He started in on his food the moment it looked like Alex was going to eat his.  They had come far in the last several minutes, and whether Alex was in shock or not he was at least pliable enough to be led in the right direction.  It wasn’t comforting, however, when the young man couldn’t figure out what exactly he wanted to take with him.<br/><br/><i>Maybe we could go together?</i><br/><br/>No.  Absolutely not.  That’s what Andreas<i>wanted</i>to say, but he pretended to be busy enjoying the meal, his gaze down.  He still needed to calculate how many guards may or may not have been around the house, depending on if Dick was home or not.  Did he even leave any there with his alcoholic wife when she was on her own?<br/><br/>Andreas glanced over and caught those pretty blue eyes and felt his will weaken.  He sighed, put his fork down, and took the time to wipe his mouth with his napkin.  It was a bad idea.  It was a fucking<i>horrible</i>idea, worse than most other decisions he’d made in error.  And yet that pleading look Alex locked on him was making him want to do it.  He didn’t want to tell him<i>no</i>.<br/><br/>“How many men guard the house?” he asked then, getting down to business as he continued to eat.  “If I’m going to take you in there, then I need to be prepared.  And don’t do anything stupid, okay?”  He pinned the other blond with a very pointed look.  “We get there, I make sure it’s clear, and you go straight to your room and start packing.  Lock the door if you can, and don’t open it to anyone but me.”  He took a sip of wine and shook his head, already cursing himself a fool.  “And no matter what… you do exactly what I say.  No questions.  No hesitation.”<br/><br/>He turned to Alex then, realizing that what he was saying might’ve been a little harsh.<br/><br/>“This is risky enough as it is.  Bringing you there, it makes it ten times worse.  If something goes wrong, I need to know I can count on you to follow whatever plan I think up without slowing us down.  Do you understand, Alex?” he asked, keeping his voice soft, gentle.  “I’m going to be counting on you.”