Work Text:
Louis was unsure whether he felt more nervous or dread as he drove towards his work event. He was definitely nervous because this was his first major meeting with potential donors for the charity. He was worried he would muck it all up and be out of a job. A job he liked very much, thank you. But he was also dreading the potential boredom that would likely be a large part of a fundraiser like tonight. At least the majority of it was a silent auction with hor d'oeuvres being served rather than a formal dinner. That made it slightly better.
But still.
Louis signalled to exit the motorway when a bright red Mercedes cut him off and almost ran him off the road.
“What the fuck?” Louis yelled as he swerved and slammed on his breaks to avoid being clipped by the obviously speeding dickhead. “That’s fucking rude, you know,” Louis continued out loud as he tried to calm his racing heart. There was a rather deep ditch on the side of the road. Louis could have been trapped or flipped the car, or worse, died. “I hope they die,” Louis muttered to himself as he pulled to a stop at the end of the exit ramp. The red Mercedes had already turned and was continuing on its way.
Only then did Louis come back to himself because, wait. He not only thought the words but said out loud I hope they die and no. No he did not, actually. He definitely did not hope the person driving that ridiculously fancy (and probably overcompensating for something) Mercedes died. At least not anytime soon. What had caused him to say that?
Louis was a fairly level headed person most days. It was one of the things he prided himself on. It took a lot to raise his temper. The only reason it had hit him so hard today was probably because he was already worried about the event. Yes. That must be it.
Louis was shaken but did his best to focus on the talking points he needed to be sure to bring up with the potential donors. He’d finally calmed down and got his nerves in check by the time he pulled into the car park only to see a very familiar bright red Mercedes waiting at the valet station. The owner was standing beside it in a three piece suit, but it looked like he wasn’t even wearing a shirt with it! Just a fancy scarf to keep the ridiculous amounts of skin safe from the elements. And Louis’ awe/anger. Awnger.
Shaking his head as he found a parking spot, Louis felt like he’d been played by the universe. Of course that wanker was one of the people Louis was supposed to be getting chummy with tonight. Well. The charity better forgive him this one, because Louis was already getting riled up and knew he would find the (beautiful) owner of that car and give him a good talking to.
Louis made his way in, trailing his taupe coattails and righteous anger, searching for the man. Stopping only long enough to check his coat, Louis rushed into the ballroom where the event was just starting to look for him.
It had to have been no longer than just a few minutes, and already the man had a crowd of at least ten people around him. How had he managed that? Was he that well known? Had that many connections? How did Louis not know his name?
Louis made his way closer and began to hear what the man was saying.
“Oh no, she’s doing just fine! The story has a happy ending, I promise.”
As the man’s dark voice wove a long, winding, and frankly ridiculously detailed story, Louis couldn’t help be pulled in. His level of charm was through the roof, and even Louis wasn’t immune. He could have easily stood and listened to the man speak the entire night.
Louis pulled himself away enough to realise it had been over thirty minutes since he’d arrived, and the entire group was surrounding this man, begging for his attention. Louis was a bit confused and felt a niggling feeling of annoyance or frustration in his belly, but he couldn’t remember what it was about for the life of him.
Pushing that feeling away, Louis sidled a little closer to one of the people he was meant to convince to support the charity, and tried to strike up idle chit chat between Harry’s stories.
Because the man’s name was Harry, it turned out. Harry Styles. He had a way about him that lit up the room and Louis wished he could attend every event. Not only would it keep the event from being boring, but it made his convincing of donors to offer money so much easier.
Every person Louis talked to over the past two hours was willing to agree to pretty much anything, Harry had put them in such a good mood. That, and they wanted the conversation to be over with quickly so they could focus on Harry’s next story.
The entire evening, not only had that niggling of annoyance not gone away, but Louis also felt a longing for Harry’s eyes to be on him. He’d felt desire before, but that was nothing compared to this. The pull Louis felt towards Harry was almost like gravity. Like it was not only impossible but undesirable to go against the force drawing them together.
