After giving it alot of thought, I have decided that I will no longer be posting my writing to Tumblr. Now, that doesn't mean I am stopping writing or deleting this blog, but updates will no longer be posted here.
As we all know, engagement here is abysmal lately. I have gotten to the point where it just is what it is, and I am done fighting it.
However, I have found a wonderful community on AO3 and in Discord servers, so I will continue to share my work there! Writing does make me happy and is cathartic for me, and I refuse to give that up. I am finally in a place where I write for myself and myself alone, and I am so happy with that.
My masterlist won't be pinned anymore, but you can find it here: MASTERLIST
Also, you can find me on AO3 at shelikesorchids
I have it open to read and comment for guests, and as long as people continue to play nice, it will stay that way.
I do want to thank y'all for sticking with me and encouraging me! This is not goodbye, I'm just moving!
If you want to be friends on Discord, I'm officialethelbeavers
If you're still here, BLESS YOU! I feel awful for leaving y'all in a drought, but MAN life has been hectic.
I'm still dealing with settling my mom's estate after her sudden passing, and that moves at about the speed of smell. I have also been traveling a whole bunch, which was fun, but I am worn out! I'm also having a major surgery next week, so I will have 2 weeks to rest up and get some reading and writing done!
Again, thank you for still being here! I have some exciting things planned and I hope you will love them!
So, fic updates are going to slow down a bit, because my mom suddenly passed away yesterday.
We had a very complicated relationship, and we were estranged, but she is still my mom and there was love there. Apparently she was on hospice and I had no idea, so the whole thing is kind of surreal to me.
Since I am her next of kin, making sure her final wishes and settling her estate falls to me, so the next few weeks are going to be very busy. Trust me, I would rather be writing, but this must be done.
I wasn't enough for her in life, but I can be there for her in death, and that's not a responsibility I am taking lightly.
Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them. I didn't get that chance with her, but that's my burden to bear.
But listen, what if Kitten used her Devil's (clean!) batons as a toy...
He'd know as soon as he opened the trunk, smell her on them. But the thing is... would he punish her before he goes out for the night or after, when he's trying to kick ass with a raging hard on, unable to stop thinking about her pleasuring herself with his, uh, 'weapon'.... 😁
Okay love you byeee!
STEF. YOU ABSOLUTE MENACE.
But, I actually have thought about this. Inappropriate use of billy clubs below the cut.
You knew he would be able to smell you on them. He was trying to put it out of his mind while he and Otomo took care of a rival gang, but the remnants of your arousal flooded his nostrils every time he took a swing at another goon. These guys weren't going quietly, so he traded the billy clubs for his katana and finished the job.
As he got closer to his penthouse, he could have sworn he heard you moan. A sweet sound of pleasure that went straight to his cock. You were so needy that you couldn't even wait for him to get home. He was hoping he'd find you in a compromising position. After all, that was very naughty of you to distract him while he was working. He couldn't let you get away with that.
He burst into the bedroom and caught you like a deer in headlights with your hand down your panties.
"You're home early, Matthew," you purred as you continued stroking your clit.
"And you've been very naughty, Kitten. Distracting me while I was working like that. What am I gonna do with you?"
"I know I was bad, baby. But I can't help it, I just miss you. So. Much." You made sure to emphasize the last two words, your impending orgasm building like a rubber band tightening up to snap.
"You are insatiable, honey. But that was very bad. I could have gotten hurt, you know?"
"You're the Kingpin. What you say goes. No one will hurt you unless you let them."
You continued pleasuring yourself as he got more and more annoyed, but you wanted him annoyed. You wanted to make him snap.
In a flash, he was across the room and on top of you, snatching your hand out of your panties and pinning your wrists to the headboard.
"You're right about that, Kitten. What I say goes. And tonight I say, you don't get to come until I say you can."
Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac
Chapter Summary: Louis adjusts to his new life as a business owner and the man of the house.
Warnings: This chapter is pretty tame, but there is a mother/son disagreement, and mentions of Louis hiding his sexuality.
Word Count: 1.7k
Author's Note: Many thanks to my fearless beta reader @mythicaltzu!!!! This is becoming as much your baby as it is mine!
Louis groaned as he rolled over to silence his phone ringing on his nightstand. He finally decided to take a much needed day off, and he wasn’t taking any work related calls. However, once he got comfortable back under the covers, the phone started ringing again. So much for sleeping in today.
“DPDL Contracting, Louis speaking.”
“Good morning, sunshine,” the voice on the other line replied.
“Bricks. To what do I owe this wake up call on my day off?”
“A day off? Who are you and what did you do with Louis de Pointe du Lac? But that must mean you’re free today, right?”
“Yes, I am. What do you want, Bricks?”
“Well, it’s not what I want, but what my mama wants. She’s got a few things that need fixing up at the bed and breakfast. Can you help her out?”
“Sure. I’ll send one of my guys over there this afternoon.”
“Oh no, Louis. She requested you, specifically.”
Louis dropped his phone for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose. Bricks was his company’s accountant now, but the two of them had been friends since high school. Bricks’s mom thought Louis was the most handsome man she had ever seen and had hoped against hope that the two of them would end up together. They gave it a shot, but they both quickly realized that Louis wasn’t into girls. They kept up the ruse that they were an item until they graduated just so no one would suspect anything about Louis, but the two of them were still close friends. She became an accountant, and after working for one of the best firms in the city, she started her own firm. So, of course he hired her to help him take care of the books. They helped each other out wherever they could.
“I’m not going over there, Bricks,” Louis snapped.
“Oh, okay. So I guess I can just forget about all this off-the-books bullshit you’re having me fix from when your dad was still running the business, then.”
Louis was exasperated, but she had him cornered. He knew better than to try to argue with her, after all she was helping him a lot these days.
“Fine. I’ll go over there and see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Louis. Oh, and wear that one pair of pants that really shows off your ass.”
“Bye, Bricks!”
