Archive of Our Own

“Mr Molly, a table for two. Right this way please, sir.”

Daniel was entirely unable to hide the exasperated rolling of his eyes as he followed the well-meaning hostess through the restaurant he’d picked out just for himself tonight. It was an expensive spot, decorated with marble columns and golden chandeliers, grandly situated at the very top of a New York City skyscraper. It was often frequented by wealthy business owners, actors and actress and, in more recent years, popular social media influencers. Daniel was none of those things, but he did have a new book on the way and a sweet ten million dollars sitting in his bank account, so fuck it, he’d decided to treat himself to a vastly overpriced meal for one. After everything that had happened Dubai, he felt that he’d more than earned it.

It’d been one hell of a trial, but today his publishers had officially started printing the first ever copies of ‘Interview With The Vampire’ and, very soon indeed, his latest book would be hitting the shelves. It did mean that he’d eventually be paraded out to do all of the promotional stuff for it, TV appearances and book signings and whatnot, but he still had a few weeks before he’d have to endure all that crap so, for now, Daniel was rewarding himself for all of his hard work. He’d been extremely lucky to survive Dubai, and he wasn’t sure if he’d have long left once the rest of vampire-kind caught wind of what he’d done. There was a very good chance they’d want his head on a spike for this particular stunt, and that was only if the Parkinson’s didn’t get him first…

But tonight wasn’t supposed to be a last meal, it was a celebration. Yes, of course it sucked that he was eating alone (hence his annoyance at being seated at a table for two when he’d specifically requested a table for one) but it was what it was. His wife and daughters had wanted nothing to do with him for years, and what few friends he did still have, well, they’d all dropped him as soon as they’d heard the rumours surrounding his latest book. To them he was just a crazy old man finally going senile in his old age. The only remaining option had been Louis, but considering he still didn’t know that Daniel had managed to recover his data from the Cloud and turn it into a book, inviting him would have been a pretty stupid thing to do.

Passing through the restaurant, Daniel looked around at all of the adoring couples, friends, and families as they dined. Being a Saturday night the place appeared to be busy and fully booked, and everyone seemed so happy - people were smiling, laughing and joking, an occasional camera flashing brightly as someone took a photo for their Instagram, or a group selfie to share with their loved ones back home. Glasses clinked as people cheers to health and prosperity, and on the other side of the room one table were drunkenly singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to their Wall Street looking father. The room was filled with a sense of innocence and joy, and Daniel decided to enjoy it. After all, he’d like to see the monsters of the night try to get to him here. 

As the hostess led him to the very back of the restaurant, Daniel took a moment to admire the towering windows opening up to the city skyline beyond, the lights of New York twinkling peacefully in the darkness. It was only then that Daniel realised not a single one of the tables appeared to be free, and he started to worry if some mistake had perhaps been made on his booking. In fact, the table the hostess was currently walking him towards was definitely already occupied by somebody else. An individual in a sharply tailored suit, dark red in colour, was sitting alone, their head propped on their hand as they gazed out of the window. Their hair was curly and black, and their skin brown. Nobody that Daniel knew, that was for sure.

“Here we are, Mr Molly.” The hostess cheerfully announced, pulling out the other chair for him.

The stranger finally turned to look at Daniel, and that was when he saw they weren’t actually a stranger at all, but rather the very last person he’d ever want to see. Armand, his head still in his hand, smiled at him sweetly, orange eyes deceptively hidden behind that of his brown contact lenses. Daniel was cautiously rooted to the spot, his body slowly filling with dread. He hadn’t seen or heard from Armand since he’d escaped the Dubai penthouse, so what the fuck was he doing here now? Had he finally decided to ignore Louis and kill him anyway, or had he come just to fuck with his head some more, alter some memories for old time’s sake?

“Daniel.” Armand politely greeted him, rising elegantly from his chair. “It’s so very good to see you again.”

Before Daniel even had the chance to get out some clever or sarcastic quip about how that was definitely a lie, Armand placed his hands over Daniel’s shoulders and leant in to kiss one cheek, and then the other. His lips were cold yet delicate against Daniel’s frail skin, enough to almost make him shiver, especially when he remembered that, underneath those soft lips, were deadly fangs designed to kill.

“Please, have a seat.” Armand said, pulling back to gesture at the empty chair the hostess was still patiently waiting behind, taking his own again while still smiling innocently up at Daniel.

Numb, in shock, and unsure of exactly what to do (only knowing it was best not to cause a scene), Daniel reluctantly sat down. If a clip of him screaming about vampires happened to go viral just before the release of his latest book about vampires then… well, wait a minute, that could actually be a good thing. Just as he was about to open his mouth to do just that, Armand discreetly shook his head at him. Ah, so that was definitely a threat then. Daniel quickly snapped his mouth shut again, sitting perfectly still as the hostess draped a white napkin over his lap. She then proceeded to place another over Armand’s, who thanked her politely for doing so.

“That’ll be all for now.” He then dismissed her with a wave of his hand, turning his full attention over to Daniel as she silently bowed her head and left.

Daniel chose to glare at Armand as he picked up what he initially thought was a menu, but was actually just the wine list. He plucked his glasses from his jacket pocket (yes, he was actually wearing a proper suit and shirt tonight, although no tie, as he wasn’t quite that fancy) and put them on. Pretending to read while ignoring the uncontrollable and rather obvious shake of his hands was far more preferable to addressing the deadly and potentially vengeful vampire currently sitting opposite him. If he ignored him for long enough, then maybe he’d get bored of Daniel and just go away?

“May I say, Daniel, that you’re looking rather well despite the continuing progression of your terminal diagnosis.”

Ah, no such luck then. Daniel lowered the wine list just enough to give Armand another subtle once over. His red suit was dark, almost burgundy, and (unlike Daniel’s) perfectly tailored to fit him. The white shirt underneath was unbuttoned just enough to show off his sculptured chest and dark skin, glistening tantalisingly under the lights. It seemed a lack of a tie was something they both had in common tonight but, aside from that, they were as different as different could be. 

“You’re not looking too shabby yourself, Armand. I see you finally got all of that dust and rubble out of you hair.” Daniel volleyed back, smirking as he said it. 

Armand’s eye twitched ever so slightly, and Daniel took that as a silent victory in whatever the hell this ambush was supposed to be. He bit back another grin as he went back to reading, trying to decide what it was he wanted. Red, white, or rosé? Eventually he glanced back up at Armand and waved the menu in his direction.

“I take it you’re paying then, yeah?” He asked, cocking an expectant brow.

Armand gave him a small but terse nod in response, his patience being throughly tested. “Yes, of course, Daniel. Consider tonight my treat. After all, did we not come here to celebrate the upcoming release of our book?”

Daniel carefully put the wine list back down again as he levelled Armand with a flat, unimpressed look. First of all, Armand had not been invited to this little celebration, secondly, it was absolutely not his book and, lastly, if this asshole was going to be paying, then obviously Daniel was getting whatever happened to be the most expensive, so he pushed the list aside.

“I’m sorry, but what do you mean by our book?” Daniel parroted, glaring furiously at Armand. “I’m the damn author here, I wrote it, not you, so don’t think you can just sit there and take the credit for it. If anything, all you did was get in the way!”

Armand simply smiled at him in amusement, but he did not deign to reply. Instead, he twisted slightly in his seat, elegantly leaning down to pick something up from off the floor. He laid it out on the table and Daniel immediately recognised it as a brand new copy of his book, the red cover he’d picked out almost exactly the same as Armand’s suit. Printing had only just begun today, so that meant Armand must have stolen it from his publishers, and then found the time to have an outfit tailored to match. Daniel couldn’t even begin to believe the audacity of this guy.

With his long and dexterous fingers, Armand casually flipped the book over and stood it up with the blurb facing Daniel. Then, without needing to look, he expertly recited the clearly memorised words, written by Daniel himself.

“This is the true story of Louis de Pointe du Lac, a journey through his immortal life as a blood-drinking vampire of the night. From the red-light district in New Orleans, to a townhouse in the French Quarter, to Europe and finally to a theatre in Paris, join Louis as he shares his harrowing tale of love, loss, and betrayal with you in his very own words, backed up by plenty of research, evidence, and the testimonies of others - with diary entries from the child vampire Claudia, and excerpts from the ancient coven leader Armand - in this latest interview by two time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Daniel Molloy.”

Armand looked triumphant as he put the book back down again and stared expectantly at Daniel. There was something so unnerving about the way he was looking at him. It had to be the eyes, right? They were the wrong colour, and it was, for some reason, getting to him. So, with a tired and world weary sigh, Daniel dragged his glasses from off his face, tapping the arms together as he stared right back at Armand.

“It’s Louis’ story, and I’m the guy who happened to write it all up.” Daniel explained. “So if anything, if it is going to be a shared endeavour, then it’s his and mine, and nothing to do with you, regardless if you supplied a few anecdotes here and there.”

“But I feature heavily, do I not? Especially in the second half.” Armand was quick to argue, quickly flipping through the book and turning to what Daniel could only guess was not actually a random page, but one specifically chosen. He then begun to read aloud.

“It is here that I first find myself truly alone with the vampire Armand. Louis is resting and will not rise until the sun sleeps, Armand tells me, so for now it’s just the two of us. In the quiet of the reading room, with the day’s rays shining through the glass, it's easy to forget that I’m sitting opposite a 514 year old killing machine. His beauty is undeniable, this thing that looks human, that sounds human, but is not. I do not wish to waste this golden opportunity, so I begin to ask my questions.”

Armand then delicately closes the book and curls his hands almost protectively over its cover, holding it close and smiling happily, his brown eyes seemingly sparkling behind his false lenses. 

“I must confess.” He began. “That I’m rather looking forward to this small measure of notoriety. How do you believe your readers will perceive me, Daniel? I do appear to be made as the villain of this story, that much is unfortunately clear, but the way in which you paint me is quite alluring, flattering, even. You do me more justice with your words than any in Venice ever could with their various sculptures and paintings.”

Daniel blinked, momentarily stunned. Was that actually a compliment from Armand?

“Look.” He started, refusing to give up on their argument. “I didn’t deliberately paint you in any particular way, okay? It wasn’t me who made you the villain of this story, you did that all by yourself, pal. I simply reported the facts, alright? I wrote what I saw and what I was told. How the public interprets that, well, that’s up to them. But sure, you’re going to have a few fans, I imagine. Hell, maybe even enough to make yourself a whole new cult with.”

Armand shook his head, looking down sadly as his fingers traced delicately over the printed title of Daniel's book. “I do not wish for another cult or coven. I simply want what I’ve always wanted. To be…” He trailed off and sighed heavily. “Ah, it does not matter now. Your book will make my one and only desire an impossibility. I will be hated by all of my own kind for this, for this blatant desecration of one of our Great Laws.”

“Law five, right?” Daniel scoffed, “No vampire shall ever reveal their true nature to a mortal and let that mortal live. No vampire must ever reveal the history of vampires to a mortal and let that mortal live. No vampire must commit to writing-”

“Excuse me gentleman, but may I take your drink order?” A finely dressed waiter in a black suit and bowtie politely interrupted.

