On Silent Paws
by Lara
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
February 1999
Do not archive, translate or otherwise use this fic without permission. You
are welcome to link to this page.
This is an amateur effort and not intended to infringe on the rights of Anne
Rice. No monetary profit is being made.
On Silent Paws
The sound of the door made Armand look up from the book he had been reading.
Smiling he saw that Daniel had come back, his skin a slight touch of pink
and looking absolutely human from the recent hunting. Fledglings, they don't
know how lucky they are. His own cheeks did not blush after feeding anymore,
thus making it necessary to use makeup when he wanted to pass as a mortal.
'Hello beloved,' he said, his voice raw, sounding as seducing as anyway
possible. He loved to kiss Daniel when the taste of his victim's blood still
lingered on his lips, and tried to get this prize as often as possible.
'Erm...hello Armand, didn't know you were home.' Daniel looked as if he had
been caught in flagranti with Maharet, Armand thought, chuckling at the image
that his mind presented him with. 'Didn't you plan to stay with Marius as
long as I visit Jesse?'
'He is busy introducing Pandora to the twentieth century, and you know that
I don't really get along with her.' Armand marked the page and laid the book
on the table, gesturing Daniel to join him on the couch. 'So I've only spent
a few days with them and then decided to wait for you here. Did you have a
nice time?' What he got as a reply was not what he had hoped for.
'Um, yes. Jesse and Maharet send you greetings, by the way.' Daniel smiled
nervously, shrugged and picked up his bag. 'I'll go and unpack if you don't
mind.' Armand stared at his fledgling in surprise. Something was strange about
his behaviour, that was clear. Well, perhaps he was just tired from the
flight.
'Are you sure you don't want to join me here?' Armand asked, leaning back
into the cushions he had pushed in behind his back. Daniel nodded, which
puzzled his maker enourmously. Usually he was the one who resisted attempts to
share some kissing, not Daniel. Something was going on here, and he would be
damned if he didn't find out what exactly it was. 'I can help you with the
luggage if you want,' he proposed, stretching his throat to expose the artery.
He
knew the blood was pulsing loud enough for Daniel to hear it clearly.
'No, thank you. I'll manage.'
What is going on here? Armand was severely distressed now. That Daniel
resisted a spoken invitation was theoretically possible, but that he managed
to
ignore the temptation of the blood was a wonder. For a moment Armand suspected
that his fledgling was ill in some way; polluted blood perhaps, or maybe he
hadn't noticed the stopping of the heart, but he dismissed the thought again.
Every vampire sensed the death of the victim; as for the blood, well, from
his time at Woodstock Armand remembered that drugs and alcohol didn't really
effect immortal bodies. Ah, the sixties. How delightful these years had been.
The music, the people, the whole atmosphere had felt free. And here he was,
center of the free love period, and could not get his lover to cuddle. No need
to say that Armand was getting nervous.
'Perhaps we could watch a movie together? I've taped...Citizen Kane...' The
first title his mind had presented him with had been 9 1/2 weeks, but that
would have probably been too obvious, he'd better try the innocent way.
Classics weren't really Armand's preferred movies, after all he had seen them
when
they were called brand new and revolutionary. But Daniel liked them, and if he
had to wonder about Rosebud two hours in order to get close to him it was
worth the try.
'Later perhaps. But I don't really feel like it tonight. Maybe another
time.' With these words he left in the direction of his room.
That's it! Armand thought. Now he has gone completely crazy. And he's going
to pay for this. He thought of pouting the next time Daniel tried to seduce
him, but decided that this would not get him anywhere. The same with forced
watching of Interview With The Vampire, Armand would suffer as well. Suddenly
a
grin spread over his face, and he sneaked to Daniel's room. That unwilling
fledgling would soon find out that his maker was more powerful.
Pushing the door open a fraction, he noticed with surprise that Daniel
wasn't there. First he lets me down for his dirty socks, and now he isn't even
here? Daniel, what are you up to? Armand entered and slumped down on the bed,
completely confused. At least he could wrap himself into Daniel-scented covers
when he couldn't feel his embrace.
What was wrong with Daniel? Or was he simply not attracted to Armand
anymore? The trip to Sonoma might have changed him a lot; Jesse was a most
unusual
vampire in every aspect. Perhaps Daniel felt that she was a better companion
for him? After all they were children of the same century, and even nearly the
same age.
A sudden noise made him turn his head, only to feel that his hair must have
got caught somewhere. Reaching up to free his curls, Armand touched something
that did not feel like bedsheets or his own hair. Something breathing.
***
Daniel hurried back to his room, carrying two big carton boxes. Jesse had
provided him with everything he might need, but smuggling the things into the
house without Armand noticing anything was close to impossible. He had had
hell of a time to keep from giving in to the seduction attempts of his; and it
had been more than just mere luck that Armand had not paid enough attention to
his surroundings to hear the extra heartbeat.
