I heard your hearts dancing ᝰ.ᐟ

synopsis: Stack Moore is the man standing between Louis and Lestat. Blood, business, and something far more dangerous than desire.

The smell of New Orleans was different than Chicago. It was sweet with rot and jasmine, steeped in music and magic. Stack didn’t like it at first. The way it made his cigarette smoke hang longer. But the city grew on him, like moss, like a wound you stopped minding.

Tonight was different from most nights for Stack; Mary had just left him, and he was on the hunt for the vampire responsible for the dent in the food supply. He was following blood. Not fresh blood, old blood. The kind that clung to walls long after the body was gone. He’d been in juke joints, card rooms, even back alleys behind brothels. But tonight, the trail led him to a narrow street with no name, where the gaslights flickered like they knew something was coming. And there he was.

“merci, mon cher.”

louis (iwtv) x stack (sinnners)

Sinners x IWTV

Written by Rosetta Sun

CHAPTER 2. Saint Louis

๋࣭ ⭑🕸🦇🕸๋࣭ ⭑

LouStack, LouStat, Stack x Mary, Vampire Smoke x Human Annie, Vampire Pearline x Human Sammie, Remmick yearning

“Louis! LOUIS!”

Remmick had never seen a vampire bolt so fast in his life. He chuckled, watching Lestat claw at the door ‘n cuss out Delta Slim while he downed a bottle of Irish beer.

“Listen, you ain’t gettin’ through this door, French White,” Delta Slim cackled.

“LET ME INSIDE! Or you’re all going to—!” Lestat bit, literally bit his tongue. He read the Irishmen’s mind. Before the Klan could ambush the Juke Joint, Remmick planned on giving every last one of these folks the dark gift. Truthfully, Lestat couldn’t give less of a shit if he tried. A coven of Mississippi vampires? Fine. He would rather a new coven take shape than allow a gaggle of sniveling, disgusting Klan members to snuff out the gorgeous light within this musical haven that Lestat oh so admired.

Lestat could step aside and allow Remmick to bestow the dark gift. He could keep his mouth shut and walk away. He would be in New Orleans, wrapped in silk sheets with his loving husband and daughter by his side. Lestat and his tiny coven would be gone by sunrise… So? Why? Why did he claw at the door so ferociously?

Flash!

A memory. Louis dragged Claudia’s half charred corpse across the carpet. “Please… Lestat…”

“Ohhh,” Remmick feigned pity as he invaded Lestat’s mind. He and his crew mosied on down the Juke’s dirt lawn, circling Lestat like vultures. “I see now. You have a little family, don’t you…? So you should understand what— what I’m trynna do here. I’m trynna save these people ‘n make ‘em apart of my family.”

“Quiet,” Lestat hissed. “You will find that my mind is not a safe place for you to scavenge, mon petit vautour.”

If these people died by the hands of vampires, or worse, the Klan, the guilt might very well kill Louis. He would surrender to the guilt, drown in it until his final breath. If this place became a slaughter house by daybreak, Louis would solely take the blame. Lestat could hear it now.

“I coulda done somethin’! I coulda saved them! The Azalea fell because of me!”

Lestat couldn’t bear it. “LOUIS!” The music snuffed out Lestat’s desperate plea.

Lestat knew it was impossible, and yet he thought, “Saint Louis… if you can hear me… Please, come to me.”

…

…

“You lookin’ for somebody?”

Stack was hearin’ all kinds of voices. Lots of white people. He groaned. Couldn’t worry about that now– as he stumbled across the bar like a drunkard, clutching his face like he’d swallowed a dozen crates of this Italian wine. “Can’t…” Thump! Thump! The sweet heartbeats of the human patrons throbbed around him. “Think…” Their hearts fluttered around like fireflies, beckoning him into their warmth. “Straight…” SLAM!

Stack smacked his head on the bar table.

Grace just so happened to be staring. “Um. Stack.”

“Mmm…?” Stack lifted his head, blinking like a frog.

“You a’right?”

“Uh huh.” He could see her veins pulsing in her neck.

“You’re droolin’, Stack.”

“Shit.”

