What Happens in Vienna {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 15 (Carter)

There was one thing I'd discovered since getting caught in the warehouse that I decided was far more important than the rest of the information I'd gathered: Tobias gives surprisingly amazing hugs. When I first lunged at him all I was looking for was clarity, something safe, and when he returned the embrace and hugged back, I realized safety and clarity was exactly what I'd found.

His larger frame practically molded around mine, creating this warm shield with a beating heart that seemed to match mine in speed. Even when I was younger wrapped in embrace, I'd never felt so secure. Maybe because I'd never felt so weak and insignificant before. Showing up here, I never asked to get along with this man. I came for information, that was it, but what I got instead was so much more than that.

This crazy man looks at me like I'm an angel, whenever I speak in Welsh, instead of getting angry and yelling at me, he just watches me entranced, even more so when I play the violin. The biggest impact this man has had on me is the fact he lets me be myself. He doesn't try to imprison me by cruelty, he doesn't try to manipulate me with fear into hiding my identity, he encourages me to embrace it, and it is such a refreshing change from how I'd been living my life for so long.

Waking up I couldn't help but smile when my eyes landed on him lying in the bed next to me, his arm wrapped securely around me and his head turned so his face was buried partially in my hair. This ridiculous man had taken over my life, and I didn't even care, reaching up to carefully and lightly drag my fingers across his cheek, frowning when my eyes caught the white bandages wrapped around my left arm.

All those times I would put a gun to my head, claw at my wrists, or stand hazardously on the very edge of the roof of Bay's castle had all come back to me. I wondered if this still would have happened if my fever had stayed low, or if it was inevitable that it should happen. Either way it was done with now, I was just lucky to still be alive to enjoy Tobias' presence beside me.

I probably would have fallen back asleep if the door hadn't of opened, making me jump straight up to see Sasha holding a familiar platter of food.

"Dobroye utro!" he yelled, startling Tobias so bad he rolled off the bed and onto the floor with a slam, none of which deterred Sasha from setting the platter down onto the revolving table and leaning against the bed, "See, Tobias? I said it in Russian! I'm learning!"

"Good job," I heard Tobias mumble, "I'm so proud."

"I brought food for both of you since Tobias has been sleeping in here the past few weeks! Bryn said to bring extra because you would be hungry, Carter. You've slept for a while," he moved the little table in front of me and watched me expectantly, "I brought everything fresh! Everyone else is probably still in bed, breakfast hasn't even started yet! Look, the pancakes are still warm!"

"Sasha, Lass ihn erstmal in Ruhe," Tobias said when he stood up, straightening his clothes and running a hand through his hair to secure any fly aways back into the slicked back style he usually wore it in.

Sasha blushed and took a step back, poking his fingers together and offering us both a sheepish smile of apology, "Es tut mir leid."

"I know," Tobias hummed, "Why not wake Bryn up? I'm sure he'd enjoy breakfast in bed, don't you? Considering he's been working so hard in my place while I looked after Carter, here."

Sasha perked up at the suggestion and beamed, nodding, "Ja, Herr!"

With that he spun on his heel and ran out, making sure to shut the door gently so he wouldn't wake anyone else up. I slowly pushed the little table away and leaned back, giving Tobias a curious look that had him pouting.

"What now?"

"Give Bryn breakfast in bed?"

Tobias grinned, "He hates it when people wake him up, but so do I. If I have to suffer, then so does he. Besides, it gets Sasha out of the room."