Chapter Text
Daniel was pacing. Quick steps from one end of the living room to the other.
Armand watched, his eyes following Daniel's everymove. He was silent, waiting for Daniel to speak first. Armand knew Daniel would, sooner or later, speak to him about his troubles and probing for answers would only lead to Daniel blowing up at Armand. Daniel tended to be mean when he was stressed. He didn't mean to be, but he simply did not have the room to be kind in moments like this, wich Armand understood. So Armand didn't probe.
The silence stretched for minutes before finally being broken by Daniel's voice.
"So you're just gonna stand there, watching me freak out, boss? Very helpful." Daniel didn't look at Armand while speaking and didn't stop pacing either.
"I am, beloved. Unless you choose to talk to me about what is troubling you. But i can wait. Eternity has forged me patient." Armand said dryly, wich at least earned him an annoyed side glance from his companion. Armand leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. Yes, he could wait this out for as long as it took.
Of course Armand was already aware of what was troubling his love. After many months of timid attempts of reconciliation over text Daniel's daughters had finally agreed to meet their father. A conversation, nothing more, nothing less, was what they promised. Not forgiveness.
Daniel was firm in his belive that this promised conversation was more than he deserved form them anyway.
Armand, on the other hand, was of the opinion that Daniel's daughters were stubborn little brats that did poorly in not cherishing their father and his love for them, but he knew better than to share this opinion with Daniel.
Daniel already made Armand promise not to mindfuck his daughters into loving him again and also, though a little insulting, made Armand promise not to kill them. Armand hadn't planned to and, if he did say so himself, had been very supportive about the whole process of reconciliation. So truly there was nothing to worry about.
Armand would play nice infront of the human children and Daniel would win them over again in no time. After all there was barely anything for them to forgive Daniel for.
Everything was going to go smoothly, Armand was sure of it. But of course Daniel could not see this truth in his current state of panic.
"This is a mistake, Armand." Daniel choked out, combing his hair back in a rigid motion. "I mean what was i thinking? I haven't seen them in years and now i invite them over, to the multi-million home my scandalously young boyfriend bought? The last time we saw each other i was still award winning journalist Daniel Molloy, now i am parkinson's ridden, vampire erotica writing, boyfriend having- have i told you that they were not aware of my sexuality before that pesky paparazzi caught us making out at Lestat's concert?"
"Yes, i am aware, beloved."
"Yeah well, way to spring that on them. God, they must think i have gone completely insane. How am i supposed to explain to them that my eyes freakishly change colors and, apparently, i wear acrylic nails now!?" Daniel lifted his right hand, pointetly showing off his claws.
Armand finally stepped closer, taking Daniel's hand in his and placing a soft kiss on Daniel's knuckles.
"You have been receiving experimental treatment for your illness, wich has caused you to have side effects, like the changing of your eye color and only being able to leave the house at night. It's for your health, Daniel, your daughters will understand." Armand assured Daniel softly.
"It's also a fucking lie."
"Wich they are not aware of." Armand smiled. "But i belive it is best not to mention the nails, my love. Unless you also want to argue with your daughters about wearing matching nails with your age inappropriate boyfriend." Armand added with a chuckle.
To Daniel's initiate displeasure the public had been most interested in the next scandalous piece of disgraced journalist Molloy's life and had been more than happy to dissect every detail of his relationship with Armand when said relationship had first been made public. Among the many tweets and comments about how disgusting it was for Daniel to date a man of Armand's preceived age, or just how disgusting it was for him to date a man at all, there were also tweets making fun of their matching nails. It was a small detail, petty Internet drama but Daniel fought with each commentator most fiercely, be it about Armand's and Daniel's relationship or nails.
Armand found the outrage about their age difference most amusing.
It was absurd to him how concerned those silly humans were about it in the first place. What matter had his age? Even with modern sensibilities considered, Armand looked to be in his late twentys, a man under every definition, so the outrage came most suprising to him.
Daniel had tried to explain it to him, had talked about power imbalances and different maturity levels but that just seemed like made up concepts to Armand.
After a while the public calmed down and moved on to tweeting about Armand sharing a name and appearance with the villain of Daniel's book and other banal gossip. Armand did not mind any of it and Daniel seemed to pay no attention to it either.
Daniel let out a sigh.
"I really don't want to fuck this up. Not again." Daniel was desperate for his daughters forgiveness, wanted the chance to have a relationship with them before he had to leave his life as Daniel Molloy behind once and for all more than anything. Armand was aware of this fact and would make sure to do anything he could to make his lovely fledgling's dream a reality.
"You won't 'fuck it up', beloved, i am sure of it." Armand reassured.
Daniel let out a dry laugh. "Yeah sure." The disbelieve was heavy in Daniel's voice.
