Chapter Text
He wasn’t worried. He did not worry. He was an almost 500-year-old vampire, if anything he is a worry for others. So no, he was not worried. He was confused and he was outraged, and the two emotions jumbled into some mess that felt like worrying.
Daniel once told him he should be more worried.
“Jesus, Armand! Just because you can recover from getting your hand sliced to bits doesn’t make it a ok, you need to worry about yourself more!” he remembered Daniel saying as he unplugged the blender that Armand had been rigging to go 10 times the speed of its factory settings.
He replayed the memory in his head. How Daniel had helped run his mutilated and bloodied hand under some warm water and dressed his wounds even though the gauze would be useless in a matter of hours. He had been especially surprised later that night when Daniel hadn’t asked for blood, not tempted by the sight of it earlier, as he might have been at the begging of their relationship.
Daniel.
Armand's smile went away. His lover had been gone for three days now. Not that he hadn’t gone away for much longer periods. Not that Armand couldn’t last a minuscule three days without Daniel. But this time Armand was confused. He didn’t know why Daniel had left. Daniel had never gone away for days on end when things were good .
Long stretches of absence were always the results of fights. The two of them would get into it and through the rubble of broken glass and hurtful words exchanged like throwing knives, Daniel would storm out the door. Of course, only to return himself a few days later, begging for forgiveness. Or from Armand dragging him back when his boy was being overly careless and he had to be pealed from whatever motel room floor or dingy bar bathroom he had collapsed in. But it wasn’t like that. Not this time.
Things were good between them.
That’s why Armand was confused and worried-adjacent. And he would not accept Daniel putting him in such a state. His boy knew better than this. Had been trained better than this.
Armand let his mind cycle over the past few days, past few weeks, trying to pick up on any details he might have missed. He had been refurnishing their new home in San Francisco over the past few weeks. Getting better drapes, better artwork, replacing the fading wallpaper, and anything else that needed to conform to Armand’s standards.
Daniel had told him he looked cute when he was sitting in a nest of furniture magazines and paint samples.
“ I am not ‘cute’ Daniel, I’m a monster.”
Daniel maneuvered his way through the endless magazines, and sat next to Armand, “Nah, you look cute. You always do whenever you have a new fixation, Boss.”
Armand huffed but decided against swatting Daniel’s arm with a wallpaper roll. Instead he climbed onto Daniel’s lap.
He leaned in close to Daniel’s ear, letting a fangs just barely rub against it, “Let’s see how cute I look when I have you tied up in our new bed frame as I deny you your pleasure.”
Things had followed in much the same nature over the next few weeks. Daniel had even been excited to help as Armand started making final decisions on the renovations. He left most of the decision-making up to Armand, as usual, but would hang around during the day to make sure the contractors did everything to plan. Daniel even made sure no one got too close to the locked closet where Armand’s coffin and some other unexplainable things were being stashed. Armand had spent the week sleeping over with Louis in their own shared house, more of Louis’ home in recent years, to avoid being disturbed. But it was still utterly endearing that Daniel was trying to act as his protector of sorts. Overseeing the construction of his home, their home. Making sure Atmands things were kept safe from wandering hands.
The construction passed by quickly enough that they stayed in San Fransico, despite Armand’s offer to take them somewhere in the meantime. But Daniel insisted that it was only a week and this way they’d make sure everything was done correctly. He knew that Daniel really just didn’t want to deal with an enraged Armand if the contractors found a way to screw up any of his incredibly specific plans.
When the work was finally done, and their bed delivered, Armand made good on his promise to make Daniel scream his name in twisted pleasure. Armand had to commended his choices. His lover's hands looked so pretty tied up to the dark cherry-wood headboard and his tanned body was highlighted perfectly as it writhed against the deep-violet sheets.
Armand sat in that bed now. Alone. Wearing nothing except one of Daniel’s t-shirts.
Three days meant nothing. It just didn’t help that in two more days would be their anniversary, the date of their ‘proposal’ as Daniel referred to it. The time in that little cafe in Paris, almost three years ago now, where Daniel had told Armand he wanted something more serious. To actually have a semblance of a life with Armand even if he would still withhold The Dark Gift from him. Armand didn’t fully trust it at the time, believing it was mainly a ploy to lull Armand into turning him. But it was too enticing, and Armand couldn’t deny his boy.
Armand still thought even the idea of an anniversary was ridiculous. Dates had little meaning to him being as old as he was. Anniversary's were just a bit too mortal for his taste. But Daniel was trying to be romantic. So for the past two years, they had always made a night of it. The first year was a trip back to Paris, and the second year was a trip to Barcelona. This year Armand was planning a trip to Norway because Daniel wanted to kiss him under the Northern Lights and explore a place that had no sunlight this time of year.
Was planning. Now Daniel was who knows where with no sign of when he’d be returning.
Three days was not a long time for them. But Armand’s mind refused to let him forget what had happened the night before Daniel left.
