Now All You're Seeing is Blood Red: A Vampire Louis One Shot
A/N A vampire one shot, just in time for Halloween (even though I started writing this in August). Named from the song Blood Red, by the Maine.
Summer is ending and Louis is feeling like he’d made a proper waist of it. Sure, he’d been very busy during those long, drawn out days, and nights, but it wasn’t exactly like he much to show for it. Being the quote-unquote “hot bad boy” on campus, people expected him to have done epic things over break. Epic things that he could come back from and tell ridiculous stories about. Sure, he’d done epic things but he is hardly proud enough of those things to tell stories about them.
So he lays there, on his now useless bed staring at the ceiling with a new found clarity that he still hasn’t gotten used to. In his hand he flips his phone around rubbing cold fingers over its sleek surface, like he is waiting for it to do something more than just be a phone. Listening with accidental intensity he hears his mum and sisters talking down stairs. They have just finished loading a taxi to take them to the airport so they can cherish these last few days of freedom while visiting family they’d left back in Doncaster.
The thing is that Louis had been a proper prick to his family ever since he’d gotten home from University late this May, which means that they haven’t been too keen on taking him with them. All summer he’d been held up in his room, and when he did emerge he would barely speak to them or look at them. His temper had grown alarmingly shorter and they tried desperately to push away the thoughts of how physically different he appeared to be. Louis’ family has traced his change to an ambiguous point just after he’d gotten back but Louis can pinpoint it perfectly, even down to the exact minute it happened. The moment is burned into his mind and he will never forget it.
“Good-bye Louis!” His mum’s shockingly loud voice pulls Louis from his thoughts as she shouts from the base of the stairs. Because something in him tells him that he should be a good son he stands up, faster than he’d planned, so he could go and see her one last time before she left for the weekend. When she sees him at the top of the stairs, her lips pull into a pleased smile and he nods to her. Even the nod is more than she expects from him, so she is satisfied with his farewell enough to take her leave.
After hearing the taxi putter off down the street, Louis lets out a breath he had almost forgotten he was holding. He’d chosen to hold his breath at some point in early June because his family’s scents were becoming too much for him to handle. It was bad enough that he is constantly berated with the noise of their hearts, he wasn’t going to force himself to smell them as well. That would’ve just been masochistic. So, finally alone, he can breathe, even if he doesn’t technically have to anymore. He then returns to the comfort of his room, once again lying on his back to stare at the ceiling.
Louis isn’t sure how long he has spent in his daze before he is snapped out of it by a cough at his window. In less time than it would’ve taken for his heart to beat, if had still been doing so, Louis is face to face with the person propped on his window sill. “What the hell are you doing here, Niall?” He scrutinises the pale Irish boy now crawling into his bedroom with liquid ease.
“Saw you’re mum and sisters in a taxi headed toward the airport so I thought I’d pay you a little visit since you now have this house all to yourself.” Niall seems pleased with himself as he sits comfortably on the edge of Louis’ bed. There is an innocent glint in his ice blue eyes that would fool anyone. Anyone aside from Louis.
Louis’ feelings towards Niall are, in a word, complicated. It would be so easy for Louis to hate Niall but the lad has this certain charm that makes him want to go to the pub and have a couple of pints with him. They haven’t known each other long, only having met that summer really, but Niall has grown to be one of Louis’ best mates, even if in the back of his mind somewhere he still resents the blonde for having done this to him. With a sarcastic scowl, one that Louis is all to accustom with wearing, Louis questions Niall, “When did I even invite you in?”
To that Niall laughs, a perfect, full laugh that could make anyone else who hears it smile at its sound. “That night.” He mentions it casually without any specification as if it had been just like any other night but Louis knows exactly which night Niall speaks of and he can’t help but feel a little sick inside at the thought of it. Then again, he might just be hungry.
The hunger, really, is the biggest down side to this Louis’ new situation. He is constantly starving but nothing he eats will ever satisfy him unless it is that liquid magic which beckons him day and night. The hunger is probably the main reason he hasn’t done many story worthy things this summer. It is too risky but a part of Louis is starting to think that maybe he is okay with taking that risk. “Right,” Louis sighs as he lies down once again on his bed, letting his socked feet rest on Niall’s lap. He wants to indulge Niall’s carefree spirit but his disappointment of a summer is tethering him to his duvet.
