Unconsciously, Louis' fingers have undone one button, two, three. Nervous energy. Weeks and weeks of fear and worry, carried from country to country, and now here, where he is present but unable to do anything for Daniel. Louis can see him fed. Can be present. But he cannot take away what Daniel has lived through. Cannot make Daniel less of a vampire.

"Shower," Louis tells him softly. "Use hot water."

Daniel needs a minute. Louis understands this as, perhaps, his cue to step away.

He is finding that difficult.

"You'll feel better afterwards," is true. "You can feed again. We can decide what to do."

How much privacy had Armand given him? None, Louis would guess. So he owes Daniel this. A closed door. A few minutes.

Only it is very hard to convince the animal instinct kicking in the back of his head to let go.