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“What are you doing? What is this for?”
“You’re so impatient, Louis… Has anyone told you that before?” As usual, Armand’s voice is steady and unreadable. Smooth like silk, untrustworthy like the spider that spun it.
He has to reach up to cover Louis’ eyes with one hand, adding to his own small form of irritation. Louis plays along, slumping his shoulders and head slightly so as to not give Armand a harder time. Anything to speed up the process, anyway…
“This is entirely unprecedented,” Louis reiterates. “I don’t know why you’re so set on this.”
“You deserve something nice. You put up with so much: Lestat, daily life… erm… Whatever it is creatures like you do.”
“I hardly put up with more than any other creature,” sighs Louis, slightly affronted. “Though I appreciate the sentiment, I suppose.”
One more step forward, and Louis nearly trips when Armand makes an abrupt stop.
“What on earth- what is that smell?”
Armand removes his hands, scrambling in front of Louis and smiling up at him with the most pleased look. When Louis says nothing, Armand gestures to the horizon. “Your gift!”
“Which part is the gift? This is a pasture.”
A cow pasture, to be more specific. Before him is a long stretch of grass littered with animals. One even moos, and Louis cringes uncomfortably.
“For someone so smart, you really can be a fool.” Armand sighs. Before Louis can retort in defense of himself, Armand leans down and pulls a handful of half-grown grass from the earth. He holds it out toward Louis, large eyes round and imploring. As if this explains anything.
Bewildered, Louis just stares at the handful of weeds. “What-”
“Eat it.” Armand clenches his fist, shakes the grass in emphasis.
“I-”
“I saw this field and immediately thought of you.” Armand smiles again, a bit dreamily. “You were always so fond of grass, sweet Louis. I remember how you would taste it. I always wondered why, but I can only assume it is calming. I haven’t tried it myself, you’ll have to explain that part to me.”
Entirely speechless, Louis stares incomprehensibly at the bundle still clutched in Armand’s hand. “You… remember that?”
Armand blinks innocently. “Of course I do. I remember many things about you.” His eyes are wide, more innocent than Louis had ever seen them. He’s being genuine. Not teasing or tormenting. He actually thinks that Louis eats grass.
Greatly amused, Louis hides a soft laugh behind his hand, eyes sparkling as he takes in Armand’s confident posture.
“You like the gift then.” Armand looks satisfied, though he still holds the grass in his hand, outstretched toward an unaccepting Louis. His eyebrows raise in expectancy.
“Oh, Armand.” Louis moves his hand over Armand’s, the one still clutching the grass. Softly, he pries the fingers open and brushes the green stalks from his palm. He clutches Armand’s smaller hand in both of his own. “You really have changed.”
Armand blinks, expression unflinching. His eyes only flit briefly to the ground, where the loose grass flutters to rest. He pauses, then clears his throat. “Yes, I suppose, if giving gifts to my lovers is something unusual for me, then I have changed greatly. Although this is possibly the rudest I have ever seen you act, my angel.”
“And how is that?” Louis’ eyes shine with genuine affection.
“You have not even touched the meal I prepared for you.” A little bit like a child, he kicks the floor, foot sweeping back then forth.
“Ah. Armand… I hope you know that I don’t actually eat grass.”
He does not seem to understand, briefly. “I saw you eat it. Quite clearly. A vampire memory is nearly infallible, you know.” He looks suspicious. “This is very strange for you, Louis. Are you very upset at me? Is that why you won’t accept?”
“Um… no.” Louis pats the top of Armand’s hand once, then motions for him to sit. He does, and Louis sits across from him, eye to eye. “I’m a vampire just as you are, Armand. I don’t actually… You see, I was very upset when that happened. I only wished to feel…” He coughs into his fist. “Something. I suppose I wanted to feel closer to the mortal world. In any way I could. You understand how things were, after…” Louis trails off. His expression sobers, but his eyes are still kind. “Well, it’s not something I prefer to linger on. The grass eating, I mean. Call it a moment of weakness.”
Armand’s own expression sours as he listens along. His hands grip tightly on the grass stalks next to him, and his eyes burn. “I see.” He is silent for a long time, breaking eye contact to glare at the tip of Louis’ shoe. “I have offended you.”
“N-no, I-”
“Grass ingestion is a pastime only expressed in times of great distress. And I have brought back sour memories. Memories brought on by my own actions. How monstrous you must see me. You, a modern century angel. I can only apologize.” His head bows softly.
Louis, flustered, simply makes a small noise of protest. He rests a hand on Armand’s head, fingers stroking his curly hair before sliding beneath his chin to lift his bowed head. “Please, Armand. Don’t chide yourself over such things. You know I cannot blame you for past events any more than I blame myself.”
“Oh Louis! That does not make me feel any better. I know better than anyone how your self loathing-!”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant! I mean- it’s okay. I’m not offended. Please, I’m actually flattered.”
“I give gifts to Daniel when he is upset. It helps him, it brings him back to me. Yet when I try with you, I fail miserably. I want to please you, but in the years we spent together I hardly understand what you like. It is my own failing. I will do better. I will find you a true gift, something more worthy of a creature such as yourself. I will win you back, Louis.”
