"You lead the way," he says, following Dorian as one of the shopkeepers shoots Marius a nasty look for daring to come into her store without shoes. A little bit tired, he gives into his urge and promptly sticks out his tongue at the woman.

He finds himself nearly walking on Dorian once he takes his hand; he winds up clinging a bit, craving the closeness he never really knew during his actual childhood.

Then Dorian says that he'll be all set, and Marius starts, panicked by the very idea. "You're not going to leave me are you? Please don't leave," he winces when his voice first comes out as a squeak, and then cracks. The instincts of his younger body take over , and he finds himself clinging desperately at the other man's pant leg.