The sigh rings through Niall’s ears like a storm siren, blaring inconsiderately only to warn you about something that you are already aware of. He gives Louis an over dramatic frown to show his sympathy, “What’s got you so blue, Lou?” He throws in the dumb little rhyme as if to dictate exactly how much he wants Louis to chipper-up. “You know it’s been long enough and you could see Harry if you wanted to?”
The sound of Harry’s name made Louis’ blood run even colder. He hadn’t seen his supposed boyfriend since the incident because the idea of hurting him terrified Louis more than anything in the world. That’s why Louis had chosen to ignore all thoughts of or longings for Harry, because it was all too much for him to feel these days. So, playing into his own game, Louis sighs again before propping himself up on his elbows to look at Niall, completely disregarding his mention of Harry.
“I’m bored.” He starts, “I haven’t done anything this summer which is going to be really disappointing when I get back to school and I’m bored.” He registers Niall’s look which tells him that Niall isn’t quite understanding him. “For some reason, I’m like expected to have done exciting things over breaks, and everyone always wants to hear about them. But, this summer, I’ve been spending my days locked in my room because I can’t go outside and spending my nights…” He doesn’t want to admit to what he’d been spending his nights doing so he just mumbles, “well, you know,” before continuing, “that doesn’t exactly make for quality stories that I can actually tell, now does it?”
A shrug. That’s how Niall responds, with a shrug. “So do something.” His suggestion makes it seem so easy. There are so many reasons why Louis can’t just ‘do something’ but Niall doesn’t seem to think anything of them. If Niall was the kind to smoke he would be sat there smoking, caring more about the smoke leaving his lips than what he’s just said. But instead Niall does the closest thing to that as he can while still holding true to his character. He asks if there was any food in the kitchen.
Louis gives him a mug that says that he thought Niall’s request is entirely superfluous but he doesn’t hesitate to say, “Yeah,” and leads him to the kitchen. He knows that Niall isn’t actually hungry, at least not for anything in Louis’ kitchen, probably more bored than anything else. Once Niall has rummaged through the pantry and is sat on the counter eating something out of a bowl Louis choses to press him for more. “How do you mean, do something. I can’t just do something, Niall, you know that.”
Mouth full, Niall shrugs again, “Sure you can.” After taking another bite he speaks like he’s just been given the most brilliant idea imaginable, “You do have the house to yourself. You should have a party.” Niall is already unreasonably excited about his suggestion and Louis still hasn’t responded to him.
Truth be told, Louis likes the idea of having a party but his gut tells him that it won’t end well, so he sides with his gut as he doubts Niall, “But all those people in my house…” He doesn’t have to finish because Niall is entirely aware of what Louis is getting at.
With a warm grin, Niall sets down his bowl and appears in front of Louis in one quick motion, “You’ll be fine Louis. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think you could handle it.” He then gives Louis a playful punch at his shoulder, “Besides, if you do lose control for some reason, I’ll be here. I’m much older than you are, I can take care of such a situation if it arises.” Appearance wise, Niall seems younger than Louis but reality is much different. Niall has many years on Louis, the exact number of which Louis has never really wanted to ask.
“Yeah?” Louis smiles at Niall, suddenly feeling better about his plight.
“Yeah.” Niall replies reassuring Louis that maybe his gut was wrong about this.
*****
The number of people that actually come surprises Louis to say the least. He didn’t think anyone would be open to such a last minute event but in a few short hours, his house is flooded with people. He’d invited mostly people that he’d gone to high school with because they were the ones in the area but he can tell by the intensity of it all that a good number of them have brought along friends. He’s almost sure that one of the patrons is Harry but he pushes that vague hope to the back of his mind to focus on the now.
What feels like most of the guests have arrived and Louis is still in his room, putting the finishing touches on his hair. It is the first time he’s ever been seen in any even remotely public situation all summer and he wants to floor everyone with how much he’s changed. Looking into his door mirror, which Niall has removed from its hooks and is holding, Louis takes a moment to assess his alterations. Sure, he’s gotten a pretty decent collection of tattoos since the last time he’s seen some of these people but they are hardly what he is most, should he say, excited, about.
