Chapter Text
Louis sat at the dinner table, waiting for Claudia and Lestat to come back home from their hunt. Usually he would stay behind as the other two preyed on un-suspecting humans, and tonight was no different.
Yvette, one of their house slaves, came into the room.
"Master Louis, are you not hungry?" Yvette beckoned at the plate full of food that sat in front of Louis.
Louis shook his head and waved at Yvette to take the food away.
"And what about Master Lestat and Claudia?" She asked.
Louis stared out the window. Even with his heightened vampire sight, there was nothing to be seen out the dark window. Only his reflection and the candle lights dancing off the glass pane.
"They went out to eat." Louis responded simply.
Yvette nodded. She cleared the rest of the table and left Louis alone.
Louis continued to stare out the window, wallowing in self pity and sorrow. Silently hating Lestat for cursing him to eternal boredom. He didn't like to leave the house and interact with humans like Claudia and Lestat did because he feared he would lose control and be found out. All he would do is sit around the house, reading and re-reading any books he could get his hands on.
"Brooding again my dearest?" Lestat walked over to Louis and started to rub his shoulders. He leaned down and whispered in Louis ear. "I brought you back a gift from our hunt Louis. Claudia helped me pick it out."
Lestat walked around the chair so he was in front of Louis, he held out a cage that had a cloth draped over it.
Louis pulled the drape off of the cage and growled when he saw what was inside. Five rats were in the cage, squeaking loudly.
"You dare mock me with these rats Lestat?!" He yelled aloud, slightly shaking in fury.
When Louis was first turned, he was too afraid to drink from humans, so he often fed from rats or other animals. He still does, and Lestat makes a point to mock him for it all the time.
Lestat slammed the rat cage down on the table and slammed Louis against the wall. He proceeded to give Louis the same old tired lecture about how vampires are supposed to drink from humans and so and so. Louis was quite tired of Lestat's so called "lecture". He had heard it at least a hundred times before and has learned to shut it out anytime Lestat started.
Louis shoved Lestat off of him. "Vampire this, vampire that! Do you ever talk about anything else Lestat?"
"I would talk about other things, if we were other things Louis!" Lestat replied.
Louis went over to the rat cage and shoved his hand inside, pulling out one of the rats. "Fine Lestat! I accept your so called gift. Just as I have accepted everything else you have forced on me!"
Louis bit into the rat he was holding, looking up at Lestat as he drained the rat to death. "Just as you've force this life of eternal damnation and immortality onto me."
He threw the drained rat aside, it hitting the carpeted floor with a soft thud. He shoved his hand into the cage to pull out another rat.
Lestat walked over to Louis, snatching the still alive rat out of his hand and throwing it back in the cage. "Oh but you forget my dearest. Perhaps the years have worn on your memory."
He grabbed Louis chin and forced the younger man to look into his eyes. "Remember, I gave you a choice."
Louis threw Lestat's hand off of his chin. He walked over to the door, stopping when he reached the door frame. "Did you."
Of course Louis knew in technicality, Lestat did give him a choice. But under the circumstances it happened in, there was really only one answer. So, in his mind at least, it wasn't a choice.
Claudia was in her room painting when she heard Louis and Lestat fighting.
"They're always fighting." She sighed to herself. She went over and rang the servant bell, and a few short minutes later, Yvette walked in.
"Yes, Mistress Claudia?" Yvette said when she walked into the room.
"I'm bored." Claudia replied simply.
"Well, Mistress. I have work to do. If you'd like I can get another slave for you to play with?" Yvette said.
Claudia walked over to Yvette, walking around her and examining her.
"I want to paint you." Claudia started. "I enjoy painting, and you would make a wonderful addition to my collection."
Claudia ran her hand down the spine of her dress.
Yvette nearly jumped at Claudia's touch. "W-what collection mistress?"
Claudia didn't say anything. Instead she sat up her easel, chalks, pastels and a new canvas.
She picked up a chalk and sat down on the chair she positioned behind the easel.
"Sit down on the couch over there, comfortably because this may take a while."
Yvette tgried to protest, saying the couch was too elegant for anyone to sit on. Especially her, especially with the dirty clothes she was wearing.
"It's for my painting. I have a collection of women I like to draw and paint. Those I admire, those I find pretty, those who I wish to be..." Claudia trailed off.
