Warnings: Usual slash. And hey, how come no one's ever told me to stop writing fanfiction? I've written a bunch, why don't I get flames and threats? Nobody pays any attention to me...except my readers...I love y'all, man, and you can have my Bud Light. (Kitties don't drink.)

Disclaimers: Puss in Boots is a faerie tale, the original teller is probably dead by now, unless one of the coven found him first. (Hey...spec idea up for grabs...) Anne Rice owns Lestat and Louis, and if I were her, I'd have them locked up in the basement for naughty delights. In any case, I don't own them, she does, and I make no money off of this.

Spoilers: Yes. Read the Chronicles, people! They're worth the eight dollars apiece!

Once upon a time, as it always is, there lived an old Marquis in a crumbling castle. He had once been very rich, but one way or another he had lost his fortune, and was now consigned to the miserable existence of an aristocratic pauper. As God had mercy on him, however, the old Marquis felt that his poor life was about to come to an end, and he gathered his sons to him in his last moments.

"My children," he said sadly, in a failing voice, "I am afraid I have nothing of much worth to give you, especially as I must divide my small fortune among you. To Augustine, I grant the family lands." In a likewise fashion he dispensed of all his earthly possessions, until he reached his least liked child. "And to Lestat," he whispered, "I have nothing left to give, except a pair of handmade boots I received as a child, which are in the closet." And so saying, the Marquis expired.

The other sons wasted no time in shoving Lestat's poor inheritance into his arms and throwing him out onto the road, eager to manage the lands themselves. After miles of walking he was alone, with the sun slowly sinking and the cold creeping in, and Lestat collapsed beneath a tall oak tree. Tears streamed down his face as he cried miserably.

"What's the use of walking anymore?" he whimpered. "I'm only going to be eaten by wolves or bears." He tossed the boots down beside, what good could they do him?

Suddenly there was a burst of light and smoke next to him, and when Lestat looked up again, the boots were still there, but they had changed radically, and there was someone in them! This stranger was fairly tall, with lustrous black hair and jade eyes like a cat's. His body was well proportioned, with willowy limbs and unbelievably ivory skin, and he was draped in a tight suit with a cloak around his shoulders. On his legs were the boots, now of the finest leather that ended mid-thigh.

"Who...who are you?" Lestat managed to ask.

The stranger sat down next to him and gave him a little smile. "No one of great importance. I was captured by a warlock and imprisoned to these boots, and you have just released me."

"How...I mean, why were you...?" Lestat tried to question him, but he was too confused and stunned to make any sense. A lone wolf's howl echoed from the darkness, and a great multitude followed it.

"I need to get you out of here," his companion said. "It's not safe."

He waved his hand over Lestat's eyes, and the poor boy immediately fell asleep. When Lestat woke up again, it was early morning, and he found himself laying inside a barn on a clean pile of hay. Beside him was his pale friend. He reached over to touch him, but the jade eyes snapped open so quickly that Lestat drew back in fright.

"It's all right, I won't hurt you," his friend smiled, sitting up.

"But what are you?" Lestat asked. "And how did you get us here?"

"My name is Louis, if you don't mind," he answered. "As I said last night, I was bound like a genie to these boots, and last night your tears released me, so now I am bound to you."

"Bound? You mean like an apprentice?" Lestat was slowly losing his fear.

Louis shook his head. "More like a servant. I must do whatever you wish, get whatever you want."

Lestat narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Is this like those three wishes that never turn out the way you want them?"

Louis laughed. "No, nothing so sneaky. It is a straightforward thing. You have four wishes, and I must serve you. You are my master, and I am your slave."

Lestat opened his mouth to say something, then noticed something welling up in Louis' eye. He reached forward to brush his fingers over his slave's cheek, and realized it was a tear. "And you don't want to be," he whispered.

Louis shook his head silently.

"How many other masters have you had?"

"A few."

"My father?"

"No. He never figured out what was special about the boots."

"What were your other masters like?"

