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rainbowcarousels · 11 months

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Somewhat late but have some WIP Wednesday as kicked off by @desertfangs!

(In which Lestat has been staying at Trinity Gate and the bed pile is currently literal)

"Do you really not know why?" Daniel's voice was barely audible, but the fact he chose to speak audibly at all was a testement to his enduring humanity. Not unlike Louis in that regard. "He's doing what he always does with you - he's waiting."

How could Armand possibly be waiting? It was Lestat who uprooted himself from his courtly duties and his life to ease a transition in his relationship, to give reassurance that just because Louis would be coming back with him - and he would be coming back with him - that didn't mean that things had to change for the worse. If Armand could commit himself to living with them, then all of this could easily be solved. Daniel still had his own quarters! Armand had been decorating his own. If anyone was waiting, it was him!

"He doesn't always wait on me," Lestat replied, trying to keep his mouth as still as possible. He rolled over so his hands were on Armand's stomach, his chin resting on them so he could get a better look at Armand's only fledgling.

"He waited in Paris," Daniel replied, shifting ever so slightly on the pillow. Armand's hair, grown back in the night, was obscuring part of his face but he didn't seem to mind. "He waited in New Orleans. They both waited here. Waiting for you is practically a love language."

"Ah, but I am here!" Lestat carefully moved his hand, aware that if Daniel was awake, Louis would soon follow too. Armand was either faking it dilligently or had truly decided he was happy to go back to sleep esconfused in a loving fug. "What is there to wait on?"

"You to realise that you didn't come here to take Louis back," Daniel pointed out, straining a little to look at him.

"Then do tell me, what did I come here for?" Lestat asked. "Since you're apparently more in tune with my motivations than I am."

The temptation to traipse into Daniel's mind and find out what was going on when he didn't answer right away was buzzing under his skin. What exactly had the intrepid boy reporter supposedly stumbled into now?

"Can I ask you something rude?" Daniel said, sudden and sharp. He seemed to realise his mistake quickly and lowered his voice. "When was the last time you belonged as yourself?"

Of all the questions he expected - and Lestat had quite a mind for rude, lewd and nude so he couple imagine quite a few - that wasn't remotely on there. "As myself?"

"Yes," Daniel said, pressing his nose into Armand's hair for a moment before continuing. "When we were first together, during, after the chase, Armand got it into his head to push me to my limits. Smash them like broken masks, ones I didn't know were there until I felt raw inside and then made it clear that he loved that rawness, that utterly naked version that I didn't know what to do with. I've been a reporter, a writer, a student, traveller, brother, child, the 'devil's minion' but with Armand, it was the first time I felt like I was safe enough to not filter myself through some constraints of propriety and shame. I was accepted. I belonged with him, as me - no extras needed."

Lestat wasn't sure where he was going with this at all. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You're an actor," Daniel whispered. "But you've been acting your whole life, right? The role of the aristocat which you felt awkward in, the heroic wolfkiller, the literal stage sensation twice in two different ways, the one who had it all under control even though Louis could see the real theatrical and ridiculous person peeking through who you were trying to be back then. You are literally a beacon, you're the fucking vampire Lestat, known by name and sight to mortal and immortal alike. The sacred core, the poster boy. Do you ever get time to just hang out and be Lestat, some guy who can't make it through Titanic without crying?"

"Everyone cries at Titanic," Lestat replied, trying to stop the sudden feeling of his heart racing before it woke everyone up.

"That's the point," Daniel insisted. "You don't get a lot of time to just be happy being 'everyone'. You're almost always someone, but the last few weeks, it's been different. It's like watching something settle into place, something I haven't seen since the villa and I wasn't really in the best place to know what it was then. Do you understand now?"

"That you think I like to be an everyday 'Joe' or some such?" Lestat asked. "I love the attention, the limelight of it all. I am the very face of our kind. I am beloved, revered, hated perhaps but I am not no one."

"And doesn't that shit get exhausting? I've seen Armand pull out the red carpet and be the gracious host so many times. That's when the good clothes come out, the nice glasses, the things for show - knowing full well he's happy in one of my old t-shirts and broken in jeans with his hair a mess some nights. This is his home, and when it's just us here, he can just be at home." Daniel's eyes snapped to his suddenly, brilliantly bright suddenly.. "The court is like that too, it's on show and you are the show."

"I'm an excellent show," Lestat pointed out. A brilliant actor, a charistmatic face of vampirisim, what more could they want?

"But you don't have to be one all the time," Daniel replied. "You can take a load off and no one is going to think you're losing your mystique or whatever you might think. There's no one here that doesn't love you for just you."

