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They were watching Dead Alive, a truly disgusting gorefest that Daniel was not following the plot of at all, if there was one. When Armand had held up the disc with his eyebrows raised and corners of his mouth slightly lifted in hopeful excitement, Daniel had just been relieved it wasn't one they'd already watched 70 times this year. For his part, Daniel was mostly fiddling with the notepad on his lap, trying to figure out how to structure the book he was working on with a complex system of sticky notes.
Armand's attention too was divided, though Daniel had no doubt he was committing every detail of the movie to memory even between glances at the vivisected Walkman in his hands. He claimed he liked to "build and repair" electronics, but it was really closer to an expensive stim hobby, Daniel knew from the office that was full of disassembled and broken technology of every era that Armand had no intention of going back to. He did sometimes put them back together, but usually in horrible Frankensteined combinations, especially if it was something that would make awful noises when brought to life. Mostly he just broke down his constant eBay purchases into their component parts and sorted the parts into boxes. It made him happy, and it didn't involve any organic matter in any kitchen appliances, so it worked out well.
Daniel, the familiar soft voice in his head. Daniel grinned and looked up from his notes.
Hey man, how's it going? Being cooped up with Frenchie on that tour plane got you needing an escape route yet?
It's a close thing, Louis said dryly, making Daniel snort out loud. Armand glanced up from his upside down sprawl on the couch, nudging Daniel's thigh questioningly with one socked foot.
"On the brain phone," Daniel said, rubbing Armand's ankle soothingly. Armand wrinkled his nose and Daniel immediately knew from the brand of disgruntled that Armand assumed he was talking to Lestat.
"Put him off quickly, beloved, there are only 17 minutes left in the movie and then you are going to want privacy," he said archly. If Daniel really had been talking to Lestat he might have explored the reason for that out loud while projecting the whole thing, but luckily for Louis, he and Louis were on better terms than that.
Am I interrupting? Louis asked, amused. It's nothing important. I was just checking in.
Seeing if he's snapped on me yet? Daniel answered dryly. It had been long enough that Louis no longer had any serious reservations about Daniel and Armand, though he still wasn't thrilled about it. Daniel just got the distinct feeling that Louis was waiting for Armand to do... well, something like any of the things Armand had done to any of them over the years, and for Daniel to get fed up and leave, which Daniel guessed was fair when it wasn't pissing him off.
Just checking in, Louis said mildly. there was a longer pause than usual before he asked, how is he?
Daniel looked over to Armand, wearing a worn set of Daniel's own ugly plaid pajama pants with a sweater patterned with avocados that he'd taken off last night's dinner. His limbs sprawled haphazardly over the couch, his curly hair hanging down in a messy cloud where his head tipped off the edge of the couch cushion. Daniel opened his mind and projected the image to Louis, meaning to make some joke about the assault Armand was subjecting the Walkman in his hands to. But as he watched, Armand glanced up at the TV and laughed, suddenly and exuberantly. His nose wrinkled and his eyes scrunched nearly closed, one hand flapping in the air for a moment before pressing over his mouth- not to hide the laugh so much as a natural motion of glee. Daniel glanced to the TV to see what was so funny- something incomprehensible to Daniel to do with a zombie baby in a stroller at a dinner table.
Armand looked to Daniel to share the delight, his eyes wide and mirthful. Daniel smiled back at him. Impossible to do anything else.
Huh, Louis said. Daniel had almost forgotten he was still there. I... don't recognize him.
There was a lot Daniel could say to that, much of it not very complimentary. He settled on well, not much time for bad comedy in your relationship with him.
I suppose not. Another long, pensive silence. It's good. You're good for him, Daniel.
Don't be too fooled, you weren't looking in on his rats-in-microwaves phase, Daniel said, but his hand settled on Armand's ankle anyway, currently the easiest part of him to hold. He's good for me.
I'm glad, Louis said simply. I'll leave you to it. Since you'll need your privacy soon.
Yeah, yeah. Later, old man. Daniel felt the silence settle in his head like a dial tone as Louis pulled away.
Odd conversation, but Daniel thought he got it. Maybe Louis would stop acting like he was dating a badly rigged bomb now. Sure, it was a vicious killer whose ankle Daniel was currently leaning over to kiss, who was putting him off with pursed lips and an impatient hand because he wanted to watch all the credits before allowing Daniel to distract him. But so was Daniel now, and anyway he'd always been wired a bit wrong where that was concerned. And in certainly wasn't as if Louis could judge too deeply, with the matching wedding band to Lestat's he currently (for the moment) wore.
"Hey," Daniel said, shaking Armand's leg.
"They're almost done," Armand protested, gesturing at the TV with a hopelessly broken piece of Walkman.
"Then watch them, asshole. I'm still going to say I love you."
The way Armand's mouth fell slightly open and his eyes softened did nothing to dissuade Daniel from that position, either.
"I love you," he said, always sounding faintly surprised when he said it. "Lover."
"Lover," Daniel mimicked, not cruelly. " Are you going to come up here or make me kiss you upside down like Spider-Man?"
"Three minutes and 29 seconds," Armand said imperiously, only to give an undignified shriek when Daniel dragged him right side up. He rearranged them so Armand could still see the TV while Daniel held him, tucking his face into Armand's neck and absorbing the clear, faintly bloody scent of him. Armand dropped the remains of his electronics on the floor and buried his hands in Daniel's hair, humming contentedly.
"I very much enjoyed the zombie priest," he said, wiggling closer into Daniel's lap. Daniel smiled into his hair, soft on his face.
"Yeah, baby, I know."