substantial-exposure

[substantial-exposure]

NOTICE: As more and more fanfic writers are using generative AI for their works (you uncreative dweebs), I hereby swear on everything I hold dear that I have not and will NEVER use generative AI in ANY of my written work. Everything I post will be organically and creatively my own.

[substantial-exposure]

Manners

Rick Grimes x Oc

Summary: Despite Tulip being right there waiting for Rick to make the fucking call, he couldn't do it. She'd been stuck on the sidelines waiting for a moment alone with him. And now finally the time came to pass, alone and secluded for hours...

AKA Rick sneaks off with the scientist to fuck her in a secluded part of the prison! Set in EARLY s3!

Warnings: 18+, MDNI, Smut, swearing, oral (male receiving), P in V, protected sex! (Rick doesn't need anymore fucking kids) brat taming lowkey, light spanking, light choking, not edited pls don't judge me for any mistakes lol, I can't think of what else

"Y'know I think I deserve an apology for all that lip just now." Rick said quietly. His hand moved to push some of her hair out of her face. "Think you could handle that for me?" He asked raising her chin up to look up at him fully. Tulip felt like she blinked and he had moved to hold her jaw, his fingers digging into her cheeks.

Tulip swallowed nervously as he held her face. She was flustered and embarrassed. This all felt like an overly complicated miscommunication. Tulip could tell from the way he was looking at her though that he wasn't budging. The more she thought about it she supposed it made sense. Rick must have worked himself to the bone this morning to do this.

Rick still looked at her expectantly, his eyebrow cocked upwards. "I'm waiting here" he told her lowly.

The woman shook her head in understanding, his grip loosened as she finally opened her mouth to speak. Tulip raised her hands to grip onto his shirt, holding tight onto him. "I didn't know, 'm sorry" she finally blurted out. She moved to push herself away from the door behind her, she apologized, he could finally fucking kiss her.

Rick pulled away again. His hand dropped from her chin but he was still looked at her waiting for her to continue. He wanted more. "And?" He asked her.

"And?" Tulip echoed. Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. She still didn't like the way he was looking at her, like he was still upset about something. She couldn't stand it when he did this to her. It made her feel guilty, like she disappointed him. That was one thing she never wanted to do. Tulip sighed and looked back to him, that disheartened stare was still fixed on her. "I'm sorry for the attitude. I was being rude."

"That wasn't so damn hard now, was it?" Rick asked her. "Thank you." He told her flatly. His tone stern and serious, almost reprimanding. He leaned down further and finally, after his tireless morning and hours of waiting he finally captured her lips in his. His kiss was desperate, he was eager. He'd been waiting for this all damn day. "Now c'mon, you've wasted enough'a my time" he mumbled into the kiss. His words muffled.

Tulip grabbed onto him, bunching up more of his shirt into her fists. She loved the way he had to lean down to meet her. The only thing she loved more was yanking him by his collar to pull him in.

Rick was happy to finally get what he'd been missing. After spending all winter on the road and moving from place to place. He never got a second alone with himself, let alone a second to spend alone with Tulip. This was months of his want finally boiling over.

Most people would describe Rick as level-headed and sensible. However his composure dissipated the second he kissed her. It took only moments for Rick to move his kisses to her neck and his hands to start moving towards her belt. Tulip wouldn't have agreed with him but he quite missed those pencil skirts. Her belt buckle was an obstacle he could happily do away with.

His hands moved to ease her off the door, guiding her by her hips and his fingers inside her belt loops. "Got a surprise for you in here." He said against the skin of her neck. Rick was thoroughly enjoying this already. He didn't need to be quiet anymore. They were a ways away from C block and nobody would be able to find them let alone hear them. Rick finally got to enjoy himself.

Tulip turned slightly to look at the room he was talking about. She swallowed down her panting breaths as he let go of his hold on her momentarily. She reached out to open the door and Rick guided her in, his large hand splayed out over the small of her back. Quickly he closed the door behind them, just in case. He was confident that they wouldn't have a problem, but these days, well he could never be certain.

The room had been half cleared out by Rick earlier in the day. There were two of the 'mattresses' from the cells aligned together on the floor with curtains thrown over them to serve as sheets. Tulip took one look at it before she turned around to say anything. She didn't get the chance before she was pulled back into a reeling kiss.

Rick however was already grabbing back onto her. They were wasting time. Time that could have been spent with his head between her thighs or his cock bullying into her insides till she bruised. He didn't care to let it keep slipping through his fingers like this.

"Knew you wouldn't stop complain' if I took you on the floor." He told her with a smile. Rick reached out to cup her cheek, he brought her closer and in for another kiss. It was like he saw her brain turn off the second he said those words. There was no way Rick didn't know what he was doing when he spoke to her like that.

Tulip didn't pull away, quite the opposite, she was desperate to have at him. After months of watching Lori and him try and act like everything was normal she was about to go crazy. Lori didn't make him happy, she hadn't done that in a long time. Tulip made him happy, not that Lori would ever know. Lori was the mother of his child. Lori was the wife of the Sheriff back in the old world. Nowadays? Lori was the wife of a man who wanted nothing to do with her. Knowing that the baby she was carrying might not even be his, nearly broke Rick at his core. And yet they wouldn't call it quits. They ignored each other and only played house in front of Carl. Despite Tulip being right there waiting for Rick to make the fucking call, he couldn't do it. She'd been stuck on the sidelines waiting for a moment alone with him. And now finally the time came to pass, alone and secluded for hours.

Tulip was multitasking. As she kissed him her fingers worked quickly on unbuttoning his shirt. His button-up was the first item of clothing to go. She nearly ripped it off of him. Her fingers traced over where the hems of his pants ended and her fingers lifted under his undershirt, she tried to get him to take it off.

The man pulled away from her kiss to look down at her with that same look from before. "I don't get a thank you?" He asked her. Rick's gaze was accusatory and waiting.

Tulip looked at him, her fingers still scrunching up the bottom of his shirt. "Thank you. Now how about we put it to good use, huh?" She told him with a smile. Seeing him like this, prioritizing her own kiss over oxygen and was doing something for her. He was still gulping down breaths.

Rick licked over his lips. This little fuckin vixen, he thought to himself. He didn't mind all too much, but it was the principle. "Am I gonna have to fuck some manners into you or something? Is that what it's gonna take to make you get it?" He asked her rhetorically. He didn't look impressed.

"Now that would be great." Tulip chuckled as she backed up further into the room. She looked over the mattresses and the 'sheet' that covered them. Rick had even tucked in the corners. The effort alone was enough to win her over and steal her heart. She turned to him, her cheeks warm, realizing how much effort he put in left her awfully bashful.

Rick let out a long drawn out sigh. He walked right up beside her and looked at her from the side, he brushed her hair back again. As she turned to face him with blushing cheeks and a shy smile, he used both hands to start gathering her hair into one of his fists. His southern accent swam through his words, saturating them for only a moment. It almost made his words sound kind. "Now Baby I promise, I'm gonna treat you like a lady and take care of you real nice, real soon " He told her, holding her hair in one fist and bringing his other hand to trace over her lip. "But first I'm dealing with this little attitude problem."

Tulip felt her soul leave her body. When he got like this, it was like her brain shut off. Every comment, every quip, every single thought left her mind and she was whatever he wanted her to be. Most of the time he just wanted her to be polite and take what he gave her. She usually did that without issue.

But now, Rick was guiding her onto her knees.

Her hands undid his belt quickly. She tugged the denim jeans he wore halfway down his thighs. His briefs didn't hide his erection nearly as well as his pants had. Now, it was like Tulip was staring at it. It fought the fabric that tried to keep it confined, the tent had her mouth watering. Rick pulled them down before even she could.

His cock sprang free, standing already hard and an angry red. It gave away just how long he'd been waiting for this. Tulip took it as a sign of how much he missed her. She wrapped a hand around his base and listened to him groan out into the empty room, he must have been thinking about this for hours.

Tulip used her tongue to ease him into it. The second she took his tip past her lips his grip on her hair tightened. It felt so good to finally have her mouth wrapped around him for the first time in months. Fucking finally. He missed this deeply. She took more of him into her mouth, testing the waters of her gag reflex. Back at the farm, Rick had finally worked her past it, her lack of a reflex had done wonders for his stress levels.

It had been months since the two had been able to do something like this. Tulips gag reflex was sensitive after eight months of no 'practice'. Rick had forgotten something like that entirely. As he eased her head down further, he could feel her throat constrict around him, he felt bad that it actually felt good. He made sure to slowly let her off of him. She caught her breath for a moment before she went right back down. He'd be lying if he said he didn't push her down a little further every once in a while though.

Rick cursed into the empty room. His hold on her head loosened, after all he wasn't really trying to hurt her. With her hair wrapped up in his slightly looser fist, he tried to encouragingly keep pace. It only took seconds for Tulip to start taking more of him.

She had one hand wrapped behind his thigh to keep herself steady. Rick had been entirely right about what he said before, if her skin actually touched that floor, she'd have a conniption.

Tulip licked up the side of his cock as she still held him by his base, her eyes fixed on the man above her. She pulled off of him to catch her breath, she hiccuped in some air, still looking up at him. His length was sloppily covered in her saliva. Once Rick actually looked down at her, he swore quietly. "Shit" he had muttered. He was trying to commit this image to memory, truthfully Rick wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything so painfully erotic in his life.

She took him back in her mouth and moved her head at a pace that was comfortable. He eased her to take a little more, first a little deeper, then a little faster. Once he pushed back the barrier at the back of her throat, then he let up.

"Gonna be nice now?" He asked her. Rick's free hand moved to smooth over the hair atop her head. It was more of a comfort for the girl than anything. "You're not going to give me any more lip now, are you? Gonna listen to me and do what I ask?" He asked into the open air. "This was all you needed, right sweetheart?" Rick knew she couldn't answer him through a mouthful of dick but he asked her anyway. The only response she was able to give was the wet noise of her choking on his cock. "Not so smart now" he commented within a breath as his hips stuttered and thrusted forward slightly. He felt her gag around him again.

Tulip moved both hands to his thighs, holding onto him as she gave it her all. It had been so long since she'd done this, so long since she'd pleased him the way he deserved. This was her devotion. She didn't stop up until he used his hold on her hair to pull her off.

Rick had gently pulled her off his dick. He watched her breathe heavily, her lips and chin were soaked in spit. His thumb swiped over her chin, cleaning her up some. Tulip raised her own arm and wiped it away with her sleeve.

She was still panting as she looked up at him. Her hands still gripped onto the back of his jeans. Her grey eyes met his blue ones and by the look on his face Tulip anticipated that he already knew exactly what she wanted.

Rick however held the side of her face tenderly. This was her shot at redemption. Her eyes screamed that she had something to say. Tulip always had something to say. So Rick let her. "Use your words." He told her.

"Did I do good?" She finally croaked out. Her throat hurt a little, there was an ache down the back where he had bullied his cock into just before. Tulip looked up at him, waiting to be told anything. So long as Rick wasn't upset anymore, she didn't care, just as long as he wasn't mad at her anymore.

Rick tried to catch his breath as he momentarily fixed himself. His cock was still rock hard as he tried to raise his briefs and jeans just for the moment so he looked mildly put together. His fly wasn't even zippered as he held his hands out to help the girl to her feet. He gave her an ultimatum. He spoke as he started pulling the shirt over her head. "How's about you let me take this off of you and you get to ask me again in a bit." He said as he watched her comply in an instant.

Tulips shirt was off and her bralette was all that covered her chest in seconds. She held onto fabric Tulip folded it tightly and held it in hand for the moment. She didn't have it in her to think too much, before she could even speculate about what to do next, Rick was grabbing at her again. His hands ravaged over every piece of exposed skin. One hand groped her breast as the other wrapped behind her and pulled her against him. Rick's hand slipped under the fabric and his fingers stopped to tease her. Pinching a nipple slightly here, moving his lips to her collarbone to bite a little there, he was having a phenomenal time just listening to the noises she made.

Rick's lips moved to bite and suck all over her chest. It wasn't until he was done leaving a few marks that he began to unbutton her pants and begin trying to pull them down. He heard her gasping.

"Need these.." he mumbled against her skin. "Need these off" he repeated. Rick let his hand slip down her jeans. One hand assaulted her breast, pinching and twisting to hear her yelp and the other dove in to the wetness she'd been keeping from him. "Oh you are dripping, baby" he rumbled. Rick captured her lips within his. His fingers never stopped moving, he circled his fingers quickly.

Tulips volume increased. Her thighs pressed together on their own accord, clamping around his hand and keeping it in place. She could hear Ricks laugh echoing around her. It had been so long since he'd touched her like this. Tulip let her hand fall to hold over his length that he'd put back away. She was losing her mind already and most of her clothes were technically still on.

"Please." She whined. Tulip gasped as he effortlessly let a finger slide inside of her, then another. Her other hand gripped onto his bicep tightly, nearly dropping the thin fabric of her shirt as well. She didn't have the bandwidth to realize how hard she held onto him. "Please baby." She pleaded. "Rick cmon" Tulips airy words only made him want to keep going.

He chuckled, his chest rumbling as he looked down at her. "Always so damn greedy." He told her. Rick pulled his hand out from her underwear and out of her pants. His fingers were still covered in her, he didn't hesitate to lick his fingers clean. "Take those off and wait for me." He instructed as the man reached behind his head and pulled off his shirt. His bare chest now exposed to her watchful eye.

Tulip didn't hesitate to listen this time. She kicked off her boots and let her sock clad feet hit the cold flooring. She stripped herself of her jeans and haphazardly folded them. Tulip stacked her jeans and shirt into a pile and she tossed them onto a nearby table in the empty room.

When she turned back around, Rick was already looking at her, his expression unreadable. Tulip would have described it as curious, anyone else would have it was admiration. He held his own pants and weapons belt in his hands, he let them clatter to the floor. His eyes crinkled in the corners and it seemed his indignant attitude fell through, if only for a moment, he smiled at her faintly. His eyes fell to her tidy pile of clothes and he shook his head.

He stepped towards her, his hands touched bare skin as he held her waist and nearly dragged her to the bed. Rick turned them slowly so he could walk her back to the mattress, just before he laid her down he looped his finger through the sides of her panties and pulled it down, effectively removing the strips of fabric from her. Her bra came next.

Finally, Rick had her all to himself.

From the moment Tulip laid down, Rick was on top of her. His lips left marks everywhere he knew she could hide them. He needed her to remember this, know that he was there with her even when he physically couldn't. Rick needed her to be able to see them and remember.

Each of his hands grabbed a handful of her thighs, keeping them apart as he looked at her leaking cunt. She was fucking soaked. Rick contemplated a lot of things in that moment. He almost wished he could have taken a picture.

Rick looked over to his pants on the floor, with a tired sigh he picked himself up and grabbed them. He dug through the pockets till he pulled out a condom wrapper. Truth be told he hated condoms, there was nothing better than skin on skin in his mind. But Rick wasn't stupid, he wasn't about to risk having another kid.

Tulip propped herself up on her elbows watching as his back muscles moved as he leaned over and stretched. She wanted to rake her nails over his back and leave scars that lasted for days.

Rick's voice dragged her out from her ogling. "Bend over." He ordered her, looking to see if she was finally gonna start listening to him now. Rick didn't like when he had to be firm with Tulip. He knew she was sensitive, his stern hand is what kept her alive but he didn't like making her feel small like that. He didn't want her to be scared, but he had to nip this in the bud now, he wasn't going to be having attitude like that. If that behavior started to shine through outside the bedroom he was going to a real problem on his hands.

Tulip did as was asked of her. Listening to that husky voice tell her what to do always made her want him more. Something about the way he always spoke with such confidence and control. He made her want to follow... it was just that sometimes he pissed her off.

Rick had ripped open that ridiculous wrapper and got himself situated quickly. Seeing the woman do exactly as he asked was a sight to see. Her back arched and her glistening cunt on display. He couldn't not reach out. His thumb rubbed over her folds, gathering that slick once again just to tease her and entertain himself. He seemed fascinated.

"Pussys dripping for me." He finally said. His thumb moved to her clit, he took great pleasure in the way she gasped.

"Rick cmon please" she whined. Tulips hips stuttered, rocking back onto his hand. "Stop teasing already. I said I was sorry" Tulip muttered softly. She knew she was on thin ice, but she needed him, she needed something already.

The man clicked his tongue and shook his head slightly. He let out an unamused chuckle. "You really are a piece of fucking work." He swore.

The curse sent a shiver down her spine. Rick never swore, it might have been rarer than Daryl actually having fun. Tulip looked over her shoulder at him, he removed his hand from her heat and gripped onto her waist, he brought himself right behind her.

She could feel him resting against her, if she maneuvered her hips back she could try to grind against him. As soon as she tried it, Rick left a smack on the side of her ass. The shock send electricity running through her. She was panting from the sting. He'd certainly never done that before.