Yvette asked. "Which category do I fall under Mistress?"
"The last two." Claudia said. She watched Yvette settle down on the couch.
"You wish to be me? But why? I am but a common house slave."
Claudia sighed. "You have thing's I'll never have Yvette. For my father Lestat has cursed me to eternal childhood."
Yvette sat there puzzled at what Claudia said. Although she was confused, but she did not press further.
"Sit down in a comfortable position Yvette".
Yvette did as she was told, she was a bit confused about everything, but she didn't want to disobey. Claudia was known amongst everyone in the house, especially the workers, for her temper. It was talked amongst the gardeners and slaves and even the dressmakers that saw her less than everyone else. Yvette could kind of understand Claudia's frustrations though. Being an only child with no mother or other kids to play with. Only two very strange men.
"Hmm. It's too.... Bland." Claudia said.
She walked over to her Jewelery cabinet and rummaged through it, letting out a small "aha!" when she found what she was looking for.
Claudia walked over to Yvette and placed a necklace on her, letting the big stone rest between Yvette's bosom.
"The golden chain compliments your eyes whilst the ruby stone in the middle goes well with your darker skin tone." Claudia said.
"Mistress, I cannot wear this! It is too elegant for me." Yvette gasped.
"Hush now Yvette. You will wear whatever I tell you to wear."
Claudia walked back over to her easel and began to sketch out the gestural lines.
Louis was laying on the bed reading a book when Lestat walked in. The two fought so much it was pointless to stay mad at each other outside of their fight.
"Reading again Louis?" Lestat asked. He went over to the dresser and started removing his accessories. "What is it this time?"
Lestat walked over to the bed and crawled on top of Louis, straddling his hips. He picked up the book Louis was deeply into. "The Vampyre? By John William Polidori."
"This Polidori, great writer. He writes us as monsters." Louis started dramatically. "Lestat, do you ever stop to think that maybe...We are?"
Lestat tossed the book on the small dresser next to the bed. "Look at our life Louis. Of course we are monsters. We live in sin every day."
Louis buried his forehead into the crook of Lestat's shoulder. "Even our dearest Claudia has been forced to be a monster."
Lestat grabbed the sides of Louis face, making him look him in the eyes. "It's not our fault that we need to kill to survive Louis. How else are we to eat?"
Louis half nodded. "And...what about our other sin?"
Lestat shushed Louis. "Shhh. My dear boy, whoever said it was sin?" Lestat leaned down to kiss Louis. Louis leaned back, laying down again. Lestat still on top of him, straddling his sides.
Louis kissed Lestat back, passionately, then he ripped himself away almost as passionately.
"It is a sin Lestat! Everyone says so." Louis nearly shouted.
Louis was a former Catholic so he was always going on about sins and what not. Lestat was used to it, however it was quite annoying and frustrating when he did it during moments like this when Lestat was trying to carry out some "sins" of his own.
"That's why you think it's a sin? Because everyone else said so Louis?" Lestat asked. "If everyone jumped of a bridge, would you do so as well?"
Louis shoved Lestat off of his lap. "If it meant I wouldn't have to live in this eternal damnation anymore. So be it."
"Always going on about eternal damnation. It's only damnation because you think it so!"
"No, it's damnation because you have made it so, Lestat!"
"Fine! Believe that Louis. Spend forever being a coward and drinking from rats!" Lestat huffed. He walked out of the room. Frustrated and with a semi boner.
A few short minutes later, Louis heard the front door slam shut.
"After I've finished the sketching, I go in with the first base of pastels." Claudia said aloud. Whenever she painted or drew, she liked to narrate what she was doing.
Yvette sighed. She had been sitting for hours now. Her legs were starting to hurt and her butt was already numb.
"Mistress Claudia, we've been here for hours. How much longer until we are done? I still have work to do." Yvette said as she shifted her legs lightly.
Claudia put down the chalk she was holding and slowly walked over to Yvette. She sat down on the couch, looking down on Yvette. "Oh Yvette. I envy you still..." She said dramatically. She grew very theatrical and dramatic anytime she painted.
Yvette wondered if she did it on purpose or if she just got caught up in the aura.
Claudia sighed deeply. "But yes, we are done here. I will finish the drawing later today." Claudia stood up and turned away from Yvette.
