Wren

Part 40

~ One Year Later ~

Matteo stared out the window of his office, smiling at the view. The grounds were layered with a thick blanket of shimmering snow, the bare trees creaked and swayed in the gentle breeze, and birds flew all over the place, searching for seeds left out by the gardener. ( He liked birds, and felt bad that they had to stay out in the cold, so he'd leave piles of seeds everywhere for them.)

But it wasn't the scenery he was admiring. A little girl screeched and giggled as she was chased though the glittering powder, each footstep a struggle. Behind her came Dace, snowball in hand.

"Sophie!" He roared, taking deliberate, big steps as he approached like a monster. "You can't escape me!"

Sophie shrieked and tried to go faster.

Behind them, two men sat on a bench, smiling and chatting as they watched the two play.

Wren was holding a warm mug between his mittens, and he was bundled up in one of Matteo's old coats. It was too big for him, and Matteo thought it was cute. He wore dark goggles to keep out the bright light reflected off the snow. Leo sat beside him, struggling to keep his scarf from falling off. 

It'd been a year. A whole year since the incident. Matteo was amazed by Wren's improvement. He still had bad days, of course, but they were getting fewer and further in between. Matteo knew he'd never be the same way he'd been before everything that had happened, but he prayed every day that Wren would continue to improve.

He watched as Wren and Leo stood from the bench, motioning for Sophie and Dace to follow them towards the house. 

Matteo sighed and turned back to his computer, saving his work and shutting the monitor off. He decided to quit early today. He stood and stretched, then made his way out of the office and down the three flights of stairs to one of the backdoors, where the four were just coming through.

"Hey, puppy!" Matteo said cheerily as he cupped Wren's cold cheeks in his hands, planting a warm kiss on his forehead. "You have fun?"

Wren slipped the goggles off, nodding happily as he smiled up at Matteo. "Yeah. But it's super cold. Feel my hands!" He slipped his thin fingers into Matteo's large, warm hands.

"Wow, super cold." Matteo agreed as he chuckled and crouched down, unzipping Sophie's coat and pulling off her hat. "Did you have fun, princess?"

"Yes! I love snow!" Sophie turned around and reached up, asking Dace to pick her up. He obliged, and she giggled. 

Matteo stood and wrapped his arm around Wren's shoulders. "How about some hot chocolate then?" 

The others agreed, and they all bundled to the kitchen. 

It was chaotic as they gathered mugs and the chocolate mix, and warmed the milk in the microwave. The cook who'd been trying to make lunch stood off to the side, feigning disapproval as she shook her head slowly, but a smile tugged at her lips. She remembered what a rough time it had been a year ago; spending hours in here trying to find something Wren could eat. He'd been picky and unable to keep anything down. So she was happy now. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wren was in the shower, eyes closed as he took deeply breathed in the steamy air. The bathroom was lit dimly with special lights; they'd changed out the all the bulbs in the rooms Wren spent the most time in so it wouldn't hurt his sensitive eyes. 

A sudden knock startled him from his relaxed state. 

"It's me," Matteo said as opened the door. 

Wren heard shuffling and rustling, but kept his eyes closed. He heard another little knock right outside the shower. "Puppy, is it okay if I come in?"

"Okay," Wren said quietly, and felt a cold chill as the shower curtain opened, but it was quickly chased away when Matteo wrapped his arms around him. 

Matteo rubbed gently over Wren's chest, tracing over the scars that marred his pale skin. "You not feeling good?"

"I feel fine," Wren whispered back, matching Matteo's hushed tone. "I think I just need a break, you know? I've been spending so much time with Sophie, and Leo and Dace are always hovering around. . . I love them, I just feel kind of. . . smothered."

Matteo Squeezed him tighter, kissing his neck tenderly. "I understand." He murmured into the warm skin as water ran over them both. 

Wren turned around to face him, their bodies pressed close together as Wren lay his head against Matteo's chest. It had been so long since they'd been intimate; the last time was a year ago, before he'd been kidnapped. So Wren couldn't help but feel his stomach tighten into nervous knots when Matteo's hands trailed lower, massaging and caressing his hips. He knew Matteo loved him unconditionally, but he couldn't help but be self-conscious about the scars that adorned his body.

"Should I stop?" Matteo breathed as his hands froze, having felt the way Wren shivered as his hands slid lower.

"No. . . I-- I want to try." They'd tried several times before, but Wren had panicked when things heated up. "I think-- I think I can do it."

"Alright, puppy. You just let me know if you need to stop."

Matteo slowly pulled Wren's face up, kissing his lips gently. Wren's hands shook as he slid them up Matteo's back.

Feeling safe, Wren caressed Matteo's face, his fingers tracing the familiar lines and contours that he knew so well. Matteo's eyes shone with a silent promise of care and tenderness; that he'd never hurt him.

Matteo reached around and turned off the shower, picking Wren up as he stepped out into the steamy, dim bathroom. As he drew Wren into a tight embrace, Wren felt a rush of emotions flood through him. Fear and desire warred inside him, but he tried to block out anything that might make him back out. 

He wanted to do this.

              Part Forty-One Coming Soon