After the night that Niall had been invited into Louis’ house he’d noticed certain things about his appearance change. He is seemingly a bit taller and his muscles are more defined. It is like all his flaws have been washed away and replaced with near perfection. Since that night he hasn’t a blemish on his face or a scar on his skin which has become hauntingly pale in a beautiful sort of way. Needless to say, he is drop dead gorgeous. Emphasis on the dead. Yes, sometimes his appearance changes even more but at the moment, Louis doesn’t want to dwell on that, he just wants to marvel at his new found beauty.
“If I were gay, I’d shag you right now.” Niall gives Louis a cheeky look from beside the mirror which only makes Louis beam all the more and he’s able to keep himself thinking about Harry’s reaction to him for barely a second. Though he’s just complimented Louis on his looks, Niall knew he shouldn’t indulge the slight narcissism that comes with the change so he places the mirror back where it was hung and moves to Louis’ side. He notes the slight way, Louis’ face falls when his reflection vanishes from the mirror, though it still hangs right in front of him.
That was another thing that had changed. Louis no longer has a reflection, which only makes him more reclusive because he can’t go out in public without knowing what he looks like. The only times he has seen his reflection are when he’s snuck over to Niall’s house out of pure desperation where Niall could hold a mirror for him. It has something to do with an herb Niall had ingested ages ago, that allows his, and others of the same natures’, reflection to become visible when he is touching the surface in some degree. Louis envies this ability and silently vows to himself to somehow get his hands on that herb.
Looking to each other, Niall and Louis both decides it is time to join the party, already in full swing, on the first level. The music had been near to overwhelmingly loud for them with the door closed but it reaches its full potential once they enter the hall then exceeds it once they are down the stairs. Niall whispers into Louis’ ear at a level only he can hear, and dictates how to tune out the music in a way that allows him to feel like his ear drums aren’t actually exploding inside his head.
Though he’s tuned out the music, it doesn’t change the fact that Louis is going into quite the epitome of sensory overload. The mass of voices is thrumming at his ears, the party lights are creating odd shadows in his vision, and the smell is just about the worst of it all. His nose is filled with the odour of booze and bodies. All those dozens of bodies creating an overwhelming aroma taunting Louis with its presence. The smell only cues him in on the things he had been trying so desperately to forget about. It is like suddenly his ears are filled with the constant drumming of hearts in time with the bass of the music and eyes are drawn to the faint rivers flowing beneath each person’s flesh. It is a mystery that he doesn’t go ape-shit right then and there.
Alas, he focuses on not breathing as though that will bring everything else to its much needed screeching halt. But just as Louis is about to take his last breath, he picks up on one scent in particular. That temptress that he knows all too well. His old friend beckoning him from the back garden. It is something he hasn’t tried this summer and he has been quietly aching to take part. He follows the scent to a circle sat in the back garden surrounding that priceless artefact designed to take them all away to high heaven.
Louis cringes at the loud slap of the screen door closing behind him, before starting toward the group. One boy in particular peers over his shoulder at the sound of the door. Louis should’ve known that Zayn would hear about the party and bring their dear old friend along with him. In fact, Louis feels dull for not having expected it. At the sight of Louis, Zayn’s lips pull into a wide grin, “I was wondering when I’d see you.” He jeers as he takes the sculpture from the centre of the circle.
Louis swallows hard before answering Zayn, almost afraid that he’d sound proper mental no matter what he said. So he chooses a cheeky, “It is my party” before sitting down between Zayn and the blonde girl to his side.
Zayn doesn’t have to ask why Louis’ come outside or if he wants to take a hit or ten because they’ve known each other since primary school and Louis was the reason Zayn had gotten into this in the first place. So he hands Louis the glass ornament and a lighter, “That’s why you get greens,” referring to it being Louis’ party.
