#louis x reader

The next day, the interview continued. I sat next to Daniel and Louis and across from Armand at the dinner table. Louis had started off this session with their travels across Europe; Daniel was holding some grudge against Armand and was always looking at him in contempt. Constantly disregarding his input on this part of the interview.  

Armand was finding amusement in Danny’s little back and forth.  

Louis looked between Armand and Daniel with amusement before looking at me with a grin.  

“She had stowed us away on ships, trains and wagons. She had asked the desperate farmers and rationed soldiers to teach her their languages before she killed them. And when she cobbled together enough words and grammar, she stopped asking. Claudia was a thing of little indecision, a manic tour guide. And any castle with ties to Vlad Tepes or Vlad Dracul, however slight, had to be explored. And I endured it all for Claudia, whose rage toward me and my refusal to burn Lestat had dulled into a bitter silence.” Louis grimaced softly. 

Louis spoke of him attempting to talk with Claudia about the war affecting the blood and her refusing to talk with him. I stayed quiet at the back and forth with Daniel and Louis, looking up at Armand who was observing the other two.  

‘Real Rashid’ as Daniel dubbed him walked in and Daniel antagonized him as well. “Where did they send you when Shah Rukh Khan over here was playing you? Is there a panic room behind the stolen Rembrandt?” He asked rhetorically.  

Louis chimed in. “My love ran a theater company for 150 years, Daniel.”  

Daniel looked at him. “Your love was in a box pondering a premediated neck wound, according to Claudia. She wrote it, let’s choose to believe it.” 

Armand gave an impolite smile. “Unworthy in San Francisco, unworthy in Dubai.” 

Daniel glared. “Disregard.” 

The was a beat of silence before Louis continued. Explaining the hallucinations of seeing Lestat, how the Soviets replaced Nazis in Romania, the soldiers shooting dead bodies, before they moved into a small village where they ran into soldiers and a woman rescuing them from the soldiers. The woman brought them to a shelter, the British man, Claudia’s thinking of local vampires.  

Louis paused as his face scrunched up in confusion. “Wait, that’s wrong. She didn’t say that in front of Claudia.” 

Daniel looked at him with a frowned brow. “Say what? Who?” 

Louis looked at him. “The wolves, the Germans, something worse. Emilia, she would not have said that in front of Claudia.” He leaned forward in earnest. “She thought Claudia was a child, Claudia left. Then she said it.” Louis nodded with a small smile.  

I watched him with a small pit in my stomach filling with concern for his mental awareness.  

“Yes, yes! That’s how it went.” Louis stared down Daniel, Louis seemed almost relieved that he was remembering. “We should get every detail right.”  

Daniel was staring at him, I could tell he wasn’t exactly concerned but was wondering what was wrong with him. “In total agreement.” 

Armand chimed in, not looking away from his tablet. “Perhaps this would be a time to take a break, Louis.” 

Daniel turned to glare at him. “You know, Real Rashid, I’m pretty good at my job, a bright young reporter with a point of view. Interview a fallen Catholic archbishop, 4 Enron vice presidents, and if they’ve got something to hide, they always start with some kind of disguise.” He said pointedly to Armand. “Not literally, not some dumb Halloween costume, gloves, contact lenses.” Armand started to grin as he leaned back.  

Armand turned his body to face Daniel as he put his arm on the back of the chair, elegantly crossing his legs. He was watching him in amusement as Louis sighed in exasperation.  

I leaned back in my chair as I looked between them. I looked at Louis, who turned to me when he saw I was looking at him. I smiled comfortingly at him, and he gave a grateful smile back.  

Daniel continued, making me roll my eyes and Louis pressed his lips together, so he didn’t laugh.  

“They tell jokes, they’re charming. And then at some crisis point, when I get close, it drops away and I see a flash of the truth.” 

Louis sighed again. “Armand didn’t want me to do the interview, Daniel.” 

“Still don’t” Armand deadpanned as he watched Daniel.  

Daniel turned to Rashid. “But he wanted to be close to it, right, real Rashid? I mean, hey, whatever it is they’re trying to hide, I’m probably not going to crack it, which is, you know, who cares? Happens all the time. But I wanna ask you, as a member of the inferior specias, why say, ‘Hey, vampires are real. Here’s almost all of the story’?” 

Louis spoke up. “Thank you, Rashid.” 

Rashid turned away from the table and walked away. Daniel called after him. “That’s why I’m coming after you, Real Rashid! You I can fucking break!” 

