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New Orleans was beautiful at night.
Sure, Louis could barely remember what it looked like during the daytime, but he knew that even back when he was still human, something in him just craved the allure of the night.
Once darkness came, the city just seemed so much more alive and vibrant. Though he had never quite appreciated the view when he lived there, getting caught up in family business or his stormy vampiric romance, Louis now relished in the simplicity of drinking in the view of the city he loved.
A city that had changed so much since he was last there. Almost unrequionable in some parts, but the core remained the same. It was going to be exciting to relearn these once-familiar streets.
Louis had decided to stay in New Orleans for a while after reuniting with Lestat.
It had been cathartic for both of them to be with each other again and finally let out decades of grief and pain. Both of them had changed a lot over the years, and after a long and emotional talk, they decided to give their relationship time. Immediately going off the deep end wouldn't do them any good, and Louis needed time to figure out what he wanted and where his place in this new world was.
Not to mention that Lestat was going on tour with his band. He still wasn't sure what to think of that.
So maybe it would be good for him to be here, far away from his once home in Dubai, filled with memories and lies. That was the last place he wanted to be at right now, not to mention who he might run into.
There had been no words from Armand since he left.
This was fine with Louis. Nothing could be said to "save" their sham relationship anyway.
After Daniel had so masterfully set his former companion's web of lies and manipulation aflame, he was more than okay with never seeing that gremlin again.
In the back of his head, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. Once Armand had his teeth in you, there was no way to get rid of him. He would come back eventually. Armand would just try to spin another yarn to make himself seem innocent, hoping that Louis was stupid enough to buy it.
He wouldn't, though.
Not this time, and should his former companion try to pull anything to play with him again, there would be hell to pay for what he did. The only thing that kept him from doing so in the first place had been the need to escape that prison in the desert.
Deep in thought as he was, Louis almost didn't hear the frantic knocking at his door.
He frowned. Who could that be?
The apartment he rented didn't have any neighbours, something that he specifically sought when looking for a place; the only person who knew where Louis was had been Lestat, but he had already left town with his band.
Stepping away from the balcony, he cautiously walked closer to the door. He used his mind gift to try and reach out to whoever was behind it.
Nothing. The person was able to shield their thoughts from him. An uneasy feeling crept up inside of him.
The person knocked a second time, and the knocking became even harder. Lastly, the person spoke in an agitated tone of voice.
"I know you're in there, du Lac. Open the fucking door! "
…Daniel?
What was he doing here, and how did the journalist even find him? Figuring out that he returned to New Orleans wasn't hard, but he kept a low profile.
Louis opened the door and hesitantly looked at his friend.
Daniel looked…different.
Louis had gotten used to the other man's appearance during his time in Dubai.
The checkered shirts and cardigans, the simple sneakers, choosing comfort over style. The familiar weathered face, creaky joints, and trembling hands reflected a man in the twilight of his years.
Now, on the front step of his apartment, Daniel stood clad in a brand-new leather jacket and ankle boots. Under the jacket, he wore what looked like a band T-shirt, and a pair of dark sunglasses was atop his nose. Louis let his gaze wander to a face that suddenly didn't appear as old as it used to. It no longer reflected his poor health, but it was a few shades paler than it should be.
This Daniel was dressed up almost exactly like the young, bright-eyed reporter he had met at Polynesian Mary's back in the 1970s.
Annoyed at being ignored, Daniel spoke up, clearly not in the mood for being stared at. "Are you going to keep eyeing me up like some prime piece of wagyu steak, or will you let me in?"
Stepping aside to let his friend in, Louis couldn't help but keep watching him. Something had changed since he left him back in the penthouse to pursue Lestat. There was an energy to the other man that had previously not been there like he was a firework ready to explode. It didn't look like he was hurt, so at least Armand had heeded his warning about not harming the journalist.
Daniel stood in the living room, looking very much like he didn't want to be here, but simultaneously, as if he might start holding onto Louis's leg like a kid.
It was an odd sight indeed.