Feeling defeated, Louis hung up the phone, threw the covers off, and sat up to try and shake the cobwebs off. He smelled coffee brewing downstairs and figured maybe that would help him perk up. After all, Bricks’ mom’s “little projects” were rarely little, so he could use the energy. He put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt and headed downstairs, silently hoping no one else was in the kitchen right now, because he was in no mood for small talk.
He grabbed a mug out of the cupboard and started pouring himself a cup of coffee, when he heard his sister’s voice.
“Louis, what are you doing up so early? I thought you were taking the day off.”
“Good morning, Grace. I thought you would be at work already.”
“Oh, today’s my half day. Just thought I’d come by and check on you and mama. See if maybe you wanted to go to lunch or something.”
“I would love to, but Bricks called and her mama wants me to go fix some things at the B&B. And you know how well she takes no for an answer.”
Grace couldn’t help but laugh. She knew about the situation between the two of them, all about their fake relationship in high school, and that she was fixing some tax issues that their father created while he was still running the business. Things had been hard on the family, especially Louis since their dad suddenly passed, and he was still trying to find his way as a business owner and new patriarch of the home. Their mother Florence didn’t really care, as long as the business was still profitable and kept her in the comfortable lifestyle she was accustomed to, so it seemed like everything was on Louis’s shoulders these days.
“He’d be proud of you, you know,” Grace whispered.
Louis smiled and set his coffee cup on the counter, opening his arms to hug his younger sister. He could always count on Grace to make him feel better, and for that he was eternally grateful. However, their sweet sibling moment was soon interrupted by Florence walking into the kitchen.
“Well, look at this! I didn’t expect to see two of my kids in my kitchen this morning. Why are you not at the clinic, Grace? Aren’t you scared they’ll burn the place down without you there?”
“Mama, it’s my half day. And they’ll be fine without me until one, I’m still just a nurse.”
“Hey, you are not ‘just a nurse,’” Louis replied. “You are the best nurse practitioner in the greater New Orleans area, and that clinic is damn lucky to have you.”
“Thank you, Louis. But mama I’ll have you know, our Louis doesn’t know the meaning of a day off and he’s gonna go fix some stuff at the Williams’ bed and breakfast. Bricks called him and woke him up.”
“Wow, thanks for throwing me under the bus, sis.”
“It’s probably best to keep up those appearances anyway. She’s been helping us out a lot since your father passed. She doesn’t have to do that, you know.”
“I know, I know. I’ll rest when I’m dead, I guess,” Louis said.
“Louis de Pointe du Lac,” Florence scolded. “Do not say things like that in my house. You know how fortunate you are that your father built this business from the ground up, made it successful, and gave it to you? He wanted you to have better than what he had when he was younger. Would it kill you to show some gratitude?”
“Yes, mama. I am so fortunate that I have to clean up a big financial mess he left because he didn’t want to hire anybody qualified to keep the books. I am so, so fortunate that I gotta do favors for people on my day off so this shit gets fixed for a business I didn’t even want. I gotta be the luckiest man in the world to have all this dumped on me,” Louis spat back.
Grace hated it when the two of them argued, but it was becoming a more common occurrence these days. She did wish that Florence would at least try to be sympathetic to what Louis was going through, but she instead chose to stick her head in the sand and act like nothing was wrong.
“Louis, how about you get dressed and we’ll get some breakfast before you head to the B&B, huh?” Grace asked.
“Okay, yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”
Louis finished his coffee then tossed the mug in the sink before turning to go back upstairs to get dressed. They were surprised that the mug didn’t break from the force he threw it with, and the noise made Grace and Florence jump.
“Mama, why can’t you just be there for him?”
“We are all grieving, Grace. But your daddy and I did not raise our children to be so ungrateful. He’d be ashamed of how Louis mopes around here constantly acting like he’s been given this big burden. He worked hard to give us this life.”
“Nobody’s saying he didn’t mama. But daddy wasn’t a businessman, and he made a lot of dumb decisions that could have gotten him in trouble. Now Louis’s gotta clean that up and he didn’t ask for any of this. He’s doing the best he can with what he got and he needs you to be his mama for once.”
“You’ll understand when you have kids of your own, Grace. Speaking of which, when are you and Levi gonna make me a grandma?”
“Oh God mama, not now. I just finished nurse practitioner school, and got my name on the sign at the clinic. Can’t we just be married for a little while so I can focus on my career?”
“You finished six months ago, that’s plenty of time. You don’t want to wait too long and miss your chance to have healthy babies, don’t you.”
“That’s not how it works mama-”
Louis finally reappeared, dressed for the day with his work bag in tow, and Grace was thankful for that. She didn’t think she could keep up this conversation much longer.
“You wanna take separate cars, or ride together?” Louis asked.
“Let’s go in separate cars, I don’t really wanna come back over here today,” Grace answered as she grabbed her bag.
Florence looked hurt, but Louis couldn’t be bothered to care after what she said to him. He knew he would end up apologizing later, but for now, he just wanted to have a nice morning with his sister before he went to work on his day off.
“Morning Mrs. Williams. How are you doing today?”
“Louis! How’s my best boy doing?” Mrs. Williams asked as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“Can’t complain, and wouldn’t do me any good if I did. So, what can I fix for you today?”
“Well, there’s this blond French man that’s staying in the corner room upstairs indefinitely, and he told me this morning that the water pressure in the shower isn’t very good. I’ve been meaning to get that shower head replaced anyway, so I was hoping you could put it on for me real quick.”
“That’s all? No spackling or wallpaper that needs to be fixed?”
“Not today, Louis. You and your boys did such a good job with the last renovation, I think it’ll last for years. Besides, I feel awful about my daughter calling you on your day off. I told her not to do that.”
“It’s no trouble at all Mrs. Williams, and this won’t take long. I just need a key to the room and the replacement shower head.”
“Here you go,” she replied as she handed him the shower head and the room key.
Louis thanked her again and headed towards the stairs to make his quick repair before he heard Mrs. Williams’s voice calling out to him.
“Oh, one more thing, Louis.”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Knock several times and real hard before you open the door. The man staying in that room has been sleeping quite a bit and moping around when he actually does leave his room, so I’m not sure if he’s even in there. Just give him a few minutes before you barge in.”
Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac
Chapter Summary: Lestat's life of love and loss in Paris.
Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. This chapter contains a car accident, depression, and a suicide. Please heed this warning.
Word Count: 1.7k
Author's Note: Many thanks to my fearless beta reader @mythicaltzu!!!! This is becoming as much your baby as it is mine!
Paris. The city of lights, the city of love. A perfect place to find a new life, at least that’s what a young Lestat de Lioncourt thought.
He was a poor boy from Auvergne, running from years of abuse and neglect at the hands of his family. His mother was kinder to him in the later years, but she was so brow beaten by his father that she neglected him when he was younger. In the end she helped him escape that tomb of a home, scraping together what she could to buy him a train ticket to Paris. She knew her son was a bright, sensitive young man, and she could tell he was withering away in Auvergne. He wanted to be an actor, and he would often recite monologues in his room to his stuffed animals as a child, which earned him more beatings than applause from his father and his brothers. His father violently reminded him often that no son of his would pursue such a disgraceful profession.
So, his mother bought him a train ticket, he packed his bags, he kissed her goodbye, and he left. He hated to leave his mother, but she assured him that she would be okay, and told him not to worry about her. He vowed he would never return, and he made good on that promise.
Paris was beautiful, even more beautiful than Lestat had imagined. He had seen pictures and read about it, but nothing could compare to seeing it with his own two eyes.
Unfortunately the wonder was short lived, because he had to find a place to live, and a job to afford a place to live. He found a cafe, where he spent what little cash he had in his pocket on a coffee and a pastry, and took a seat to browse the ads in the newspaper.
As he was browsing the classifieds, a fresh faced brunette man caught his attention as he entered the cafe. He was the most beautiful young man Lestat had ever seen, and he was absolutely mesmerized by him. The young brunette glanced over to the table where Lestat had set up shop, and he quickly hid his face with the newspaper so he didn’t catch him staring. He tried to busy himself by pretending to read the paper, but he couldn’t take his eyes off this man. The cafe was quite busy at that time, and much to Lestat’s surprise, the young man approached his table once he had his coffee.
“May I sit here?” he asked.
“S-sure,” Lestat stammered.
He took a seat in the empty chair, and Lestat went back to aimlessly browsing the paper, but he was distracted by the most attractive man in all of Paris sitting across from him.
“I’m Nicolas, by the way. But you can call me Nicki.”
“Lestat. Nice to meet you, Nicki.”
It was love at first sight.
Nicki had just been named the first chair violinist of the Orchestre de Paris, and Lestat was making a name for himself as a stage actor. They had the most beautiful apartment in the city, and all their hard work was finally paying off. Lestat kept in touch with his mother via letters, and as he had sworn he would never return to that house in Auvergne, he was quietly making plans to bring her to Paris. He and Nicki were making a great living, and he wanted to help his mother like she did when she bought him that ticket to Paris all those years ago. Maybe she would be proud of him once she saw how successful they were. He knew his father would never be proud of him, but he held out hope for his mother.
When Gabrielle finally joined them in Paris, she was so happy for her son. He had achieved his dream of being an actor, he was in love, and he was able to rescue her from his wretched father. Life was seemingly perfect. Nicki and Lestat were so enamored with each other, and they complemented one another perfectly. Nicki composed songs for Lestat and helped him learn his lines for each play he was in, and Lestat was there for every orchestra performance that he could attend. Lestat’s favorite sound in the world was hearing Nicki play, even when he was warming up. And Nicki loved to hear Lestat rehearsing his monologues at home. They both had a passion and intensity about them that they had never found in anyone else. The two of them were truly soulmates.
Unfortunately, life always had a way of bringing Lestat back down to earth. One night when Nicki was walking back to their apartment after rehearsal, he was hit by a drunk driver while he was crossing the street. The doctors told him he was extremely lucky that he wasn’t hurt any worse, but he did sustain nerve damage in his arms and hands that left him unable to hold his violin and play it. This was a fate worse than death in Nicki’s eyes. Music was his life and his livelihood, and he had no idea what he would do with himself now. Lestat assured him that he would love him no matter what state he was in, and he would dedicate himself to helping him recover. The orchestra offered him a job as a creative consultant, but he turned it down.
Either he would play in the orchestra, or he wouldn’t be a part of it at all.
Lestat devoted all of his time to helping Nicki heal. He took care of him after surgeries, went with him to appointments, and sought second opinions when he didn’t like the answers the doctors were giving him. Still, no matter how devoted Lestat was to Nicki’s care, he soon fell into a deep depression. He became distant, and he was a shell of the vibrant and beautiful boy he met in the cafe that day. Instead of spending them filling their home with music, Nicki’s days were now spent in bed mourning what he once was.
At Lestat’s insistence, Nicki finally saw a psychiatrist, but it was mostly to get Lestat off his back about it. He went to trauma counseling and he took the antidepressants he was prescribed, but none of it would bring back the one thing that truly brought him joy.
When Nicki started working on composing new music one day, Lestat was overjoyed, thinking he had finally gotten over the worst of it. But the compositions were dark and minor-keyed, a far cry from the joyful music he had written for Lestat in the past. Lestat was at a loss. He had done everything a devoted partner should do, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t enough.
Having had enough of being cooped up with his severely depressed lover, Lestat took a job as an alternate in a play. Just a little something to get him out of the house and give him a reprieve from Nick’s gloom. He felt like an awful partner for doing so, but Gabrielle assured him that he needed to take care of himself as well, and she would pick up the slack in looking after Nicki. Lestat could tell that she was worried sick about him. He had finally found happiness, and it was being ripped right out from under him. Fate was kind enough to bring them together, but now it was cruel enough to tear them apart.
One night Lestat returned home from a frustrating rehearsal, happy to be home to his Nicki, no matter how sour his mood might be. However, he found Nicki unresponsive in their bed, and an empty medication bottle on their bedside table. Lestat frantically tried to wake him, and Gabrielle called for an ambulance, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead when the medics arrived.
