Work Text:
The bodysnatcher as it turned out was in a nearby hospital, struck down with a bout of pneumonia, Louis was waiting for them outside the entrance to the building.
"We need that other Witch," Daniel had said.
"I called her, she is on her way," Lestat had told him.
Daniel thought later how foolish he had been to believe and trust in a vampire he knew to be a liar and who had deceived Louis, an extremely intelligent man, for years.
But at the time he had greeted Louis and followed the three vampires into the hospital trustingly. All the while trying not to linger on Armand, who regarded Daniel's awkward freshley fucked gait with a satisfied look.
The ward was easy enough to walk onto with Lestat sending away any inquisitive nurse who caught sight of them, they walked into the room that the body snatcher lay sleeping in.
It was surreal staring at his own sleeping body, he could see how much weight he had lost due to being ill recently and how tired his form looked. Daniel thought if, I swap into that body I may die tonight, but he felt strangely calm about that. He would rather go tonight in his own body, than stay in this one and run the risk of outliving his daughters.
Lestat looked at the bodysnatcher with sheer hatred, he turned to Louis with his gaze softened.
"Can you pull the car around the back?" Lestat asked Louis.
The youngest vampire agreed and closed the door behind himself when he left.
The bodysnatcher still lay asleep, whatever medication he was on, was clearly effective.
"I owe you a debt," Lestat said.
Daniel looked at him in confusion, but it was Armand who Lestat addressed.
"You saved Louis' life time and time again, he is my fledging and I failed him in my duty of protection." Lestat went on.
"I did that for him, not you," Armand replied.
"I will do you a kindness and we shall be even, as far as I am concerned." Lestat declared.
Then before Daniel could blink, Lestat was at the bodysnatcher's side and was holding a hand over his mouth, while the other hand pinched his nose shut.
Lestat was suffocating him, the bodysnatcher's brown eyes opened and he struggled weakly against the blonde.
"Get the fuck off him," Daniel cried out and tried to run at Lestat.
He only made it one step before Armand had wrapped an arm around his chest and held him back with a iron grip. Daniel fought valiantly, kicking, scratching, and trying to punch at Armand. But it was no good. He would never be able to break the hold Armand had him in.
"Lestat stop..." Daniel began to shout.
But a palm closed over his mouth and he could do nothing but moan in despair as Lestat suffocated his real body.
I need to be in that body before it dies, Daniel could only think.
It only took a couple of minutes before the bodysnatcher died, Lestat pulled his hand away and wiped it on the bedsheet.
Daniel watched him sombrely, Armand removed his arms from the human and stepped back. Daniel stood there for a moment stunned, what was he going to do now?
He staggered towards his body and stared down at it, the corpse had a blue tinge to it.
Lestat patted Danel's arm soothingly.
"This is the best way Daniel," Lestat told him. "I like you too much to watch you die. Louis should have turned you all those years ago, you are to unique to be snuffed out by such a thing as mortality. You are my friend."
Daniel shoved his arm away, "Fuck you. You are no friend, you're the same man who manipulated Louis for years. You use people. You only care about yourself, you selfish bastard."
Lestat titled his head, in anger he grabbed Daniel by the collar of his shirt and shoved him up against the wall.
"Do not test my patience. You overstep too often Daniel." Lestat half growled at him.
Armand was at their side in an instant, he pulled Lestat's arms away from Daniel, who thought he looked rather bored by the whole situation, with his large bedroom eyes.
"You know I will not allow you to hurt him," Armand said, without having to change his tone the threat was implicit.
Lestat sneered and took a step back from Daniel.
"Know you only stole this one from me because I allowed it. You won't get a second chance with Louis." Lestat snapped at Armand.
"I do not want a second chance, as you put it, with Louis. I left him, you did not win him back from me." Armand replied coolly.
Lestat smiled darkly, "It's no matter either way, you will have your hands full with my gift, so you can stay out of mine and Louis' life."
Before Armand could reply, Lestat was gone.
Armand allowed Daniel to stand looking over his own dead body for another moment, before he led the human away with a gentle hold on the back of his neck. Daniel was too stunned to fight, he was in crisis, he didn't want to be like this, he wanted to say goodbye to his daughters, he had lived his life.
Armand was silent as he walked Daniel to the car, he opened the door for him and pushed him in before getting in the other side. Louis and Lestat were in the front seat, he could tell the two had been arguing.
Louis turned around and gave him a sympathetic look.
"Daniel, if I had known what was going to happen I would have taken the bodysnatcher to the Witch myself." Louis said earnestly.
