SORRENTO FOR A SECRET LOVER
by Pearlie Kee, Black Emeralds, 1996
vodka@singnet.com.sg


Disclaimer:  This is a non-profit piece of fan-fiction, and is not meant
to infringe upon the copyrites of Anne Rice or her publishers.

SPOILERS: for all of the VC up to Queen of the Damned

		**		**		**

	Daniel was dreaming, but he could not be sure. "This is definately
a dream" he told himself. But look, the stars over head! For the first
time in those 4 years of drunk stupor, he could see the stars twinkling,
as if embedded in a piece of dark velvet...  he reached up and tore off a
fragrant leaf from the tree, all around him stood flowers and fresh grass,
gently bending and yielding to the soft wind, that breeze that caressed
his face and ran their fingers through his hair. The high crumbling brick
wal ls, with the delicate tendrils of foliage wrapping the surface in a
tender embrace, and the tall, black iron gate that stood looming against
all this beauty. The Gateway of Life and Death. The place were Daniel was
brought over. But where was he? He spun around, looking for him, his....
secret... his ... his.... 

	secret lover

	Ah yes..... Daniel's secret lover. Armand. He saw him, the angel
with a vampire's soul. Armand was leaning against the Cypress tree,
holding his own hands, and Daniel could not help but stop to drink in this
image, this magnificent replica of a human. He stood there, in all his
beauty and aura of enigma, liquid brown eyes stared back at Daniel's
violet ones, with an indescribable expression, longing? No. Pain? No......
love? Daniel couldn't decide. Reflected in them, only slightly, was the
red velvet clo ak that Armand adorned, with black jewels that were sewn
into the fabric, reflecting, shimmering, reaching beyond Armand's ankles,
underneath, he wore the 15th century Venetian garb, stockings and
waistband..... all in the purest black. The Angel's mane o f auburn
cascaded down, only just touching his shoulders. Beautiful. And then
Armand began to speak the very same words he did those years ago ......

	"I told you, this is only a dream but if you want a name, let it
be the Gateway of Life and death. And I'll take you across this gateway.
Why? Because I am a coward, and I love you too much to let you go....." 

	Ah...... what triumph Daniel felt then..... but now, he only felt
love for this creature, this hurt soul and cruel heart. Daniel stepped
closer, till he was but a few centimeters from Armand's arms, those arms
he longed to be in. Armand lifted his hand, and ran the back of his
fingers run down Daniel's cheek, brown eyes following it, and then lifting
the other hand, took Daniel's face and cradled it softly, before leaning
forward and planting a deep kiss into Daniel's mouth. Daniel could almost
feel Arma nd's tongue in his mouth, delving deeper and deeper into his
soul , but wait.... he was feeling Armand's tongue in his mouth! 

	Snapping open his eyes, he saw what was Armand's face, directly
over him, on top of him, kissing him. Daniel closed his eyes again and
plunged into the ecstasy of the kiss, arms lifted to embrace Armand and
press him closer. Rolling both of them overon t he bed, Daniel now on top,
broke the passions and looked at his lover.

	"I knew you were dreaming of me....." Armand said in that
seductive tone of voice. 

	Daniel laughed, the crisp voice resounding in the hotel room. Of
course Armand didn't actually know what Daniel was dreaming about, for
maker could not hear his child anymore than the child could hear his
maker. Daniel found it amusing that Armand knew him so well.

	"I certainly was not! I was dreaming of Louis and what passions we
might have shared, had I more time to seduce him into loving me...."
Daniel replied, in a tongue in cheek fashion, flashing a grin to Armand so
wide that it may have well been Lestat's.

	"You wouldn't dare!...... Louis belongs to me!" Armand rebuttled,
laughing hysterically beneath Daniel.

