Cute - bandedbulbussnarfblat - Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022) [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Daniel is dead tired. The book signing took longer than expected–but then again, hardly anyone expected it to be a bestseller. It’s already got a cult following, a fandom wiki, tee-shirts with things like ‘Team Lestat’ and ‘Team Armand’, and a frankly alarming amount of erotic fanfiction. Daniel knows, because his youngest daughter keeps sending it to him.

It had been her who reached out to him. Sent him an email, saying she read his book. Made a few remarks about Louis, and how he had been a sh*t father to Claudia. That she could see how him failing his daughter had been something he regretted the rest of his life. How he grieved losing her, and never really stopped. It was clear she thought it was all metaphorical; shaped by his life, not Louis’. Because, of course, Louis wasn’t an actual person. He was a fictional character that Daniel Molloy invented.

Daniel didn’t correct her; in some ways, she wasn’t wrong. So they had been talking, mostly through email or text, with the occasional phone call. They’d met up for lunch, once. It had been awkward, but they pushed through. The key had been getting her to talk about herself, and Daniel was always good at that. Once they got to her work, conversation became easy. She’s a medical biologist, working for an underfunded non-profit that’s trying to cure something he can’t pronounce. It was nice to see her face light up with passion for her work. Nice to know that he was leaving behind something good in the world.

He’s expecting an email from her tonight; she’s supposed to get word if her team’s funding got approved. Daniel doesn’t necessarily feel up to doing anything more than crashing. He’s been having to sign books and play nice all while listening to teenage girls arguing in line over who Louis should have ended up with. As if that were even remotely the point of the book at all. Also, his hand hurts from having to use it so much today.

He flips on the lights as he opens the door to his hotel room, dropping the key in the small bowel at the end table by the door. When he looks up, his shoulders sag and he sighs. Of course, he has to deal with this prick again. The universe would not be in balance if Daniel Molloy could ever catch a f*cking break.

“It’s cute, this thing you’re doing,” he says, laying the sarcasm on thick.

Armand is lying on Daniel’s bed on his stomach, facing the end of the bed. His legs are kicked up at the knees with his ankles crossed. Daniel’s laptop is open in front of him.

Armand’s Jimmy Choos are discarded next to the bed, shiny black leather slippers. He’s wearing black silk socks on his feet, and a pair of skinny black pants with a horsebit pattern. The matching blazer is hanging over the back of the chair in the corner. The form-fitting gauzy black long-sleeved shirt he’s wearing is partly translucent in the bright overhead light, and the vee is just deep enough to show off his collarbones. His curls are perfectly placed and he’s wearing that liner around his eyes that makes them look even more otherworldly. He looks like a snack.

Too bad Daniel isn’t hungry.

Armand glances up from the screen at Daniel, then returns his gaze to the screen. There’s no sound coming from it, so at least Daniel knows Armand isn’t browsing his p*rn. That had been one hell of a conversation. One of many such entertaining conversations, now that Armand has decided to stalk him around the globe.

“Your daughter didn’t receive her funding; it says so in the electronic mail she sent you. She’s quite irate about the news; that or particularly fond of the word ‘f*ck’.”

Daniel can literally feel his blood pressure spike. That’s how goddamn angry he is with this bastard. “You have no right-”

“You left your laptop on your bed. Your email was open,” Armand says over him, voice mild, like he isn’t bothered the slightest about Daniel’s anger.

“That isn’t permission to-”

“She also sent you a link to a website a friend sent her,” Armand carries on as if Daniel isn’t speaking. Her words were “Dad, did you know there’s p*rn of you on the internet? Because I sure do! Woke up to a text telling me my dad is getting dicked down by vampires online with this link.”

It’s eerie, the way Armand’s voice changes and he captures his daughter’s accent perfectly. Has he been watching them? Are they safe? If he’s so much as spoke to them-

“Calm yourself, Daniel. Your children are of no interest to me.”

The complete disregard for the idea in his tone is enough to relieve Daniel. He marches over to the bed and clicks his laptop closed. It’s only then that he processes the words Armand said. He glares down at Armand who looks back up at his face innocently. “Did you click the link?”

“Of course not,” Armand says, and feels a second of relief before Armand continues, “I typed it into my ipad, and downloaded a copy. Would you like to know what it’s about?”

“No,” Daniel answers shortly. He wants to get some sleep tonight; he has an early flight in the morning. Armand here is interrupting his plans. “I want you to leave, so I can go to bed.”

“It’s about you and I. It’s very explicit, though somewhat overestimating the stamina of a man your age,” Armand says. He props his jaw in his hand, head tilted to the side and peers up at Daniel. “Would you like a demonstration? I think you can handle the position from page three without dislocating a hip.”

Daniel has no clue if Armand is being serious, or just trying to torment him.

“Why can’t it be both?” Armand replies to the thought.

“Stay out of-”

Armand waves a dismissive hand. “I’m not listening; you’re shouting.”

Daniel pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s getting a headache. Armand is a headache.

“If your head hurts, org*sms are powerful pain relievers,” Armand says from bed.

Daniel kicks off his shoes and moves to his suitcase. “I’ll stick to aspirin.”

His suitcase is empty. He sighs deeply. “Goddammit Armand, where are my clothes?”

Armand is still lying on his bed, but he’s pulled his ipad from the nightstand and is scrolling through something. His finger flicks the screen faster than humanly possible as his eyes move along. It’s eerie how fast he can read with his vampiric eyes. Armand frowns. “The screen froze.”

“You’re moving too fast for it to keep up,” Daniel says, then repeats, “Clothes; Armand.”