Louis shrugged and looked aside. "Cruel. Greedy. Sick."

Lestat nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel. I won't ever do that to you."

Louis smiled sadly. "You promise things so recklessly."

The blonde grinned. "True, but I try to live up to my promises."

The barn was silent for a long while. The farmer was not yet awake, and even the cows were still sleeping.

"So what do you want me to do first?" Louis prodded.

Lestat sighed and looked around himself. "Well, we could use something to eat, first. I'm starving, and you must be, too."

"Done."

Louis disappeared so fast Lestat wondered if he hadn't just blinked out of existence. A few minutes later, Louis returned with two piping hot apple pastries. They each had one, but Lestat ate his so quickly it went as fast as Louis had vanished.

"You liked that?" Louis asked.

Lestat nodded. "I've only had one once before as a child, and that was years ago! Where did you find these?"

"The baker's already opened his shop. I paid him with a few coins I found on the way over."

"You just found coins?"

Louis smiled. "I wanted to. So I did. It's one of the few abilities I gained as a result of my imprisonment."

Lestat cocked his head curiously. "If so many masters have hurt you, why are you telling me all this? Wouldn't it have been better to just stay quiet?"

"I wish I could. But you are my master, and you have asked, so I must tell you."

"And what happens if you don't?"

Louis wiped a fast tear away. "The boots tighten and hurt me until I tell the truth."

Lestat let the subject drop, until Louis again asked him what else he wanted.

"Um...I suppose a place to stay would be nice," Lestat said, thinking. "Some place that isn't run down, or too shabby."

"I know the perfect place," Louis nodded. "Come on, I'll take you there!"

Louis took Lestat’s hand and pulled him outside, heading down the dirt street as fast as his master could keep up. As if by magic, which Lestat was sure it was, they found an abandoned cab with two coal-black horses already hitched up. The cab itself was beautiful, with carved trim and black lacquer paint. Louis helped Lestat in, making sure he was comfortable in the red velvet seats, then jumped up to the top of the carriage and took hold of the reins. The carriage lurched forward on its way.

“Where are we going?” Lestat asked through the window, yelling over the pounding hooves.

“To your new home!” Louis answered. “It’s not very far, just hold on tight!”

Suddenly they picked up speed, traveling faster and faster down the road until the landscape turned into one long, green blur. Lestat looked out the window and noticed that they were driving into a dense fog, where the trees that had once been two feet away were now impossible to see. He cried up to Louis again, but there was no answer. Every few minutes he would hear the horses neigh and whinny, though, so he wasn’t too scared. Still, his fingers curled like talons around the edges of his seat, and he leaned back for fear he might fall out of the window if they hit a stone.

Just as fast as it started, the carriage slowed radically. The fog still remained, obscuring everything within a few inches.

“Come on out,” Louis smiled, opening the door like a footman. “Just a little bit further.”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Lestat asked, taking his hand despite his nervousness. “There aren’t any wolves or dragons, are there?”

Louis laughed gently and put his arm around his master, slowly guiding him forward. “No dragons here, or wolves, though I would suggest you don’t go walking alone late at night.” Abruptly he stopped. “Well, do you like it?”

Lestat looked ahead, but all he saw was more fog. His hand tightened on Louis’ arm, holding him for fear he would vanish. “Do I like what? I can’t see anything.” He turned toward Louis, barely able to make his face out through the wisps of grounded cloud.

Louis brushed Lestat’s cheek as if he were a frightened child. “You aren’t looking right. Look again.”

Lestat sighed, but turned around anyway. The change was so astonishing that he would have fallen backward if Louis had not been holding him. The fog had cleared and in front of them now stood a gigantic mansion, three stories tall with huge statues at the corners and gargoyles on the roof. There was a garden around them, lush and full of blooming flowers, and a water fountain in the center.

“What...this...is...” he stammered in shock.

“Yours,” Louis finished for him. “All of it. The previous owner was eaten, I’m afraid.”

“Eaten?” Lestat gasped. “By what?”