	"What??!! Hah! Louis belongs to Lestat and Lestat only. Then what
am I to you?? A replacement??" Daniel shouted between bursts of laughter,
pressing down on Armand even more. Armand was going to say something else
but was silenced my Daniel's mouth again , his fingers entangled in
Armand's curls, holding the sides of his head. Daniel felt a surge of
exquisite pain on his tongue when Armand bit into it, but after that, it
was pure ecstasy, reveling in what was Armand, dark seducer, child and
fledging, teacher...... lover. Was that Marius with easel and tempura? 
And who is that little auburn haired boy, sitting motionless as he was
told to do? No wait, Armand as coven leader in Paris. Who is that young
man with gold for hair and sapphire of eyes that they h ad just dragged
in? Lestat? No, a very *angry* Lestat. Stop. the Theatre des Vampires, and
a little girl, dressed in a Green iridescent metallic sheened taffia dress
that paled in comparison to the Emerald green eyes that her companion
possessed. A companion that Armand wanted, and would get. 

	After another half hour in reveling in their passions, Daniel lay
beside embracing a fully dressed and ready Armand, both exhausted.

	"It's only 10 o'clock and I'm already ready to fall asleep again."
Daniel whispered into Armand's ear. 

	"No my love, not yet. I have an evening planned ..... but of
course this was not part of the agenda." Armand responded, feeling
Daniel's chest against his own.  Daniel suddenly realized that he had no
idea what so ever of where they were. Milan? Paris? n o, no, they were
there 2 days ago..... ah yes! Venice. A hotel room in Venice. And why
where they in Venice? Oh yes! It was their anniversary! Their 5th
Anniversary to be exact. Yes, no w he remembered how he and Armand had
planned his trip to Pompeii, to visit the place where Armand had first
laid claim to Daniel, the first time he heard Armand utter those 2
words.... secret lover.  The first time Daniel felt the rapture of a
vampire's kiss......  and a vampire's blood. Armand's blood. They had only
arrived the night before, after Armand's private jet touched down they had
to hurry to the hotel , as it was but an hour before sun rise. 

	The hotel room was exquisite, Armand had taken great pains to book
the suite and had every room filled with flowers that gave the rooms a
trace of the sweet fragrance of Jasmine, Roses, Chrysanthemums and lilies.
All white of course, for the exception of 2 single stalked blood red roses
that was in the middle of the stark white grand bouquet of flowers set on
a table in an arrangement that was even taller than both Daniel and Armand
(which was supposed to be the main display of the room, besides the 100s
other vases) which stood in the living room of their suite. Those two
stalks were the only ones not dethorned. Armand and Daniel. 

	When they entered the room the night before, Armand brought the
amazed Daniel (who had never seen so many flowers in his life) to that
arrangement, reached in and pulled out one of the red roses, making sure
he had a finger on one of the thorns. He press ed hard while pulling it
out and the trickle of blood that ran down the petals was licked off by
Daniel. Daniel need not describe the zigs of pleasure that shot through
his body, he knew them all too well. Daniel took that same stalk and
replaced it in th e bouquet, "accidentally" pricking his finger in the
process. Armand took his bleeding finger and licked it clean, keeping some
in his mouth and then kissed Daniel. They might have um...... progressed
much er...... further, had the night been younger, but dawn approached and
both could feel the death sleep weaken them , and they adjourned to the
bedroom .... where Armand had also taken pains to get only one bed which
would only fit them both if they slept real close together.

	Daniel looked at Armand and said, "since when did you become
Lestat?" which was met by Armand's velvety laughter that filled the room,
that laughter that he 1st heard years ago in that restaurant ..... where
was it again? Daniel's mortal memories weren't as clear as his immortal
ones. Armand had been pursuing him for a few years by then, and Daniel
entered a restaurant to find Armand sitting opposite him, and that he had
ordered every single thing on the menu. People were stareing as plates and
bowls of food arrived at the table. Daniel had spat out at Armand then,
"You think you can drive me crazy don't you? well you can't. Let me tell
you, every time I lay eyes on you, I realize that I didn't invent you, and
that I'm sane!" he said between his mouthful s of food, a little of this,
a little of that. That's when he 1st heard Armand laugh. That soft,
hypnotic laugh that seemed as if it could hold a human in rapture just by
itself.

	Daniel had these thoughts running through his mind as he watched
his lover get up from the bed and moved over to the MD (mini disk) player.
Armand and technology. Daniel should not be suprised to see a holographic
projector in that cupboard. He had to ad mit that in those days of playing
cat and mouse, though miserable, he enjoyed playing hunter and prey. His
greatest pleasure was in the fact that he, initially the prey, had become
the hunter.... and won. Armand was playing a song by the group "Massive At
tack" called "The hunter gets captured by the game". Daniel laughed softly
at the coincidence. He got up and went to the bathroom, humming the tune
himself... it was a very sensual song with a 'smooth' tune ..... the
lyrics enveloping him .... 

