BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

twelve. you have me

"Hold-hold on," Tyler chuckled, making his way towards Wren as she struggled to pull her shirt over her head.

"I got- mmm" a wince cut her off just as he reached her, grabbing the tail of her shirt and pulling it over her head. "I had it."

"You're welcome, baby," he leaned down and kissed her shoulder, bringing a smile to her lips.

"Well, since you're back there... I can't reach my bra." she muttered, her cheeks red and he laughed as he undid the clasp and she let it fall down her arms before tossing it to the side. And she hummed softly when he kissed her shoulder again, his hands on her hips.

He brushed her hair to the side and she tilted her head a little as his lips moved up her neck, a soft moan leaving her lips but she quickly stepped away from him, "no, none of that."

"Come on, baby, why not?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips as his eyes dipped down to her bare chest.

"I promised Kathy we wouldn't have sex in her house." She crossed her arms over her chest. She kept her eyes on his, knowing that if she let them wander down the expanse of his body she'd be a goner. Especially since all he wore were his cute little plaid boxers.

"I can't even kiss you?" He took a step closer to her as she took a step back.

"Nope."

"Please, baby," his bottom lips poked out in a little pout as he took another step, crowding her against the wall. "I haven't kissed you all day and it's killing me."

She smiled a little, her arms still over her chest, "I think you'll survive."

He shook his head, "I won't."

"Ty," she breathed out, her back against the wall, his chest against hers, his hands against the wall on either side of her head. He leaned down and softly kissed the side of her neck, trailing kisses up her jaw. Her eyes fluttered closed, a soft moan leaving her parted lips. "Fuck it," she breathed out, her hands moving to his cheeks and pulling his lips to hers.

He let out an appreciative groan as his hands buried themselves in her hair, angling her head back a little as she pressed up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "I want you." she breathed out against his lips.

"You have me," he mumbled, pressing his lips against hers once again and she rubbed her thighs together, trying to create some friction.

"Tyler, please." She nearly whimpered. He kissed her lips again before pulling back, both breathing hard.

"But, baby, your side."

"We'll have to be careful," she pushed on his chest and he took a few steps back until his knees hit the mattress. Then she pushed again and he sat down.

"Baby, what are you–" his words lodged in his throat as she reached towards the nightstand and grabbed his hat, sitting it on her head. He was at a loss for words, well, not really. There were three words that rested on his tongue, but he bit them back. It was too soon.

He placed his hands on her hips and tugged forward, right into the v of his legs. His lips were soft as he kissed her stomach, then he softly kissed her left side before his lips brushed the hem of her shorts. He stopped, his head tilted back, "are you sure?"

She smiled softly at him, her hands cradling his face as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his. He'd asked every time they found themselves in similar positions, and no one had ever stopped to make sure she was okay. That she really wanted it.

But Tyler wasn't like any other guy before, he was different. He was special, she knew that. She even lov... nope, too soon.

She pressed her lips against his just a little harder, trying to push the thought away. She'd never uttered it before, at least not to anyone that she didn't consider family. And now just wasn't the time to blurt it out, she knew if she did that she'd scare him away and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Words, baby." He pulled back, "I need words."

"Yes," she breathed out against his lips. "I'm sure." And that was all he needed, he carefully lifted her up and sat her in his lap as she rolled her tongue against his.

>>>>> • <<<<<

"I've got you!" Wren shouted over the rush of the wind, her arm extended as far as it could go. She was on that damn incline under the overpass, her boots slid a little and tears rolled down her face. "I've got you! Grab my hand!" She couldn't see who she was yelling at but she knew someone was there, she knew they were. She could just feel it.

Then a warm hand enclosed her and she finally got a look at them, only it wasn't the little blonde she was expecting...

"Tyler." her voice shook for a moment and she stilled, then the updraft got under him and lifted him. "No!" she panicked and yanked, pulling him back down.

"Go, baby! I'm right-" his hand was yanked from hers and she screamed as he was sucked into the tornado.

"Tyler." She shot up in bed, a cold sweat covering her body as she sodded, unable to catch her breath.

"Baby, hey, I'm right here," he sat up next to her, his hand on her back. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes were wide as they took him in, it was dark but she could see his face in the light of the moon. She even turned towards him, her hands on his cheeks as if to make sure he was really there, "thank God." she let out a breath, resting her forehead against his. "I-I thought..."

