Chapter Text
Daniel had never been popular before.
The whole “paper bag over a girl’s head during sex” situation (which, for the record, he still feels guilty about) garnered him a reputation as the “Pervert of Thomas Downey High”. A sane person would have done everything to fix it. Daniel was not sane. His solution was to go full throttle as a problem child and hang out with your classic stoners and delinquents. They’d drink during school hours, share chain-smoked rings, and sneak into concerts that they’d surely get kicked out for being too rowdy. It was fun for kicks, but for sure put his social status even deeper in the gutter than it already was. Psychologically speaking, going from “goody two-shoes church boy” in his childhood to being arrested twice in two months for public intoxication at 17 also took its toll on how his family saw him. So, add that to his suffering.
Daniel’s adult life wasn’t better. Alice divorced him because, amongst other things, she loved him, but did not like him. He had a handful of buddies who tolerated him; however, their idea of fun was them all snorting coke together, so their judgment was debatable. He ran through editors so much that he didn’t even start knowing their names until the late 90s. Parents at school pick-ups or activities socialized without him. They thought he was a loudmouth prick who embarrassed his kids. They were right.
The only time Daniel ever felt popular was during the Pre-Mind-Wiped days. He was surprised in that time at just how the two of them together drew people in their vicinity. To listen to them talk and enjoy things together. Perhaps it was Armand’s sophistication and fascination with everything and everyone. Maybe it was Daniel being a little shit with a heart of gold. Some relationships were naturally conceived, like the queer art friend group from their days of 70’s Greenwich, where Daniel had met Alice. Some were out of an admitted obsession, like Henry. He was a showstopper of a danseur whose performance in Interludes at the ABT brought Daniel to tears which he had no shot of hiding. This naturally meant that Armand stormed into the man’s dressing room after the show, wrote him a check followed by five zeroes, and demanded he’d allow both men to see him practice from then on. Daniel didn’t argue; they both liked him very well enough.
That arrangement naturally couldn’t last after the Mind-Wipe of 85. Daniel also didn’t count that time, as loving as it was, and to Armand’s disagreement. Is it a memory if he didn’t remember it for over half of his life? So yeah, Daniel was never one of the cool kids. A critical darling of the literary world, yes. Sometimes a good father. But not popular. Someone whom people swooned over.
Now, though? Now is different.
Because Daniel is different. He’s a vampire after all. Not only that, he’s the one-and-only fledgling to Armand. Nobody else's. Especially not Marius de Pervert's. He refused to acknowledge that scumbag was technically his grandfather/grandmaker. Only Armand’s. They shared Ancient-level powers, their bright tabby cat eyes, their blood. What Armand did not share was that Daniel was a rarity in their community — a vampire who was turned at an older age. He learned pretty quickly that those like himself, the fine-wine agers stuck in geriatrics for eternity, were very sparse. The last one known to exist was a 190-year old 80 year old who had plunged himself into a fire in 1967. Not one had been recorded since a hoax call in 1990. So when Danny Boy Molloy stepped out for his debut, grey hairs and eyes that could turn from the sky to gems in a second’s notice, he quickly turned heads in the community.
Daniel Molloy was everything. A nepo-fledgling, a catch in the vampire world, someone everyone wanted.
He thought of it like this: the undead came together to meet, defeated after the light of his life destroyed their nefarious plans to separate them. They concluded that they couldn’t fight him on account of his maker’s rage on the mere thought of it. So, why not fight with their hormones? With great looks and a powerful love came trouble. Daniel was followed constantly in the first two years after his turning. Men, women, and all in between were hoping for special one-on-one time with good old Danny Boy Molloy, be it murder or sex. It was a weird time for him. On the one hand, there was something nice about being desired like an object. It fed his ego. But on the other hand, this attention deflated it. Do objects deserve love and care if it’s for a means to an end for the other person? Will someone only use me to get to a bottom line? It never ended up the way some vamps who tried him wanted. Though sometimes, it would also surprise Daniel how different things ended up going.
He recalled a moment from a year ago. Daniel was at the airport waiting for a delayed flight. Another fledgling, smelling of willows and O-negative, followed him to a bar two terminals down. Something about a humiliation ritual she was taking part in for her coven in Cleveland (what mythical eternal being chooses to settle a coven in fucking Cleveland, Ohio?). Daniel learned her name was Abigail, a newborn fledgling like him, at only two years turned. Abigail admitted that she didn’t want to fight or make out either. She was just curious about what it was like to be with Armand. What he was like, what they did to stay together despite half of their species wanting them skinned alive. Daniel was in a cocky mood. So, he took a sip of dry and balmy whiskey and peered into her glassy blue eyes.
“It’s fuckin’ awesome.”