"Secretly I've been tailing U,
 like a fox that preys on a robin"

	Daniel, not wearing a scrap of clothing stood over the basin with
gold taps and commenced to brush his teeth. He could hear the rustle of
plastic bags outside. Armand has gone shopping again he thought to
himself. Wonder what he bought...

"ohhhh my plans didn't work out like I thought,
 coz I had laid my trap for U,
 but It seems that I got caught. 
 What's this whole world coming to?
 things don't stay the same
 anytime the hunter gets captured by the game."

	Daniel put on the heavy terricloth bath robe he found in the
bathroom and stepped out, sure enough he found his night's attire laid out
on the bed for him. It was very rare that Armand insisted on what clothes
Daniel wore, but when he does, he usually ha s a reason. Tonight it
seemed, the reason was that they were going to a place where formalities
were important. Then again, it might also be the fact that Armand wanted
to play "dominant" in the relationship tonight. Daniel didn't mind,
besides, Armand al ways had good taste. 

"I had to lay such a tender trap,
 hoping U might fall into it, but love hit me with a sudden slap,
 1 kiss and then I knew it"

	Daniel put on the light purple silk shirt that had a wrap around
collar, very fashionable these days, men seemed to want a change from the
dreary collars they have had for centuries. Armand seemed preoccupied
searching for something in the shopping bags.  Fastening his cuffs and
collar buttons, he realized that they were made of diamonds. Small, not
too gaudy, the buttons running down the front of the shirt were barely
visible but the overlapping pieces of cloth gave them away. Slipping on
his black trous ers, he looked presentable enough.

	At this point, Armand turned around, holding something in his
hand, which he then put into his pocket. He was wearing a white silk
shirt, very similar to Daniel's with the difference that there were no
buttons on the front of his, and the collar though the same cut as
Daniel's, had a Ruby clasp. Daniel noticed that Armand's fingernails were
painted a metallic black, and that he decided to leave his hair down, in
curling locks that framed his angelic face..... the way Daniel like it. 
Armand look very simp le. Very chic. Very beautiful. Taking a look at
Daniel, Armand said "Perfect". 
 
 "ohhhh.... U were the catch that I was after,
  but I looked up and I was in your arms
  and I knew that I was captured.
  What's this whole world coming to?
  Things don't stay the same
  Anytime the hunter gets captured by the game"

	Armand looked at Daniel, "Come. I have a place to take you to".
They left the room, and both went to feed separately, they then took a cab
to a place Daniel knew and recognized, a place Armand knew and held close
to his heart. 

The Villa of Mysteries, Pompeii.

	Here, Daniel first knew what it was like to be swept up into
pleasures indescribable, to be engulfed, taken in whole to be held in the
rapture of a Vampire's kiss, Armand's kiss, and it was here, that he knew
of the dark taste of immortal blood and the t aste of being captured, by
Armand.

	It was here that Armand slipped his arm around Daniel's waist,
kissed his cheek and whispered into his ear again as he had done so many
years ago, "You want to come into this house?" Yes. Yes. Daniel did want
to go in. It was here that he first heard Arm and say: "Secret Lover"
because that was what Armand was...... wasn't he? It was also here, as
they entered the ruined dining room as they had more than a decade ago,
that Daniel realized Armand was not going to kill him, that Armand......
was in love wit h him too. As much as Daniel was in love with him. "How
could you not know this? I love you, If I hadn't grown to love you, I
would have killed you before now, of course" Armand said now, repeating
and playing out what happened those years ago. 

	It was here that Daniel looked at the illusion that was Armand,
and discovered that This is want I want to be, which is why I cannot stand
to look at him. But now, it was a different dance, it was the dance that
Daniel was content, fulfilled and looked u pon Armand not with a mixture
of hate and love, but one of love and desire. 

	It was here that Armand pressed his lips to Daniel's neck, and
punctured his vein, Daniel's life poured out yet again, as it had before. 