“A cat,” Louis smiled, eyes gleaming. “A cat that tricked him into turning into a mouse.”

Louis escorted his master inside, walking through the large wooden doors and into the marbled interior. Lestat forgot all of his anxieties when he saw the elaborate tapestries hanging on the walls, the thick rugs and the roaring fireplace at the end of the hall. He roamed the wings of the hallways, exploring the various rooms with hundreds of mirrors, gold leaf ornaments and fine oak furniture. When he ran downstairs to see what else he could find, he discovered vast amounts of gold and jewels in mountains, alongside ancient oddities that were probably also worth a fortune.

“This isn’t just a home,” he whispered in awe. “This is wealth beyond my dreams.”

Louis, following behind him, leaned against the doorframe. “You like?”

Lestat turned to answer, but he found he couldn’t speak. Silhouetted by the firelight, Louis appeared more like a fantasy from his dreams than a real man. Or a real boy, rather. He was too young yet to think of shaving, and his body was still slim, obviously well defined beneath his clothes and boots, the beautiful leather boots that hugged his calves.

Lestat stepped closer to him, laying his hand on his shoulder and caressing his arm. Louis didn’t move, he only closed his eyes and held still. Lestat put his other hand on Louis’ chest, slipping it beneath his clothes and fondling the unbelievably soft skin. Louis turned his head aside and moaned, giving his master what he demanded.

“Oh, Louis,” Lestat whispered, not thinking about what he was saying, “I wish you’d kiss me.”

Louis raised his hands up to Lestat’s face, tilting his chin up and bringing him close. He nuzzled his cheek first, chewing expertly on Lestat’s lip, and then put his mouth against his master‘s. Lestat tilted his head slightly, enjoying the taste of his companion as his arms wrapped around him. His fingers drifted to the strings of Louis’ leggings, preparing to undo them. Louis jerked when he felt him, pulling away in surprise. Lestat was stunned by the sudden loss of such sweetness on his tongue, but then he stared in horror as Louis screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground in a heap. There were two loud cracks, and Louis’ screams turned into ragged cries as he tried to push himself back up.

“Louis, what’s wrong?” Lestat asked frantically as he knelt beside him.

Louis gave up trying to stand and put his hands over his eyes, blocking his tears. “They’re broken,” he gasped, “both broken. I can’t stand, it hurts, it hurts!”

Lestat looked down and saw the blood pouring out of the boots. He reached out and tried to pull them off, but the moment he touched them, Louis screamed even louder. Not knowing what else to do, Lestat gathered him up and took him to the nearest bedroom, where he carefully lay him on the plush blankets and covered him up.

This is all my fault, Lestat berated himself. I knew he didn’t want to be used, but I still made him...oh, my poor Louis. I have to fix this, I have to--

“I wish you were better again!” he said the moment he thought of it.

Immediately Louis’ breathing slowed to a normal pace, and he sighed in relief. After a few seconds he tried to rise again, but Lestat pushed him back down into the pillow.

“No, chere. You should stay in bed for awhile.”

“But--” the boots started to constrict again, and he quickly relaxed again. “All right. I’ll stay here as long as you want me to.”

Lestat smiled sadly and brushed the hair from Louis’ eyes. “If only.” He glanced outside the window and sighed. “It’s almost nightfall. I’m going to close the front doors and make sure the windows are shut and the fire out, and then I’ll come back. Now go ahead and go to sleep.” Without waiting for a reply, he leaned over and kissed Louis’ forehead. Then he pulled the blankets up to his servant’s throat and disappeared back into the main house.

Louis thought hard for several minutes. Lestat was unlike any other master he’d ever known. He’d only wished for food and a house at first, and then he’d wanted a kiss, think of it, just a kiss! Of course he’d gone for the pants, like the other masters had, but when Louis had resisted, he’d wasted a wish taking the pain away. Lestat seemed to actually care about him!