Rick sighed and used his hand to soothe over the raised red mark of skin. He cooed to her gently, trying to relax her. "I'm sorry baby" he said moving to blanket her under him. Their bodies melded together, her back arched into his touch as he moved to rest on his arm. Rick kissed the side of her head once before he spoke again. "What happened to my girl huh? My good girl who always listens..." he said almost directly into her ear. His head was right beside her. "I know I've been neglecting you, sweetheart. Been neglecting this pussy... if I start makin' up for it, are you finally gonna behave?" He asked her.

Tulip whined at the absolute filth spewing from his lips. She didn't even have an answer. Her brain swirled with all his words, she turned her head slightly, trying to look to him. Her eyes were pleading but he couldn't see it till he grabbed her chin again and turned her head further than she had been. She could just see him now.

"Rick come on now... please." Tulip begged him her hand inching towards his own. Within seconds those big hands were engulfing her own. Their fingers intertwined as Rick held her against the mattress. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, her cheeks felt warm, and she could have cried from her pent up frustration. Sexually and just regularly. Rick barely paid her any mind whenever everyone else was around. They spoke and talked but he didn't want to give anyone suspicion. She hadn't heard him talk this much in months. "Yeah... I promise! Whatever you want." She finally agreed.

Rick balanced on his knees and his arm, his free hand wrapped around his cock to line it up to the dripping hole that been sitting there begging him to fuck it for the better part of twenty minutes. He smeared the slick mess around his tip before starting to ease himself in. It had been so long since he'd been inside her.

The initial breach left Tulip gasping, like her breath had been stolen from her lungs. She swore to herself, feeling him stretch her open. Five months. It had been five months since Rick indulged her in this. And now she was gripping his hand like her life depended on it. The grip she held on him was tight. Rick bit back a groan and it wasn't from her squeezing his hand, it was rather the way she was squeezing around his cock. She was tight, ridiculously so. The more he filled her, the slower he went, the way she held him was heavenly.

Rick pulled his hips back, it was like she didn't want to let him go as he tried to pull out. He'd ease out and reinserted himself slowly. He worked her open like that, just listening to her noises and basking in the feeling for a moment. He missed this, he had missed her more than even he could understand. Despite the amount of time that had passed since they'd done this, his body remembered exactly what to do. He wasn't wasting any more time with this.

His hips moved quickly, driving his cock deeper into her until he bottomed out and she'd lurch forward. If she was feeling neglected, Rick was going to make sure her cervix was bruised enough to make sure she remembered.

Tulip gripped onto the sheet below her. Once he had picked up the pace, she knew she was an absolute goner. The constant pressure inside her, the way it felt like he was spearing her open. It had been way too long since she'd been laid.

In a second it seemed like the man had disappeared. He pushed himself up from hovering above her, instead he situated himself on his knees. Both his hands held onto her waist. Every time he thrusted forwards he pulled her back onto him, his thrusts were fast and erratic. He was driven solely by his lust and his greed, he needed this, needed her.

Neither of them could be sure just how long they spent fornicating on the floor of the prison. All Rick knew was that he was painfully hard and if he looked down he could see a ring forming around the base of his cock. She was making a mess all over him.

Tulip moved against him as best as she could, she tried to meet his thrusts. The force Rick was using to pound into her had her knees giving out. He watched it happen. Her thighs were shaking and she was twitching. "Rick." She called out his name in warning. It was a high pitched whine as she tapped on the sheet beside her head. "Rick please." She asked of him. Tulip moved her hips, trying to ease herself off of his cock. "It's too much"

Rick wasn't sure what she wanted, all he knew was that she didn't expressly ask him to stop. He was still learning what it meant when she began to whine and pull away like that, but if he remembered anything from those nights in the barn, it meant she was really enjoying herself. It meant she was overstimulated and growing more sensitive by the second.

The man tightened his grips on her hips and pulled her right back onto him. He bottomed out inside her, his hips moved in a slight curve. The yelp she let out and the moan that followed made him twitch. He dragged his cock along her walls, the man was doing his best to make sure he gave it to her the best he damn well could. "I know you're not running away from me" he said breathlessly. Rick's voice was strained, slightly tired and worn from the exertion.

He was about to cum a lot sooner than he originally thought.

-

Tulip wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep. She was half naked, the only thing she wore was Rick's shirt and her panties. Truth be told she didn't have a single memory of putting either of the two items on. Her head was resting on his chest.

A fifteen minute nap was all it took for the woman to be overcome with butterflies. She'd never actually gotten to fall asleep and cuddle with him before. This was nicer than she could have even dreamed. She felt sensitive around her lower half, she squirmed her hips and sleepily registered what was happening. She gasped as she realized Rick's hand was once again reaching into her panties to play with her clit.

After experiencing hours of this treatment, Tulip wasn't sure how much more she could take. Her hand moved to grab his wrist and try and slow him. She let out a string of breathy pants. "Rick.. oh my god." Her hips involuntarily bucked up against his hand. She wanted more just as much as she wanted him to stop and give her a break. She couldn't decide what she wanted.

"Told you I'd be gentle with you." He whispered to her. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulder, cradling her head into his chest as he placed a kiss to her temple. "We don't got too much time left, let me spoil you while I can, sweetheart" Rick mumbled. He felt her nod against his chest. She was overstimulated and tired. "Such a beautiful thing." He uttered quietly his hand bent slightly to stroke her cheek as his other hand stroked her pussy tenderly. "Such a good little girl for me, so proud of you."

Rick kissed the side of her head again. He knew the dream would be over soon and they'd have to go back out there. But for now, with his fingers buried deep into the cunt of the woman that loved him, he let himself enjoy the moment. He could worry later.

My other Rick fic got a lot of attention so I'm guessing the people want more for Rick (I know I do)

To anyone who follows me for Star Wars content... I'll be getting there soon I promise

[substantial-exposure]

Not Shaving Cream

Rick Grimes x OC

Summary: After he shaves once they're in Alexandria, Rick has his girlfriend sit on his face and reap the benefits.

Warnings: Smut, 18+ MDNI, Swearing, making out, face-sitting, brief non con (if you squint), slight dacryphilia?, idk man

Wet feet padded along the floors of the house as they entered the master bedroom. After weeks spent crawling and scavenging in the woods, a nice hot shower was much deserved and well needed.

Rick ran a hand over his chin and jaw, getting used to the feeling of smooth skin. As he pulled his hand away he noticed multiple pinprick small dots of red on his hand as well as one rather large one. He'd cut himself once or twice from the look of it.

As the man looked up, he noticed his minx of a lover staring at him with a devious look in her eyes. Personally, he couldn't barely bring himself to look past it. Although Rick did think that she looked great. Tulip stood in front of a mirror with damp hair and fresh clean clothes.

In his eyes, she looked like she was glowing. It wasn't far off from the truth. Weeks worth of dirt and soot were washed away and finally Tulip felt like she could breathe.

Tulip stared at him and it was like her jaw had hit the floor. She closed her mouth to try and hide the shock. Instead she walked up to him, smiling wide and unabashedly. Her fingers reached out for his face, his skin was smooth. Her fingers running over his jaw and chin as she inspected him.

"I almost forgot what you looked like under all that." She cooed happily. Tulip walked right up to him, admiring the freshly shaven face of the man she adored. Her hands wound themselves behind his neck, pulling him down for a surprisingly tender kiss.

Rick stood there in nothing but a towel as his hands landed on her waist. He smiled against her lips. "Think I nicked myself a few times." He said laughing off his mishaps. It had been a long time since he'd actually used a fresh razor.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more. Rick could happily say he was getting used to this, to the affection, that is. Both the giving and the receiving. He almost forgot what it was like to be vulnerable. To be loved and to be seen and not have every conversation be a battle. He didn't need the complications and the worry and stress. Rick was slowly learning that he just needed the companionship. It took him a long while to figure it out. But right now, right here, in between her kiss and her breath against him, Rick figured out just what he needed.

Tulips kisses had turned from loving pecks to full on loving. From there, Ricks fingers tightened around her waist. He pulled her in closer as their kisses deepened and grew hungrier. He already knew where this was heading, he didn't mind one bit.

His point was proven right when he felt one of her hands snake down from behind his neck down his chest. Slender fingers traveled towards his naval and right up to where his towel was folded in and bunched. It had been the only thing keeping him decent. His eyes had shot open and he could feel his cock stirring near instantly. It had been far too long for his preference.

Tulip knew they'd be here sooner or later. There were walls around them. There was a roof. There was a bedroom door that locked. The only other factor she needed was that Rick was standing there looking like he did. A girl can only hold out for so long.

"I missed you." Tulips words were mumbled between kisses. She could feel strong eager hands run up her sides and start pulling her shirt over her head.

Rick pulled back smiling, taking her shirt and tossing it to the floor. "Missed me?" He asked her. "You just saw me ten minutes ago" he chided. His eyes lowered to look at the bra she was wearing. His breath caught in his throat, that was new too.

His hands moved to the buttons of her jeans, he was tugging them down before he'd even gotten a proper look at them. They had a moment alone, they had an actual bed, what else did he need?

He had been leaning down to help his girl finish removing her clothes when his towel fell. His head picked up, looking up at Tulip who was biting back a giggle as she held the towel in one of her hands. Rick brushed it off with a smile. God he hadn't smiled like this in weeks. He didn't have a reason to ever since the church.

"C'mere baby." Rick's voice dragged out lowly. His hands wrapped around her, holding her close and letting his hands wander around clean exposed skin. He was half hard just letting his fingers graze over the fabric of her bra. He left his hands planted on her hips. This was a sight he hadn't seen before. Seeing Tulip in a matching set made him wonder if hell had finally frozen over. "Could get used to this." He said to her.

Tulip held onto him by the back of his triceps and tried to lean up slightly. Thankfully he got the message and he was leaning down to kiss her once again. Their lips didn't part, they each held onto the other desperately. Their lips danced and their tongues began to hesitantly mingle. It had been so long since they'd done this properly.

Rick let his hands wander everywhere, groping and grabbing, kissing and kneading, he needed every part of her. He couldn't decide what he wanted first. He took one last look at her fully in the matching pink velvet set. It was pretty in and of itself . It looked even prettier on her. In the back of his mind he wondered if it would look even better on the floor.

His fingers slipped down the front of her panties. Rick was surprised to find out that she'd already shaved as well. But as his hand ventured further he found the growing wetness that resided between her thighs.

Tulip let out a gasp, her hand holding onto his forearm as he practically inspected her. It was almost demeaning. But still, she'd be lying if she said it didn't get her going.

"Baby.." she whined, gasping slightly and feeling as he played with her folds and teased her clit. It had been so long it was overstimulating. It was so much at once she almost couldn't process it.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He asked her. "What's wrong?" Rick asked her. He removed his fingers from her panties and brought his slick covered fingers into view. Rick contemplated tasting her himself but his eyes went wide at the idea. His smirk spread in the blink of an eye, his next idea had him antsy.

"Open up." He said. Rick held out his fingers and he watched as Tulip opened her mouth. He smiled proudly in response, she was always so good at following his instructions. He raised his other hand to cup the side of her face, silent praise as he had his fun.

The man eased one of his fingers into her mouth and let it press down against her tongue. He could practically feel her salivating around his one finger, so naturally he added in the second. Rick watched the way she let her lips close around them.

He felt his dick throb. His eyes were entranced on her lips and the way they wrapped around his fingers. After a few more seconds he removed them from the girls mouth. Rick let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He raised them to his own now, the taste of her faint. Her saliva and slick mixed together and hitting his own tongue.

Tulip stared up at him now, her pupils expanding and shrinking and expanding again with every breath and heartbeat. The woman was reaching up and throwing her arms around his shoulders quickly, she pulled him down with a force that left him stumbling. Her lips smashed into his, there was no reason for him to tease like this. To leave such filthy images in her mind.

Rick planted his hands on her waist and let his fingers slide beneath the fabric of her underwear. He didn't stop urging them down until they were pooled at her ankles.

"I missed this." He muttered against her lips. Every second they paused for breath, Rick was right back pulling her closer. He had officially decided he needed her more than required air. He'd let the kiss last up until he was nearly gasping for air. He was too preoccupied trying to bully his tongue into her mouth and pull her almost completely bare frame into him.

Tulips hand dropped and trailed the side of his thigh inwards. Her hand wrapped around his length, he was hard and heavy in her palm. She slowly twisted her wrist while giving his cock an experimental tug. Tulip watched the big scary man that Rick had become crumble in front of her. He melted into her touch, hovering over her and slumping down to meet her.

He groaned into the open air and he shuddered. There weren't many things that got Rick weak in the knees. He liked things done his way, he was the man in charge, he liked to be in control of things. But there were times when he liked to turn his brain off. Times like when his girlfriend was grabbing him by the dick and smiling like the devil that made him ease up on the reigns. He'd never fully give them up, not a chance but sometimes he needed this.

Rick didn't need every time they were intimate to be some elaborate thing. He didn't need the dirty talk or the shameless filth they chose to enjoy in each other. The only thing Rick needed was the intimacy and cherished love he held for her. All he cared about was that his lover was well taken care of. Whether it be physically, like the way he protected her whenever a situation arose. Or emotionally, when the nights were long and the exhaustion left her too tired for tears. Sexually, when the fire inside her couldn't be dulled by anything other than him. Rick would give her whatever she needed, however she needed it. But right now, he just wanted to make sure she was well taken care of in every sense of the word.

Tulips voice wasn't hesitant, but her voice wavered. "Wanna ride you." She croaked, still gasping for breath as desperate eyes looked up at him.

"Yeah?" Rick asked her, his hands grazing over the front of her bralette top. The fuzzy velvet was pretty but not all too practical. He didn't care too much at the moment. He reached his hands behind her back and unclipped it.

"Yeah."

Rick knew exactly what that meant. Tulip never asked to ride him. She was asking if she could tease him until he lost it. Every time she asked it would result in the same thing, she'd roll her hips until she just had his tip securely inside her. She would go even further as to pull him out completely and leave the dripping tip of his cock just against her and slowly sink down on just the tip. Tulips definition of riding him more often than not resulted in teasing him until he was bending her over and splitting her open.

He moved himself to sit up on the bed. That was until he actually laid down on it . Rick splayed himself out on the bed, it'd been the first time he'd actually properly laid on it. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched as the woman hurriedly moved to join him. The bed dipped slightly as she climbed on and went to swing her leg over him. She straddled him a little further up his stomach than she'd originally intended.

It was like a lightbulb went off above Ricks head. No, if she wanted to tease, he could do much worse. As Tulip tried to move further back down, trying to bring his cock closer to her, Rick stopped her.

"Wait-" he blurted out. His hands were grabbing her sides and pulling her further up towards his chest. The man was certain he was flushed. "I got an idea, sweetheart." He confessed. Rick looked up at her, he wet his lips before speaking. "How'd you feel about sittin' on my face?" He asked her.

Tulip felt her cunt pulse near instantly.

Rick could only describe the look on her face as unsure. She always looked shy at first, but he learned what that look behind her eyes meant a long time ago. He would swear sometimes it was just an act. Tulip would hit him with those wide doe eyes and the next thing he knew she was giving it her all. No matter how timid she'd appear, he was starting to not believe her. He moved further down the bed and guided her into a comfortable position over him. His hands now wrapped behind her thighs, giving him the perfect hold to move her and hold her down.

While she'd yet to fully relax and let herself actually sit down, Rick was inches away from her sex. He held her thighs apart still, using his hold to drag her closer. Up until his tongue could finally reach her and he could set to work.

He listened to her gasp. The initial reaction had him in anticipation. Who knew how long it had actually been since she'd been touched properly. Rick pulled her down further, while silently urging her sit completely he licked a flat stripe up her center.

There was a hand buried in the man's hair almost instantly.

Tulip let one hand lay on his chest to balance herself. Her other hand held the top of his head, her fingers running through his hair and grabbing onto it. Her mouth opened and refused to close as she gasped out at the feeling. Her hips rocked down towards his mouth, desperate to feel his tongue again.

The feel of it all was so different somehow. She'd grown so used to the scratch of his facial hair. After all she hadn't seen him clean shaven since the day she met him. However Tulip didn't sit and think about it for long. Not once he set himself to the task like a man starved.

Rick used his grip on her thighs to hold them apart. As he finally started, her hips moved involuntary. Naturally he made sure to hold her in place he was getting closer to actually achieving his desired goal. In a show of dominance and strength, Rick hiked her up closer, compelling her to stop hovering and let him get to work already.

His tongue laps at her already swollen pussy. Something about the sight above him has him doubling his efforts already. To see her so at ease and so relaxed made him proud. He knew he'd feel even better about himself when he made her cum though. His nose budged slightly as he moved.

Years ago Rick would never have seen himself as such a messy eater. Then again he couldn't say he'd ever had a woman whose pussy leaked after almost every conversation with him. The man's tongue would slip inside her as far as he could manage, hell he'd pull her closer trying to get deeper. That was usually when she'd almost hyperventilate.

Her hold on his hair was tight as she rolled and rocked her hips, craving less and more at the same time. It was starting to be too much. The way he'd groan and his own hips would sputter. His cock was lying over his stomach, dribbling precum over himself as Rick's attention was solely on her.