Because it was. Daniel had not experienced such a tantalizing thrill since he and Armand first got together in the 70s. All attempts to drive them apart were fundamentally pointless. Vamps could lust for this baby all they wanted. Nothing compared to Armand as nothing compared to Daniel. That kind of connection could never be replicated. Their bickering. The moments shared in the small quiet of their home. How they just seemed to get each other in ways no one would understand except them (a 12-year relationship and 50 years worth of pinning does that to a man). It was theirs, all for their own pleasure.
Daniel knew this. Armand absolutely knew this. So, it was shocking to Daniel to see how jealous Armand could still be about it.
It was a muddy early September evening, a surprisingly boring night for the two men. It was only when the two had settled in on the couch to watch a movie that Louis had come through via telepathy. He had a request. Nay, a demand; “Come to the Companion, tonight." College students were returning to campus, which meant a good chance to catch up and maybe hunt. They both called bullshit. In reality, he and Lestat were having another one of their “we’re bad for each other, no, you’re bad for me” fights. Frenchie dramatically sauntered off to Gabi’s two nights ago (Armand found out through Gabi. The two did not like each other whatsoever, but they made the time to rant to each other about their quarrels with Lestat. It was actually adorable). Louis was lonely. Both still agreed to go despite better judgment. Daniel needed some inspiration for an article and went back to good ole reliable — other people — for that spark. Armand thought it was a good opportunity to showcase his chosen Aesthetic of the Month (this time around, it was 80s New Romantic). Armand came down the staircase with hair curled up to high heaven and cheeks flushed with a rectangle of mauvy pink blush. Daniel outright moaned when he saw him. It was both embarrassing and enlightening.
There they were in Greenwich by the next hour. Both talked to separate groups, yet molded into each other’s sides, refusing to let go. Daniel was ranting about “scummy business bros with walnuts for balls and brains” to an opportunistic twenty-something financier. Armand listened in complete absorption to a few mortals talk about Renaissance paintings, sometimes interjecting to add a detail only he’d know. Armand was too focused on his hand wavering on his precious Daniel’s spine after all.
Daniel left to go inside after Stock Market Dick was gone and checked for dining later. He wanted a mock-beer, and Armand wanted him to find Louis (to no argument of Daniel: he was after the $5 he bet on for how long before they “broke off” again). Louis was right, though. The Companion was, in fact, packed. College kids, vamps, and the occasional buff guy who didn’t belong here crowded the bar. Daniel sauntered up to the edge of the bar and cut off two NYU sophomores, both of whom will definitely want to, but won't get laid. They cursed him before leaving.
Daniel waved his hand. “Another one, Mands.”
Daniel had concluded soon after being turned that there wasn’t much of a difference between native New Yorkers and vampires. Mandy was a perfect example. She was not a vampire, but she looked like one. Fair skin and bright green eyes, sharpened nails, a sneer that only the two parties could display. She didn’t even look up at Daniel as she frantically handed him a slightly wet bottle. He grabbed them before giving a quick nod of thanks. Now, where was Louis?
Ah, not so fast. A finger was tapping his shoulder. Daniel didn’t know how he hadn’t sensed this person behind him. Maybe because he was too deep in his casual, “no one here is trying to kill me or Armand and make a bear rug out of us” mood. Maybe on account of the beer? Of course not, stupid. Anyway, enough reasoning. He turned quickly to confront the person. There was a woman behind him. One who smelt of a familiar mix of willows and O-negative.
“Abigail?”
The woman stood with a familiar smile on her face. Still fresh-faced (of course, she is, doofus, she’s a vampire!) as she was at the airport. Abigail reminded him a lot of Baby Jenks. Blonde, doe-eyed, with a mischievous look plastered on her face. The only difference was slight olive skin and the leather jacket she kept with her in Cleveland, as she did at the airport.
“Surprised?”
“Yeah!” Daniel put the beer down and hugged her. Not a special Armand hug, not as thorny as Sarah and Lauren still shot at him sometimes with. “Yeah, I mean, I didn’t expect-“
“Us to see each other at another bar?” She cut in. Vampire’s typically had a speciality for certain Gifts. Daniel’s was his memory. Abigail’s vampiric specialty was telepathy. Even before the person opened their mouth, she knew what they were intending to say. Technically, everyone who was a vampire had this gift. Abigail’s was just particularly heightened.
“That.” Daniel gave a half-smile. He spun back to Mandy, currently mixing a cocktail with far less enthusiasm. “Hey, Mands, one more for the road?”
“You gonna say please one of these days, Danny?” She shot back up.
Daniel pretended to bat his eyelashes. The Armand Classic. “Pretty please with sugar on top?”
Abigail giggled. Mandy exaggerated her frown. Her eyes stared daggers into his soul, even as she leaned down to get another beer and plopped it on the table. “Dick,” promptly stomping to the other side of the bar.
He turned his head back towards the young fledgling and handed her another wet beer. “She loves me.”
