenty of violence as they carted me out of the building; being a senator wasn’t really for me anyway. So I’m back at the old house I’d once shared with Claire, financially better than I had been, but still with trolls in the basement and some of the spare rooms, Stinky causing mayhem and no boyfriend, France was a long way away and while we speak most days, it isn’t exactly the same.
We’d discussed me moving to France, but I didn’t think Mircea would approve of me leaving the country when we were working together with the fey, plus Radu was dealing with Louis-Cesare’s absence worse than I was, and me being around seemed to calm him, in fact I spend most of my downtime at his place in Manhattan now as it is easier to not be here or the ridiculous estate Louis-Cesare had left to my care when he was forced out. I’d been pressing him to sell it, but he wais adamant he is coming back and will need it, I’ve not got the heart to tell him he’s not going to get a welcome he’s looking for. Ninety-nine years are left of his banishment, it’s a very long time.
I spent the weekend at Radu’s, we drank too much and talked about him, like he’s gone forever. Radu wants to go to him, but even with the ridiculous outfits that clearly stem from 18th century France he’s not keen on Paris and while Louis-Cesare would retire to the country if Radu asked, he’d never bring it up, so Radu pines and considers a flight he doesn’t want to take to a place he doesn’t want to be for a son he’s spent too long without. I understand his pain. We miss him more each day, and no amount of vacation planning helps with the hole in our hearts.
Mircea stays away, I don’t know why, as he’s never minded my fits of emotion before, but offending the Consul must have been the final straw, I’ve only seen him a handful of times since, and all of those are work related. I got drunk a month after Louis-Cesare left and called my father in a rage demanding he fix it, I don’t remember much, but he’s been distant ever since. Another excellent relationship ruined by my messed up head and broken heart.
Our calls are getting shorter, we don’t have much to say about our days, and our relationship was much more about our presence with each other than our words, we can tell each other anything, but it was always easier to do when he was holding me than this cold distance by phone. He asks about Radu, the staff he left behind, and every night he promises me he’ll come home soon. I hate that he has broken that promise a hundred times, but I let him keep up the charade we both know is a lie.
Radu thinks I’m depressed, I think I’m a crazy dhampir with a split personality and depressed doesn’t cover it, drink covers it about as well as anything can but it’s not a long term solution, I nearly bought a plane ticket last night, drunk me dialled Louis-Cesare exclaiming I was coming to see him, he told me off and made me promise to go to bed and sleep it off but next time I’ll do it, I don’t think we’re built for long distance.
The door banging wakes me up, usually one of the trolls answers it, but it seems no one is in this morning, so I throw on an extra-long T-shirt and head down to find out who has disturbed my rest, expecting them to be gone by the time I get there. I can smell him through the door, whiskey and butterscotch and I’m in his arms before the door is fully opened, kissing him like my life depended on it.
‘Never leave me again.’ I sigh as I rest my head on his chest.
‘Je t’aime Dory, I am never leaving you again.’ He says as he holds me so close.
How is this happening? Won’t the consul kill him? How did he get here? Did Mircea actually fix it? Question after question fill my mind, but I can’t ask now, later when we’re done, when I’m wrapped around him sated and loved and complete then I’ll work out why he’s home, but for now I’ll kiss him and taste the salt of tears on his lips not sure if it is mine or his and I can finally stop counting the days without him.