***
“Baby, are you sure?” Daniel asked, looking into Armand’s eyes as he let his hands settle low on Armand’s hips. He was lying flat on his back as Armand sat in his lap, looming over him in a dangerously seductive way that only Armand could manage. Daniel was still partially clothed but Armand wore nothing except Daniel’s robe that was slipping deliciously off Armand’s shoulder.
“Are you saying you are uninterested, Daniel?”
“NO! No, definitely interested.” Daniel then moaned as he felt Armand roll his hips against his. He used what little willpower he had to sit up and get more on Armand’s level.
“We just- we’ve never done it like that. I’m just wondering what the catch is, is all?”
Armand took Daniel’s face in his hands and kissed him deeply. He broke off to let Daniel breathe and rested their foreheads together, “Why would you ever think there is a catch, Amore?”
“Ha, nice one, but really, you know I’m ok with whatever we do.” Daniel gently pushed Armand back to get a better look at his face, “Yes, I want to fuck you, but is there a reason you want me to fuck you?”
He wanted Daniel to take him, had been thinking about it for a while now, and made up his mind that Daniel was worthy enough to have Armand in this way. He wanted to give himself to Daniel completely. He knew that Daniel wouldn’t see him as less, would still play his submissive, and would still be his affectionate and devoted pet. Armand wanted this. Wanted to be close to Daniel, safe in this home that they share. Wanted to give Daniel every part of him, as Daniel had let Armand take every part of himself. Not that Armand thought this would make them equals, just that he wanted Daniel in an all-consuming way. Wanted Daniel to be all consumed by him.
Or maybe he was just thinking a little too hard about the memories of watching others get a part of Daniel he had yet to experience.
“Do I have to have a reason to want my love to take me as I have taken him countless times?” Armand rolled his hips again and Daniel couldn’t stop his own from jerking up in response. Armand let out an egregiously filthy moan and grinned victoriously when Daniel tore his robe off of Armand and tossed him onto his back (or rather Armand allowed him to) and hooked Armand’s legs around his shoulders.
“If you say so, Boss.”
Daniel winked at Armand as he reached over to grab the bottle of lube. Armand was surprised at himself when he couldn’t suppress the shudder that came over him once Daniel’s fingers neared his entrance. Daniel snuck one last glance at Armand before preceding, looking for reassurance, looking for permission . Armand just reached for one of Daniel’s hands to hold, for Daniel's reassurance only, and let his head fall back against the sheets. He closed his eyes and awaited to feel his lover inside him. Instead, he felt Daniel steal a quick kiss, as he pecked him on his cheek.
Armand opened his eyes to admonish Daniel for coddling him, only to catch Daniel’s devilish grin as he twisted his fingers inside. Armand cried out from the suddenness of it. Apparently, he had taught his love a thing or two over the years.
Daniel continued coaxing Armand open until he had him gasping in pleasure. After a torturous amount of time, he felt on the verge of begging Daniel to finally put his cock in him. He would have if he hadn’t already decided begging would be a treat for Daniel reserved for another day. But still, his Daniel was enjoying teasing him just a little too much. Anything more and he’d have to stop to punish him for this overzealous behavior.
Armand tightened a hand around Daniel’s bicep in warning, claws teasing at his skin, “Daniel, you may proceed, I am not some fragile, naive, virgin.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed from you fucking me against every surface in this goddamn house.”
“You forget about the rug that just arrive-!” Armand let out a moan as Daniel pressed his fingers upwards. Armand knew Daniel would be skilled, but he had forgotten just how sensitive his own body could be. He had been in this position frequently enough with Louis but Daniel’s movements were new. Not new exactly, no, he had seen Daniel fuck enough people, just new to feel these actions being performed on himself.
He was about to warn Daniel that he was on thin ice but had no time to as Daniel finally removed his fingers, beaming when Armand let out the slightest whimper.
Armand chided himself for drinking so much tonight and blamed the blood for his cheeks turning red, “Do not let this go to your head, Daniel. I could just as easily switch our positions and have you in tears within seconds.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, baby.” He laughed as he shucked off the rest of his clothing and lined himself up with Armand, “You still sure, Boss? I wouldn’t mind if you did want to swit-” Daniel was cut off by Armand pulling him into a bruising kiss. When he pulled back he searched Daniel’s eyes.
“I love you, Daniel.”
Daniel kissed him again, “I love you too, baby.”
Armand grasped the back of his neck and yanked him down further to whisper in his ear, “Now move while I’m still allowing you to come inside me.”
***
Armand allowed himself to lie against the egregious amount of pillows on the bed.
He wanted to find Daniel and rip his throat out. He wanted to find Daniel and throw him against as many surfaces as necessary until he gets an explanation for this sudden disappearance. He wanted to find Daniel so he could drag him back to their bed and crawl up against him, demand he never leave his sight again.
He wanted to find Daniel.