"You're shaking," he mumbled, pulling her into his chest as she took a few steadying breaths.

"I'm-I'm sorry," she forced out, her voice soft. "Bad dream. Didn't mean to wake you."

"Hey, no, it's okay." He told her as he rubbed her back, shifting a little so he was leaning against the headboard and she moved, curling into his side with her head on his chest. "What was it about?"

She shook her head a little, her eyes squeezed closed. She didn't think she could properly explain it without explaining that day five years ago. And she really didn't want to, she wanted to forget about it completely.

But as he held her, his hands gentle against her, she knew she'd never trust anyone as much as she trusted him.

And she wanted – needed – to tell him.

"Kate's experiment," she mumbled as she trailed nonsense lines on his chest with her fingertips. "That was the day I met her. I was on the way home from work, and my truck – Sir Pain in the Ass – broke down. Decided to walk. The storm... It came outta nowhere, at least that's what it seemed like. I wasn't payin' much attention. By the time I saw it, it had already hit the ground. So I ran... until I twisted my ankle. Then I heard 'em... called for help. Kate ran over, pulled my arm over her shoulder and ran.

"I was slowing her down, so Addy ran over – only learned her name after the fact. They got me to the overpass, and we climbed. But Addy, she couldn't... her shoes wouldn't... so I reached for her and just as her fingers hit mine, this fence post hit us. The barbed wire tore up my arm something bad, then she was just gone. She saved me but I couldn't... I couldn't..." she shook her head a little and he kissed her forehead, as tears filled her eyes. "Kate and Jeb – her boyfriend – pulled me the rest of the way up. He covered us, but it-it got him, too.

"If I hadn't... If I would've just... then maybe they- Maybe Kate wouldn't've lost her friends. At least not all of 'em. If she didn't stop for me, then..."

"Hey," he spoke softly, tugging her closer to him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Why does it feel like it was?" She mumbled against him, turning her face into his bare chest as she cried. "Kate says it wasn't, but I still... I mean, even Javi said-"

"It wasn't your fault," he told her more firmly, his thumb and his index finger gripping her chin as he turned her head towards him. And he hated the tears that rested in her eyes. "You did nothing wrong. You hear me? You can't feel guilty for just surviving."

"I don't want to," her bottom lip shook and it tore him apart. "But they were smart, they could've helped people. Made the world a better place. All I do is sing in bars."

"You are so much more than that, Wren. Why can't you see that?" He told her, his eyes searching hers. "You're smart, so smart. Even if you don't realize it. And your smile, it makes everyone around you smile. Your laugh, gosh, Wren, when you laugh it's the most beautiful sound in the world. And when you sing, everything around you stops. You're amazing." He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against hers, "what do I have to do to make you see that?"

"Tyler?"

"What, baby?" he asked softly, rubbing her back.

"I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," he pressed his lips against her, as if that set it in stone – like their own version of a pinkie promise. "I ain't going anywhere." She leaned up, pressing her lips against his just a little harder as she shifted into his lap. "Mmm, baby. Your stitches."

"I don't care."

"I do." He told her, his hand on her hips and it was hard to deny her when he could feel her warmth through his boxers. "And I don't think I can be gentle this time."

"Then don't be," she leaned down and softly brushed her lips against his chest. "I can take it," her tongue slipped past her lips, trailing up the center of his chest. His hands tightened on her hips as he inhaled sharply. "Please, baby."

Her calling him baby nearly did him in, then she shifted her hips against his and he groaned, throwing his head back against the headboard. She hummed, a smirk pulling at her lips as she leaned up and kissed the underside of his jaw, then she sucked softly pulling a moan out of him.

Suddenly, she was on her back and his body was pressed against hers, his hips pinning her to the bed, "stop me if I hurt you. Hit me if you have to. You hear me?"

"Yes," she breathed out, her hands frantically grabbing at him and pulling him down to her lips. He pressed his lips firmly against hers, rolling his hips against her and she moaned, breaking the kiss.

"You gotta be quiet, baby."

She just nodded, biting back another moan as he sucked on her neck, where his previous marks still decorated her skin.

And though neither were willing to say it, it hung the air between them. Layered amongst the silent moans, the heavy pants and the praises that he uttered. Those three little words, that alone seemed so inconsequential but when stung together could change everything.