Lestat blamed himself. He never should have accepted that stupid job that took him away from Nicki when he needed him most. He should have done more. He should have been better. Gabrielle tried to console her son, but he was convinced it was all his fault that Nicki was gone. He failed his one true love. He should have been there. This never would have happened if he was there.
He was prepared for settling Nicki’s affairs to be a nightmare, but it was soon apparent that Nicki had been planning this ever since he learned he would never play the violin again. He had taken out a life insurance policy, drawn up a will, and he left everything to Lestat. He even left him a heartfelt letter, a final farewell of sorts.
“My dearest Lestat. The love of my life. If you are reading this, that means my plan worked, and I am no longer of this mortal coil. I’m so sorry for how things were at the end, but I fear my life will never again have meaning. Please don’t think this means I love you any less, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I always will. But please understand when I say I can’t live like this. It isn’t fair to you to be left to care for an invalid like myself. Please, live your life. You’ll find I have set you up quite nicely to do just that. Travel, or do whatever you wish, just don’t wallow over me. And please, don’t worry that you weren’t enough. You were everything. Yours always, Nicki.”
He folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. He decided he would carry it with him wherever he went, the last piece of his dear Nicki.
Lestat tried to stay in Paris, but everything reminded him of Nicki. He decided to take his late lover’s advice and travel. But he had no idea where, he had never been out of France in his life. Now that money was no object, he could go wherever he wanted. He went to a book shop and looked through volumes upon volumes of books about the great cities of the world, and that’s how he found his destination. He was going to New Orleans.
He wasn’t sure what he would find there, but he hoped it would take his mind off how much he missed Nicki.
Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac
Chapter Summary: Lestat couldn't be happier with his new family, but his past still haunts him.
Warnings: None really, just tooth rotting fluff.
Word Count: 1.5k
Author's Note: Some more domestic Loustat fluff before I break your hearts with Lestat's tragic backstory in the next chapter. Again, many thanks to my fearless beta reader @mythicaltzu!!!! This is becoming as much your baby as it is mine!
One week later…..
Louis stood in the doorway to the bedroom he shared with Lestat to admire the beautiful sight before him. Lestat was lounging in bed with his silk pajama top unbuttoned, and Claudia was sound asleep on his bare chest. He was whispering something to her that Louis couldn’t quite hear, and he was gently rubbing her little back with one hand, keeping her securely in place with the other. Louis smiled brightly as he crossed the room and joined the two of them.
“You know, you’re gonna have to let her sleep in that bassinet we got at some point,” he said as he rolled against Lestat’s side.
Lestat chuckled softly as he opened his arm for Louis, ”I know, but I didn’t get to properly cuddle her until we brought her home, so I have some time to make up for.”
Since they brought Claudia home from the hospital, Lestat had barely put her down. He loved letting her sleep on his chest while he whispered terms of endearment to her in French, and Louis often found the two of them together just like he did now. He knew Lestat couldn’t be happier, but there was always a hint of sadness in his voice when he was talking to Claudia as she slept right over his heart. Louis had a feeling that he knew the source of the sadness, but he didn’t want to pry.
Louis snuggled closer into his husband’s embrace, and he planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He intertwined his fingers with Lestat’s so that they were both holding Claudia, and they lovingly gazed at her as she slept.
“She looks like a little angel, doesn’t she? Like one of those cherubs painted on the ceiling of a church. She’s just perfect,” Lestat whispered before kissing the top of her head.
“She does. Our beautiful little angel,” Louis answered. “So, what do the two of you talk about when I’m not in the room, hmmm?”
Lestat gave a tight lipped smile, and Louis felt him tense up a bit. He remembered Lestat telling him all about his own family, how they were cruel to him and treated him like they didn’t want him. A few days before they brought Claudia home, Lestat had something of a breakdown about becoming a parent, because he was so afraid that he would repeat the same mistakes his parents made. Louis found him sitting on the floor of her nursery, holding one of her soft blankets and crying into it.
“What if it turns out I’m like him? What if I hurt her? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Louis.”
“Lestat, baby. You’re not your father. You are gentle, kind, and loving. You would never hurt our daughter. You already love her more than anything, don’t you?”
“I do, Louis. I love her so much I can’t stand to think about it. I know she’s not our flesh and blood, but I don’t care. For the first week of her life she had no one to hold her little hand, no one to cuddle her when she cried, to tell her that she’s loved. It pains me to think of how lonely she might have been, because I was that lonely as a small child.”
“See, there it is. She’s not even home and you’d do anything for her. Remember how she immediately snuggled into you the first time you held her? She knows you love her. She feels safe with you. When she was right over your heart, she knew she was home.” Louis put his hand over Lestat’s heart. “This is home for me too.”
Lestat collapsed into Louis’s arms, and Louis held him as he cried. They stayed there holding each other on the floor of the nursery for several minutes, then Lestat finally dried his eyes and said to Louis, “Your heart is my home too, mon cher. This house wasn’t a home until you came along. And now, we have a daughter. A daughter to love and cherish. I never dared to imagine this life until you came along.”
“Our baby girl is gonna grow up in a house full of love. I know because this house is already full of it. I love you so much, Lestat.”
“Our baby girl,” Lestat sniffled. “I love you too, Louis. So, so much.”
Louis was finally pulled from the memory with a long sigh from Lestat. He hugged Claudia closer to his chest and kissed her head again, nuzzling her soft, dark hair with his nose.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, baby,” Louis soothed.
“Nicki and I talked about babies once,” Lestat answered, his voice cracking. “But I was too afraid I would be like my father, so I quickly dismissed it. I wanted it so badly, though, a family of my own. I was also afraid to want it, thinking I didn’t deserve it. Thinking I could never put an innocent child through what my father and my family put me through. Then the hope of ever having such a life died when he did. I thought I’d lost my chance at true happiness. But I thought it was for the best, I’d surely fail them like I failed him.”
Louis gently wiped the tears from his husband’s eyes as he continued to listen intently. He wanted to tell Lestat that he didn’t fail Nicki, that he was not his father, but he knew it was best to just let him speak for now.