Tulip was gasping for breath. Unable to catch it as the man worked her over. His lips moved further up her pussy until he was sucking on her clit, the sensation had her shaking. She didn't know what to do, what to hold onto, she wanted to scream and cry from the sheer force of it.

"Its... s' too much" she whined , her thighs shaking and trembling on each side of his head and in his hands. "Rick" she moaned out his name, placing her hands behind her and down onto his chest. She tried to push herself up slightly, trying to put some distance between them.

Rick wasn't having it. He pulled her right back down. It might have been his favorite thing. She never learned this. For some reason Tulip always thought she could fight him, that she was stronger than him and could get away. She'd yet to have a single attempt that made it past him. His hands held her securely and yanked her right back to where she had been. He subjected her to more of the overwhelming pussy numbing stimulation she'd been trying to escape from to begin with.

Her whines were frantic and drastic. Her hips didn't stop moving and Tulips hands scratched at his chest and stomach. She was trying to grab onto him somewhere, she needed something to hold onto. Maybe it wasn't ethical but when she got to this point, it only made Rick want her more. The look on her face, the desperation.

"Baby." She pleaded. Tulip raised her head and she faced the ceiling while her eyes fluttered to a close once again. Her dark hair cascading down her back as she continued to rock her hips against the man's eager tongue. "Fuck I can't take it... please" she begged. Her voice was pouty and her bottom lip trembled. She was about to start crying. This was his favorite fucking part.

The woman above him was short of breath, with her cunt pulsing, and her heartbeat racing. A harsh bite was placed to her thigh, one that would bruise and occupy her thoughts for the foreseeable future. The pleasure ceased for a minute but Rick offered no time to rest.

"Sweetheart." He groaned before teasing yet another nibble over the now sensitive skin on her thigh. "I'll stop eating when I'm damn well ready." He told her. Rick could feel how wet his lips and chin were now. It was another thing that seemed to fill him with pride.

As he dove back into his meal perfectly served up above him, he was salivating. He could taste her everywhere inside his mouth. In every crevice and every nook and cranny, he could fucking taste her. He could feel her on his breath and he refused to be believe for a second that she wasn't enjoying it. Judging by the way she immediately went back to rocking herself back over his mouth and riding his face like a rodeo, Rick was rather proud of himself. She could bitch and moan about how it was 'too much' for her all she wanted, but the way she held onto his hair, whined his name, and the tears that were welling up in her waterline told him all he needed to know.

Rick wiped at his forehead. The sweat that gathered there wasn't surprising, his aching cock had been so sensitive it took a lot of his energy just to not cum untouched. Truthfully he hadn't been inside her more than a few minutes before he'd spilled himself out into a towel beside the bed.

He'd spent so much time building up his stamina all that time ago and he was back to square one.

But the knocking at the front door of the house was repetitive and urgent. In fact it had Rick rushing to throw on his pants and go get it to stop already.

Tulip was still at the bedside, looking for where she'd thrown the ratty old inhaler that Daryl had managed to snag for her some time ago. It was nearly empty. Her undergarments were back on and her shirt had been thrown over them carelessly. As Tulip was missing her pants, Rick was missing his shirt. He was already making his way out the bedroom door towards the entrance of the house.

Rough and tired hands wrapped around the door handle and yanked it open. He could see a woman through the glass. What could possibly be so goddamn important?

He stood face to face with the woman. Rick blinked rather confused as he looked her over. The woman was holding a large storage container in her hands.

Rick carefully took a step back. He put space between himself and the stranger, he didn't trust these people. Not yet anyway.

"Hey." The blonde woman said with her best welcoming smile. "I work in the pantry. Deanna asked me to bring these over for you and your friends." She told him whilst holding the container out to him.

Rick grabbed it and looked it over. It was a variety of things, it was food, dish soap, paper towels, random stuff and some essentials. He held it in arms loosely. This was so awkward. "Thank you.." he told her nodding along. Rick licked over his lips, he could still taste it on his lips and all through his mouth. He swallowed deeply. "We were ugh, just cleaning up." He told the woman.

"I see that." The woman stated. She gestured to the side of his face. "I think you still have shaving cream or something on your chin there." She chuckled looking at him.

Rick froze for a second and secured the container with one hand and held it against his side. It was a rather dangerous feat but he freed his one hand to wipe at the side of his face. That definitely was not shaving cream.

I was 'bullied' into posting this. This is my contribution to the fandom 🫶🏻

[substantial-exposure]

Oh this!! This was art!

Carol this entire chapter was so cute, just them getting comfy and spending some quality time together! I swear I was just smitten this entire time. I'll be honest by the time I'm writing this, I've already read the fic over twice it was so good!

I really love the way they're getting closer and are finally getting into real 'couple' territory! It just makes me so happy and giddy! The laying in bed and cuddling was just precious! And when they started kissing and Hunter was getting excited omg!! I was blushing!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the next part! Plus the Tulip mentions were adorable! I loved the fact that as soon as he found out she was at the house his first thought was about Wren. She's always at the forefront of his mind and it's just so damn cute!

This was so good! I had to take a step back a few times while reading to chapter to really sit back and realize just how far your writing has come and I'm telling you Carol, this was SO good!!!

Patience & Trust: Chapter 4

I Trust You, Completely

Author's Note: I thought this was the chapter where I would write the meeting of Wren and @substantial-exposure's OC, Tulip. But then the words got away from me, and it was becoming too long to get to that point. So that will be the next chapter. This was the set-up to that.

Summary: Set in a modern AU: Wren is a librarian who meets Omega, a twelve-year-old living with her five older brothers. Omega feels Wren and her oldest brother, Hunter, would be good for each other and tries to play matchmaker. Wren's anxiety and shyness make that more difficult than Omega hoped. Wren is based on me and my experiences with anxiety and how it affected my relationship with my husband. This sequel begins in the early days of their relationship. There are still struggles, because her anxiety hasn't magically disappeared. But because of Hunter's patience and Wren's trust, they're able to make it work.

Pairing: Modern AU Hunter x F!OC

Word Count: 4908

Warnings: Mild swearing, talk of anxiety, especially social anxiety and shyness, light kissing and mention of sexual arousal. Modern AU.

Inspiration: My modern AU was inspired by the amazing Modern Batch AU and Modern Fives AU stories by kaydear (Illyria_Lives) on AO3. Not to be overly dramatic, but they changed my life. I borrowed some of their background from those stories, with the author's permission.

Previous Chapter

Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)

Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)

Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Wren was surprised when she received a text Monday afternoon, and especially when she saw it was from Hunter.

H: Hey, Wren! I hope you're good. I wondered what you were doing Friday. I know it's kind of short notice, and you are probably scheduled to work, but I'm going to be off, because we're going to be waiting for a delayed shipment of materials. And I wondered if you would want to come over to our house to hang out.

He knew it was a long shot, but he wanted to try. After finding out that he would have the day off, he thought it would be nice for her to hang out with him at his house. Especially when it would be quieter, because most of his siblings would be at work or school. Wrecker had already said he was going fishing that day, since he didn't have to work. But Hunter would much rather have a quiet time at home with Wren than go fishing with his brother. No offense to Wrecker, of course. And Crosshair would probably be there, but sleeping.

Hunter didn't plan on anything intimate happening, he knew Wren wasn't ready for that. But he thought maybe some snuggling might be a possibility. It had been too long (it had been over a week!) And it would be nice to not have his siblings' eyes on them as they were snuggled up on the couch watching TV.

When Wren saw his text, she was a little surprised. She hadn't expected anything like that. And to take off work, just to hang out? That's not something she normally did. But these were not normal times. She had a boyfriend now (she still couldn't believe that), so she could do things a little differently if she wanted. She had plenty of vacation time she could take. Amanda was always pushing her to take time off. Oh...what the hell!

W: Hey, Hunter. As a matter of fact, I can take the day off. Amanda is always pushing me to take vacation time...I have a lot saved up. So this sounds like a good time to do that. Did you have anything in mind? I mean, should I bring something.

H: Nope, just your cute self. I don't really have plans, I thought maybe we could just hang and watch TV or a movie or something, without the prying eyes of my siblings. Crosshair is the only one who will be here until later in the afternoon. And he'll be sleeping for a big part of the day.

She was just going to ignore that "your cute self" bit, although her face did get hot just reading it, and she's sure if anyone saw her she looked like a tomato.

W: Yeah, sure. That sounds good! What time?

H: Would you want to come around mid-morning? Like 10:00 maybe?

W: Yeah, that would be great.

H: Cool! I'll probably talk to you before then. I just wanted to ask you in plenty of time for you to ask for the time off if you wanted.

W: Thanks, Hunter!

H: Of course, talk to you later!

W: Okay, bye.

Amanda walked by around that time and said, "Now that is an interesting look on your face. What's up? I can't even tell if it's good or bad," and she laughed.

"Well, I think it's good. I'm just surprised. That was Hunter, and he asked me if I would be able to take off work this Friday."

Amanda raised her eyebrows and said, "Why, what does he have in mind?"

"He said maybe we could just hang out at his house." She looked at his texts again. "He said hang out and watch TV or something but without the 'prying eyes' of his siblings." A small smile crossed her face.

"Ooooh, alone time?" Amanda had a teasing tone in her voice.

Wren rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up." But she couldn't help the smile that got a little bigger.

"I'm teasing. But it does sound promising, right?"

"I guess. Yeah. I need to ask Robin if I can take off though."

"Oh she's not going to care. Do it right now. I'm not going to let you put it off until it's so late she can't approve it. Do it." She pointed at Wren's computer.

"You are so bossy!" Wren laughed quietly, but logged into the system where they submit their leave requests. She filled out the request to take Friday off and clicked submit. "Happy?" She looked at Amanda.

"Yes! Very. Thank you!" She laughed quietly, patted Wren on the shoulder, and went back to the front desk.

Wren felt giddy at that point, excited that Hunter wanted her to be there Friday to hang out. She would get nervous closer to time, but for now she was just going to enjoy the fact that he still wanted to be with her. Not that she thought he would have changed his mind overnight, but the reassurance is welcome.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Hunter texted a couple of times to say hi. Wren texted a couple of times for the same reason. They weren't long conversations, just touching base, letting the other person know they were thinking of them. It made the week so much better than the previous one when Wren missed him so much. And she had to assume he wasn't "quiet and broody" either.

On Thursday night, he texted:

H: Are we still on for tomorrow?

W: Yes, definitely!

H: Okay, great. Looking forward to it.

W: Me too.

She could feel it...she had the biggest, dopiest smile on her face. And part of that was because she realized...she wasn't nervous! This might be the first time she was going to be around him when she was not nervous ahead of time. She was actually looking forward to it. They were going to be doing something she was familiar with, just hanging out at home. And she loved watching TV with him, because they would cuddle. And as he said, his siblings wouldn't be there, watching.

Giddy. She was giddy.

Hunter woke up on Friday morning in a much better mood than he usually was that early. He was not a morning person. He went ahead and got up in time to see Omega off to school. Echo had taken care of breakfast for her, as he usually did. Hunter and Wrecker were usually leaving around the time she was getting ready to eat. But today he was able to just sit with her and drink his coffee and eat some toast.

He had told everyone that Wren was going to be coming over to hang out. He only got a little shit from his brothers when Omega was out of earshot.

"Oh, Hunter, playing hooky from work to hang out with your girlfriend?" That was from Wrecker.

"Wrecker, you know why I'm 'playing hooky' from work. We're waiting on the shipment of supplies." He gave his brother an unamused look.

"Yeah, I know. But it's awfully convenient that she was off today as well."

"I told you, I asked her if she could take off, after I knew we weren't going to be working." He was getting exasperated.

"Let it go, Hunter. He's just giving you shit," Echo spoke up.

"I know he is. I just don't want it to seem like I had some grand scheme. I just thought about it after we found out about the delayed shipment and wondered if she might be available."

Wrecker just laughed. "I'm just bustin' your balls! I'm glad you're going to get some alone time. Crosshair will be here, but he won't come out of his room, I'm sure."

Echo said, "I'll be gone most of the day. We're having some special events at the clinic. I'll probably be home around 4:00."

That had been the day before.

Omega was finishing up her breakfast, Tech was getting his coffee ready to go, Wrecker had already left, wanting to get an early start on the fish.

Hunter stood up as Omega did and held out his arms for a hug. "Have a good day, kid."

"Okay. Will Wren still be here when I get home?"

"I'm not sure, but I think there's a good chance of it."

"Good!" As she was getting ready to walk out the door to wait for the bus, she said, "Oh, Tulip's here?!"

She turned excitedly to Hunter. He looked surprised and walked closer to the door, looking out. He saw Crosshair's on-again-off-again girlfriend's red sports car in the driveway.

"I guess she is. I didn't realize that." He was quiet, considering how this might affect his plans for the day.

"So she will get to meet Wren! I wish I was going to be here for that!"

"Well, you know Crosshair and Tulip neither one are early risers, so they might still be in bed by the time you get home." He smiled at her, but he was a little concerned.

"Well, either way, it's going to be fun for them to meet."

"Okay, well, you'd better get out there before you miss the bus, kid." He kissed her on top of her head and opened the door for her. She walked down the stairs and turned around and waved before jogging out to the street. She saw the kid across the street coming out at the same time and waved at them. Hunter turned and went back inside, shutting the door behind him.

He was deep in thought at that point though. He didn't realize Tulip would be in the house today. They never knew when she might stay over with Crosshair. They were on their own schedule. Hunter liked Tulip, and he thought she was good for his brother. He just wasn't sure what their situation actually was. She was nice to Omega though and would take her out shopping or for ice cream now and then. And Omega thought a lot of her, so he appreciated how kind she was to the girl. Especially since she didn't have a lot of women in her life.

He walked into the kitchen. "Did you know Tulip was here?"

Echo said, "Yeah, I heard them come in last night. You're over in your corner in there, so you don't hear as much as me. I could hear them coming up the stairs. But they weren't loud. I just knew she was here. Is that a problem?"

"No, it shouldn't be. They're usually up there most of the day anyway, sleeping. It's just I didn't warn Wren that someone new would be here. I know how she is with meeting new people, so I didn't want to spring something on her. I'll tell her when she gets here."

"Good idea. Now, I need to get ready to go. Would you mind to clean up in here?"

Hunter nodded and said, "Sure, I've got it."

"Thanks, Hunter." Echo went upstairs to finish getting ready.

Hunter had a couple of hours before Wren would be there. He would clean up the kitchen, then hit the shower.

As he washed the few dishes they'd made, he thought about how he would handle Wren being there at the same time as Tulip. It wouldn't be a big deal, he was sure of it. He liked Tulip. He liked how she seemed to be able to put Crosshair in his place more than the rest of them. He really didn't know what their actual status was. There would be long stretches where they wouldn't see her around. But he realized that didn't mean they weren't seeing each other away from the house. Crosshair was very private.

Echo left about five minutes after he went upstairs. He said, "I'll see you later this afternoon, Hunter."

"Okay, have a good day."

"You too, buddy," and Echo winked when he said that. Hunter just rolled his eyes.

After the kitchen was cleaned up, he grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to shower. As he looked in the mirror, he noticed his eyes. There was something there that he was not used to seeing. Can your eyes look happy? Because he felt like his eyes looked happy. He really was happy.

By the time he got out of the bathroom, it was 9:30. He remembered that he needed to make his bed. He didn't always do that, but he definitely didn't want his bed to be messy when she was going to be there. Not that he thought she would see it, but just in case.

The thought of that gave him butterflies. He wasn't sure what the plan was for their time together, but he just wanted to make sure everything was neat.

After making his bed, he started picking up other things. The house looked okay, but there were some things sitting around that he put away. He took a few things up to Omega's room.

By the time he was finished with all that, he heard a car pull up outside. He looked out the window and saw Wren getting out of her car parked at the curb. His stomach did a little flip.

He waited until she'd reached the porch steps and then opened the door. He could tell he startled her a little bit, so he immediately said, "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay. I was lost in thought," she said as she smiled at him.

He stepped off to the side, holding the door open for her, so she could walk in.

As she was taking off her shoes, he asked her how she was.

"I'm good. Glad to be here." She stood up and after the slightest hesitation, she moved towards him. But she moved slowly enough that if he wasn't interested in a hug, he easily could have backed away or acted like he didn't know what she was doing. But he sure wasn't going to do that.

He held out his arms a little so she could go in for a hug. They stood there, hugging, for what felt like minutes. It was probably only thirty seconds. Her head was on his shoulder, and he rested his head on hers.

"I'm glad you're here too," he whispered. He kissed the top of her head as he pulled back. "I was looking to see what's on TV at this time of day. I'm usually not home on weekdays."

"Me either," she said with a smile.

"Well, there isn't a lot for us to choose from."

She said, "That's okay, we don't have to really watch anything. We can just hang out."

"Well, that's what I was wondering about. I have a stereo in my room." He pointed towards the back of the house. "I wondered if you would want to listen to some music instead. Back there."

Her eyes opened just a little wider, but she did a good job of controlling her expression. He was trying to read her face, to see if she was uncomfortable, but he didn't see anything to indicate that she was.

"Back there, in your room? Like, on the bed?" She was wanting to make sure she knew exactly what he meant.