Mary slipped effortlessly through the crowd. She tilted her chin up, gettin’ a good look at the sea of heads bobbing to the beat of a new song.

“Mary?” Mary almost knocked straight into Bo Chow. She recognized him by the scent of his apron before lookin’ up to meet his eye.

“Bo…” She smiled. She had to give him the gift too. Besides, Mary had time for a quick detour before she found her real target.

“You still here?” Bo sweats, wondering if Smoke knows.

“Bo, have you seen Annie?”

“No, actually, I was lookin’ for—“

“That’s alright. Wouldju come over here ‘a second?”

Stack collapsed.

“Oh my God!” Grace gasped. She swiveled around the bar table and knelt down to Stack. “Up, up, sit up straight. You alright?”

“Grace—“ Stack was seeing three Grace’s at once while the room spun in circles. “Where’s Smoke?”

“You need water,” small as she was, Grace effortlessly lifted Stack to his feet and shoved him onto a bar stool. “Cmon, drink sumn’ other than liquor. You look a damn mess.”

Oh, but liquor couldn’t compare to the sweet drink swimming through her tiny veins. Stack stared, wide eyed and hungry, as each little blood cell made its way down her neck.

“Hhh—!” Then came the voices again.

“Fellowship and love…! Haha…!”

“Daddy Lou, can vampires drink wine?”

“No, lil’ one. Vampires don’t drink wine.”

“This Frenchie is crackin’ me up.”

“Please… Saint Louis… come to me.”

Bo tasted like ginger, fresh oranges, and cigars. Just like Stack, Bo’s memories flooded into Mary’s mind as she exchanged her blood with his. Lisa was the first thing on his mind, and Grace was not a second far behind. Lisa was a chubby baby and she grew fast. Mary felt Bo’s pulse quiver, not with fear, but with laughter as memories swirled through his entire body. Dazed, Bo smiled hazily up at the ceiling. That’s how Mary knew she was doing the right thing. Showin’ Bo what real love looks like.

Bo watched his memories roll on old film, like a picture show. “Cmere, Lisa,” Bo picked her up. She was small then, just seven years old, and he was still strong enough to lift her. “Stand behind the counter. I’m gon’ teach you how to man the ship when Mom and Dad aren’t around.” Bo laughed.

Further back were memories of his wedding day. Even further, was the day Stack introduced Grace and Bo. Bo stuttered and stammered, lookin’ for sweet things to say. All he could muster was, “Wow...”

Blood spewed from Bo’s neck, seeping into the closet’s wooden floor. Mary tore herself away, gathering just enough self control to keep from sucking him dry.

“Saint Louis… Please, come to me…”

A voice as sweet ‘n sultry as it was desperate pleaded in Stack’s mind. Stack was far too out of his mind to know who the hell Saint Louis was or who he was hearing— but all the thunderous sensations rattling throughout the Juke were enough to make him throw up.

“Grace…” Skrrtch! His nails clawed beneath the table. “Where is Smoke?”

“Last I saw him he was beatin’ on some dude for cheatin’,” she sighed. “Haven’t seen Bo since then either.”

My Grace…!

Stack damn near smashed his head against the table. Another voice? Except, this voice happened to be familiar.

“My Grace!” This time, he heard it out loud.

“Bo!” Everyone else seemed to hear it too. Maybe he wasn’t crazy! Grace laughed, “Look what the cat dragged in! What happened to your apron?”

“Just spilled a little wine, baby. Don’t go tellin’ Smoke on me now.” Bo laughed, patting Stack on the shoulder. “Matter o’ fact… Where is Smoke?”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Three vampires down XD LMAO. Mary, Stack, and Bo Chow. I always wondered how scary it would be if Mary hadn’t gotten caught turning Stack, and the two were still in the building. I also wanted Stack to have mind reading abilities off the bat, to the point where it’s nauseating. He’s a smooth talker, a communicator, a manipulator, it makes sense to me that this power would come easy – but ultimately be hard to control at first.

I hope you’re enjoying the fic so far! I have lots planned and I am so excited. Any questions? Ask em all! Let’s get more Black Queer romance on AO3/Tumblr y’all this is good representation. Much Love!❤️🦇🌹

Chapter 1: