Lestat, of course, objected to Louis’ gargantuan spending spree, and Louis had to reassure him it was all a loan, just until he got his finances back in order. The piano, though, was a gift. Lestat’s face went through about five different expressions when Louis told him this. He took so long to answer that Louis was almost worried he upset him, somehow, but in the end Lestat simply thanked him in a soft, small voice.
There was something immensely satisfying about buying these things for Lestat. It felt a bit gauche to admit, but Louis found that the role-reversal appealed to him. Beyond the ego-boost, which he didn’t really need, while helping Lestat settle into modernity Louis couldn’t help but think of the whole thing as caring for Lestat, as providing for him. And with his enormous funds, he felt like he understood now how Lestat could be so unbothered when spending money on Louis during their old life together.
Adult, post-season 2. This is such an amazing perspective – Louis reveling in the change in their dynamic but still completely unable to resist a softer post-shack Lestat, eager to follow Louis’ lead and please him. Because, as the author points out, Lestat shut himself away for 70 years while Louis fucked literally hundreds of men – so they’re both eons away from their old NOLA selves…