[Fanfic] Thunderbolt

[shuufleur93]

Titre: Thunderbolt
Fandom: Supernatural
Word count: 4207
Type: OS
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Benny Lafitte/Sam Winchester
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, 19th Century, Identity Reveal, Lord Benny Lafitte, Hunter Sam Winchester, Bittersweet Ending, implied Castiel/Anna Milton
Summary:

Samuel and Dean are invited to Lord Castiel's masquerade ball as a thank you for all their work. There, Sam has the pleasure to meet with Lord Benny Lafitte, a friend of Lord Castiel. However, Sam will soon learn again how appearances can be deceptive...

Notes: Fill for the square Royalty of my What if AU card & for the prompt Bittersweet of the 100 Ships Challenge table. If you're interested, those are the castles I took inspiration from for the very short descripion of Castiel's castle: Château Dampierre | Château de la Cordelière.
AO3 Link: Thunderbolt.

Samuel looked at his reflection in the river, annoyed at that one strand of hair which continued to stand a bit straight on his head, although he dampened it several times. Well, it will have to do.

He stood up and checked that he hadn’t dirtied his expensive clothing before joining his brother near their horses. Dean welcomed him with a smirk.

“Are you done with your vanity, your Highness?”

“You are mocking me, but I’d like to make a good impression once inside. Lord Castiel has been kind enough to invite us to his ball, and it’s only respectful to blend in and not cause any trouble.”

When Dean rolled his eyes, Samuel felt the need to insist, “Think about all the contracts, and ultimately, money, we could get from the other lords. I’m betting they also have issues we could take care for them.”

“Fine,” Dean sighed, “But don’t expect me to hold off on the food. It’s not every day we eat something that fancy.”

Samuel couldn’t fault him for that. He too would take advantage of Lord Castiel’s generosity.

“Try not to eat like you’ve been starved for days.”

As if to reply to that statement, Dean’s belly grumbled.

“Let us go,” Dean exclaimed, rubbing his stomach with a hungry glint in his eyes.

Samuel and Dean approached the bridge overhanging the moat, filled even to this day. They made their entry through a small building, flanked by four round turrets and gunports. From their position, they were struck by the view of the impressive castle. Rather small compared to other castles, it was obviously bigger than anything Dean and Samuel ever lived in if you didn't count camping. The red and white bricks brought out the building against the trees surrounding it.

In front of the double staircase of the main entry, several coaches had already arrived, guests and servants stuck in an infinite ballet. When Dean and Samuel approached, one of the servants, a brown-haired boy, joined them and took their horses’ reign to bring them to the stable.

Samuel then presented their invitations to the butler at the doors. The other man, prim and proper, looked them up and down, his professionalism not quite masking the suspicious look, but let them in after what felt like an eternity.

As they came in, Samuel couldn’t help but feel a little underdressed in his slightly off and cheap suit. Although they bought the most expensive suits they could afford, the other guests looked fancier, richer, and more elegant than the brothers. The women’s gowns were vivid with colors, and the men’s suits were cut perfectly.

Tonight, and as usual, Samuel and Dean created a sensation. People turned around, whispered as they made their way through the crowd. At this point in their lives, they had become familiar faces that people saw slaying monsters or talking to lords and ladies. For years, they had continued their father’s legacy in the region. Although Samuel and Dean traveled far and wide in the country, they always came back home.

Lord Castiel had asked for the brother’s help numerous times before, and his way of thanking them (apart from paying them of course) was to invite them to one of his balls.

Dean, even though he tried to hide it, loved going to balls. He appreciated them for the opportunity they represented; either getting contracts from the lords and ladies or getting the name and address of pretty women who might enjoy more than a polite conversation with him.

Much more subdued on that account, Samuel didn’t like to flaunt his likes and dislikes for everyone to see. And truth be told, his heart was rather taken by a person already. He didn’t want to pursue anybody else.

Another servant of Lord Castiel, a blond-haired woman, gave them masks to wear. Apparently, tonight they were throwing a masquerade ball. While Samuel’s mood soured a bit at that discovery, Dean’s eyes sparkled even more.

On one hand, wearing a mask gave him a protective shield, something that concealed his face in what he perceived a dangerous and unfamiliar world. It might seem strange that the world he felt the most comfortable in was spending his nights (and sometimes days) chasing and fighting monsters bigger, stronger, and faster than him. Lords and ladies were an entirely different beast that Samuel always struggled to tackle. Dean, on the contrary, navigated the strange waters with expertise and ruse.