Armand lets the ipad fall onto the mattress. “Daywear is in the closet; nightwear in the dresser. Why do you never unpack your suitcase? It leaves wrinkles on your clothes.”

Daniel moves to the dresser and opens the top drawer. “Because heaven forbid I have wrinkles.” He grabs his navy cotton pajama bottoms and a white tee. Armand’s eyes are laser focused on him when he turns around. “You gonna stick around and watch me change?”

“Yes.”

That stumps him a little, Daniel can admit. He doesn’t know whether to call Armand’s bluff or not. He doesn’t particularly want to strip to his boxers in front of Armand. Or anyone, these days. He’s old and has all the marks that come with it. He doesn’t want Armand’s disgust, or worse, his pity. “You really piss me off, you little creep. If you weren’t a five hundred year old asshole who could snap me like a twig I’d shake you.”

“Would you now?” Armand almost sounds bored. His eyes are back on his ipad, the screen unfrozen. Daniel considers actually shaking him just to get a reaction, but his dangersense has always been a little off and a little directed by his dick. Armand glances up sharply and says in a tone with no particular inflection “It’s because you want to f*ck me, Daniel. And that makes you angry, because you think you’re morally superior to me.”

At this point his eyes catch Daniel’s and hold him as if spellbound. “You are, of course, just by virtue of being human. What are morals when you live forever?”

Daniel feels like he should say something, but Armand doesn’t give him a chance.

“But you don’t want to admit that, so you channel your lust into anger. It’s so unoriginal it’s almost dull.”

Daniel drops his pajamas and storms over to the edge of the bed. “You really think you’re cute don’t you?”

“I think I’m cuter on my knees, don’t you?” Armand says, and slips up onto his knees and crawls to the end of the bed. He’s making those f*cking doe eyes that make him look all soft and innocent–probably means he committed mass murder earlier tonight.

“Bartering with desire? And I’m the one who’s unoriginal?” Daniel snaps, frustrated beyond belief. “Maybe you’re the one who's nothing but a hole.”

Armand pushes back away from him, cold and stony-faced. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and Daniel swears. He hadn’t even thought of that. He was so deep in it, he just wanted to throw Armand’s words back at him.

Armand is pulling on his shoes when Daniel slips beside him and sits down, sure to leave a good foot of space. “Hey, I’m sorry; I wasn’t referring to–I would never-”

“You already have,” Armand hisses.

Right. Rashid.

“I wouldn’t have if I knew,” Daniel amends.

“You shouldn’t have to know; it’s none of your business.” Armand sounds as vicious as the monster he is.

“That’s fair,” Daniel agrees, because he isn’t wrong. Then reaches out and tentatively touches Armand’s knee. “Really, I mean it. I honestly wasn’t trying to-to use that–I didn’t think. I didn’t think, and I should have. I f*cked up; I’m sorry.”

Armand pauses and looks up at him, tilts his head to the side. “Hm, you’re telling the truth.”

Daniel gives Armand’s knee a squeeze and lets go. “Still makes me an asshole.”

“Yes, but I already knew that.”

“Alright, come on, hit me back,” Daniel says.

Armand blinks and studies Daniel’s face like he’s some new species. “Ah, you mean to pay penance. You want me to say something vicious in kind.”

“Go ahead; let me have it.”

Armand moves like a viper; suddenly leaning one arm over Dainel’s lap and bringing their faces close together. “What if I require a different penance?”

Daniel holds very still. His heart hammers in his chest and all his blood is racing to his dick. “I’m not letting you near my neck either.”

Armand laughs lightly, “Ah, so that’s what you want, is it?”

“No, I-”

“A kiss, Daniel,” Armand says, “That’s all I require.”

Daniel almost rejects it out of hand, but he can’t help but ask, “Why?”

“Call it curiosity.”

Daniel lets his eyes drop down to Armand’s lips. His tongue immediately darts out to lick them, and he drags his teeth over his bottom and looks up at Daniel through his lashes. And really, what’s one kiss anyway?

“A kiss may ruin a human life,” Armand says, leaning in.

“Oh, a theater kid quoting Oscar Wilde, how original,” Daniel says, but it has no bite. As soon as Armand’s mouth touches his, he’s lost. It’s like an electric current, the collision of tectonic plates, a match dropped into kerosene.

Armand’s mouth barely brushes against his feather light, then again and again. His lips linger and suck sweetly at his top lip, then his bottom, teeth nipping and tugging lightly. Daniel gasps and Armand’s tongue slides inside his mouth to tease and taste. Daniel wraps his hands around Armand’s waist and tug him closer as he falls back.

Armand lands on top of him, elbows on either side of his face as he kisses him fiercely. What started as a tease has become a demand, his tongue delving into Daniel’s mouth as he kisses him with the same intensity as though they were mid-f*ck.

f*cking christ, Daniel thinks he may actually be getting hard. From kissing. Like a goddamn teenager.

“Wait,” he gasps, breaking away to suck in air for his burning lungs. “Some of us have to breathe.”

Armand watches him take a shuddering breath with the look of a panther about to pounce. As soon as Daniel’s lungs stop burning, Armand’s mouth is back on his. He kisses him like he's the sweetest thing he ever tasted and Daniel can admit that it feels good, if only to himself. His lips linger and his tongue knows just how to caress. Enflaming, these kisses. Daniel feels drunk off it.

“Have I properly atoned?” Daniel asks, still a little breathless. Armand’s lips look shiny and kissed raw. Daniel has the terrible urge to kiss him again.

“Yes, I forgive you, Daniel.”