It was only when Harry mentioned how the time had flown and the night was already over that people seemed to come out of their haze. Quickly, everyone made their excuses and began going back towards the cloakroom and it was only then Louis realised how dull everyone else seemed. It was almost like they had lost some of their natural glow. They were still healthy and happy, of course, but there was just something different about them.
Maybe it was just Louis’ imagination. That after paying so much attention to Harry for several hours, that no one else could quite compare.
Louis’ eyes scanned the crowd at the door and as he looked at the rest of the room, he realised he and Harry were the only ones left.
“Didn’t get to talk to you much tonight,” Harry said, dimpled grin firmly in place.
Louis felt his knees go a little weak. He didn’t realise that actually happened. He thought it was just something written in cheesy love stories or whatever, but apparently not.
“You’re right, we didn’t.” Louis smiled back at Harry, but it was so strange. He felt like there had been something he’d wanted to say to him, and now he couldn’t think what it had been.
“I’d like to get to know you better,” Harry continued as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. He was holding one of the massive new iPhones. After he unlocked it, he handed it over to Louis and said, “Would you mind giving me your number? Maybe I can call you once I’m home and have taken a look at my calendar so we can find another time to get together while you aren’t working?”
Louis blushed. This man, easily the most interesting and charismatic man in the room that night, wanted to take Louis on a date? Of course he wasn’t going to say no.
“Yeah, alright,” Louis said. Because he’s incredibly suave and cool, just like Harry.
Okay. No, he really wasn’t, but he could try to be. Louis looked up from beneath his eyelashes and smiled a little at him before accepting his massive phone. He put his information in and handed it back to him, making sure to angle his head just right to show off his cheekbones. Louis knew his best angles and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to use them against this man tonight.
Harry was smiling, and maybe blushing a little as well, as he accepted the phone back. “Thank you,” he glanced down at his phone and then said, “Louis.”
Smiling happily at the way Harry had said his name, Louis watched him leave the room. The further away he got, the more confused Louis was. Yes, Harry was gorgeous, but how the hell had he forgotten that Harry was also the man who had caused him to almost have a major accident earlier because of his haphazard driving? How had he allowed Harry to distract him with his charm to the extent that instead of giving the man a lecture, Louis accepted the offer of a date?
Well. Whatever the reason was, Louis wouldn’t forget when Harry called. Louis would give him a piece of his mind then and see if Harry still wanted to go out with him at that point. Because yeah, Louis was not mad enough about his overreaction to Harry, both on the road and at the event tonight, to turn that opportunity for a date down. He wasn’t stupid.
*~~***~~*
Louis, it turned out, wasn’t actually stupid, but did lose the ability to function again when Harry called that night. Louis tried to talk to him about the driving situation, but Harry somehow diverted him off topic so easily, that he didn’t even realise he hadn’t given the intended lecture until thirty minutes later.
Their first date was similar. Louis walked in and from the moment he was within eyesight of Harry, it was like all his anger and frustration dissipated.
Which, honestly, was great. Louis had such a good time. Harry was flirtatious but respectful, which Louis wasn’t as used to as he would like, so he felt incredibly flattered. By the end of the night they already had plans to not only get together again over the weekend, but for Harry to meet Louis’ friends for their monthly pub quiz night.
Once Louis got home and realised what had happened again, he decided maybe it was something with Harry’s voice. Maybe he was somehow hypnotising Louis. Maybe he was so pretty that just being around him was what caused Louis’ brain to not be able to function properly. At this point, both options seemed equally plausible.
Deciding the only way around either of those options was to text him instead, Louis settled onto his sofa and pulled up Harry’s contact to start a message thread.
Louis: I have no idea how this keeps happening, but I actually have a bone to pick with you and I keep forgetting to actually talk to you about it
Louis nervously waited for Harry’s response. It did come eventually, but Louis was already in his pyjamas by then.
Harry: Do you? That’s so strange. What was it that distracted you? Was it my dimpled smile? My incredible wit and sparkling personality?
Louis snorted and rolled his eyes. Harry was partially correct, but he didn’t need to know that.
Louis: Hush. That’s not even what I want to talk about and you won’t distract me tonight! You almost ran me off the road and killed me the night of the charity event!