Armand grew irritated and stood up with his tablet. “If you’ll excuse me.” I frowned watching him leave the room.  

I glanced at Louis, who watched him leave as well before I turned back to my notes.  

I focused on the notes and adding them into the shared cloud with Daniel until Louis’ voice cracking broke my focus, and I looked up to see tears welling up into his eyes.  

“I can feel her... I can feel her next to me. She’s having a nightmare. What’s worse than a nightmare?” His voice broke softly, “If your soul’s projecting out its fears, at least it’s up and running. But the absence of anything?” He pointed to his chest as his voice wabbled, I didn’t say anything, but I listened. “The void. The nothing. Pieces coming back. Hours, nights. Objects surfacing in water... It was just something she wrote, but it wasn’t true. She could dream.” His words landing hard into my chest as I clenched my jaw in sympathy. 

The was brief silence as Louis sniffled. He looked up at Daniel, barely glancing at me. “Thank you.” 

Daniel looked at him. “If you wanna take that break.” Daniel was serious, not pushing or antagonizing.  

Louis shook his head before whispering out. “No.” He spoke louder. “No, I want this....” He looked over at me, locking eyes. “To remember.” 

He explained about how the woman was attacked and the man begging him to help before Claudia pushed him to leave. Following her into the forest and finding the vampires. He went into detail about the feral vampires and the lady vampire that killed her fledgling. The following the woman vampire to a small castle and her attempting to turn a soldier but it wasn’t taking.  

How the woman vampire threw herself into the fire.  

- 

Another session finished; Daniel had left me at the table with Louis who had his elbow on the table and his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched me finish typing up some notes. He had a soft look on his face as I shut my laptop and picked up my notebook and papers. I smiled, aware of him watching me.  

I finished tidying up and then looked at him, mimicking his pose, making his smile widen. “Thank you...” He whispered out.  

I looked at him confused, I knew he was thankful for Daniel since he was the one helping him with his memories with his pushing, but I hadn’t really done anything. I tilted my head. “For...?”  

He looked at me, his eyes softening and staring at me with a look I couldn’t decipher. “I’m surprised but happy surprised about you being here. You’ve become a huge comfort for me since you’ve arrived.” He moved so his arms were crossed on the table and leaning forward, “As you know Daniel was supposed to come alone... and while at first I was skeptic of you being here, I’ve come to be grateful for it. You are exceedingly understanding and nonjudgmental about all of this.” 

I smiled at him softly, leaning back in my chair and crossing my legs. “Everyone deserves to be understood and seen...” I grinned. “Even vampires.” Making him give a soft laugh.  

Louis stood up again and nodded towards the hallway. “Come, Armand has the TV set up for the next episode of Doctor Who.” 

I grinned excitedly and grabbed my things to drop them off in my room as I skipped over to join him. “Yes! Next episode is one of my favorites of the 9th Doctor.” As I skipped ahead of him before turning around to see him following me with his hands in his pockets, an adoring smile on his face. I tilted my head as I walked backwards, “I’ll grab a water and some snacks if that’s okay?”  

I backed into a soft wall making me give a small ‘omf’ sound, I titled my head back and saw Armand smirking down at me. “Of course, ma cherie. I already had Rashid prepare a tray with some of the snacks you prefer and some water and the hibiscus tea you like.” I smiled wide at him, missing the smirk that Louis gave us as he watched Armand and myself.  

I turned around and took a small step back, bouncing lightly on my feet. “Let’s go!” I walked around them and headed to my room to drop off my equipment.  

- 

Armand and Louis watched me walk away before they turned back to each other. Both smiled softly at each other, Armand held out a hand to Louis, walked forward to intertwine their fingers together before turning to walk down the hall to the TV room. Louis leaned into Armand. “We’ll have to talk about it eventually...” Louis spoke out softly, staring ahead.  

Armand looked down at the floor before turning his head to Louis. “We can tonight after they go to bed, if you would like?” 

Louis looked at him and smiled softly, before nodding. “I would like that.” 

They both smiled as they walked into the TV room, finding me curled up in the same spot as the previous night, queuing the show for the correct episode. 

I glanced up and smiled wide at the two before they joined me on the couch.  

- 

The next morning came with soft ambience, Daniel already awake and ready to begin the next session, going through paperwork for his research and looking for anything that he wants to ask about.  

