"I suppose," Marius mumbles, leaning into Dorian ruffling his hair, appreciative of the gesture and the warmth it exudes. The last person he remembers showing up such affection in this form was his mother, just before her death. He clings a little bit more to his friend. Even as an adult, sometimes, he thinks he still isn't numb to the terrors of the world.

"I got a gift card," he explains, blushing red as a beet. "For helping tutor one of the college students in French, before I got my job at Tintern Abbey." As soon as he says it, he feels like he's going to regret telling Dorian this. He hasn't even told Courfeyrac about this.

"A massage parlour?" Marius asks, curious. "Like what they call a spa, here?"