“Gh-” Louis has truly flushed red now, a nearly impossible task when you do not possess a head of golden hair and eyes of vicious sapphire.
Armand watches his expression shift with undue scrutiny, wondering if he had ever seen Louis react so passionately to anything he had said before. Curious, how the blood colors his usually pallid face, fills in the circles under his commonly tired eyes. Armand had been right– this creature radiates an angelic aura, expressed through the soft upward tilt of the lips or the flustered flutter of eyelashes.
“Does this notion please you?” he enquires, voice impassive as before.
“Ah…” Louis has been struggling to make eye contact this entire conversation, and he avoids it even at this crucial juncture. “I… Yes. Yes, I suppose it does.”
“Good. Then I will proceed to attempt to court you however I see fit. If grass is not the way, then…” Armand ribs his chin with one hand. “You’re sure about the grass? I was so positive…”
“Quite sure, Armand. And please, don’t think you need to give me gifts or anything of the sort. Just your presence pleases me greatly.”
“It did not seem so last time we parted ways. You seemed quite willing to be rid of me.”
Louis seems embarrassed at this. How expressive he seems now, when before it had been a sort of small miracle to see him react in the smallest capacity. His brows knit together, one hand lifting run through his black hair– uncut and freely swinging above his shoulders, tonight. “It’s different now. I can see how you’ve changed. Softened… somehow.”
“You mentioned that earlier,” points out Armand, eyes narrowing. “If you say it is true, I have no objection. My main objective for the past hundred years has always been to appeal to you, and if changing my external behavior achieves that so be it.”
Louis looks a little confused at that, though his laconic nature prevents him from speaking.
“Well. However quixotic your demands are of me, I will attempt to comply. I am your servant, Louis de Pointe du Lac. I would like to express this now, so there is no confusion going forward.”
Louis’ eyes widen, and Armand preens at the sight of blush flooding back to his cheeks. He stands now, offering a hand down to the taller man to help him to his feet. “This has been a successful outing.”
“I suppose it has…” Louis has one hand to his mouth, looking flustered and (satisfyingly) undone.
“I would like to propose something, if you are amicable.” Armand makes an effort to soften his expression, to remove the analytical tone to his voice. “To commemorate our continued courtship.”
Louis nods. “Yes, I suppose I ought to agree with whatever it is you propose. You are being awfully indulgent of me tonight…”
“Yes. I am, aren’t I?” The sides of Armand’s lips lift upward briefly. Before Louis can blink, he bends forward and takes two long, solid stalks of grass. He takes one in his fingers, holding it out to Louis.”Take it.”
Tentatively, Louis takes it. For a moment, he is rather entranced with the little plant. It’s fresh and young as any mortal would be, tinted silver by the moonlight and the small flecks of dew clinging to its bright green surface. Small, beautiful, and simple, yet incomparably complex, this little organism. Louis’ heart swells, and he looks back up to Armand. Armand, who watches him closely, holding his own leaf of grass to his mouth.
“What are you doing?” Louis asks in a small, slightly nervous voice. “You’re not going to…”
“We’re going to eat this grass,” says Armand, patiently. His voice is slow, soft, velvety as if he were trying to seduce a lover. Which he very well is, Louis realizes with a jolt.
“But…” Louis smiles in confusion. “Why…?”
“This is the start of a new era, Louis. This is where we change, and chase what it is we desire rather than what we think we desire. I desire you, Louis. Know this. Know this, and eat your grass, and begin to accept me too.”
“I…” Blinking in surprise, he has to study Armand’s gaze for a while to truly tell if he is joking or not. His eyes are wide, round and genuine as Louis has ever seen them. “I already want you…” Louis says this quietly, as if he might awaken ghosts with his confession.
“Then prove it.” Armand steps closer, dangerously hypnotic in the blink of his eyes and the set of his mouth. “Eat the grass, Louis.”
Louis nods, stunned for a long moment, unable to speak. He brings the grass to his mouth and swallows at the same time as Armand. It tastes like nothing, as all things other than blood do, but it’s not unsatisfying like he is used to when attempting such things.
“Very good.” Voice low yet pleased, Armand reaches up to take Louis’ face in his hands. He studies the slightly distressed crease between his brows before pressing his mouth to his. They kiss, sweet and slow, to the sound of the crickets’ symphony all around them. Louis melts in his grasp, breathing out through his nose, embracing Armand closer. His heart is lighter than he’s felt in a long time, and he smiles against Armand’s lips.
“Angel, angel…” Armand whispers reverently, breaking the kiss to wrap his arms around Louis’ neck. “You are divine.”
“And you are…” Louis’ brain is foggy, confused, delirious. “Everything..”
“Mmm. Sweetness, take your time in loving me. It will happen, but it must happen naturally. That is what the grass was for.”
“Ah, yes. The grass…” Louis had forgotten about that small detail. But he is not unhappy. He takes Armand’s hand now, smiling down at him, squeezing the fingers. “Shall we get out of this pasture? I do believe the cows are tiring of us taking their space. “
Armand gives him a wide-eyed look of pure affection and nods. He smiles, pulling Louis along. “Very well.”
Louis follows.