I sat on the other end of the couch, crisscross and comfortable, papers and my laptop open to my notes page.  

Armand and Louis walked in as a unit and sat close together on the other couch and faced me and Daniel.  

Daniel and I looked at each other before looking at the men. We could tell they had something to say. Daniel gave a small grin, “Good morning...” He looked between them for a moment. “So, fellas, what’s up?” 

Louis and Armand glanced at each other before looking back at Daniel.  

“You have our attention.” Louis said with a gentle smile.  

Daniel raised his eyebrows, “Yeah?” 

Armand gave a small smirk, “Yeah.” 

“On the record.” Daniel asked, and Armand nodded. Louis gently ran his fingers over Armand’s shoulders in soft affection.  

“Okay... umm...” Daniel turned back and started the recording. “Session ten, the vampire Louis and the vampire Armand...” Daniel pulled out a flyer that I had found in the archives. “You went west...”  

I stood next to Rashid at the opening into the Tree Room, watching Daniel follow Louis as he walked towards the stones surrounding the tree.  

“She couldn’t burn him,” Louis said, trying to deflect as he took off his shoes.  

Daniel watched him and continued to instigate him. “You cursed her into the darkness. You chose Lestat over her, time and time again. You don’t need a memoir, Louis. You need a hundred sessions of EMDR.” Louis stepped into the stones and sat down on the steps. “You know, the shit they put soldiers through when they see one of their platoon buddies get blown up in front of them?”  

I watched as Louis clenched his eyes shut and started to lightly rock himself back and forth. “Daniel, I think that’s enough.” I finally spoke out. My tone was firm as I stared at Daniel down.  

Daniel looked back at me. “No, he’s been sugar coating most of the story.” He turned back to Louis as Rashid spoke up.  

“You’ve only heard half the story.” 

Louis spoke through clenched teeth. “Stop.” His feet digging into the stones.  

“144 years of life, and you’re still Louis the pimp, paying a whore to sit in a room and talk with you. Cause why? You got some story you wanna tell the whole world about yourself?” Daniel asks sarcastically.  

Louis was tensing his jaw a couple of times as he stared towards the wall as Daniel walked closer to him.  

Rashid walked towards them and looked at Daniel imploringly. “When you hear it, you’ll be ashamed, ashamed of what you say to him now.” 

“Please stop, Rashid.” Louis said stoically.  

Daniel pushed. “10 million dollars. That’s my whore number. And 5 million for my partner while you’re at it; their career is in its prime. My career’s been over for years. Legacy?” He scoffed.  

I watched in confusion as Rashid slowly took off his gloves, dropping them to the ground and his hand reached up and plucked contacts out of his eyes, showing beautiful glowing amber irises. Taking a step away from the group, I crowded against the wall as I realized the depth of the situation we got ourselves into. 

“That’s for board members and assholes in loafers. My daughters aren’t even speaking to me anymore, so at least I can leave them some cash. Hell, my partner knows more about me than my own daughters do. But an honest reckoning? No. This is the same shit that happened in San Francisco.” Daniel monologed.  

I swallowed nervously as I watched Rashid float into the air behind Daniel. My eyes were wide and teary as I watched events unfold.  

Louis grew wary, “Not exactly.” 

Daniel’s eyebrows frowned. “How is it any different, Louis?” 

Rashid spoke up, “This time, I won’t save your life.” 

Daniel looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened at the sight of Rashid floating above him. His body turned around slowly as his eyes never left Rashid.  

Rashid looked down his nose at Daniel. “Louis can sometimes act out. I protect him from himself, always have. Stopped him that night in San Francisco.” He said condescendingly.  

“You were there...” Daniel said. We watched the once human man float towards the bookshelves that were higher in the air, making me frown as I looked between Louis and the man. Louis didn’t have the flying gift was what he said... 

“You don’t remember, do you?” Louis spoke out softly.  

“No, I don’t remember.” Daniel said as the man grabbed a photo album from the shelf.  

“What was that you said about memory? ‘A monster’ was it?” Louis said, I could see him coming back to himself. I moved to stand next to Daniel as we both watched the man.  

“But we saw you standing in the sun.” Daniel said.  

The man stared down at Daniel. “As we age, the sun loses its power over us. What’s a mediocre star to a 514-year-old vampire?” He asked rhetorically. The man dropped the album done with a loud thud in front of Daniel as he floated down. Daniel crouched down and grabbed the album, flipping it open to see a bunch of old newspaper clippings.  

