[Something age-old in Nathaniel eases, and partly detaches. All those times his mother talked about his complexion, how bad his features were when he smiled or frowned, how he should wear his hair down to draw attention away from his nose...]

When you've had every physical flaw pointed out to you repeatedly, in detail, you learn not to look in the mirror too often. [He relaxes, feeling oddly at ease. No longer so habitually guarded. Maybe there are benefits to sleeping with people you'll see again.]