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Chapter Text

Darkness

Darkness surrounded them in the small room in the back of the Audi garage.
Their stints had ended around the same hour, with Oliver and Benoît behind the wheel at the moment. André felt his body aching for sleep, but the race was far from over, only just past the halfway point. Yet, he didn’t want to sleep. The thrill of the race, trying to keep up with the Porsches and the always looming technical gremlins kept him awake. André had glanced toward the other box in the garage. Well, the brunette that got out of car 8 had something to do with his refusal to sleep too.

André felt a pair of arms sneak around his middle. A hand pulled him closer until his back touched the man’s chest. The heat radiated through their fireproofs. The hand hovered down before cupping Andre’s boxers. A groan escaped the German: “Loïc, Schatz… Here?”
A small chuckle followed. The hot breath on André’s skin sent a shiver down his spine.
“Why not, mon amour. They think we’re sleeping anyway.”
André turned in Loïc’s grasp. “Maybe we should? Audi isn’t leading the race.”
The Frenchman let go of André with a sigh. “Always work with you. Take it easy, okay?”
The mood was gone as was the heat. André felt alone in the dark as he was unable to see Loïc. “You’ve won Le Mans already three times, you’ve nothing to prove!”
“Who says I do it to prove something?” Anger began to build in the pit of his stomach. “I do it for me! I’m the best at this, I deserve that win!”
“Does it mean that much to you?” Loïc’s voice was low. André barely caught the sentence.
“Of course, I only love this.” That wasn’t technically true. André loved his family, his dog, his car collection. He loved Loïc but hadn’t yet dared to say it. Probably never will tell him.
The German felt a hand being placed on his cheek. The heat returned as Loïc hovered inches from his lips. He leaned in, planning on stealing a kiss away, but Loïc kept him in place.
“André, keep still!” Unable to react, Loïc pressed his wrist against André's mouth. A thick liquid spilled past his lips. The metallic taste burned on his tongue as horror settled into his mind.
“Swallow it!” André did as he was told. Loïc let him go, causing the German to fall to his knees. Gasping for air, André was stuck rooted in place. He’d drunk blood, human blood.
“What’s wrong with you?”, he screamed, just above the roaring engines.
“Quiet!” Loïc lifted him off the floor, taking a steady hold of his throat. “Remember, mon amour, you asked for this.” André felt Loïc’s lips on his firmly. The Frenchman had never been this rough before. It seemed as if he was savoring something. “I’m so sorry.”
Snap!

Pain. A dull pain at his neck was what brought André back to the world of the living. Had he fallen asleep? He could’ve sworn he’d been together with Loïc. That name brought back past events. The German shot upright. Only now he noticed the two men in front of him.
“You fell in love with him, didn’t you?” Lucas? What was he doing here, he doesn't know about them, right?
“I don’t love him! He’s an overrated driver that barely achieved anything in his career.”
Loïc… No, he didn’t mean that. “I just don’t want him to be a helpless puppy around me now that he’s a vampire.” A vampire?
“I’m what?” The soft voice from behind surprised both. Shivering, André sat there, looking at the pair with big eyes.
“Loïc, Lucas? Where am I? What happened?”, he rambled, frantically going with a hand over his hair. “I’m not feeling so good.”
Loïc had gone white at the sight. André’s skin was a sickening, pale shade. The streak of blood on his chin made the image morbid. Lucas pushed past the Frenchman to kneel in front of the mess. “It’ll be okay, André. You just need to feed.”
“Feed?” André trailed his tongue over his lips. The metallic taste remained, but it felt different. It was delicious.
Lucas extended his hand toward his teammate. Loïc turned to the sole cabinet, before throwing a plastic bag in the Brazilian’s hand.
“This,” Lucas held the item in front of André’s face. “will make you feel so much better. Do you want it?” The smell overrode any other ability. André’s gaze fixed on the liquid. A sharp pain went through his gums, but it passed as quickly as it had appeared. Lucas smirked at the sight of two fangs sticking out. Dark veins began to form on André’s cheeks, pumping blood toward his eyes. The dark blue eyes became a shade of red, nearly resembling black. Lucas gave him the bag which André nearly ripped apart as his nails dug into the plastic. He brought it to his lips, sucking it dry. The aching pain he’d felt, the exhaustion of the race, it was all gone in an instant.
André looked at Loïc as he threw the empty bag to the ground. He got up, completely ignoring Lucas, as he stepped toward the Frenchman. “You,” André thought of everything he’d wanted to say to Loïc from the day he’d met him. From I love you to I hate you. He remained silent though as green locked with blue. Loïc had used him, had lied to him. He didn’t deserve another word from him.
Lucas stood next to André, giving him a towel. “Wipe your mouth.”
André did as he was told, the smears of blood strange against the white pattern. A thousand things went through his mind, but the word betrayal kept coming back to the front.
“Let’s go,” Lucas placed a hand on the back of André’s neck. “I’ve to teach you some things before you get back in the car.”
The Brazilian had walked towards the door, waiting for the German who hadn’t moved an inch. Loïc was the first to break eye contact, causing André to laugh dryly: “Coward.” The door slammed closed behind him

He’d never felt so alive in a car before. Everything felt heightened. The sound of the engine: he could hear every gear click, the groaning of each piece of metal. The course was more colorful, the sponsors on the slower GTE cars readable from an unimaginable distance. The speed seemed less, he could calculate every single move. Focus higher than ever, André pushed the pedal to the floor. Porsche was prey. Audi the hunter.
“Well done, André!”, his engineer came over the radio. “You just broke the lap record. Keep this up, but keep it clean.”
A smirk formed underneath his helmet. They were going to win this.

They didn’t win Le Mans. A bunch of rookies did. Frustrated André went to the back of the garage. Car 7 came in third, so he had to go on the podium. Fuck it! André made his way to the back of the box. Lucas had told him to always feed after a race and he chose to believe the vampire.
“Mister Lotterer?” The voice came from behind. A young fan stood there, holding out a cap. “You want to sign this, please?” The thick French accent of the girl gave away she was a local. André walked over and took the pen to scribble down his signature. As he took a hold of the cap, a soft thumping reached his ears. He ignored it, giving the signed cap back. He smiled at the woman, but his attention faltered as he spotted the origin of the sound. André could already taste the sweet blood as his eyes fixated on the pumping vein. His fangs tried to push their way through.
“You want me to show you the garage?”, he smiled at the young woman who nodded. He guided her with a hand toward the small room. “Why is it so small?”, she asked right before André launched himself at her. He gazed into her eyes, holding her steady by the shoulder. “Don’t say a word,” André whispered, before digging his fangs in the soft skin.

______________________________________________________________

Loneliness

Loïc got out of his LMP1 quickly, sprinting to the box to not interfere with the team. His stint was done, but he wished it wasn’t. As he took off his helmet, a low voice reached his ears. “Lotterer, now.”
Loïc knew what he had to do, but he didn’t want to. Lucas’ plan was smart, yes. André’s talent combined with the abilities of a vampire… He’d be unstoppable in every class. Yet, Loïc didn’t want to ruin the man’s life, at least not without consent.
“Duval!”, Lucas’ voice was sharp. “Hurry up!”
Loïc nodded, mentally preparing himself. He looked across the garage at André who smiled eagerly at him. Loïc’s heart ached.

Loïc stepped in after André and closed the door. His eyes adjusted rather quickly and he could clearly see the German standing with his back to him. He snuck a pair of arms around André’s middle, pulling him close against his chest. He let his hand go down the man’s abs, cupping the pair of boxers. A groan echoed through the room: “Loïc, Schatz… Here?”
Loïc didn’t want to fuck André during a race, but he had to play the part. He chuckled: “Why not, mon amour. They think we’re sleeping anyway.”
Loï felt André turn in his grasp. “Maybe we should? Audi isn’t leading the race.”
He mentioned the race. Good. “Always work with you. Take it easy, okay?” He feigned annoyance, pulling back from André.
“You’ve won Le Mans already three times, you’ve nothing to prove!” That wouldn’t go down well with the competitive German.
“Who says I do it to prove something? I do it for me! I’m the best at this, I deserve that win!”
Lucas had been right.
“Does it mean that much to you?” Loïc asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, I only love this.” That stung. Loïc had hoped André felt more for him, that they hadn’t just fucked.
The Frenchman took a hold of his cheek. He felt André lean in, but he kept him where he was. This needed to be done correctly. Loïc bit in the wrist of his left arm. He had to hurry or the wound would heal.
“André, keep still!” Loïc pressed his wrist against André’s mouth forcefully. André tried to get out of his grasp. He closed his eyes as he didn’t want to see the man’s face.
“Swallow it!” André did as he was told. Loïc let him go, causing the German to fall to his knees.
“What’s wrong with you?”, André screamed loudly, causing his ears to ring.
“Quiet!” Loïc lifted André off the floor. A steady hold on his throat. “Remember, mon amour, you asked for this.” This could be his last chance to have this André, his André. He was well aware that in a few moments hatred would be the only thing he'd receive from him. Loïc kissed him hard, trying to say through the kiss he never dared to exclaim out loud.
As he pulled back Loïc smiled sadly at his lover, before twisting his neck forcefully to the right. The snap echoed through the room, followed by the thud of André’s lifeless body hitting the ground.
The Frenchman switched the lights on, his eyes taking some time to adjust. The sight seemed oddly serene with the blood around André’s mouth.

