A slight flex of his fingers over Lestat's. A stroke of thumb along skin, the still-familiar planes of Lestat's hand.

"In a way," Louis says, because the fights he's picked, the stubborn dedication to drawing attention onto himself and away from Daniel.

Lestat is not the only one finding his way into the modern world. Despite his long life, Louis has lost years to the penthouse suite. The serenity of isolation, hidden within Dubai, Louis was excised from the world. He needs to reclaim his place. There is some healing in that.

"I was lost," he repeats, some similar mournful tremor in his voice. "Feels like I was far away, for a long time."