Chapter Text
“Mon cheri, you have to wake up.” Owen’s slumber was broken by the warm and comforting tones of Louis, his cold hands, still warmer than the younger’s own stone skin by a mile, shaking his shoulder gently. “We have visitors.”
Owen’s eyes snapped open, staring up at the blurry face of the mayor, the last dregs of sleep hanging onto him and fogging his vision to try and drag him back down into the peaceful daze of dreamless sleep. “What?” He said, voice high and slightly panicked as he tried to push himself up. His attempt was too fast, too sudden for his half asleep body, so his head spun as he moved. He felt Louis’ hands on his shoulders, steadying him as his head came back from wherever the dizziness had taken him.
Louis held onto Owen until he had stopped swaying, hands a comforting blanket against the panic that was rising about the fact that they had visitors. The last time they had had people in their area… it hadn’t ended well.
“BURN THE PLACE TO THE GROUND! KILL THE MONSTER!”
“There’s about 13 of them, they’re only here because all their journeys coincidentally crossed paths on the same day. There is one that strikes me as one we should keep an eye on, but otherwise, we should be fine. Don’t worry, mon cheri. You’ll be safe.” Louis said, carefully brushing some hair out of Owen’s face, holding onto his cheek with a smile. “You’ll be fine.”
Owen nodded silently, leaning into Louis’ touch with a soft smile. “Are we going to greet them-?”
Louis nodded, planting a kiss onto his lover’s forehead. “Of course. You get changed - no offense, Owen, but I don’t think anyone would like to see you in your nightclothes for the first meeting. There’s clean ones in the wardrobe, don’t worry. I’ll get you some food.” He smiled, turning around and heading out the door, smiling at Owen as he walked away, heading downstairs to pick up some blood.
The kitchen was nice enough: well organised and well furnished, but not the most extravagant kitchen known to man. Still, it was easy to move around in and soon, Louis had two bottles of blood in his hand, carefully uncorking them and pouring them into glasses for when Owen came downstairs. He knew the other man rarely liked drinking out of a bottle anymore, so he had been pouring them into glasses for a while.
After a few minutes, Owen had made his way downstairs, his old clothes replaced with a neat cream button up, a matching waistcoat and trousers, and that dark cloak that he wore almost everywhere. It was entertaining to see the contrast between his own clothes and Louis’, but that made sense to them. It made comforting, complete sense.
“Here.” Louis handed his partner the glass of blood - cold, but still blood - with a small smile. “Finish that, then we can head out, if you think you’re ready.” He took a sip of his own blood.
Owen took it gratefully, taking a sip and letting the metallic taste fill his heart, energising him for the inevitably long events of the day. Normally, he could only have one bottle a day and that would be enough to get him through the silent upkeep of the town, the gathering of logs, and whatever else needed to be done, but now more people were here, he could tell that there would be a lot that needed to be done.
“You said there were 13 of them?”
Louis nodded, pausing with the glass halfway to his lips. “13, yes. There’s a few I know may be… a bit irritating to be around-” Owen grumbled “-but I assure you that I can deal with them if they are. There’s one screaming about vampirism, which may be annoying…”
“I hate him already.”
“Owen-” Louis sighed, chuckling slightly as he took a final sip of his blood. “-let’s not be too hasty, mon cheri. You can hate him after you’ve met him and he’s given you a reason to.”
The other paused, taking a second to think, before draining the glass and placing it carefully down. “Then let’s get this over with.”
Louis nodded silently, taking the glass and placing it, with his own, in the sink, grabbing his own, deep red cloak and heading to the door to town. “You’ll be fine.” he said, unlocking it and stepping out into the chill of autumn, hand instinctively reaching for Owen’s.
The two walked towards where the group were congregated, all in a large circle near the tower in the centre, one shrill voice, agitated and annoyed, carrying across the empty expanse that separated the two vampires from the others. As they got closer, the other voices came into relief.
“So, what you’re saying is that there are vampires in these here parts, Mr Avid?” A man with the strangest accent both Owen and Louis had ever heard asked the boy with eyes the colour of royalty, or at least what had been 200 years ago, that, when you caught the light, looked a fraction too empty, too pined for the youth of his form.
Owen and Louis glanced at each other, tensing slightly. So this was the one you were talking about. Owen thought, trying to hide the fear in his eyes. There was a chance he was just a scared, superstitious young man, but there was also the possibility he was a hunter, and the experiences they had with them never went well. Either way, he would have to be observed closely.
For a brief moment, Louis picked up on the minute, almost hidden directions of the others, eyes drawn to two in particular. A slight, curious, almost predatory tilt of the head from the tall, cyan haired man dressed in what could only be described as the most noble, uptight clothing he had ever seen. There was something familiar about him, but he didn’t question it, moving his curiosity onto the exhausted looking man clothed in a set of surgical robes. He’d flinched away slightly, turning away. Louis could hear the increase of his heart rate, mixed fear and panic that was almost immediately crushed by the wall of mild irritation.
“Vampires don’t exist, Avid, and even if they did, I doubt they’d be living in an abandoned village in the middle of nowhere.” The doctor sighed, nodding in greeting at Louis and Owen, who was clinging protectively onto Louis’ arm. “I take it you, too, are travellers who found yourselves here?”
Louis shook his head, smiling slightly. “No, no we aren’t. We actually live here, in Oakhurst.” He turned to Avid with a comforting smile. “I assure you, my friend, there are no creatures of the night who will wish you any harm in this area, just us two, trying to live a quiet life.”
“Mind if we join you?” A woman, again with a curious accent, asked, tucking a strand of her wild hair behind her ear. “Avid did something to that beacon in the tower and I’d hazard a guess that we’re stuck here now.”
Owen glanced at Louis, eyes speaking every word he couldn’t speak out loud. They consecrated a beacon. We’re all trapped.
Louis, mouth dry with the anxiety that statement had caused, nodded. “Of course!” Despite the fear coursing through him, he kept his smile and positive attitude. For him to leave it would be akin to a soldier leaving the war behind. It can’t be done, no matter how hard you try. “Just pick a house and make it your own. We did our best to keep the town well kept, but there will likely be adjustments you want to make, which you can. I’d advise living with someone else, however, because there aren’t a lot of entirely suitable houses for one person living in each.”
The group nodded. It was strange, to Louis, to immediately have people follow what he does. It hasn’t happened in 200 years, so that may explain it. Most immediately buddied up with another person they were nearer to. The man shouting about vampires - Avid, as the others had called him - went with a very put together, brown haired girl. The noble went with a red headed, glasses wearing girl. The strange accent man went with a young man with blonde hair. Only a few were left standing alone, one of which being the doctor.
Owen approached him first, much to Louis’ surprise, the curiosity getting the better of the younger vampire. “Rooming by yourself…?” The silence hung in the air from the lack of name the doctor had given them.
“Legundo. Doctor Legs, normally though.” He smiled, nodding. “And yes, I don’t work well with others in my space. Wasn’t very good for a surgeon in the big city, though.”
Louis held his hand out. It would be cold, but he could chalk it up to the biting chill the autumn air brings to Oakhurst. “Pleasure to meet you, Doctor. I’m Louis, and this is Owen.”
Legundo shook the mayor’s hand, not questioning the chill of it. Up close, he looked even more exhausted. Louis will have to make sure the man gets enough sleep. Can’t have a doctor work well when he’s passing out on the job, can you?
“Pleasure to be working with you.”