They smile and then press their face into the pillow. For a heartbeat, I consider asking them to stay. Telling themmyfear. That I don’t want them to leave. But I don’t want to diminish what they just shared with me.
“Come here,” I say, pulling them to me.
We don’t talk anymore, for a while. There’s no need. A blanket of contentment settles over us both, and the air around us calms.
We lie in a heap for a few minutes more, until I feel my eyelids get heavy. “Stay there,” I say as I roll off the bed before kissing their forehead.
It takes a few moments to deal with the condom, wash my face, and clean up my cock. Then, I take the washcloth to the bed and move to clean Wren up.
“I can do that,” they say, reaching for it.
“Technically, it’s my fault you need cleaning up.”
“It’s okay, it’s just…”
I pause. “Just what?”
Wren flops back on the bed. “I was about to tell you not to because it felt weird having someone else down there, but after what we just did, I guess it’s silly.”
Gently, I wipe around their lips, taking in how pink and engorged they are. The space between their legs is a fucking work of art.
When I get back to the bedroom, Wren has already dipped underneath the sheets, and when I join them, I pull them against my chest.
The world is caught in a hush. I weave my fingers through their hair; Wren traces lazy circles over my chest.
“Are you still awake?” Wren asks.
“Trying not to fall asleep.”
“Yeah?”
“Never thought I’d say shit like this, but I just want to enjoy having you in my arms.”
“See,” Wren says, as if it’s the answer to everything. “I knew you were a romantic.”
There’s silence again, for a minute, until the tracing of circles on my chest stops. “Can I ask you something that’s probably slightly cringeworthy?”
I chuckle at that. “What on earth are you thinking?”
They snort softly, head still resting on my shoulder. “When did you know you wanted to be with me? Like this.”
I think about it and decide to just tell Wren the truth. “It was a journey. You arrived in the clubhouse and sat in the corner, flanked by Saint and Spark, and then, you just looked up at me, and I saw your eyes.”
“You knew from seeing my eyes?”
I chuckle again. “Not exactly. But you intrigued me. Then, you were all wise-cracking and smart-mouthed when we were trying to find the paper trail for Lucy.”
“You really are a sucker for punishment.”
I close my eyes. “Not really. I thought you had fire. Not a pushover.”
The tracing of circles on my chest resumes. “I tend to do that when I’m scared. Get a little mouthy. If you come out swinging, people are less likely to assume you’re a pushover. And look at me. No matter how much I wish I was closer to six feet tall and a bit more built, people always look at me and assume I can be pushed around. It’s happened my entire life.”
I tighten my arms around them, holding them close. “I’m sorry that’s been your experience. But you know when I realized?”
“No, that’s why I’m asking.”
“Smart mouth. It was while you were in my bed in the clubhouse and I was outside in the hallway with Atom. I was worried about you, and I’d just argued with Wraith. He threatened to take me off looking after you if I couldn’t keep my head on straight. And I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else looking out for you but me.”