“I can tell.” She took a sip.
Daniel knew he should go back outside. His drink was dripping with more sweat by the second, tightening with cold pressure. Louis probably needed to be found. Armand’s hand probably longed to caress his neck bite scar. He also knew better than to leave his little gremlin by himself for so long. But Molloy was nothing if not an inquisitive person who used talking as a distraction. Besides, this was a friend. What’s a minute or two of chatting?
“Well, how’ve you been?” He said, almost whimsically. His towers of cynicism were crumbling. “Where’s your coven of undercover TSA agents?”
Abigail looked down, a half-baked gap forming from her mouth. “Actually… I left. Not killing you that night made me ‘undeserving’ and ‘weak’ in their eyes.”
Daniel cocked his head back a little. Damn it, Armand’s Armand-isms were starting to rub off on him. “A bunch of vampires in Cleveland thought you were weak?”
She let out a nose laugh. Her words lingered for the dramatic effect. “I may have also been too hungry and took out a little more from my leader than I should have.” Another eye-contact-filled sip.
His eyes jumped. “You ate your leader?” Daniel bellowed.
“No! He’s still alive. Sending some nasty messages, but still alive.”
Hm. Daniel could relate to that. The early days after his turning were a non-stop brigade of vampires calling him names. “Mistake”, “reject”, “he left you for us to our hands on”. He’s like 98% sure Armand killed all of those vamps. Maybe left one or two alive for Daniel to get his grub on. How sweet.
Daniel’s lips left the tip of the glass bottle. “So you’re doing it alone now?”
“Have been for a year. There’s a coven here in Greenwich trying to court me. Figured if nothing comes out of it, I’m getting something good out of it. Gifts, my first time in the city," she motioned her right hand holding the beer, "a good drink.”
“You've never been here before?”
Abigail shook her head. “No. Dad’s base never let him near the big cities. Just bum-fuck towns and Alaska.”
He forgot how young she really was. Yeah, they were basically toddlers in vampire years. But she was a decade or so younger than his daughters. Daniel recalled her explaining at the bar how she was turned right after her 23rd birthday, fresh out of college. How pristine the leader of the Cleveland coven said she was. The way she described it reminded him of just how many of those vampires were simply a bunch of creepy, aged old men at the end of the day. Trust him, he had first-hand knowledge of it.
“Well, I hope you’re liking it.”
“It’s got its perks.” Her eyes were dancing around the room. She was probably a little hungry. “Way more options for food here.”
There he was again, propping his head to the left. Another Armand-ism. He was head over heels in love with that creature. “So what happened? They banished you or something? Though shall not not kill the big bad vampire and get away with it?“
A small nosey laugh. “I tried to stay for a while. Maybe make some new friends. But there aren’t a lot of vampires in Cleveland who also didn’t want me dead. I went around LA for a little while until…”
Yeah, the whole Akasha situation. End of the world. Not fun times. “Right. Did you-?”
“Get out? Yeah, thankfully. Right before the real shit went down. Since then, I’ve kind of just…” Abigail gave a slight shrug, “ been roaming ‘round.”
“A modern Vampiric Kerouac.”
Abigail smiled, warm but a little frisky, like a younger him. “Well, since we're asking, how’s your life been?”
God, how hasn’t it been? A lot had gone on since they last met. The whole Akasha and Marius thing. Daniel proposing to Armand, and the plight of his life saying yes. His daughters were talking to him again. Sarah had gotten hitched and actually invited her dad and “step-dad” (Armand was still hesitant on the title). Now, it was onto the future. The two love birds had planned to kill off his character in the final act ie. less than a year. “Same old, same old. Armand and I are probably leaving the city soon. We’re taking me to the big farm in the sky with the rest of the good dogs.” Daniel continued. “So, where’s your potential new coven now?
Another drawn sip. The older-younger vampire could sense there was some resignation in her answer already. “Out on the East Side gettin’ take out.”
“You didn’t join them?”
“No,” her lips pursed together, “not that hungry. Besides, I wanted to walk around and do my own thing. Sightsee and all.”
“Whad’a think about them?” Great journalistic inquiry there, Daniel.
A smile slid across her face as Abigail’s head continued to shake up and down. “They’re actually pretty cool. A little neurotic. Little crazy. One of them is absolutely a pyro.” Her index finger danced around the rim of the bottle. “But it's been fun. They’re so fired up all the time. They’re always at some kind of party or rager. Last night some of us younger vamps went to this rave in Brooklyn. Drank up like four of the dancers there. Most fun I’ve had in my life.”
“Better than Cleveland?”
She shook her head. “Oh, for sure. Those were just a bunch of hundred-year-olds sitting around reading and sticking to the rules.” Sound like Dubai-era Armand and Louis would have gotten along with them just fine.
