It was odd that something that sounded just a bit dismissive could be so reassuring. No, he thought, he'd not be taking snaps of the man's feet. Truthfully, he'd likely be a bit dull if only because he'd always been too anxious to explore his desires too terribly much.

But then Val said that and he knew it was only a turn of phrase- lurking beneath your skin- but then he could only think of how Val had reacted to his job. To faith. What would he think of him when he saw the pages of Matthew obsessively etched into every inch of his flesh?

"Of course," he said nervously, finding himself steady enough in the moment to keep close and not pull away.