By Gairid- 2001

The usual disclaimers. I don't own the characters or make money from them.

Lestat’s Chair

Louis was lying curled on his side with his head on one arm. Early morning, still dark, with several hours before dawn. Lestat had awakened him delightfully, with his insistent mouth and they'd spent several hours making love. Sated, now, at least for the time being, Louis was dozing. He felt Lestat's hands upon him, light, and caressing, not intrusive, but adding to his sleepy contentment.

After some little while, as he knew would happen, he felt Lestat kiss him on the cheek, and his lover rolled from the bed. A few moments of quiet movement, for a wonder Lestat was putting something on. Louis heard Lestat pad out of the room and down the hall. He drifted back into his light sleep.

He was awakened again, not long after by a low, rumbling roar outside the closed bedroom door. It stopped, and then recurred... loud, then louder, then receding again. Once again, and this time he could hear Lestat laughing. Reaching around he put one of the pillows over his head. How long had he been asleep? No more than five minutes, he was certain. The roar again. Even *with* the pillow over his head, he could hear it quite clearly. He knew what the sound was, and in spite of himself he had to smile. He tossed the pillow to one side, and rolled to his back, listening to the rumbling as it occurred yet again.

Lestat was in the hallway, seated in his large office chair. In said chair, he was propelling himself up and down the long corridor at a furious rate of speed, laughing happily to himself. He'd gone into his office and switched on the computer. Read a few emails, most of which held no interest for him at all. Looking up at the clock, he knew that he really ought to let Louis sleep. He did seem to enjoy doing that, sleeping lightly for a while after a long bout of lovemaking. And it was never for very long. Lestat would often just lie beside Louis, and watch him as he slept. The regular rise and fall of his chest, the soft sounds he occasionally made. Lestat would caress him gently at these times, trying not to awaken him. Just watching.

At other times, though Lestat would become restless, and move off the bed to some other part of the flat. The parlour, where he would try to watch a film for a while. Without Louis with him, though, he was soon bored. Or to his office. Sometimes he would make calls. All of the various people he might call were well used to being awakened at all odd hours to his softly accented voice asking for this or that information or demanding a update on something that he had ignored for days or weeks. The calls were always concluded quickly enough. Then there were times, such as this time, where Lestat was restless. He would sit in his chair, and spin around in it, laughing wildly. Childlike, he enjoyed the dizzy rush of it. One evening he'd rolled the thing out of the office and pushed himself down the hallway. He liked the noise of it, and the smooth way the wheels flew down the shining wooden floor, He'd been stopped that first time by one of the throw rugs that dotted the corridor, and he'd gotten up and moved them all out of the way.

The first time he'd done this, Louis had opened the door and stood watching The Brat as he rolled by with a surprised look on his sweetly sleepy face. The look had delighted Lestat further, and he'd gestured to Louis. "Louis, come here! Climb on. You'll *love* this!" Patting his lap. Unable to help himself, Louis had collapsed into giggles, leaning against the doorframe as Lestat rumbled by again, his tousled blonde hair in his eyes. When Lestat rolled to a halt in front of him, he'd remarked "It would appear that *no one* will be getting any sleep in this house tonight, Mon Lion, until you put your new toy away and come back to bed with me." Louis had declined the offer of *a ride* that evening.

As exasperating as Lestat could sometimes be, it was difficult to resist him, and as Louis pondered this, he heard Lestat roll by again, toward the stairs....and then there was a rhythmic thudding, picking up speed as it went. A crash, and Lestat, howling with laughter. Louis was out of the bed and halfway down the stairs in a blink...and there he stood looking down at his darling. Lestat lay sprawled across the floor of the foyer, the chair in pieces around him, one of the little tables on its side. There were several good-sized gouges on the banister as well.

He could see very well that Lestat was unhurt. Lestat sat up, still laughing. "I went..." He was breathing hard. "I went too fast, Louis...I couldn't stop!" He lay back down on the floor, and looking at the wreckage of his chair, he fell into fresh gales of laughter. Louis sat down on the step he was on, eyeing Lestat. "You are impossible, Lestat. All I wanted was a little nap. There are quieter ways to get my attention, you know." He tried to sound severe, but failed abysmally.

Lestat got to his feet, still laughing, "I know, but what fun would *that * be?" Lestat tied, with spectacularly bad results, to look as though he felt the slightest bit contrite for waking Louis up. He pushed Louis over and sat beside him on the step."Are you aware, Chaton, that you have *no* clothing on? " Clicking his tongue, Lestat rubbed his hand over Louis’ hip. "Of course I am. " Louis hung his arm over Lestat’s shoulders and kissed Lestat thoroughly. "And *now* it would appear you need a new chair." He remarked, his voice dry. Lestat looked down at the destroyed chair, shrugging. "Should be easy enough to get. At least it's not *old*. " He looked at Louis sideways, "And stop trying to change the subject, Monsieur. " He glanced down, completely pleased at Louis' state of undress. He stood, and Louis rose with him, looking back at the foyer once more, shaking his head. " Lestat was already at the top of the stairs "Come on, Louis, let's go to bed." Following Lestat, Louis was somehow sure he would not get his nap in that evening.

FIN