<div class="floatleft">(http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b502/ehlamjanx/carter2_zps845c5db9.jpg)</div><strong>Character name</strong>: Carter Sagle<br/><strong>Who:</strong>Victoria "Vicky"Tucker<br/><strong>Where:</strong>Entry<br/><strong>When: </strong>June 13, late evening<br/><strong>Warning:</strong>None<br/><hr/>When Vicky started to speak, a relief cascaded over Carter that broke loose his stammering over the vague notion he was trying to articulate by saying "more than a boss".  He was looking for words that would possibly encapsulate all of the feelings and emotions he held for her, yet still have the respectfulness and depth that, in the moment, seemed silly while dressed as they were.<br/><br/>One thing she said, in particular, eased his tension.  He responded, "I can't consider it a game, either," with a relief.  He knew her body language well enough to understand she felt as he did.  "Too much to lose," he echoed, soft and compassionate.  His largest fear had been dispelled and he was grateful.  "Vicky, I was so worried you'd think that I saw you as, some game," he offered back.  He monitored her body language closely, carefully, and with each gesture that she made that was more and more accepting of where they were, together, he became more receptive.  She went through several of the ones he feared the most.  Arms crossed, to hands on hips, to the contemplative frown, but then switched to extending her hand.  In a way, it was better than any possible response in the moment.<br/><br/>"I wanted to talk to you about it, maybe, if it would have come up, somehow," he suggested as he took her hand and the invite to speak of it.  "But...," his uneccessary words trailed off as he knew there wasn't more he needed to add.  His confidence had come back.  She hadn't though ill of him and her care and concern for all they were to each other was stated exactly as he felt.  Suddenly, he felt that he was on common ground, again, though he<em>was</em>still in her private sanctuary.<br/><br/>"It won't be awkward, there's too much good here," he assured her.  "Of course you know you are more than just a boss to me, Vicky," he finally got out of the rut of his vague words.  "Much more," he said, sweetly as he took her hand and turned it so it would be palm down, then raised it so he could caress the back of it onto his face.  His move to bring her hand to his face was tender and cautious.  His tentativeness had vanished.  "Thank you for saying what you did, I feel the same way about you and all that we've been through, Vicky, you mean the world to me.  This isn't a game, not with you, not ever, but I am not sad that we've been put together," his speech picked back up into a more familiar tone.  He closed his eyes, and slowly took her hand to the side of his cheek, so he could nuzzle it.  His eyes remained closed only for a moment before he took a deep breath and sighed a bit, looking at her, checking in.<br/><br/>"I wonder, if I could be even more," he dared, his confidence swelling now that she had a chance to recognize they were both concerned over the very same thing.<br/><br/>