On the other hand, Samuel’s life experience made him distrustful of masks and subterfuge.

”Where do you think he’s hiding?” Dean asked when he put on his mask, “I want to talk to him about that coven of vampires we saw on the way in.”

“Somewhere where he can hide?”

Dean smiled and clasped Samuel’s shoulder before leaving his brother to fend for himself. Samuel looked around him, feeling eyes on him, hearing the music, conversations and elegant laughs. A bit overwhelmed by everything, Samuel looked for an escape route, but before he could find it, somebody came up to him. With dread, he faced the person and smiled with relief when he recognized the blue-gray eyes crinkling with mirth through the mask’s slits.

“Samuel,” the man greeted, his voice just like in his memories, slow and full of molasses.

“Lord Lafitte. It’s been quite a while since the last time we’ve spoken.”

“Indeed. Would you care to share a drink with me?”

Samuel had to taper down the bout of excitement this question elicited, mindful of the company they had.

“Of course. Please, lead the way.”

Lord Lafitte tilted his head as a sign of assent and turned to walk to the bar. Samuel had self-control, but it would be lying if watching Lord Lafitte walk in front of him in this beautiful suit didn’t have an effect on him.

At the bar, after going through the throng of guests, Lord Lafitte signaled a servant and ordered for them both.

“I think I remembered what you like,” Lord Lafitte mused when he gave Samuel his drink. “Madeira wine, correct?”

“You’ve remembered well. Thank you.”

Samuel took a sip of his drink and noticed Lord Lafitte’s intent eyes on him as he drank as well. Samuel suddenly felt warm, and it wasn’t because of the wine. He cleared his throat and tugged a little at his collar. Lord Lafitte hid his smirk by sipping his drink once more.

“What don’t we go in the gardens? I have wanted to talk with you, and we would be more tranquil there.”

"Please, lead the way."

Lord Lafitte extended in Samuel's back to lead to the French windows which gave a glimpse of the gardens. He was barely touching him but the hunter could feel the seeping through, sending shivers of anticipation. Lord Castiel had always liked French formal gardens; neat and symmetric. Here, the shrubs looked as tall as people and laid out almost like a labyrinth with an intricate fountain of an angel playing the lyre in the center. Samuel followed Lord Lafitte in the deepest part of the gardens, where the music was muffled and conversations unheard, assuring some kind of privacy.

Lord Lafitte removed his mask as he sat down on a bench. Samuel was once again struck by the beauty of the lord. Other people might not agree, especially other men, but there was something so alluring that Samuel sometimes had trouble thinking in his presence.

His heart started to race when the other man looked back at the hunter with a small but inviting smile.

“Please, come closer.” He patted the empty spot next to him on the bench. “You can remove the mask if you want.”

Samuel was tempted to keep it just because he knew his cheeks were red. The heat radiated in the mask, making his face even warmer. But he did come to Lord Lafitte and sat next to him as close as decency would let him, even though nobody was there to scold him if he sat too close.

Lord Lafitte’s eyes were watching him like a hawk. Somewhere, something deep inside suddenly dared Samuel to do or say something forward. Lord Lafitte asking him here, sheltered from prying eyes, wasn’t a coincidence. And if their previous interactions proved anything, he was almost certain his assumption would be well received.

“What don’t you remove it yourself?” Sam finally asked, his voice a little raspier than usual from nerves, and almost regretted it. He had never been that forward with the other man before, and he thought—hoped really—that he wasn’t wrong.

Lord Lafitte’s mouth twitched as if he was trying to suppress a smile, but his eyes betrayed him as he slowly and delicately pinched the edge of the mask to pull it down and reveal Samuel’s face. Hopefully, his skin had returned to its original color.

“There you are,” Lord Lafitte murmured, almost to himself. “I must admit I have missed our conversations. It is sometimes lonely around here.”

Lord Lafitte put the mask on the bench just beneath his own; they were of similar shape and colors.

“Lonely? How can this be? I’m sure you must have a hundred families ready to marry off their daughters.”

Lord Lafitte laughed, embarrassed, his eyes downturn.

“You overestimate my eligibility. Richer, younger, socialite men are sought after. I’m not the first choice of any future ladies.”

“I can’t believe that,” Samuel replied, a little shocked, discarding the thought of false modesty instantly. Lord Lafitte wasn’t a man who tooted his own horn without reason.

