Rowan rolled his back underneath the water. Ow. God he was tired. So tired. He leaned against the tile and let the water soak into his skin. When he was little and after he had been in the shower for a long time, he had loved it when he pressed his skin, water would leak out of his pores. Gabe liked to do that too. Rowan smiled in memory of giving Gabe his bath yesterday. Splashing each other, giving the bar of soap a name and life story, having Mr. Soapy fight crime with Captain Spoon Bear Man.

Rowan guessed Gabe was like him. Maybe. But Gabe smiled more; Rowan didn't need to get outside perspective on that one- he knew it to be true. Gabe still trusted. Gabe liked meeting new people. Like Patrick and Aisling and Mrs. Galloway and all of them. He liked meeting Billy. Billy liked him, so that was a fair deal.

Rowan stopped running his hands through his hair and looked at his hands, the soap dripping off his life line, love line, palms. Dripped down his wrists, past the tattoo, rested for a moment on the creases of his elbows and dripped to the tile. Billy had been doing double takes every time he saw Rowan's arms. He had pulled Rowan off to the side yesterday and finally asked. So Rowan told him. Used to be a junky. Now tried to stop hurting himself. Billy had stayed quiet and then hugged him. Rowan hadn't really wanted to be touched but he still made contact with Billy's back with one hand.

Gabe was at a film with Jasper. Maybe Rowan could just put on his boxers and sleep in Jasper's bed tonight. He wouldn't mind. Hopefully. If he did, well, back to the floor. No, he wouldn't. Mind. But- no. He couldn't. Gabe hadn't seen Rowan without a shirt yet. It was bad enough he saw Rowan's wrists, arms. His face. Seeing the skin that was so pock marked, so marked. That couldn't be good for him. Rowan shut off the water and began to towel off.