Chapter 10
Bael
W hat do I do now?
Wren seems so certain about not being homeless that it's hard not to believe him. But the shape he was in when I found him couldn't have come from a day or two of neglect. Even I’m smart enough to figure that out.
I don't know how a person with enough money to live in such an expensive apartment complex could get so neglected, but I do know how it feels to be homeless and how hard it can be to admit you need help.
Wren really doesn’t seem like a liar though. Maybe the apartment belongs to Kai? Wren had mentioned something about living with him.
“How long has Kai been gone?” I ask Wren. We're playing video games in my room because I don't know what else to do. Wren is really good at gaming, and I'm loving every minute of it. It would be a lot more fun though if I wasn't so worried about him.
“About two weeks.”
“Two weeks! How did you survive on your own for two weeks? It’s getting cold outside!”
“It hasn’t been that bad. Kai left the heat on at a decent level. At least I think he did. I don’t remember getting cold.”
“So Kai didn’t kick you out to fend for yourself while he was gone?”
Wren snorts, “Please. Kai would never. I wouldn’t survive that long on my own. If he came back and found me dead, he’d be so pissed he’d probably dig me up and make me do laundry or something.”
This Kai guy is really starting to get on my nerves. He sounds incredibly proprietary for someone who ditched Wren for weeks and let him get into such trouble.
“You don't have to stay with Kai anymore. We’ll take care of you.”
Wren turns his attention from the screen to look at me. “It's okay. Other than the past few weeks, everything has been great. Besides, you're part of a band. You can't be dragging me around with you everywhere you go.”
“I can, though.” I can pretty much do anything I want. Just because I've never taken advantage of that doesn't mean I won't, and my brain just gave me the best idea ever. “We can get a second tour bus just for me and you.”
See? Best. Idea. Ever.
The controller falls out of Wren’s hands. “Just for us?” His voice shakes a little and he looks down shyly.
The blush spreading across his face gives me the courage to do what I’ve been wanting to do since he first woke up in the clinic. I lift his chin until his eyes flick up to meet my gaze, and slowly, oh so painfully slowly, I inch down to meet his lips with mine. His mouth is soft and sweet, and his gasp of surprise makes my heart flutter.
“I really like you, Wren,” I say when I pull away. I don’t want to pressure him, but he should know how I feel.
“I…” Wren takes a deep breath and glares fiercely down at his hands like he’s steeling himself for something big. “I’m trans. I’m really proud of it, too, but I just didn’t think it was necessary to tell you until now.” His eyes flick to mine before darting back down again. “And I'll tell you how I feel about you once you tell me how you feel about that.”
“I’m cis,” I say. “And I like hearts, not parts.” Because I’m a little too eager, I rush to add, “I'm really into your parts, though. Whatever they might be. I mean, no pressure. You don't have to ever show them to me if you don't want to. I just like being around you—oof!” I don't get to say anymore because Wren throws his tiny body at me.
“I really, really like you too, Bael. So fucking much.” Wren says, and then his sweet little mouth is on mine. The TV screen is flashing an aggressive game over message because we both got the shit killed out of our characters when we stopped paying attention to the game.
Would you be able to pay attention to a stupid game if you had a wiggly, willing Wren in your lap?
I think the fuck not.
I’m not able to let Wren control the kiss for long. He’s just too tempting. My hand goes to the back of his neck, and I grip it firmly so he can’t get away. Sorry, baby, you started this game, and now I get to finish it. My other hand goes to the small of his back and I pull him in until his spine makes a perfect curve and his stomach is pressed tightly against me.
I fuck his mouth with mine, making promises of what I plan on doing to him as soon as he gives the okay. Wren’s hands are gripping my hair, and he writhes against me, making the cutest little gasping noises.
Oh yeah, it’s time for the consent talk so I can rip off the little shirt he stole from me and turned into a dress. I can get him a new one if he wants. We gotta do the talking thing now before I forget that I’m a good guy.
It takes more than a little willpower to get myself to stop, and even more than that when I have to convince myself to pull away from Wren. His eyes are large and confused when I finally manage it.