“But I’m warming his bed now,” Louis closed his eyes, and a tear slid away. “He’ll have me tomorrow. They always have me, one way or another.” And before he could think of anything else, he was forced to obey Lestat’s demand and go to sleep.

The next morning, Louis woke up and found Lestat sleeping next to him. The blonde boy seemed so angelic now, with a small smile as he dozed. Still...Louis figured he wanted some affectionate attention, and the boots were there to make sure he acted on that assumption. He slipped his hand to the side, reaching for Lestat’s body, when something unexpected happened. His hand couldn’t find his master. There seemed to be a heavy weight on top of the blanket, keeping him from touching Lestat.

“He bundled me,” Louis gasped. With the sheets arranged just so, there was no way Lestat could force Louis to do anything, except maybe give another kiss.

The small noise roused Lestat, and for a moment he thought there was a rat to chase off his bed. Then he remembered he was in a new home, and he grinned. “Did you sleep well?”

Louis nodded gratefully. “Yes, very much so.”

“Did you sleep next to your other masters?” Lestat asked, rising on one elbow and resting his head on his hand.

Louis shook his head. “Often, after they took me, they made me sleep on the floor next to them. One of them actually wrapped me in chains and wouldn’t let me out of his sight, pulling me along on a leash and collar.”

Lestat didn’t press any further. He stroked Louis’ cheek with his fingertips, wondering how anyone could hurt such a beautiful creature. Even though tears were welling up in his eyes, Louis grabbed Lestat’s hand and pressed it against his skin.

“You can, if you want,” he whispered. “I belong to you.”

Lestat smiled and shook his head. “No, you don’t. I won’t let anyone hurt you again, ever.”

Louis started to cry in earnest. “You...you can’t do that...you aren’t allowed to...not make the last wish. You have to make another wish...and let me go...”

“Would you like to stay with me? To be my friend, if not my consort? To live with me, and not have to submit to any more cruel masters, or suffer pain because you don’t want something?”

Louis was really sobbing now. “Yes, but it’s not possible...I have to be a slave for the rest of time...”

“Why? Who made you do this?”

“A priest...said I was evil...I had to pay for my sins...”

“For all eternity? What had you done?”

He answered between his sniffles. “I...lay with...another man...”

“Ah, obviously a hanging offense,“ Lestat sighed. He kissed his slave’s cheek and smiled. “Well, not anymore. I wish you were free from those boots and from that curse.”

Louis looked up in disbelief, unable to speak. He watched silently as Lestat rose and pulled the blankets away, then took hold of one boot. He gave it a tug, and there was no pain. Then Lestat leaned back, dragging the leather with him and revealing Louis’ bare foot. Stunned, Louis shook his head, sure that he was dreaming. Lestat tucked his fingers under the edge of the other boot and peeled that one away. Noticing that Louis was hardly reacting, though, he sat back down by his side.

“Now, slave,” he said sternly, “I’m going to slap you, and you’re going to beg for more, understand?” He raised his hand slowly, no intention of hurting Louis in his mind at all.

“No!” Louis yelled, grabbing his hand. For a moment he held still, looking at his hand holding Lestat. A slow smile spread over his face. “I said no. And it didn’t hurt.”

Still smiling, he tightened his grip on Lestat's hand and pulled him completely down onto the bed, climbing on top of him and placing his hands on his former master's shoulders so he could press him down further. Lestat put his arms around Louis, trying to bring him down on top of himself, and Louis responded warmly, pinning his body down with his own.

"No more pain," he whispered happily, working as hard as he could to get both of their clothes off. "No more servitude, no more chains, no more wishes."

"No more loneliness," Lestat said, helping Louis take his shirt off.

"Yes, Lestat," Louis nodded, "no more loneliness. And I will never obey anyone again, never!" He seized Lestat's wrists and forced them down on the pillow, immobilizing him.

"Never?" Lestat asked sadly. "Not even once in awhile?" He tilted his head to side, making the hair fall over his eyes.

Louis laughed and kissed him, releasing his hands so he could touch every other part of his body. "Well, maybe once in a while."

The End