She pulled back the covers and tucked him under, curling up against him. Helios hopped up as well, kneading busily over Isaac’s foot and purring. Gently she pulled his head against her breast and ran her fingers through his curls. “Rest, chere, relax. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
Curling up into a small ball and splaying out his fingers against her bare hips, his eyes fluttered shut and he sniffed, nodding absently as she held him close, the sensation of fingers carding through his hair relaxing him further. “Never…I couldn’t…I couldn’t survive without you…” he croaked out and pressed a kiss to her chin.
“Sleep, darling,” Summer whispered. “Sleep.” Once he fell asleep soundly, she kissed him on the forehead and extricated herself from his hold. Moving as quietly as she could, she found his cell phone and sent a quick text to Derek, letting him know where Isaac was. It was only polite. When she climbed back into bed, after pulling on some clothes to sleep in, she leaned her head on his, heart aching for him. “I love you.”
Helios came back in and bent to lick Isaac’s foot dry, chasing beads of water up his calf. “Good boy, fluffy man,” Summer murmured, wrapping a towel around Isaac’s shoulders. “Good boy.” The werewolf was so /passive/. It frightened her; she thought he would be a little better by now but he was still turned in, still almost silently crying. “Come lay down with me,” she whispered.
He jumped and curled his toes in the floor, gazing down at the cat with a barely there smile. “Hey, Helios…” he whispered hoarsely and then turned to face Summer, snuggling down under the welcomed weight of the towel, water and tears mixing on his face. “Tired…” he repeated his earlier words and shuffled after her, just wanting to curl up and hold her close to him.
She pulled back the covers and tucked him under, curling up against him. Helios hopped up as well, kneading busily over Isaac’s foot and purring. Gently she pulled his head against her breast and ran her fingers through his curls. “Rest, chere, relax. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
He didn’t want to tell her that he was used to being cold, that the rapidly cooling temperature of the water was nothing in comparison to the old freezer that he’d spent hours in as a child. So instead, he nodded and clutched at her, trembling slightly as he turned to clamber out of the tub.
Helios came back in and bent to lick Isaac’s foot dry, chasing beads of water up his calf. “Good boy, fluffy man,” Summer murmured, wrapping a towel around Isaac’s shoulders. “Good boy.” The werewolf was so /passive/. It frightened her; she thought he would be a little better by now but he was still turned in, still almost silently crying. “Come lay down with me,” she whispered.
She paid individual attention to each finger, not saying a word about how he might have gotten blood under his fingernails, just scrubbing it away. Pulling him into a hug that incidentally got him under the spray, she held him close, his chin propped on her head, and let him cry. These were better tears than the shocked ones of his arrival.
He couldn’t understand why everyone that he loved got taken away from him, and he vowed then and there to protect Summer with all of his heart and soul, not wanting her to meet the same unknown fate that the other Betas had. Trembling as he lay slumped against her, he choked on a sob and screwed his eyes tightly shut.
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
One step at a time, she coaxed him the few steps to the shower, and in. She got him to just lean on the wall, and poured some soap on the loofah. Murmuring continual little reassurances and soothing words, she scrubbed at the bits of blood dried on his shoulder and torso, pausing every so often to squeeze his hand or give him a little kiss.
Allowing her to take control of his lethargic movements, Isaac cast her a haunted smile and only began to relax as her fingers ghosted across his flesh, washing away the blood and trauma that was inflicted upon him earlier. Returning the kiss each time she met his lips with one, it wasn’t long before the enormity of everything set in and his tears began to mix with the spray of the shower.
She paid individual attention to each finger, not saying a word about how he might have gotten blood under his fingernails, just scrubbing it away. Pulling him into a hug that incidentally got him under the spray, she held him close, his chin propped on her head, and let him cry. These were better tears than the shocked ones of his arrival.
“Isaac,” Summer said. “Isaac! Hey, look at me.” She frowned and reached up to touch his face, directing his gaze to her. “I know it’s hard, but try not to think about it.” Hastily she stripped off her skirt and underclothes, then took his hand and pulled him into a hug. “Come on. Into the shower.”
He let out a pained whine and kissed at her fingertips, nodding and closing tear-filled eyes as he allowed her to pull him close. “O-okay…” His voice wavered and he pressed his face to her shoulder, kissing the underside of her chin as he tried to focus on something other than his own thoughts.
One step at a time, she coaxed him the few steps to the shower, and in. She got him to just lean on the wall, and poured some soap on the loofah. Murmuring continual little reassurances and soothing words, she scrubbed at the bits of blood dried on his shoulder and torso, pausing every so often to squeeze his hand or give him a little kiss.
“I know, chere. But you have to clean up before you can sleep.” Helios jumped onto the rim of the tub, bending to lick at the water. Backsplashes beaded up and sparkled on his fur and whiskers. “Do you want a shower, or a bath? You can have a bath.” She knelt to help him get his shoes off.
“Will you come in with me?” The question was entirely innocent, of course, he just needed to be close to her, and his legs felt so heavy yet hollow, that he doubted he’d stand for long enough to rinse away the blood ingrained into his skin. As she started on his shoes, he fumbled with his hoodie, eyes haunted.
“Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.” Her voice was soft. She set his shoes to the side, and Helios immediately hopped down to check them out. After pulling her shirt off, she turned the shower water on and pinned her loose hair up out of the way.
She put her shoulder under his arm. “Come on,” she coaxed. Helios came back and twined around his legs, curling his tail like that would pull Isaac along. Step by step they moved toward the bathroom, and she turned on the water. “I’m right here, okay? You need to take your clothes off now.”
“Tired,” he sighed and rubbed at his eyes, wincing as he took note of the blood caked under his fingernails, wondering whose blood it actually was. Shaking his head then, he shuffled alongside both Summer and Helios, before moving to unbuckle his belt and slide his jeans down his legs.
“I know, chere. But you have to clean up before you can sleep.” Helios jumped onto the rim of the tub, bending to lick at the water. Backsplashes beaded up and sparkled on his fur and whiskers. “Do you want a shower, or a bath? You can have a bath.” She knelt to help him get his shoes off.
Helios rubbed his face on Isaac’s hand, clearly unconcerned about blood in his fluff. He trotted off toward the bathroom, then looked back, just like the day they’d met, expectantly waiting for Isaac to follow. Summer smiled. “He’s waiting for you. Come on, chere. You’ll feel better after, I promise.”
Smiling a watery smile, Isaac nodded absently and continued to pet the cat, before hauling himself upright onto shaking legs, gazing around the room helplessly as if that alone would give him the answers he desperately sought. “Need to get clean…”
She put her shoulder under his arm. “Come on,” she coaxed. Helios came back and twined around his legs, curling his tail like that would pull Isaac along. Step by step they moved toward the bathroom, and she turned on the water. “I’m right here, okay? You need to take your clothes off now.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she asserted. “It’s there. Come on. Shower? Helios will help you.” Indeed, as soon as the word ‘shower’ was uttered, Helios appeared, trotting in from the bedroom with alert ears. He came over to Isaac and sniffed at his hand, licking it gently. “There, see?”
Nodding lethargically, he smiled weakly as Helios entered the room, gently scratching under his chin and gazing down at him. “Hey, Helios,” he whispered softly, trying not to get the blood onto the cat’s fur. “Can you help me too?”
Helios rubbed his face on Isaac’s hand, clearly unconcerned about blood in his fluff. He trotted off toward the bathroom, then looked back, just like the day they’d met, expectantly waiting for Isaac to follow. Summer smiled. “He’s waiting for you. Come on, chere. You’ll feel better after, I promise.”