Despite everything, a small huff escapes me. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Yet here I am,” he mutters, letting his head fall against my shoulder. “Wounded. Vulnerable. In desperate need of care.”
I shake my head, but I help him anyway. “No, you’re giving me whiplash.”
I know he doesn’t want us dwelling on the darker memories. Which is why he keeps bouncing between vulnerability and distraction.
Weirdly enough, I want to let him.
We move slowly toward the bedroom, his weight leaning into me more than he’d ever admit.
Pain lingers in the way he exhales, in the tight set of his jaw. Making me think he wasn’t entirely faking it a few seconds ago.
When we reach the bed, he drops onto the edge with a quiet grunt. I hover for a second before he reaches for me, tugging me closer between his knees.
His hands come up to my face before he pulls me down and presses a soft kiss to my lips.
Then another. Slow. Careful. Like he’s memorizing me.
I don’t even realize when my hands settle on his shoulders, grounding myself just as much as he is.
“We can put a pillow between us, but I’m not leaving this bed,” he murmurs against my mouth.
I swallow hard, kissing him hard and quick. “I’ll get the kit.”
He nods, smiling. But I can still see that soft powerlessness, like I might vanish if he blinks.
I leave to grab the kit from the infirmary, ignoring Healer’s amused smirk.
Theo hasn’t moved much when I return—just enough to peel his cut off and toss it aside. His shirt follows, revealing the bandage wrapped around his abdomen.
My lips wobble as I climb in next to him.
“Hey,” he murmurs, catching my wrist before I can spiral. “Easy.”
I nod, swallowing hard, and get to work.
My fingers are careful as I peel back the old dressing. He hisses under his breath but doesn’t complain.
Not when I’m shaking.
“You’re doing fine,” he whispers, watching my face instead of what I’m doing.
I don’t answer.
The moment the wound is exposed, my vision blurs.
The cell.
The blood.
Him not moving.
My hands falter. “I can’t,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I can’t stop seeing it.”
His hand comes up, cupping my jaw, forcing my gaze to his. “Look at me.”
I try to shake my head as I clean the wound.