Claudia walked over to her window and looked out, staring into the nothingness.
Yvette stood up, slowly though, as not to cramp her legs farther. After sitting for a minute, she stood up.
"Oh Mistress, what about the ruby?" Yvette asked.
Without looking away from the window, Claudia replied "Keep it. It's yours now."
Yvette gasped "But Mistress! A slave wearing something so elegant? What will everyone think?"
People in New Orleans were quite the gossip, and Yvette didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. There's also the chance of another slave stealing it from her.
Claudia ignored Yvette, her focus now attached to Lestat walking towards the front door, tossing a small box between his hands.
"Mistress?" Yvette asked.
"I said keep it Yvette. Now go away before I change my mind. It's almost dawn, go sleep and rest up for tomorrow." Claudia replied.
Yvette stood there for a moment before she walked out of the room, softly touching her new ruby necklace.
Lestat walked over to Louis, who was getting ready to get into his coffin for the day.
"Louis, my dearest. My love." He started. He grabbed Louis waist, pulling him in for a kiss.
Louis kissed Lestat back. He guessed he did it out of habit, considering he was still slightly mad with him.
"I've got you something Louis." Lestat purred into Louis ear.
Louis sighed. "I don't care for any more rats Lestat."
"Oh, no no Louis dear." Lestat chuckled. "This is far better than rats." He grabbed Louis hand and reached into his own pocket, pulling out a small black box.
"Louis de Pointe du Luc." Lestat started dramatically. He opened the box, pulling out a golden wedding band with an intricate design wrapped around it.
Louis scoffed. "What is this supposed to be? Some kind of humorous joke for you?"
"Oh, but the exact opposite Louis." Lestat reached up to tuck a lock of Louis hair behind his ear.
Louis smacked Lestat's hand away. "Why should I Lestat? So you can bind me to you forever?" He snarled.
"We're already bound together forever Louis! Wake up from your fantasy and realize it!"
"Realize what?!"
"You and I were destined to be Louis. Whether you like it or not."
"Destiny only brought us together because you forced it to." Louis yelled as he walked away from Lestat. It was quite late for them and the sun was about to be up so he decided to go to bed.
Lestat followed Louis. "I had to Louis! Who else is going to love you like I do?"
Louis turned on his heel, bumping into Lestat with how close they were. "Do you love me?"
There was a long pause, too long for Louis liking. He crawled into his coffin, the lid slamming down with how much force he used to close it.
A few moment's later, Louis heard Lestat's coffin close as well.
The two laid in their coffins, listening to each other breathe.
Lestat felt around the ring box in his pocket, tracing the outline of it, thinking of the first time he met Louis.
Louis was about to drift off to sleep when he heard a small whisper come from Lestat's coffin.
"I do..."
"What will everyone say?" Louis asked Lestat as he examined the ring on his finger.
It was nighttime now and the two had been awake for about an hour.
"You worry about other people's thoughts too much Louis." Lestat said. "Besides, we're vampires. If we don't like what they say, we'll just eat them."
Louis sighed. He figured Lestat was right. Even if he wasn't right, it'd be pointless to argue. Lestat always got what he wanted in the end, no matter what. That, and a bit of reassuring sweet talk is what prompted Louis to change his mind and accept Lestat's proposal.
"Oh but wait Lestat." Louis said. He handed the ring back to Lestat. "If you want me to accept your proposal, then actually propose."
Lestat scoffed. "I already did yesterday." he rolled his blueish-grey eyes.
"No I mean. Propose traditionally." Louis stated.
"Traditional? What about us is traditional Louis? Look around." Lestat spun dramatically.
Louis walked over to Lestat and put his chin on his shoulder. "Exactly. So give me this one thing."
Lestat turned around to face Louis. "Fine, my dearest."
He got down on one knee, and took Louis hand.
"My dearest, sweetest, Louis." Lestat started with a flair. "Will you spend the rest of Eternity with me?"
"I will spend the rest of our very long lives with you, Lestat." Louis started. " But I will do it more because I have been forced to and not because I want to."
"I will not look forward to having to hear your dramatics Louis." Lestat sighed.
He stood up and placed the ring on Louis' finger, planting a kiss on his cheek as he did so.
"For the rest of Eternity." Lestat said.
"Eternity is a long time..."