"It does feel... easy," Marcus agrees. That isn't quite the word he wants, but he's not sure how else to explain it. With Dan, he'd felt a connection right from the start and while Marcus has never had any particular trouble making people feel as if he genuinely likes him, real connections have always been a bit more difficult. He keeps people at a distance so as to not let them get hurt, he's done it ever since Mouse, and he knows it isn't only that experience that's caused it. The abuse he suffered at his parents' hands and in homes made it easier to not care for others.

But in Darrow, it's gotten a little easier with time. In Darrow, people have gotten something more genuine out of Marcus and he's come to love many of them. With Dan, that feeling of closeness had happened almost instantly.

"I'm honestly not sure I've ever had a proper first date," he admits. "So this... even if it doesn't feel quite like one, is still something new. I like it."