"Yeah, but only if you want. No pressure! I just thought we could cuddle like we do on the couch, but in a more comfortable place... listening to music...instead of watching TV."

He had an almost hopeful look on his face that wasn't lost on her.

He was quick to add, "We would stay on top of the covers. I don't have an ulterior motive, I swear."

The corners of her mouth slowly lifted as she noticed his nervousness. He didn't get that way very often, that was her thing. So to see it, made her feel like he must really be nervous about this particular thing. She wanted to put him at ease as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, I'd like that. And don't worry, Hunter, I trust you. Completely." She reached out to take his hands in hers, and stood looking at him for a few more seconds.

He smiled at her, and felt a flutter in his chest. He's usually not a nervous guy, but there was something about the way she was looking at him, the complete trust he saw on her face, that caused a bit of apprehension in him.

It was as if she was placing her heart in his hands, fully. And he knew he wouldn't purposely break that trust or do anything to make her regret that, but what if he messed up. He wasn't a perfect guy. He still screwed up. A lot. It took so much effort and time to get through to her, to let her know how much he cared about her. it would be devastating to her if he broke that trust.

He imperceptibly shook his head, clearing out those ridiculous thoughts. She was here, with him, in his house, without his siblings' prying eyes. He didn't want to ruin that by worrying about messing up.

"Okay, good," he finally responded. He dropped one of her hands, but kept hold of the other as the walked towards his room. "Did you want a drink?"

"No, I'm okay, thanks." He felt her lean into him more, and the warmth he felt spread from his head to his toes.

He led her into the small room she was already familiar with from the day she needed quiet away from everyone. She noticed the mirror again and felt her cheeks get warm.

"Okay, I don't really know what kind of music you like..." he began.

"Well, what kind do you like. Or what kind do you have, and I'll tell you which I'd prefer." She stood behind him looking at his CD collection.

"Well, we have some rock here, some newer some older, there's some older country, Ninety-Nine got me interested in that when I was a kid learning to play the guitar-"

"Guitar? You play guitar? Did I know that?"

"Probably not, I don't usually mention it..." he seemed a little embarrassed, and she couldn't imagine why.

"I don't even see a guitar around, do you have one?" She asked that as she was looking around the small room to see if there was a hiding place for a guitar.

He blew out a small puff of air, almost as a wry chuckle, as he walked over to his closet. He opened the door, reached back into a corner she couldn't see, and pulled out an old beat-up acoustic guitar.

Her eyes got wide as she looked at him. He gave her a small smile, but she thought she noticed a little bit of color rising in his cheeks.

"Well, I'm not going to ask you to play for me. Yet." Then she laughed quietly. "But maybe someday you wouldn't mind."

"We'll see. I'm really out of practice." He set the guitar back in the closet and shut the door.

"Okay, how about some of that old country? I haven't heard that kind of stuff in a while. That's what i listened to when I was a kid with my dad's record collection."

He said, "Okay, sounds good." He pulled out a CD and placed it in the player. Some very familiar sounds reached Wren, and she was lost for a second in the past. Hunter could tell she was far away, so he just left her alone and started moving the pillows and blankets around on his bed.

He turned back, and she finally came back to the present, so he motioned towards the bed, with the cutest eyebrow raise.

She gave him a smile and said, "Okay, which side do you want to be on?"

"It doesn't matter to me." So she sat down but then scooted to the far side of the bed. He turned to shut the door. At the sound she looked up at him, and he said, "Is that okay? I can leave it open if you'd rather."

"No, that's fine. Come on," and at that she patted the bed next to her. She turned her back to him, as they had done on the couch. He scooted up behind her, extending his arm around her waist. He also reached down and brought one of the blankets up over their legs.

"Is that okay? You comfy?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm great." She moved around just a little bit, trying to get the most comfortable position, but then settled. After she did, he moved his head closer to hers, putting his nose in her hair. She could hear him inhale and it brought a smile to her face. She patted his hand as it rested against her waist, then left her hand on top of his.

They laid there like that for quite a while, just listening to the music. She would hum a bit of a song now and then, and he smiled every time.

"Do you think we should set an alarm? Just in case we fall asleep? I'd hate to be in here when Omega came home." Wren sounded a bit worried.

"I'm pretty sure I'll wake up, even if we fall asleep, but I don't have a problem setting an alarm." He reached back to get his phone from the night stand and set the alarm for noon. He showed it to her and said, "Is that alright?"

She nodded and said, "Yep, great."

After putting his phone back on the stand, he put his arm around her waist again, pulling her just a bit closer.

They settled in again, letting the peaceful quiet lull them into a half-awake/half-asleep state.

Wren was enjoying the music, the comfortable bed, the warmth along her back and draped around her. And she felt a sense of calm, once the initial butterflies from being in Hunter's bed WITH Hunter subsided.

She looked at the clock on the nightstand on her side of the bed, and it showed they'd been there 45 minutes. She couldn't believe it had been that long. And there was disappointment at the thought that their time there was almost half over. She started thinking about what an opportunity this was. She was here, with him, in private, at ease, feeling quite comfortable. How long before she would get a chance like this again?

She decided she was going to do it. She wasn't sure what "it" was, but something. Something more than what she had done up to this point. She took a deep breath.

She wasn't sure if he was even awake at this point. His breathing was calm and steady, and it sounded like he could have been asleep, but she still wanted to see what would happen if...

She slowly began to turn over, towards him. His arm around her had loosened a bit, so she was able to turn without too much trouble. She ended up on her other side, facing him. Both of their heads were on the pillow, and his eyes were still closed. She thought he must have been asleep.

So she just stared at him for a while. Taking in everything, since she normally couldn't look at him that closely for that long. His hair had fallen across his forehead and was covering half of his eye. His face was relaxed. It wasn't unusual for him to have the worry crease in between his eyebrows, but it wasn't there at that moment. He looked younger than his age. The weight of his responsibilities that usually showed on his face was gone, and he looked peaceful.

She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek. In fact, she felt her hand twitch, almost as if she wasn't controlling it. But she stopped herself. She didn't want to wake him up if he was asleep.

"What are you doin'?" His gravelly voice startled her and she jumped a bit. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Nothin!" She hurriedly said, looking down, then closing her eyes. If I don't see him, then he won't see me. The thinking of a toddler.

"I could feel you looking at me," he continued, the smile never leaving his face.

She felt her face get hot and she was sure she was blushing at that point. And their faces were so close, he would obviously see it.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I didn't mind at all." He was quick to reassure her.

She looked up at him again. "You just looked so peaceful. It was nice to see you relaxed and...happy?"

He brought his hand up to her face and moved some hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. Then he brought his hand down and lightly ran the back of his fingers along her cheek.

"Well, I'm glad I look happy, and you can tell. Because I am happy. Thanks to you." When he said that, he tapped her nose with his finger.

She smiled back at him. Then involuntarily, her eyes moved to his lips, then quickly back to his eyes. He noticed, and his eyes travelled to her lips, lingering a bit longer.

She could tell he wanted to kiss her. And she wanted to kiss him. If she could just make herself do it. But that was so hard, to take that step. Yes, she'd already done it once, but it was still so new.

She looked back to his lips and moved her head the tiniest bit towards him. She could hardly breathe, but she was able to whisper, "Would you want to kiss me?"

Without hesitation he said, "Absolutely."

He moved the rest of the short distance between them, his lips touching hers. He didn't push, let her take it at her own speed. After a few seconds, she pressed a little harder, bringing her hand up to his cheek. She thought she heard the smallest groan from him, then he deepened the kiss. He still didn't open his mouth though. He knew better than that. When they needed to breathe, they parted but stayed close enough that their foreheads were touching.

She smiled without looking at him. "That's a nice smile," he whispered.

"Well, that was a nice kiss. I know I've said it before, but you're a really good kisser." She played with some of his hair, not wanting to look into his eyes when she said that. She was still a little embarrassed to be doing this. It was so...intimate.

He chuckled and she felt it vibrate through his chest. "I could get used to these compliments. But I do have to point out, you don't have much to compare me to." He bumped his forehead against hers very lightly.

She laughed quietly, and said, "True, very true. But I think I would be able to tell if you were a bad kisser. And you definitely are not."

She kissed him again, quickly. And again. And again.

He was laughing quietly too at that point, and moved his arm around her back to pull her a little closer.

"Actually, I could get used to all of this," he said, before he kissed her again, with a little more force.

When they parted again, she dropped her forehead to his shoulder, hiding her face. He kissed her hair. She had started to feel a little nervous again, and she knew she should probably stop what they were doing. She looked up at him, quickly kissed him, then rolled back over with her back to him.

He didn't take offense, he knew she still had firm limits, and he had no intention of pushing those. She was in the driver's seat, and he would gladly take whatever she wanted to give him. But he wouldn't pressure her for more.

He put his arm back around her waist, tightening it and pulling her back towards him. And that's when she felt him, hard against her ass. She felt her whole body flush and get warm.

As if he noticed the change in her body, he whispered, "Sorry about that. It will go away in a little bit, but I can let go for now, until it does, if you're uncomfortable."

She shook her head and said, "No, that's okay. I'm fine." She rubbed his top leg letting him know she was okay with things as they were.

"Okay, let me know if you change your mind," he said as he kissed her hair again.

She certainly couldn't admit it to him yet, but she felt a sense of power at how his body reacted to her and what they were doing. She knew it was a totally biological response, and not something he could even control for the most part. Not in a situation like this anyway. But she still liked that feeling, that his body responded to her. HER. Wren. There was no one else here. No pictures of other women. It was her. All her.

She had a smile on her face as they were almost lulled back to sleep by the quiet songs coming from his stereo. They still had an hour to relax and enjoy each other before they should get up. And she was going to try to stay awake so she could enjoy every bit of it.

Taglist:

@transactivecybermemory, @the-hexfiles, @ladysw01, @griffedeloup, @eclec-tech

@523rdrebel, @lightwise, @votedprettybythecommittee, @totallyunidentified, @indigofyrebird

@frostycatblr-fandom-files, @delicioustacocollector, @soaringthroughthegalaxy, @ladysaturnsdust, @antisocial-mariposa

@youreababboon, @merkitty49, @noblelightfighter, @notgonnaedit, @chaicilatte

@feral-ferrule, @adamime, @returnofthepineapple

[substantial-exposure]

Bad batch but what about…gothic spaghetti western

Crosshair can kill with his eyes in any au anyways, and I want to see Hunter lose his shit and go feral

[substantial-exposure]

Temuera..... hehehehehe

I don't think I am okay

[substantial-exposure]

Last Line Challenge!!

-

Thank you @feral-ferrule for tagging me ily 😘😘

I have a lot of wips at the moment but these are just a few!

-

- Ten Little Troopers-

"The outpost we don't even have the coordinates to?" JE-6942, one of the standard Stormtroopers paused his digging to look at the two women. "We'll be lucky if we don't starve to death by then." The man told them.

The two women met eyes, silent judgement passing between them.

"Think about it" the man said, his eyes moving to the huddle the rest of their group was in. It turned into the three troopers looking over and wondering what was being discussed. "She hasn't made an effort to branch out from here.. Why?" He asked. JE-6942 scowled and shook his head. "We're going to die out here because they put a kid in charge."

- Girls Day Out-

She sifted through what seemed like dozens of playlists with a various assortment of names. None of which peaked her interest. Although Wren did have to stifle back a giggle as she swiped past one or two. The playlist labeled "Crossy🖤🩷🫶🏻" definitely had her biting back a laugh as well as one a few more down the list. The playlist titled "Crosshairs dogshit music taste' with an accompanying picture for the playlist cover.

The picture was borderline hysterical. Tulips signature acrylics could be seen as she held Crosshairs cheeks into a kissy face, he looked pissed beyond hell. There was a blur to the picture, no doubt it was Crosshairs hand going to shoo her away and cease her harassment.

- Super Bowl Addition-

Crosshair looked unimpressed. "But if this was the World Series, I bet you'd be front and center" he told her watching the way she smiled and nodded confidently.

"Of course I would" she answered immediately "I didn't think you'd have doubts about that." Tulip grinned. Her eyes met his and she watched as he leaned down towards her. Her eyes closed and she let herself enjoy the moment.

Tulip didn't like football. She didn't care for the Super Bowl. But she did care about Crosshair and his life, most importantly the people in it. So if she was seated at a family party in his house while he held her and kissed her, then she couldn't actually complain.

-

I don't really have too many people to nominate but @eternal-transcience @523rdrebel are some people I'd love to hear from 🫶🏻

I also think @clonethirstingisreal might want a peak at this too!

[substantial-exposure]

My OCs name is Tulip!

Her full name is Tulip Rosé Caulfield. (Although if you asked her she'd say her middle name is Chaos).

I had a short stint of flower themed names for OCs for a while. The other most memorably being Rose Neary. But Tulips first name is a reference to Tulip Olsen from the Infinity Train series! I have no idea why I thought to use that name, the characters are absolutely nothing alike. It was kind of a placeholder name at first but it stuck and I couldn't bring myself to change it.

Her last name, Caulfield is a pretty easy to guess reference to the Catcher in the Rye. I think Holden and Tulip are similar in the way that they're both very cynical and socially aware characters! The name was also a place holder up until it cemented itself in my own pocket DC comics universe! 'Janice Caulfield' was a once referenced character in Fox's Gotham Tv show. Thus that became the family name!

She has a variety of nicknames, the most memorable being "T, Flowers, and Kakach"

There's more but I can't remember!

And thank you so much for the tag Care 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

OC Tag Game: Name Lore!!

Rules:

1.) Gush about your OC(s)’ name(s). How did you choose it? Why did you choose it? Does it have a special meaning? Did you have other names for the OC during the brainstorming stage, before you settled on the chosen one? Tell us anything else you want about your OC’s name!

2.) Tag your friends!!

[substantial-exposure]

-From the Desk of Phaedra Taraay -

The Tortured Sith'ari Department

[substantial-exposure]

Girls day out has definitely been started! It's been sitting in my drafts for an embarrassingly long amount of time and I'm so sorry! It takes me so long to actually focus enough to finish writing a full length fic! I never write anything longer than 2k getting over that hump is the hardest part for me! 😭🫶🏻

Incase it's important for you in your writing endeavors, Girls day out is gonna include Omega telling Wren that Tulip curses even more than Crosshair does. And Tulip also gives a very watered down and digested explanation about how her and Crosshair got together. She just talks about them meeting at the mall and leaves it at that! But I can't think of anything else that could be important!

I have 3.9k done so far but I've been chipping away at it I promise!

🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Patience & Trust - Chapter 3

I Really Missed You

Summary: Set in a modern AU: Wren is a librarian who meets Omega, a twelve-year-old living with her five older brothers. Omega feels Wren and her oldest brother, Hunter, would be good for each other and tries to play matchmaker. Wren's anxiety and shyness make that more difficult than Omega hoped. Wren is based on me and my experiences with anxiety and how it affected my relationship with my husband. This sequel begins in the early days of their relationship. There are still struggles, because her anxiety hasn't magically disappeared. But because of Hunter's patience and Wren's trust, they're able to make it work.

Pairing: Modern AU Hunter x OC

Word Count: 6960

Warnings: Talk of anxiety and fear, especially social anxiety and shyness. The tiniest little bit of angst just because of Wren's thoughts. Hunter being soft and smitten. Mild swearing. A couple of guys being flirty and arrogant, but nothing major.

Inspiration: My modern AU was inspired by the amazing Modern Batch AU and Modern Fives AU stories by kaydear (Illyria_Lives) on AO3. Not to be overly dramatic, but they changed my life.

Previous Chapter

Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)

Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)

Wren didn't see Hunter for over a week. And she physically felt the separation. She would find herself thinking about him and her chest would ache, or she would get nauseous. All she wanted to do was see him, and that scared her. In fact, she was annoyed with herself, because she didn't want to be clingy or needy. She couldn't let him know how much she missed seeing him. She didn't want to scare him away.

She considered texting him now and then, just a quick hi, how are you. But again she didn't want to come on too strong. She'd been so hesitant for so long, and she figured that's what he was used to with her. She was afraid if she changed how she acted around him, or if he found out how she was thinking about him, that he would regret his choice to be with her. Like if he knew she was going to be like this, he never would have stuck around.

The doubts she had were overwhelming. And she knew if she could just see him and talk to him, those doubts would fade into the background again. Because when she was with him, she had no doubts about how he felt about her. He let her know by how he looked at her, how he talked to her, how he lightly touched her on the arm or the hand or the small of her back. Innocent touches, but they were like a string, keeping her from feeling like she was floating away from him. And the longer she was away from him, and she didn't see his looks or feel his touches, the more the string felt like it was loosening, and she felt like she was floating away. Or more accurately, like he was floating away.

She really needed to get a grip on her feelings, because she was going to make herself sick if she kept going like that.

She did see Omega the following Friday, which was nice, because she hadn't seen her the weekend before, since Hunter came to Wren's place instead of vice versa. Omega was excited to see her, and when she found her in the stacks shelving books, she gave her a big hug.