Daniel clicked his jaw shut, peeved at the waiter for merely doing his job. Armand, however, seemed relieved by the arrival of this man, and leant forward eagerly to address him. Daniel sat back in his chair and enviously eyed up the copy of his book still safely clasped underneath the vampire’s razor sharp claws.

“You’ll find a series of unmarked bottles in your wine cooler, up on the top shelf.” Armand was saying. “I’ll have a glass of one of those. We’ll also be wanting a bottle of your most expensive champagne for the table.”

Apparently, seemingly having skimmed Daniel’s desire from his mind, Armand was more than happy to order on his behalf. Considering he’d picked out something rather costly, Daniel wasn’t about to stop him. Their waiter nodded politely before taking his leave, carrying the wine list away with him. Daniel pocketed his glasses as he thought of what to say next. He was still trying to work out if Armand was here to kill him or not, but to question him outright seemed a bit pathetic. He didn’t really want the vampire thinking he was scared of him.    

Still eyeing up his book, Daniel instead asked, “So how did you get a hold of that, anyway? In fact, how did you even know I was writing it in the first place? You saw Louis destroy my laptop.” 

Armand elegantly shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you.” He replied rather simply, giving nothing away.

“Uh-huh. Right.” Daniel scoffed, rolling his eyes. “So you’ve been, what, stalking me then? Is that it?”

Armand just smiled at him, propping his chin back on his hand as he leant forward, his white shirt pulling itself taught enough to reveal more of his darkly toned and perfectly sculpted chest, wiry black hairs looking enticingly delicate to the touch. Daniel felt his throat suddenly dry up as he quickly raised his eyes up to meet Armand’s. The sight of the brown contact lenses only served to piss him off even further.

Just then, thankfully, the waiter returned with their drinks, Daniel extremely grateful with how parched he’d unexpectedly become. An ice bucket with the already opened and bubbling bottle of champagne was placed down between them, along with two tall glasses. A third glass, filled with a rich and dark red liquid, was placed down in front of Armand. Daniel knew that had to be blood, but after watching Louis and Armand feeding throughout his entire stay in Dubai, he’d found himself rather desensitised to it. That was probably quite a fucked up thing to admit, but Daniel had to confess that he really didn’t care anymore.

He watched silently as the waiter poured them each a glass of the champagne, golden in colour and fizzing with bubbles. He’d barely placed the first glass down before Daniel had snatched it up and was taking a much needed and hearty swig. It tickled pleasantly as it went down the back of his throat, tasting just as expensive as promised. Before the waiter could depart, however, Daniel rudely shook his half-emptied glass at him, demanding a top-up. Armand watched disapprovingly, but did not say a word.

As soon as the waiter was out of earshot, Daniel turned his attentions back to the vampire calmly sitting opposite him. “Come on, Armand. Why are you here, seriously?” He asked. “No bullshit this time, either. I know you don’t actually care about the book.”

Ignoring him, Armand’s eyes instead slowly roamed over to his two drinks. He picked up the champagne first, quietly taking a sip and clearly savouring the flavour, letting the drink luxuriate on his tongue before swallowing it down. Daniel found himself unable to look away, fixated on the bob of Armand’s long and slender throat.

“Exquisite, is it not?” Armand asked, holding his glass up to the soft lighting hanging above their heads like a series of delicate and tiny stars. “Of course you only wanted it for its hefty price tag in a misguided attempt to spite me, but I must say that I do appreciate your choice.” 

“Mhm.” Daniel hummed flatly, not falling for the distraction at all. “The alcohol is great, now answer the damn question or I’m walking the hell out of here.” 

To be fair, Daniel probably should have walked away the moment he’d first seen Armand sitting at his table, but he was a journalist, damn it, and sometimes he couldn’t help his owned accursed curiosity.

Armand sighed, put out, and placed his drink back down on the table with a soft and gentle clink. “Fine, the truth then. I am… intrigued. I wish to learn from you, Daniel. I want to understand.”

“Understand?” Daniel parroted, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. “Understand what, exactly?”

Alarm bells were blaring in his mind, but still Daniel didn’t leave. There was a short pause of silence as Armand’s eyes fell to the book on the table. He hesitantly reached out to it, his pinky finger curling around the edge and subtly stroking over its glossy cover. Daniel watched with a held breath. He was desperately hungry to know what was currently going on in Armand’s head. What on earth made this particular vampire tick?

Eventually, Armand gathered his thoughts enough to answer the question. “I wish to know myself.” He stated. “I want to learn who I am, and the closest I have ever come to truly seeing my reflection is in your printed words. For better or for worse, you do know me, Daniel, and I must admit, it is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.”

Daniel snorted ungracefully, completely unimpressed. “I’m not your therapist, pal.” He replied, picking up his glass of champagne. It really was very good.

However, not one to be so easily brushed aside, Armand continued on unperturbed. “I do not merely wish to learn who it is I am, but how to be that authentic self I never seem quite able to find, no matter how hard I try. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, and at home in the stolen blood that pumps through my veins. I want to be more like you, Daniel. You are always so unapologetically yourself, and that is a rare and precious thing to have, believe me. Too many people in this world wear masks, and I am not exempt from such an accusation.”

Daniel placed his glass back down again, tracing his fingers up and down the delicate stem as he attempted to assess his strange and dangerous counterpart. There were currently two questions fluttering about in his head, namely, how could he know that Armand was telling the truth, and if he was, then what did he expect Daniel to do about it?

“I am telling the truth.” Armand insisted, almost sounding annoyed that he had to clarify.

“Super convincing.” Daniel replied, deadpan. Then, “Stay out of my head.” 

For a moment they just stared at one another in a tense silence. There was obviously more that Armand wished to say, but he was clearly struggling in getting Daniel to listen. It should have been expected, really, after his behaviour in Dubai. Lies atop of lies atop of lies. Still, Daniel sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his tired brow, feeling the telltale signs of a headache blossoming just behind his eyelids.

“Go ahead.” He eventually drawled, relenting and gesturing for Armand to say his piece. “Let’s hear it then. Might as well, since we’re both already here.”

Armand straightened up in his chair, eyes brightening. “I want to follow you, Daniel, to observe and to learn from you. I want unlimited access to your thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I want you to be my guide through this new beginning of mine.” Armand explained, smiling excitedly as he talked. “Of course, this will be a mutually beneficial arrangement for the both of us. Once this book finds its way into the hands of the masses, other vampires will hunt you down, and they will make you suffer for it. I, on the other hand, can offer you protection for the rest of your days, even if they are rather numbered now.”

So not only did Armand want to keep stalking him, but he also wanted to hound him with questions as he did it? Yeah, you can count Daniel out on that one. It sounded like a pretty slippery slope into Armand controlling all aspects of his life, dragging him out here, there and everywhere on a whim, throwing out question after question all through the night. Daniel’s days were numbered, Armand was right about that, but this wasn’t how he planned on spending them. Hadn’t he earned himself a nice and quiet retirement by this point?

Daniel shook his head at the vampire. “Yeah, that’s not happening. Thanks for the drink and all, but suddenly I’m not hungry anymore.” He said, rising from his seat. “Bye, Armand. Let it be for good this time.”

He was about to walk away when suddenly a small army of waiters descended on their table, blocking his exit. Each of them were carrying two or three plates of food, and Daniel realised that the entire restaurant was staring at them now, wondering what on earth was going on. Daniel felt himself slinking back ashamedly into his seat, cringing as plate after plate of steaming hot food was placed down in front of him.

Daniel met Armand’s eyes, the vampire’s face the perfect picture of innocence. “I didn’t know what you’d want.” He confessed. “So I ordered you one of everything.”

There was so much food on their table now that it was almost laughable, but all Daniel could do was stare at it in a mounting sense of horror. Plates of fish, beef, veal, sweetbreads and cheeses, even a god damn lobster. There was simply no way for him to conceivably eat of all this, so what was Armand’s game here? Was he trying to show off his wealth and power, or was this more about coming across as a provider and a carer? The last thing Daniel wanted was to feel like he had his own private nurse. He may have been sick and dying but, for now at least, he was still perfectly capable of looking after himself.

“Consider this another perk of you enduring my company, Daniel.” Armand explained, spreading out his hands to gesture at all of the rich food. “Whatever you want, consider it yours. Your every wish shall be mine to grant.”

Daniel thought about it, then carefully asked, “And if my wish were for you to leave? To never see you again? Would you actually respect that and go?” 

There was a moment, just a fraction of a second, where Armand appeared to be deeply hurt, but it was there and gone again in a flash. Around them, the last of the staff who had been carrying the plates had all left, leaving the two of them alone again. Daniel subtly eyed up the nearest plate of food, a juicy piece of stake laid out on top, rare, just how he liked it.

“If that’s really what you want from me,” Armand continued, “then I’ll leave you alone forever, I swear it. But please, Daniel, just give me this one night to prove myself to you. All I ask is for you to get to know me away from the roles you saw me playing out in Dubai. I am trying my best to be honest with you, as honest as I know how to be.”

Daniel hummed, unconvinced even as he pulled the tantalising steak closer to himself, picking up a knife and fork and cutting himself a large dripping piece of meat. He pointed it at Armand and said, “Fine. One night. But you’re asking me for a lot here, pal. You know that, right?”

He then quickly shoved the steak into his mouth, trying hard not to moan at the rich and savoury flavour that burst out across his tongue. It tased even better than the online reviews had described, the words of lesser journalists simply not doing it justice. Perhaps trading basic morals and ethics for a expensive meal was a terrible thing to do, but Daniel had never claimed to be a good or honest man. His ex-wives and daughters could attest to that one. Besides, he was giving Armand one night of his life. It was hardly like he was selling out his soul to the devil, or anything. 

He glanced up, noticing Armand looking at him, staring unblinkingly as he ate. The vampire was smiling, just a bit, and Daniel suddenly worried that by giving him an inch, perhaps he’d also inadvertently given him a mile. Maybe he had just made a deal with the devil? Daniel squirmed in his seat, trying not to regret his decisions as he watched Armand picking up his other glass, the one with the blood in it, and taking a long and indulgent sip. Oh, Daniel really should’ve known better than to play this game.

“Thank you, Daniel.” Armand replied, looking up at him coyly through his thick eyelashes. “I appreciate your generosity.”   

His eyes then fluttered shut as he took another indulgent sip of the thick red blood, Daniel yet again struck by how gorgeous Armand was. Of course he must know what Daniel made of his jaw-dropping appearance, especially if he’d already read the descriptors of him in the book, but Armand’s beauty was a thing that would always deserve repeating.

In that moment, Daniel found it was now his turn to stare. However the illusion was quickly broken when Armand reopened his eyes, and Daniel was greeted with a deep brown instead of that wonderfully vibrant orange. It only served to remind him that this horrifying creature before him was in disguise, a monster merely parading about in human skin.

Daniel decided to quickly distract himself with some more food, snatching up a little bit of everything. As far as celebrations went, this was somehow turning out a lot better than he’d expected, not that the bar was exactly that high to begin with. Daniel wondered how many people got to say they’d sampled one of everything off a menu, especially in a place like this? Instead of being locked down into one choice, Daniel can have whatever he wants. It’s wasteful and he feels overly spoiled, but fuck it, he’s old and he’s worked hard his entire life. It almost makes him want to keep Armand around after all, if this is what he’ll be getting out of it in exchange for his enduring, as Armand called it.