Louis: Why would you drive like a maniac?! Much less in such a nice car. You’d think you would want to drive a bit nicer in order to save it from getting damaged or summat
His rage was very quickly coming back and he was reminded that when it had happened, he’d been so upset he had actually verbally wished death on Harry. He shuddered. He still couldn’t believe he’d done that. He almost wanted to apologise, but Harry didn’t even know he’d done it.
Harry: I feel like that’s a gross misrepresentation of my driving abilities. I don’t drive like a maniac any more than you drive like a granny.
Louis gasped because Harry actually did drive like a maniac, so if he was saying that his driving like a maniac was the equivalent of Louis driving like a granny, then he was basically accusing Louis of driving too slow instead of admitting to driving too fast. Right?
Anger seething over more than one issue now, Louis typed to Harry quickly.
Louis: I don’t drive like a granny!
Harry: Exactly my point
Louis squinted his eyes. This was getting confusing.
Louis: All the same, can you please take care of not only yourself and your pretentious vehicle but others on the road by not driving so damn fast?
Louis: I actually was so freaked out by the whole thing I wished death upon you for almost killing me! I said it out loud! I never do that!
Louis hit send and groaned. He hadn’t meant to be quite that honest with Harry. Harry just got under his skin. Made him forget what he wanted to talk about. Forget why he was angry. Forget to hold back on secrets now too, apparently. Was he some sort of magical creature that Louis didn’t know about?
Harry: I wish you could see exactly how hard I’m laughing over this right now
Pouting, Louis took a selfie and sent it to Harry as his only response.
Harry: Aww, none of that! That’s cheating
Harry: Okay, fine. I promise I’ll try to slow down and drive safer. Good enough?
Was it good enough? Louis wasn’t sure. Promising to try slowing down doesn’t mean Harry will go all that much slower. But he supposed it was the best he could do for now. Besides, he didn’t actually have any proof that Harry drove the way he did the other day on a regular basis, so he’d have to let it slide.
Louis: Fine. That’ll do for now.
Louis: But don’t think you’ll get away with things that easily! I’m going to hold you to your promises!
He could practically read the laughter in Harry’s response.
Harry: I hope you do.
*~~***~~*
A strange thing was happening with Louis. He and Harry had been seeing each other for almost three months now, and Harry’s ability to charm Louis was wearing off.
Louis was still charmed by Harry, don’t get him wrong. It was just that...Harry didn’t make Louis forget things quite so easily anymore. Their first fight, so to speak, had to be via text before because Louis could never remember why he was angry when talking to Harry on the phone or being near him physically. But it seemed the more often he was near or talking to Harry, the less that happened. Maybe it was their puppy love phase ending. Maybe it was just that Louis could see through Harry easier now that he knew him better.
Whatever it was, it was strange because not only did Harry’s natural charisma not work with Louis as much, but Louis could see exactly how much of an effect Harry had on everyone else around him.
Louis also was noticing that those around Harry would almost seem duller afterwards. Sometimes it was even a physical change, but most of the time they just seemed dead boring to converse with once Harry was gone.
At first Louis thought it was just the comparison trap. If you put a Walmart knock off next to the Alexander McQueen original, of course it’s going to seem boring and lacklustre.
But it didn’t just happen when Louis had to talk with people immediately after he’d been with Harry.
Louis had a good friend, Niall. He worked for a similar charity to Louis’ and they got together once a month for lunch to catch up. Louis hadn’t seen Harry for hours, but Niall had met with him just that morning, as Harry was a donor for his charity as well. When Niall showed up to lunch, Louis could hardly keep a conversation going with him. He had incredibly generic responses to Louis’ questions and he gave very dry recountings of stories that he would normally have made to sound like the time of his life. Louis almost wondered if Niall was ill, because he’d never seen him so lacking his usual joie de vivre before.
After Louis learned that Niall had been to a meeting that included Harry just before coming to lunch, Louis knew he would need to ask Harry about it once they were both home from work that night. Now that he could think clearer when he was around Harry, hopefully talking about such a strange subject would be possible in person.
*~~***~~*
“Harry?”