“Then I met you, Louis,” he whispered as he turned to face him. “You were a ray of sunshine that lit up my darkness, your warmth thawed my frozen heart. You showed me it was possible to love again.”
“Oh, Lestat,” Louis breathed out.
Lestat kept a firm hand on Claudia, but rolled over slightly to capture Louis’s lips in a soft, yet searing kiss. He poured every ounce of love and devotion he had into it, and the two of them got lost in each other until Claudia let out a dissatisfied squeak, making them both break apart and laugh.
“Oh, ma cherie, you jealous darling?” Lestat asked her as he sat up with his back against the headboard. He kissed her chubby cheek and bounced her in his arms until she started making happy baby noises.
Louis tickled her feet until she started kicking against Lestat’s chest, then she started to root around in search of food. “Oh, I think she’s hungry,” Louis said.
“Well, let’s fix that, shall we lovely?” Lestat asked her as he moved to get out of bed to placate the now whimpering baby in his arms.
“I’ve got her, babe. You stay here and rest a bit,” Louis told her as he gently took Claudia from Lestat’s arms, causing her to break into an ear splitting wail. “Oh, I know. Daddy is so mean taking you away from your Papa. I know sweetie, I know,” he crooned to her as he left the bedroom to take her downstairs to get her a bottle.
Lestat couldn’t help but laugh, because she was definitely his little girl. She had only been home with them a week and he was already wrapped around her tiny finger. He laid there in bed for a moment before he finally got up, buttoned his pajama top, and decided to head downstairs to join Louis and Claudia.
As Lestat approached the doorway to their kitchen, he could hear Louis softly singing to Claudia. Once he got closer, he immediately recognized the song from their wedding playlist. He was singing “I Could Not Ask for More” by Edwin McCain to try and calm their daughter down while he waited for her bottle to warm. Louis loved 90’s singer-songwriters, a genre of music Lestat wasn’t particularly fond of, but he put up with for Louis. However, after listening to this particular song many times, he grew fond of it because it was a perfect representation of their love.
Louis somehow felt Lestat’s eyes on him, and he turned around to see him just as the timer for the bottle warmer went off. Claudia let out a happy squeal and started making grabby hands for the bottle when Louis got it out of the warmer and brought it to her mouth. “Patience, little miss!” he laughed as he fed her.
“Demanding little thing, isn’t she?” Lestat said from the doorway.
“She sure is. Just like her Papa.”
After Claudia was fed, burped, bathed, and changed, Louis got comfortable in the bed and promptly fell asleep as Lestat was rocking their baby to sleep. Once he was confident she was finally out for the night, he gently placed her in the bassinet by his side of the bed even though he wanted to let her sleep on his chest. However, he knew Louis would chastise him for that, assuring Lestat that she was close to them in case she cried during the night.
Sleep didn’t come easy for Lestat that night, mostly because he was startled awake by every little noise Claudia made, but also because his mind kept drifting back to his life in Paris. He was happier than he had ever been, but Nicki still weighed heavy on his mind, and on his heart.
He wouldn’t let his family down like he did his Nicki.
Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac
Summary: Lestat de Lioncourt leaves France for New Orleans to get away from his life and his demons. He falls in love with the city and buys a townhouse in the Quarter. But, what happens when he also falls in love with the contractor he hired to renovate his house?
Louis de Pointe du Lac is trying to find his way as a business owner after his father dies and leaves him the family contracting company. He takes a job from a French man new to town offering him a disgusting amount of money to renovate his townhouse. He knows he's hurting, but can he fix more than his house?
They both have demons, but can they tame them? Can Lestat really run from what he left behind in France? Can Louis be everything his family needs? Can they fill in the cracks in each other's hearts? We'll see when the paint dries.
Author's Note: This is written slightly out of order. We start with the ending then go back to the beginning. It will make sense, I promise!
Read on AO3
Spotify Playlist
Chapter One: City Life, Apple Pie Made Just Right
Chapter Two: I Could Not Ask for More
Chapter Three: I Can't Help But Wonder What Might Have Been
Chapter Four: Time Marches On
Chapter Five: Don't Talk to Strangers or You Might Fall in Love (coming soon!)
Pairing: Human AU Lestat de Lioncourt x Louis de Pointe du Lac
Summary: Lestat de Lioncourt leaves France for New Orleans to get away from his life and his demons. He falls in love with the city and buys a townhouse in the Quarter. But, what happens when he also falls in love with the contractor he hired to renovate his house?
Louis de Pointe du Lac is trying to find his way as a business owner after his father dies and leaves him the family contracting company. He takes a job from a French man new to town offering him a disgusting amount of money to renovate his townhouse. He knows he's hurting, but can he fix more than his house?
They both have demons, but can they tame them? Can Lestat really run from what he left behind in France? Can Louis be everything his family needs? Can they fill in the cracks in each other's hearts? We'll see when the paint dries.
Word Count: 2.5k
Author's Note: JUMPING INTO THE DEEP END HERE. We're starting from the end and working backwards! That's right! We'll get a happy ending, but how do they get it? Well, you'll see.
Big thanks and many smooches to @mythicaltzu for beta reading, editing, and being my cheerleader in DMs!
ENJOY!
Louis and Lestat had just celebrated their first anniversary as a married couple, and life was absolutely blissful.
Louis had taken on the role of business owner full time, and no longer did any actual contracting work. He had an office, but he worked from home quite a bit, which made Lestat very happy. The house Lestat bought on a whim now felt like a home, and it was about to get fuller. They had started the process of adopting a child, and they had their first meeting with the social worker at the adoption agency today. Both of them dreamed of this life, but they never thought it would be possible until they met each other. They were nervous about becoming parents, but they were both buzzing with excitement.
Lestat came downstairs freshly showered and dressed to find Louis sitting at the kitchen island drinking a cup of coffee, and a second cup waiting for him. Louis knew just how Lestat took his coffee, and it was those little things that made him fall deeper in love with him every day. Even though Louis was off work for their appointment today, he was still aimlessly scrolling through work emails on his phone. Lestat could feel the nerves radiating from him, and even though he was just as nervous, he knew he had to comfort Louis.