Speaking came to a halt between the two fledglings. The bar's soundtrack of 80’s new wave was fading out from the speakers above. “Hey,” her voice cracked out. He turned. There, suddenly, a comet in the sky. She had a spark in her eyes. He knew it well. It’s the one that Daniel gets when he was about to call someone’s bullshit. The one Armand made when he knew he got one over on Daniel. She made a show of her tongue going back and forth on her upper right fang. Alright, he’s game.
“Wanna come?”
O-kaayy. Not what he was expecting. “What?”
“Why don’t you come with us next Friday? We’re going around Manhattan. Maggie likes getting their stock from the clubs around there. Rich folks with some good food in their stomachs.” Abigail let her shoulders jump in a tiny shrug. “Maybe you’d wanna come with?”
Daniel felt a twinge in his body. It was a familiar one, something that hadn’t since the first time he was invited to a party his freshman year of high school. His history with hunting was a little unusual. He’d done it alone, of course. Daniel had scoured all the cities they’d visited on Lestat’s “Vampire Rage: The Musical” at night, looking for a score with no one in mind. Lestat and Gabi did their own thing by second-nature, so he wasn’t tagging along anytime soon. After Armand and Daniel had their epic love affair realized back into their current lives, the former would soon start coming along on a semi-frequent basis. First to see how his first-born had managed. Then to show Daniel some different techniques. Finally, just as a thing to do together. Sometimes they went by themselves as an attempt to grant each other alone time.
Let’s make one thing clear. Daniel loves Armand. With all of his soul, his body. Through their entangled heartbeats and passionate sex. All those years of yearning and pining were worth it to get the love of his life back into his arms. The two had worked out residual problems in their pseudo-therapy sessions. Saying what they were feeling with each other. Armand’s whole situation with his hell-bound maker. They weren’t perfect. They still had some things to work on. Maybe this was one of them. He only had his “possee” to go off of. That was it for the last two years. There had been no one else he hunted with outside of the familiar faces. Maybe this was a new thing he could try, that they could try. If it worked in Switzerland, it can work with a person too. Even if that person had come with the intention of killing you.
“Huh. I mean-”
“Beloved?”
Both vamps shot back to face Armand, standing right behind the two. Again, without suspecting when Daniel was being sneaked up on. How the hell has this happened twice in one night? His love looked incredible under the twinkly Christmas lights, reds and blues shimmering and highlighting his hair. Daniel didn’t realize before that the blush he wore was slightly glittering until the reflection hit. That was also something to unpack later on too. Without missing a beat, his maker put his hand on his back again, pinching a patch of skin near his spine, and stood almost too close to Daniel. Oh no. Pinching wasn’t a good sign.
Armand popped his head to the left with a hungry gaze and furrowed brows. “Who is this?”
It was as though Daniel couldn’t speak. Mind Gift or not, this was awkward. Finally, “Armand, this is Abigail.” He gestured with an awkward presentation hand. “From… Cleveland.”
“I was the, uh,” she gawked between slight chuckles, “the one at the airport.”
Armand looked at her with that face. Daniel knew that face well too. Even before Armand (well, before his current partnership to Armand). Alice gave it to him. Jenny definitely gave it to him. It was a blend of slightly baffled and slightly manic. Armand had a special variation of the face, however. His added spice of choice was very, very protective. As if something in front of him were the last Twinkie on Earth and Armand was going to cradle it with everything he had. He could not tell if Armand was mad at him, her, or both of them. He wasn’t about to take a guess on which one that was. “Oh. Yes.” He straightened his head. “Flight AA 8920 from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Indianapolis International Airport on May 28, 2025. Delayed for 1 hour, 38 minutes. Closest establishment was a local bar… the Red Rooster.”
Jesus Christ, why was Armand such a stalker? Worse, a hot stalker at that. Even worse, a slightly wrong stalker. “It was actually O’Newley’s, babe.”
Armand purposefully took his time to meet their heads together. The brows furrowed somehow more than before; his lips puckered slightly. Yeah, this was anger at Daniel.
Abigail looked appropriately scared from this interaction. He didn’t blame her for wanting to just sprint out of there that instant. He couldn’t say she didn’t try. She held out a hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way.”
His love was still, barely breathing beyond what they could. Silence. One look down at her open palm before shooting back up to her. Nothing. Red alert time.
“I’ve heard a lot of great stuff about you.” Abigail said. “Your exhibits were really cool to see online.”
His eyes loosened from their widened grip. Armand did one of his cat purrs of a hummed-smile towards the young fledgling. “Thank you.”
Think of something quick, dumbass! Daniel pretended to clear his throat. “I… I was just about to come back and introduce you two.”
Armand took his first three fingers on his right hand and caressed them under Daniel’s chin. “With the warming beer and the Louis you promised you would return with?”