“How is it, Daniel?” Armand asked, leaning forward in his seat with his chin tucked over his interlocking hands. “Is it all to your satisfaction? I can have anything that isn’t sent back to the kitchen and prepared for you anew.” 

Daniel hummed a negative, shaking his head from side to side as he quickly washed down his latest mouthful of creamy fish and lobster with yet another hearty gulp of the champagne. Armand was quick to top his glass back up again, for which Daniel was silently appreciative.

“It’s great, Armand, really. Everything is amazing.” Daniel replied, watching as the vampire put the bottle back into its ice bucket. “But really, you’ve gotta relax a little, man. I feel like I’m going crazy over here.” He shook his head, his next words preemptively blamed on the alcohol loosening his tongue. “You know, I really thought I was going insane after I got home from Dubai. All of my evidence and recordings had been burnt up by Louis, and the whole thing felt like some nightmarish fever dream. Then I got a new laptop, and there they all were saved in the Cloud, our sessions. That’s when I knew it was real, all of it. I realised that I didn’t invent you. You’re real and I’m sane. Now here you are in New York, and now I’m doubting my sanity all over again. How does that make any sense, eh?”

Daniel suddenly realised that, as he’d been talking, he’d been shovelling random bits of food onto his plate and brutally mixing it together with a pile of mashed potatoes. It’d left him with a beige, unappealing mass of slop. Armand had been watching it unfold intently, his eyes fixated on the monstrosity of mixed foods sitting unobtrusively in the middle of the plate. They’d both just stared at it in silence for a moment, before Armand had flicked his eyes back up to Daniel’s face.

“Do you feel crazy, Daniel?” Armand pointedly asked, holding his gaze intensely as he did so.

“I don’t know.” Daniel whispered, his voice cracking slightly. “I think it’s you. You make me crazy.”

A strange tension filled the air. The rest of the restaurant was suddenly miles away and, as Daniel peered around and saw the bustling streets of New York City far out beyond the window and so many stories below, he almost felt like he was flying. The tiny cars looked more like ants from all the way up in the clouds, and he hated how it made his stomach do nauseating flips so, in a desperate attempt to settle the rolling in his guts, Daniel hurriedly shoved even more food into his devouring maw.

But for some reason the mouthful he took tasted absolutely abysmal, and he instantly spluttered and retched in disgust. Snatching up the napkin from his lap, Daniel quickly spat it out, realising that, in his distraction, he’d mistakenly eaten from the mashed potato monstrosity instead of from one of the many other plates of food available to him. He shuddered at himself, but before he could fully process what had happened, a new noise stole his attention. It was a beautiful sound, like that of pure joy, or the delicate ringing of silver bells. Daniel looked up, searching for the source of such a heavenly choir, only to be shocked when he finally found its origins.

Armand was still sat opposite him, only now he was laughing. Daniel had never heard him laugh before, and it was the furthest thing from what you’d expect from the vampire. It was a delightful sound, like the laughter of an innocent schoolboy, making Armand appear youthful and even human again. He’d one hand covering his mouth, trying to catch and stifle his giggles, as the other wrapped around his belly. Armand swayed forward then, fighting to contain himself, but it was clearly a losing battle. He then risked a look up at Daniel, saw his confused and bewildered expression and, honest to god, let out an ungraceful snort. Then he was laughing all over again, blood tears springing up in the corners of his eyes.

Daniel snatched up his champagne and downed it very, very quickly. He suddenly needed to get drunk as fast as humanly possible, not wanting to examine his reasonings for why. Once his glass was drained he immediately topped it back up again, even if he was feeling rather lightheaded by this point. Unfortunately he couldn’t say the alcohol was the only thing to blame but at least, finally, Armand had managed to contain himself and his pretty laughter.

“My apologies.” Armand said, gently dabbing at his eyes with his own napkin. “But you caught me rather off-guard.”

The corners of his once pristine white napkin were now stained a shocking bright red from his blood tears. Armand folded it quickly and neatly in half to hide the evidence of his nature from the other patrons and wandering staff, tucking it away at the edge of the table. Daniel merely shrugged at him, just about pulling himself back together enough to finally reply.

“Hey, man, never say sorry for laughing. You know, I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve ever even seen you laugh. It’s, uh, it’s good, you know, to see you having fun for once, even if it’s at my expense.” Daniel then looked down at his food and blushed, stabbing at a piece of chicken a little too forcefully, mumbling “You should let yourself go like that more often.”

Armand was quiet, unnervingly so, his eyes fixated onto that of his napkin. He then reached out for it again, taking it and bringing it back up to his face, seemingly rubbing at his left eye. Daniel was suddenly worried that he’d somehow made the guy cry or something (which he was totally unprepared to deal with), but then he saw Armand moving over to the other eye and he finally understood what was going on. One of his eyes were still brown, but the other was once again that beautiful and mesmerising sunset orange. He was taking out his contacts, but was it for Daniel’s benefit, or merely his own?

Once he was done, Armand folded the napkin and put it hesitantly into his lap again, Daniel smiling at him reassuringly. Now that he’s finally looking at the real Armand in all of his awful glory, he finds it’s a lot easier to talk to the vampire when he’s not pretending to be something he’s not. Daniel feels himself finally relaxing, and he hopes that Armand is experiencing the same.

“Better?” Armand asked, his voice unusually small and shy.

Daniel gives him a short nod of his head. “Much.” He agrees.

Armand then timidly returns his smile before letting out a long and slow breath all of his own, momentarily closing his eyes. When he blinks back over at Daniel he’s once again that cool, calm, and collected guy from the Dubai penthouse. Of course he’d also been scheming and calculating back then, but Daniel can’t see any of that in him now. Maybe he’s just being blind and naive, but it’s really starting to feel like they’re just two guys out enjoying a good meal together. Admittedly only one of them is eating while the other is drinking blood, but still, it’s nice, and Daniel can almost pretend he’s here with a friend.

“So,” Daniel asks, searching his brain for any classic small-talk topics. “Where’ve you been staying? Did you and Louis own any property here in New York?”

Armand traces his fingers a delicate circle around the rim of his glass of blood. “I do actually, an apartment, but it’s currently occupied by a renter. I didn’t feel like kicking him out of his home, so I’ve been staying at the Baccarat Hotel instead. The particular suite I’m in has a distinct Parisian feel that I quite enjoy.”

Daniel nodded. “Yeah, I know it. I interviewed a former assistant to President Bush in there a few years ago. Top floor, right? Must’ve cost you a pretty penny.”

From there on the two of them fall into a surprisingly easy conversation. It’s the complete and utter opposite of Dubai, where every word had felt like a stab at the other’s armour, leaving them bloody and bruised. That battle is long over now, and they’re finally free to sit as respected equals.

It’s funny, because if there’s one thing about Armand, it’s that he’s apparently a real talker. The guy seems to have opinions on everything; from war and politics, art and religion, to local news and tourist hotspots. He wants to share everything he knows with Daniel, but even more than that, he wants Daniel to challenge him on these things. Not to argue or to debate, but just to learn. He takes Daniel’s knowledge and adds it to his own. It’s easily the most fun that either of them have had with another person in a very long time.

At some point during their conversation Daniel finds that he can’t possibly eat another bite and the waiter comes and clears their table. Armand orders another bottle of champagne, and the two of them continue to split it between them.

“What does this even taste like to you?” Daniel asks as Armand tops them both up again, the golden bubbles fizzing in the low light from the candles burning softly between them.

After clearing their food away a waiter had placed a group of three white candles on a silver tray down in the middle of their table. Not only did it create a somewhat more intimate mood, but it made it a lot harder for Daniel to look away from Armand’s eyes, especially how they reflected the flickering and dancing flames in a truly hypnotic way. At some point they’d both ended up leaning forward in their seats, bringing them even closer together, their breaths causing the lights of the candles to sway ever so softly as if in a breeze.

Armand hummed as he assessed his own glass of champagne, tilting it this way and that. “Like champagne, I’d imagine. It’s rather hard to say as I predate its invention by Dom Pérignon in 1668 by quite a number of years, so I have no prior reference point to compare it to, but perhaps it’s a more muted experience than your own. For whatever reason, liquids do not turn to ash and chalk in the same unfortunate way that solid foods do. This, at least, I can somewhat enjoy.”

Daniel mulls Armand’s words over for a moment. It’s a truly fascinating piece of information, and something that Louis had never once mentioned during the entire run of their interview together. He finds himself wondering what else there’s still for him to learn as his journalistic instincts start to get themselves all fired up. It’s an exciting feeling, the rush of something new to discover, and it makes his brain spin with potential questions.

“Blood has to tastes better though, right?” He asks, stretching his feet out underneath the table, his knees beginning to ache from sitting in the one place for too long.

In doing so he accidentally knocks one of his feet up against Armand’s but, sluggish from the alcohol, he doesn’t get the chance to move it away again before he feels Armand pressing back against him. Even through their clothing he can tell just how cool the other man’s skin is. It must suck, being cold all of the time like that. Daniel remembers how Louis had described Lestat as his coal fire and decides to leave his leg where it is. Let Armand leech a little body heat from him if he wants.

Armand chuckles. He’d been laughing more freely as their meal had progressed, and Daniel’s starting to find that he rather likes it. “Yes, Daniel.” Armand replied. “The blood always tastes better. It is… divine. Like a fount of water in a desert, or liquid gold down your throat. It’s hard to describe it unless you’ve experienced it first hand for yourself, but there really is nothing like it, as long as you embrace it, of course. One mustn’t torture themselves with guilt such as Louis does.”

Daniel nodded in contemplation, indulgently sipping from his delicate champagne flute. “Surely it all tastes the same though?” He continued. “Or are different blood types flavoured in their own unique ways? Like candies, or something?”

Armand hums thoughtfully as he puts his own champagne down. He then reaches out across the table towards where one of Daniel’s hands is laying flat over the tablecloth. It’s the one that tends to shake, although it’s thankfully resting still for now. Armand deftly flips it over and rests it against his own palm. With his other hand he delicately traces a claw up and down the blue veins showing through the pale and thin skin of Daniel’s wrist. At that first touch Daniel tenses, but as Armand goes on he starts to relax. The claws aren’t hurting him at all, only tickling slightly. It’s a strange sensation, but Daniel finds that he doesn’t hate it.

“All blood types have their own underlying flavours, yes.” Armand begins to explain. “But each individual person is different with their own unique taste as well. Age and diet, health and sickness, anything like medication, drugs, or alcohol in a person’s system - all of these things can effect and change the flavour profile. All blood is heavenly, Daniel, but some people do taste better than others, it must be said.”

Daniel finds that he can’t stop looking at the way Armand is gently caressing his wrist with such care and reverence that it makes him want to squirm. Instead he quickly swallows down another mouthful of champagne before placing his own glass on the table as well. There’s a question sitting on the tip of his tongue, but he isn’t sure if he wants to know the answer or not.

