Mathias relaxed when Victor assured him he wouldn't tell, then listened as he talked about calling his father, who gave him an earful. He felt a small spot of wetness on his cheek and looked up. Victor was crying? Why was he crying? Did his father chew him out that badly? Hesitantly, the younger man reached up and brushed Victor's tears away with his index and middle fingers, staring up at him with wide eyes but said nothing.<br/><br/>When Victor assured him he wouldn't tell his father, or let him go, Mathias smiled a little and whispered a soft breath of gratitude. He kept his arms around the man, not letting him go. He swallowed hard, still trying to calm himself down so he didn't start crying again.<br/><br/>He was silent for a few moments before he whispered hesitantly, "I'm...sorry...for not being more careful...I...I shouldn't have let him in my room. I'm sorry." He was able to say all of that with a clear, but still quiet voice, but he didn't know what Victor's reaction would be, didn't know if the man's reaction would cause him to cry again.<br/><br/>God he hoped not.<br/><br/>So much emotion was running through his mind right now. He didn't want to think about what might have happened, but his mind seemed to think it was a great idea to imagine every possible scenario on how he could have died by...Cole's hand? Yeah, that had been his name. Cole.