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.
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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.
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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.