“I can’t imagine I taste very good.” He jokes, although his voice cracks as it asks it. “I’m old and sick and pumped full of Levodopa infusions, among a concoction of other medications as well. I’d wager that all that illegal shit I took as a kid would’ve done a number on me too, right?”

Armand looks up at him and smiles, and it’s as if butter wouldn’t melt. “Not necessarily, Daniel. To me your blood has always smelt of something sweet and rich, just like the wine and chocolates I used to enjoy as a mortal boy in Venice, my absolute favourite indulgences. I would often eat and drink until I couldn’t anymore, right up until I felt as if I were going to be sick. Those were good times for me. Happier times.”

He then lifts Daniel’s wrist up from the table, clutching it like a baby bird in his own far smoother and slender hands. His long and elegant fingers, wrapped in a cool dark skin, hold Daniel’s old and feeble hand safe. The claws are not there to hurt him, but to protect him from the harm of others. Daniel does not know how he knows this, only that he does.

“May I?” Armand politely asks, and when Daniel lifts his head up he can see the vampire’s fangs, sharp and white and much smaller than he’d imagined. He’s cute as a kitten, but Daniel knows that looks can be deceiving.

But fuck, does Daniel want it. He suddenly wants it more than anything in the world. But they’re not alone here. They’re in a public place, a busy restaurant where anyone could look over at any point and see them…

“I don’t know, man.” Daniel whispers frightfully. “What if somebody catches us? Then what?”

How bad is it that it’s only the act of getting caught that worries him, and not the act itself?

Armand turns his head sideways, gesturing to the rest of the room which is, shockingly, empty now. “We’re completely alone, Daniel. It’s long past closing and everyone else has returned to their homes, even the staff. We’re the only people here and have been for quite some time.” He pauses, smiles. “I must say though, I’m rather flattered that you failed to notice, especially as a famed journalist as perceptive as yourself.”

Daniel feels a blush rising on his cheeks. What can he blame it on, the alcohol? The captivating conversation? Was it the way that Armand’s eyes refused to stop devouring him, or is it some vampiric spell that’s been cast over him? Daniel does not know, but a quick glance at the clock reveals the time. It’s nearly 3am, and they have been here for hours.

More importantly though, there is nobody here to see them. Hesitantly, Daniel gives a nervous nod of his head. He consents for Armand to drink from him, even as he knows this is another one of the worse ideas he’s ever had. Well, if Daniel was a smarter man then he never would’ve gone home with Louis in 1973, would’ve never returned when he received that letter and those damn tapes, would’ve never stayed with he saw Armand sitting at his table… Daniel’s life is a history of bad decisions, so why should he start making smarter ones now?

It’s too little too late, as far as he’s concerned.

When finally Armand bites, he fully expects for it to be something quick and vicious, for Armand to leap at him like some savage predator, but he does not. Instead he is slow and careful, reverent, like Daniel is something worthy of his worship and adoration. He brings Daniel’s wrist up to his lips and presses a cold kiss to his frail skin. Then his fangs are sliding in, slick and smooth, like a hot knife through butter. It’s surprising painless, yet Daniel still hears himself softly gasping. The sensation of being drank from is a strange one. He can physically feel the drag of his blood towards his wrist, and then down Armand’s fangs and throat. Still, it remains painless.

Armand only swallows twice, maybe three times, before he gently pulls away. It’s not a drink at all, really, merely a taste. He kisses Daniel’s wrist again, this time mixed with a little bit of blood from his own mouth, and then the skin beneath his lips is knitting itself back together again. When Armand finally lets him go, Daniel is surprised to see his wrist is completely unblemished. There is no wound, not even the tiniest speck of blood left behind. He feels slightly woozy, but knows that Armand did not take enough to cause such an effect. Something else is to blame for his lightheadedness.

“So?” Daniel asks, his voice sounding embarrassingly wrecked. “How was it? Did I taste as good as those wine and chocolates of yours, or did I disappoint?”

Armand takes a lingering second just to savour the heady flavour of Daniel’s blood sitting on his tongue, closing his eyes and licking around his teeth and fangs. He hums, a happy and contended sound, before opening his orange eyes and smiling yet again. He’s been doing a lot of that tonight, smiling and laughing. It’s so very different from his behaviour in Dubai, but it’s good to see it.

“Oh, it’s better, Daniel. Your blood truly is something uniquely divine. You have a matured flavour, sweetened by the Levodopa infusions, yet also with a hint of something else that is reminiscent of your youth. It gives your blood a certain kick, not a spiciness, no… more… a slight tanginess? Perhaps that is the best word for it? It’s hard to describe such a thing to a mortal.” Armand still does his best to explain it though, gesturing with his slender hands as he speaks.

Daniel shakes his head, laughing. “Okay, well, I’m not sure how I feel about my blood being reviewed like we’re out wine tasting, but I guess I’ll take it as a compliment.” He then pauses, remembering who, or rather what, he’s with. He quickly sobers up enough to ask, “Do all of your victims get to hear their flavour profiles before they die, or is it just lucky ol’ me?” 

Armand’s smile vanishes then, a flash of something dangerous flickering in his amber eyes, or is it just the dancing flames from the candles? “Only you, Daniel.” He says. “My victims never get to live, yet somehow you’ve survived me twice now. I have to wonder… how do you do keep doing it?”

Their legs are still pressed firmly together underneath the table, and it’s at that moment Armand decides to grin at him as his leg slides up against Daniel’s in what is clearly a suggestive manner. It catches Daniel, still reeling from the blood-drinking, completely off guard. He jumps, banging his knee hard on the underside of the table as he jerks his foot back towards himself. Their candles and champagne glasses rattle, but thankfully nothing tips over.

Daniel is struck dumb with horror, and he can’t tell if the move was supposed to be taken as a joke or not. Armand’s face remains frustratingly unreadable, but Daniel knows the truth of who he is underneath. He’s an ancient blood-sucking vampire with hundreds of thousand of kills to his name. He’s an evil creature, a manipulative liar with the face of an angel. He has a rich and complicated history that Daniel has barely even begun to scratch the surface of, and he has opinions and thoughts on everything. Armand is, without a doubt, the most interesting and entertaining person that Daniel has ever shared a dinner with.

There are still boundaries, however, and lines that Daniel will not cross. He safely tucks his legs back underneath his chair and safely out of Armand’s reach. He leans forward in his seat instead with his chin propped up over his clasped hands, assessing the vampire sitting passively opposite him. Armand does not apologise for, nor even acknowledge his actions, and the both of them continue as if it never happened. Silently, Armand’s eyes fall back down to Daniel’s book on the table.

“Will there be a tour?” He asks, effectively changing the topic. His voice, perhaps, slightly hopeful.

Daniel merely shrugs at him. “We’re not sure yet. I’ve got some initial signings arranged here in New York, and then some over in New Orleans, you know, because it features heavily in Louis’ story, but then it’s just a game of wait and see. If the book is successful enough, then yeah, I imagine a proper tour will follow. Why? You hoping to tag along? I’m sure the fans would love to meet you.”

Armand smiles bashfully and ducks his head, his thumb rubbing small circles into his wrist. It’s something that he does a lot, and that Daniel had noticed happening frequently in Dubai. Is it a nervous habit, a form of self-soothing, or something else entirely?

“If there is a tour, and you’d have me, of course, then I do think it’s best that I come along. You’d be a target for angry and vengeful vampires wishing to do you harm, and your exact location would be publicly advertised for all to see. It wouldn’t be hard at all for them to find you, but I could easily protect you if I were there.” He then looks up, his eyes big and earnest. “I’d also rather like the opportunity to sight-see with you. We could go to all of the art galleries and museums together. We’d have fun, I think. Wouldn’t you agree, Daniel?”

Daniel lets out a thoughtful and considering hum, scratching at his chin. He then picks up his glass and swirls the last of his champagne. “Yeah, maybe…” He says it slowly, beginning to think that Armand’s proposal might be a good idea after all, especially if he’s actually going to be in some kind of danger out there.

For now though, it’s not worth even thinking about it. The book might not even sell well enough to afford him that tour and, feeling rather bitter all of a sudden, Daniel drains the last of his glass. When he reaches for the champagne to top himself up he finds it annoyingly empty. He frowns. It seems the two of them had made their way through another entire bottle this evening, and Daniel had barely even noticed.

“Well, shit.” He grumbles. “How am I supposed to get another drink when everybody else has gone home for the night?”

He keeps forgetting about that funny little fact, that the restaurant is entirely empty and they’re here alone. How he hadn’t noticed is beyond him. He’s usually far more perceptive of things, but then again, Armand is an individual who requires your undivided attention. You take your eyes off him for one single second and you’re in serious trouble before you even know it. Or at least that’s the excuse that Daniel keeps telling himself.

“You wish for another drink?” Armand asks, his head titling and a stray curl of hair falling out of place which Daniel suddenly itches to push back again.

He doesn’t do that. Instead he just nods his head. “Yeah, one last drink before I go can’t hurt, can it?”

At that, Armand rises elegantly from his chair and comes to stand beside Daniel, looking down at him expectantly. It’s too easy to forget how tall Armand actually is sometimes, especially when he has this habit of making himself look so much smaller than he really is. Up close like this, Daniel can actually see the finer detailing of his clothing. His jacket buttons are a shiny black, and his white shirt has some intricately detailed stitching that creates a seemingly random but beautiful looking pattern. His bare chest is level with Daniel’s eyes, strong and muscular and incredibly alluring.

Daniel feels his throat going dry again when Armand makes this noise, and he finally lifts his eyes up to the vampire’s face, not that it’s any less devastating to look at. Soft skin with big eyes and pretty lashes. It’s no wonder that so many artists wanted to paint him. 

“Come, Daniel, let’s find you something to drink.” Armand says, a prideful smile to his voice that makes Daniel feel somewhat self-conscious about his own thoughts. Shit, has Armand been listening in this entire time?

If he has, he doesn’t mention it, instead reaching out for Daniel. For a second he thinks the vampire is about to hold his hand or something, but instead Armand just grabs the sleeve of his jacket and pulls him up by that. He then practically drags Daniel through the empty restaurant, weaving them around the bare tables with their chairs stacked upside down on their polished wooden surfaces. Most of the lights have been turned off, giving the space a creepy and liminal aura. There’s still enough light for them to see by though, as Armand walks them towards two big shiny silver doors.

“Hang on.” Daniel says as what must be the kitchens gets steadily closer and closer. “Are we about to steal?” He asks, shocked and incredulous but not entirely against the idea.

“Yes, we are.” Armand replies, grinning with his sharp and pointy teeth. “I do enjoy stealing on occasion. It’s far more fun than just buying something, and I used to do it all the time as a child, even when I had a purse full of coins. I would make it obvious sometimes, just for the thrill of the chase.” Armand laughs softly then, lost in a memory. “Nobody could ever catch me, Daniel. I was far too quick for them.”

Daniel finds himself laughing along with him, imaging a child-like Armand sprinting through the streets of ancient Venice with angry merchants yelling at him in rapid Italian as they tried to chase him down. It’s a ridiculous image, but funny nonetheless.

“You know, it sounds like you were a right rascal back in the day.” Daniel chuckles affectionately, smiling warmly and earnestly at Armand.