“Merde, merde,” Loïc slowly began to panic after a few minutes. André should have woken up by now. “MERDE!”
The door behind him flew open, knocking the Frenchman forward. “Is it done?”
Loïc stared at his teammate who sealed off the room again. He was a bit out of it as emotions were running high.
“Yes, Lucas,” Loïc suddenly spat. “I’ve done your dirty work!”
The Brazilian smiled, showing off a pair of fangs. “Now, now,” he took a step forward, looking down at the Frenchman. “There’s no need to speak to me like that. We both agreed with Lotterer in top form, car 7 will catch up with the Porsches and win this race. He’ll owe us one, once he finds out all those new abilities that help in this sport.”
“He didn’t ask for this,” Loïc felt numb. "how could I've done this to André?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes at his teammate. “When I demanded you to get closer to Lotterer, I didn’t mean fucking around. You fell in love with him, didn’t you?”
Loïc shook his head. “I don’t love him! He’s an overrated driver that barely achieved anything in his career.” Lucas seemed satisfied with the answer, but it killed him to say it. “I just don’t want him to be a helpless puppy around me now that he’s a vampire.”
“I’m what?” The soft voice from behind surprised both. Shivering, André sat upright, looking at them with big eyes.
“Loïc, Lucas? Where am I? What happened?” Relief went through the Frenchman. André was awake. He only had to feed and the turning would be completed. André went with a hand through his hair. “I’m not feeling so good.”
Loïc felt Lucas brush against him. The Brazilian passed to kneel in front of the scared newborn.
“It’ll be okay, André. You just need to feed.”
“Feed?” André’s voice was a note higher than usual. Loïc knew how he was feeling. He’d gone through the same process a few years ago. The day that Lucas had turned him, made him realize how lonely he really was. Lucas had abandoned him after the race, left Loïc to his own thoughts and he’d hit a low point after a week. He’d gone on a killing spree and nearly killed his mechanics.
André’s strong mind should refrain him from doing the same, but now that Loïc saw him sitting there, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
Lucas extended his hand toward his teammate. He wanted a bag from their stock. All kinds of blood types were stored safely in a small fridge behind their spare clothing and helmets. Loïc turned to the sole cabinet, before throwing a plastic bag in the Brazilian’s hand.
“This,” Lucas held the item in front of André’s face. “will make you feel so much better. Do you want it?”
Lucas was making it a bit theatrical and it was frustrating Loïc to no end. Dark veins began to form on André’s cheeks, pumping blood toward his eyes. The dark blue eyes became a shade of red, nearly resembling black. Lucas gave him the bag, which André nearly ripped apart as his nails dug into the plastic. Loïc felt sickened by the sight. He loved André, but he looked like a monster right now, like him. He never wished this upon the German.
André’s gaze fell on Loïc’s face as he threw the empty bag to the ground. He got up, completely ignoring Lucas, as he stepped toward the Frenchman. “You.” Loïc had expected this reaction. He hadn’t exactly thanked Lucas when he turned him. Loïc wished he’d done a few laps more so he wouldn’t have the break at the same time as André. This wouldn’t have happened then.
Lucas stood next to André, giving him a towel. “Wipe your mouth.”
André did as he was told. Loïc was seeing the changes in the newborn already. His skin had a certain glow, his eyes the darkest blue Loïc had ever laid his eyes upon. He looked handsome.
“Let’s go,” Lucas’ words shook Loïc out of his referee. “I’ve to teach you some things before you get back in the car.”
The Brazilian had walked towards the door, but André remained behind as if he was waiting for Loïc to speak up and explain why he did this. Shame was eating the Frenchman alive and he had to break eye contact. André laughed dryly: “Coward.” The door slammed closed, leaving Loïc alone in the dark.

Loïc had watched the screens carefully during André’s stint. He noticed that his speed had increased. He was also taking more risks, that could endanger any of the other drivers. Loïc’s breath was stuck in his throat as he saw the Audi 7 drift on the grass, barely avoiding the barrier. André had always been a very talented driver. He drove better than Lucas and himself without any extra help. With the abilities and focus of a newly born, he was unbeatable. In the end, it didn’t matter. The Porsche 19, driven by three rookies for Godssake, was too far ahead and they came in third. Loïc knew with heightened emotions, André would be destroyed by this defeat after a winning streak. The German was prone to take a loss badly. Loïc set out to find him before he might do something he’d regret.
Going to the back of the garage toward the paddock, Loïc heard something. Two voices, one slightly scared, the other very familiar.
“Merde!” Sprinting toward the sound, Loïc opened the door to the small chamber, he’d been in mere hours ago.
“André?” He knew he should have kept a closer eye on him. Something like this could have been avoidable. “André, please let her go.”
The German let the girl go, her body falling on the ground with a thud. André turned around to take in the intruder. Loïc had expected fear to radiate off the vampire. Yet, he only saw arrogance.
“Duval,” André seemed unimpressed, cleaning his mouth with the sleeve of his overalls. “what’s it now?” The smears of blood were in stark contrast to his pale skin.
“Is she dead?”, the Frenchman ignored the snide. He listened intently, catching a slow heartbeat. Thank God.
André rolled his eyes. “No, she isn’t. I know when to stop so chill.”
That sounded odd for a newborn to Loïc. He had been a true ripper when Lucas turned him, feeding on every being that crossed his path when he was in a foul mood. “H-how?”, he stuttered as André suddenly stood next to him.
“How?”, the German repeated with a smirk, fangs visible. “It’s easy. Look at me, I’m not the smallest guy so I had to refrain myself from eating too much for years. It came naturally I guess.”
Loïc must have been staring. André angled his head slightly to the right, narrowing his eyes at the Frenchman. “You’re one of the weak ones. Lucas said there weren’t many like me, but I didn’t expect he turned me to cover up the failure you are.”
Loïc felt his heart drop. This André wasn’t his André. That man died a few hours ago.
The door behind them opened revealing Lucas. “What’s this?”
Dark eyes scanned the room before landing on André. “I thought we agreed on only blood bags!”
“Those are for the weak. For you two.”, André winked at Loïc before pushing past him to halt in front of Lucas. “Turning me was a big mistake if you really thought I’d become a loyal, helpless puppy doing your dirty work.”
A chill seemed to go through the room. André smiled at the Brazilian before leaving, giving the pair the room to clean up his mess.

______________________________________________________________

Pain

Toro Rosso sacked him. Ferrari gave him a role which was more publicity for them than anything else. Andretti wanted him in Formula E. He had to take the seat otherwise he’d have no income for 2015. He didn’t want it though. FE was below him! He was an F1 driver for Godssake, a good one even! Why didn’t RedBull do what they promised him and his family when he entered their Young Drivers Program?
He had nearly starved himself to death to be faster, to get those extra tenths. What did they do? Nothing! They’d left him in a hospital to pay his own bills.
He should hate the sport, but he didn’t. If they’d come knocking, he’d have said yes before even opening the door. Jean-Eric hated himself for that.

He sat in his apartment in London, scrolling on his tablet as he noticed the time. Le Mans was about to end. He quickly grabbed the TV remote, turning on SKY Sport. A few minutes left and surprisingly Porsche 19 was first. Nico Hulkenberg was first. A tall F1 driver won Le Mans on his debut. Damn that hurt.
Jean-Eric’s gaze landed upon the apple he was eating. So much sugar… He quickly got up, throwing it in the bin ignoring his grumbling stomach. He wasn’t hungry anyway.
As he focused on the race again, he became aware of last year’s winners being third.
He didn’t know the drivers personally. Well, not exactly. He had met Lotterer at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, but he didn’t have the balls to say more than good luck. The guy had achieved so much in his career, more than him and he didn’t want to bother the older driver.
He is hot, though. Jean-Eric shook his head firmly, trying to get rid of the thought.
Like someone like Lotterer could ever fall for him. He was weak, didn’t have the talent of a real champion. He’d probably never have.
As the cars crossed the line, the teams celebrating their victories, Jean-Eric shut off the TV. He’d seen enough.

