Nonsensical, the way Louis thinks, We should never be apart.
There are many good reasons to give Daniel his space. For Louis to maintain his own. And yet.
"Sorry I kept you waiting on me," Louis says instead, and answers the question he is sure will follow: "Had an artist open up their studio for a showing."
Accommodating Louis' requirement to meet after sunrise. Gone are the days when it was him and Armand, and Armand could take a meeting at noon if it was offered.
Louis' thumb runs back and forth, knuckles flattening comfortably under Daniel's hand. Little touches, little contact. The feeling of a heartbeat under his palm.
"It's good to see you," offered instead of I missed you. Sentiments that rhyme, even if the former feels less urgent than the latter.
All well contained, but Louis is also uncertain of what now. What they make of this time. His disparate desires to simply take Daniel to bed and stay there maybe not welcome, nor productive. There is the computer, there are things Louis has dragged from the minds of dying vampire, but is it enough to hold Daniel's attention?
Still delighted by this fact, and so: waiting is no problem, especially when the payoff is Louis. Maintaining his smile, feeling sparks of too-young butterflies at the little touches. Way out of his league, but happy to be here for as long as he can. Tagging along with these talented, beautiful monsters, be it professionally with Lestat, personally with Louis.
Speaking (thinking) of, he could show Louis that card. Silly and a bit stupid, not ranking with artists that Louis is doing after.
But. Daniel looks like he's going to say something. Doesn't. Then tries again, finding courage—
"Can I kiss you? Are we the, you know, type to do that, 'Hey I missed you', and—?"
Because he's missed him. And it's good to see him.
Louis has no clear answers. He is trying to find his way, not to make Daniel uncomfortable in the process. Remembers Daniel saying, I'm straight, by the way, and recognizing it as something that deserved careful handling.
But Daniel asks him this, and the answer comes easy: "You can kiss me whenever you want."
No need for any particular occasion, no need to wait for an excuse.
He releases Daniel's hand to run fingers along his neck, thumb the line of his jaw, and tell him, "I missed you," and then invite, "Come kiss me."
He wants to enjoy himself, be comfortable, experience new things. More than that, he wants Louis to enjoy himself and be comfortable. Daniel knows that Louis is genuine, they've spent enough time fumbling in each other's heads and indulging in the warm, druglike intimacy of it. He believes he's happy. But he wants it to be fulfilling, too.
Daniel can't be Lestat. He's not the kind of guy who can sweep anyone off their feet. But maybe it can be fun. Maybe it can be worth it, for Louis, in this stage of his life. Daniel would like that. Being worth it, in whatever capacity he's capable of.
His pulse skips at that touch, that invitation. He squeezes Louis' hand against his chest. It really is good to be with him in person. Telepathy is great, but this is worlds better. He leans in, and kisses him.
Louis leans up into him, fingers sliding to the nape of his neck, thumb pressing down over the pulse beating in Daniel's throat. Reaches for his mind as they kiss, a skimming tease of contact tempered only by the awareness that Daniel might want to talk, just a little, before they fall into each other.
Teasing, and then alongside it runs a quieter, fretful impulse that is all questions, the muted impulse to ask, How has it been? How are you? What have you been doing? Are you happy, still?
They have been apart. Louis knows it's good for them both. And yet—
A slow parting, kissing Daniel again and then again after, soft and lingering, before saying, "Hey," again, into the narrow slip of space between them. "Missed you."
Like a reminder, a reassurance against the way Daniel shrugs off his own importance. Whatever they are, whatever they will be, he is always important. It will always be true.
Psychic fingers tangle, light and playful. Immediately tripping and falling into the abyss of coiled together minds is probably too quick, but Daniel will never shut him out. He's getting better at it rapidly, improving night by night, and though there's still an excitable, fledgling energy to it all, he's no longer accidentally almost bowling Louis over. Less of a mess inside, tidied up a bit, compartmentalized into work and and emotion and (things he's keeping sectioned away, thanks Armand) everything else.
"Missed you, too." Warm. Daniel offers another small kiss, chasing in return. Helpless against wanting him, even through the tangle of insecurities he may always be working through.
"I'm glad you're safe. And here. I know we can talk anytime, but I like seeing you."
Suppose they fall into each other. Suppose they tangle up in this hotel room, only emerging when the hunger is too great to bear?
Anything murmurs beneath the tangle of their minds, Louis sliding in among the neat order Daniel has been building within his own head. He learns so rapidly. It is different in some small way each time Louis touches his mind, sees how Daniel has grown since they last spoke.
"I'll stay stateside a while. Make it easier to show up when you got a couple off days."
And Louis has promised to attend concerts. Has been speaking to Lestat, text messages and phone calls. Similar reassurances. He is alive, he is safe, no one has harmed him.
Complicated.
Louis puts these things aside. Leans their foreheads together, slides his arm around his shoulders.
