Theo gently pressed a cold cloth against your bruised cheek, brushing sweaty strands of hair away from your face in the process. You were shaking and sweating at the same time. Your body was curled up, almost refusing to let Theo take care of you even though that was the only way he was going to forgive himself for letting this happen in the first place. He grabbed your shoulder, forcing you to lie flat on your back.
"Theo, please, I'm fine," you told him stubbornly, disregarding the wound on your neck and the various scratches decorating the rest of your body. You were bruised almost every where, and you could still just barely feel your fingers. "I don't want you taking care of me." He stood up from his position on the floor, previously kneeling beside with worry and fear in his eyes.
"We have to get you to a hospital, then! Y/N, you could have broken fingers and you're all cut up and bruised and it's all my fault because I wasn't there-" You gave him a look, struggling to sit up. He instantly placed one hand on your waist and the other on your back, helping you to sit up without causing you too much pain. "Y-Y-You almost died." He whispered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He didn't want anyone to see him cry. An hour ago had been the exception, when there was a chance you weren't going to make it.
He rushed into the building, the metallic tang of blood invading his senses. He could smell it everywhere, and most of all, he could smell you. He knew your scent to well to mistake it for anyone else's. He threw open one of the doors, his heart stopping right then and there as his eyes landed on the floor. There was a trail of blood along the floor, imprinted into the ground as if someone had tried to drag themselves away. And a few feet away, there you were struggling to stay conscious as blood seeped through your shirt and soaked the cloth. He couldn't move at first, but he eventually stumbled his way toward you, unable to even speak as he lowered himself onto the ground, a hand lifting up the hem of your shirt to examine the wound that had created such dark blood.
"Theo?" Your voice cracked, too weak to even handle the littlest words. He nodded, smiling bravely. "Theo, you're here-"
"Not early enough," he murmured, shaking his head as he slipped an arm around your back, then another one under your knees. Before he could lift you up, however, he noticed another gash in your neck, dripping blood onto your shoulder. There were numerous scratches across your face; a cut on your nose, a split lip, a scratch on your forehead. "Oh... oh god, Y/N, y-y-you're... hey! Stay awake, okay?" He shook you a bit as your eyes began drifting shut. You opened them slowly, a dazed smile on your face. Theo's expression was that of hurt, his eyes not focusing on you, but on the possibly fatal wounds decorating your previously unblemished skin. He couldn't lose you. Not now. Not when he was in too deep and too in love with you.
"I'm glad you're here, Theo," you sighed.
"You say that like you're gonna die, even though you aren't. You hear that, princess? You're not leaving me," he said sternly, his voice quivering. He kissed your forehead, slow and gentle. Usually, he would have brushed away his tears without a second thought. He wasn't the type to cry, or at least he tried not to. But he let them fall now, dripping from his cheeks and spilling onto your shirt, mingling with the blood on your shirt. They fell onto your face, too, down your nose. "Stay awake. Please. Just stay awake," he said frantically. "We're going to get you to the hospital, and then you're going to get all better."
"No!" You exclaimed, your voice urgent. You grabbed onto his jacket, clutching it desperately. "No, the pack can't know. If they know about this, they'll think I'm even weaker than I already am. No hospitals. Okay, Theo? Please don't," you whimpered. He nodded obediently, not wanting to upset you even more. "I-I'm really tired, Theo. C-Can I sleep?" Not waiting for his answer, which would have been a solid no, you placed your head on his chest, your hand still holding onto his sleeve. He lifted you into his arms, swallowing back the rest of his tears.
He stroked your cheek gently with his hand, his hand tracing over the spot on your neck. He had bandaged it, disinfected it, made sure the bleeding had stopped. He had done the same with all your other serious wounds. "I'm sorry." Theo closed his eyes briefly. "I was supposed to protect you. At all costs. You were my responsibility, my girlfriend. I-I love you so much... I'm so sorry. I am. I told you that I wasn't good for you, you should've listened."
"Stop that," you commanded, staring at him in disbelief. He glanced back up, surprised. Your eyes had narrowed suddenly, your expression fierce.
"Don't say that, Theo. I go looking for trouble, all right? I'm reckless and I don't listen. It had nothing to do you with you. I'm fine now, okay? I am so, so fine. I love you, Theo. It's not your job to protect me all the time." He groaned, tugging at his hair in frustration.
"Yes it is!" He ran a hand over his face. "It is my job to protect you. I can't have something like this happening again. Y/N, you terrified me. All- all the blood, and your shirt was soaked, and you had so many cuts and scrapes and you passed out in arms and didn't wake up until I shouted in your ear. I swear, I thought I heard your heart stop."
"You want forgiveness? Fine, you're forgiven. Even though it wasn't your fault, even though I probably still would have gotten hurt if you had been there, even though I don't give a shit about whether or not you were there. I love you. I don't blame you for anything. Please, Theo, don't beat yourself up over this." You opened your arms to him, scooting over the couch so that he could lie down next to you. He cradled you in his arms, thankful that he was still able to.
Sure, maybe you had forgiven him. But he hadn't forgiven himself. He didn't think he ever would, not as long as you had gotten hurt. You would heal, yes, but the fact of the matter is that you had nearly died, and he hadn't been there to prevent that from happening. And he was going to make sure that it never happened again.