Jean-Eric couldn’t sleep. He felt restless, like the past few months since he was dropped. Sometimes he wished, he hadn’t begun karting. He would have never felt the pain of losing out, of being alone, of being in the dark. He didn’t want this anymore.
A tear rolled down his cheek as he buried his head into the pillow wishing for dreams filled with happiness, love, and light.

Chapter Text

2017

An invitation for a party at bar La Rascasse in Monaco to celebrate the new Formula E champion. It had seemed a good idea to go when he’d read the letter. Now, Loïc wasn’t so sure anymore as he stood in front of the building, staring at the neon sign. Loud music came from inside were a heap of people was singing along to an old pop song.
Loïc had come with a mission. He was going to tell Lucas he’d quit with Dragon Racing to focus on DTM and WEC again. The Brazilian had won the championship a few weeks ago. Loïc didn’t want to spoil the party, but a public event like this would prevent Lucas from lashing out. The Frenchman rather didn’t want to feel the wrath of the younger man.

As he took a deep breath, Loïc stepped inside. The place was crowded and champagne covered the floor. The smell made Loïc’s senses go into overdrive.
He scanned the crowd for the Brazilian, spotting a few other Formula E drivers instead. Daniel stood sourly at the bar, downing shot after shot. Mitch and Sam were rubbing their bodies together to the rhythm of the music while their teammates stood awkwardly a few feet away from them. Robin and Antonio were making out on the terrasse, oblivious to their surroundings.
Finally, Loïc’s eye landed on Lucas who stood shirtless on top of the podium, spraying alcohol on his guests. That explained the sticky floor.
Loïc maneuvered his way through the mass and came to a halt next to the stage. The Brazilian had been aware of his presence already as he grinned at the brunet.
“Loïc, you came!” He extended a hand to pull him onto the stage. Loïc didn’t want the whole room to know he was here so he remained in his spot, crossing his arms. “We need to talk, Lucas.” The newly crowned champion caught his tone. The grin disappeared as he jumped off the stage, before guiding Loïc toward a silent corner at the bar.

Lucas might have been in a celebrating mood but that had gone quickly the moment the Frenchman spoke up. Loïc explained his reasons for quitting and that Dragon had found someone else so they didn’t mind him leaving the team. Lucas was a different story.
He’d gotten Loïc the seat because he wanted his sired on the grid, not because Loïc had asked him to. He never planned on returning to single seaters after he retired from Super Formula. Loïc had been aware of Lucas exploiting the sire bond. Hell, he didn’t know he was sired, to begin with. The link between vampires is formed out of love.
Loïc had fallen for Lucas as a human. When Lucas turned him the emotions that he had felt were amplified by his transition. Loïc had complied with every order of his sire to show his loyalty. The bond began to break slowly the day Loïc fell for André. He did follow some of Lucas’ orders still, but that had been more out of self-preservation than anything else.
Loïc had hoped André’s feelings would have been strong enough for them to form their own bond. It might have been there, but André didn’t do a thing Loïc asked him. The German had disappeared, only meeting his old teammates on necessary events. Lucas didn’t really seem to care. Though Loïc guessed it was a cover-up for the anger the vampire felt. The same kind of anger that was directed at the Frenchman at this very moment.

“What do you mean you’ve quit?”, the Brazilian spat. “I thought we were in this together?”
Loïc rolled his eyes at the comment. “You wanted this! You used the bond to get me in Formula E and got Dragon to sack Oriol with compulsion.”
Lucas avoided the Frenchman’s gaze. “Besides, you’ve won the championship. You no longer need me on the grid.”
Lucas began to laugh, causing the older man to frown.
“Au contraire, Loïc.” The Brazilian took a step closer toward him until they were only inches apart. “If I want to be champion again, I need you here.”
Loïc couldn’t quite follow as he didn’t know how he could help the Audi driver retain another championship.
“Look,” Lucas continued. “Sébastien is no risk anymore. I’ve beaten him fair and square and he’s lost his mind already this season. He won’t be there to bother me. Daniel has never been a threat, won’t be one now. The winner of the last E-Prix, though.”
The Brazilian took a sip from the bottle of champagne he’d kept in his hand since they’d begun talking. “Jev, he could be a threat. TeCheetah is looking for a new driver. I thought you could enroll, maybe do the same number on him as you did on our Little Failure.”
That struck a nerve. Anger flashed within Loïc causing his veins to pump blood to his eyes. He had to take a deep breath before replying.
“Well, I won’t do it! Find someone else,” Loïc hated that Lucas viewed him destroying the person he loved mentally as some achievement. “I’m done here.”
The Frenchman pushed past Lucas to leave La Rascasse. He shouldn’t have come here. If he simply didn’t show up at the first race, Lucas would have known as well. Maybe a bit of the bond had still remained in his soul. Loïc couldn’t think of another reason he’d wanted to tell the Brazilian personally.

“Maybe I should visit Belgium. I heard the Ardennes are nice this time of year.” Loïc lingered in the doorway. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting Lucas’ eyes.
“Don’t you dare hurt him!” Loïc used his speed to return to the spot at the bar.
Lucas had him in his grasp and Loïc knew he shouldn’t have fallen for the bait. Now the champion knew his weak point. Maybe, he'd known all along.
Lucas smirked at him. “Duval still cares for the one person who despises him.”
“I don’t!” It sounded weak to his own ears. Loïc did care and Lucas was going to exploit his feelings once again.
“I see only two options here.” Lucas pulled him roughly forward by the arm as he spoke in a hushed tone. “Either you go and beg TeCheetah for a drive, or you beg Lotterer for forgiveness and get him to drive for those Chinese idiots. Either way one of you is in that seat by the time it’s the end of the year. Understand me?”
Loïc didn’t reply. He scanned Lucas’ face, trying to figure out if he was being serious or just threatening him.
“Did you understand?!” The room became silent, only the music played in the background as the crowd stared at the pair. Lucas didn’t seem to notice.
“I’ll get André in that seat,” Loïc said with a small nod. “After that, I’m out!”
Lucas smiled at him, releasing his arm. “We’ve got a deal, Duval."

____________________________________

André hadn’t planned on going out. Yet here he was again.
He adored the hunt, especially in the offseason. It felt like a replacement for racing as it gave him the same kind of adrenaline.

The 6 Hours of Nürburgring race was next weekend. After the disaster that was Le Mans, André needed to cleanse himself of the bad taste the mechanical failure had left behind. He had wanted that fourth win. Loved to have won it with Audi, but Porsche wouldn't have been too bad either. His teammates were human, had no idea what he actually was. Neel had started and fought the Toyota’s. He had to finish that race and he would have won if it hadn’t been for the machinery giving up on him. That wouldn’t happen again in Germany.

André smiled to himself at the memory of what had happened after the race. His team had told him a Frenchman wanted to see him. This fresh-faced twenty-something walked up to him with an unsure grin. André knew who the handsome man standing in front of him was. He’d met Jean-Eric Vergne at the Belgian GP three years ago. Not that the Frenchman had said much to him back then. That and the fact André had lost out on a win, didn’t give him any reason to be quite friendly to him. He had mumbled something in French with a smirk before turning his back to the Frenchman.
“I’m glad you’re coming to Formula E next year!”
That was the one thing, André hadn’t figured out yet. He had no interest in going back to single seaters, let alone the electric shitfest. He’d nodded with a smile, shaking Jean-Eric’s hand before going to his motorhome.

André shook his head lightly. It wasn’t the time to think ‘bout some guy. He had to focus on the hunt now. Entering the bar, he let his gaze linger across the crowd. He didn’t have a preference tonight. A quick one would do. As fate wanted it, a young blond came up to him. With a small smile she said: “Lotterer, it’s been a while.”
He grinned at her. He chose this specific bar for a reason. The clientele were either vampires or humans that want to be bitten. There was no danger here or unwanted eyes. In one way or another, they were all children of the night.
“Up for it tonight?”, he nudged his head toward the back exit. She took a hold of his arm, leading him outside.