"Well, hi, Omega! It's good to see you!" Wren was genuinely pleased to see the girl.

"Hi, Wren. I've missed you!" Omega was a little out of breath, as if she'd run there.

Then Wren noticed Hera was coming in the door, so she assumed Omega must have run ahead to see her. She gave her another hug.

"How are you doing?" Wren asked, genuinely interested.

"I'm fine! School has been good. Stuff's good at home." She said all this with a big smile.

"Good, I'm glad." Wren hesitated, and then went on, "How are your brothers? Is everyone doing okay?" She messed around with the books she was shelving, not wanting to look at Omega for fear she would see her blush.

Omega giggled a little, "Yeah, EVERYONE is okay."

Wren caught the tone in her voice and blushed more. Then she said, "Well, that's good," and continued shelving.

"Did you want to know how Hunter is?" Omega asked with a smile.

Wren felt her face getting even warmer, but she also couldn't help the smile that started appearing against her will. She didn't want to give Omega the satisfaction of knowing what she was really asking.

"Of course, I hope everyone is okay. Hunter included." Wren tried to keep her voice steady and unaffected.

"Well, he misses you," she whispered, as if she'd just been allowed to share a big secret.

Wren fumbled the book she was getting ready to put on the shelf and looked quickly at the girl.

"What makes you think that?" She felt like she was holding her breath.

"Because I can tell. We can all tell. He's quieter, and a little moody."

"Oh, well, maybe something is actually wrong? Did anyone ask him?" Wren was concerned now. It never would have dawned on her that Hunter was missing her as much as she was missing him. There must be some other reason he was "quiet and moody."

"When we ask, he just says nothing. But we see him looking at his phone now and then with a frown. Or one time I saw him looking at his phone with an actual smile, and when I walked by I could see your name at the top. I couldn't read the message, but I could tell it was from you. I thought maybe you'd texted him, but then when I asked him later if he'd heard from you he just said no and walked out of the room."

Wren was a little confused, but she assumed he had been looking at an old message from her, because neither of them had texted since he got back home Sunday night.

Was he...was he missing her? Was he wishing she would text? That couldn't be right. Could it?

Omega continued, "Why haven't you texted him?" She wasn't being accusatory, just curious.

"Well..." Wren felt tears coming to her eyes, and a lump forming in her throat, and she didn't know why. "I didn't want to bother him. I was afraid if I texted him, it would annoy him. I figured he needed a break from me." She couldn't look at Omega, so just rearranged the books she was working with.

She was upset now for two reasons. She was upset because it seemed like it would have been okay if she'd texted Hunter, he wouldn't have minded, and she could have saved herself some loneliness and emotional distress the past few days.

But the biggest reason she was upset was she seemed to have upset Hunter. She had no idea he would care. Well...she knew that he cared about her some, but not that much. Not enough to miss her when they're apart. Not enough that he wouldn't welcome a few days or a week away from her with no contact, to get a break.

Now she felt terrible. And confused. And even more scared.

Terrible because she hated hurting anyone's feelings, especially someone she cared for as much as Hunter.

Confused because she really had a hard time believing he was missing her. It had "only" been five days. Sure, she missed him, because she's...her. She hyperfixated a lot. That was normal for her. But she didn't think he would do that.

She honestly thought he would welcome some time away from her. She knew she could be exhausting. But he missed her? That scared her.

When she was with him, she was nervous, but not really scared. But when she was away from him, her mind and thoughts would race. And it's like she would have two warring thoughts fighting in her mind.

There was the thought that he didn't really like her as much as she liked him, and he needed breaks from her and wouldn't want to hear from her every day or even every few days.

Then there was the other thought that he liked her more than she thought he did, and that really scared her, because she didn't know if she could be someone's girlfriend. She didn't know if she could actually be in a relationship with someone. She never had been before. And she was afraid of what the future might bring. Change scared her. A lot. And even if it's good change, it's still change.

Thinking of another person being such a big part of her life was terrifying to her. How would she handle that? What would she do? How do you maneuver things like that? Who calls who? How often? Who decides what you're going to do or where you're going to go on dates? When do people meet the parents? What if he wanted to be with her long term?

And then she would feel silly for even thinking that was a possibility. He was going to get tired of her. She was sure of it. They wouldn't reach the "meeting the parents" phase. He would get exhausted by her anxiety and fears, and he would break it off. She wouldn't be able to put up with her if she was him. He would feel bad for doing it, because he really was a nice guy. But she wouldn't blame him. He was someone who could easily be with a woman who was more "normal." Someone who actually knew how to be a girlfriend.

Omega broke into her racing thoughts and said, "Wren? Are you okay?"

Wren broke out of her spiral and looked into the girl's eyes. She saw concern there. She was struck by how similar they were to Hunter's, especially when he was concerned about her. They have such warm eyes that show deep empathy.

She was practically whispering, trying to talk around the lump that was still lodged in her throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just feel bad. I had no idea Hunter would even be thinking about me, let alone wondering if I would text. Or even noticing if I didn't."

"Why would you think that? You can tell how much Hunter likes you, can't you? I'm only 12, Wren, and I can see it." She laughed a little at that, and Wren joined in, weak though it was.

"I don't know." Wren pulled a nearby chair out from the table to sit down. She put her head in her hands. She felt Omega's hand on her back. "Omega, I don't think either of you realize how surprising it still is to me that Hunter likes me and wants to actually date me. And because of that, I still doubt that he does. Even though you tell me he does, and he tells me he does. And I know that's super annoying, and I'm sure he's going to start getting irritated about it. And I'm struggling with it. But I'm trying, I really am."

"Well, please don't feel bad. He wouldn't want you to feel bad! And he would probably be annoyed if he knew I told you all that. So please don't tell him."

"I won't, don't worry." Wren looked up and gave her an encouraging smile.

"But maybe you could text him tonight? Just to say hey? I think he doesn't want to text you, because he doesn't want to scare you or come on too strong. You two are something else." She laughed again.

"Okay, I will. Thanks, Omega." Wren hugged the girl, then stood up to finish the shelving. Omega told her she'd see her later and went to sit with Hera.

Wren still felt terrible. God, she sucked at this!!! This is why she'd avoided it for so long (well, also because no one had really asked her out.) But even if they had, she would have tried to avoid it. Like she had with Hunter. But she had to hand it to him, he was persistent. Not pushy, but he didn't give up.

After she finished shelving the books, she went back to her desk, and pulled out her phone. She should just do it now, before she chickened out. She took a deep breath...

W: Hey Hunter! Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say hi and I hope you've had a good week. I will be leaving tomorrow morning. But that doesn't mean you can't text me when I'm gone. I'll have my phone with me.

Good lord, that sounded so ridiculous. But she'd already hit send so she couldn't sit and stew about it.

It wasn't more than five minutes before she heard her phone vibrate.

H: Wren! It's great to hear from you. Yeah, my week's been fine. Except that I missed you. I wanted to text, but I didn't want to bother you. I wanted to give you space.

Wren caught her breath. He said he missed her. He outright admitted it without prompting.

W: Well, we're a pair, because I wanted to text you, but I wanted to give you space. :) I guess we should just text next time.

H: Really? You wanted to text? Why would you think I wanted space?

W: Well...I know how annoying I can be.

H: Okay, we're going to have to work on that, because you are NOT annoying. You never annoy me. But since you're having so much anxiety about things, I didn't want to make it worse.

W: Well, how about in the future, if we want to text, we go ahead and text. And if the other person doesn't want to respond or needs space, then they won't respond until they're ready. Sound good? ;)

H: Yeah, that does sound good. Thanks so much for texting.

W: Thanks for wanting me to text.

H: :) I really missed you.

W: I really missed you too.

There were a few minutes where Wren didn't know if she should say more or stop "bothering" him. Because he could tell her he wanted to hear from her until he was blue in the face, and she would still doubt it and feel like she should leave him alone.

But she also hated leaving a conversation hanging without a real end, and she felt like this was a hanging conversation.

W: Well, I'll get back to work. I hope you have a good weekend.

H: Yeah, you too. I hope your time with your family is nice.

W: Thanks. And feel free to text anytime you want. But also don't feel like you have to. Just whatever you want. And I'll stop talking now...

H: :) Have I told you that you're adorable? I'll be in touch. Bye, Wren.

She was burning up she was blushing so hard. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Her fingers were even shaking. He called her adorable! She has that in writing right there on her phone!

W: Bye, Hunter.

Wren did have a nice time with her family.

And Hunter had a nice relaxing weekend with his family. And they were glad to see that he wasn't as moody and broody as he'd seemed earlier in the week. Omega had mentioned to Wrecker and Echo, who had shared the information with Tech and Crosshair, that she saw Wren at the library. She let them know Wren didn't text because she didn't want to be a pest to Hunter.

Crosshair just shook his head and said, "Those two are gonna be the death of me."

Tech said, "I believe there has been great progress in their relationship, and I am proud of both of them. Especially Wren. It has obviously been difficult for her. And I am also proud of Hunter for his patience and understanding."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, proud, good for them," Crosshair snarked. "We'll see how it continues to go, I guess. I'm still not sure they'll make it, but I hope they do."

Echo said, "Well, that's about the nicest thing you've said about them this whole time, Crosshair. Wren must be getting to you."

"Shut up, Echo," was the response as Crosshair walked out of the room. The other guys chuckled.

On Saturday evening, as Wren was watching TV with her parents, who were both falling asleep, she decided to text Hunter. Just do it, she thought.

W: Hey, Hunter. Just wanted to say hi. Both of my parents are asleep here as we watch TV.

H: Well, you come by it honestly then. :D

W: Ha, I guess you're right! ;) Anything happening at your house.

H: Not really. Omega and Wrecker are playing a video game, Echo is reading, Tech is tinkering, and Crosshair is getting ready to go to work before long. I'm just hanging out, watching TV. Pretty exciting stuff.

W: Maybe not "exciting", but it sounds nice.

H: It would be nicer if you were here.

Wren felt her face getting hot again. How is she supposed to respond to things like that?!

W: Well, it's a good thing you can't see through the phone, you'd see how red my face is.

H: Why? Did I embarrass you?

W: Just a little. But...thank you. It's nice of you to say.

H: Well, it's the truth. In fact, I was wondering...when will you be home tomorrow?

Wren's heart started racing.

W: Well, probably around 4:00 or so.

Should she ask why he was asking? Or just wait.

But she didn't have to wait long.

H: I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat after you're back. Maybe go out to a restaurant. I didn't have any place in mind, just wherever you wanted.

She didn't hesitate.

W: Sure! That would be nice.

H: Okay, good! Well...be thinking where you might want to go. If you don't have a place, I can pick, but I'd like you to have first choice. And I will be happy with whatever you pick, I promise.

W: Okay, I'll give it some thought.

Wren's mom woke up.

W: Oh, my mom is awake now, so I guess I'll go. But I will see you tomorrow evening.

H: Yeah, I will come by and get you...how about 5:30?

W: Sounds good. Thanks, Hunter!

H: Believe me, it's my pleasure.

She had the biggest smile on her face when their conversation was over. She had to try to keep it in check so her parents wouldn't get suspicious. She wasn't ready to talk about what might be happening between them yet. It was still too new.

Hunter had been counting down the hours between when he received the texts from Wren on Saturday and when he was going to leave on Sunday. And he was excited. Really excited.

He knew it had only been a week since he'd seen her, but it seemed like a long time. He had never felt like this about anyone. He'd never looked forward to seeing a woman so much. He thought about her a lot. At work, when he was doing something mindless that didn't take concentration, or when he was trying to fall asleep at night, his mind would wander to her. `To how she looked when she was sleeping, how her cheeks got red when she was embarrassed or flustered, the feel of her soft hand against his rough calloused one, the soft curves of her body as they laid together on the couch, the smell of her shampoo, and the sound of her voice and laughter.

Especially of her laughter. It was enough to make him feel physically lighter. As if a weight was being lifted off his shoulders and mind.

He couldn't explain how he felt about her. But he wanted to try. He wanted to talk about her to everyone. But he didn't. He didn't want to talk to his siblings about her a lot, because he didn't want them to know how far gone he was. And Wrecker was with him at work most of the time, so there wasn't really a chance to talk there. Not that he would want to talk to any of his crew anyway. They would just give him shit about it.

He didn't really have friends outside his family. He had seen his cousin, Wolffe, at the store earlier in the week when he was shopping by himself. He always got along with Wolffe better than any of his other cousins. Maybe because he was quieter than most of them. He'd had a bit of a rough time readjusting to civilian life after losing his eye in the Army. Hunter and he had that in common, even if for different reasons.

"Hey, Wolffe. How are ya?"

"Hunter! I'm okay. You?"

"Actually, I'm pretty good," Hunter responded with a smile.

Wolffe wasn't used to his cousin saying much more than he was fine and then moving on. Something must be happening.

Wolffe eyed him suspiciously and said, "Really? What's got you in such a good mood, man?"

Hunter chuckled and shook his head a little bit. "Oh, I don't know. I don't know that I'm in a better mood than normal."

Wolffe kept looking at him through his remaining brown eye...the same brown as the ones he was looking into, trying to read what was happening with Hunter.

"Well...I'm not going to push you, but there's definitely something different."

Hunter moved on, "Hey, are you and Fox doing anything for the Super Bowl?"

"I'm not, and I'm pretty sure Fox isn't either. Why?"

"Well, we're having a party at the house, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come."

"Yeah, I'm up for that, I think. I'll ask Fox if he's interested. I do think I have to work the early part of that evening, so I probably couldn't get there until the second half."

"Sure, whatever works. You're welcome any time." Hunter patted him on the shoulder.

"So who else is going to be there? Just you guys and Omega?" Wolffe seemed apprehensive. He was an introvert and didn't like crowds.

"The guys and Omega, yes. And then Crosshair's girlfriend, Tulip. I think you've met."

Wolffe nodded.

Hunter continued, "And I'm also inviting someone." He was quieter when he said that though, and he almost felt shy talking about Wren.

Wolffe's eyebrows rose. "You're inviting someone? You mean a woman?"

Hunter's smile got bigger. "Yeah. Yeah, a woman." He looked up at Wolffe after he said it.

Wolffe slapped Hunter on the back. "Good for you, brother!"

Hunter couldn't help the smile that was still plastered on his face. "Well, things are still pretty early on."

"Yeah, but you've never invited a woman to any of our family get-togethers before. So there has to be a little more to it than what you're saying," Wolffe said thoughtfully.

"Well, we've known each other for a few months. And she would go out with us to Monday Night Football sometimes. And things have finally moved forward a little bit, and we've been spending a little more time together. Alone even. And it's been nice."

Wolffe gave him a big smile, "That's great, man."

"Yeah, she's amazing. I'd love it if you could meet her. She's shy and quiet. Actually, she reminds me of you in that sense. But I'd like for her to start meeting our extended family."

"Oooh, meeting the family. This must be serious." Wolffe said it in a teasing tone, but he meant what he said.

"Wolffe...she's so cute, but not in the usual way, I'm sure some of our cousins, like Kix or Jesse, wouldn't agree with me-"

"Ah, who cares what they think," Wolffe interrupted.

"I know, I don't. That's just my way of trying to explain what she looks like. And she's so nice and really sweet..."

Hunter stopped himself when he realized he was gushing. "Anyway, I'd love for you and Fox to meet her if you're available."

"Okay, man, we'll make a point to be there." Wolffe patted Hunter's shoulder again.

"Thanks. Well, I'd better get moving. I told Omega I'd be back in an hour."

"Tell the kid I said hi, and I'll see her at the party."

"Will do. Tell Fox I said hey, and hope he can make the party too."

They went their separate ways, but Hunter was feeling a little giddy. He didn't get to talk about Wren much, and he really enjoyed it. He didn't call her his girlfriend, because he really wasn't sure if she would like that. He considered her that, but he wasn't sure if she did. But getting to tell someone new about her, someone he's close to, felt really good.

Wren was trying not to stand at the window just waiting for Hunter to pull into the parking lot, but what else was she supposed to do. She couldn't get started on anything. She couldn't concentrate on anything. She was just in a holding pattern until he arrived.

Luckily, he was a few minutes early, so her wait was mercifully over. As she watched him get out of his truck, she felt the butterflies in her stomach really kick in. This is what you wanted, remember. Remember how much you missed him. You can't have it both ways.

She knew as soon as the initial meeting was over, her nerves would calm down a little bit. She ran to check herself in the full-length mirror one last time. She took a few deep breaths as she walked back to the door, and the doorbell rang just as she was getting near.

As she opened the door and saw Hunter smiling at her, her heart did a flip. Calm down. Calm down.

"Hi, Hunter. It's great to see you." She stepped out of the way so he could come in. "I just need to get my jacket and purse. Did you need anything before we leave?"

"No, I'm fine." His warm rough voice was the most soothing sound she'd heard in a long time. Her nerves immediately calmed.

He helped her get her jacket on, and fixed it in the front. He was standing right in front of her, just a few inches away.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied even more quietly.

Then he gently pulled her in for a hug. "I missed you." He kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you too, Hunter."