"You hungry? Or you wanna stay here and talk a while before we start thinking about those drinks you promised me?"
An invitation for Daniel to continue tinkering with the laptop, if he likes. Louis is willing to indulge, to enjoy the challenge of distracting him away from it in an hour or so.
Staying right here, wrapped up together, is alluring. Daniel could happily lose days and nights, knows it's the same for Louis— he's discovered he really has to keep himself on schedule, now that hes dead. He doesn't get tired the same way, and time passes almost the way it did when he was a teenager, flying by carelessly, brilliantly.
Louis being in the US is good. It makes him perk up, his eyes crinkling with the sincerity of his smile. Even if it's not completely for him, it's still good. Daniel likes the idea of him being closer, no matter the big picture reasons.
"I'm not hungry," he says, "but we could still go out."
Watching Daniel smile really diminishes the allure of heading out into the streets of downtown Columbus.
Armand had wanted him, yes. Louis knows this, has never felt any reason to doubt it. Armand had wanted him, but by the time they parted, the unseen fractures between them had swallowed up any pleasure they could possibly take in each other's company. How rare it would have been, to see Armand look at him with the kind of sincerity Daniel shows now, smiling at the possibility of sharing a continent with Louis.
They do need to be disentangling, but Louis leans up and kisses him again as if Daniel's expression is something that could be tasted.
"Buy me a drink," Louis entices, punctuates with a last light kiss brushed to Daniel's mouth. "I'd like that."
Echoes of the past, Daniel fumbling a crumpled bill onto the bar to buy Louis something cheap but strong. Louis letting him, even though he had a wallet thick with cash.
"You can tell me what you been doing since I last saw you."
Whatever Daniel hasn't already offered up, set into Louis' mind whenever they reached out to each other telepahically.
How is anyone not sincerely happy to see Louis? A mystery. Daniel was taken with him first thing in the bar, all those years ago. His heart had leapt (in panic, in curiosity) when he'd gotten the tapes, and he'd spiraled into aggressive fear and managed excitement seeing him again in Dubai. Happy to smile, now, happy to be happy, with him, and not in Dubai or anywhere else Louis has been getting into fights.
A conundrum, all that. He wants the information being collected, but he doesn't love the way Louis' been coping with things. At least for now, he's here with Daniel, and he can lean in for one last kiss and give his hand a squeeze, know that he's got him safe and sound for a few days.
"Hotel bar, or a walk?"
Daniel steps back, though slightly reluctantly; telegraphed in the way he keeps one hand linked with Louis'. He moves to snag the post card with his other, and holds it up—
Daniel keeps hold of his hand, and Louis tangles their fingers together securely. Maintaining contact, as long as feels comfortable. As long as what Louis feels coming off Daniel is content, rather than self-conscious.
The intention to walk is there in the casual tug towards the door, stymied as Daniel holds up the postcard.
And Louis smiles, even though behind the most immediate reaction is something more complicated.
"I bet they're giving you a run for your money," Louis says, reaching to take the card from Daniel's hand. Runs a thumb over the assortment of signatures on the opposite side, smile warming, shifting quieter in the wake of the initial grin.
"And I bet you got some stories. Maybe some you'll even tell me about."
Assuming the possibility of Daniel holding back. That some parts of him are private, and not meant for Louis, even if they involve Lestat.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
There are many good reasons to give Daniel his space. For Louis to maintain his own. And yet.
"Sorry I kept you waiting on me," Louis says instead, and answers the question he is sure will follow: "Had an artist open up their studio for a showing."
Accommodating Louis' requirement to meet after sunrise. Gone are the days when it was him and Armand, and Armand could take a meeting at noon if it was offered.
Louis' thumb runs back and forth, knuckles flattening comfortably under Daniel's hand. Little touches, little contact. The feeling of a heartbeat under his palm.
"It's good to see you," offered instead of I missed you. Sentiments that rhyme, even if the former feels less urgent than the latter.
All well contained, but Louis is also uncertain of what now. What they make of this time. His disparate desires to simply take Daniel to bed and stay there maybe not welcome, nor productive. There is the computer, there are things Louis has dragged from the minds of dying vampire, but is it enough to hold Daniel's attention?
no subject
Still delighted by this fact, and so: waiting is no problem, especially when the payoff is Louis. Maintaining his smile, feeling sparks of too-young butterflies at the little touches. Way out of his league, but happy to be here for as long as he can. Tagging along with these talented, beautiful monsters, be it professionally with Lestat, personally with Louis.
Speaking (thinking) of, he could show Louis that card. Silly and a bit stupid, not ranking with artists that Louis is doing after.
But. Daniel looks like he's going to say something. Doesn't. Then tries again, finding courage—
"Can I kiss you? Are we the, you know, type to do that, 'Hey I missed you', and—?"
Because he's missed him. And it's good to see him.
no subject
How does romance with Daniel work?