Louis kicked his shoes off and hung up his jacket. They weren’t officially living together yet, but Louis spent only a rare night at his flat these days. Harry’s was just so much nicer and it was far closer to work for Louis. Most of his wardrobe was there, and while they’d discussed moving in together as a possibility, it hadn’t happened yet. Maybe it would soon.
Maybe it would partially depend on how the conversation went today.
“Hey, darling,” Harry said, walking towards Louis and pressing a soft kiss to his temple before bringing him in for a hug. He smelled minty from his gum as well as vanilla and cinnamon thanks to his candles, just as he always did. “How was work?”
“Fine,” Louis said, pulling back. “But I had a strange lunch with Niall.”
“Oh?” Harry asked, making a curious face before walking back to the kitchen. When they got there, Louis could see Harry had been preparing vegetables for whatever would be dinner that night. “He seemed fine this morning.”
“Yes, well, that’s part of what I wanted to ask you about.” Louis pulled himself up onto the counter, far enough away to not be in the prep area, but close enough to have an easy chat with his boyfriend. “See, I’ve been noticing some things lately and I was hoping you’d have some explanations.”
Harry froze, his shoulders stiffening and his hands stopping mid slice of the courgette. He started up again within a few seconds, but he moved much slower and more carefully this time.
Had Louis already struck a nerve? That was a bit worrisome. Harry was a gentle man and one who never tried to do harm to anyone, so Louis didn’t fear for the fact he was holding a knife, though the thought did cross his mind.
“What kinds of things have you noticed?” Harry’s voice was emotionless in a way Louis had never heard it before. It was always so full of warmth and kindness, sincere interest in those around him. He couldn’t remember it ever feeling so cold before.
Clearing his throat, Louis said, “Well, every room you go into, you’re the brightest person there by far. That’s not unusual, I’ve come to expect it even. That’s just who you are.” Louis said that fondly, but as he watched Harry’s face, he saw it became a little pinched before he could wipe the emotion from it again.
Confused, Louis kept going.
“The thing I find most strange about it is that once you leave, everyone almost seems changed.” Snorting, Louis said, “Even I felt a bit off being in your presence at first. I seem to have got used to it, because I never could have had this kind of a conversation with you when we were first seeing each other. I always got so distracted by you, like you made me forget everything that didn’t make me completely happy.”
“Do I not make you feel happy anymore?” Harry asked, turning to look at Louis directly in the eye. Harry looked so fearful. Distraught. But that wasn’t what this conversation was about at all. Louis hadn’t wanted him to worry about anything, Louis just wanted answers.
“Of course you make me happy, love,” Louis said, reaching out and tucking one of Harry’s wayward curls behind his ear. “I just want to know how you affected me in such a way to forget so much when we first met. Why, even. If you know. I feel like you do.”
Harry remained quiet, so Louis decided to keep talking.
“I kept coming up with excuses as to why it might seem that way, because I’ve felt more clear headed around you lately, and I thought maybe our honeymoon period of the early days bit of our relationship had just worn off or something. But see, then Niall showed up for lunch, and Niall was very much not himself.”
“Yes, so you said,” Harry said quietly, setting down his knife. He went to the sink and washed his hands, drying them quickly and then nodded towards the living room. “I think I need to tell you something and I’m not sure how you’re going to take this information. Do you mind sitting down?”
Louis’ mind began to race as he followed Harry. What kind of information did Harry have to give? Was he really a serial killer and everyone knew his true identity but Louis? No, that made no sense. Everyone loved Harry and that certainly wouldn’t be true if they knew he was a killer. Had he told Niall his secret maybe? And that’s why Niall was so strange with Louis at lunch?
They both settled on the sofa and before Louis could come up with any other strange theories, Harry took a deep breath and turned to Louis.
“I’m a vampire.”
Louis burst out laughing and then said, “Okay, very funny. Now what do you really have to tell me?”
Harry pursed his lips and looked confused. “No. I really am a vampire.”
Laughter dying, Louis said, “I’m sorry, what? Like the blood sucking kind of vampire?”
Harry snorted. “No. God, could you imagine? No. I’m a vampire that feeds, so to speak, on charisma.”
“Charisma,” Louis repeated dumbly. Harry couldn’t be serious right now. How was Louis supposed to believe this?