And they stood there for at least a minute, just holding each other. He finally pulled back and looked at her face. Wren couldn't tell if he was wanting to kiss her, but she didn't make any movements. She wasn't sure she was ready for that again so soon. And he seemed to pick up on her thoughts, so he dropped his arms and said, "Well, how about we get going? Did you think of a place you wanted to go?"

How can she be so scared that he's going to kiss her, but then when he doesn't she's incredibly disappointed? She needed to get a grip.

"Uh, yeah, I did. I was wondering about O'Doul's? I really love their horseshoes? Do you like that place at all?"

"Yeah, O'Doul's is great. Sounds good to me. Come on." He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked out the door. Before he pulled it shut behind them, he said, "You have your key?" She showed him her keys before putting them in her purse, and he pulled the door closed.

He left his arm around her shoulders as they walked to his truck, and she never realized how wonderful that could feel. She didn't know if anyone was around and could see, but she was so proud that someone wanted to show her any sort of affection in a public space. She felt herself lean into his side just a bit more. When they got to the passenger side of his truck, he opened the door for her, shutting it after he was sure her feet were inside.

It was only a five minute drive to the restaurant, and in that time they just talked about their weekends. How was your trip, how are your parents. How are all your siblings, anything exciting happen today.

As they walked into the restaurant, she saw the hostess' eyes lock onto Hunter's face. Yeah, she was going to have to get used to that really fast. And who knows, maybe it was just the tattoo, but Wren didn't feel like that was all. Hunter was handsome, plain and simple. And he was going to attract attention. But he's there with you, Wren, He's there with you.

After they were seated and looking at their menus, Hunter asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah! Do I not seem okay?" Wren asked.

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to make sure. I want you to be comfortable, so if there is ever a time when you're not, please let me know, and I'll do what I can to help." He looked down at his menu quickly, realizing he might be going overboard.

"Okay, I will. Thank you, Hunter." She reached over and laid her hand gently on his. He looked at their hands, and then up to her face. "I really do appreciate you being so considerate about my anxiety. But I don't want you to feel like you have to worry about me all the time. Even if I'm uncomfortable, I'm used to that. And usually after a little bit of time, I'll get more comfortable. Anytime I go somewhere new, or even a place I haven't been in a while, I'll probably seem on edge at first. But please, don't let that affect your enjoyment of things. I don't want that."

"I know. I just...I don't want to stress you out anymore than necessary." He reached over with his other hand to lay it on top of hers and squeezed.

She looked at their hands and felt tears stinging her eyes. He was so earnest and sincere, she felt a wave of emotion washing over her. She bit her lip trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Wren?" He softly said her name as a question.

"Hmm..." but she didn't look up.

"Hey..." He moved his hand up to her chin and lifted her face so he could see her eyes. When he saw the tears, his face softened, and he said, "Oh, hey, Wren. Don't cry." He reached up and wiped away the one tear that had escaped containment.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"No, don't be sorry. You're fine. You are fine."

And when he told her you're fine, it really did comfort her. He wasn't being dismissive and saying oh come on, you're fine, just stop. He was really telling her...you are fine. You can cry and be anxious if that's what you feel and what you need. And you're still fine. Because I'm here, and I'll still be here. It's not going to make me leave. Him telling her "you are fine" felt like he was also saying "we are fine." And the comfort that brought her could not be overstated.

"I swear I won't keep crying this much as time goes on. Everything is just really...raw...right now. I'm feeling every emotion in the book all the time, and it's overwhelming."

"I get it. I do. You do what you need. Cry more, if you need. If you want a hug, I'll get up right now, walk around the table and hug you in front of all these people. Whatever you need, I'll do. Okay?" His voice was so gentle, she couldn't say anything, she just looked at him.

But just then, there was a rather loud, "Hunter!" coming from the other side of the room. Wren startled and looked in the direction it came from. She saw a look pass over Hunter's face that she couldn't quite place, but it seemed like he recognized the voice.

Wren saw two men, also in their 20s, walking towards their table. They both had big smiles on their faces. They were certainly handsome, and in good shape, and looked vaguely familiar.

She heard the faintest "shit" from Hunter before he turned to look at her and gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go and turning fully towards the approaching men.

"Hey, Kix, Jesse, what's up?" He stood up and gave each man a quick hug.

The slightly less muscular one said, "We're good, man. And you?" And when he said that he turned to look at Wren. He gave her a quick once-over, and Wren felt herself flush with embarrassment. She looked down at the table, messing with her napkin.

"I'm good. This is...I'd like you to meet Wren. Wren, these are a couple of my cousins, Kix and Jesse." Jesse had a tattoo on the side of his shaved head...something this family seemed to like to do.

Wren stood up and held out her hand to Kix first, then Jesse. "Hi, Kix, Jesse. Nice to meet you."

Jesse bent down and kissed her hand, and she hoped her face didn't look as annoyed as she felt. Who does that? Unless he was someone she knew and was comfortable with. She pulled her hand back as quickly as possible without looking rude. She could feel Hunter look at her, and he stepped a little closer, putting his hand on the small of her back, to let her know he was there.

"Nice to meet you, Wren," Kix continued. "We didn't know you had a girl, Hunter. You've been keeping secrets." Wren couldn't place what she heard in his voice, but it made her uncomfortable. They both made her uncomfortable.

"Okay, guys, don't embarrass her." He sounded disapproving, almost as if he was talking to Omega when he corrected her about something, even though these were grown men.

"We're not meaning to embarrass her. We just didn't realize. No one else in the family told us," Jesse said.

"Okay, well anyway, you guys just having dinner together, the two of you?" Hunter looked around to see if any of their other cousins were there, or women they might be on dates with.

"Yeah, we just wanted to come out for a quick beer. Hey, Hunter, are you guys having a Super Bowl party this year? We haven't received our invites if so," Kix said with a half-smile.

Hunter's hand pressed a little harder on Wren's back, and she could feel him tense.

"Well, we are having a party. It's going to be a family-friendly deal this year, since we have Omega, and Wren and Tulip are going to be there also." Hunter tried to brush them off, but it was obvious they weren't going to let it go.

"Well, we're family, right?" Jesse smirked at Hunter.

"Yeah, of course. I just meant, we don't want it to get loud and crazy, so can you guys handle that?" Hunter wasn't amused by their pushiness.

"Of course, we can handle that." Kix acted offended.

"Okay, fine, you're invited. Come whenever you want that afternoon or evening."

"Awesome, man, thanks. Was that so hard?" Jesse smacked him on the back, and Hunter threw him a cool look.

"Well, hey, we don't want to interrupt you two lovebirds on your date, so please, go back to it." Kix motioned to their table. "We'll go to our table, but we'll see you for the game, I guess. Nice to meet you, Wren."

"Nice to meet you guys." Wren didn't know what to say, she was very uncomfortable.

Jesse gave her a wink and said, "See ya around, cutie."

Wren felt like her mouth was probably hanging open. She'd never had someone she barely knew say something like that to her. Or wink at her. She felt Hunter's hand flex on her back, and she could have sworn she heard a very low growl.

"Later, guys," and Hunter turned towards the table, bringing Wren around with him, so their backs were to the brothers. He directed her to her chair again, and pushed it in for her.

"Sorry about them. They're...cocky." Hunter was looking at her with an apologetic look.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm not used to guys acting like that with me, but I know they were just giving me shit."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they seemed a little...flirty. Just teasing me." She started messing with her napkin again.

"You don't think they meant it?" he asked.

She snort-laughed and said, "No! Not in the least."

"So you don't think Jesse meant it when he called you cute?"

She was surprised at his tone, so looked up at him. "No, Hunter. I don't."

"I think you're cute, you know. There's no reason to think they wouldn't." He was very sincere.

She looked at him even though she felt her face getting hot and probably red. "Well, I have you fooled somehow. Maybe you need glasses." She gave him a small smile.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Okay, I'm going to let that slide without giving you too much shit. But at some point we're going to need to talk about how critical you are of yourself."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand briefly. "You are very sweet."

She let go of his hand, and they went back to their menus, but Hunter wanted to say one more thing. "You've told me guys never complimented you or were never interested in you. I'm beginning to think you just didn't realize they were doing it. Because they both fully checked you out and were flirting with you. I'm going to have to make sure they don't bother you at the party. They've had trouble with boundaries in the past when it came to this kind of thing. It doesn't seem they've matured any."

Wren still didn't believe they were doing anything other than teasing her, but she wasn't going to say anymore about it. She could tell it upset Hunter when she was critical of herself. She needed to try to cut back on that, at least when he was around.

"Anyway, sorry you'll have to deal with them at the party too. Maybe they won't end up coming. Oh, that does remind me though...I saw another one of my cousins, Wolffe, at the store a few days ago. And I invited him and his brother, Fox, to the party. But you'll like them, I think. Especially Wolffe. He's a lot like you, quiet and shy, introverted. You won't have to worry about him acting like those guys."

"The guest list seems to be growing," she said apprehensively.

"Yeah, a little, I hope that's still okay?" He looked into her eyes to see if he could gauge her level of discomfort. "If you end up not wanting to come, I'd understand. But I would love for you to be there." He looked at her very hopefully.

She gave him a small, albeit strained, smile and said, "I'll be there. I promise."

At that point the waitress came to take their orders. The rest of their date went very well. She actually stopped worrying and stressing and just enjoyed being with him. She listened to his family stories from the weekend and his work stories from the previous week. She found herself watching him more closely than she ever had before, and she realized it was because she was becoming more and more comfortable with him.

She laughed and smiled more than he'd ever seen her since he'd known her. And if he hadn't been smitten before, he would have been at the end of the evening. She was funny and charming and her kindness showed through in everything she said.

Shortly before they were finished eating, Kix and Jesse walked by again and Kix said, "We'll see you both at the party!"

Hunter said, "Okay, bye guys."

Wren just gave them a small wave. Then Jesse winked one more time at her, and she looked down at her plate feeling her face heat up again. Maybe Hunter was right, maybe they were actually flirting. Well, that's uncomfortable.

"Sorry, again. I think they'll be fine at the party. They're not bad guys, just...different than my brothers and me. There is a little bad blood between them and Wrecker and Crosshair, but I'm sure it will be fine."

Wren thought it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"I'm sure it will. They're family after all," Wren replied. She gave him an encouraging look.

He nodded and said, "Yeah, it'll be fine."

After they got back to her apartment, it was getting late enough that Hunter said he should get on home. Wren was a little relieved, because as much as she enjoyed seeing him, she wasn't sure she could handle him coming in at that point. She was getting pretty tired. He did walk her to her door though, and after she unlocked it and turned to say good-bye, he held out his arms for a hug.

She smiled and moved into him, hugging around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks again, Hunter."

"What for?" he asked as they pulled back.

"Oh...everything? For being you? For being so patient with me. And for being so kind. You allow me to be myself, and you don't try to force me to change in ways that I'm unable to. And I'm really starting to believe you when you say you like me." She quietly laughed as she looked down, picking at one of the buttons on his shirt.

"Well, I'm glad I'm finally getting through to you." He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

She leaned her forehead against his chest. His very well-defined chest. She could just imagine what he looked like without a shirt. And as that thought took over, she knew she needed to get inside before she did or said something she'd regret.

So she stepped back, and walked on through the door. "Good night."

"G'night, Wren."

"Will you text me when you get home?"

"Yes, I will text you when I get home."

"Okay, thanks." She shut the door with him still smiling on the other side. She leaned against the door taking a few deep breaths. She was still nervous about a lot of stuff to do with Hunter, and she would be for quite a while, she was sure. But the joy she felt when she was with him was beginning to outweigh that nervousness and anxiety. She was getting there, slowly but surely, thanks to his patience.

Tag list:

@transactivecybermemory, @the-hexfiles, @ladysw01, @griffedeloup, @eclec-tech

@523rdrebel, @lightwise, @votedprettybythecommittee, @totallyunidentified, @indigofyrebird

@frostycatblr-fandom-files, @delicioustacocollector, @soaringthroughthegalaxy, @ladysaturnsdust, @antisocial-mariposa

@youreababboon, @merkitty49, @noblelightfighter, @notgonnaedit, @chaicilatte

@feral-ferrule, @adamime, @returnofthepineapple

[substantial-exposure]

This had me squealing! The miscommunication at the beginning and the back and forth! The fact that they both think the other needs space was killing me!

The brief Wolffe interaction made me happy, I miss him dearly!

But the date!?! Oh that was my favorite part! Besides some slight hiccups throughout the night they seemed so happy and carefree! Wrens anxiety and Jesse n Kix showing up omg! This poor girl, someone give her a break from this family and all their hijinks and all their drama!

All this talk about the Super Bowl party is almost making me anxious because I already know what happened!

I'm so glad I finally got to sit down and start catching up on everything! This was so good and I'm so proud of these two lovebirds! They're so cute 😭🫶🏻

Patience & Trust - Chapter 3

I Really Missed You

Summary: Set in a modern AU: Wren is a librarian who meets Omega, a twelve-year-old living with her five older brothers. Omega feels Wren and her oldest brother, Hunter, would be good for each other and tries to play matchmaker. Wren's anxiety and shyness make that more difficult than Omega hoped. Wren is based on me and my experiences with anxiety and how it affected my relationship with my husband. This sequel begins in the early days of their relationship. There are still struggles, because her anxiety hasn't magically disappeared. But because of Hunter's patience and Wren's trust, they're able to make it work.

Pairing: Modern AU Hunter x OC

Word Count: 6960

Warnings: Talk of anxiety and fear, especially social anxiety and shyness. The tiniest little bit of angst just because of Wren's thoughts. Hunter being soft and smitten. Mild swearing. A couple of guys being flirty and arrogant, but nothing major.

Inspiration: My modern AU was inspired by the amazing Modern Batch AU and Modern Fives AU stories by kaydear (Illyria_Lives) on AO3. Not to be overly dramatic, but they changed my life.

Previous Chapter

Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)

Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)

Wren didn't see Hunter for over a week. And she physically felt the separation. She would find herself thinking about him and her chest would ache, or she would get nauseous. All she wanted to do was see him, and that scared her. In fact, she was annoyed with herself, because she didn't want to be clingy or needy. She couldn't let him know how much she missed seeing him. She didn't want to scare him away.

She considered texting him now and then, just a quick hi, how are you. But again she didn't want to come on too strong. She'd been so hesitant for so long, and she figured that's what he was used to with her. She was afraid if she changed how she acted around him, or if he found out how she was thinking about him, that he would regret his choice to be with her. Like if he knew she was going to be like this, he never would have stuck around.

The doubts she had were overwhelming. And she knew if she could just see him and talk to him, those doubts would fade into the background again. Because when she was with him, she had no doubts about how he felt about her. He let her know by how he looked at her, how he talked to her, how he lightly touched her on the arm or the hand or the small of her back. Innocent touches, but they were like a string, keeping her from feeling like she was floating away from him. And the longer she was away from him, and she didn't see his looks or feel his touches, the more the string felt like it was loosening, and she felt like she was floating away. Or more accurately, like he was floating away.

She really needed to get a grip on her feelings, because she was going to make herself sick if she kept going like that.

She did see Omega the following Friday, which was nice, because she hadn't seen her the weekend before, since Hunter came to Wren's place instead of vice versa. Omega was excited to see her, and when she found her in the stacks shelving books, she gave her a big hug.

"Well, hi, Omega! It's good to see you!" Wren was genuinely pleased to see the girl.

"Hi, Wren. I've missed you!" Omega was a little out of breath, as if she'd run there.

Then Wren noticed Hera was coming in the door, so she assumed Omega must have run ahead to see her. She gave her another hug.

"How are you doing?" Wren asked, genuinely interested.

"I'm fine! School has been good. Stuff's good at home." She said all this with a big smile.

"Good, I'm glad." Wren hesitated, and then went on, "How are your brothers? Is everyone doing okay?" She messed around with the books she was shelving, not wanting to look at Omega for fear she would see her blush.

Omega giggled a little, "Yeah, EVERYONE is okay."

Wren caught the tone in her voice and blushed more. Then she said, "Well, that's good," and continued shelving.

"Did you want to know how Hunter is?" Omega asked with a smile.

Wren felt her face getting even warmer, but she also couldn't help the smile that started appearing against her will. She didn't want to give Omega the satisfaction of knowing what she was really asking.

"Of course, I hope everyone is okay. Hunter included." Wren tried to keep her voice steady and unaffected.

"Well, he misses you," she whispered, as if she'd just been allowed to share a big secret.

Wren fumbled the book she was getting ready to put on the shelf and looked quickly at the girl.

"What makes you think that?" She felt like she was holding her breath.

"Because I can tell. We can all tell. He's quieter, and a little moody."

"Oh, well, maybe something is actually wrong? Did anyone ask him?" Wren was concerned now. It never would have dawned on her that Hunter was missing her as much as she was missing him. There must be some other reason he was "quiet and moody."

"When we ask, he just says nothing. But we see him looking at his phone now and then with a frown. Or one time I saw him looking at his phone with an actual smile, and when I walked by I could see your name at the top. I couldn't read the message, but I could tell it was from you. I thought maybe you'd texted him, but then when I asked him later if he'd heard from you he just said no and walked out of the room."