Daniel’s eyes bulged a little. Somehow Armand had a way of toying between ripping out his throat and still sounding like they were on their honeymoon. It was usually hot. It wasn’t right now. "I-uh-"
“-That’s my fault,” Abigail interjected. Both men shot their heads to the woman in sync. Now, that was in fact hot. “I wanted to catch up with him.”
Daniel didn’t know if all fledglings typically acted like they had death wishes or if it was just the two. She slowly gave back that slight smile from earlier at the two men. “Actually, I was just asking if he’d wanna come with my coven next Friday.”
Daniel could feel his hand go cold. Yeah, full-on alarm bells now. This was absolutely going to get ugly in a second. He slowly moved his head at an angle to his left. “Really?” His eyes pierced back to Daniel’s.
“Yes, really.” Daniel gritted his teeth. He had to keep his cool, he really did. Hard to do right now with Armand’s expression being nothing short of murderous. “Abigail here is getting ‘courted’ by a coven in the neighborhood, and she asked if I wanted to come hunt with them.”
“They’re really cool,” Abigail interjected. “Not out to murder this one either,” she slightly chuckled.
He didn't expect Armand to laugh. But Daniel could sense his maker and tell when something was a problem. Blood-boiling heat was absolutely a problem. The nothingness in his eyes switched between the two. “Huh. Well,” in a second, Armand fixed his posture to that of a business deal. “He will get back to you on that decision at a later point.”
Abigail looked like she was about to shit her pants. Daniel probably did too. She gently nodded her head. “Okay. Just let me know.”
Armand nodded before turning to his betrayer. “Coming?”
Daniel ogled at the scene. Alright, there weren’t fifty dead bodies stacked on top of each other in a pile. Not bad. “Yeah.” He quickly turned his head to Abigail once more. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
Abigail scrunched up her face, nodding. “Sounds good. Have a good night, you guys.”
Both parties separated. Abigail to god-knows-where, Armand and Daniel to the dimmed bathroom. Armand had kicked out the two couples making out and the one person in the third stall taking molly. They wouldn’t want to see this anyway.
“What were you thinking, Daniel? What possible reason could you have? Freely exchanging words with another of our kind who could have easily slain you now as they could have back then. Who could have easily coaxed you back into her trap!” Armand huffed out, pacing in a line.
“Okay, first of all, slain? King Arthur called, and he wants his sword back.”
“Do you think this is an appropriate time to mock me, Daniel?” Armand tersely released. “That woman is a risk to our very existence. Your very existence! Yet, you fraternize with her as if it was nothing and leave me to make sure she is taken care of?”
“'With mop and mindlessness’, right?” Armand’s eyes shot up into lightbulbs. Backtracking time. “Armand, we’ve talked about this!” Daniel exclaimed. “She told me straight to my face that she wouldn’t have killed me. She didn’t want to kill me. Those stupid Cleveland vamps-”
“She could have easily lied about leaving them.” His face contorted into something crazed. The gremlin version of his sweetheart was activated. “She could have used this imaginary coven to flatter you into her trap.”
“Okay, stop. That makes me sound like a pervert-“
“What if she hasn’t left her original coven? What if you just exposed yourself again to those miscreants? Letting yourself come into their hands, all nice and warm for the taking!”
It continued like that for a few minutes. Both tried to make their points. Both made some snide remarks they wished they hadn’t. It was their first real fight in a while. Not play-teasing that turned into actual teasing. A verbal fight. Daniel felt like the finance bro from earlier, arguing with his girlfriend, only to swear, “Nothing happened, babe, I swear”. He felt dirty. It just had to be Louis’ bar where they argued. Of fucking course. Couple’s quarrels seep through everything that Louisiana fucker touches.
The two stopped the fight after a while (30 minutes? Two days? What’s an argument between vampires?). They were at least resigned to stop so that one of the freshmen they had kicked out earlier could resume his line work. Everything happened next in a blur. Daniel went to get another beer. Armand telepathically called Louis, who revealed he wasn’t even there that night. Something about an “impromptu business trip he had to take” (to New Orleans…yeah…alright). So, no Louis, and now an argument. The two lovers went home shortly after.
The taxi smelled obscenely like cigarette smoke. Daniel could typically handle the smell, even if it was annoying. But what exacerbated it was how awkward everything was in the backseat. Daniel wasn’t going to say much. It was more private than the subway. Way less awkward than the hour-long walk back to their home. Two men crammed together in the car with as much space as possible wasn't amazing, but it let them have a moment to themselves.
Daniel's eyes shot directly to meet their driver in the rearview. A Slavic-speaking man with crazed eyes who didn’t say much. He was only focused on making his quota for the evening and getting back home to his little chihuahua, Betsy. All noise was relegated to the bustle of outside New York at 10 PM on a Saturday. Inside was hushed. Uncomfortable. Near as bad as the same car rides he took after fights with Alice and Jenny. For a man who insisted he was not married when Armand first came back into their lives, Daniel could see the patterns right there, clear as day. Daniel was annoyed. Mom wouldn’t let him talk to his friends and thought they would kill him cold.