In the shadows, out of reach of the neon lights, he let his fangs come out. She offered her neck to the German. As tempting as the pumping vein was, André was up for more than that. He took a hold of her cheeks, bringing her in for a kiss. His teeth scraped against her lower lip, the fangs cutting it lightly. The blond hissed but didn’t pull back. Instead, she deepened the kiss as she ran her hands up and down André’s chest. A snarl escaped André’s lips as he pushed her off him and up against the brick wall. Dark eyes took the young woman in before he sunk his fangs in her neck’s skin.
André felt the rush hit him immediately. Each feeding felt like the first time. Flashes of Lucas offering him a bag of blood appeared on his retina followed by Loïc’s hands running up and down his body. A sting formed in his chest as the brunet graced his thoughts. He felt Loïc cover his face with kisses, felt him bite his skin, his tongue against his chest. Everything was Loïc.

“Fuck!”, Andre pulled back with a scream. The girl slowly slid down to the floor, but the German knew she was alive. He never crossed that line. “Fucking hell.”
He covered his face leaning back against the wall. He had to stop thinking about the past. It had been two years since he was turned. Loïc left him and wasn’t coming back. Not that it would ever be the same.
“André?” It was a small whisper as if it was carried with the wind to him. André clenched his jaw shut. He was really losing it if he began to hear the Frenchman.
“André!”
Wait, he didn’t imagine that. Opening his eyes again, he picked up a silhouette standing in the shadows a few feet away. “Loïc?”
The man took a few steps forward. Tension left him at the sight of a familiar face. “It’s been a long time.”
_____________________________________________

André hadn’t changed a bit. That was the first thing Loïc noticed as the man sat in front of him, a beer in hand. Some smears of blood were still visible at the corners of his mouth. The strong iron smell made his fangs want to push through. Loïc tried to focus on his drink to keep his mind clear.
“What are you doing here, Duval?” Loïc’s gaze caught André’s. The German had seemed happy when he saw him in the backyard. He didn’t seem that excited at the moment.
“You’re getting a drive,” Loïc decided details weren’t exactly necessary.
André chuckled, tipping the bottle in his direction. “DTM isn’t really my thing. Thanks for the offer though.”
“It’s not DTM,” Loïc was really testing his patience right now. André could be infuriating if he was in a pestering mood. “Formula E. It’s a race winning team with a strong teammate.”
“Formula E, huh?”, André nodded with a smile. Loïc expected a catch, not a positive reaction. “That explains why Vergne was in my pit box at Le Mans. Apparently, I’ve already gotten the job at what’s it? TeCheetah?”
“It didn’t take a lot of persuasions,” Loïc winked at his old teammate.
André remained silent. He simply looked at the man in front of him, a smirk playing on his lips. Loïc felt slightly uncomfortable. Unable to decide where to look, he mirrored the German’s expression.
“Put Lucas you up to this?” André was still able to see through him after all these years.
“I've quit the series, he wants a confidant in the championship. He wants you.”
“What’s the catch?”
“Jean-Eric is a danger to Lucas. You need to keep him in his spot. Help Lucas a bit.”
“What’s in it for me?” Loïc needed a moment to think about a good reply.
“You’ll be able to start again. To do better than me and get revenge on Lucas in his playing field.” Loïc never had the chance to get revenge. André did.
André stood up, putting on his leather jacket. He patted Loïc on the back.
“We have got a deal, Duval,” he said before walking out of the bar.
Loïc waited ‘till André was gone before pulling his phone out.
‘It’s done.’ He sent the message to Lucas, getting a reply instantly.
‘You’re free of me now.’

Loïc grabbed his stuff and walked toward his car. Once inside the Audi, he felt the tears roll down his cheeks. The sire bond was officially broken and it hurt like hell. Never would Loïc have expected, he’d miss being part of a clan.

Chapter Text

Valencia, October 2017

Jean-Eric waited nervously in the pit box of TeCheetah. Mark had told him when he entered the paddock that André Lotterer would come testing today as well. Jean-Eric hadn’t seen the German since he visited him at Le mans, because he thought the simulator was irrelevant. The comment sounded a bit cocky to the Frenchman’s ears, but he guessed to each their own.

Mark had smiled at Jean-Eric’s unease. Preston and the team thought they’d get along great, but Jean-Eric wasn’t so sure of that anymore. He’d always admired André’s sportscar career and he knew that he’d almost made it into Formula One back in the Ferrari-era. Yet, the arrogance of the older man in the Porsche garage struck a nerve with Jean-Eric.
“Knowing him, knowing you, you’re going to be best friends”, that’s what Mark had said. Jean-Eric didn’t believe his team boss.

“Look who we’ve got here.” The soft voice from behind caused Jean-Eric to jump slightly. He nearly fell off the table he’d been sitting on while pondering. The high-pitched laughter made him turn toward the intruder.

André Lotterer stood in the doorway, dressed in his black and gold TeCheetah overall while holding in one hand his helmet. He had a slight smirk on his lips at the sight of the pale Frenchman. Jean-Eric didn’t know what to say, so he just gaped at the German. André didn’t break eye contact either. It was their own little bubble like the outside world seemed to fade. The dark blue eyes seemed to suck Jean-Eric in, his mind wandering off.

“Good, you’re both here!” Mark’s entrance broke the intimate moment. André moved to stand next to Jean-Eric as he dropped his gear onto the table. Jean-Eric glanced at the helmet. It was classic. The fact, André didn’t really use the German colors surprised him.

“Like it?” Jean-Eric felt himself blush at being caught. He smiled awkwardly at André whose gaze was set on the Frenchman. “Yeah, it’s nice!”
Jean-Eric could kick himself at the short reply. The German didn’t seem to mind though as he nodded contently.
“I like yours too.” Jean-Eric sucked in his bottom lip, whispering a hoarse thank you.

Testing had gone quite good. André struggled a bit, getting used to the handlings of the Gen 1 car, but he’d get eventually. Jean-Eric had switched his overall for his usual shirt and jeans, before walking back toward the pit box to say goodnight to the team.

The lowering sun painted the pitlane in different shades of colors. It had something majestic to it. Jean-Eric couldn’t help but walk a bit slower to take in the view. His mind wandered off as he thought of the events of the day outside of the car. André had been different than when they first met. He was friendly, playful, flirty even if Jean-Eric could call it that. Maybe if the German was still in the pit box, they could go grab something to drink together. To get to know each other better, Jean-Eric mentally told himself.

Jean-Eric’s thoughts were cut short as he walked past the Audi garage. The lights off, but it wasn’t silent at all. Soft moans filled the air and Jean-Eric was becoming mildly curious. “I can’t do this!”
Daniel’s voice sounded desperate and ragged. Jean-Eric placed himself against the gates of the Renault E.Dams garage, listening intently.
“The team will hate me if they find out.”
“They won’t if you don’t tell them.”
‘André?’

Jean-Eric had to know what was going on. He moved closer to the open pit box, trying to peak in. He only saw one of them. The large built gave away that it was André.
“What if Lucas finds out?”
“He won’t, because I won’t tell him. I’m not his slave.”
Jean-Eric couldn’t understand what André had to do with Lucas. He knew they were Audi teammates back in the day, but why would that be relevant right now?

The full moon began to rise, shining a bit of light into the garage. Jean-Eric could outline both of them now. He felt his heart sink as he saw Daniel in André’s embrace. André placed small kisses on Daniel’s neck, causing the German to moan. He hadn’t known they were involved.

Jean-Eric turned around, walking toward the exit of the pitlane. He didn’t feel like saying goodbye to his team anymore.
_______________________________________

André had a day left before he had to fly off toward Valencia. He’d convinced TeCheetah that he didn’t need to use the simulator and that he’d figure it out on his own. With the help of some compulsion, Mark Preston had agreed to give him a week off. Those seven days were now almost over and he was feeling kind of dull. “I don’t want to leave”, André whined as he accepted the drink handed to him. “I don’t want you to leave either, but it is what it is.”

“But why don’t you come with me?”, André offered, glancing over his sunglasses at the vampire. “Loïc, we could get that Frenchie out of the car and you in! We’d be a dream team.”

Loïc laughed at the proposal, sitting down at the edge of the pool, his feet in the water. “As much as that sounds like a great idea. Dragon wouldn’t be that happy with me. Besides, I’ve DTM and WEC so I’ve enough on my plate.”

André groaned, getting out of his sunbed. “I’m just going to miss you.”
He placed himself next to Loïc on the cold tiles. “I only have you back for a week and now I’m losing you again.”

Loïc smiled sadly at him. “You won’t miss me.”
André couldn’t believe his own ears. How could he ever not miss Loïc? He loved him long before he became a vampire. Even during the past few years, a part of him, his human side, had kept loving Loïc. Seeing him again in that bar had made him realize what he’d been missing. He wouldn’t give it up again.