He took a seat at the island next to Louis, took his hands in his, and quietly asked, “Penny for your thoughts, mon cher?”
Louis turned to face his husband, and let out a long sigh before answering, “M’just nervous. Are we really ready for this?”
“Oh, my beautiful Louis. I’m nervous too. We may not be ready for this, but I want to do it with you. Just think, mon cher, a beautiful little child to fill our home with joy and laughter. Doesn’t that sound lovely?
“It does. But there’s also sleep deprivation, dirty diapers, spit up, and all that.”
Lestat barked out a laugh, which made Louis chuckle as well. He cupped Louis’s cheek with his hand and smiled, “I know, I know. But there’s no one I’d rather suffer through a newborn with than you.”
Louis smiled and stood up from his seat at the kitchen island and wrapped his arms around Lestat’s neck. Lestat put his hands on Louis’s hips and pulled him closer so he could share a sweet kiss with him. Once they broke apart, Louis leaned down to rest his cheek against Lestat’s head, and Lestat hugged him tighter. They stayed in the embrace for a moment before Louis finally pulled away to say, “Well, we better get going. Don’t want to be late, do we?”
The two of them smiled brightly at each other before walking through the door of the adoption agency hand in hand. They checked in with the receptionist and before they could even take a seat, the social worker that had been working with them was coming out of her office to fetch them. Her name was Julia, and she was a very smiley young woman with her hair up in a messy bun, and comically large framed red eyeglasses. They had met briefly to drop off paperwork and they had spoken to her several times on the phone, but today was the day they were actually going to get the process in motion.
Holy shit, they were going to be bringing a baby home soon. Hopefully, anyway.
“Lestat! Louis! So wonderful to see you both,” she sing-songed as she shook their hands. “Well, if you’ll both just come with me to my office, we’ll get this show on the road! Follow me.”
She led them into her small office, which was decorated with lots of band posters, pastel stuffed animals, and various vinyl figurines of superheroes. They took a seat in the chairs in front of her desk, and Lestat grabbed Louis’s hand, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb to ease his husband’s nerves. This was really happening, and they were both a mess of emotions.
“So, all of your paperwork looks great! We should be able to get this filed with the courts no problem and complete your family! How are y’all feeling about it?”
Lestat and Louis glanced at each other before Lestat finally spoke. “Well, Julia, we’re incredibly nervous, but we’re both very excited. Both of us have dreamed of having a family, and we just want to thank you for helping us realize this dream.”
Julia laughed and blushed. “Oh I’m just doing my job! So, the next step is to find a baby! I realize this is a bit weird, going through prospects, but it is part of the process. Now, do the two of you have any-”
She was interrupted by a soft knock on her doorframe, and the three of them looked up to see another young woman holding a manila envelope in her hand.
“So sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But, I have that paperwork on Baby Edwards at Oschner’s NICU. Her parents signed over all their parental rights, so she is officially in our care now.”
Julia motioned for her to step into her office and she took the envelope from her as she thanked her. Lestat swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought of this tiny premature baby being abandoned by her parents. Louis could tell his husband was getting emotional, and he knew he wanted to know more about the baby in the envelope, so he gently squeezed his hand and gave him a nod to ask Julia about her.
“What about baby Edwards? We’d like to know more about her,” he said as his voice cracked.
“Oh, she’s new to us, and the world for that matter. She’s only 4 days old, but she was born at 30 weeks, so she’s currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at Oschner. Her parents hated to give her up, but they just didn’t have the financial resources available to take care of a premature baby, so they decided to give her up for adoption. I’ll let you look at some photos of her, but I must warn you: she’s on oxygen and she has a few tubes sticking out of her, but she’s doing great.”
Julia handed Lestat the photos, and Louis scooted his chair closer so that he could get a closer look at them. Lestat’s breath hitched at the sight of this tiny baby that was connected to several lines and wires like Julia said, but at the same time, she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. His eyes started to well with tears, and Louis put his arm around him to hug him close as they both gazed at the photos of the tiny baby girl. They exchanged another glance, and they wordlessly decided that she was going to be their daughter.
“Can we meet her?” Louis asked Julia as he continued to comfort his emotional husband.
“Well, they are very strict about visitors in the NICU because the babies are so delicate, but I’ll make some phone calls and see what we can set up. I’m assuming this means you’re interested in adopting her?”
Lestat handed the photos back to her and wiped his eyes. “Yes, we would love to adopt her. I can’t believe someone would just abandon such a tiny helpless baby.”
“It is hard to imagine that, but we really try not to judge here. They loved her enough to make sure she would be taken care of, so they made the very difficult choice to put her up for adoption.”
“And we can take her home and love her, mon cher,” Louis interjected.
Lestat gave him a watery smile, and squeezed his hand. Louis always knew just what to say to make him feel better. He wiped his eyes once again and told Julia, “You’re right, I suppose. So, when can we meet her?”
After three agonizing days of waiting, Lestat and Louis were finally in the NICU with Julia to meet their future daughter. A nurse guided them through washing their hands thoroughly before she led them to the incubator where the baby lay. Even though they had seen photos of her at the adoption agency, the mere sight of her before their very eyes took their breath away. Lestat gripped Louis by his waist as they inched closer toward her, fearing his knees might give out.
“Oh, mon dieu. She’s even more precious than in the pictures,” he whispered. He bent down until he was eye level with her in the incubator, then turned to ask the nurse with tears in his eyes, “Can I touch her?”
The nurse smiled as she replied, “You can, but be very careful not to jostle any of her lines.”
She opened the small door to the incubator and motioned to Lestat to come closer. He slowly put his hand inside and stroked her fuzzy little head with his fingertips. He was surprised by how soft her hair was, and she seemed to lean into his touch, which made the tears finally fall from his eyes. Louis bent down to join him and he whispered, “Hey baby girl. You wanna come home with us?”