The other man looked pleased until his eyes strayed and locked on Samuel’s neck. The hunter didn’t need to wonder what he was seeing. Before coming to the ball, Dean and Samuel finished one last contract, which almost ended up killing them.

“New scar?” Lord Lafitte asked, and although he tried to hide it, a slight worry in his eyes.

“It might, one day. It’s nothing too bad. In the end, I won, and the creature didn’t.”

Samuel had expected relief, but Lord Lafitte seemed a little sad as well, which puzzled him.

“One day they might. Have you thought about that?”

“It’s something that I think about from time to time. I’m just a mortal, it comes with the territory.” Samuel shrugged. “But I can’t dwell on it. It is the fear talking, and I can’t let it control me. You have to remember, Dean and I fight so you don’t have to.”

Lord Lafitte sighed, resigned, expecting Samuel’s answer.

“I can only hope you are being careful.”

“Always.”

They fell into a pleasant silence, where they couldn’t seem to be able to look away from one another. In truth, despite Samuel's wishful thinking, Lord Lafitte could never reciprocate whatever was happening between them. His station would never permit it, and Samuel, while famous and respected for his work with Dean, was just a commoner, a mere hunter with no title or land. He only had his horse to his name, and pretty much nothing else.

In spite of his better judgment, the fact that Lord Lafitte seemed interested in more than a polite conversation with Samuel made him hopeful. However, should anything happen between them, Samuel would just become the dirty little secret of Lord Lafitte. He knew better, and he should probably squash this hope before he did something foolish. But tomorrow could also be a fine day to do that, especially when there would be some physical distance between them. Tonight, he could just bask in Lord Lafitte’s attention without shame.

“I am aware you are leaving as soon as the ball is over, and probably even before that,” Lord Lafitte started, a not quite serious expression on his face, “but I wanted to extend my own invitation.”

Samule chuckled, delighted, “Are you going to throw your own ball? Why, I didn’t know you liked them so much.”

“I don’t.” Lord Lafitte grimaced. “But it came to my attention that this is only one of two ways to make sure you might be coming into town.”

Samuel’s breath caught in his throat. There had been discreet gazes, soft touches, smiles bordering on seductive, some light teasing with innuendos, but never something that overt. Despite the monsters fighting and magic knowledge, they still lived in quite a rigid society in a matter of class hierarchy and other areas.

“What is the other way?” Samuel asked, his voice rough from emotion.

Lord Lafitte’s eyes seemed to sparkle in the night, the lights from the castle filtered down by the shrubs created this play of colors on the other man’s face, mesmerizing Samuel.

“The other way is a tad more dangerous. I know that any sightings of creatures would bring you back home, but I’m reluctant to use that to my advantage. I’m not really in the habit of putting innocent people’s lives in jeopardy for such selfish reasons.”

Samuel’s heart started to beat faster at the thought of what he planned to say. Despite his nervousness, he swallowed and took the plunge.

“It exists another way.”

Curiosity, maybe a bit of expectation, was on Lord Lafitte’s face.

“What is it?”

“If you ask me to come back.”

Lord Lafitte froze for a beat, wide eye and mouth slightly open, the only show of surprise. Samuel extended his hand over to the lord’s and gently brushed his fingers. Lord Lafitte took Samuel’s hand and pulled him close until they were face to face, their mouths a mere inch from one another. He met Samuel’s eyes with a silent question, searching for confirmation and waiting for Samuel to make a decision.

Waiving caution away, the hunter approached his head until their lips barely touched, their breath mixing. Samuel smelt the Madeira wine they drank this evening, blending with Lord Lafitte’s perfume and a tinge of iron. Samuel couldn’t believe what was happening, he almost felt dizzy in this intoxicating moment.

Slowly, Lord Lafitte pressed his lips against Samuel’s. Finally, they were kissing. After all this time, after pining over a man he thought he could never have, to be able to feel and taste his lips was a dream come true.

From the soft and chaste touch, Samuel started to take the kiss to something a little more intense. Lord Lafitte responded in kind, and not long after, they were both out of breath and kissing like their lives depended on it. As heat traveled down Samuel’s body, he was half-tempted to suggest they moved to some place more private.

Lord Lafitte’s cupped his cheek, his thumb stroking the skin lightly, sending shivers along Samuel’s spine. Deciding Lord Lafitte wasn’t close enough, Samuel broke the kiss to straddle the bench and face Lord Lafitte. He then passed his arms around the other man’s waist to pull him towards him and continue their kiss.