Wren was a little confused, but she assumed he had been looking at an old message from her, because neither of them had texted since he got back home Sunday night.

Was he...was he missing her? Was he wishing she would text? That couldn't be right. Could it?

Omega continued, "Why haven't you texted him?" She wasn't being accusatory, just curious.

"Well..." Wren felt tears coming to her eyes, and a lump forming in her throat, and she didn't know why. "I didn't want to bother him. I was afraid if I texted him, it would annoy him. I figured he needed a break from me." She couldn't look at Omega, so just rearranged the books she was working with.

She was upset now for two reasons. She was upset because it seemed like it would have been okay if she'd texted Hunter, he wouldn't have minded, and she could have saved herself some loneliness and emotional distress the past few days.

But the biggest reason she was upset was she seemed to have upset Hunter. She had no idea he would care. Well...she knew that he cared about her some, but not that much. Not enough to miss her when they're apart. Not enough that he wouldn't welcome a few days or a week away from her with no contact, to get a break.

Now she felt terrible. And confused. And even more scared.

Terrible because she hated hurting anyone's feelings, especially someone she cared for as much as Hunter.

Confused because she really had a hard time believing he was missing her. It had "only" been five days. Sure, she missed him, because she's...her. She hyperfixated a lot. That was normal for her. But she didn't think he would do that.

She honestly thought he would welcome some time away from her. She knew she could be exhausting. But he missed her? That scared her.

When she was with him, she was nervous, but not really scared. But when she was away from him, her mind and thoughts would race. And it's like she would have two warring thoughts fighting in her mind.

There was the thought that he didn't really like her as much as she liked him, and he needed breaks from her and wouldn't want to hear from her every day or even every few days.

Then there was the other thought that he liked her more than she thought he did, and that really scared her, because she didn't know if she could be someone's girlfriend. She didn't know if she could actually be in a relationship with someone. She never had been before. And she was afraid of what the future might bring. Change scared her. A lot. And even if it's good change, it's still change.

Thinking of another person being such a big part of her life was terrifying to her. How would she handle that? What would she do? How do you maneuver things like that? Who calls who? How often? Who decides what you're going to do or where you're going to go on dates? When do people meet the parents? What if he wanted to be with her long term?

And then she would feel silly for even thinking that was a possibility. He was going to get tired of her. She was sure of it. They wouldn't reach the "meeting the parents" phase. He would get exhausted by her anxiety and fears, and he would break it off. She wouldn't be able to put up with her if she was him. He would feel bad for doing it, because he really was a nice guy. But she wouldn't blame him. He was someone who could easily be with a woman who was more "normal." Someone who actually knew how to be a girlfriend.

Omega broke into her racing thoughts and said, "Wren? Are you okay?"

Wren broke out of her spiral and looked into the girl's eyes. She saw concern there. She was struck by how similar they were to Hunter's, especially when he was concerned about her. They have such warm eyes that show deep empathy.

She was practically whispering, trying to talk around the lump that was still lodged in her throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just feel bad. I had no idea Hunter would even be thinking about me, let alone wondering if I would text. Or even noticing if I didn't."

"Why would you think that? You can tell how much Hunter likes you, can't you? I'm only 12, Wren, and I can see it." She laughed a little at that, and Wren joined in, weak though it was.

"I don't know." Wren pulled a nearby chair out from the table to sit down. She put her head in her hands. She felt Omega's hand on her back. "Omega, I don't think either of you realize how surprising it still is to me that Hunter likes me and wants to actually date me. And because of that, I still doubt that he does. Even though you tell me he does, and he tells me he does. And I know that's super annoying, and I'm sure he's going to start getting irritated about it. And I'm struggling with it. But I'm trying, I really am."

"Well, please don't feel bad. He wouldn't want you to feel bad! And he would probably be annoyed if he knew I told you all that. So please don't tell him."

"I won't, don't worry." Wren looked up and gave her an encouraging smile.

"But maybe you could text him tonight? Just to say hey? I think he doesn't want to text you, because he doesn't want to scare you or come on too strong. You two are something else." She laughed again.

"Okay, I will. Thanks, Omega." Wren hugged the girl, then stood up to finish the shelving. Omega told her she'd see her later and went to sit with Hera.

Wren still felt terrible. God, she sucked at this!!! This is why she'd avoided it for so long (well, also because no one had really asked her out.) But even if they had, she would have tried to avoid it. Like she had with Hunter. But she had to hand it to him, he was persistent. Not pushy, but he didn't give up.

After she finished shelving the books, she went back to her desk, and pulled out her phone. She should just do it now, before she chickened out. She took a deep breath...

W: Hey Hunter! Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say hi and I hope you've had a good week. I will be leaving tomorrow morning. But that doesn't mean you can't text me when I'm gone. I'll have my phone with me.

Good lord, that sounded so ridiculous. But she'd already hit send so she couldn't sit and stew about it.

It wasn't more than five minutes before she heard her phone vibrate.

H: Wren! It's great to hear from you. Yeah, my week's been fine. Except that I missed you. I wanted to text, but I didn't want to bother you. I wanted to give you space.

Wren caught her breath. He said he missed her. He outright admitted it without prompting.

W: Well, we're a pair, because I wanted to text you, but I wanted to give you space. :) I guess we should just text next time.

H: Really? You wanted to text? Why would you think I wanted space?

W: Well...I know how annoying I can be.

H: Okay, we're going to have to work on that, because you are NOT annoying. You never annoy me. But since you're having so much anxiety about things, I didn't want to make it worse.

W: Well, how about in the future, if we want to text, we go ahead and text. And if the other person doesn't want to respond or needs space, then they won't respond until they're ready. Sound good? ;)

H: Yeah, that does sound good. Thanks so much for texting.

W: Thanks for wanting me to text.

H: :) I really missed you.

W: I really missed you too.

There were a few minutes where Wren didn't know if she should say more or stop "bothering" him. Because he could tell her he wanted to hear from her until he was blue in the face, and she would still doubt it and feel like she should leave him alone.

But she also hated leaving a conversation hanging without a real end, and she felt like this was a hanging conversation.

W: Well, I'll get back to work. I hope you have a good weekend.

H: Yeah, you too. I hope your time with your family is nice.

W: Thanks. And feel free to text anytime you want. But also don't feel like you have to. Just whatever you want. And I'll stop talking now...

H: :) Have I told you that you're adorable? I'll be in touch. Bye, Wren.

She was burning up she was blushing so hard. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Her fingers were even shaking. He called her adorable! She has that in writing right there on her phone!

W: Bye, Hunter.

Wren did have a nice time with her family.

And Hunter had a nice relaxing weekend with his family. And they were glad to see that he wasn't as moody and broody as he'd seemed earlier in the week. Omega had mentioned to Wrecker and Echo, who had shared the information with Tech and Crosshair, that she saw Wren at the library. She let them know Wren didn't text because she didn't want to be a pest to Hunter.

Crosshair just shook his head and said, "Those two are gonna be the death of me."

Tech said, "I believe there has been great progress in their relationship, and I am proud of both of them. Especially Wren. It has obviously been difficult for her. And I am also proud of Hunter for his patience and understanding."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, proud, good for them," Crosshair snarked. "We'll see how it continues to go, I guess. I'm still not sure they'll make it, but I hope they do."

Echo said, "Well, that's about the nicest thing you've said about them this whole time, Crosshair. Wren must be getting to you."

"Shut up, Echo," was the response as Crosshair walked out of the room. The other guys chuckled.

On Saturday evening, as Wren was watching TV with her parents, who were both falling asleep, she decided to text Hunter. Just do it, she thought.

W: Hey, Hunter. Just wanted to say hi. Both of my parents are asleep here as we watch TV.

H: Well, you come by it honestly then. :D

W: Ha, I guess you're right! ;) Anything happening at your house.

H: Not really. Omega and Wrecker are playing a video game, Echo is reading, Tech is tinkering, and Crosshair is getting ready to go to work before long. I'm just hanging out, watching TV. Pretty exciting stuff.

W: Maybe not "exciting", but it sounds nice.

H: It would be nicer if you were here.

Wren felt her face getting hot again. How is she supposed to respond to things like that?!

W: Well, it's a good thing you can't see through the phone, you'd see how red my face is.

H: Why? Did I embarrass you?

W: Just a little. But...thank you. It's nice of you to say.

H: Well, it's the truth. In fact, I was wondering...when will you be home tomorrow?

Wren's heart started racing.

W: Well, probably around 4:00 or so.

Should she ask why he was asking? Or just wait.

But she didn't have to wait long.

H: I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat after you're back. Maybe go out to a restaurant. I didn't have any place in mind, just wherever you wanted.

She didn't hesitate.

W: Sure! That would be nice.

H: Okay, good! Well...be thinking where you might want to go. If you don't have a place, I can pick, but I'd like you to have first choice. And I will be happy with whatever you pick, I promise.

W: Okay, I'll give it some thought.

Wren's mom woke up.

W: Oh, my mom is awake now, so I guess I'll go. But I will see you tomorrow evening.

H: Yeah, I will come by and get you...how about 5:30?

W: Sounds good. Thanks, Hunter!

H: Believe me, it's my pleasure.

She had the biggest smile on her face when their conversation was over. She had to try to keep it in check so her parents wouldn't get suspicious. She wasn't ready to talk about what might be happening between them yet. It was still too new.

Hunter had been counting down the hours between when he received the texts from Wren on Saturday and when he was going to leave on Sunday. And he was excited. Really excited.

He knew it had only been a week since he'd seen her, but it seemed like a long time. He had never felt like this about anyone. He'd never looked forward to seeing a woman so much. He thought about her a lot. At work, when he was doing something mindless that didn't take concentration, or when he was trying to fall asleep at night, his mind would wander to her. `To how she looked when she was sleeping, how her cheeks got red when she was embarrassed or flustered, the feel of her soft hand against his rough calloused one, the soft curves of her body as they laid together on the couch, the smell of her shampoo, and the sound of her voice and laughter.

Especially of her laughter. It was enough to make him feel physically lighter. As if a weight was being lifted off his shoulders and mind.

He couldn't explain how he felt about her. But he wanted to try. He wanted to talk about her to everyone. But he didn't. He didn't want to talk to his siblings about her a lot, because he didn't want them to know how far gone he was. And Wrecker was with him at work most of the time, so there wasn't really a chance to talk there. Not that he would want to talk to any of his crew anyway. They would just give him shit about it.

He didn't really have friends outside his family. He had seen his cousin, Wolffe, at the store earlier in the week when he was shopping by himself. He always got along with Wolffe better than any of his other cousins. Maybe because he was quieter than most of them. He'd had a bit of a rough time readjusting to civilian life after losing his eye in the Army. Hunter and he had that in common, even if for different reasons.

"Hey, Wolffe. How are ya?"

"Hunter! I'm okay. You?"

"Actually, I'm pretty good," Hunter responded with a smile.

Wolffe wasn't used to his cousin saying much more than he was fine and then moving on. Something must be happening.

Wolffe eyed him suspiciously and said, "Really? What's got you in such a good mood, man?"

Hunter chuckled and shook his head a little bit. "Oh, I don't know. I don't know that I'm in a better mood than normal."

Wolffe kept looking at him through his remaining brown eye...the same brown as the ones he was looking into, trying to read what was happening with Hunter.

"Well...I'm not going to push you, but there's definitely something different."

Hunter moved on, "Hey, are you and Fox doing anything for the Super Bowl?"

"I'm not, and I'm pretty sure Fox isn't either. Why?"

"Well, we're having a party at the house, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come."

"Yeah, I'm up for that, I think. I'll ask Fox if he's interested. I do think I have to work the early part of that evening, so I probably couldn't get there until the second half."

"Sure, whatever works. You're welcome any time." Hunter patted him on the shoulder.

"So who else is going to be there? Just you guys and Omega?" Wolffe seemed apprehensive. He was an introvert and didn't like crowds.

"The guys and Omega, yes. And then Crosshair's girlfriend, Tulip. I think you've met."

Wolffe nodded.

Hunter continued, "And I'm also inviting someone." He was quieter when he said that though, and he almost felt shy talking about Wren.

Wolffe's eyebrows rose. "You're inviting someone? You mean a woman?"

Hunter's smile got bigger. "Yeah. Yeah, a woman." He looked up at Wolffe after he said it.

Wolffe slapped Hunter on the back. "Good for you, brother!"

Hunter couldn't help the smile that was still plastered on his face. "Well, things are still pretty early on."

"Yeah, but you've never invited a woman to any of our family get-togethers before. So there has to be a little more to it than what you're saying," Wolffe said thoughtfully.

"Well, we've known each other for a few months. And she would go out with us to Monday Night Football sometimes. And things have finally moved forward a little bit, and we've been spending a little more time together. Alone even. And it's been nice."

Wolffe gave him a big smile, "That's great, man."

"Yeah, she's amazing. I'd love it if you could meet her. She's shy and quiet. Actually, she reminds me of you in that sense. But I'd like for her to start meeting our extended family."

"Oooh, meeting the family. This must be serious." Wolffe said it in a teasing tone, but he meant what he said.

"Wolffe...she's so cute, but not in the usual way, I'm sure some of our cousins, like Kix or Jesse, wouldn't agree with me-"

"Ah, who cares what they think," Wolffe interrupted.

"I know, I don't. That's just my way of trying to explain what she looks like. And she's so nice and really sweet..."

Hunter stopped himself when he realized he was gushing. "Anyway, I'd love for you and Fox to meet her if you're available."

"Okay, man, we'll make a point to be there." Wolffe patted Hunter's shoulder again.

"Thanks. Well, I'd better get moving. I told Omega I'd be back in an hour."

"Tell the kid I said hi, and I'll see her at the party."

"Will do. Tell Fox I said hey, and hope he can make the party too."

They went their separate ways, but Hunter was feeling a little giddy. He didn't get to talk about Wren much, and he really enjoyed it. He didn't call her his girlfriend, because he really wasn't sure if she would like that. He considered her that, but he wasn't sure if she did. But getting to tell someone new about her, someone he's close to, felt really good.

Wren was trying not to stand at the window just waiting for Hunter to pull into the parking lot, but what else was she supposed to do. She couldn't get started on anything. She couldn't concentrate on anything. She was just in a holding pattern until he arrived.

Luckily, he was a few minutes early, so her wait was mercifully over. As she watched him get out of his truck, she felt the butterflies in her stomach really kick in. This is what you wanted, remember. Remember how much you missed him. You can't have it both ways.

She knew as soon as the initial meeting was over, her nerves would calm down a little bit. She ran to check herself in the full-length mirror one last time. She took a few deep breaths as she walked back to the door, and the doorbell rang just as she was getting near.

As she opened the door and saw Hunter smiling at her, her heart did a flip. Calm down. Calm down.

"Hi, Hunter. It's great to see you." She stepped out of the way so he could come in. "I just need to get my jacket and purse. Did you need anything before we leave?"

"No, I'm fine." His warm rough voice was the most soothing sound she'd heard in a long time. Her nerves immediately calmed.

He helped her get her jacket on, and fixed it in the front. He was standing right in front of her, just a few inches away.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied even more quietly.

Then he gently pulled her in for a hug. "I missed you." He kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you too, Hunter."

And they stood there for at least a minute, just holding each other. He finally pulled back and looked at her face. Wren couldn't tell if he was wanting to kiss her, but she didn't make any movements. She wasn't sure she was ready for that again so soon. And he seemed to pick up on her thoughts, so he dropped his arms and said, "Well, how about we get going? Did you think of a place you wanted to go?"

How can she be so scared that he's going to kiss her, but then when he doesn't she's incredibly disappointed? She needed to get a grip.

"Uh, yeah, I did. I was wondering about O'Doul's? I really love their horseshoes? Do you like that place at all?"

"Yeah, O'Doul's is great. Sounds good to me. Come on." He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked out the door. Before he pulled it shut behind them, he said, "You have your key?" She showed him her keys before putting them in her purse, and he pulled the door closed.

He left his arm around her shoulders as they walked to his truck, and she never realized how wonderful that could feel. She didn't know if anyone was around and could see, but she was so proud that someone wanted to show her any sort of affection in a public space. She felt herself lean into his side just a bit more. When they got to the passenger side of his truck, he opened the door for her, shutting it after he was sure her feet were inside.

It was only a five minute drive to the restaurant, and in that time they just talked about their weekends. How was your trip, how are your parents. How are all your siblings, anything exciting happen today.

As they walked into the restaurant, she saw the hostess' eyes lock onto Hunter's face. Yeah, she was going to have to get used to that really fast. And who knows, maybe it was just the tattoo, but Wren didn't feel like that was all. Hunter was handsome, plain and simple. And he was going to attract attention. But he's there with you, Wren, He's there with you.

After they were seated and looking at their menus, Hunter asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah! Do I not seem okay?" Wren asked.

"No, it's not that. I just wanted to make sure. I want you to be comfortable, so if there is ever a time when you're not, please let me know, and I'll do what I can to help." He looked down at his menu quickly, realizing he might be going overboard.