“How can you say that? Even after years apart, we still found our way back and we always will!” André hadn’t meant to sound so aggressive, but the anger he felt was something new to him.

Loïc placed a hand on his cheek, stroking the stubbled skin with his thumb. André calmed down immediately. He placed his own hand over the Frenchman’s, leaning into his touch. “I’ve been where you at. You think you love someone, but it’s the sire bond. You loved me and I turned you. One day, you’ll find someone new who’ll you bond with, breaking ours in the progress. I have got a feeling that day will come soon, mon chèrie.”

“No, I’ll never wa-“, André began as sadness spread through his entire being. He felt both his own as Loïc’s pain.
“You will!”, Loïc stated, interrupting the German. “You will and you’ll love being free of me. I know how it feels, I went through it recently. It hurts and it will feel like you’re dying, but it’ll be worth it once you’ve found the person you belong with.” A tear dropped down Loïc’s face. He didn’t wipe it away. “I’ll be there along the way because I care about you. You’re my clan and you’ll always will be.”

André nodded as he didn’t trust his voice right now. He leaned forward, kissing Loïc roughly. The Frenchman was shocked at first, but after a while he reacted, licking the German’s lips to ask for entrance. The kiss felt intense, both of them unable to pull back. “How long ‘till your flight?”, Loïc whispered, breath hot on André’s skin. The older man pulled back, standing up and taking the Frenchman by the hand. He guided Loïc inside with a smile.
“Long enough.”

André woke up, startled. He wasn’t used to sleeping in hotels anymore, neither sleeping alone. He stared at the empty side of the bed for a while. He wished Loïc had come with him, but they couldn’t risk it. If Lucas found out they were actually together, all hell would break loose.
A sting went through André’s chest. They weren’t together at all, he had to remind himself. Loïc had been hard but fair yesterday. He broke up with him for his own good. Maybe it was for the better. André had no idea what he might have to do the upcoming months.

He got up, going straight to the bathroom for a shower. He looked himself over in the mirror, waiting for the running water to turn hot. He was a mess. André hadn’t fed in a while and the bond was hurting him. He got himself a blood bag out of the cabinet, sucking it dry. It stilled his hunger, but not the aching in his chest. André inhaled sharply. If he wanted to be on his A game, he knew what he had to do. He didn’t want to do it though. It would make him lose his current feelings for Loïc and he wanted to remember that feeling as long as he could. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a choice…
André smiled at himself in the mirror, before turning off his humanity.

Jean-Eric had been nervous ever since he arrived at testing. André didn’t really understand why, because he had met the guy before and he didn’t act nervous then.
“You want some?”, André asked as they sat down together for lunch. He offered the Frenchman a bagel.
“No, thank you. Salad’s fine.” Jean-Eric pointed at the green leaves on his plate.

André shrugged placing the bagel next to the bacon and eggs on his own plate. After a while, he began to notice Jean-Eric staring. He had no problem with the glancing at his helmet, but hell André wanted to eat in peace.

“Something wrong?”, André demanded, turning to face the Frenchman.
“N- no,” Jean-Eric stuttered slightly in shock. “I just, I don’t get how you can eat all that without throwing up in the car. Like you’re… big for a driver.”
André didn’t know how to react to that exactly. It wasn’t like he didn’t diet, he just didn’t give a fuck some days.

“You saying I’m fat, Jean-Eric?”, André asked keeping a straight face.
“No, no, no”, the Frenchman rambled. “I think you’re hot… Well, I mean you’re a handsome, fit man. Fat? No no.”

André couldn’t control himself anymore at the sight of the scared Frenchman, bursting into laughter. “Don’t worry, Jean-Eric. I’m joking, I know what you meant.”
“Call me JEV”, his teammate said with a smile.
“Okay, JEV”, André winked at him before finishing his plate.

Testing had gone well. André found himself getting used to the car more and more each lap. He’d get the hang of it.
The German was walking down the pitlane toward the exit when he noticed the lights on in the Audi garage. Daniel Abt was still staring at some notes. André was aware that the kid knew about the supernatural world. Loïc had told him that Lucas filled the guy in to keep him alert. Yet, André felt like it was more to protect the kid than anything else. He had heard the rumors of Daniel going to a vampire den to get turned. Lucas got him out before they killed him. Lucas cared and André could use that to his advantage.

“Hey, Daniel”, André stepped into the garage, noticing the slightly increased heartbeat of the young man.
“André, you scared me! I thought I was the only one left here.”
“Well, we are the only ones left.”

André stepped a bit closer to the brunet. “Hey, I heard Lucas has a stash in his garage. Can I borrow a bag? I forgot mine at the hotel.”
Daniel nodded: “Sure, I’ll grab it.”
The German duck under the table to retrieve the blood. André took a few steps closer to him so they were face to face when Daniel got back up.
A blush formed on the Audi driver’s cheeks as he was inches apart from André.

“Did you”, the older man said. “Ever let Lucas feed on you?”
“I-uh, I once asked, but he didn’t really want to.”
“Do you want to?”
Daniel stayed silent for a moment. “Yes, but I…” He was cut short by André pulling him in for a kiss. A small part of his brain thought of Loïc but he pushed the image away, focussing on the young German instead.
André pushed Daniel onto the table, before switching off the lights with the button behind him. Daniel pulled back after a few seconds.

“I can’t do this! The team will hate me if they find out.”
Daniel’s voice sounded desperate and ragged. André might have to use some conviction.
“They won’t if you don’t tell them.”

“What if Lucas finds out?” He definitely would with what André had in mind. He couldn’t care any less right now. The end justified the means.
“He won’t, because I won’t tell him. I’m not his slave.”
André lied pulling Daniel back in. “Let’s finish this in the hotel.”

________________________________

Lucas had been testing with Daniel what seemed like for ages. The Audi had some reliability issues. It wasn’t looking good, but the team had promised him they would be able to turn it around by the beginning of the season. Didn’t mean Lucas felt happy at the moment. He had walked back to his hotel instead of taking a taxi. It had helped clear his mind, but not enough.

As Lucas swiped the keycard past the lock to enter his room, he noticed it was already open. Instinct took over, his fangs popped out. He glanced around the dimly lit hallway, but no one was around. ‘He must be inside.’

Lucas entered his room slowly, closing the door silently. The lights went on in an instant. Spinning around to face the intruder, Lucas noticed the amused man leaning against the door to the balcony. “Took you long enough.”

The Brazilian sighed, going with a hand over his face. “If I’d known you’d act like an absolute moron, I’d have never let Loïc bite you.”

“You wouldn’t have someone at TeCheetah if you didn’t.” Lucas walked up toward André. A smirk played on his lips. ‘Duval really did it.’
“You couldn’t have told me that in Hong-Kong”, Lucas lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed.

André pursed his lips. “With JEV and Daniel around, we can’t risk them overhearing our potential strategies now, can we?”

“JEV, huh?”, Lucas laughed humorlessly. “Already on nickname base with our Frenchie?”

The German walked up to the Audi driver, biting his lip to keep his cool. “I might help you by doing your dirty work, but the only reason I do it is for you to leave Loïc alone.”

“What if I don’t?” The Brazilian spat coming face to face with André.
“Don’t forget you didn’t sire me, Lucas…”, Andre’s voice was low. He showed his fangs, blood still dripping down from his last drink.

Lucas stood rooted in place but kept his head high. He didn’t show weakness to those younger than him. The smell of fresh blood made it hard to keep control. It was stronger than usual in his room and much closer by.

André winked at the Brazilian who remained quiet. He pushed past Lucas toward the door. “Text me whenever you need something.”

He opened the door, turning to face Lucas again: “I left a little surprise in the bathroom.” With that, he left leaving Lucas to himself.

The Brazilian waited until he heard the elevator close at the end of the hall, before running toward the bathroom. The smell of blood was too strong for him to control himself, causing his veins to pump blood to his eyes. Fear began to settle in the pit of his stomach as he threw open the door. “Daniel!”

In the bathtub lay his teammate, pale and unconscious. The otherwise bright white room was now covered in blood. The strong iron scent put Lucas’ senses in overdrive and he had to push back the need to feed.

“Fuck!”

Chapter Text

“Fuck!” Lucas yelled before going over to Daniel. The strong iron smell was too much for him. His senses went into overload, hunger burning in his chest. He tried to listen for Daniel’s heartbeat but the ringing in his ears tuned out everything else.
Kneeling next to the German, he bit down on his wrist before pushing it roughly against the young man’s lips. “Come on, feed.”