Lestat couldn't help himself. "Does that include you?"

"I've been a little bit in love with you, with all of you, since that night in divisadero street. Just because I've seen you have a tantrum over getting shelled in Mario Kart doesn't change that." Daniel's voice was no longer as low, but still soft despite the firmer tone. "Armand's waiting for you to realise that you didn't come to take Louis home to court. He's waiting for you to realise you were the one coming home."

#wip wednesday #i know it's very rough #but look writing lestat's pov as he figures out where home is has been surprisingly intense #vc #fic: the stars still conspire for us #fic: here beneath my lungs #p.s. armand is 10000% faking sleep but no way he's interrupting this

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crimsondomingo · 6 years

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Day 17: Coffee Shop/Flower Shop/Bookstore

For my July AU a Day Challenge

(I added the bookstore part)

Len finished the last sentence of the chapter to riveted expressions from the children watching, a few with worried, tearful faces at the fate of the main character—and with sympathy for the villain—just as Len had hoped.

He closed the little paperback with a flourish.

“And if you’d like to find out what happens next, you’ll have to convince your parents the merits of supporting your local businesses.”

Several kids groaned and whined, while most of the parents laughed. The Vampire Who Came For Christmas was hardly a title to break the bank, and he’d distracted these fine folk’s children for half an hour with a reading from near the middle of the book, where he felt they were most likely to get invested. The parents couldn’t be too upset with him for getting their kids interested in reading.

It also helped that he was dressed in a snazzy medieval outfit with plastic fangs to set the scene.

“Lenny,” Lisa stood with hands on hips after the children had started to disperse. “It isn’t Christmas or Halloween. Why that book? Just an excuse to play dress up?”

“Please, Lisa, I choose Children’s Corner based on more important timing. A little girl purchased the book recently and could not stop regaling me with how much she loved it.”

“Plus, the dress-up.”

“Well I do look good in black.” Len winked.

Rogues Corner was a shop passed down to Len from his mother with local authors and hard to find books, a little section for gifts and flowers, and a café in the back where people could grab coffee and a snack—a little bit of everything in a compact package. Len loved it, and he loved running it with his sister and best friend.

Mick handled the flowers and gifts. Lisa handled the books, though Len always read for Children’s Corner on Saturdays. And Len manned the coffee shop. They had a few additional workers to share the load, but for the most part, the place was theirs.

“Don’t look now, Lenny, but your favorite customer just walked in.” Lisa nodded over his shoulder.

Silly, unfair flutters churned in Len’s stomach before he turned around to see the young man who’d been coming in regularly for the past few months. Sometimes for a book, sometimes a gift, always for coffee and a treat, taking time to chat with Len each time. Lisa kept telling him to ask the guy out, but Len was unsure.

He was too old for the young Mr. Allen—“Call me Barry.” Oh but he was beautiful and adorable and so easy to talk to. Len just couldn’t be sure if Barry felt anything for him.

In that next moment as Lisa chuckled at his expense and headed off, he suddenly knew the answer.

Barry wasn’t interested—because he was in love with the girl he’d brought with him today.

She was a knockout. Dark skin, vibrant smile, flawless and petite figure. The way Barry looked at her was with such obvious adoration, Len stood no chance. No wonder their banter and what Lisa had insisted was flirting never went anywhere. Barry already had someone in his life.

They were headed for the flowers and gifts section, so Len bee-lined for the café. He shooed his extra cashier, Axel, to help Lisa with book sales, and hid behind the counter, wiping it down and serving the people who lined up for muffins and lattes.

He completely forgot he was still in costume from Children’s Corner until Barry and the knockout appeared out of nowhere.

“Did I see The Vampire Who Came For Christmas on display for Children’s Corner? I loved that book as a kid!” Barry exclaimed, without a single comment about Len looking like Lestat with shorn hair.

Knockout raised an eyebrow though. “You really get into your work, huh?”

“It’s for the kids!” Barry defended, then smiled at Len with a warmth that made Len’s knees week. “And the fun, right? You make fangs look cool again, Len.”

“There was a point they weren’t cool?” Then Len realized what he’d said and he, Barry, and Knockout all said at once, “Twilight.”

“Still a long road to recover from that,” Barry snickered. “Oh this is Iris. Iris, this is Len, one of the owners. He makes the best chocolate coconut mocha you have ever had.”

“You just made my order easier.” Iris smiled.

“Make it two?” Barry looked at Len hopefully. “And a cinnamon scone for me, please.”

“Coming right up.”

It was when Iris paid, waving Barry’s wallet away, that Len noticed the glittering ring on her finger.