"I mean it, Daniel. You have grown wiser over the years. You are not the same man they once knew. You are not an addict, you are willing to correct your mistakes and apologise for them, you are putting in the effort. You are doing good, beloved, and they will see that." Armand promised, fixing the collar of Daniel's shirt while he was speaking. Quick practiced movements, smoothing out every wrinkel and imperfection. It seemed to calm Daniel a little, the repetitiveness of Armand's motions. "What you are doing takes courage. Courage and love. You have both, my love, and in my eyes that is all one needs to be a good parent. A great father."
"Since you know so much about parenthood." The comment had slipped out before Daniel could stop himself. "Shit, sorry, that came out wrong-"
"No need to apologise, Daniel. You are right. I have no experience as a parent, and even as a maker i failed you so miserably." Guilt laid heavy on Armand's tounge, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. How could he have ever abandoned his one and only fledgling? Oh, how he wished he could change this one act of cowardness.
Shaking the thought he continued speaking: "But i know about being a child, as i too was a child once, beloved and wild. I know about resentment. I know about forgiveness. If my father would appear before me once more, as remorseful and loving as you are, i would throw myself in his arms in a heartbeat." Armand smiled sadly. After all, such a dream would never turn into reality. Not for him, not for his father. This dream had been burned long ago, leaving Armand with nothing but ashes and memories of a love long gone.
Daniel tilted his head, frowning slightly. "Really? If you could meet your parents again you would forgive them? After they sold you into slavery?"
Armand was startled by Daniel's question as Daniel seemed to have confused the meaning of Armand's words greatly.
"I am not talking about them, Daniel."
"Then who-" Daniel's word broke as he seemed to finally understand who exactly Armand was talking about. "Oh."
Daniel's frown deepened and Armand could practically see Daniel's worry and the distaste he desperatly tried to hide.
Armand sighed. Of course Daniel didn't understand. After all, Daniel never understood, not when it came to Marius and the relationship he and Armand had shared.
They had fought about it a lot in the early stages of their newfound companionship. Daniel had said cruel words, baseless lies, both about Marius and Armand. It had been hurtful to witness the hate Daniel seemed to have for the very man who created Armand, who's merciful worship had saved Armand from certain death. Arrogance had caused Daniel to judge their love under the harsh sentiment of modern times. Calling Marius a child rapist, a slaver and branding Armand a victim, a sex slave in turn.
It almost made Armand hate him. For Daniel, his beloved boy, to twist his past, the happiest time of his life, into something so awful. Even more had it enraged Armand how certain Daniel had been to know the truth, disregarding Armand's words as lies and Illusions. It had almost broken him, made him leave once again, this time for good.
But Armand couldn't abandone his beloved, not again, and Daniel couldn't let go of him either, so they had agreed to disagree. To never talk about it again. Armand assumed it was his own fault for bringing it up now. This time he opened the door himself.
"Do you..." Daniel trailed off as if he was trying to carefully choose his next words. "Do you really see him as that? Your father?"
Armand wished he could take back what he said, to make it like those words never left his mouth in the first place, like it never happened at all. But now it was to late and Daniel wouldn't rest until he had an answer.
"Perhaps father is not the right word. He was my maker. My lover. My saviour. My master. He was a god to me, my everything. And he worshiped me in every roll he took on. Amadeo means beloved by god, a sacred name picked out with care. He was my god and I was his beloved Amadeo. So perhaps he did not love me as a son but he loved me as his child, nonetheless. I was a child of god, graced by his merciful adoration." Armand's face was frozen in a sad smile even as Daniel's eyes seemed to pierce through him.
"Okay." Daniel said slowly like he always did when he was trying really hard to hold back. "Alright, sure. Not your father but your god. Yeah, that's much better."
"Daniel-"
"I know, Armand. No fighting about your maker. I get it, im not trying to start anything. But you brought it up and forgive me for wanting to talk about it. And, to be honest, i am tired of Marius hanging above our heads like some sort of feral bat so, yeah we really need to talk about him one of those days." Daniel didn't even let Armand respond to that before speaking again. "But let's not talk about it now, okay? Nora and Kate will be here in an hour and i really don't think fighting with you about your vampire daddy will make that good of an impression."
Armand swallowed his brewing anger. Daniel was right. This was not the time. This visit was important to Daniel, so it was precious to Armand too. He could argue with Daniel later. Not about Marius, he would never allow Daniel to talk about his maker in such an unsparing way again, but about the fact that, really, there wasn't anything to talk about in the first place. But that conversation would have to wait. Right now was about Daniel and Daniel only.
"I agree. Let's talk about this matter another time." Armand let none of his anger show, practised in feigning compsure. He also took great care in blocking their bond for the time being. Daniel did not have to feel Armand's rage mix with his own anger and overwhelming anxiety.
"Okay, then." Daniel said, breathing out sharply.
"Thank you, by the way. For doing this with me. Means a lot, boss." Daniel added, granting Armand a small smile.
"You are most welcome, beloved." Armand replied, pushing his negative emotions to the very back of his mind and taking Daniel's hand into his own.
"Now, let's wait for your darlig daughters to arrive, shall we?"