They stood there for several moments, taking turns gently stroking her hair or holding her tiny little hands until she started squirming and whimpering, which upset Lestat because she was clearly uncomfortable. The nurse came over to assure them that she was fine, but then caught them off guard by asking if they wanted to hold her. Both of them nodded vigorously, and the nurse rolled over a recliner for them to sit in so they could hold their baby. Louis let Lestat go first, and he was overcome with emotion yet again at being moments away from holding his daughter.
“Unbutton your shirt,” the nurse told him.
Lestat’s face quickly turned from amazed to confused. “What? Why?” he asked.
“Skin to skin, or ‘kangaroo care’. It’s great for all babies, but especially premature ones. It promotes bonding, helps regulate their body temperature, and other things babies need. She’s also never been held, so you’ll be the first.”
He felt like he might cry again, but he did as the nurse asked and unbuttoned his shirt to expose his chest. Louis couldn’t help but admire his husband’s pristine form as the nurse situated the baby on his bare chest and covered them with a blanket. She snuggled into his chest as he gently rocked her, and Lestat felt an overwhelming rush of love for this tiny baby in his arms. He made a silent promise to her, and to himself, that as long as he was around, she would know nothing but comfort, safety, and love. Louis kneeled down at the side of the chair and placed his hand over Lestat’s on her tiny back, stealing his husband’s lips for a chaste, loving kiss.
Once they both broke the kiss, they gazed down at the now sleeping baby and knew their family was complete.
“Claudia. Her name is Claudia,” Lestat whispered as he traced her cheek with his finger.
“Just taking a video of you doing the ‘hot new dad walk’. I wanna remember this forever, “ Louis replied as he walked behind him, recording him with his phone.
“Your daddy is incorrigible, my darling,” Lestat laughed as he walked down the hallway to the hospital exit, baby Claudia in tow, fast asleep in her carrier.
All of the paperwork had been finalized, and she was officially theirs. More importantly, she was finally well enough for them to take her home. After weeks of visiting her in the NICU every day, she was finally breathing on her own, they were able to feed her with a bottle, and thanks to the nurses, they were comfortable with taking care of a newborn baby on their own. They got her safely buckled into the backseat of their shiny new SUV, and Louis sat in the backseat with her while Lestat drove them home. He didn’t care that people behind him were honking at him for going under the speed limit, he was going to get his precious cargo home safely, everyone else on the roads be damned.
Once they were parked in the driveway of their townhouse, Louis carefully unbuckled her from the carrier and she fussed in protest of being woken up from her nap. Lestat couldn’t help but smile as he got her bags out of the car and watched Louis try to soothe their cranky baby girl. Their baby girl. He couldn’t believe he had a family of his own to love and care for.
“I know, sweetie, I know,” Louis crooned as she continued to fuss.
“We’re home, ma cherie. Would you like to see your new home? You even have a room of your very own,” Lestat whispered to her before kissing her head.
Louis gave Claudia the grand tour of the townhouse, starting with the courtyard in front, then continuing with the downstairs portion of their home. Lestat took the bags upstairs to put away her things from the hospital in her nursery, and he was taken aback at how beautiful it was. After they first met Claudia and decided to adopt her, Louis had spent quite a bit of time sequestered in the spare bedroom they decided would be her nursery, and Lestat was worried that he was having second thoughts about the adoption. A week later, he was pleasantly surprised when Louis showed him the new room with hand painted Azaleas and Magnolias on the wall, and the most beautiful baby furniture he had ever seen. He remembered breaking down in tears at the thought that this is where his daughter would grow up, in this gorgeous room her daddy designed just for her.
He was soon pulled from his thoughts by Louis walking through the door, Claudia held tenderly in his arms as he told her, “And this your room, I hope you like it. I did this just for you.”
Lestat crossed the room and took Claudia from Louis’s arms and propped her up against his shoulder so she could see the room. “Yes, your daddy made this beautiful room just for you ma cherie. He loves to make things beautiful. He made my life beautiful.”
Louis had tears in his eyes as he gazed at the two loves of his life, his beautiful husband and his precious daughter. He came behind Lestat to wrap one arm around his waist, and the other around his arm holding Claudia. Here was his everything, his whole life, right here in his arms. He stole a quick kiss from Lestat as they stood there together holding Claudia, who was growing sleepy. They both laughed softly as she let out a yawn and buried her tiny face in the crook of his neck, and Lestat pressed a kiss to the top of her head, lingering there a moment to take in her sweet baby smell.
“A nap sounds like a great idea, don’t you think, mon cher,” Lestat asked Louis.
“Amazing idea. Let’s get all the sleep we can before the real fun starts.”
Fratt or frattx reader with 5 " the only way is forward"
Soulie dearest!
Many, many apologies for how long it took me to answer this.
Fratt x F!Reader set in the For Keeps 'Verse.
You looked around at your new "home". It was pretty much a concrete bunker with very little personality. A stark contrast in comparison to the luxury apartment you had in the city, but you were willing to give up that life for one with love and safety.
You would be safe here. You would be loved here.
Frank pulled you from your thoughts with his gruff voice, "Having second thoughts, sweetheart? I know it ain't much, but I can promise you nothing will happen to you with us."
"I know. It's just, it'll be hard to leave everything behind. Basically become a ghost, you know?"
"Luckily Frank is good at that part," Matt interjected.
Matt wrapped his arms around you, then Frank pulled the both of you into his chest, holding you close enough to feel his steady heartbeat. You closed your eyes and let the warmth of them envelop you, and you had never felt more at peace in your life.
"The only way is forward," Frank said. "We'll get through this. And we'll get through it together."
I was just thinking... what if kitten came home to find her Kingpin wearing her panties? 😏
STEF! You saucy minx!
Filth below the cut: panty stealing, wearing dirty underwear. Hehehehehe.
Kitten doesn't leave Matt alone often, but when she does, boy does he miss her. Sure her pillow smells like that expensive shampoo he bought her, but holding that at night just isn't enough. He also dabs on some of her Chanel perfume, because it's rich and luxurious, just like he likes things.