They’ve stopped at the doors now, and Armand pushes them open. Not locked. He looks back over his shoulder at Daniel and gives him a playful smirk.

“Whoever said I stopped being a ‘rascal', as you so gracefully put it?” He pointedly replies. “Clearly you don’t know me all that well, Daniel, so I must ask you start paying better attention from here on out.”

Daniel merely scoffs and rolls his eyes at him, but Armand is already disappearing into the complete and utter darkness of the kitchens, vanishing before his very eyes.

“I’m paying plenty enough attention to you already, asshole.” Daniel mumbles to himself, staring into the strangely compelling void in front of him, this endless black hole that he finds himself desperately wanting to follow Armand into.

He only manages to walk a few small steps before all of the lights come on, momentarily blinding him. Daniel shields his eyes with his arm, blinking furiously as he tries to adjust. Everything is silver surfaces and immaculately shiny appliances. It’s so very bright in here, far brighter than what the muted lighting of the restaurant had been.

“Here. I made your favourite.”

Daniel slowly lowers his arm and sees Armand standing before him, a filled martini glass in his curled hand. It’s exactly like the ones he’d served him in Dubai, and Daniel takes it gratefully.

“Thanks.” He replies, nodding before taking a small sip.

The flavour is immediate and perfect, tailored exactly to Daniel’s particular tastes. He hums lowly in satisfaction as the vampire beams back at him, clearly rather pleased with himself.

Armand then turns to look around the room, a thoughtful expression crossing his beautiful face. “Would you like for me to find you some dessert, Daniel?” He offers. “After all, you’ve only had the main course so far.”

It’s even more stealing, but fuck it, they’re already here after hours and Armand is a fucking vampire. Realistically, what’s actually stopping them? Armand was right, it is fun, so Daniel decides to continue on with their night. It’s not like he’s quite ready to go home yet anyway, not that he’s willing to admit it.

Instead, Daniel grins back at his unlikely and vampiric companion for the night. “Go on, then.” He urges him. “Find me a slice of that chocolate cake I read about in the reviews, the one that people claim is to die for. I have to know if it’s really as good as what they say it is.” 

Armand gives him a small bow of his head, his arms folded primly behind his back in a way that reminds Daniel of the vampire’s previous role as the fake Rashid. “Your wish is my command.” The real Armand replies, over enunciating and leaning into the act to make Daniel laugh.

It works, as Daniel chuckles fondly as he rolls his eyes. “Don’t be an ass!” He calls out as Armand starts to wander off, laughing musically to himself as he goes.

He stands and watches as the curious vampire sets about opening up various cupboards and drawers, both of them knowing that if there is any chocolate cake around, that it’ll be in the big industrial fridge on the other side of the room. Still, Armand is clearly enjoying himself as he noses around. He gives one of the blenders a quick whirl, the buzzing loud and echoing in the silence, and then pockets a little egg-timer for himself. Why he wants it, Daniel has no idea, but it’s oddly endearing nonetheless.

Rather than watching Armand like some kind of a creep, Daniel also decides to go for a little walk-about. He spies the noticeboard on the wall, negative reviews pinned up with little reminders to ‘do better’ and ‘work harder’. Daniel almost considers writing a critique of his own, purely because he knows it would end up on that wall someday. For now though, he pockets the idea for later, instead opening up some nearby drawers. He finds a few boring utensils, including what appears to be an electronic ice-cream scoop. Pressing the little button makes the silver spoon turn all on its own. He smiles to himself, having a feeling he knows a guy who would love this thing.

“Hey, catch!” Daniel calls, throwing the scoop across the room.

Armand snatches it effortlessly and easily out of the air, his long fingers curling around the handle. He tests it for himself and seems pleased, the scoop sneakily making its way into another one of his jacket pockets. Amused, Daniel leans back against a nearby countertop and continues to sip at his drink, smiling. Maybe inviting Armand on his book tour (if he gets one, that is) could be fun? They’re having a good time now, aren't they? Besides, what’s the worse that could happen? If Armand doesn’t kill Daniel himself, then there’s a good chance some other pissed off vampire would do it for him anyway. What’s that old saying? It’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

As Daniel’s quietly pondering away, Armand finally makes his way over to the big, stainless steel fridge. He opens up the door and the sudden gust of cool air blasts Daniel from all the way on the other side of the room. He shivers slightly, but Armand walks right on in, completely unperturbed by the chill. He returns a moment later carrying an entire, three tiered chocolate cake. Daniel has to laugh at the frankly ridiculous size of it, barely able to see Armand’s curly black hair over the top of the thick, creamy frosting.

He brings it on over to Daniel and places it down on the counter next to him, staring unblinkingly at the hugely chocolatey dessert. Daniel snorts and shakes his head. When did his life get so weird?

“Yeah, there’s no way I’m eating all that unless you want me to puke everywhere.” He scoffs, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Turning to the cake again, it’s a rich looking dark brown, layered high and stacked with plenty of chocolate flavoured frosting. Around the top is a ring of brilliant red strawberries nestled in little dollops of cream. It’s the most extravagant cake that Daniel has ever seen, and he can’t wait to taste it, his mouth watering already from the overly sweet smell alone.

“Here.” Armand says, producing a golden fork from one of his pockets. “Eat what you can. I’ll find you a box to take the rest home in.”

Then he wanders off again, back to his exploring. Daniel can’t wait another single second to try this cake, so he hops up onto the counter and dives straight in, not even bothering to cut himself a slice first. Why should he, when the entire cake is his? At the first bite he can’t help but moan out loud. The flavour is heavenly on his tongue, rich and smooth as he swallows it down. The texture is perfect too, soft and bouncy and easy to chew. He grins to himself, eagerly stabbing his fork straight back in for more.

He swallows and clears his throat, another question suddenly coming to mind. “Hey, Armand, have you heard from Louis at all? Since, you know…” Daniel trails off, waving his fork in an overarching gesture that he hopes encapsulates all of what had happened in Dubai.

Armand freezes with his hand halfway reaching up towards yet another cabinet. Daniel can tell he’s tense by the hard line of his shoulders, but regardless of how uncomfortable it makes him, Daniel has to know. Louis can be unpredictable at times, and he needs the help deciding if he should warn Louis before the book drops, or instead wait for him to simply see it on the shelves for himself.

“I believe he went to New Orleans to reunite with Lestat, but returned to Dubai alone.” Armand carefully answers. “He does not wish to talk to me, and I myself am also wholly unprepared to have that conversation at this current time.” 

Daniel nods, then asks, “Do you think he knows you’re here though? With me, I mean? Not just in New York.”

Armand shakes his head, and in doing so he comes back into motion, no longer a frozen statue. He finally opens the cabinet above him and begins to poke around inside, his head disappearing within. When he next talks, his voice comes out slightly muffled.

“No, Daniel, I made sure that he doesn’t. Louis would never approve of me being here with you, and he’d probably attempt to kill me if he suspected anything at all. Why, he’s almost as fond of you as I am.”

Daniel let out a disbelieving snort as he poked around at his chocolate cake, scooping up yet another mouthful. He chewed it thoughtfully as he considered the vampire’s words. Did he really believe that Armand was fond of him? Honestly, he wasn’t entirely sure anymore. Armand had hurt him in San Francisco, had even attempted to kill him but, thanks to Louis, Daniel had been spared. Fast forward to Dubai though, and everything’s suddenly different. Daniel tears down everything that Armand knows and loves, yet he still gets to walk away unscathed? Surely Louis’ threat to Armand wouldn’t have been enough to save him a second time?

It makes Daniel’s head hurt to think about it, a relentless throbbing at the back of his mind. He decides to focus on something else, something less painful and confusing.   

“Hey, you found a box yet?” Daniel calls out, quickly changing the subject. “I don’t think I can eat much more over here, man.”

He looks over to where Armand is standing in the middle of the kitchen with his arms folded and a small frown set between his vibrant eyes. The vampire gives the room one last slow scan until he spies something perched up above Daniel’s head. Stacked up on the mounted wall cabinets are a series of cardboard delivery boxes, the perfect thing for Daniel’s cake. Armand nods his head at them and Daniel cranes his head back to take a look for himself.

“Yeah, that’ll do. Grab me a stool and I’ll get one down.” Daniel requests, still looking up.

When he brings his head back down again he finds himself unexpectedly face-to-face with Armand. The guy moves quick and silent, which is both impressive and freaky. The vampire has managed to slot himself between Daniel’s legs where he’s perched on the counter, and he feels cool and solid. Daniel just stares, too in shock to say anything, when Armand begins to gently rise. Right, of course, the Cloud Gift. No stool required. It’s almost mind-breaking to witness a person straight up floating above the ground, but thankfully it isn’t the first time he’s seen Armand pull this trick.

“How’s the gravity up there?” Daniel jokes, moving his head to the side to avoid Armand’s crotch which is now level with his eyes. In fact, he’s quite proud of himself for just how studiously he’s managing to ignore it.

“It’s thinner, but lucky for me I don’t need to breath.” Armand replies, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a small smile as he gracefully reaches for a box and passes it down to Daniel.

Daniel takes it from him, and then Armand is lowering himself until his feet are planted firmly on the ground again. He picks up the cake on its big white plate and places it carefully inside of the box in Daniel’s hands. It’s the only thing between them now, and Daniel notices Armand looking inside at the cake almost wistfully. He feels himself softening under the weight of that expression, and their earlier conversation about Armand’s love for chocolate.

“Do you miss it?” Daniel asks him, his voice unusually soft.

In lieu of an answer, Armand, seemingly impulsively, reaches inside and plucks out a cream covered strawberry, dipping it in the chocolate frosting before popping it into his mouth. Daniel’s eyebrows shoot up, especially at the immediate grimace that screws up Armand’s perfect face. It can’t be pleasant, but the vampire forces himself to chew and swallow. When he is done, he looks revolted.

“No, I suppose I don’t miss the taste.” Armand begins to explain. “Blood is so intricately unique in its own way. There is plenty there to act as a substitute, a whole new world of flavour profiles to explore, but it’s all the same texture. Blood is thick and liquid. I miss things that are chewy, or crunchy, or soft or tough, I miss-”

Daniel was trying to focus, he really was, but he gets a little distracted by the small blob of white cream on the corner of Armand’s cupid mouth. He knows it would taste absolutely foul if the vampire were to accidentally lick his lips, so he’s just doing the guy a favour by reaching out and wiping it away with his thumb. Armand stops mid-sentence, caught entirely by surprise, as his orange eyes go all big and wide, looking a lot like a deer caught in the headlights. Daniel merely gives an apologetic shrug and holds up his thumb as a silent explanation, trying not to freak out by what he’d unthinkingly just done.

“Sorry.” He offers. “It was distracting me a little, that was all. But do go on, I interrupted you.”

Then, even more stupidly, he sucks the cream from off of his thumb, nodding at Armand to continue as if everything was perfectly normal. Like a rebooting robot, Armand blinks rapidly a few times before coming back to life. He doesn’t finish what he was saying though, instead he silently folds up the lid of Daniel’s cake box before taking it and sliding it onto the counter next to them. His face is blank and unreadable, and Daniel’s starting to get a little nervous. 

