Chapter 16: The Aftermath
"Take me home," Julian said, the words clipped and sharp even as his body betrayed him with a fine tremor that ran through his hands. He pushed himself up on the mat, jaw set, refusing to look at Theo. "Now. I've had enough of this place."
Theo didn't move. He knelt beside Julian, his broad frame blocking the dim light from the single sconce on the wall. "Not yet."
Julian's amber eyes snapped to him, blazing. "Excuse me?"
"You're still shaking." Theo's voice was soft, but there was steel beneath it, a quiet alpha steadiness that Julian normally would have eviscerated. "I need to make sure the pup is okay first. That the cramp didn't scare him."
"The pup is fine," Julian bit out. "I'm fine. I just want to go home and lie down in my own bed without you hovering like a—"
"Please." Theo's hazel eyes were earnest, pleading, that golden retriever desperation shining through. "Let me listen. Just for a moment. Then I'll take you home. I promise."
The word snagged on something in Julian's chest. He opened his mouth to argue, to remind Theo exactly who was in charge, but the tremor in his hands had spread to his knees, and the memory of that second cramp, white-hot and relentless, still pulsed behind his ribs like a bruise.
He exhaled slowly, deliberately. "One minute."
Theo's relief was palpable. He shifted closer, his hands finding Julian's hips with a gentleness that made Julian's throat tight. "Lie back. Just a little."
Julian resisted for exactly three seconds before letting Theo guide him down onto the mat. The polished floor was cool against his spine, the scent of sandalwood settling around him like a blanket. Theo's fingers worked the hem of Julian's maternity top, easing it up over the curve of his belly. The fabric whispered against his skin, and Julian closed his eyes, focusing on the steadiness of Theo's hands.
Then Theo leaned down. His cheek pressed against the taut swell of Julian's stomach, his ear finding the spot where the pup had been most active. His breath puffed warm against Julian's skin as he settled, one hand splayed across the side of the belly, the other cupping Julian's hip.
"Hey, little one," Theo murmured, heady and reverent, the words vibrating through Julian's flesh. "You scared your papa. Give me a kick, okay? Let me know you're safe."
Julian's throat tightened. His fingers found Theo's hair without conscious thought, threading through the sandy blond curls at his nape. The softness of it, the warmth of Theo's breath, the trust in the way he pressed close, it undid something in Julian that he kept locked away behind boardroom masks and sharp retorts.
He waited, breath held.
A nudge. Soft but unmistakable, right against Theo's cheek. Then another, stronger, a small foot or fist pressing outward against the belly as if to say, I'm here. I'm fine.
Theo let out a shaky breath. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to the swell, then another, his lips lingering against the skin. "Good boy," he whispered. "That's my good boy."
Julian's fingers tightened in Theo's hair. He didn't say anything. He couldn't.
Theo lifted his head, eyes glistening. "He's fine. Strong heartbeat. He's moving." His smile was soft, devastating. "You're fine too."
Julian held his gaze for a long moment. Then he made a small, dismissive sound and looked away, but his fingers never left Theo's hair.
"Fine," he said, his voice rough. "You've had your moment. Now take me home."
Theo nodded, but he didn't move to stand. Instead, he shifted closer, one arm sliding beneath Julian's shoulders, the other hooking under his knees. "I've got you."
Julian's eyes widened. "Theo. Put me down. I can walk."
"You've had two cramps in the last hour." Theo's voice was gentle but immovable. "You're not walking anywhere."
"I'm not a damsel in distress," Julian snapped, but the protest came out weaker than he intended. His body was already molding against Theo's hold, the fight draining out of him like water from a cracked vessel.
"I know." Theo's smile was soft, devastating. "You're the most stubborn omega I've ever met. Which is exactly why I'm carrying you."
Julian opened his mouth to argue, but Theo was already rising, lifting him with an ease that made Julian's breath catch. The broad planes of Theo's chest pressed against his side, and Julian's arms looped around his neck on instinct, fingers finding those sandy curls again. The scent of Theo's skin, warm and familiar, wrapped around him.
"Put me down," Julian murmured, but his voice had lost its edge. It was barely a whisper, more ritual than demand.
"Never." Theo pressed a kiss to Julian's temple as he carried him through the dim studio. "Not when you need me."
The hallway was quiet, the other class participants long gone. Elise's voice drifted from somewhere distant, muffled by walls, but Theo didn't stop. He carried Julian past the front desk, past the potted ferns and the water cooler, out into the late afternoon sun.
The parking lot was nearly empty. Theo's car sat under a sprawling oak, leaves dappling the hood with shifting shadows. He beeped the locks and opened the passenger door with one hand, careful not to jostle Julian as he lowered him into the seat.
Julian's fingers lingered on Theo's nape as Theo pulled away. For a heartbeat, he held on, and something raw flickered across his face. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For catching me. For listening."
Theo's eyes softened. "Always. I'll always catch you."
Julian's throat worked. He turned his head, staring out the windshield, and his hand dropped to his belly. "Drive. I want to be home before the traffic hits."
Theo closed the door, rounded the hood, and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine and reached over, his hand settling on Julian's thigh, warm and grounding.
Julian didn't push it away.
The silence stretched for a block. Then two. Julian's fingers drummed against his thigh, a restless rhythm that matched the flutter in his chest. The tremor hadn't fully left him, but it had changed, sharpened into something hotter, more insistent. The memory of Theo's cheek against his belly, the reverent press of his lips, the way his hands had cradled the swell like something precious—it echoed in Julian's veins like a struck bell.
