I love reading your reviews cos you really gets the insights and cues that are embedded in the story. So sorry for the long wait. But just to set some insight, Dan's relationship with Mark is an unusual one because of their differences (age, personality, sexual preferences), but circumstances nourished the bond they had. The key theme I wanted to explore in this story is the nature of relationships - how it changes to the time, and how the nature of relationship itself changes. Hope this give you some context to interpret the plot developments!