Louis has no clear answers. He is trying to find his way, not to make Daniel uncomfortable in the process. Remembers Daniel saying, I'm straight, by the way, and recognizing it as something that deserved careful handling.
But Daniel asks him this, and the answer comes easy: "You can kiss me whenever you want."
No need for any particular occasion, no need to wait for an excuse.
He releases Daniel's hand to run fingers along his neck, thumb the line of his jaw, and tell him, "I missed you," and then invite, "Come kiss me."
no subject
Daniel can't be Lestat. He's not the kind of guy who can sweep anyone off their feet. But maybe it can be fun. Maybe it can be worth it, for Louis, in this stage of his life. Daniel would like that. Being worth it, in whatever capacity he's capable of.
His pulse skips at that touch, that invitation. He squeezes Louis' hand against his chest. It really is good to be with him in person. Telepathy is great, but this is worlds better. He leans in, and kisses him.
no subject
Louis leans up into him, fingers sliding to the nape of his neck, thumb pressing down over the pulse beating in Daniel's throat. Reaches for his mind as they kiss, a skimming tease of contact tempered only by the awareness that Daniel might want to talk, just a little, before they fall into each other.
Teasing, and then alongside it runs a quieter, fretful impulse that is all questions, the muted impulse to ask, How has it been? How are you? What have you been doing? Are you happy, still?
They have been apart. Louis knows it's good for them both. And yet—
A slow parting, kissing Daniel again and then again after, soft and lingering, before saying, "Hey," again, into the narrow slip of space between them. "Missed you."
Like a reminder, a reassurance against the way Daniel shrugs off his own importance. Whatever they are, whatever they will be, he is always important. It will always be true.
no subject
"Missed you, too." Warm. Daniel offers another small kiss, chasing in return. Helpless against wanting him, even through the tangle of insecurities he may always be working through.
"I'm glad you're safe. And here. I know we can talk anytime, but I like seeing you."
no subject
Anything murmurs beneath the tangle of their minds, Louis sliding in among the neat order Daniel has been building within his own head. He learns so rapidly. It is different in some small way each time Louis touches his mind, sees how Daniel has grown since they last spoke.
"I'll stay stateside a while. Make it easier to show up when you got a couple off days."
And Louis has promised to attend concerts. Has been speaking to Lestat, text messages and phone calls. Similar reassurances. He is alive, he is safe, no one has harmed him.
Complicated.
Louis puts these things aside. Leans their foreheads together, slides his arm around his shoulders.
"You hungry? Or you wanna stay here and talk a while before we start thinking about those drinks you promised me?"
An invitation for Daniel to continue tinkering with the laptop, if he likes. Louis is willing to indulge, to enjoy the challenge of distracting him away from it in an hour or so.
no subject
Louis being in the US is good. It makes him perk up, his eyes crinkling with the sincerity of his smile. Even if it's not completely for him, it's still good. Daniel likes the idea of him being closer, no matter the big picture reasons.
"I'm not hungry," he says, "but we could still go out."
Or else he really might vanish into work.
no subject
Armand had wanted him, yes. Louis knows this, has never felt any reason to doubt it. Armand had wanted him, but by the time they parted, the unseen fractures between them had swallowed up any pleasure they could possibly take in each other's company. How rare it would have been, to see Armand look at him with the kind of sincerity Daniel shows now, smiling at the possibility of sharing a continent with Louis.
They do need to be disentangling, but Louis leans up and kisses him again as if Daniel's expression is something that could be tasted.
"Buy me a drink," Louis entices, punctuates with a last light kiss brushed to Daniel's mouth. "I'd like that."
Echoes of the past, Daniel fumbling a crumpled bill onto the bar to buy Louis something cheap but strong. Louis letting him, even though he had a wallet thick with cash.
"You can tell me what you been doing since I last saw you."
Whatever Daniel hasn't already offered up, set into Louis' mind whenever they reached out to each other telepahically.
no subject
A conundrum, all that. He wants the information being collected, but he doesn't love the way Louis' been coping with things. At least for now, he's here with Daniel, and he can lean in for one last kiss and give his hand a squeeze, know that he's got him safe and sound for a few days.
"Hotel bar, or a walk?"
Daniel steps back, though slightly reluctantly; telegraphed in the way he keeps one hand linked with Louis'. He moves to snag the post card with his other, and holds it up—
"Chasing after these loons, mostly."
no subject
The intention to walk is there in the casual tug towards the door, stymied as Daniel holds up the postcard.
And Louis smiles, even though behind the most immediate reaction is something more complicated.
"I bet they're giving you a run for your money," Louis says, reaching to take the card from Daniel's hand. Runs a thumb over the assortment of signatures on the opposite side, smile warming, shifting quieter in the wake of the initial grin.
"And I bet you got some stories. Maybe some you'll even tell me about."
Assuming the possibility of Daniel holding back. That some parts of him are private, and not meant for Louis, even if they involve Lestat.