*Sephie*
Once we tested the limits of the hot water supply with the excessively long shower, he was thoughtful as we were getting dressed. “I don’t want to tell the guys about your eyes changing colors this time,” he said, very matter-of-factly.
I smiled at him as I was finally taming my hair on my own again. I walked over to him, placing my hands on his chest. I knew there was more to his request that he wasn’t saying. I searched his eyes for just a moment before finding the answer to my silent question. Since he told me they’d changed colors when I was thinking about how much I loved him before, I tried to make it happen again. I knew he was fine with me being around the guys, but with me being hurt for so long, plus Misha and Andrei relying on me a little more than usual because of everything else going on, I think Adrik was starting to feel slightly jealous and protective of our relationship. It was easy to think about just how much I loved him as I looked up at him. I could see the smile stretch across his face and I knew my eyes had changed once again. “It’ll be our little secret,” I said. He pulled me to him, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I knew he loved not having my giant cast in the way just as much as I did now. “What color were they this time?” I asked as I rested my head against his chest.
“Blue again.”
“Blue apparently means love for my mood ring eyes,” I said. “Is it the normal blue that’s always there? It just takes over the other two colors?”
“Basically. The blue that’s always there isn’t a normal blue eye color. It’s a much deeper blue. Like deepest depth of the ocean blue. It’s incredible. Not like my eyes that are normal blue,” he said.
I laughed, looking up at him. “Your eyes are deeper blue sometimes. Mostly when you’re having dirty thoughts about what you want to do to me.”
He smirked down at me. “It’s still not the same. It’s not a complete color change. Yours is a complete color change.”
I giggled. “It’s my warning system.” He laughed loudly. It was music to my ears. I grabbed his hand as we left the bedroom. “You have to tell me if my eyes are doing their own thing in front of other people. I’m only just now beginning to get a handle on when they go dark and they still surprise me with it sometimes. I had no clue they were coming up with even more tricks, but given that it seems to happen either when we’re having sex or I’m thinking about how much I adore you, I think I can keep it under wraps.”
He stopped and pulled me back to him, a small smile on his lips. “I like having parts of you that are just for me,” he said.
“I know you do. I do too. I just need help making sure this one stays quiet. I can’t tell when it’s happening yet. I also need to figure out a way to keep Andrei from fishing around in my head and finding it,” I said. I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought about his newfound abilities.
Adrik kissed my forehead before continuing down the stairs. “Have you talked to him about turning it off yet? Like when you’re around Stephen?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t. I need to. Maybe I can find time today to get him by himself and have that conversation with him,” I said. “But I think on some level he likely already knows. He’s more discreet than you think. He’s known about Ivan’s past longer than I have.”
Adrik stopped on the stairs, turning toward me. He was clearly surprised to learn this bit of information. “How?” he asked quietly. Since he was on the step below me, I put my arms around his shoulders, running my hand through his still damp hair.
“He said he figured it out a few years ago. He heard Ivan talking in his sleep one time after he got hurt. It wasn’t a time when he had to go to the hospital, but he said even just getting hurt used to bring Ivan’s demons back. He said everybody else was asleep, but he couldn’t sleep and he heard Ivan talking. He doesn’t know everything, but he knows enough of the details that he knows he really doesn’t want to know the rest,” I said.
“He never told anyone,” Adrik said, still surprised. His hands were holding my hips as he thought about what I’d just told him.
“Ivan doesn’t even know. He told me he knew how private Ivan was, so he just never brought it up. But it helped Andrei be more understanding when you guys would have to fight him in the hospital. He saw how much it affects Viktor. Even still, Viktor struggles with it,” I said.
“Viktor takes it personally. Those two have been with me the longest, therefore they’re the closest. I think he takes it as an insult that Ivan can’t see him when he’s in the hospital.”
“He does. But much like Ivan couldn’t understand the pain Viktor went through when he lost his wife and child, Viktor can’t understand the pain that Ivan went through when he was at that facility. He should be glad for that fact, honestly. Ivan’s seen evil to a level that not many people have. Or should.” I thought for a moment, still running my fingers through Adrik’s dark hair. “But from Viktor’s point of view, Ivan is one of the people Viktor loves most in this world and Viktor shows his love through helping people, with whatever they need. Viktor feels rejected, even though it’s got nothing to do with him and everything to do with Ivan’s past. Because of Viktor’s past with his wife, he clings to the people he loves. Maybe more than he should, but it’s understandable. He might be a giant and look like he could kill you with his mind, but Viktor is incredibly sensitive underneath that menacing exterior. When he finds another woman that catches his eye, I will murder her if she takes advantage of that.”
Adrik looked at me, smirking, when I said the last sentence. I recognized the look in his eye and knew my eyes had changed. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking what color they were this time. “Demon eyes for added emphasis,” he said, laughing.
“These things are going to get me in so much trouble,” I said as we continued down the stairs.
We could smell breakfast cooking as we walked to the kitchen. All the guys were already in the kitchen, working together to make breakfast for everyone. “You guys are making breakfast?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen. They all looked to me and Adrik, obviously proud of themselves.
“We didn’t want you to overdo it again, so we thought we’d take care of breakfast to keep you from feeling like you had to,” Ivan said.
“You’re still not completely healed, which means you’re still at high risk of getting pneumonia again,” Stephen said.
“And none of us want you to have to go back on antibiotics or start sleeping all the time again,” Viktor said.
“Because it’s sooooo boring without you around all the time,” Misha said, in the overly dramatic way that only he could.
“This might make us regret our decision to not order out, but it’s the thought that counts, right?” Andrei said, grinning at me.
I looked at Adrik, who was also amused at their decision, as well as their explanation. I smiled at all of them. “I’m so impressed.”
“Maybe reserve judgment until after you try it,” Stephen said.
“Nah, Andrei was right. It’s the thought that counts,” Adrik said.
After breakfast, which was actually quite good, I went with the guys to the gym. I still wasn’t allowed to do anything yet, but at least they let me tag along. I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to watch Adrik get sweaty from lifting heavy things.
Andrei took the opportunity to do some very light exercises with me to help my shoulder. We’d been doing small things, even before I got my cast off. Since it was the only thing I could do, I was happy to continue. It also gave me a few minutes mostly alone with him. We were far enough away from the other guys that I brought up the subject of turning his newly discovered gift on and off.
“So, I feel like you already know this, but I also feel like we should discuss turning your newfound ability off around certain people. Like Stephen, who is very clearly uncomfortable with our ability to see inside his head. You don’t want to be rude about it,” I said, as he helped me with my exercises.
“I know, spider monkey,” he said, smiling at me. “This is about me figuring out you were scared, isn’t it?”