I’m not great with talking when I’m in a hurry, so I blurt out, “So you’ll leave Kai and come and live with me?”
“What?” Wren scrambles backward and nearly falls off my lap. I manage to catch him at the last second, and now I have one hand on each tiny, perfect hip. It’s lovely until Wren sours the experience by saying, “I can’t leave, Kai. He’d kill me!”
“He’d what?” The world goes red and hazy around the edges, and suddenly I’m on my feet. I’m not horny anymore. I’m enraged. “No, he fucking will not.”
I realize Wren is dangling from the football hold I now have him in.
“Shelly would be super pissed off too, and don’t even get me started on Marty. He’d kill me twice.” Wren barely seems to notice that I’m carrying him.
It’s almost like he’s used to being toted around. Does Kai carry Wren around? And who are Marty and Shelly?
I have an irrational urge to carry Wren to my bathroom and lock the door behind us to put another layer of protection between Wren and all the people who have suddenly popped up that I didn’t know about.
What if Wren was telling the truth earlier and he has a decent life waiting for him? What if Wren doesn’t need me at all?
No. If Wren is scared of the people in his life, they aren’t good people. They don’t deserve to have him.
“What are you doing?” Wren asks, finally cluing into the fact that I’m wandering restlessly around the room while carrying him like a bug-out bag.
“I’m not going to let anyone kill you, Wren,” I say firmly. “I have plenty of security, so no one is getting in here who could hurt you.”
“I didn’t mean literally, Bael. None of my people would physically hurt me; they’re just incredibly protective of me.”
“Not from where I’m standing.” Being protective means caring, and letting someone you are supposed to protect collapse from neglect isn’t caring.
“What happened to me was an accident and entirely my fault, I promise. Kai usually takes great care of me.”
What the hell is up with this Kai guy? I don’t know him, and I already hate him.
“Kai is an idiot. You should dump him and date me instead.”
And move in with me, and let me fuck you, and let me take care of you forever. That’s an inside thought and no one’s business but mine.
“Instead?” Wren laughs. “Put me down, please.”
I don’t.
“No, seriously put me down.” He flails and wiggles to make sure I know he means business.
I scowl and go back to the couch where we’d been doing wonderful things until everything went straight to shit mere moments ago. I sit back down and hold him in my lap when he tries to leave.
Eventually he stops trying to get away and says, “Okay… compromise. Compromise is good. I can work with this.” Then he relaxes and sits on my lap facing me with his legs criss cross-applesauce.
I’m not kidding. He really is small enough to do that, and I hold extra still so he’ll keep doing it.
“Hmph,” I say sullenly because compromise is all well and good unless he’s about to tell me that he’s in love with Kai and wants to date both of us. I’m not sharing. Kai can go and find himself a new Wren. This one is mine now.
Finders keepers.
Wren puts his little hands on my cheeks and makes me look at him. “I’m not dating Kai. He’s bossy and makes me put away my socks. That’s like, the opposite of hot.”
And that isn’t enough of a reason not to want to date a person if you like them, so I say, “Why do you live with him then?”
Wren taps his index fingers together and looks away. “Well…” I wait patiently, aging months instead of minutes before he finally whispers, “Because I can’t take care of myself.”
I take his anxious fingers and kiss them gently. “I can take care of you, Wren. I really, really can. I want to do it. Please let me take care of you.”
I just need him to give me a chance. I’ll give him a place to live, let him buy anything he wants, and feed him until he gets fat. I’m already making a mental list of things to talk to Harvey about, like finding ways to let Wren take college courses while we’re on tour—if he wants something like that. Hell, if he wants to join the band and play the tambourine, I’m willing to make it happen.
It might need to be a broken one, though, because our sound isn't going to mix well with a tambourine.
“You don’t need to go that far, Bael. I mean, you barely even know me.” Wren’s eyes are soft and luminous, and I start to lose track of the conversation.
“I'll go anywhere you want me to go,” I say stupidly, and then Wren is kissing me again.