The taxi crawled its way past the rest of the park. For a brief second, Daniel felt Armand’s nerves change. Just a twinge. Calmed, possibly. His eyes drifted somewhere Daniel couldn’t see, the right-hand thumb gently swirling the index finger.
Cedar Hill quickly left their backseat view. In all of his years on and off in the city, Daniel was surprised at how quiet the city was. Maybe one of the more hushed nights he had in a while.
Armand turned to face his beloved, who was currently ignoring him by peering through his side window. “Darling?” Armand muttered.
Daniel could feel the frown coming down on his face. “Yeah?”
“May I ask a question?”
Daniel returned with a sigh. They had a little thing with these questions. If one asked, the other said, “Knock yourself out." It became a thing on the train ride to Switzerland in 1974, during the chase. Tonight was not a night to reminisce like that. “Yeah.”
Armand let out a delicate noise between a sigh and a moan. He had used it before. Before asking if he was a “tragedeigh” as he had learned on the internet. Before asking if he was just another toy for Daniel. Before sking if he truly meant what he said about Marius’ treatment of him. He was about to ask a question he may regret. “Have I kept you away from this world?”
This was it. The bridge between two mountains. They got 20 minutes before they reach their neighborhood, anyway. May as well cross it now.
Daniel slowly maneuvered his body away from the window, leaning forward to face the backseat of the taxi’s passenger side. His head went down to face his fiddling hands. “No.”
Armand’s head turned at an angle. “Beloved,” he took his time in saying. “I need you to be truthful with me in answering this next question. Could you do that for me?”
That was new. Daniel looked directly at Armand. “Yeah, I can.”
A moment. The two men faced each other before Armand’s head turned to face the park outside. Daniel could see the outline of a faint smile. In the passing street lights, he could also see some wetness building in his eyes. “Are you not happy? Only being with me?”
That stopped him dead in his tracks. Daniel’s shoulder melted from the heat of the tense air surrounding them. “Oh, baby,” he whispered.
Daniel pulled himself next to his tense love. His arms are surrounding the other’s stomach. Armand’s eyes drew downwards. Daniel looked right into Armand’s fluffy onyx hair and pecked it with his lips. He could taste his love’s hairspray. He didn’t care. “Of course I’m happy with you.”
Armand let out a slightly nosey laugh. “Hey,” Daniel cupped his right hand onto Armand’s chin. “I am. I am fucking ecstatic with you. There’s no coven or vamp out there who’s worth leaving over you. Not the cokeheads in Manhattan. Definitely not anyone from Cleveland. I would always choose you.”
Armand looked up. The yellow-ish tint of the streetlights really made Armand’s softer brown eyes that much shinier. He gazed into his fledgling’s softer brown eyes. They matched yet again. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure, Armand. You’re also not keeping me away from anyone or anything.” The man could feel his lover’s body relaxing with every word. “I’m not some maiden in a tower shunned away from the world. We go do our own things. You and Dr. Bhansali go and have your mad science dates—“
“Research excursions.”
“—and I still go for poker with Louis. We have our own friends. We are our own people. We just also have each other to come home to.”
Both men let out some air. Deep breaths here. A moment. “Alright," Daniel sputtered out. "You can say no to this if you don’t want to. I promise, I won’t be mad if you do. But…” he paused for a moment, then braved on. “I think we need to have another moment here. A capital-M moment. Okay?”
They locked eyes once more. Armand was processing the possibility of a talk in his own familiar fashion. Finally, he nodded his head. “Okay.”
Daniel took his maker’s hand. Armand had turned his head back outside to the lights of the MET. That was fine by Daniel. He wanted him to take his time. “I,” Daniel enunciated, “have loved every second I’ve spent with you. From when I was a dumb kid looking for a hookup and ended up getting chased, all the way to now. You know this. After all the shit we’ve been through, both of us, we deserve it. You definitely deserve it.”
Armand stayed exactly how he was. Demure. Silent. Beautiful. “I know. I apologize for not-“
“Ah-ah.” Daniel made sure to point out his index finger in Armand’s eyesight. “We’re not doing that right now.”
Silence. They were taking the roundabout, bobbing to the side together as gravity made itself known. Armand bit the right side of his bottom lip. Both men knew the little three-letter word that was coming next. Daniel was supposed to say it before Armand cut him off. “But…”
Bingo. He knew Daniel well. “But...” another inhale. “You remember Switzerland?”
Obviously, he did. Both lovers separated not by greedy feuding parents, but a book tour and a month-long science experience. Maybe Daniel had a flair for the dramatics, too, so what? He learned from the best. A pursed mum came from Armand. “Yes, I remember Switzerland.”