Even when they first started the interview, he had never looked this out of it. Despite being lied to many times throughout, he always stood his ground and held onto his nerves with an iron grip. Perhaps he had started using again? It would at least explain some of the strange behaviour.
Louis gestured for him to sit down.
Daniel sat on a couch opposite him with a grace and swiftness that was unusual for him.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
He was still confused by Daniel's sudden appearance and didn't know how to approach the situation.
As the tension continued building, Louis finally tried to break the ice.
"So, Daniel, what brings you here? After what happened in Dubai, I thought you would be glad to not be around vampires anymore and enjoy your life as a multi-millionaire."
His friend let out a snort, though not one that signified amusement. The corners of his mouth still moved upwards into the hint of a smile.
"Honestly, I thought so, too. But I guess my priorities were forced to change, " the man said, staring at his hands, his leg whipping restlessly.
The bitingly sarcastic tone of his voice had Louis concerted. "Did something happen? Do you need help of some kind? "
That got a laugh out of his friend, who sat up straight in his chair and leaned forward. "Well, you tell me, pal."
When he said that, Daniel opened his mouth as wide as he could. Louis was tempted to interrupt and ask what he was doing when he saw them.
Fangs.
There were fangs.
Daniel was opening his mouth to show him his fangs.
The world seemed to halt at that revelation. Louis had to stand up and start pacing.
Sometime in the last few weeks, Daniel had become a vampire.
"How- Why- What happened to you?" He asked, not sure what else to say.
Daniel stood up as well, slinking around the living room and inspecting the furniture and paintings.
"Armand." He simply replied, trying to play it off as cool, but there was clearly more going on beneath the surface.
That answer just left Louis even more confused. The older vampire had always been against the idea of turning someone, or had that also been one of his many lies? No matter the answer, it didn't seem logical for Armand to turn the man who helped put a stop to their relationship into his only fledgling. Connecting them forever.
"Where the fuck is he? Because this sure was not when I meant when I forbid him from harming you."
Daniel held up his hands, gesturing for Louis to calm down. "No need to rip someone's head off from me, man. Though I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea where he is. Asshole ran off as soon as he could after turning me; I haven't heard or felt him since. "
That piece of information left him agape: "So he just left a newly turned vampire all on his own? Did I knock him too hard into that wall, and he lost all his common sense? Has he forgotten how dangerous that can be?"
Daniel crossed the room and leaned on the counter of the adjacent kitchen, clearly restless in a way that he had never been before. Newly born fledglings did tend to have more energy than they knew what to do with at times.
"I'll let you know that I have behaved myself just fine. So, you don't have to worry about any news pieces about blood-thirsty geriatrics running around in the Middle East. I know how to clean up after myself. Well, except for that one staff member of yours. Poor guy found me just after I woke up, and I might have made a bit of a mess there."
Daniel gave a shrug with his shoulders in a what-can-you-do type of gesture.
"How come you can talk about all of this so casually? I would have thought that you would have more of an issue taking a human life."
From their discussions during the interview, Louis had gotten the impression that Daniel would have found such acts disgusting, but here he was talking rather nonchalantly about his new diet.
Daniel looked up at the ceiling, contemplating the question, " Uh, I thought that I would have a hard time with this whole having to feed on people's affairs too, but," the journalist paused, a sour look crossing his face as he searched for the right words, "I-I don't. Sure, I'm not exactly popping a murder boner every time I have to eat, but I also don't really care. Guess I'm still trying to make sense of that."
Daniel Molloy acting like a cold-hearted killer.
Huh, Louis never believed that something like that might happen, but he didn't spend too much time pondering this turn of events. He still had a few questions that he wanted answers to.
"How did you end up being turned, Daniel, and why are you even here? It's not that I don't enjoy your company, but there must be a reason for your visit, and since you're feeding yourself just fine, I doubt it's about using the farm."
Nervously, his friend moved from the kitchen back to the living room and let himself fall on the sofa like a wet bag of cement.
Rubbing his temples, Daniel replied, "Before I tell you about what happened in Dubai, I have a question of my own that needs answering."