He turned in his seat, studying Theo's profile. The strong line of his jaw, the soft curve of his mouth, the way his hands gripped the wheel with careful precision. Julian's gaze traced down, over the breadth of Theo's shoulders, the stretch of his thighs against the driver's seat.
"Pull over," Julian said.
Theo blinked. "We're only a few minutes from—"
"Now."
Theo's hands tightened on the wheel, but he obeyed, flicking the signal and easing the car into a shaded cul-de-sac. The engine idled, low and rumbling, as Theo turned to face him, concern softening his features. "What's wrong? Are you—"
"I need you." The words came out rough, stripped of pretense. Julian's hand shot out, gripping the front of Theo's shirt, pulling him closer across the center console. "I need you to touch me. Now. I can't—" His breath hitched. "I feel like I'm coming out of my skin."
Understanding dawned in Theo's hazel eyes, followed by something warmer, hungrier. "Julian," he breathed, and his voice was a caress.
Julian's jaw tightened. "Don't make me beg. I've had enough of being helpless today."
"You could never be helpless." Theo's hand came up to cup Julian's jaw, thumb stroking over his cheekbone. "You're the strongest person I know."
"Then prove it." Julian tilted his head, baring the column of his throat. "Make me feel everything. Make me forget the fear for one minute."
Theo didn't hesitate. He leaned in, capturing Julian's mouth in a kiss that was deep and claiming, one hand sliding into his hair while the other found his belly, palm pressing firm and warm. Julian moaned against his lips, arching into the touch, his fingers twisting in Theo's shirt.
"I've got you," Theo murmured against his mouth. "I've got you."
Julian's hands fumbled for the seatbelt release, and the click echoed like an invitation.
The click seemed to hang in the air, a fragile sound that neither of them breathed past. Julian's chest rose and fell in quick, shallow rhythms, his amber eyes dark and fixed on Theo's mouth. He was waiting, Julian realized. Waiting for Theo to make the next move. The realization should have rankled. Instead, it made something hot and treacherous curl low in his belly.
Theo's hand slid from Julian's jaw down the column of his throat, fingers grazing the sensitive skin where his pulse beat wild. "Not here," Theo said, his voice low, roughened. "You deserve better than a front seat."
Julian's brows knit. "Theo—"
But Theo was already moving, releasing his seatbelt and stepping out into the warm afternoon. The door closed with a soft thunk, and Julian watched through the windshield as Theo rounded the hood, his gait unhurried, purposeful. There was a quiet authority in his shoulders, a shift in the way he carried himself that made Julian's mouth go dry.
The passenger door opened. Theo leaned in, one arm sliding behind Julian's knees, the other around his back. "Come on," he murmured. "Back seat. More room for you and this belly."
Julian's protest died on his tongue. Theo lifted him with the same effortless strength from the studio, cradling him against his chest as he carried him around to the rear door. The back seat was shadowed, the windows tinted just enough to offer privacy. Theo set Julian down with deliberate care, then climbed in beside him, pulling the door shut.
The world narrowed to the drum of the idling engine and the scent of Theo's skin.
"Lie back," Theo said, and it wasn't a suggestion. It was a command, soft but unmistakable, and Julian found himself obeying before his pride could catch up. His head rested against the seat, his belly rising in a taut swell, and Theo knelt on the floor of the car between his legs, broad hands settling on Julian's thighs.
"I'm going to take care of you," Theo said, meeting Julian's eyes. "You're going to let me. And you're not going to argue."
Julian's lips parted. "That's—"
"A lot to ask?" Theo's mouth curved, a small, devastating smile. "I know. But you asked me to prove it. So let me."
It was Julian's turn to be undone. He swallowed, his throat clicking, and gave a single, sharp nod.
Theo's hands moved with reverence, working Julian's trousers down over his hips, folding the fabric carefully. The cool air kissed Julian's skin, and he shivered, but Theo's palms were warm as they slid up his thighs, parting them gently to make room for his belly. He pressed a kiss to the inside of Julian's knee, then higher, a trail of heated whispers along sensitive skin.
"Beautiful," Theo breathed. "Every inch of you."
Julian's fingers found Theo's hair, twisting in the curls. He wanted to say something sharp, something to reclaim control, but the words scattered when Theo's mouth found the swell of his belly, pressing a kiss to the taut curve. The pup shifted beneath his lips, a slow roll, and Theo laughed, soft and breathless.
"He knows," Theo whispered. "He knows his alpha is here."
Julian's vision blurred. He blinked, furious at the sting in his eyes. "Stop talking about me like I'm—"
"Like you're everything?" Theo looked up at him, hazel eyes shining. "Because you are."
Julian's breath stuttered. He tugged Theo's hair, pulling him up, and kissed him hard, pouring every ounce of frustration and fear and desperate want into the press of his lips. Theo took it, matched it, and then gentled it, slowing the kiss until Julian was melting beneath him.
The car engine hummed. The sun dipped lower, painting the interior in amber light. And when Theo finally pulled back, his forehead resting against Julian's, there was nothing but quiet breathing between them.
"Home," Theo said softly. "I'll take you home."
Julian nodded, his fingers still tangled in Theo's curls, unwilling to let go just yet.