Lord Lafitte hummed, the vibration traveling through their kiss, and moved his hand from his cheek to his neck, still with his feathery touches that were making Samuel crazier with desire the longer he continued, while his other hand buried itself in Samuel’s hair.

Samuel concluded they really needed to find some place private to continue this. He was going to suggest it when the lord let out a hiss, breaking the kiss, and snatched his hand from under Samuel’s collar. Surprised, the young man stared silently at Lord Lafitte, who had put a little distance between them to cradle his hand.

“What happened? Are you alright?”

Lord Lafitte stood, showing his back to Samuel. Worried he hurt the lord in any way, he joined him and turned him back gently towards him. Lord Lafitte’s fast breathing sounded noisy in the silence. He looked up at Samuel with an ashen face and fearful eyes. Samuel didn’t want to waste time wondering why he was acting like that, and gently took Lord Lafitte’s hand to look at it.

His heart dropped at the sight of the still sizzling burn on the fingers. Samuel frowned, trying piece out how he could have gotten hurt. He wasn’t wearing anything that could harm humans, only monsters. Then it dawned on him, bile rising in his throat.

“My necklace,” he started, almost choking on the words. He grabbed the necklace he and his brother wore that was engraved with the protection sigil and put it above his suit. “My necklace is silver. It shouldn’t harm you if you were human.”

Samuel let go of Lord Lafitte's hand and took a step back, feeling sick. He couldn’t think. Or maybe he was thinking too much. It wasn’t possible. He hadn’t just kissed a creature, a monster. He couldn’t believe he mistook it for a man.

“Samuel,” Lord Lafitte murmured, his tone verging on begging.

“What are you?”

“Samuel, please. I didn’t mean—”

“You must have laughed quite a bit. Having fooled a hunter,” Sam growled, regretting not having his trustee machete with him. “What are you? A few creatures are hurt by silver, but I can’t—”

He had to stay calm. He couldn’t lose it yet, not with the people right there in the castle. Samuel was glad to be alone in the gardens if he had to act. At least he would be able to hide it from the guests. He couldn't imagine the scandal of discovering one of lords turned out to be a monster. He already saw the impact of these kinds of news in other communities.

However, the mere thought of slaying Lord Lafitte twisted Samuel’s stomach. He wasn’t sure he could do it. Dean would tell him to stop thinking and act, that he couldn't let a monster live. But when Sam looked at Lord Lafitte, he seemed regretful. He wasn’t gloating. He seemed genuinely crushed by this revelation. Yet, he knew Samuel’s job as a hunter, knew his reputation, and still decided to pursue their relationship as if there was nothing wrong.

“Samuel,” Lord Lafitte started again. “I never meant to deceive you. When we first met, I believed you came to kill me, and I was scared for my life, so I tried to be harmless. I befriended you, hoping you would leave me alone. You didn’t even suspect me. When you came back, you acted as if we were long-time friends.” Lord Lafitte smiled sadly, sorrow in his eyes. “And I started to know you and your brother better, and as irresponsible as it sounds, I wanted to keep talking to you. You made me feel so much each time we talked, feelings I thought I had lost for years… centuries even.”

Centuries, the silver, the coven nearby; the only details Samuel needed.

“Are you a vampire?” he asked, not quite wanting to believe his guess. Vampires usually didn’t show their faces during the day, and yet, Lord Lafitte had been seen outside during the winter months, but never in the late spring or summer. People had gossiped that he was keeping to himself during those months because he couldn’t bear the warmer temperatures. How right they were! Samuel had never put two and two together before today. How blind he was!

Lord Lafitte nodded to confirm Samuel’s guess. He seemed to debate something with himself for a moment before deciding to show his fangs to the hunter. Shock. Disbelief. If he hadn’t shown his fangs, Samuel could have pretended he was having a fever dream.

“I know you have a duty, and I will not stop you,” Lord Lafitte whispered, lowering his head as if he had accepted his fate. “Do what you need to do.”

Samuel should, he took his duty as a hunter seriously. But right here, right now, he found out he couldn’t take his weapon and chop off Lord Lafitte’s head. The thought of it made his head spin.

“I—” Samuel started, warning bells in his head but also in his heart. His head ordered him to kill, he was supposed to be an enemy and he probably had killed innocent people before and will certainly kill again; his heart begged him not to, Lord Lafitte seemed sincere, and Lord Castiel would have told them if there were vampire attacks in town. And Samuel would miss him if he died.