The following few seconds felt like hours to Lucas. He couldn’t bear the thought of Daniel dying like this. He’d rather turn him into a vampire than have him die. Daniel began to suck softly causing relief to spread through Lucas’ body. He couldn’t help but laugh. Daniel was going to be okay.

“What happened?”
Lucas sighed in relief at the words. He turned to the kid sitting upright on his bed. The Brazilian was sucking on a blood bag. After cleaning the bathroom – which had been utter torture, because he had to refrain himself from feeding of Daniel – he had been drained.

“I should ask you”, Lucas said sitting down next to his teammate. “Are you involved with Lotterer?”
Realization dawned on Daniel who dropped his head in shame. “He came to me in the pits. We talked and somehow we ended up making out and I…”, the young man hesitated slightly, knowing the consequences of his following words. “I wanted him to bite me.”

Betrayal formed in Lucas’ stomach. He had known of Daniel’s issues in the past. How badly he wanted to be on the same level as him. Lotterer must have known. He’d warned Daniel though.
“Out”, stated the Brazilian.
“But…”
“I said out”, Lucas turned his back toward the German, not ready to face him.

Daniel got up without another word and left, slamming the door close. Lucas dropped his head in his hands, taking in the silence. He should have kept a closer eye on the kid. On Lotterer as well. He didn’t have André in his pocket like he did Loïc. The Frenchman had been sired. André wasn’t, to him at least. Lucas had also noticed something different when the older man had stood in his room. He had been cold. Even in the Audi days, André had defied him but never put a friend in danger. He’d never intended to kill someone, let alone show off with it.

Then, it clicked. “Foder!”, Lucas muttered to the empty chamber. “Son of a bitch turned off his humanity.”

_____________________________________

Hong-Kong December 2017

Jean-Eric had ignored André ever since he saw the German with Daniel in the Audi garage. It wasn’t like he’d had much chance to run into him anyway. André couldn’t do the simulator for Hong-Kong due to scheduling issues. Jean-Eric had been glad about the bit time off. He wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about his new teammate yet. He thought he’d felt a click during testing, gave himself that little bit of hope that maybe he’d find someone that cared.

The Frenchman shook his head to get rid of the thoughts as he entered the pit box. He needed to focus on the opening weekend. Pole and win should be the only thing on his mind for both races.

“JEV,” the familiar voice caused Jean-Eric to still his movements. ‘Merde.’
“André,” Jean-Eric turned around with a forced smile, greeting his teammate. “Ready for your first outing?”
The German took a sip of his bottle as he left Jean-Eric hanging for an answer. Only André’s gaze was trailing the Frenchman’s body. Jean-Eric felt the need to cross his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t like being inspected from head to toe, let alone by a stranger. Yet, he remained rooted in place, proving to André that he isn’t a pushover with ease.

André parted his lips, resting the blue straw on his lower lip. He grinned at the Frenchman: “Born ready. How about you?” He drank further as he awaited the reply.
“I like Hong-Kong, it’s a fun track. Some narrow turns and long straights. Overtaking is always fun here.”
André nodded along with every few words. “Yeah, it’s not quite what I’m used to, but it’s a nice track. Let’s hope I get the hang of it by tonight.”
“I bet you will,” Jean-Eric said with an unintended smile.

André grinned before walking off toward his engineer. He dropped his bottle on a nearby table. It was a personalized TeCheetah bottle with a red and blue straw, the Frenchman noticed. Jean-Eric turned around putting away his personal belongings. The conversation played over and over in his head. He’d noticed every small quirk in André’s lips, the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Jean-Eric tried to push it to the back of his mind.

He was looking at his phone when suddenly confusion settled in. The straw… It had been blue when they had begun talking. Jean-Eric looked over his shoulder, noticing the bottle was gone. André must have taken it back. The Frenchman laughed to himself. He must have imagined it.

Pole position for the first race was the best TeCheetah could have wished for. A second-place is quite amazing as well. Jean-Eric couldn’t help but smile when he returned to the team. André had been less lucky. He got disqualified by the stewards in the end.

Jean-Eric was headed to the back of the garage when someone bumped into him. “Sorry”, he whispered hastily. “No problem.” He’d gotten all too familiar with that voice already.
“André”, the Frenchman said, voice higher than usual. The German just smiled at him. “JEV.”
Something was off though about his teammate. André didn’t seem to have this same spark in his eye as he did before the race. Jean-Eric studied his face, slightly dumbfound. André somehow seemed to have gotten older in one race.
“JEV?” André’s tired voice brought him back to reality. “Yes.”
“Can I pass?”, the older man asked with a sigh. Without saying another word Jean-Eric stepped aside. His eyes followed his teammate into their sleeping den, as he liked to call it. The small room in the back of the garage where they often napped before the race. André closed the door gently. For a moment Jean-Eric wanted to go after him, but images of Daniel and André clouded his mind again. André would be fine on his own.

André was anything but fine. He was tired. It had been a long race and to top it off he got disqualified. Formula E was more difficult than he’d expected. He’d felt not only the energy draining from his TeCheetah but from him as well. He needed a drink and he needed it now. André stepped out from the engineering corner toward the nap den, as Jean-Eric loved to call it. André couldn’t suppress a small snort as he remembers his teammate telling him about it excitedly after testing. If only he knew what a real den was. He was beginning to like the Frenchman though. He wasn’t fake, nor conceded. He was this angry, little bubble of talent. He kind of reminded him of Loïc. Remembering his sire stung still. His humanity on the brink of turning on again, but André couldn’t let that happen. He thought of Lucas and everything the Brazilian had done to him. Anger flashed through his veins, the smirk back on his face.

He was across the door to the napping den, when suddenly Jean-Eric bumped into him. “Sorry”, muttered the younger man. André couldn’t help the smile forming on his face. “No problem. Jean-Eric’s head shot upright, looking at him with big eyes. “André!”
The German’s smile became wider. “JEV.”
Jean-Eric kept staring at him as if he was studying him. Somehow it didn’t make André feel uneasy. It was a bit weird though. “JEV?”
“Yes.” ‘Oh boy, the kid is slow sometimes’
“Can I pass?” Without saying another word Jean-Eric stepped aside. André nodded at him, walking straight into the napping den. He closed the door behind him before dropping down on the ground. ‘Fuck.’

André could barely see straight as his thirst took control of him. He crawled on his knees towards his hidden stash underneath one of the gear racks. He opened the cooling bag to find nothing in it. Fear began to form in the pit of his stomach. Had someone of the team found it? Did Jean-Eric? Turning the bag upside down, a small paper fell onto the ground. André picked it up, trying to regain focus long enough to read it.

‘You hurt one of mine,
I’ll hurt you twice as hard.
You know where to find me’

André could barely control himself as he tore the note apart. Lucas… That motherfucker had stolen his stash. “Fuck!” André yelled throwing the cooling bag across the room. He fell on the floor with his hands in his hair. He needed to go to Lucas, but he could barely stand on his own two legs. André felt his body ache, the sounds of everyone rummaging through the pit making his ears ring, the bright white light on the ceiling burning his eyes, the cold of the floor cooling him down through his fireproof shirt.
André felt his phone ring in his pocket. Taking it out, he could make out the message.

‘Chèri, what’s wrong? I feel you drying out. What’s happened?’

Loïc. The sire bond had been all his ex needed to check in on him. Loïc.. André missed Loïc. How they lay on the beds during Le Mans breaks. Occasionally fucking instead of sleeping. André snorted at that. What if he just lay here as well? Just a quick, little nap. It would make him feel better. Maybe Loïc would show up… Yeah, that’s what he’s going to do…

Jean-Eric had been pacing up and down the parking lot for nearly fifteen minutes now. He was going to celebrate with the team, but he’d wanted to bring André along. Even though he still felt some frustration each time he’d thought of André and Daniel, it wasn’t up to him who André slept with. Maybe he could help the German a little bit as well after tomorrow’s race. Get him prepared for Marrakesh. Or maybe Jean-Eric wanted to be close to his new, handsome teammate, maybe he’d been jealous in Valencia… The Frenchman shook the idea out of his head.

He was done waiting though. Jean-Eric was going to get André in the pit himself. Heading back into the paddock, he half-ran into the abandoned pit box. It was silent. A shiver went over the Frenchman’s back. He wasn’t used to the pit being empty. It felt unnatural.
Jean-Eric had checked everywhere, but he still couldn’t find André. Remembering he’d last seen the German at the napping den, he decided to check there to be sure as well.