Louis gave him an enquiring nod, telling him to ask his question.
"After San Fransico, did you notice Armand not being as present as he used to be? Like leaving suddenly without explanation or staying away for extended periods and acting differently?"
"Now that I think about it, yeah. I wasn't quite there after what happened, both physically and mentally. Still, Armand was definitely running off more often and staying away for weeks at a time, being more secretive than usual or what I thought was usual for him," he replied bitterly.
Daniel seemed deflated at my answer, shoulders sagging, and his face falling into a look of almost horror. This was clearly not the answer he had hoped to receive.
The other took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I gotta apologize for breaking the girl code."
Louis let out a startled laugh and quirked his brow. "What?"
" Uh, there might be a lot more missing from my memory than just that night in San Francisco," he began to explain. "After you left the penthouse, Armand and I had a fight of sorts. He wasn't exactly pleased about my role in the downfall of your relationship, and you know me—I can never not kick at a hornet's nest."
Louis, who had been standing while the journalist had started to recount his tale, sat down beside him, intrigued by the direction this was taking.
"Just as things started to get heated, my heart finally decided to say adieu. Kinda ironic in hindsight, I was so worried about the Parkinson's that I never thought a heart attack might do me over."
Daniel had started to wring his hands, staring blankly at nothing in particular. His death had clearly been traumatic for him, as it tended to be for most of them.
"Before I even knew it, I was on the floor with Armand kneeling over me looking…devastated," the other vampire said that word like it was foreign on his tongue, "What happened after that, I don't think I need to explain in depth. Fangs in my neck draining me like a Capri sun while feeding me his blood. But while he was feeding me…memories started to return."
"How much did he erase?"
The sound that left Daniel's lips bordered on hysterical "Oh Louis, there is so much."
Louis wanted to ask him to explain, but the other had already started barreling on. "The two of us had a kind of, uh, affair. Not the kind where you drunkenly make out with a colleague during a Christmas party. No, we were together for almost 12 years."
There was silence again as Louis looked at his friend in shock.
12 years? How come he never noticed anything? Had he truly been that blind back then?
"It started with him chasing me around the world, stalking me in order to learn what made me fascinating." Daniel looked him in the eyes as he said it; it made him remember the fight in 73 and the words he had said.
Being under the others' gaze for the first time since Daniel had entered, Louis noticed a change in his eyes. They were a bright blue, reminiscent of his original eye colour but ten times more intense. They looked strikingly similar to Lestats.
"After some time, things began to change and…" Daniel seemed frustrated, unsure of how to explain his complicated history with Louis ex companion, "For fucks sake, we were some fucked up couple, going on dates, watching movies, interview people on the street with me, doing cutesy couple things while I was high of his blood half the time. I was always wearing a goddam necklace with his blood around my neck. Hell, we even owned a fucking island together!"
That sent his eyebrow skyrocketing.
Daniel rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.
"I had hoped by coming here that you would tell me that all of that is just a lie, that the asshole was just trying to manipulate me or something and that in actuality he had been at your bedside playing Nurse Ratched or something, this is all so messed up," Daniel put his head in his hands. He let out a loud groan. "For fuck sake, the asshole made me think I was straight for the past 50 years."
Despite his friend's distress, Louis couldn't help the small smile that was creeping up his face.
Daniel looked up at him with a glare and warningly pointed his finger at him. "I swear you better not say a damn word, du Lac."
Holding up his hands in a sign of peace, he had to fight not to laugh. The situation was so absurd that there was nothing else one could do.
The journalist reached up, took his sunglasses off, and started massaging the bridge of his nose to stifle a headache that he now would no longer have. Louis suddenly noticed something as Daniel looked back at him.
His eyes had changed their colour.
Those vampiric radiant blues that Louis had spied earlier were now replaced by a familiar shade of burning amber. They were now the same colour as Armand's eyes.
That was something he had never seen before.
His amazement must have been visible because Daniel shifted under his gaze and let out an annoyed whine, "Why are you staring now, man?"
"Your eyes changed colour just now. I've never heard of a vampire being able to do that, aside from turning," he said with a smile.