Louis slowly stood up and turned to face us. “Daniel Molloy...” Louis looked over at me, saying my name. The man moved to stand next to Louis. “I’d like you to meet the vampire Armand.... The love of my life.” Louis and the man, now Armand, intertwined their fingers together as they held hands.  

Daniel looked over at me, and I looked back at him.  

- 

It was late at night, close to 1 am, and I couldn’t sleep. Which is normal, as I’ve had insomnia since I was a kid. I sat in the living room again. In the spot I previously sat in for comfort, curled into the spot with my blanket, my laptop on my lap as I streamed Doctor Who from the beginning, one the second episode of Rose Tyler and the Doctor and the End of the Earth. My headphones covered my ears, but I had the awareness setting on as I held my cup of tea in my hands to warm them.  

“You should be sleeping.” I heard just over the sounds of the show.  

I looked over and there stood Armand and Louis. I gave a tiny smile, pausing the show and taking my headphones off. “Can’t sleep.” I watched them for a moment. It had only been a few hours since the big reveal happened. Armand stood next to Louis, his tablet in his hands, and Louis had his arms crossed over his stomach like he was attempting to make himself seem smaller. I could see on his face that he was hesitant to approach while Armand stood in support at his side.  

“You’re afraid.” Armand broke the silence. I watched Louis’ eyes blink at his statement, briefly looking away. He was afraid of my reaction as we had been slowly becoming friends over the last few days of the interview process.  

“No.” I said as I locked eyes with Armand. He raised an eyebrow before I looked to Louis; his face was scrunched up in confusion. “Was it a little scary and tense, yes. But that doesn’t make me afraid of you.” I looked between them as I took a sip of my tea.  

I sucked in a deep breath as I sat up straight. “I’m going to talk for a second... bare with me.” I told them softly, they looked at each other for a short second before looking back at me. “I’m not judging in this situation. I completely get it; you didn’t know if you could trust us and that’s completely valid. I’m not holding anything against you for it. Also, we are in your home... your space. Daniel does not have a right to be privy about anything, just because he’s doing this interview. You don’t owe him anything; we should be going at your pace, at what you're comfortable with.” I looked into Louis’ eyes, letting him see that I'm completely serious about this. “You don’t owe me anything either.”  

Louis’ jaw clenched as he stared into my eyes, I could see his eyes start to water from tears. I tilted my head as he swallowed and smiled gently. “Thank you.” He whispered out.  

He sniffled softly as Armand put a hand on his back and rubbed it softly. I smiled softly, comfortingly. “What, uh, what are you watching?” He asked as he walked over to sit on the couch next to me, Armand smiling softly as he sat next to him. He opened his tablet as Louis turned his body to face me, Louis crossing his legs as Armand pressed himself into his back. I smiled, seeing them together. Armand was much more comfortable now that he wasn’t hiding behind the persona of Rashid.  

“Doctor Who, I restarted from the beginning.” I told him with a grin. It was one of my favorite shows.  

Louis tilted his head. “What’s that about?” 

I acted offended and clutched my invisible pearls, making him smile and chuckle. “What?! You’ve never watched Doctor Who? For shame.” I teased him, the tension easing off his shoulders as he smiled. “It’s about this alien who looks human travel all of time and space in his spaceship slash time machine called a TARDIS with his human companions, going on adventures and saving planets.” 

Louis looked at me, skeptically, teasingly. “And you like this show?” 

I look at him with playful confusion. “What’s wrong with it?” 

He grinned. “You’re a nerd.” 

I playfully gasp. “And don’t you forget it.” Making him laugh.  

There was soft silence as I took a sip of my tea and finished it off. “We should watch it, I wanna see why you like it.” He speaks up. I look back at him and smiled wide before glancing at Armand, noticing the softness in his face as he watched us.  

“Sure, does any of these rooms have a TV?” I asked curiously, tilting my head. He glanced back and looked at Armand, who smiled at him. Louis grinned before looking back at me. He hopped up and held his hand out to me, making me set the laptop and cup onto the coffee table.  

Armand stood as I grabbed Louis’ hand and stood up, ignoring the tingling in my palm as I took my blanket with me. Louis’ grinned widened into a genuine smile as he pulled me softly towards the hallway towards the rooms.  

“You never said why you couldn’t sleep.” Armand spoke up as he followed us; his walk similar to that of a feline.  

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, I have chronic insomnia, had it since I was really young.”