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Louis and Lestat were lounging on a bed they were calling theirs in Dubai. Lestat smiled fondly at Louis who was playing with his lover’s hair - without even being aware he was doing it, Lestat may add - and looking at the sheet music Lestat had placed on their bed hours earlier.
“So, how long till you go on tour then, Mr. Rockstar de Lioncourt?” Louis put out his spread palm to emphasise the ‘Rockstar’ part.
Lestat rolled his eyes. “Rockstar feels like the wrong term, Louis. Alas, in a month’s time I shall be travelling the world with a piano and a dream.”
“You can’t forget that talent of yours, Lestat. If you leave that here it’ll be a hell of a disappointment.”
Lestat chuckled. “Of course, mon cher. So, are you willing to tell me what on earth the plan was with this book? I know you like attention despite your lack of admittance, but this seems a little much for my Louis.” He said in a teasing tone.
“Those are some words coming from you, love.”
Lestat smiled. “Ah, well you know that attention adores me, worthy of its delights, mon cher.”
“You implying that I don’t deserve all the attention, Lestat? Seems like somebody gon’ have to eat his words-”
“Of course not, my most handsome Louis.” Lestat help his lover’s face, and kissed him with love, if chastely.
-
“We read through her diaries, Lestat. All of them.”
Lestat blinked. It was odd, after all this time, he could still read him like they’d never been apart. He looked exceptionally concerned and hesitant to accept this, fully anyway.
“Daniel was writing a book. It made sense to want to show it all… Well, most.”
Lestat’s brows furrowed. “Most, mon cher?”
Louis fidgeted with one finger from his other hand. “Well, I was never going to show him the stuff she wrote about the- about Bruce.”
He cleared his throat. “Hmm; well so long as the sexual assault was left out I’m sure all the details of every single thing in her life were perfectly fine to tell to a rebound that you only kept around because you wanted to fuck him in the seventies!”
“It’s not that simple, Lestat. You know it. You READ the book - he never exposed her or nothin’, it was about ME.”
A pause.
“You say that as if we did not read her diaries out LOUD at the time of her fucking writing ‘em. I know we’ve changed and grown, but… I just wanted to keep some part of her alive. Her happiness. Madeleine too.”
Lestat pushed his fingers to his temples, and brought them down with a sigh. “Okay. I cannot have this conversation again Louis. The book is published now I suppose, the damage is done. But let it be known that our invasion of her privacy in the first place is the reason I have such an issue with this.”
“I know that, love. But know that if a story is being told about me, it cannot be without Claudia. Just as much as it cannot be with you.”
Lestat’s eyes softened. He sat on their sofa next to Louis, having been traipsing through the room, holding his wine glass. He placed the wine glass on a coaster, and his head in his hands.
“Bordel de merde, mon cher. I just wish that she could be here. Reading all of this, despite the light I was put in, makes me wish I was able to talk to her, Louis.”
Louis felt the blood and water welling in his eyes. “I know, Lestat. I know.” He turned to hug his immortal beloved, the two crashing together like the tide to the shore.
They sat like that for a while, as was often the case for them. Holding each other, tears spilling, words coming stifled by emotion. After an unknown time for the two of them, Louis spoke up.
“For the record, Daniel is not just some rebound I wanted to fuck.”
Lestat pulled out of the hug to look at Louis. “I suppose he couldn’t be, he’s a hell of a writer, mon cher.”
Louis smiled. “He’s a hell of a vampire, Lestat. We’re… I think it's fair to say that we’re friends. Certainly after the service he did for me with his maker. And bringing me back to you.” Lestat wiped a tear from Louis’ cheek.
“Well, of course, he deserves thanks for that. For bringing my love back to me.”