"I think that's really a given," he murmured, at the first comment, but the second one stilled him completely. He found himself watching Eliot quietly, thoughtfully, drifting off into thoughts of his own. It had been a long time since he'd thought about himself as any kind of threat, or weapon, or even as a human being to be cared about. In either of the ways that Eliot had meant his words, they only made Sam think deeply about himself, about how he saw himself. He sank down deeper, until his chin just touched the water, letting the heat drench both of them.

A minute, two, and then slowly Sam slid away, the water swishing very slightly around him as he came over to Eliot's side of the tub.

"I could show you, if you like," he murmured. "You just need to keep your eyes closed." He folded his arm over the edge of the tub and rest his chin against it, looking at Eliot intently. "It could even count for today."