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I stroll into the living room, the prize I had just bought held behind my back. Louis is there, reading in his favorite chair. His hair is loose and flows down past his neck like curtains of black silk. The shades in the room are drawn, even though it has been dark for hours. "Louis?" He looks up and shuts his book, carefully placing it aside before standing up. He walks across the room towards me with a feline grace, stopping just before me, face near mine. I can smell the faint scent of blood and his lavender shampoo.
"Yes, Lestat?" he says quietly. He appears to be fine, but I can see the sadness that hides behind his calm facade. I smile softly, pulling the gift out and holding it towards him. His gaze flicks down to the thing I hold in my hands; a small red rose, with a note attached with a string. Louis looks back at me, and his eyes are soft, careful and curious. "A simple rose? What is this for?"
I smile and bring a hand up to stroke his cheek. "It's for you, my dear Louie. Read the note." He takes the flower and holds it to his face, studying the words I had written. I know what it says by heart, I had spent so long writing and re-writing the same few sentences. Louie, mon cher - there are not words enough to describe my love for you. I could not live without you, my love is so deep. I hope that you will feel the sincerity of these words. And do cheer up a bit. I know that you are the somber type, but this is getting ridiculous. With love, Lestat.
Louis looks back up at me, a slight smile on his face. I smile back. I'm so glad to see him smile again; I was beginning to think that he'd fallen too deep into his self-loathing and guilt, so deep that I wouldn't be able to bring him out of it like I usually could. "Lestat.."
"Yes, mon amore?"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but.. you do realize why I am upset, do you not?" His eyes are full of sadness as his smile wavers.
"Oh, Louie, Louie, of course I do." How could I not know why he was upset? It was Claudia. It was always Claudia. How I do wish that Louis would forgive himself.. forgive me.. but his love for the brat is still as strong as it was years ago. I suppose his contempt for me is still as strong, as well.
His lovely green eyes look back down, down at the floor. How it hurts me that he cannot return my gaze. I tilt my head and smile empathetically. "Louie.. look at me, Louie." He hesitantly brings his gaze back up, eyes meeting mine, and now I notice that they are brimming with ruby red tears. "Louie, oh, Louie," I wrap my arms around him and his body is stiff for a second before he carefully hugs me back. I bury my nose in his dark hair and inhale; he smells as sweet as he always does. We stand there for a minute until I hear a small sniffle; I lift my head so I can look at him, but his head is buried in my shoulder.
"Louis.." He doesn't answer, but I give him a minute to gather his composure, and he finally lifts his head. I bring an arm up to gently touch the side of his face, and the other rests on his shoulder. He is crying now, blood-red tears slowly streaming down his cheeks. They've stained my jacket, my favorite blue-and-gold one; normally I would probably scream at him, rant and rave about how mad I was, throw a huge fit until he apologized, but right now I don't care.
"Do you want to talk about it?" More likely than not, he wouldn't. He never did.
"No.. no, Lestat, I-" his words are cut off as I suddenly pick him up bridal-style. "'Stat, what-"
"Shh, it's alright, it's alright." Louis calms down and turns into my chest, grabbing a hold of my ruined jacket with one hand, holding the rose in his other. He grips my jacket just like a toddler would. Like Claudia would. I carry Louis over to his chair and sit down in it, adjusting to cradle him in my arms. I hum and run my fingers through his ebony hair as he cries into my chest. How distraught he must be, to let himself cry like this..
It's a long while before his tears run dry and his sniffles slow. "Are you okay now, mon cher?" I ask, voice gentle.
"..no."
I smile and kiss his forehead. "I thought not." I turn, careful not to jostle Louis, and pick up the book he had been reading earlier; an early copy of Dracula. Of course. And I began reading aloud, murmuring just loud enough for him to hear. I loathed reading, really, but I thought it would calm Louis down a bit. I knew that I would never be able to completely fill up the void where the small girl had once been, but I could try to ease the pain. And I would try, for Louie. My precious Louie.
"Oh, my dear, if you only knew how strange is the matter regarding which I am here, it is you who would laugh." Louis lifts his head and lays it on my shoulder, smiling a bit as his sniffles quiet down completely. I continue. "I have learned not to think little of any one's belief, no matter how strange it may be. I have tried to keep an open mind, and it is not the ordinary things of life that could close it, but the strange things, the extraordinary things, the things that make one doubt if they be mad or sane." His eyes close, and I know the death sleep is beginning to take him. I still read, easing my love into his dream world, and then into mine hours later.