Pleased that Zayn is so eager to share with him Louis gives him a smile before prepping himself. He’s not sure how well this will work now that things are different but he doubts it would make for a change in strategy. So he lights the bowl and takes a large hit of the glorious gas it creates. Exhaling into the night, he’s amazed at the beauty of the smoke now that he can see it more clearly. The way it disappears in wisps is almost captivating. Even after the first hit though, Louis knows that this is going to take longer than it used to. He is suddenly glad to see that Zayn seems preoccupied by the girl on his other side and takes a second hit, only starting to feel the ghost of its affects when he exhales.
Louis isn’t sure how long he’s been sat outside when Perrie, the girl Zayn had been chatting up, starts packing their third bowl. He almost doesn’t notice Zayn tap his shoulder because he’s been hyper focusing on the star he swears is Venus but the skin-on-skin contact gives him a start because he hasn’t touched anything so warm in what felt like ages. Louis’ instantly too aware of how close Zayn is to him and can feel his heart beating as he speaks, “I’m going to have a fag, come with?” Louis nods because that small circle is becoming too much as he starts to pick up on the chorus of pulses and the unique mix of scents in the air.
They walk around to the corner so they can be relatively alone and Louis notices that he’s holding a beer bottle that he doesn’t remember picking up. He takes a swig trying to quench the thirst starting to rise in his throat. He pushes the faint burning sensation to the back of his mind as he watches Zayn light his fag and another for Louis. Once he is puffing on the stick between his lips, Louis starts to feel the rush of regrets. He shouldn’t have let Niall convince him to have the party, he shouldn’t have joined it, and he definitely shouldn’t have smoked.
When Zayn asks Louis a question he finds himself repeating it multiple times because Louis is lost somewhere in his own thoughts. “Where have you been all summer, mate?” Zayn repeats once he’s sure he’s finally got Louis’ attention.
Louis is entirely unsure of how to answer Zayn’s question. He can’t tell him the truth and Zayn probably wouldn’t believe him if he did, so he decides that to answer him with another question, “What do you mean?” Anything to give Louis a little longer to think of an excuse.
Given his response, Zayn is sure that Louis is hiding something. Sure they haven’t seen much of each other since they went to uni but Zayn still thinks of Louis as one of his best mates. “I mean how I haven’t seen you. No one has.” Louis thanks his lucky stars that Zayn doesn’t add a “not even Harry” to the end of the statement as Zayn stamps out his fag with the toe of his trainer after dropping it to the pavement before deciding to light another.
Summers used to be when Louis would see his friends from college and his reclusiveness prevented this summer from following suit. He considers the lack of messages he’s received concerning his where-abouts and becomes rather bothered that Zayn is asking now. “It’s none of your business Zayn.” Louis huffs and walks along the side of the house to the front garden. His emotions have been all over the place and Louis wants more than anything for them to go away for a just a moment.
Just as he is about to round the corner he’s met by a relatively pissed Niall. For some unknown reason Niall is wearing his sunglasses despite the fact that it is in fact night time and he carries a plastic cup of beer. “Aren’t you glad we did this, Tommo?” he beams.
Louis can’t help but chuckle because “we” didn’t do this. It is Louis’ house and Louis’ mates but it was Niall’s idea. “Sure,” Louis replies in short because he can still sense Zayn pressed against the far side of the wall, probably listening to their conversation. Something is pulling Louis away and he’s not sure what it is yet but luckily something different pull’s Niall’s attention and he’s off again.
Round the front is where a few other people have gathered to puff on their fags and the smoke filling his lungs reminds Louis that maybe he should stop breathing again. So he stops his breath before approaching the group on the porch. He wishes that he could stop his hearing as well because the sound of all of those people is nearly deafening. Afraid of what it might lead him to do, Louis chooses not to go back inside and takes a seat in an open chair on the porch. At this point his throat is burning and he remembers that he always got the munchies so of course smoking was a bad idea.
The others on the porch haven’t seemed to notice Louis join them. Or maybe they have but Louis is too distracted to register their welcomes. He leans his head back, squeezing his eyes closed, praying that he can fight the urges rapping at the back of his mind. Still, he’s thankful for the low lighting because he can feel his eyes growing darker by the second.
