One of the things Armand regrets is not knowing Louis at that time. Having heard it told, he wishes that he could have witnessed that young man, the young vampire, alight with the woes of the world and the fierce joy of the hunt. It's not that he has any regrets over the parts of Louis he has personally witnessed, the bright and the dark, the good and the bad -- but, having been gifted those rare jewels, he finds himself wanting more. Wanting the whole of him.

And knowing, in that same moment, that he will never have it.

He leans in when Louis comes close, resting against him, eyes shuttering briefly closed as he takes in the feeling of having his love back again.

"He is real," he says, after a moment. He pulls back a little and tugs his hands free so he can reach up and take Louis' face between them instead, thumbs brushing tender arcs over his cheeks. In a low voice, he makes his vow:

"I will not let him take you from me."