Opening the door, Jean-Eric felt small pressure from the other side. Worry forming in the pit of his stomach, he stuck his head inside. He noticed a lifeless form on the ground. “André!”
Cursing in every language he knew, Jean-Eric kneeled down next to the still German. André looked kinda grey, small black veins on his neck. Jean-Eric didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t call for help since there was no one there. Besides, he doesn’t even know if he’d know how to use a phone at the moment.

Deciding doing nothing is worse than doing something, Jean-Eric pushed against André’s side. Nothing happened. ‘Putain de merde’
He reached across his chest to tap lightly against the German’s face. The taps became harder, the more he panicked. Suddenly André moved. Jean-Eric fell back as André jumped upright. “André?”, Jean-Eric asked with a sigh of relief. That relief disappeared like snow before the sun as he saw the German look at him. Those friendly blue eyes had turned into a dark red.

Chapter Text

Lucas was seated in the empty Audi garage, waiting for André to finally show up. The Brazilian wanted to give him a piece of his mind, tell him to leave Daniel alone. The kid was his, his responsibility. He checked his watch impatiently. It was late. The race had ended hours ago and he had expected the vampire to show up by now. His pondering was interrupted by the ringtone of his phone. As he took it out of the pocket of his jeans, Lucas felt a fling of hope. 'Loïc' read the caller ID. It had been a few months since Lucas had heard from the Frenchman. He wasn't sired anymore, so why did he call him?

Without realizing what he was exactly doing, he answered the call. "Di Grassi."
"What the fuck did you do?!" He should have known Lotterer would run back to Loïc.
"Duval, hey!", Lucas replied with fake innocence. "How have you been?"
It remained silent for a moment. Lucas knew Loïc well enough to know that the guy was fuming right now. "Stop playing games! Where's André? What did you do to him?"
Getting frustrated, the Brazilan lost his cool. "How the fuck should I know? You're his sire!"
"What did you do?", Loïc asked again, sounding sad all of a sudden. It stung. Loïc still knew how to push his buttons after all these years.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas decided to tell him the truth. "André hurt Daniel in Valencia. I took his stash away after the race to punish him. He hasn't shown up yet, so I guess he used Mitch his stash." The Kiwi had been turned by Mark Webber last year. He didn't usually like to interfere with the other vampires on the grid, but he was always there to help.

Loïc sounded more collected than Lucas would have thought. "What did he do to Daniel?"
"He used his addiction to get back at me", Lucas replied slightly astonished. He had not expected Loïc to ask about Daniel. "I'll talk to André", Loïc stated ending the call right after, leaving Lucas dumbfounded.

André had zoned out completely. His hunger had kept him out cold. Until he smelled him. He knew that perfume, knew that heartbeat, that voice… 'JEV… Fuck no!'
Jumping upright, André's back hit the back of their makeshift bed. He tried to focus on anything but Jean-Eric's sweet smell, but it was useless. As much as he tried to fight it, he couldn't help his fangs coming out. As his eyes rested on the Frenchman, he saw shock grace Jean-Eric's features. "André?"

André wanted to reply so desperately, but he couldn't. He didn't trust his voice right now nor his senses. "André, what are you?", Jean-Eric whispered, coming closer toward his teammate. "No!", the German growled, crawling backward. "Don't come closer to me!"
André had expected to see a lot of emotions in Jean-Eric's face. Angst, disgust, anger to name a few. Never he'd suspected he would look at him with hurt in his eyes. "André, I want to help you", Jean-Eric tried again. "I don't know what this is, but I want to help."

André wanted nothing else than to bite Jean-Eric at the moment, to grab him and suck him nearly dry, but he couldn't. Jean-Eric wasn't just someone. He was his teammate… His friend. He didn't want the Frenchman to know about this world, to be in danger as well. He didn't want to endanger Loïc, Mitch, Jérôme, not even Di Grassi. They were blood. Jean-Eric couldn't know, at least not yet. He could make him forget though...

"You can help, but it'll hurt a little", André muttered going with a hand over his face. Everything still hurt, he had to feed and he had to now. There was no other way.
"I'll let you drink", Jean-Eric stated, confidence in his eyes. André didn't care to ask how he figured it out so quickly. Somehow he felt proud. How did he get attached to the Frenchman so quickly?

Jean-Eric crawled towards him slowly. André took a hold of his neck with his left hand, pulling Jean-Eric's head softly to the side. "I'm so sorry", the German whispered before digging his fangs into the younger man's skin. Jean-Eric grunted, tensing up slightly. André didn't notice though. He tasted so sweet. Different than anyone he'd ever drunk from in a den, different than Daniel had tasted in Valencia. Jean-Eric was the perfect mix between bitter and sweet, his blood so thin that André could keep drinking it.

As André felt Jean-Eric drift away in his hands, he pulled back. He licked the remaining blood from Jean-Eric's neck, before seating the Frenchman upright against the gear rack, to check him. As much as he didn't want to use it, André had to. Compulsion would keep the vampires and Jean-Eric himself safe. Di Grassi would never find out, Loïc wouldn't either and André could continue acting normal around Jean-Eric. The young Frenchman who was looking way too happily at him right now. "You're amazing", Jean-Eric grinned, looking at André's fangs in wonder. "They look good on you."
André felt his stomach flutter at the words. Jean-Eric had been the first person who didn't look at him in disgust nor despair. He still saw him as André, as human. Unfortunately, he had to erase all this now. "JEV, I-" André began, but he was cut off by the Frenchman's lips on his. And just like that, he felt his humanity flip back on.

Jean-Eric didn't know what had happened in the last ten minutes. He was pretty sure André was a vampire or at least something resembling it. Somehow it didn't scare him at all. It fascinated Jean-Eric. He wanted to know how it affected André's driving, his daily routine, his mentality… Had the German always been like this or had it to do with his supernatural abilities? Could he become like André too by becoming a vampire?
Jean-Eric had seen the smile on André's face when he had called him amazing. Noticed how quirky and flirty André had been around him since they had met in Valencia. Maybe that's why he felt so attracted to the older man. Why he felt on top of the world right now being so close with André.

"JEV, I-" The way André said his name, it aroused him in a way. Unaware of his own doing, Jean-Eric leaned in to kiss his teammate. André remained still, but Jean-Eric didn't care. He wanted this. He could taste his own blood on André's lips. The sharp fangs stinging his lips.

He pulled back after a moment, he noticed André's breathless stare, his eyes back to normal, fangs retreated. "JEV…" The breathless whisper made Jean-Eric's lips ache for more. His silent wish got granted as André grabbed his cheeks and pulled him back in. André kissed differently than Jean-Eric had expected. He was tender, careful. Jean-Eric wanted rough though. He bit down on the German's lower lip, pulling back. André moaned, causing Jean-Eric to harden slightly. He felt André's tongue gracing his lower lip, asking for entrance. The Frenchman parted his lips, to let André in. Their tongues danced around each other as their hands roamed each other's chest. Jean-Eric felt on cloud nine. He hadn't felt this way since Daniel had left him for Sebastian back in 2014. He hadn't felt this alive in years.
As they parted, Jean-Eric couldn't help but stare breathlessly at his teammate.

He didn't understand why André looked sad though. "I'm so sorry", André whispered before looking Jean-Eric straight in the eye. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He hung onto every word André said. "You wanted to celebrate, but had forgotten your car keys in the sleeping den. You never saw me here this evening, nor do you remember me being a vampire and everything that happened in this room."

Jean-Eric blinked. Why was he in the sleeping den? Had he forgotten something? The Frenchman got up, feeling slightly lightheaded. Had he eaten after the eprix? He thought he did. Checking his phone, he noticed a message from Mark asking where he was. 'Putain!' He'd forgotten the after-party. Rushing out of the sleeping den and towards the parking, Jean-Eric didn't notice André watching him from afar, struggling to keep his emotions in check.

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André saw Jean-Eric walking off towards the parking lot. His heart aching at the sight. He had no idea why he had kissed the Frenchman, where that sudden burst of want and hunger had come from. He liked Jean-Eric, no JEV, he mentally corrected himself. He liked JEV, but he wasn’t in love with him. He loved Loïc, right?