Then, in one fluid movement, Armand slides himself back between Daniel’s spread legs, not stopping until they’re pressed chest to chest. One of the vampire’s hands curls itself softly around the back of Daniel’s nape as the other settles over his hip. His long and elegant fingers bury themselves into Daniel’s grey curls as he tilts the mortal’s head back just enough to gently slot their lips together. Armand feels cold everywhere they’re touching, and it makes Daniel shiver as he delights in all of the new sensations. He kisses Armand back, truly enjoying it, until it suddenly hits him exactly what, and who, he’s kissing. He firmly pushes Armand away by a hand on his chest.

“Armand, we… we can’t.” Daniel whispers, knowing that it’s wrong, that it’s all wrong. 

Respectfully, Armand takes a step back and nods his head. “I’m sorry.” He says. “It won’t happen again, I promise. Please don’t allow it to compromise your decision making when it comes to me joining you on your book tour. I know you don’t think you’re going to get one, but I’m confident in you, Daniel. Your book will be a best seller, I just know it, and I want to be there with you. There’s so much still for me to learn.”

Daniel sighs, scrubbing a hand down his tired and weary face. He’s not sure what he wants, only knowing that his lips are still tingling from their shared kiss. He shakes his head and decides that he’s had too much to drink, and he’ll seriously mull over Armand’s offer in the morning once he’s sobered up and his head has cleared. 

“I think, what I want for now is… to go home, Armand. Please.” Daniel slowly requests, his mind still spinning and reeling from the strangeness of the night.

The vampire gives him a sad yet understanding nod, turning away and looking just as uncomfortable as Daniel felt. He finds himself wanting to apologise, but whatever for? It was Armand who’d kissed him, not the other way around, and he was well within his rights to have rejected him. It still stings though, and Daniel is left feeling like an asshole as he slides off the shiny kitchen counter and grabs his boxed up cake.

“Uh, lead the way?” He prompts when Armand doesn’t seem to want to move. He’s just standing there, frozen in place, and it’s more than just a little unnerving. 

Armand blinks and suddenly he swiftly turns on his heels and quickly leads them back through into the main area of the restaurant, Daniel having to jog to keep up with him. He takes them to their table first, where Armand snatches up his stolen copy of Daniel’s book. Then he walks them over to the elevators, but when he presses a button, nothing happens. Of course, the restaurant is closed for the night, and nobody’s supposed to be up here. 

“We’re not stuck, are we?” Daniel asks, glancing skeptically at Armand out of the corner of his eye.

He really doesn’t feel like taking the stairs, but thankfully Armand is looking more like himself again, elegantly poised with Daniel’s book tucked safely underneath his arm. He gives Daniel a small, secret smile, before reaching out and pressing his palm flat against the shiny control panel. His orange eyes begin to tremble as the numbers above the doors slowly start to rise.

“No way.” Daniel says. “No fucking way. Are you seriously lifting that thing right now? How much has that got to weigh, at least a tonne, right?”

Armand seems to be preening under Daniel’s awe as he proudly explains himself. “It’s less that I’m lifting the elevator itself, and more that I’m turning the cogs and gears to lift it for me. A younger vampire would struggle with the immense amount of focus and concentration required to achieve such a feat. Simply, they would not be able to do it.”

Daniel smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah?” He asks, playfully nudging their shoulders together. “But let me guess, for you it’s easy?”

Just then there’s an electronic pinging noise as the doors slide open, the interior lights of the elevator flickering on. Armand gestures for Daniel to step inside first.

Daniel gives him a glare before moving. “Don’t you dare drop us.” He warns, then gingerly takes a step inside.

Thankfully the elevator seems to be holding just fine, even as Armand steps in next to him. He then presses his hand flat against the interior controls, and this time the elevator gradually began its decent back down towards the ground floor. How high up were they again? According to the flashing numbers above the doors, somewhere in the high forties.

“The restaurant was on the fifty-second floor.” Armand suddenly speaks up, breaking the silence. “Which also happens to be the top floor of this particular building.”

Daniel should remind him to stay out of his head. Instead he rolls his eyes and mutters, “Show-off.”

He catches a tiny smile on Armand’s lips before turning his focus back to watching the numbers steadily counting down to zero. He’ll feel much better once they’re on solid ground and he’s no longer having to rely on the powers of a mostly untrustworthy vampire to keep him from plummeting to his death in a small metal container. He also decides that it’s best to keep his mouth shut instead of continuing to distract Armand. Better leave him to concentrate on the important task at hand, Daniel thinks. 

A short but tense moment later the elevator doors finally open up on the ground floor. The lobby area is mostly deserted, which isn’t surprising considering the time. There’s just a couple of security guards standing about, a cleaner polishing the marble floors, and a businessman talking on his phone. They silently cross through to the revolving doors, and step outside into the cool night air. Daniel sighs out a breath of relief, grateful for the solid concrete beneath his feet. Surrounding them are the relentless noises of passing cars and honking horns. New York truly is the city that never sleeps.

Daniel glances around and spots a yellow cab a little further down the street heading in their direction. He goes to stick his hand out to wave it down when Armand calls him over instead.

“This way.” Armand doesn’t raise his voice, but Daniel can still hear him perfectly over the din of the traffic.

Turning around, Daniel sees a big black shiny limousine pulling up on the curb right next to Armand. The driver gets out, bows his head, and then goes to hold open the back door. Armand climbs in first and, when Daniel doesn’t appear to follow, he pokes his head back out again.

“Are you not coming?” He asks, with only slight impatience.

Daniel shakes his head in disbelief before deciding he may as well get in. He passes the cake over to Armand who puts it down carefully on one of the many spare seats, and then Daniel clambers in himself. The interior is all dark leather and black carpeting. There are also bright strips of LED lighting on the ceiling giving out an eery red glow, while the windows are covered in shadow.

Behind him the driver closes the door, and instantly the sounds of the busy city fall silent. It must have soundproofing then, and Daniel can’t help but wonder if it’s for the simple sake of some peace of quiet, or so that nobody outside can hear Armand draining his victims from within? He shudders at the thought, but by this point he’s fairly certain that he isn’t next. Armand seems to genuinely want to keep him alive.

“This is nice.” Daniel comments instead, studiously not thinking about how many people may or may not have died here as he takes a seat opposite the vampire.

Armand smiles over at him, one of his hands running appreciatively over the upholstery. “Thank you, Daniel. I designed it myself.”

Suddenly the limo rumbles to life and starts to drive. Daniel frowns.

“I didn’t give the driver my address.” He says, looking to Armand for an explanation.

“No.” He replies. “I did. I always intended on taking you home tonight, Daniel.”

There was an implication there, one which made Daniel shiver. He couldn’t think about it though, not what it meant, and certainly not any more about that damned kiss. Daniel was definitely not thinking about Armand’s hand in his hair, or how the other had curled its way around his hip and pulled him closer. He wasn’t sitting there comparing it to all of the other kisses he’d ever had, and how that one had been so much better than any before it. He wasn’t regretting breaking it off, and he wasn’t thinking about all the other ways tonight could have gone if he hadn’t. 

He coughed and shifted in his seat, feeling Armand’s piercing eyes on him. He quickly turned his mind in another direction, asking, “So, uh, New York, huh? Must be a perfect hub for vampires, right? Like New Orleans was for Louis?”

Armand crosses one long leg over the other as he settled further into his seat. “Yes.” He agreed. “It is. Although, since my arrival, their numbers have been dwindling. The smart ones would have fled upon sensing one as ancient as myself in the city. As for the rest, the more rebellious, I am… taking care of them, shall we say.”

So he was killing them. Good to know. Daniel had so many more questions and, wonderfully, Armand was happy to answer. They discussed all the best hunting spots, where to hide or destroy bodies, safe places for vampires to rest during the day, all the activities that Armand could enjoy during the night and, for some reason, his love of riding the subway. The awkward tension from the earlier kiss in the kitchens was completely gone now, and they were once again free to enjoy the surprisingly easy company that the other provided.

Or they would be, if only Daniel could stop thinking about that damn kiss, and the hypnotic way that Armand sometimes spoke with his hands when he was excited about something, or that stray black curl falling in front of his big orange eyes, or the tight cut of his suit, or the open neck of his shirt and the strong dark chest lurking underneath and-

When they finally pulled up outside of his apartment building, Daniel knew that he was fucked. He wouldn’t act on it though, he couldn’t. It’d be wrong. Armand was a murderous, lying, manipulative vampire, and the fact that Daniel had come to learn that he apparently rather enjoyed his company meant nothing. If he crossed that line then he wouldn’t just be betraying Louis, but his own morals as well. He had to be better than that dumb kid he’d been all those years ago in San Francisco.

“Here we are, Daniel.” Armand said, dragging him out of his swirling thoughts of the past and back into the present. 

Daniel nodded in understanding as he tried to peer out of the dark window to see his apartment building standing tall on the other side. He wasn’t ready for this night to end yet, and the feeling that he was running out of time was looming over him like a black shadow. Wasn’t there any way for him to prolong this for just a little bit longer? To stretch these last precious few hours into their own little eternity?

“You sense any trouble out there?” He asked, glancing at Armand. “Any vampires or cake stealing thieves I should know about before I go?”

Armand narrowed his eyes at Daniel, tilting his head curiously. It was kinda cute, actually, not that Daniel was noticing it or anything.

“No.” Armand replied, his dulcet tone now laced with a hint of suspicion. “It’s perfectly safe, Daniel.”

Daniel nodded, biting on his lower lip as he thought. “Okay, sure.” He said. “But you probably should come up with me though, just in case, yeah? I could use a hand with the doors anyway, you know, with the cake and all.”

The corner of Armand’s mouth quirked up into a small, pleased smile. “I’d be more than happy to accompany you, Daniel, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

With that, the two of them climbed out of the limousine together, Armand walking ahead to hold open the door of the building for Daniel who was carrying the cake. Once inside, Armand started to head toward the elevators, but Daniel called him back to the stairwell. 

“They’re broken.” He explained. “Have been for weeks.”

It was five flights of stairs until they reached Daniel’s floor, and although he wasn’t breathless, his old joints, especially his knees, were protesting against the effort. Once outside the door to his apartment, Daniel shoved the cake into Armand’s arms as he fished around in his pocket for his keys.

“Damn landlord.” Daniel grumbled. “We’ve all been complaining, but he just doesn’t care. Claims it would be too expensive to fix, and that he’d have to put up all our rent to compensate. What bullshit, eh?”

Armand hums in agreement and, with a huff, Daniel pushes open the door to his home and steps inside, leaving it wide open for Armand to follow him in, which he does. Daniel then flicks on a nearby switch and his living room and open kitchen all light up with a soft, artificial glow.

“I could always talk to your landlord.” Armand kindly offered, taking in the room with his big, orange eyes. “I have a feeling that he’d listen to me.” 

At hearing that, Daniel lets out a loud bark of amusement. “You’d threaten him then, is that what you mean?” He corrects, leading Armand over towards the kitchen.

He walks up to his fridge and opens it up, shifting some things around to make enough space for the cake. He senses Armand hovering closely over his shoulder, clearly interested in what kinds of food Daniel keeps inside. It’s nothing fancy really, just the basics. He’s actually due to go grocery shopping tomorrow to stock himself back up again.

