Page 24 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

“I love you too, brother.” Lach sighed, but he was already drifting, his body trying to shut down in order to charge up.

“I’ll be right here if you need me.” He headed to the bathroom, knowing he could just wrap up in a towel when he needed to go get clothes.

He cleaned up and washed his hair, then he got dressed, going for casual but decent before Lars showed up with soup.

Not that he wouldn’t love opening the door to Lars naked…

Oh, he was a bad, bad dragon.

He opened some wine to let it breathe, just in case, and he pondered making some kind of quick dessert. He had a brownie mix, he thought. With the ice cream he had in the freezer…

Although Lars was a baker. Maybe he’d bring something. That would be weird if he made box brownies…

Maybe just ice cream sundaes.

He’d just about decided when the doorbell rang.

He opened the door to find Lars standing there—arms filled with a huge Crock-Pot, a cake box, flowers, and a basket filled with a blanket.

Wow.

“Hey, you.” He gave Lars a smile, hoping it read as anything but freaked out and desperate. “Let me take some of that.” He grabbed the slow cooker and the cake.

“Careful. It’s hot. It’s potato soup. I have fresh biscuits and a chocolate stout cake, too.”

“Oh, wow. I have ice cream in the freezer.” He led Lars to the kitchen, wondering if he would notice that the house was changing from what it had been a few weeks back. He laid his stuff down, and when Lars put the rest on the counter, he turned and put his hands on Lars’s shoulders. “Thank you, Lars. I—Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Lars met his eyes. “I felt how scared you were. I had to help. You’re one of us now, right?”

“I want to be. I know I started off like shit. I know it, and I’m so sorry.” He reached up to stroke Lars’s cheek. “But I belong to this wing now. So does Lach. And I want to be here.”

“Is he okay? How can I help?”There’s cheese for the bread, but everything needs to heat…

We’ll put it all in. He just needs to rest. It’s like…he’s recharging his battery. But he fell in the shower and it scared me so bad.He grabbed Lars and hugged him, needing the contact.

So scary. I’m sorry. I know you worry about him a lot.

I do.Lars’s warmth was like the best medicine.Let’s get things plugged in and then we can hang for a bit until Lach wakes up? That way we can all eat together.And if Lachlan slept on, he would eat with Lars and save some for Lach.

“Are you sure? I mean… Do you want me here? I know we’re not…well, things have sucked.”

“I want you here.” He kissed Lars’s forehead. “I really do.” He squeezed one more time before letting go. “So, let’s plug the soup in on low and get the bread ready to melt, cheese and all. Thenyou can come sit with me and we can just—” Maybe he could make it up to Lars.

Bryant took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

“I’ve been reacting, not thinking. Not letting you know how I feel. Can we talk for real? I promise not to insult you every other sentence.”

Lars chuckled. “Maybe every third.”

“Maybe not even that.”

“Okay. I’d—I’d like that. To talk. I was your friend, you know. I care.”

And Lars was honest and brave, offering himself, and Bryant didn’t deserve the care.

Lars shook his head.You might be a jerk, but you’re really a good guy.

He chuckled, but his chest felt tight, and he wanted to kiss Lars so badly. Gods. But he just took Lars’s hand and kissed that instead. “Thank you. Did I say that?”

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