André growled in frustration. It had only been the first race weekend. Yet, he was already in too deep. He always got too involved too quickly. Falling for the wrong people and falling all at once without a single thought. It didn’t always work out though… Flashes of the night he got turned replayed in his head. That fear he’d felt too heavy to bear as if a pair of hands grabbed his throat and squeezed. And twisted his neck…

He balded his fist, jaw tight. He wasn’t going to let the same thing happen to JEV. He was going to protect the Frenchman from Lucas, Loïc, himself… JEV needed to remain in the dark. André couldn’t bear the thought of the Frenchman getting involved in all this. Damn humanity! How JEV managed to flip it on without even trying to is yet another question. He felt connected to the Frenchman now, couldn’t shake him off as he had done with Daniel or all those women in the dens. It pained André to know that JEV had forgotten everything though. That he now had to look at the Frenchman knowing how he kissed, how he tasted of champagne and glory, his blood thin and sweet… No one would ever know but André himself.

Loïc had been pacing up and down the small path next to his swimming pool. He was furious and worried at once. Lucas had told him Mitch probably helped André, but when the Frenchman called the Kiwi he’d told him he hadn’t spoken to André at all. Something didn’t add up to this story and somehow he knew Lucas hadn’t lied to him.

Looking at the unanswered texts he had sent André a few hours ago, he decided to call him. Loïc had tried using the sire bond first, but André had been blocking him. He was used to it after all those years, but the Frenchman had hoped that after their reconcilement André wouldn’t do it anymore. He guessed ending it all forever may not have been the best idea.

Pressing the call button, Loïc waited desperately for André to pick up his facetime-call.
After four rings, the German’s face popped up. “Loïc”, the love of his life smiled, making his insides ache. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I phoned Lucas,” he stated, noticing André’s face fall. His walls were up again towards him, Loïc realized. “Are you okay? Is it true about Daniel?”
André sighed, going with a hand over his face. “It’s all part of our plan, Schatz”, André deadpanned. Loïc knew his humanity was switched off. Still, it hurt him to see André act cold toward him, mocking him with his pet name. “Our plan? I thought you were going to follow Lucas’ orders until you could take him down.”
“I’m not going to hurt JEV”, André replied with an edge to his voice. ‘JEV huh?’
“Look, Daniel is alive and well. Lucas' little payback didn’t work and I’m fine. Now, can we finish this up so I can go prepare for the race tomorrow?”
“Sure”, Loïc muttered. “Good-“ He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence as André ended the call.

Loïc stared at the black screen of his phone for a few minutes, trying to arrange his thoughts. He hadn’t learned much from this call except two things. André had forgotten him as soon as he’d expected him too. Jean-Eric had replaced Loïc in his life already. Just like Loïc had replaced Benoït years ago. André had always tended to fall head over heels for someone before knowing them. Loïc had hoped he wouldn’t get replaced, but he had known it was inevitable. What he didn’t see coming though was André’s humanity switched on again for some reason.

Something must have happened after the race. The German had never had a problem with flipping his switch off. Turning it on was a completely different story though. Loïc remembered Le Mans 2015. How André went on a killing spree after losing out to the Porsche rookie car. Loïc had had to force him to stop, let André beat him up without fighting back, to get him to flip it on again. That happy memory of André resting at his place, him slowly getting his André back, felt sour now.

Suddenly a sharp pain went through Loïc’s body. André was trying to break the bond he realized straight away. André had really forgotten him. The sharp pain was replaced by a numb feeling. Loïc smiled sadly at the sundown, remembering the nights he’d spent here cuddling with André. It was time to say goodbye to all that.

Loïc closed his eyes, letting go of the bond. A sting went through his body, causing him to drop to his knees. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he broke out into a sob. Maybe it was better this way. André would have never forgiven him for turning him anyway. Maybe he felt better being free from the biggest mistake of his life. Maybe he found someone new. A lot of maybe’s, but Loïc knew he’d never really recover.

André’s face fell the moment he’d ended the call. Loïc knew. He had tried to hide it, but the Frenchman always understood what he wasn’t saying. He didn’t know if it was the bond or Loïc simply knowing him so well, but he fucked up hard during that call. It wasn’t what he’d said perse, more what he didn’t say and Loïc always managed to figure that out.

André also realized it was completely over between them. The happiness he’d felt before the season, those summer nights in Loïc’s villa, watching the sunset cuddled up at the pool, were gone forever. Loïc was his past, just like his Audi days. It was time to let him go. If he wanted to protect JEV he couldn't have Loïc snooping around his emotions.

Closing his eyes, André tried to break the bond. Loïc wasn’t going to put on a fight, he knew that. The Frenchman cared too much about him still. A wave of sadness hit André momentarily. He felt Loïc’s pain. His ex-lover agreed though and the bond broke with a snap. André gasped at the sting going through his whole body. “Thank you”, he whispered to the empty parking lot.

___________________________

Santiago, February 2018

“You’re early.” Jean-Eric turned around at the voice. “No, you’re late.”
André stood at the entrance of the sleeping den. His hair a mess, face slightly red, he noticed. They’d just finished qualifying and Jean-Eric couldn’t be happier. Pole position in Santiago and finally a good starting position for André in fourth. He’d gone straight to the sleeping den, hoping to find his teammate.

They’d gotten pretty close in the past few months. Since the second race at Hong-Kong, André had been different toward him. Or maybe Jean-Eric was the one who’d changed. After getting that second place in the first race of the season, he’d felt a deeper connection to the German. He didn’t really know why, because nothing special had occurred. André had gone out with him and the team after the second race and they had fun with the media games, but it felt – lack for a better word – different. Jean-Eric had even found the courage to ask about what happened between André and Daniel. The German had replied: “nothing serious. Just a small accident that won’t happen again.” Jean-Eric should know better, but he believed his new teammate. That teammate was now undressing in front of him.

“You daydreaming again?”, André asked with a smirk, causing Jean-Eric’s stomach to flutter. Yep, this was different than before. “Just thinking about the season. I’ve got a feeling this race will be pretty great for both of us.”
André snorted at that: “Well after your simulator lessons, I do feel more comfortable in the car, but a win is still a bit farfetched.”
The Frenchman shook his head: “Nah, mec! You’ll be up there fighting with me.”

Jean-Eric didn’t know if the universe simply liked to fuck with him or if he had cursed himself. He was in deep shit though as he noticed André’s TeCheetah filling up his mirrors.
‘Putain!’ He felt a thud from behind, checking his mirrors quickly to see André’s car on top of his. Doing his best to brake for the corner, his tires locked up. Jean-Eric must have sworn in every language he knew before rounding the corner. He yelled at the team over the radio to let the German back off. He luckily did and they drove across the finish on top. First one-two for a team in Formula E history. He somehow felt proud of André. Well, proud was a strong word. He didn’t want to kill him anymore.

As they stood on the podium celebrating, Jean-Eric couldn’t take his eyes off his teammate. André was glowing, that perfect smile in place, hugging Jean-Eric tight. Only when the cameramen were done taking the official celebration pictures, Jean-Eric noticed the streak of grey on the skin of André’s neck. Losing focus for a moment, the Frenchman’s brain drifted off. Blurred images of André laying on the ground of the sleeping den out cold, clouding his brain. The images were gone as quickly as they’d come. André had felt his eyes on him though, winking at him before pulling up his overalls. Jean-Eric made a mental note to ask about it later.

Loïc had turned off his TV after he saw a replay of André and Jean-Eric hugging on top of a TeCheetah car. Biting on his thumbnail, he scrolled through his Instagram. Pictures of Jeandré – that hideous nickname – flooded his whole feed. He noticed André posting a story of the two of them. To the fans, it was a normal grin, but Loïc knew that grin, had been on the receiving end of that grin. Jean-Eric was now though and it made Loïc's blood boil.

He closed the app, before going to his contact lists. His finger hovered over Lucas’ caller ID. He hadn’t spoken to the Brazilian since the first race of the season. He had taken care of it though. Daniel had been clean as far as Lucas had let him know. Somehow he felt the need to talk to his previous sire at this moment.

Pressing call Loïc bit his lower lip. He had not expected Lucas to pick up so soon after the race. “Duval, why the fuck are you calling now?” Loïc took a deep breath, trying to hide his annoyance. “I have news.”
“I’m listening”, he could feel Lucas’ curiosity from Chile.
“André and I broke our sire bond”, Loïc began, but the Brazilian interrupted him.
“Loïc, I’ve never given a fuck about your relationships.”
Growling in frustration, the Frenchman continued: “Let me finish, you ass!” It remained silent on the other side. “André his humanity is flipped on again.” Loïc heard Lucas laugh: “You always come true, Duval. Thank you!”

Ending the call, Loïc put his phone aside. He turned the TV on again to see a double interview with the TeCheetah boys. Pausing the image, he took a closer look at Jean-Eric. He recognized those bite marks everywhere. “Oh, André…”

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Yeah this will be filled one day