“Yes,” Harry said, smiling. You remember how strange you thought it was when I was able to talk my way out of that speeding ticket last week?”
Yeah, Harry’s promise to drive slower had been exactly as Louis had imagined it was. “Of course I do. That was definitely worth more than a verbal warning.”
Harry waved his hands around and said, “Charisma.”
“How the fuck does one actually feed off charisma? Do you just, like, breathe it in?”
Chuckling a little, Harry shrugged and said, “Something like that.”
“Do you like, take it from someone permanently? Do you take it from everyone you encounter?”
“No,” Harry said emphatically, reaching his hands out. “No. I mean, I can, but I don’t. I did it accidentally once, and it was awful. It usually only lasts for a few hours before it returns to them. And I don’t take it from everyone. Though sometimes I get bored and do it just to see if I can.”
Louis crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s why everyone seems so boring after you’ve been with them, isn’t it? Some of them even looked a bit different after. It was because they had lost some of their charisma?”
Harry grimaced and nodded. “Yeah. It’s kinda crazy to think about, though, because people always want me around due to the fact I’m so charismatic, but I seem so charismatic to them because I’m taking their own charisma and making them more boring than they were before. Strange cycle, isn’t it?”
“Do you need this charisma to survive?” Louis asked.
Harry shrugged. “To an extent, yes. I still eat food, as you know, and do require that, but the charisma does help me stay…” Harry drifted off a little as he tried to find the right word. “Human, I suppose you could say.”
Louis tried to digest this information. It was a bit difficult, but the last question he’d been holding back on because he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer. The rest of this chat had been a bit much anyway, so depending on how Harry handled this might depend on whether Louis was staying here tonight after all.
“Did you ever take my charisma?”
Harry’s eyes widened and he shook his head fervently. “No. Not once. I only used other people’s charms on you.”
Louis wrinkled his nose. “That sounds so weird when you say it like that, Haz.”
“Sorry,” Harry said, chuckling. “I’m impressed my charisma doesn’t really work on you anymore, though. I noticed you saying more, but I thought it was just because you were so feisty. I didn’t realise it was because you were becoming immune, kind of.”
Louis smirked. “You’re just impressed because now you have someone who will actually fight you instead of letting you always have your way.”
Harry burst out laughing. “Do you realise how long it’s been since I’ve been able to play a game and know I won because of skill and not just because I was making everyone let me win unintentionally? It’s been decades!”
That made Louis stop short. “Wait. How old are you?”
Harry tensed again. “Uhm...”
“No, don’t uhm me, Harold,” Louis said sternly. He was feeling a bit hysterical at this point. How old was his boyfriend? “You told me twenty-four. I know that’s not right if you’re talking decades and shit. How old are you?”
“Well, just like with vampires from stories, I’m kind of immortal? To an extent? I’m still quite young, for a vampire, but I am quite a bit older than you expected.”
“Harry. What year were you born in?”
“Ninety-four,” Harry answered automatically, keeping eye contact with Louis.
“Of what century?” Louis asked slowly.
“Nineteenth.”
Louis’ eyes bugged out. “You were born in 1894?” he squeaked. “Yes, I suppose that’s not as bad as 1494 or summat, but that’s still...that’s still…”
“Old,” Harry said, sighing.
“Do you have any friends or family who are like you?”
Harry shook his head. “I’ve never met another person like me. I know there are others because I’ve found hints of them, but we’ve not met.”
“What, didn’t you at least meet the one who turned you?”
Harry smiled a little at that. “Turned me? Do you think someone really bit my neck and made me into a charisma vampire?”
“Well how else were you meant to have become how you are? Your mother obviously didn’t birth you this way,” Louis said with a shrug.
This entire conversation had become so weird, Louis felt like he was dreaming and would wake up at some point. Why was he still asking questions as if any of this made sense?
Because it was Harry, and he loved Harry. That was why. Louis was in love with a supposedly immortal vampire who fed off of charisma.
“Yeah, that’s the thing,” Harry said, and Louis knew this was likely the beginning of a very long and winding story.
*~~***~~*
Louis was right. It was a very long and very winding story.