“When’s the happy day?” Len asked, feeling his stomach sink deeper as he accepted her cash and readied her change.

“Next weekend. I’m losing my mind, so Barry is trying to keep me distracted. Best Man of Honor ever,” she said, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m going to check out the gift section again. There might be something over there perfect for a bridal party gift, so you, sir, cannot come with me for a while.”

“Wouldn’t dream of peeking,” Barry gave a little salute.

Off she went with her mocha, while Barry sat at the café counter to enjoy his. He didn’t immediately look down at his scone though, but watched Iris walk away with longing.

It was worse than Len thought. He should leave things alone, he really should, but he found himself asking anyway, “So tell me, Barry…she know you’re in love with her?”

Barry startled, nearly choking on his first sip of coffee. “I… It’s that obvious? But yeah, she knows. I told her before they got engaged, but…”

“She chose the other guy.”

“We don’t want it to make things weird. She’s my oldest friend. My best friend, and she always will be.”

“Doesn’t change that you’re hung up on her.”

“Like a jerk.” Barry picked at his scone, only taking a small bite, which wasn’t like him at all. He was a hearty eater for such a slim guy. “Her fiancé, Eddie, is the best too. Like, even I love him. It’s not a case of her choosing the wrong guy, I’m just out of luck.”

Len felt for him, intimately familiar with unrequited love. “Well…” He tried to think of something comforting to say.

“Mr. Len?”

Len peered over the counter beside Barry where one of the regulars from Children’s Corner was clutching a book and some cash. He went around to crouch in front of her. “Yes, Eleanor?”

“I only got three dollars and fifty cents, but the vampire book is six. Can I bring you the rest later?”

Eleanor’s parents insisted she earn and pay for her own books, trying to teach her patience and restraint, though they gave her fifty cents here and there for easy things to give her a sense of accomplishment too. Len could see them in the distance, watching her closely.

“You most certainly can,” he said, since he appreciated a negotiator. “We’ll write an IOU.”

“A what?”

Len pulled a pen and paper from his pocket, turning to write on the empty stool beside Barry so Eleanor could see. “I,” he wrote and pointed at her, “O,” he tapped the money in her hands, “U,” he pointed at himself. “And we’ll write the amount left on your tab so we both remember. What is six minus three-fifty?”

“Um…two-fifty!”

“Good girl.” He wrote that down on the paper along with Eleanor’s name, and handed it to her. “You go give all that to Miss Lisa and say I said it was alright.”

“Thank you, Mr. Len!” Eleanor bounced on her feet before dashing away. Her parents shot him a sly look but he simply shrugged.

Then he noticed Barry smirking at him, right there above him where Len was still crouching.

He quickly stood. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re just amazing. You’re really good with kids, you know.”

“Easy to be good with them when you can give them back to their parents.”

Barry chuckled and started eating his scone with more gusto.

“Wedding, huh?” Lisa appeared just as Len got back behind the counter. She must have grilled Iris.

“Shouldn’t you be up front?” Len glared at her.

“Axel’s got it, and I took the IOU, you big softy.” She looked back to Barry for an answer.

“Oh, yeah, next weekend.”

“Do you have a date?”

“No?” Barry said more like a question.

“Going stag to bag a bridesmaid?”

“No!”

“Groomsman?”

“Lisa,” Len snapped. She did not need to ask that—or hover so close to Barry.

“Not these groomsmen,” Barry said with a glance away that said he might be interested in some groomsmen—in men as well as women, which should not have made Len feel so hopeful. “They’re all friends of mine.”

“Then you should take Lenny.”

“What?” Len’s attention whirled back to his sister.

“You get a plus one, don’t you?” Lisa grinned at Barry mischievously. “Lenny loves weddings.”

Len hated weddings.

“At least then you’d have someone to dance with and not feel awkward during the reception.”

“I couldn’t ask that.” Barry turned to face Len with that typical nice ‘no thanks’ expression. Or at least Len thought that’s what he was seeing until a swirl of hope entered Barry’s face. “Unless you…really wanted to go? Would you?”

Len resented and loved his sister so much in that moment because it didn’t seem like Barry was only being polite. “If you’re really asking…I could be available.”

“Really? Coz I think I am asking. I would love to not have to go through next weekend alone, especially if you were the one with me.” Barry seemed to realize how he’d said that and promptly blushed.

Lisa looked so damn smug, but maybe she wasn’t wrong about Barry.

“Great,” Len said. “It’s a date.”

#coldflash #au a day challenge #coffee shop au #among others #crimson's writing #damn it #I am going to have so many stories to write someday

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