'Oh no!' Daniel groaned when he saw that the door to his room was opened.
Had he managed to escape? No, Daniel was rather sure that he had closed the
door properly. So this meant that his worst fear had come true. Armand had
discovered his new companion. He probably was just draining him.
He hurried along the corridor, nearly losing one of his cartons in the
process. Pushing the door open with his knee, he was prepared to see the
corpse of
his friend when he entered.
What he saw was nothing at all.
His room looked as always, only the sheets were messed up and were hanging
down at the far side of his bed. No corpse. But also nothing that could
confirm him of the little one's wellbeing. Well, he had to try and call him.
'Amadeo,' he cooed. 'Amadeo, where are you?' Rustling then silence again.
'Amadeo?' Suddenly he heard a soft laughter, and two heads perked up from
behind his bed, one with auburn curls and the other with furry ears. Daniel
sighed
with relief.
'Really, caro,' Armand climbed to his feet and shook his head. 'You named
the cat Amadeo?' Daniel blushed, causing Armand to chuckle. 'I never knew your
ears could be that red.'
'I didn't name him, it was Jesse,' Daniel tried to defend himself.
'Jesse? Oh, then you're innocent in this.' Armand settled on the bed, Amadeo
curling up in his lap. 'Why didn't you tell me that you want a pet?'
'Well,' Daniel tried to find the right words, 'when we visited Lestat and
Louis the last time, you didn't really like Mojo and...well, I just thought
you
wouldn't like to have a cat in the house.'
'You believed that because I don't like big dogs who keep licking my face I
don't want any animals around? I might be not a dog person-'
'That's pretty obvious, I'd say,' Daniel interrupted. 'The poor dog probably
still doesn't dare to enter the guest bedroom after what you did to him.'
'Was it really that bad?' Armand asked innocently. Daniel refrained from
answering and set the cartons down, giving him an expectant look.
'Didn't you say you would help me with unpacking before?' Armand smiled,
removed the kitten who had wrapped himself around his leg, and began to
observe
the contents of the first box. His eyes grew bigger and bigger.
'I didn't know that you need so many things to keep a cat.'
'Hm, let me see,' Daniel had a closer look. 'Jesse said it is necessary to
take proper care of him. We don't want our Amadeo to get sick or anything, do
we?'
'Of course not. What's that?' Armand held up a bright yellow plastic ball
with spikes.
'I'm not really sure. Looks like something to play with. Is it soft or
hard?'
'Soft. And it has a bell inside. Must be a toy, or Jesse has gone completely
crazy now. Where did she get him from in the first place, by the way?'
'Maharet's cat, she got kittens.' Armand stared at Amadeo in amazement.
'He's from royal blood? Wow, I'd never thought that our pet would be from a
higher social rank than us. Perhaps we should call him Highness Amadeo from
now on. Of course that would mean that you have to call me the same.'
'No way.' Daniel took out a bag of cat litter. 'You don't get a title just
because of the cat. Can you find me a box for this?'
'Hm? Sorry, I was talking with myself. Don't I look sweet when I'm curled up
like that? Ah, my furr is wonderful soft.'
'Stop being silly. I should have known that choosing Amadeo would only make
you even more arrogant. Lestat would have been better.' Armand blinked in
surprise.
'Jesse named all the cats after vampires?'
'Mhm. Lestat, a nice black and white spotted one, the two blacks Louis and
Santino, little tiger Gabrielle and the russet Amadeo.'
'Fascinating.' Armand grinned. 'I'd like to see Lestat's face when he finds
out about this. I'm sure he is the brat of the litter.'
'You can be sure of that. He even bit me!'
'Well, what did you expect? After all it's in his nature.' Daniel took some
cat food out and handed it to Armand. 'Fancy Feast? Sheba? Whiskas? I hope
that's the best you could get. I'm not going to allow myself to eat minor
quality food, you know. Perhaps you should prepare me some tuna paste, I'm
sure
I'd like that.'
'Armand, beloved, do me a favour. Stop talking as if you were the cat, it's
getting confusing.'
'I like to confuse you. It's only fair after what you did to me before.'
Daniel crawled over to him and put his arm around the slim form.
'I'm sorry, but I had to get Amadeo inside. You have no idea how hard it was
for me to resist you.' He placed a kiss on Armand's cheek. 'Did you think I
don't want you anymore?' Armand made a dismissive gesture.
'Of course not.' Daniel sighed and drew him into an embrace.
'You must never think something like that. I will always want you, just
because of yourself. Never think I could stop loving you.' Armand nodded and
rested his head against Daniel's chest, reaching for his hand.
'As will I,' he said.