"Guess I'm a real special boy then. Compert to mind powers and being a pyromaniac, but I'm not sure they're all that useful unless I want to pursue a career change as a circus freak. Though I guess that's gone out of fashion this past century."
Daniel rambled on, trying to calm himself and give the impression that he was much more okay with the situation than he really was. Louis couldn't blame him, though. The transformation into a vampire was already stressful enough, and to learn that a big part of your life was missing didn't help.
He took Daniel's hand to calm him down. His hand was steadier than ever, though freezingly cold in a way only undeath could be. The other vampire didn't notice the touch at first. Once he did, he stopped talking. Gently, he started to squeeze back while taking in a deep breath, which he no longer needed.
"What are you going to do now?" Louis asked.
Daniel contemplated the question momentarily.
"Thought about hunting down my maker. I've got a lot of my memories back, but not all of them; I still need answers for some missing pieces. Also thought about kicking his ass for leaving me and pulling the vampiric equivalent of hitting and quitting once I find him. But right now, I think I need something to distract me from all of this before I go completely crazy."
"And what did you have in mind?"
A big, goofy grin crossed his friend's face, perfectly showing off his new fangs.
"Writing our book, of course! I know you might not be exactly excited over the idea, what with you flambéing my laptop, but lucky for me, I had saved everything up in the cloud. The guys at the Talamasca even agreed to help me publish it. I'm gonna have to cut some stuff out, though; it's not too important, believe me. I might even do a book tour promoting it. That will be sure to distract me."
The idea didn't excite Louis, but again, it was his fault for contacting Daniel. He knew the man was relentless, like a shark smelling blood, when it came to stories that interested him. It would have been foolish to assume that a burning laptop would stop the Daniel Molloy.
There was a voice in the back of his mind.
You're not mad, are you?
The other man looked at him as he shared those words, looking several decades younger, almost like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
About the book? Not really. I mean, I'm not looking forward to it, but I can hardly fault you. You literally died pursuing this story.
I don't mean the book; I meant about me…and Armand. That we had something behind your back. I know you didn't take it too kindly the last time something like that happened.
An ugly snort burst out of him before he could stop it.
Out loud this time, Louis said," I'm going to be honest with you, Daniel. Right now, I don't give a fuck about Armand or our relationship. I'm honestly more worried about you in all of this, but I assure you I'm not mad or jealous."
Daniel nodded his head, seeming a bit out of it but trying to process the words, "That's good, I just wanted to be honest and let you know. God knows you've probably had enough from people trying to keep the truth from you."
"That's kind of you, Daniel," Louis said, genuinely touched by his friend's thoughtfulness. He worried about his friend's well-being when he should be more concerned about his own.
Daniel gave him a smile. "Don't mention it."
The two of them shared a moment of silence between each other. Sitting there with a friend and having a simple, honest conversation was nice. It had been ages since Louis had last done something like this.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of Daniel's stomach rumbling.
"Yesh, I guess all this talking has made me hungry; how about we get out of here and grab a bite?" he said, waggling his eyebrows at the joke he had just made, which made Louis laugh and shake his head in astonishment.
It was strange seeing Daniel like this; it was like obtaining his lost memories made him a whole new person. The boy he met at the bar and the grizzled, seasoned journalist and father had fussed together to make him a different version of himself; a Daniel 2.0.
Although his personality change might have been a little concerning at first, Daniel appeared lighter and more comfortable in his skin than he had ever been.
Vampirism suited him well.
"Sure, why not? I might even teach you a trick or two. Someone's got to make sure you know what you're doing and don't get yourself killed," Louis said teasingly.
"Dude, what are you? My dietary serial killer older brother?"
This made them both laugh.
Louis tilted his head and gave Daniel a warm look. "Maybe, if you want."
Daniel grint at that, his face full of youthful excitement, and swung his arm around his shoulder.
"Well, big brother, how about we get out of this place, and you show me how a real pro does this?"
Laughing, they went onto the dark and bustling streets, looking for what the night could bring.