What it came down to was the fact Harry never learned how he changed or who caused it. There were various theories he had found during his searching and studies that it could be a spell, a matter of proximity to another chosen with similar abilities, or even something random people are born with. It did seem that the others - ones who had found a way to pass on information about themselves in a way that only other chosen would find - seemed to feed off of other abilities than charisma.
And that was that. Harry didn’t think it was something he was born with, because from what he could understand of the records, the other chosen stopped aging at different times. Harry had looked essentially the same since he was approximately in his early twenties, so he figured that was when he was chosen or the spell was cast.
A few weeks later, when Louis asked if Harry would bite Louis so they could not age together, he was partially joking. Partially. He’d also thought he was being romantic.
Harry just rolled his eyes and said, “Lou, I’m not that kind of vampire.”
So, life went on as normal. Louis requested Harry stop feeding on the charisma of his close friends, and that was that.
They did end up moving in together, which was wonderful, but it was around the time that Louis was celebrating his thirty-ninth birthday that he looked in the mirror and was confused.
He never paid much attention to his reflection. He made sure he didn’t have any spots and that his hair looked alright, but other than shaving he didn’t really inspect himself much. There wasn’t much exciting for him to worry about anyways.
All the same, it had been around thirteen years since he’d first met Harry, and yet when Louis looked in the mirror, he noticed that he didn’t look much different either.
He’d always got comments about how he was blessed with the youthful looks of his mother, and he’d assumed they were true. She looked much younger than her own fifty-seven years and Louis had just accepted the idea that he would also remain looking younger than he actually was.
Flipping through old photos, Louis began to really study them and went back further and further on his instagram until he realised it.
His eyes.
The crinkles by his eyes had always been pronounced, but it was when he hit about twenty two that they started to deepen. He’d been distraught, but didn’t know much else to do about it and figured it was time for him to start worrying about growing old. They’d got worse and deeper and he knew with time they’d only continue to do so.
But they hadn’t. They’d stopped worsening around the same time he’d met Harry.
“Harry!” Louis cried, waking him up. “Harry, tell me the truth. Do I look any older than I did when you met me?”
“Of course not, darling, you look just as young as your spry twenty-six year old self,” Harry mumbled without even opening his eyes.
Louis walked over to the bed and smacked him on his bum hard enough to have him complaining and sitting up. Harry looked at Louis, pouted, and said, “What was that for?”
“Look at me. I mean seriously. Look at me,” Louis commanded. Harry did. “Have I aged since you met me?”
Harry looked confused, but the longer he looked and truly studied Louis’ face, understanding also seemed to grow.
“Oh my God. Lou, do you think you’re one of the chosen too?”
Louis pulled at his hair and he began to pace his room, feeling a bit ridiculous. “Am I a vampire like my fianc é ? Yeah, apparently I very well might be.”
Harry looked so excited, he clapped his hands and bounced a little. “What do you think you feed on? Is it charisma like me or are the theories true and you feed on something else?”
Louis threw his hands in the air and practically shouted, “How the fuck am I supposed to know that?”
Standing up, Harry walked over to Louis, patted his cheek and said, “Don’t worry, love. We’ll figure it out.”
*~~***~~*
It took them until Louis was forty-three to figure out what precisely Louis fed on. It was only when Louis was bantering with his new friend from work that it became obvious.
Harry walked over and they were joking back and forth when suddenly Charles no longer could throw lines back at Louis as he had been. He couldn’t come up with the right words, he couldn’t think of anything that sounded quite right.
After a moment, Charles walked away, and Louis was left flabbergasted. “That keeps happening and I don’t understand it,” he said.
“Love, I think that just as I feed on people’s charisma, you feed on their wit.”
Louis learned how to better control his feedings and as he did so, he felt more rejuvenated than he had in years. It was incredible the difference it made, having regular feedings.
Time went on, and Louis and Harry moved as often as necessary in order to keep people from becoming too suspicious. No matter what circles they walked in, they were always the most popular power couple in the area. Everyone wanted the charming, curly haired man and his sharp tongued husband to liven up their parties. Once they entered the scene, every party was incredibly boring without them.
And they wouldn’t have it any other way.