A voice that sounded much like Dean whispered in Samuel’s mind that Lord Lafitte had just been biding his time, and Samuel couldn’t trust him.

Voices nearby broke into the tense situation they were in. If he had to do anything, it would have to be done later. He didn’t want to risk the lives of others if he could help it.

“I will know if you kill anyone,” he finally said as sole warning.

The naked relief on Lord Lafitte’s face almost broke Samuel’s heart.

“Samuel—”

Lord Lafitte took a step forward, raising his arm towards Samuel.

“Don’t!” Samuel shook his head, making him stop. “Don’t come closer. Don’t approach me or my brother, or any of the people from this town.”

Samuel turned his back to Lord Lafitte, thinking he probably shouldn’t, and went back into the castle. He needed to leave, right this moment. In search of his brother, Samuel kept looking at the French windows, expecting Lord Lafitte to have followed him, but he never showed. Thankfully, Dean was quite easy to spot in the sea of people. He was talking to Lord Castiel. Lady Anna had joined them, and they were laughing at one of Dean’s jokes.

“Dean!”

Dean turned to him with a bright smile which dimmed a bit when Samuel joined them. He guessed he must look a bit out of sorts. He schooled his features, hoping to delay any unwanted questions and keep their worrying at bay.

“Sam, you’re back. I saw you leave with Lord Lafitte. You took a while,” Dean said with a wink, somehow guessing what had happened between the two men, or what should have happened. Samuel smiled stiffly, searching for an appropriate reply. Dean was going to say something, surely some light teasing, so Samuel plowed on, “We should leave,” and turning to the Lord and Lady of the house, “I apologize for the interruption, Lord Castiel, Lady Anna.”

Lady Anna brushed this aside with a polite grin. Lord Castiel furrowed his brow, but not out of anger or slight. His brother, on the other hand, faced him with no care for their esteemed hosts.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened, Dean. Everything’s fine.”

Dean didn’t seem to believe it, and Samuel hoped he wouldn’t try to know more. At least, not here where everyone could hear.

“Where’s Lord Lafitte?”

The belligerent expression his brother was sporting meant nothing good. If Samuel didn’t nip it in the bud, he knew Dean would just try to find Lord Lafitte and make him talk. And if he did, he knew from the deepest part of himself that Lord Lafitte would just admit his true self to Dean, and Samuel loathed this idea. He just needed to get Dean and him far from this town as quickly as possible.

“He’s gone back home, I think.”

“Did he do something?”

“Dean, please. I guess he just didn’t feel well.”

Lord Castiel and Lady Anna looked suddenly worried.

“Oh my, I should probably inquire about Lord Lafitte’s well-being then,” Lady Anna exclaimed before leaving to talk to a servant.

Samuel was half-tempted to stop her, but he didn’t want to make Dean more suspicious than he already was. The brothers shared a long, silent look where they both tried to make the other fold.

“Fine,” Dean finally relented a long seconds. “Still want to leave?”

Samuel nodded, almost sighing in relief. Dean turned back to Lord Castiel to say his goodbyes.

“I will call one of my servants to bring your horses to the front,” Lord Castiel told them.

Dean and Samuel bowed their heads in thanks and respect and left the ballroom.

While waiting for their horses, Dean spoke, “I don’t know what’s happened, but you’ll tell me if Lord Lafitte did something you didn’t like, right?”

What a conundrum; Lord Lafitte didn’t do anything. His nature itself was the issue, an issue Samuel didn’t want them to deal with.

“I just—it was too crowded. I needed to get out.”

Still, Dean didn’t seem convinced.

“If you say so. What now? We try the coven?” Dean suggested. “Might be a good way to get back on the horse and forget about Lord Lafitte.”

The coven was the worst idea to forget about Lord Lafitte.

“Let’s not do the coven this time. They haven’t killed anyone, right?”

Dean scrutinized him before replying, “Not as far as Lord Castiel is concerned. He wasn’t aware of any coven. Didn’t want to alarm him if nothing happened apart from a few dead wild animals.”

Good. It meant Lord Lafitte’s coven had stayed quiet for now. He hoped the situation continued that way.

“Let’s just play it by ear if that’s alright with you.”

“Sure, let’s,” Dean replied easily, although Samuel could read in his eyes he wasn’t fooled.

With a heavy heart and a busy mind, Samuel left with Dean for their next contract, hoping he took the right decision in leaving Lord Lafitte alive.