	Armand, as he did those years ago, broke the kiss, but this time,
upon withdrawing, clasp a necklace onto Daniel which he had taken from his
pocket. It was fairly long, reaching down to the middle of Daniel's chest. 
It's Pendent consisted of Silver and g old metal twisted together, forming
the letters "D" and the letters "A" which were in turn intertwined into
each other. Many other intricate patterns were twisted into the pendent,
and embedded in it were also 2 jewels. A purple Amethyst and a Ruby. There
was a catch in the pendent allowing it to open, inside, a vial of Armand's
blood, and inside the blood, were tiny jewels that flashed in the
moonlight which entered the Villa through the windows, emeralds,
sapphires, rubies, amethysts all seemed to play in the moonlight, sparking
in the dark liquid. 

"A gift for you my love. You are mine, beautiful boy and lover. You were,
are, and always will be, as I am yours" Armand said to a Daniel who was
choked up with emotions. Daniel lifted his head, and Armand could see that
Amethyst soon welled up with rubie s and a single droplet traced it path
down his pearl cheek. 

So it has come full circle again. Another necklace. The one that Armand
had given before, also contained a vial of his blood ...... Daniel always
kept it with him when he was mortal ..... it had to be around .....
somewhere.

	It was now that Daniel felt such an overwhelming love for Armand,
more than ever had. He had missed Armand very badly those years they were
apart. Of the 10 years since his birth to darkness, only 3 were spent with
Armand. The rest of the 7 were spent in pain and longing for him. It
seemed they resumed the cat and mouse game yet again, neither willing to
submit to the other. So it went on, Armand longing for Daniel, Daniel
pinning for Armand. Armand had many times stared at the telephone, knowing
full we ll where Daniel was and battling within himself. Daniel lying in
his bed and wondering, is Armand thinking of me too? It was by a stroke of
luck and a card of fate that Daniel and Armand met in the city of Tuscany.
Daniel was just walking down the cold night streets of the city,
wandering aimlessly, faceless people passed him by. But suddenly, out of
the corner of his eye, he saw Armand. 

	Maybe it was because Armand had an aura, maybe Armand was the only
face amongst the hundreds of faceless, maybe Armand was the only face that
mattered. Maybe it was simply because Armand was....... Armand. Daniel had
swiveled around and stared at him, ac ross the street, Armand stared back.
He also had just spotted Daniel. It was here that Armand for once was so
grateful that maker and fledging could not hear each other, for if they
could, Armand most definitely would have lost the hunter-prey-game. That
was a year ago.
	
	Tonight, Daniel was staring yet again into Armand's eyes, this
time he was face to face with him and his heart was overflowing with
emotions, as were his eyes, he roughly grabbed Armand and slammed his lips
against Armand's, his hands roaming around Arma nd's back, and then
seeking to rip Armand's collar open Armand was doing the same, with equal
intensity. they stumbled onto the huge dining table where Daniel lay
himself down. Armand leaned onto him, ontop of him. By now, collars were
free, the necks exp osed. And for the first time in all their history of
love making, both of them drove their fangs into each other, pulling at
each other, reveling in each other. In their frenzy, Daniel accidentally
knocked a chair or 2 over. Both of them drinking from eac h other, not
from little drops, but from the very river of each other's soul. Ecstasy
at it's purest, sensuality at it's fullest. Was Daniel drinking what was
his blood from Armand? He didn't care. All that was Daniel poured f!  orth
into Armand, there were no more secrets that he hid, no more inhibitions,
no more pride. Just a Daniel it seemed, which Armand could read from the
distilled blood he took from him. 

	They lay together afterwards, staring at the ceiling of the Villa
of Mysteries, Daniel turned on his side, looking Armand's face and then
whispered to his ear in a barely audible volume "If all that happened 10
years ago happened again today, will it al l happen yet again 100 years
from now, when you and I might once again to reunited, as we surely will
part again, would we do what we just did again as well? I certainly hope
so." 

	Armand turned to Daniel, whose face was inches away, and said "Yes
my love, I promise you so.". He then pulled Daniel's head down, and gave
him one final kiss before they left the Villa, arm in arm. 

	----THE END----


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