The reassurance is appreciated after seeing that flinch. He was loved-- the use of past tense makes Devin's heart tight. I've never been wanted before, either. He remembers those words too clearly. Would that his lover had never experienced such a harrowing journey, but it isn't within Devin's power to change the past. Clearly there is a story, and not an altogether pleasant one. He'll find out or he won't, and that's up to the Fool.

"It does suit you," Devin agrees warmly, holding his lover more tightly for a moment. "Though, to quote Shakespeare, 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' What you're called matters less than who you are, which also applies to our turtle acquaintance. You're not strangers to each other. He trusts you enough to keep coming back," he reasons, gently steering them towards the previous topic.