Just when Louis thinks he’s going to be alright, the front door bursts open. Out stumbles a collection of a few boys, laughing in a drunken haze. Louis doesn’t get a good look at any of their faces, but there is something familiar about the tall lanky one at the head of the group. They grope for something to support themselves but Louis knows what is about to happen even before the boy with the mess of brown hair places his hand just a centimetre to the side of the hand rail sending him falling forward onto the stoop. That’s when Louis realises that he never did stop his breathing because he smells the boy’s blood hit the air the moment his hand hits the pavement. That’s also when he notices why this boy was familiar. It’s Harry.
The scent really is the string that pulls Louis to Harry’s side. At this proximity its nearly overwhelming Louis, but he knows that it is all too important that he keeps himself under control. He helps Harry stand then takes his hand to examine the damage. Sure enough there is a large scrape on the lad’s hand and its now leaking that scarlet commodity that Louis wants all too much. Struggling to pull his gaze from the wound, Louis swallows hard before looking to Harry’s friends, “I’ve got some bandages in the WC upstairs, I’ll get him cleaned up.” And he isn’t quite sure he’s said it until the others nod and continue laughing as Harry himself starts to lead them back inside.
Before he knows it, Louis is locking the door to the WC behind him as he lets Harry sit down on the lid of the toilet. Once he’s sure no one is going to come in, Louis takes Harry’s hand again. He is sure that Harry is startled by how cool Louis’ fingers are as they brush against the still open wound. Louis is more than mesmerised by the way his blood catches the light and he can feel his pupils blow out. “Hey Lou, long time no see. I was afraid you forgot about me,” Harry slurs and it’s like his voice is forever away because all Louis can really hear is the steady thrum of his heart.
Still, Harry’s statement annoyed Louis enough to pull his eyes from the cut to lock with the green eyes that he’s been so long without. Something in Louis’ mind thought that once he saw Harry’s eyes he’d be pulled back into reality but it’s almost as if they beckon Louis’ primal instincts to the surface. When he’s seen how Louis’ eyes have gone entirely black, Harry takes a sharp breath in before his face washes over in Louis’ haze. “Have you quite finished?” Louis smirks, and he knows just how haunting it is now that his canine teeth have fallen to their unnatural point against his bottom lip. “Not a sound out of you now, love. Do you understand?” then Harry nods so Louis licks his lips in preparation.
The munchies had always been an issue for Louis in the past, now calling them an issue would be an understatement. It wasn’t until after Louis had licked up the blood sitting on the surface of Harry’s cut that he realised just how hungry he was. But once that realisation was made, Louis didn’t hesitate for a moment before sinking his fangs into the meat of Harry’s palm. He doesn’t keep his mouth secure for long because he isn’t quite satisfied with this spot. Still the taste of Harry on his lips is better than he could have ever imagined.
Louis lifts his head from Harry’s hand, letting it fall limp onto his lap to get a good look at Harry’s face. There’s something completely off inside of Louis’ head because he can still look at Harry and miss being with him all the while so desperately wanting to suck him dry. Harry’s perfect green eyes are still empty in Louis gaze so, Louis choses to release Harry from his influence. Louis barely has a moment to take in the terror in Harry’s eyes before he’s at Harry’s neck. He is placing soft kisses there when Harry whimpers in his ear, “Louis?” but that’s not enough because suddenly Louis is doing exactly what terrified him more than anything in the world. He’s biting into Harry’s neck hard, and sucking at the sweet nectar that flows from him.
Only when Louis starts to feel Harry’s heart weaken does he realise what he’s actually doing. He pushes away, slamming himself against the wall opposite the toilet. Harry’s body is limp and he is barely conscious so he starts to teeter forward. Louis is there to catch him in the blink of an eye and though he’s full of Harry’s blood, he’s more overwhelmed by how full he is of regret. Harry’s eyes are drooping shut and Louis is burying his face in Harry’s hair, “I’m so sorry.” He can feel Harry go entirely limp in his arms and Louis knows he’s passed out so he hesitantly unlocks the door of the WC with his foot, sure to keep his arms around Harry.
No one has come upstairs as far as Louis can tell so he bolts from the WC to his room at his full speed with Harry strung out in his arms. For the first time all summer, Louis’ bed is now being used as intended because he’s laid Harry upon it. Louis takes his place next to Harry and finds himself staring at the ceiling again because he knows he can’t tell stories about tonight either