Alright, progress on those rickety slabs. Something more than an “okay” and the fiftieth unnecessary apology. Daniel’s growing prouder by the second. “How we managed to live our own lives separate from each other for even a little bit? How we made friends, experienced things? Which, by the way, that was hot of us. A+ work there.”
Armand tilted his chin down an angle. “Yes,” melting into a buttery smooth voice, “You know very well that I remember that.”
Both men were now making their way back to solid ground. “Well… maybe instead of places, this time, we can do that again with people.” Nothing from Armand. Daniel continues. “I love you. As much as they get on my nerves, I do like Louis and Lestat.” His voice goes back to irritable for the brief name drop. “Gabi is-“
“A treacherous nightmare.”
“…Let’s go with irritable,” he said. Armand growled a little at that. That sexy vindictive demon. “Bianca. Jesse. Mekare. Rashid.”
His narrow brow line crunched together. “I know their names, Daniel.”
“I'm just saying, you’re older than me. Just making sure that brain of yours is still working.” A momentary pause. “We’re all stuck with each other until the sun explodes or we torch one another. But I’m saying that there are more people out there than us. More vampires out there than us. It’s not just the Scooby gang, the Talamasca, and whoever we’re dragging along that week. It’s good to get out and meet new people every once in a while.”
Armand was considering. His head bobbed slightly. Each one of the next words out of his mouth sounded like grinding sandpaper. “I am aware of that. I am fine with it.” Another second of quiet. He was about to pull out something, wasn’t he? “But…”
“But?”
A small, stiff sigh left his maker’s mouth. They locked eyes once more. “Must it be with a person who has once hunted you down?”
Yep. There it was. Just when they’re about to be back on land, a snake makes itself known on the bridge’s ropes. Daniel turned his head to face the back of the headrest, an unforgiving eye roll following suit. “Babe-“
“I am just stating a fact.” Armand retorted, eyes like the bottom of Kiss candies. “She was there to hurt you that night. Regardless of her and her coven lacking in matching morals or goals, there was still intent. She could have harmed you.”
“Yeah, the man who can burn a building cause of 500-year-old vampire blood.”
“And who I am meant to protect at all costs.”
“Who also did the same thing to me for two years?”
Okay, wrong move. Daniel stopped in his tracks again. Curiously, Armand didn’t let go, nor pouted this time. Unexpected progress on this front, too. “Well,” Daniel started. “Since you got to ask questions, mind if I take a crack at it?”
A beat. “Knock yourself out,” Armand mocked in that slight American accent he couldn't perfect.
Daniel tilted his head back with a sly chuckle. After a moment, he grabbed Armand’s hands and set them in between their laps. Then, slowly croaking out: “Are you angry about Abigail in particular, because if something happened that night, you couldn’t have stopped it?”
Armand’s grasp on Daniel’s hand loosened some. The airport thing happened in between stops at Daniel’s second vampiric book tour. They were in a record-breaking stretch of time since one of these assailants tried to strike. It was hard to make Armand feel relaxed, especially during stretches of time without each other. On that night, while Daniel dragged his heels on his bourbon and spoke with Abigail, Armand was at home enjoying his own enrichment time. Senses were lowered. Daniel was surprised by the lack of calls and texts from his love, so he absentmindedly moved on as if nothing had happened. When Daniel chronicled that night in Cleveland over dinner a week later, you would have thought Daniel admitted to having Akasha’s secret affair baby. It took a month of talking, showering gifts, and lots of special one-on-one time in the bedroom to at least assuage concerns.
Daniel grasped back and took the lead. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”
Armand took the bait. His eyes were all Daniel could see (not that he was complaining at all). After a moment, a guilty nod.
“Yeah. Yeah, I figured that was it. You're not wrong, though. It sucked. The whole thing of people wanting to kill you and me. You were scared for me. If you…” He trailed off.
Armand’s hands squeezed tighter. He hoarsely stumbled his words. “If I had woken up one day and… something happened that I couldn’t stop…”
They sat in silence together for a second. Yes, they were old men who ate people to survive. But losing someone you love is a scary experience for anyone. Even near-senile vampires. Daniel gave another squeeze of Armand’s frigid hands, eyes locked together. “But you wanna know something cool?” Daniel scooted somehow even closer onto Armand’s waist. He took his left hand out of their grasp to trace around the thick black leather belt with shiny gold indents. Armand tried his best to ignore his golden boy’s eyes. It wasn't working. “They're dead now. The ones who weren’t stupid enough to try? They don’t even think about us. Now, gee,” Daniel said, playfully looking up around them, “I wonder who did that?”
Quiet. His eyes shot up to the upholstery of the car ceiling. A click of the tongue. “That would be me.”
“Mhm. You’d still come to my rescue today, right?”
Armand rolled his eyes at the same time the creases around his mouth lifted into a faint smile. “Of course.” Armand grabbed his fledgling's chin with his right hand. “But you’ve grown so much since then, as well, love.” Armand’s eyes shimmered with a mischievous glint. There he was, Daniel’s gremlin. “I am confident you could rip their throats out as easily as I was able to do to them.”
Daniel processed for a moment. His eyes shifted to a combination of bedroom eyes and pride for his little psychopath. He was going to play it cool, though. “Yeah, didn’t need that detail, babe. But thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” His smile inched up more, in that “proud of myself for being an absolute monster” way Armand was learning to accept. It sent a flutter in Daniel’s still heart.
Both sat in silence and held onto each other, swaying from the turn onto E. 104th Street. At least they were over that bridge. Of course, they still had another to go over. Armand turned his head to face Daniel, his left hand leaving their grasp and placing itself on Daniel’s chest. “I just…”
Daniel nodded a little. Okay, travelers, now we’re reaching the second part of our adventure. “Yeah?”
“I… I am worried.”
“What else is new?”
A tsk left Armand’s mouth. Yeah, maybe not the time for snark. Daniel’s voice became small. “Alright, sorry. About?”
He sat momentarily stuck in the silence of the cab. His right hand grazed his lover’s back. A moment. Then another. Finally, Armand opened his mouth. “What if you do not like them?”
Damn. What was this, punishment for having such a detached mother? Daniel turned his head to the side and snickered a little. “Oh, come on.”
“Daniel,” Armand moved his right hand to his lover’s thigh. “I am serious. You talk about me needing to engage in social interactions with others, mortals or not, which I do. You joke about me seeing them as mere blood bags. But it is only because I worry about the opposite happening.”
“Which is?”
“What if I am right?” Armand demands. “What if you introduce yourself to this coven tomorrow evening, participate in their hunt, and it is not what you expected?”
“You mean what if the other kids at school don’t like me after all? Mom, I’ll be fine.” Daniel lets out another chuckle. “Then I move on. That shit happens every day. It happened to that shitty little kid from Modesto, and it can still happen to me now. Powers and all. Sometimes things don’t work out how we want.”
“Yes, I am aware of that.” Armand let the question linger again. They were reaching the end of that bridge. Baby steps, everyone. “And if they break your trust?”
Daniel barely pushed his head back. “What, they fuck me over? Decide ‘Hey, actually, let’s mess with the ancient vampire’s lover boy?’”
A beat. Armand was chewing the side of his cheek. “I wouldn’t say lover boy.”
Cars honked outside Madison Ave. Both men could hear Mr. Static Eyes’ thoughts about taking the scenic route. Whatever. It gave him some extra money and time for the two men to continue their Moment. A win-win. The right side of Daniel’s mouth pushed itself upwards. “I’m fine with any title. But babe, that’s the point. I’m going to meet new people, and they’re going to turn out to be assholes. Or murderous vampires. Whatever the case may be. Even if they turn out to be shits, at least I tried.”
Daniel moved more to Armand’s starboard side as if they could get a little closer. Practically on top of each other, just as Armand and Louis were in Dubai. Armand’s eyes finally gave hope. A slight smile showed itself. “Would you like to try?” He crooned out.
A beat. Daniel could answer with a lot of things. A snarky comment here. A kiss on the forehead there. What he gave instead was a shy shrug. “Yeah? I mean… we’re putting me in the ground soon. I got what? Six, seven months left here?” He asked with some sadness. That was another Capital M Moment they had to confront later. “I’ve had some of my best moments in this city. Especially with you. I wanna keep making them so I can leave with something good to remember it by. Why not leave with a souvenir?”
Armand’s eyes narrowed. “You plan to steal something from these establishments?”
“Okay, now you’re shitting me.”
Armand tilted his head back for his own throaty laugh. “Perhaps,” he repeated. The two men continued to hold onto the innermost part of each other's fingers. Well, kids, we made it through those bridges after all. The gift shop is on the right. Get your complimentary photos of two old men making out at the register.
One last sigh left Armand’s mouth. “Alright,” Armand started. A smile slightly pulled up his mouth. “If you wish to have one more night of stimulation and arousal in this city on your own accord… I cannot stop you.”
Pff. “Oh, please,” Daniel nearly whispered in Armand’s ear, “I can get that from you any time I want.” He moved forward with a kiss, reciprocated by Armand’s tongue meeting his halfway.
Armand pulled back. “From your murderer?”
“Baby. We can’t be murdered.”
“Hm. In spirit, my love.” Armand caroled out before going back to their backseat snogging. Daniel could see the eyes of Mr. Static Eyes growing bolder by the second in the corner of his eye. May as well make the extra cash worth the story to come with it.