Thorns And Roses

Chapter Thirty-eight

"Let's get you fixed up then in the bath. I think that might help." Demi bit his bottom lip as he set the first aid kit on the bathroom sink. That's when he noticed all of the broken glass crunching under his boots. Thank fuck he carried Theo in here. He was just too distracted by Theo to notice it until then.

"What happened?" He questioned as he took out the supplies to help Theo. At the sound of a hum as his response, Demi turned to look at his dragon. He looked horrible. Black bags under his eyes, hair a long, greasy mess, and a weak body.

"I was just so angry at what happened and...I don't know. I lost control." Theo said as he pressed the heel of his palm into his left eye. A headache must be brewing on the horizon.

"I can see that." Demi didn't know what else to say. A part of himself knew this was his fault but another part said that if Theo needed him then he would have come.

Demi kneeled in front of Theo and gently picked up his ankle. He saw the trail of blood when he had walked into the bedroom and knew that Theo had stepped on the glass. Demi set the heel of Theo's foot on his knee and examined the bottom of it.

"You should have come to me. I would have helped you." Demi said as he took the tweezers and started to pull small slivers of glass out. None of them looked deep enough to need stitches.

"I didn't want to look weak in front of you." Demi paused with the tweezers in mid-air as he listened to Theo. A glare replaced the focused look on his face and he stared up at his mate.

"You're not weak Theo. You coming to me, needing me does not make you weak in my eyes. Never have and never will. I know that both businesses are important, but damnit Theo you are my top priority. Do you understand?" Demi cut himself off as he was reminded of the last time he had said those three words to Theo. When he was just a little too rough with him and Theo didn't want or need him to be.

"Yes, Demi." Theo's voice had gone plaint, almost docile as he agreed with Demi.

"Good boy. Now let's finish this up so you can get in the bath." Demi got back to work plucking out of all of the glass in Theo's feet. He had to angle them every which way so the light could catch the shining pieces that looked like cut diamonds.

"Okay, we're done with that. Luckily none of them needed stitches. Let me see your hands." Theo held out his hands to Demi as the Omega laid the tweezers on the sink. He had to wipe off the blood to actually see. He turned them every which way to make sure there wasn't any glass in them and smiled a little when he found none.

"I should have gone to you but I let my stupid insecurities get to me instead. I'm sorry that I can't kill him. I'm sorry that I'm such a mess and I'm sorry that I can't make myself better." Demi just kind of watched as Theo started to unravel like a ball of yarn. Tears dripped down his cheeks as his golden eyes filled with internal pain. The pain he was so scared of showing Demi in the first place.

"I don't think that you're a mess or insecure and I should have known that you couldn't make yourself better without help." Demi stood up and hugged Theo. His dragon buried his face in Demi's shirt as he cried against him.

"We should talk more after your bath." Demi let Theo go, grabbed the hem of his mate's shirt, and rolled it up his tone stomach.

"Lift your arms, baby." Theo obeyed and put his arms up so Demi could pull his shirt up and over his head. He whispered praise as he did it. He used the edge of the shirt to wipe at Theo's face. Cleaning off the tears and snot.

"Sit real tight while I get the bath filled." Demi dropped the shirt and turned away from Theo to turn the knobs on the tub. Hotter than cold. He plugged the drain and stood there for a minute before he faced Theo again.

He bent down and tugged at Theo's sweats and underwear. His dragon lifted his hips to make the slide easier to drag the clothes to his feet. Demi lifted each ankle and removed them from his legs. Once Theo was bare, Demi stripped off his clothes.

"You're staying with me?" Ouch. Like that didn't just rip Demi's heart out. Demi met Theo's eyes and gave him a soft smile. He could make it better, he had to.

"I'm not going anywhere. So don't worry, okay?" Theo smiled back at him and nodded in agreement. Once the tub was halfway filled Demi helped Theo in. Instead of getting in behind him as Demi would normally do, he slipped down in front of him. Letting Theo wrap his arms around his waist and soak up their mixed scents. Demi knew it would calm the Alpha and Omega inside of his mate.

He allowed Theo to lick and bite at his mating mark to his heart's content as he lifted a rag, covered it with soap, and ran it along one of Theo's arms that held him. Demi tilted his head to give Theo more access and smiled as he listened to his dragon purr. It rumbled low in his chest and vibrated along Demi's back.

Demi gave him an answering purr as he dropped the rag in the water and leaned back into Theo's chest. The arms around him tightened just a tad before they eased up.

"Wash my hair?" Theo mouthed against his throat before giving the mark a long lick with his tongue. Demi didn't mind, already knowing that it was Theo's love language. Theo released him and Demi turned around to face his dragon.

Without a word from either of them, Demi picked up the shampoo and drizzled some in the palm of his hand. Theo closed his eyes as Demi lifted onto his knees and leaned into his space. He gave Theo a kiss that made him rumble with a low growl or the start of another purr.

"Well fuck." Theo snapped his eyes open at Demi's curse and gave him a puzzled look. All Demi did was laugh a little.

"I forgot to get your hair wet." As if Theo didn't believe him, he felt his own hair. He dropped his hand and cupped them together before dipping them into the water. When he had water in them, Theo lifted his hands and poured it over his head. Effectively getting his hair wet.

Demi watched with a palm full of shampoo and waited until all of Theo's hair was wet. Once the ends of his midnight black hair were dripping, Demi lifted the shampoo onto his head and rubbed it in. Theo closed his eyes, letting out a contented sigh then started purring again.

Demi washed his hair and rinsed it out after by doing what Theo did to get it wet. He cupped his hands and poured water over his head. With all of the shampoo out, Demi then found the rag in the soapy water and used it to clean Theo up.

"I'm tired Demi." And as if to prove his point, Theo yawned. His eyes dropped to a half-lidded state and his body went slack. If Demi didn't hurry up then he would have to carry his mate out of the bath. Which would be very dangerous.

"Okay. Alright, I'm almost done, sweetheart." And with one final swipe of the rag across the bottom of Theo's foot, he pulled the plug to drain. Demi stepped out grabbed two towels off of the rack and wrapped one around his waist before he helped Theo out of the bath.

Theo hissed out a breath as his feet landed on the ground. Demi quickly wrapped a towel around his mate's waist and guided him back to the closed toilet seat. When he was comfortable, Demi started to bandage up his feet so they wouldn't get infected. They should be okay by tomorrow.

Demi picked Theo up once they were done and held his dragon under his thighs as he carried him into the bedroom. He would have to clean up the glass after a nap and when they were done talking.

"I love you, Demi," Theo mumbled into his neck as he started to lick at his mark again. Demi nuzzled his nose in Theo's damp hair and kissed the side of his head.

"I love you too, Theo."