But his favorite thing to do when he misses Kitten? Wear her panties. You would think he'd have an affinity for those expensive, lacy little numbers he buys just for her, but that's not it. It's those basic cotton Calvin Kleins that call to him while she's away. However, Kitten rarely takes her fancy lingerie with her to visit her family, so she dosen't leave many of her "comfy undies" behind.
Luckily, her Kingpin is resourceful. He finds a pair in her dirty laundry, which is a bonus because they really smell like her. That sweet tang of arousal only he knows how to get from her. Combined with the soft cotton against his aching cock, oh it drives him wild!
Kitten happens to come home early because her parents are arguing again and she wants to get back to her Kingpin's penthouse, which is full of love and romance. What she doesn't expect is to find her darling Matthew asleep in the silk sheets in nothing but one of her cotton Calvin Klein thongs. She has to admit, the thong does show off his juicy peach of an ass quite well, so she wakes him up with a light smack to one plump cheek.
"Hmmm, Kitten. Didn't expect you home so soon. Allow me to apologize for my compromised state."
"No apology necessary, baby. They look good on you, and I missed you. What you do say I slide those panties to the side and make you feel good with my mouth just like you do for me, hmmmm?"
I have some exciting things in the works for y'all, and one of those includes the conclusion of Cadence! Every day I wake up and have new notifications on that fic here and on AO3 bring a smile to my face! I never expected a silly little idea would go so far, but I'm glad for it!
But, since some new things are coming, I have decided to say goodbye to a few fics as well.
First Do No Harm: I hate to say goodbye to Paramedic!Frank Castle, but sadly he left me. But don't worry! I'm actually going to be re-working it into a new story with Frank as a counselor at the VA. So, be on the lookout for that.
Golden Hour: Okay, so Photography Professor!Peter Parker isn't going away completely! I will be re-writing this as an OC fic instead of a reader insert because I have fleshed out a character that I just CAN NOT wait to introduce to y'all. You will love her, I promise!
Imagine Being Loved By Me: While the premise was sexy, I just can't bring myself to continue a fic that's based on infidelity. I can't do that to my darling Michael Kinsella, because a certain pharmacist already did that to him. I'd rather give him a happy ending.
I'm going to be making a little "Coming Soon" post with an ambitious new fic for a new fandom soon. That's right, we're adding more blorbos to the masterlist!
So, out with the old and in with the new! Let's have some adventures this year!
Hello friends! Yes, you are all my friends, I hope you are okay with that.
I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU for being here and going on this ride with me this year. I feel like I have finally found my voice as a writer, and I am endlessly grateful for those of you that have been on this journey with me. It hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine, but know that every comment, reblog, like, and message brings a smile to my face. YOU DID THAT! You made me smile, and I thank you for that. I just put silly words out there, but YOU make me love sharing them!
I know I haven't been that active because my health has not been great these past few months, and the holidays have been hectic, but fret not, I am not going anywhere. I may be slow to update, but I will still be around and I am always happy to talk to you about my stories!
I would like to say that big things are coming in 2024, but I honestly don't know what flipping the calendar will bring for me and my writing. It's kind of exciting because I have some fun ideas and things I plan on doing, but I want to keep them close for now.
I wish there was a way that I could make each of you a baked treat of your choice and give you a high five to show my appreciation, but for now, take this heartfelt thanks for making my 2023 a little bit better!
I wish you (YES, YOU!) nothing but the best in the new year, whatever that looks like.
Since I am incapable of making decisions on my own, I am here to ask my lovely followers to make a decision for me.
Which lazy cosplay should I wear to meet Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal?
Spider Gwen
I'm Not Daredevil
Neither, just be yourself!
Voting ended onDec 21, 2023
Keep in mind these are LAZY cosplays. I'm Not Daredevil consists of a long sleeve shirt I made myself probably with jeans, sneakers, and devil horns. Spider Gwen is a hoodie that looks like the Ghost Spider suit, black leggings, and my hand dyed high top turquoise sneakers.
The going as myself will be a secret third option. Probably a dress.
Sorry for the lack of activity. The surgery I had took a little more out of me than anticipated, and life has just been life-ing.
But, today is Thanksgiving in the US, and while it is a controversial holiday, I just wanted to hop on and share my gratitude for YOU!
I have my low moments as a writer, but the sweet feedback I get from you makes a world of difference, and it does not go unnoticed. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating 50 followers, but there are 300 of you now! That is amazing to me, and I thank each and every one of you.
So, no matter if today is another Thursday or a holiday, THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Oh, TASM Peter, my beloved! Sorry for the angst, but you know how I do....
You pulled the blanket tighter around your body as you sat in the back of an ambulance watching the wreckage smoking before your eyes. Your home was gone. Luckily, the people you loved were all safe, but you couldn't help but cry for the years of memories that were buried in the rubble.
Photo albums. Keepsakes. Dried flowers. Books. They were all gone before you had a chance to know what was going on.
You knew Peter's secret, and he warned you to stay away because it would only bring you heartache and trouble. Sitting on a gurney with the smell of disinfectant stinging your nose as you watched firemen put out the flames in your building was too stark of a reminder of that. But he still saved you. He saved your family. He told you to stay away, but there was no way he couldn't. In some way it was like having some weird radioactive guardian angel watching over you. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was love. The reason didn't matter to you in the moment, because you were just grateful to be alive.
As you wrapped the scratchy blanket around you and let the tears fall, you heard a familiar voice calling to you through the sounds of the sirens and radio static.
"Hey, you okay?"
"As okay as I can be, Peter. Thank you for saving me and my family, truly."
He gave you his hoodie, then he wrapped his arms around you as you cried into his shoulder. His knuckles were bloody, he had a split lip, and he most likely had some bruised ribs, but he held you like his life depended on it. Like you were going to slip away from him at any moment, because you almost did tonight. That would never happen. Not on his watch.
"Peter. Where do we go from here? They're gonna know that I know. How do we deal with this?"
He simply held you tighter and kissed your hairline and whispered "You tell me. I'm just along for the ride now."