Once he’s cleared an adequate spot, Daniel steps aside and lets Armand slide the cake into its new rightful place. Then he gently closes the door and they stand staring at one another in a tense and uncertain silence, the apartment around them humming with the low frequency of various electronics held on standby while an upstairs a neighbour is heard watching a muffled TV. Out on the street distant cars go rumbling by. 

Armand is the first to break the silence. “Well, Daniel. I best be leaving you-”

Daniel doesn’t think. He just grabs Armand by the smooth lapels of his fancy red suit and smashes their lips together. It’s clumsy and uncoordinated and so very unlike their first kiss, but twice as heavenly. Armand is clawing at him possessively as Daniel drags him in by his slender hips, a cold body pressed against warm. Armand is practically melting against him, radiating happiness, yet Daniel’s conscience is screaming at him to stop. This is wrong, this is all so very wrong. Armand is an ancient vampire, he’s a ruthless killer who looks younger than both of his daughters, a monster with the face of an angel… but Daniel doesn’t care, can’t find the will to care, not when Armand feels so utterly perfect against him, as if they were made for each other.

Armand moves them both until he has Daniel pressed up against the fridge, the metal door cold against his back, the vampire even colder against his front. He gasps against Armand’s hungry and claiming mouth in surprise, still clutching him close and stubbornly refusing to ever let him go.

Reluctantly, Armand pulls back just enough to ask, “I thought you said we couldn’t?” Looking up at him coyly through his dark and pretty eyelashes.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t.” Daniel agrees, nodding his head and pausing to press another kiss against Armand’s soft, cold lips. “We absolutely shouldn’t.”

Armand grins at him before firmly slotting himself back up against Daniel, one hand on his hip and the other curling against his neck. He then licks his tongue into Daniel’s hot mouth, running it along his blunt, mortal teeth. Daniel barely resists the urge to bite by getting one of his hands on Armand’s ass and using it to press the vampire down against the knee he’d discreetly wedged between his long and slender legs. The gasp that Armand lets out in response is delightfully sinful, and Daniel desperately wishes that he could bottle it up and preserve it forever, a keepsake just for him.

Suddenly there comes a loud and echoing bang, one that violently rattles the entire room. Daniel almost jumps out of his skin, but Armand is still holding him tight. He turns his head towards the source, to where his apartment door, having been left wide open, has now slammed itself shut, or rather Armand has merely flexed those impressive vampiric powers of his to give them both some privacy from Daniel’s nosey and gossiping neighbours.

“Fuck.” Daniel chuckles nervously, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Armand’s. “You almost gave me a heart attack there, babe.”

Armand smiles innocently and tilts his head up to press another chaste kiss to Daniel’s lips, already spit-shiny and red. “My apologies, Daniel, but I can’t wait any longer.”

Daniel can feel exactly how desperate Armand is, the solidness of his cock pressing up against his thigh. He shudders as his hands find Armand’s hips again. Maybe a stronger man would’ve been able to walk away, but Daniel is not that man, not today at least. 

He nods his head, his nose brushing against Armand’s. “No, no, you’re staying. You’re staying right here with me, okay?” Daniel whispers, tightening his grip on the vampire in his arms. “I mean, it’s a bad idea, but fuck it, right?”

Armand’s response is to smile something unfairly graceful and feline. He takes a step back then, peeling Daniel’s hands from off his waist and holding them tightly in his own.

“I take it you have a bed?” He asks, already tugging Daniel in the right direction. “Because I’d very much like to fuck you now.”

In lieu of a response, Daniel surges towards him, grabbing his face in his hands and kissing him with a fervent passion. They both stumble into the hallway together as Daniel gets Armand up against the wall, their kiss still unbroken. He can feel Armand grinning against him, and then he’s been shoved up against the opposite wall, the vampire’s hands cold and strong against his body. They continue like that, back and forth, until finally Armand gets Daniel through the doorway and into his bedroom where he goes tumbling backwards onto the bed.

Daniel stares up at Armand, propped up on his elbows as he watches the vampire steadily approaching, his orange eyes glowing eerily yet beautifully in the gloom of his darkened room. Armand moves like a predator, and Daniel has never felt more like prey in his entire life. With a lazy flick of one of his elegant hands, Armand causes the blinds to rattle shut, and the bedside lamps to flicker on with an unnatural buzz. He towers over Daniel, no less monstrous in the light than in the dark, as he silently starts to undress, shaking off his jacket and dumping it onto the floor. Daniel decides to quickly follow suit.

They strip themselves of their jackets and shirts, and then Daniel’s hands are flying to the buckle of his belt as Armand goes for Daniel’s shoes, deftly untying the laces and then removing them along with his socks. Lastly, Daniel lifts up his hips to free the belt from his loops, and as soon as he has, Armand is grabbing Daniel’s trousers and pulling them down and away, leaving him in only his underwear.

Daniel flops back down onto the bed, lazily palming at his straining cock as he watches Armand removing the rest of his own clothing. Slowly, piece by piece, more of his toned and lusciously dark skin is revealed to him. Armand is perfectly smooth and unblemished, as only a vampire can be, with a smattering of fine hairs across his chest and down towards his groin. Finally, Armand pulls off his tight black boxers and his hard cock leaps free, curving up elegantly towards his flat stomach. Daniel can feel his mouth going dry as his own cock throbs with a desperate want beneath his palm.

Armand raises a cocky eyebrow at him. “Speechless, Daniel? How very unlike you.” He teases, crawling onto the bed on all fours like a cat.

He makes his way slowly and sensually up the length of Daniel’s body until he can lean down and capture his lips in yet another heavenly kiss, stealing away any witty reply that may have been on the tip of his tongue. Then he starts kissing his way back down again, worshipping Daniel with his skilled and pretty mouth. He kisses and nips at his neck, across his shoulders and over his chest, pausing to lavish at his nipples until Daniel is keening, and then down his stomach until he reaches the waistband of Daniel’s boxers, the front already wet with arousal.

Armand then mouths over the dampening bulge in Daniel’s boxers, making the mortal shiver with need as he nudges his  aquiline nose against his hard cock. He’s teasing Daniel, drawing the experience out, delighting in every single noise or spasm of twitching muscles that he can drag out from the other man.

“Christ, Armand, please.” Daniel chokes out, desperately fighting not to buck up his hips as his hands screw tightly into the sheets below.

Armand lets out a warm laugh as he sits back on his knees, straddling Daniel’s legs and curving his elegant fingers into the waistband of his boxers, finally pulling them down for him. Daniel’s aching cock springs free, slapping heavily against his soft belly and leaving behind an obscene wet smear. A relived groan punches out of him, and Daniel stares open-mouthed up at the ceiling, Armand soon reappearing in his field of view. He looks like an angel haloed by the muted light of the lamps, his hair falling in soft, dark curls around his youthful face.

“Are you alright, Daniel?” Armand asks, his brows furrowing deeply in concern. “You appear tense. Is something wrong?”

Daniel hadn’t really noticed before, but now that Armand was pointing it out he supposed it was true. He felt all of his deepest insecurities and doubts flooding to the forefront of his mind, and he had to close his eyes against the sudden onslaught of emotions. Taking a deep breath, Daniel tried to gather himself.

“I’m fine.” He assured. “It’s just been a while, you know? I’ve not really felt like putting myself out there since the Parkinson’s, and it’s been even longer since… well, I honestly can’t even remember the last time I did it with another guy. Then along you come, and you look like that.” He waves a hand in Armand’s overall direction. “It’s just a lot to contend with, isn’t it?”

Armand looks down at his own body as if seeing it for the very first time, and his frown only deepens. He shakes his head and returns his gaze to that of Daniel.

“Nonsense. You’re perfection, Daniel, and I like the way you look well enough. I much prefer the warm softness of you to the cold and unchanging feeling of my own ageless body. I could quite happily lay here with you for the rest of eternity, I think.” Armand replied, smiling as he lowered his head unit it was resting atop the soft swell of Daniel’s stomach.

His long hands then curve up towards Daniel’s chest, kneading the sagging flesh there as he nuzzled against the other man’s tummy like a cat trying to get comfortable. It makes Daniel snort with amusement, his self-consciousness fairly eased as their legs tangle together. He brings his arms up and wraps them around Armand’s slender middle, just holding him close and enjoying the solid weight of the vampire resting over him. 

Daniel then finds himself having to blink away the unexpected embarrassment of tears brewing up behind his eyes. “Uh-huh, yeah, very kind of you to say.” He mumbles, nowhere near as poetic with his words as Armand, despite him being the actual published and professional writer between the two of them.

In all honesty, Daniel wasn’t used to this. Gooey words and talk of feelings made him squirm with discomfort as he never knew what the right thing to say was. As a journalist he was highly skilled at getting other people to open up to him, but he wasn’t very good at doing it himself. He’d been able to tell his wives that he’d loved them (even during the phases when he hadn’t), and he could easily tell somebody that they looked beautiful, but anything beyond that just felt like too much, too raw. Instead he kept it all bottled up inside of him, safe where nobody else could hear his innermost thoughts and feelings.

Armand smiled against his skin. “I can hear you, Daniel. I can hear everything, remember?”

Daniel felt himself tensing, afraid of what Armand might know. “Y-Yeah?” He asked. “Then what am I thinking about right now?”

Armand pushed himself upright until he was kneeling over Daniel and straddling his waist. He titled his pretty head to the side, orange eyes unblinking, and Daniel swore that he could feel the vampire’s probing fingers deep inside of his head, stroking along his grey matter. He tried to blank out his mind to give the little devil a challenge, instead thinking only of how hard and aching he was, which wasn’t actually very difficult with how incessant his throbbing need currently felt between his legs.

He saw a triumphant flash of Armand’s pearly white fangs as the vampire leant in even closer, his breath cool against Daniel’s flushed face. “You want me to hurry up and fuck you, which is rather predictable, don’t you think, Daniel? Ah, but what’s this? You’re also thinking about how much you should hate me, but how little you actually do! You’re wondering when it happened, this change in you? When did I stop being your enemy? When did I become your friend? You’re ashamed too, of how much you want me, and of just how much you enjoyed snuggling with a dead thing. That’s okay, Daniel, I enjoyed snuggling with you, too, and I also know what else you’re feeling. How fond you’ve become of me, for example, and many other flattering things that cross your mind when you look at me. So sweet, the words you’re too afraid to say out loud, but know that I hear them, Daniel, that I hear you.”

Daniel sucked in a sharp breath. Had he ever truly hated Armand? He didn’t think so. Daniel had certainly felt a lot of things toward the vampire, but none of them had even come remotely close to that of a true, burning hatred. Fear, yes, he’d definitely been afraid of him at times, but no, he’d never actually been revolted by Armand, even when he’d been his enemy. Armand had always been an adversary, someone to challenge and to dissect. It’d been fun to expose his lies in Dubai, and in San Francisco there had even been shameful moments when all he’d felt had been a hopeless and ravening desire, despite the consent threat of death looming over his head. 

