Remi sighed and looked down at his body in the tub, feeling the urge to cry again, but he suppressed it. He glanced up at Dimitrios, but couldn’t maintain their eye contact.
“There’s this… group of other omegas who go to school with me. They are sort of obsessed with Cade. They always give me a hard time because we used to date, and I think they are jealous. After we broke up they spread all these rumors that I had been cheating on him, which wasn’t true. I thought it would stop eventually after we broke up, but they just… kept on. Then today I was talking with my friend Phoenix and he asked how old you are, because I told him we’re dating and he jokingly said that I am dating a grandpa, because you’re older than us.” Remi looked at Dimitrios with a slightly apologetic face but the alpha just indicated for him to continue. “I guess people started spreading the rumor that some old man is paying me to fuck him after school everyday. They just started going off at me again for the millionth time and I sort of lost it… Then I had to do my cooking project with Cade and that was just awkward for obvious reasons. I guess it all just piled up for me too. By the end of the day… all I wanted was for you to come get me and take over.”
Dimitrios was furious. He could see the wetness of tears on Remi’s lower lashes and felt the soft trembling in the omega’s hand. He could see that the omega was trying to be strong and put up a good front, because he just let out a little, watery laugh and wiped his eyes quickly.
“It’s all stupid. Don’t worry about it.”
But Dimitrios did worry about it. The alpha squeezed his hand and looked at Remi seriously.
“It’s not stupid if it’s making you so upset. I’m so sorry that you have to deal with that at school. I know how important your education is to you. But it’s okay for you to cry if you need to. You don’t have to be strong, not here with me. It’s okay if you want to let go.”
Remi couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. At Dimitrios' words, he felt his mask crack and his shield crumble, and he was weeping, falling apart in Dimitrios' bathtub as he broke down completely.
Once he started, Remi couldn’t contain the flood. It was like a dam had broken somewhere inside him, and he couldn’t stop the well that was overflowing from his heart. He felt too vulnerable and wrapped his arms around his body and curled in on himself. He cried until his head hurt, and his throat ached, and his lips were swollen from biting them.
Dimitrios ached as he watched Remi completely lose himself to his crying. He hated the ones who had upset him, made him cry and the alpha just wanted to make him feel better. Dimitrios picked up the crying omega, and pulled him out of the water. He gently wiped the water away from Remi’s skin, and massaged it out of his hair while he still cried, now quieter as the tide of his tears began to lessen.
Dimitrios whispered quiet praises and soft reassurances as he dried the omega and petted over his warm, damp skin with gentle hands. Once his cries quieted, Dimitrios got a spare toothbrush and put toothpaste on it, and his own before handing the new one to Remi so he could brush his teeth before bed.
Once they were done, the alpha picked Remi up again, but this time under the thighs so that the omega could wrap his legs around Dimitrios’ waist and hide his face in the alpha’s neck as he carried him out into the bedroom. Dimitrios held him up with one hand and shoved the blankets down with the other so he could set Remi on the edge of the bed in a clean spot. Dimitrios knew that he would need to change the comforter, but he could do it afterward. He pressed a soft kiss to Remi’s forehead, and left him there for a moment to slip on boxers and grab something for Remi to wear. He decided on a pair of white panties with little cats all over them and one of his own hoodies, picking a black one that was made of a thinner, soft material.
Dimitrios returned to find that Remi hadn’t moved at all, the omega seemed listless in the wake of his little breakdown. Dimitrios helped him into the panties and hoodie, and guided him to lay in the bed. The alpha pulled off the comforter and tossed it into a corner before replacing it with a clean one.
He found Remi’s phone and checked the battery, which still looked okay, so he set it on the nightstand next to him. Remi was curled on his side in a little ball under the covers and Dimitrios petted his hair softly, stroking his hand over the velvet skin of his face and neck for a few moments before walking around to the other side, plugging in his phone to charge and flipping off the lamp. The alpha got into bed and scooted his body up behind Remi, curling around the omega and wrapping him up in his embrace. Remi wiggled farther back against him, so they were pressed together as close as possible.
Dimitrios pressed kisses all along his neck and shoulder, sometimes real kisses, other times just running his lips over the soft skin.
“You’re safe, little one. I’ve got you. Just rest now. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.” Dimitrios whispered against his shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Baby.”
It had been a long, long time since Remi had really let go with anyone. Of course, he let go sexually with Dimitrios, but this was something emotional and personal. Having the alpha take care of him and soothe him when he was at his most vulnerable, was so meaningful to him. Dimitrios was a good alpha. He was caring and gentle and he’d made Remi feel safe.
Dimitrios didn’t owe that to him. He was the one paying Remi, but in a lot of ways, that felt like it didn’t even matter anymore. Even if they had this unusual relationship, that didn’t mean that they couldn’t care about each other. Remi had been so sure that he’d probably be up all night worrying and crying, but now that he was in Dimitrios' arms he felt safe and he fell asleep almost at once.
Chapter 25
Breakdown
Dimitrioswokewhenhisalarm started to chime from the nightstand and he found that in the night, he and Remi had shifted around and he was now on his back with Remi laying almost all the way on top of him. The omega’s slight, warm weight was comforting and it made him want to stay in bed. Dimitrios reached over and found the offending device with his hand and turned it off.
Remi moaned quietly and shifted, snuggling down against his chest petulantly as he was roused from sleep. Dimitrios chuckled and that seemed to wake him more effectively as Remi turned his face up and blinked slowly at him.
“What time is it?” The omega asked, his voice hoarse with sleep.
“5:30.”
“Ugh… Why are we awake then?”
Dimitrios chuckled again and reached up to run his hand through Remi’s messy hair and down over his back.
“I like to go in early.”
“Of course you do.” Remi said with a roll of his eyes. “You need to get some hobbies and stop being such a workaholic. Let’s start now with napping for another hour and a half.”
Dimitrios liked how sassy Remi was in the morning. It was kind of cute to be scolded by someone so small and soft. The omega was too adorable with his messy hair, oversized sweater, and sleepy eyes. The alpha ignored the sass for the moment, and just smiled down at the omega who, it seemed, was refusing to move.