"Yeah..." Eric murmured quietly, the vulnerability in Cole's voice making him smile a little. He didn't move away, didn't stop the gentle stroking of his thumbs over the skin. He didn't stop and for some reason the idea of actually stopping didn't even occur to him. He wet his lower lip and drew it between his teeth even as their eyes met.
He gave a half smile, then completely unable to break the eye contact and stop his thumbs. He drew in a slow breath. This was... unusual, he couldn't quite... think straight, he supposed.
"They're really good," his voice was soft, his expression open with something that was much open than anything he'd had on his face for a long while. Behind his eyes, emotions swirled, including adoration and something much deeper that no one wanted to examine, in all honesty. Least of all Eric.
He was kind of resisting the urge to lean forward and kiss the edge of the tattoo underneath his thumb.