The thing was that he’d worked Armand out a long time ago, and the vampire’s motivations were actually rather simple. He wanted to be wanted, but he didn’t want to be perceived as weak. He hated to be alone and he craved companionship more than anything else in the world. Armand was someone who needed to be in control, but he didn’t want to be in charge. He was, to put it plainly, a wonderfully uncomplicated puzzle of self-contradictions, and Daniel had never met anyone more interesting in his long career of meeting self-proclaimed ‘interesting’ people.

Armand was unblinking as he stared down at him with his mouth hanging open. He was even trembling slightly, and Daniel realised that the vampire must have heard all of that. He shyly averted his eyes, a blush rising to his mortal cheeks.

“You know me, Daniel. You see me as I cannot see myself. This is why I need you, why I must stay and learn from you. I believe you’re the one to help my find what it is that I’m seeking. My purpose in my never-ending existence.” Armand whispered, the quiet seemingly fragile between them.

He then brought his wrist up to his fanged mouth, cutting easily through the skin and letting the rich blood flow. Daniel can only stare as Armand slicks up his own fingers, coating them throughly until they’re dripping onto the sheets, crimson dots splattering against the pure white below.

Silently, Daniel reaches out and takes Armand’s delicate and bleeding wrist between his own much larger hands, bringing it down towards his mouth. He latches on, suckling like a babe as the honey sweet flavour of Armand’s blood coats his dry throat. He swallows it down and lets the golden warmth fill him back up again. It makes his eyes roll into the back of his skull as the blood continues to pour out against the rough pallet of his tongue.

Fuelled by the blood, Daniel opens up his mind to Armand, surprised by how easy it is to do. “Perhaps I’m what you’ve been seeking?” He asks, his mouth full. “Maybe this is your purpose?”

His eyes reopen and he catches a series of rapid blinks from Armand, but Daniel has no idea what he’s thinking, his own mind remaining stubbornly closed to him. Instead, Daniel moans wantonly around the blood and torn skin in his mouth. He can feel the thickness of it dribbling out and down his chin and neck, making a disgusting red mess of himself. Daniel isn’t a believer in fate, or religion, or any higher powers, but he wonders if something keeps drawing the two of them together? Over and over again they keep crossing paths. First in San Francisco, then Dubai, and now in New York. What is the Universe trying to tell them, if anything at all?

Armand lets out a small, thoughtful hum, taking his wrist back from Daniel’s mouth. He then grabs one of Daniel’s legs and hoists it over his bare and slender shoulder. It’s terribly vulnerable and exposing, being opened up so brazenly before this monstrous creature, but Armand only gazes down at him with the most pure awe and devouring hunger. He then turns his head slightly to the side and presses a small kiss to the bone of Daniel’s delicate ankle, such a sweet and innocent gesture.

“You think us made for each other, is that it?” Armand muses aloud, reaching his hand down and probing gently at Daniel’s entrance. “Maybe you’re right. We are continuously drawn to one another, are we not? But how cruel of God, to deliver me such a perfect companion, yet to have that companion be mortal?”

Daniel gasped, letting out stuttering breathes as Armand finally pushes one of his long and slender fingers deep inside of him. His own wrinkled hands twist in the bedsheets as he desperately tries to force himself to relax. It’d been far too long since Daniel had last done this, and now here Armand is, practically lighting him up from the inside out with such delicate skill and care.

“Fuck, man, I don’t know what this is. Maybe we’re made to punish each other, you ever think about it that way?” Daniel somehow manages to reply, his voice straining around his pleasure as Armand brushes up against all of the right places that make his nerves sing in a chorus of jubilation.

Armand pauses, titling his head. “A punishment?” He echos. “No, Daniel, you’re not a punishment. You’re a gift to me from Louis. A cruel gift, maybe, but a gift nonetheless. You’re too beautiful to be anything else.”   

Daniel could feel himself losing the thread of their conversation, but who could blame him when Armand was currently knuckle deep inside of him, caressing him like he was something precious? It was impossible that he’d woken up this morning in the firm and unwavering belief that Armand was the primary antagonist in his life, and now here he was bringing the vampire up to his apartment after a… a what? A fucking dinner date? Was that what tonight had become?

“C’mon, man.” Daniel whined. “Are you always this talkative during sex? Just focus on the task at hand, yeah? Please?”

Armand narrowed his eyes and expertly crooked his finger until he had Daniel seeing stars. He cried out as Armand pressed up against his prostate, his lantern eyes wide and calculating. Daniel’s heel was digging into the vampire’s cold, marble-like shoulder, but he refused to be moved. It really was as if he’d suddenly turned to stone, hard and unyielding to the shocks of pleasure coursing violently through Daniel’s veins like a burning wildfire.

“Armand, Armand, please!” Daniel begged, crying out as he tried to grind himself down on the vampire’s finger, anything more than just his perfectly still and unmoving hand steadily driving him insane. 

Finally Armand pulled away from his prostate, and Daniel fell slack, all of his strings suddenly cut loose. He heaved for a breath he’d barely had the chance to catch before Armand was pushing a second finger inside of him. Daniel’s gasps turning into whines at the old yet familiar sensation of the burning stretch, realising he was so tight that it was almost embarrassing.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have allowed yourself to fall so out of practice then, Daniel.” Armand teased, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a playful smile.

Daniel laughed, he couldn’t help himself. “Oh, fuck you, man. You really are evil, you know that, right?”

Yes, Armand was something truly evil. He was a terrible person who did terrible things, and that included sometimes doing those very same things to Daniel. He was also, unfortunately, currently furrowing his brow in a way that made him look downright adorable and Daniel just… stared at him for a moment. Armand was being so very diligent and careful with him, prepping him in such a way that it wouldn’t hurt. Maybe evil wasn’t the right word for Armand after all? He was far more complicated than that, a guy who was capable of doing both right and wrong. Did that make him so different to anyone else in this world, and was it really all that bad if Daniel still wanted it? Still wanted him?

Armand gently withdrew his fingers. “You’re ready now.” He said, leaning forward to kiss him again.

Daniel kissed him back, and then muttered a silent curse to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. He was nervous all of a sudden, just like he’d been the first time he’d ever let another man fuck him. He was far from being a blushing virgin, but he was old, damn it, and his body wasn’t quite what it used to be. Parkinson’s was wrecking his system and sapping him of his strength. Could he even take it anymore? Was it going to hurt this time?

He’d been so distracted that he’d missed Armand lining himself up, kneeling over Daniel in all of his naked glory. His skin was so dark and smooth, glistening slightly under the orange lamplight of the room. His cock was elegantly curved, hard and dribbling beads of bright red blood. He was impossibly beautiful, a renaissance painting come to life, only Armand had actually posed for such paintings in the past. He was simply a renaissance painting that had never died. 

Armand had a hand braced around his cock and was about to push in when Daniel’s hand flew out to catch his wrist and stop him. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as Armand looked up at him in sudden concern, eyes wide and almost a little scared.

“I, uh…” Daniel stammered shyly, clearing his throat before trying again. “I’m trusting you with this, okay? So just…be gentle with me, yeah?”

Armand’s face softened as he nodded his assent. “I’ll be careful, Daniel, I promise.” He said, before bending down and kissing Daniel again, sliding their lips together to seal his conviction.

Daniel felt himself relaxing, and that was when Armand took the opportunity to finally push his way inside of him. Daniel’s immediate reaction was to tense, but Armand cooed at him until he went lax once more, and the vampire was able to continue sliding in with ease. It didn’t take long until Armand was settled all the way in, bottoming out with Daniel feeling so very deliciously full, almost fit to bursting.

“Daniel.” Armand spoke to him firmly. “I’m going to start moving now.” He warned.

“Wait, wait!” Daniel yelped, his eyes flying open in a panic. “Just… give me a fucking second, yeah? Oh, don’t look at me like that. C’mere, you.”

He grabbed Armand’s face in his hands and dragged him down until they were entirely pressed together, kissing and licking into his cool mouth. Armand sighed happily, and Daniel took the opportunity to adjust to the feeling of the vampire inside of him, the knots in his muscles steadily unwinding. For an ancient and powerful being who had to be at least six foot tall, he felt so incredible small and delicate in Daniel’s arms, almost like a baby bird.

Daniel then rolled them over until they were both of their sides and facing each other. Armand couldn’t sink in as deeply as he could before, but this felt far more comfortable for Daniel. The burning stretch in his hole also didn’t feel as prominent anymore with his body having finally adjusted.

“Okay.” He whispered. “This is better. You can move now.

Armand’s bright and clever eyes searched his own for any last signs of discomfort and, when he saw none at all, he gently began to roll his hips. Daniel quickly found that he had to close his eyes against the sight and sensations surrounding him. It was simply too much with Armand so very close to him, all around and inside of his aging body. His expressions were too soft and adoring, and the way he moved far too caring for Daniel to handle. This wasn’t how enemies fucked, no, this was how lovers fucked.

Daniel was mortifyingly embarrassed. How had he’d allowed for this to happen, to permit himself to sink so deep into the well of Armand’s companionship after just one night? He could feel Armand nuzzling against him, their noses pressed together, lips sliding in and out of adoring kisses. Then the vampire was licking up Daniel’s tears because apparently he was crying, and he’d never cried during sex before, and this entire thing had gotten so wildly out of hand, and it was all happening so fast, and-

“I’m getting close.” Armand warned him, his voice somehow composed even as he shook and trembled against Daniel’s body. “Here, allow me.”

His hand then reached down and wrapped around Daniel’s cock. It wasn’t warm like a human hand should be, but cold like something lifeless and long dead. He stroked Daniel, enveloping him in his preternatural nature, and bringing him cresting over the edge.

Daniel cried out as he came, burying his head into the crook of Armand’s neck and clamping down on his shoulder, his skin impossibly hard and unbreakable. He wanted to get his teeth into him, to tear through to the delicious blood pumping sluggishly underneath, but he knew that he couldn’t with his useless, mortal teeth. The bite clearly did something for Armand though, whose whole body suddenly twitched and spasmed as he came inside of Daniel, filling him up with bloody spend.

Then they were both still and quiet. Even the sounds of his apartment, neighbours, and the world outside had fallen deathly silent. It was like they were the only two people left in the world, yet there was a familiarity to it that Daniel couldn’t quite place. A sensation of deja vu, like he’d been here before, but that wasn’t possible. As soon as the sensation had come, however, it was gone again, and Daniel couldn’t remember why he’d been so confused in the first place.

He cleared his throat. “Look, the sun is going to be up real soon, and I know it won’t actually kill you, or whatever, but if you’d prefer to stay here then you can, okay? Choice is yours.” Daniel offered, resolutely staring up at the ceiling, a soft blush decorating his cheeks.

Armand shifted next to him, coming to rest his head of curly black hair over Daniel’s shoulder. “I’ll stay.” He yawned, nuzzling against him and slinging an arm over Daniel’s waist, holding him close. “I’ll stay for as long as you’ll have me.”

‘Oh.’ Daniel thought. ‘And what if I said I’d have you forever? Then what would you do?’

But there was no response from the sleeping Armand, and Daniel really was very tried after a long night out, so he closed his eyes and drifted off. Just before he fell into oblivion, however, he heard another voice in the room with him, one that sounded suspiciously like his younger self.

“Be careful.” It warned him. “Because this time he might just keep you.”