When Daniel did not reply, Louis gave Armand a sharp look before turning back and starting the engine. Daniel realized then that Lestat had obviously not called the Witch, he had never had any intention of helping Daniel swap back into his own body.
He began to laugh with a note of hysteria, the vampires in the car chose to ignore it and did not speak another word during the drive.
When they reached Daniel's apartment, he opened the car door and ran into the building. He was more accustomed to his body now, and able to run without falling flat on his face.
He reached the door to his apartment, hurriedly unlocked it and went inside, he tried to slam the door shut behind him but was stopped by a caramel coloured hand with piercing nails gripping it.
Armand easily pushed his way into the apartment, closing the door behind him, he regarded Daniel gently.
"You need to collect some things Daniel. Take some keepsakes, nothing your daughters will miss, and everything about Lestat's biography." Armand instructed him.
Daniel ignored his instructions, "Get the fuck out, I never wanna see you motherfuckers again."
Armand walked past him into the bedroom, he came out a few seconds later with a duffel bag. Daniel watched as he began to pack his laptop and notebooks. Daniel sat down on his sofa and buried his face in his hands, bumping his glasses as he did, he guess he would have to get used to them now.
"The hospital will contact your daughters soon, they will probably come here tomorrow, you can not come back here." Armand told him.
Daniel decided to pretend the vampire was not there, hopeful Armand would just grow bored and leave.
Armand packed some items he thought Daniel would appreciate, his wedding rings may be missed by his daughters, but some photographs plucked from an album would not be. Along with some momentos from Daniel's travels, Armand put everything into the bag and walked over to the man on the sofa.
"Let's go Daniel." Armand said. "Do not worry I have somewhere you can stay."
Daniel kept looking at his feet, Armand sighed and pulled the man to stand in one smooth motion. Daniel angrily swipped the tears off his face and tried to push the curly haired vampire away.
Armand caught Daniel's struggling arms and pushed the man in front of him, he wrapped an arm around his waist and forced him to walk ahead. From a casual passerby it would seem like they were just a young couple walking in a parody of an embrace.
But Daniel could do nothing but walk outside with Armand's arm around him, he gave one last desperate glance at the apartment before they were outside.
Louis and Lestat were gone, along with their car, in its place was a black limo, Armand forced Daniel into the back and climbed in after him. Due to his lack of cooperation, Armand was forced to put Daniel's seatbelt on. As the limo pulled away, Daniel finally met the luminous orange eyes opposite him.
"Louis thought it best to give you some space from Lestat so they have headed home. I had Alexander," Armand indicated to the driver, "Book us a room in a hotel for the morning."
Daniel shook his head, "Just let me out here."
Armand pursed his lips, "So you can kill yourself?" He asked, he had been reading the human's mind. "Or find a Witch to stuff your soul into that corpse. No, you are far too interesting to meet such an end."
Daniel felt the fight leave him in the limo, which was why he followed Armand dutifully into the hotel and up to the lavish room he had booked. He sat on the end of the bed, staring into nothing.
Armand busied himself with ordering Daniel room service and began him running a bath, when the human finally came out of his stupor. He walked into the bathroom where Armand was watching the bubble bath swirl in the water with interest.
"Why did you stop me in the hospital?" Daniel asked.
Armand turned off the bath and straightened.
"You could not have stopped Lestat, he might have hurt you had you tried. You know how his temper gets." Armand explained.
"You didn't try stop him," Daniel pressed. "He said he owed you one, that he let you have me." Daniel swallowed feeling ill, "He did you a kindness, by trapping me in this body."
Armand listened to him patiently, he reached over and stroked Daniel's cheek with his thumb.
"He gave me a gift." Armand agreed.
"I am person, not a gift, not a debt. It was my life, you fucking vampires never learn, you just take from people and then cry poor me when it doesn't go your way."
Armand pressed a finger to Daniel's lips silencing him, "To us vampires you are a pet, Louis' when you first met, then mine in Dubai, and you were mine since it was my home and me who cared for both you and Louis. Then you were Lestat's, for his moment of vanity, and now you are mine again. I won't let you go again Daniel." Armand told him all this without a lick of shame.
Daniel pushed his hand away from his face, and glared at him.
"You'd be better off with Louis, I will never let you touch me again. I am not yours." Daniel snarled at him.
Armand smiled and looked at him indulgently, "You are my boy, and I will cherish you. You should bathe, eat and rest, we will travel to Dubai tomorrow."