"Okay, I will. Thank you, Hunter." She reached over and laid her hand gently on his. He looked at their hands, and then up to her face. "I really do appreciate you being so considerate about my anxiety. But I don't want you to feel like you have to worry about me all the time. Even if I'm uncomfortable, I'm used to that. And usually after a little bit of time, I'll get more comfortable. Anytime I go somewhere new, or even a place I haven't been in a while, I'll probably seem on edge at first. But please, don't let that affect your enjoyment of things. I don't want that."

"I know. I just...I don't want to stress you out anymore than necessary." He reached over with his other hand to lay it on top of hers and squeezed.

She looked at their hands and felt tears stinging her eyes. He was so earnest and sincere, she felt a wave of emotion washing over her. She bit her lip trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Wren?" He softly said her name as a question.

"Hmm..." but she didn't look up.

"Hey..." He moved his hand up to her chin and lifted her face so he could see her eyes. When he saw the tears, his face softened, and he said, "Oh, hey, Wren. Don't cry." He reached up and wiped away the one tear that had escaped containment.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"No, don't be sorry. You're fine. You are fine."

And when he told her you're fine, it really did comfort her. He wasn't being dismissive and saying oh come on, you're fine, just stop. He was really telling her...you are fine. You can cry and be anxious if that's what you feel and what you need. And you're still fine. Because I'm here, and I'll still be here. It's not going to make me leave. Him telling her "you are fine" felt like he was also saying "we are fine." And the comfort that brought her could not be overstated.

"I swear I won't keep crying this much as time goes on. Everything is just really...raw...right now. I'm feeling every emotion in the book all the time, and it's overwhelming."

"I get it. I do. You do what you need. Cry more, if you need. If you want a hug, I'll get up right now, walk around the table and hug you in front of all these people. Whatever you need, I'll do. Okay?" His voice was so gentle, she couldn't say anything, she just looked at him.

But just then, there was a rather loud, "Hunter!" coming from the other side of the room. Wren startled and looked in the direction it came from. She saw a look pass over Hunter's face that she couldn't quite place, but it seemed like he recognized the voice.

Wren saw two men, also in their 20s, walking towards their table. They both had big smiles on their faces. They were certainly handsome, and in good shape, and looked vaguely familiar.

She heard the faintest "shit" from Hunter before he turned to look at her and gave her hand one last squeeze before letting go and turning fully towards the approaching men.

"Hey, Kix, Jesse, what's up?" He stood up and gave each man a quick hug.

The slightly less muscular one said, "We're good, man. And you?" And when he said that he turned to look at Wren. He gave her a quick once-over, and Wren felt herself flush with embarrassment. She looked down at the table, messing with her napkin.

"I'm good. This is...I'd like you to meet Wren. Wren, these are a couple of my cousins, Kix and Jesse." Jesse had a tattoo on the side of his shaved head...something this family seemed to like to do.

Wren stood up and held out her hand to Kix first, then Jesse. "Hi, Kix, Jesse. Nice to meet you."

Jesse bent down and kissed her hand, and she hoped her face didn't look as annoyed as she felt. Who does that? Unless he was someone she knew and was comfortable with. She pulled her hand back as quickly as possible without looking rude. She could feel Hunter look at her, and he stepped a little closer, putting his hand on the small of her back, to let her know he was there.

"Nice to meet you, Wren," Kix continued. "We didn't know you had a girl, Hunter. You've been keeping secrets." Wren couldn't place what she heard in his voice, but it made her uncomfortable. They both made her uncomfortable.

"Okay, guys, don't embarrass her." He sounded disapproving, almost as if he was talking to Omega when he corrected her about something, even though these were grown men.

"We're not meaning to embarrass her. We just didn't realize. No one else in the family told us," Jesse said.

"Okay, well anyway, you guys just having dinner together, the two of you?" Hunter looked around to see if any of their other cousins were there, or women they might be on dates with.

"Yeah, we just wanted to come out for a quick beer. Hey, Hunter, are you guys having a Super Bowl party this year? We haven't received our invites if so," Kix said with a half-smile.

Hunter's hand pressed a little harder on Wren's back, and she could feel him tense.

"Well, we are having a party. It's going to be a family-friendly deal this year, since we have Omega, and Wren and Tulip are going to be there also." Hunter tried to brush them off, but it was obvious they weren't going to let it go.

"Well, we're family, right?" Jesse smirked at Hunter.

"Yeah, of course. I just meant, we don't want it to get loud and crazy, so can you guys handle that?" Hunter wasn't amused by their pushiness.

"Of course, we can handle that." Kix acted offended.

"Okay, fine, you're invited. Come whenever you want that afternoon or evening."

"Awesome, man, thanks. Was that so hard?" Jesse smacked him on the back, and Hunter threw him a cool look.

"Well, hey, we don't want to interrupt you two lovebirds on your date, so please, go back to it." Kix motioned to their table. "We'll go to our table, but we'll see you for the game, I guess. Nice to meet you, Wren."

"Nice to meet you guys." Wren didn't know what to say, she was very uncomfortable.

Jesse gave her a wink and said, "See ya around, cutie."

Wren felt like her mouth was probably hanging open. She'd never had someone she barely knew say something like that to her. Or wink at her. She felt Hunter's hand flex on her back, and she could have sworn she heard a very low growl.

"Later, guys," and Hunter turned towards the table, bringing Wren around with him, so their backs were to the brothers. He directed her to her chair again, and pushed it in for her.

"Sorry about them. They're...cocky." Hunter was looking at her with an apologetic look.

"Oh, it's okay. I'm not used to guys acting like that with me, but I know they were just giving me shit."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they seemed a little...flirty. Just teasing me." She started messing with her napkin again.

"You don't think they meant it?" he asked.

She snort-laughed and said, "No! Not in the least."

"So you don't think Jesse meant it when he called you cute?"

She was surprised at his tone, so looked up at him. "No, Hunter. I don't."

"I think you're cute, you know. There's no reason to think they wouldn't." He was very sincere.

She looked at him even though she felt her face getting hot and probably red. "Well, I have you fooled somehow. Maybe you need glasses." She gave him a small smile.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Okay, I'm going to let that slide without giving you too much shit. But at some point we're going to need to talk about how critical you are of yourself."

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand briefly. "You are very sweet."

She let go of his hand, and they went back to their menus, but Hunter wanted to say one more thing. "You've told me guys never complimented you or were never interested in you. I'm beginning to think you just didn't realize they were doing it. Because they both fully checked you out and were flirting with you. I'm going to have to make sure they don't bother you at the party. They've had trouble with boundaries in the past when it came to this kind of thing. It doesn't seem they've matured any."

Wren still didn't believe they were doing anything other than teasing her, but she wasn't going to say anymore about it. She could tell it upset Hunter when she was critical of herself. She needed to try to cut back on that, at least when he was around.

"Anyway, sorry you'll have to deal with them at the party too. Maybe they won't end up coming. Oh, that does remind me though...I saw another one of my cousins, Wolffe, at the store a few days ago. And I invited him and his brother, Fox, to the party. But you'll like them, I think. Especially Wolffe. He's a lot like you, quiet and shy, introverted. You won't have to worry about him acting like those guys."

"The guest list seems to be growing," she said apprehensively.

"Yeah, a little, I hope that's still okay?" He looked into her eyes to see if he could gauge her level of discomfort. "If you end up not wanting to come, I'd understand. But I would love for you to be there." He looked at her very hopefully.

She gave him a small, albeit strained, smile and said, "I'll be there. I promise."

At that point the waitress came to take their orders. The rest of their date went very well. She actually stopped worrying and stressing and just enjoyed being with him. She listened to his family stories from the weekend and his work stories from the previous week. She found herself watching him more closely than she ever had before, and she realized it was because she was becoming more and more comfortable with him.

She laughed and smiled more than he'd ever seen her since he'd known her. And if he hadn't been smitten before, he would have been at the end of the evening. She was funny and charming and her kindness showed through in everything she said.

Shortly before they were finished eating, Kix and Jesse walked by again and Kix said, "We'll see you both at the party!"

Hunter said, "Okay, bye guys."

Wren just gave them a small wave. Then Jesse winked one more time at her, and she looked down at her plate feeling her face heat up again. Maybe Hunter was right, maybe they were actually flirting. Well, that's uncomfortable.

"Sorry, again. I think they'll be fine at the party. They're not bad guys, just...different than my brothers and me. There is a little bad blood between them and Wrecker and Crosshair, but I'm sure it will be fine."

Wren thought it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"I'm sure it will. They're family after all," Wren replied. She gave him an encouraging look.

He nodded and said, "Yeah, it'll be fine."

After they got back to her apartment, it was getting late enough that Hunter said he should get on home. Wren was a little relieved, because as much as she enjoyed seeing him, she wasn't sure she could handle him coming in at that point. She was getting pretty tired. He did walk her to her door though, and after she unlocked it and turned to say good-bye, he held out his arms for a hug.

She smiled and moved into him, hugging around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Thanks again, Hunter."

"What for?" he asked as they pulled back.

"Oh...everything? For being you? For being so patient with me. And for being so kind. You allow me to be myself, and you don't try to force me to change in ways that I'm unable to. And I'm really starting to believe you when you say you like me." She quietly laughed as she looked down, picking at one of the buttons on his shirt.

"Well, I'm glad I'm finally getting through to you." He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

She leaned her forehead against his chest. His very well-defined chest. She could just imagine what he looked like without a shirt. And as that thought took over, she knew she needed to get inside before she did or said something she'd regret.

So she stepped back, and walked on through the door. "Good night."

"G'night, Wren."

"Will you text me when you get home?"

"Yes, I will text you when I get home."

"Okay, thanks." She shut the door with him still smiling on the other side. She leaned against the door taking a few deep breaths. She was still nervous about a lot of stuff to do with Hunter, and she would be for quite a while, she was sure. But the joy she felt when she was with him was beginning to outweigh that nervousness and anxiety. She was getting there, slowly but surely, thanks to his patience.

Tag list:

@transactivecybermemory, @the-hexfiles, @ladysw01, @griffedeloup, @eclec-tech

@523rdrebel, @lightwise, @votedprettybythecommittee, @totallyunidentified, @indigofyrebird

@frostycatblr-fandom-files, @delicioustacocollector, @soaringthroughthegalaxy, @ladysaturnsdust, @antisocial-mariposa

@youreababboon, @merkitty49, @noblelightfighter, @notgonnaedit, @chaicilatte

@feral-ferrule, @adamime, @returnofthepineapple

[substantial-exposure]

FINALLY ACTUALLY LOGGED IN FR FR IM SORRY I DISAPPEARED

[substantial-exposure]

"And Then There Were Nine"

From the "Where We Gonna Leave It?" Series

Part 1

Summary: After the crashing landing Phaedra and co scavenge over Korriban. The group finds food and another body drops.

Wc: 2k

(A/N): This series means a lot to me and I'm hoping to keep writing it as my little back burner pet project. I've also been binging TWD for the first time and I fear it's starting to effect me mentally-

Between the ten of them it took two full standard day cycles on Korriban for them to bury their dead. Fifty-six hours spent in a wasteland that was abandoned and uninhabitable, but at least it was done. The troopers' helmets were the only grave markers they had.

Metal scrap from the crash were used to hold up their helmets. Nine helmets lined two rows of graves. Nine more bodies added to the soil of this rotten planet. The planet was soaked in the blood of millions, what real damage could nine more do?

The remaining soldiers and their superior officer split into two groups. One to scavenge the remains of the ship and the other to scout the surrounding areas.

There had yet to be any vegetation suitable to either eat, use to aid in shelter, or to even help identify where they were. The planet had been devoid of all intelligent life for a long while by the look of it. Ration bars recovered from the wreckage became the only source of sustenance for the group's foreseeable future. It would last them a week or two if they were lucky.

After the next twenty eight hour day cycle, the group packed up camp. Darth Rhidlu led her 'brigade' of soldiers through the desert terrain. It seemed to go for miles.

The next few days were spent wandering, dehydration was setting, and the soldiers couldn't possibly sweat any more. Armor had been abandoned and left behind, helmets were strapped to waists and belts. Every soldier was down to their blacks in the blistering heat.

Phaedra couldn't stand this planet anymore. The skies and the world beneath her feet screamed of the dark side. It should have made her feel better. It didn't. She still couldn't forget those voices. Mostly because it felt like every few days, she heard one of them again.

She was convincing herself that she was going crazy. After having elected to suffer in silence she was certain it was her own mind playing tricks.

The barren wasteland held little life. Mountains and valleys lined the horizons. They seemed to loom over everywhere. Valleys and cavernous canyons covered the terrain.

They stumbled upon a dried-out riverbed in the ground and finally, it seemed there was luck. Setting a new course the group of ten followed the bend.

Phaedra's feet trudged in sand. She blinked tiredly. She was utterly exhausted, her body felt like it could drop at every step. The sun was bright, but the wind was growing cold. This planet made very little sense to her.

In the distance, she could still see mountains. They were getting closer. Her breath caught in her throat. It was the closest she had to feeling hope in days. She listened to her comrades converse behind her, but she didn't say anything.

A voice echoed from the distance. Whispering her name in the wind and she shrugged it off. Her mind was playing tricks on her. It was dehydration and starvation.

As they passed the ridge, she could just make out the labyrinth that been carved out and  hidden inside the rock. She swore she could hear the voice again. Phaedra could feel the tainted energy that protruded from it. Something inside her called to it. It ached to show her and let her see what it was. To see what or who laid there. And then someone told her the exact opposite.

"Do not." It stated. "The call to the labyrinth of tombs is strong, My Sith'ari you must not. It's the call of the dead." The voice was quiet, whispered. It spoke only in the winds. 'Beware of the shadows." It whispered. "They hide more than just the dark." It continued.

Phaedra's brow furrowed. She shook her head, enough of this. Once she found either shelter, food, or water, she'd be able to figure out the rest. The voices were just in her head. Surely, they had to be. It was a symptom of her state of being. It had to be.

"Do you think the First Order is going to be able to find us here?" TK-7493 asked aloud. His voice came hoarse from his dry vocal cords. Phaedra thought his voice sounded a lot deeper than it usually did.

Another Trooper, PH-5820, the last Execution Trooper left, answered him sadly. "Computers were down before we even dropped." He let out a strangled cough. "It's highly unlikely they know where we are" he added on.

The chatter continued between the Troopers as they began their hike up one of the mountain ridges.

FN-2187 didn't say much. Instead, he licked over his dry lips and continued to march dutifully behind his officer.

CZ-5039 was stripping herself of her gauntlets, they stayed at her waist and attached to her belt. Her tanned skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat. She'd been continuously wiping her forehead to rid herself of the feeling.

As Phaedra stood at the top of the peak, her strained eyes laid upon salvation. They had found what she assumed to be an ancient city. Thousands of years ago it might have been home to many overly crowded housing units. It stood half standing and crumbling all these generations later.

The ruins and dirt would shelter and nurse her and her troops back to health. Phaedra let her tired feet drag against rock. The wind spoke to her in echoes.

Phaedra looked down to the ruins below, she actually smiled. They'd make it there in two hours perhaps. If they kept pace that is. "There. We'll set up camp there." She told them sternly.

She grabbed her helmet from off her side. It opened and she encased it around her head, clicking it in place. Phaedra used it to start her descent down the mountain side. It was steep, but the sensors inside her helmet scanned the terrain and made it a lot easier. She'd managed to sustain her battery since the crash. Eighty-nine percent would last her nicely.

Her voice echoed faintly from within the barren room.

"From the private journals of Phaedra Taraay." The girl spoke clearly she turned on her helmet and let the recorder run. She'd keep updating all of her logs like this.

"It's been about two weeks now. This planet is strange." She began to explain. The girl felt comfortable being alone here. To finally have a second where nobody looked to her for aid. "I feel like I'm going crazy. I think I'm hearing things. I keep hearing voices." She spoke sternly. "We haven't lost anyone else yet but we've officially run out of rations. WM-3501 went scouting and found this strange... I don't want to call it a pond but he found something in the water. Last I checked they were trying to find a way to roast it but.. I don't know anymore." She said rubbing her temples.

Phaedra was tired. She was past the point of panic. "I still don't know what planet we're on, Hux would know. He'd be screaming at me for not knowing this. It's mostly mountains, canyons, and deserts. But we reached the end of what looks like a swamp." She said circling back to the important information she needed to share. "I've yet to have any luck trying to search for the outpost. Every planet is supposed to have one corporate outpost but this place is desolate." She emphasized. "There's skeletons everywhere and this place reeks of the dark side. I think this place is haunted." She confessed. pulling her knees in to her chest.

"I think the ghosts are talking to me." She rested her chin on her knees. "I think they like me." She divulged while letting out a long sigh, her head turned to let her cheek hit her knee. "I don't think anyone else can hear them, but every time I hear them, FN-2187 looks like he knows something." She scrunched up her face in thought. "I don't really know anything anymore. I'm just trying to keep us alive but I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just following my instincts and the voices are trying to aid me. They keep calling me the Sith'ari" she said exhaling heavily.

"I'm venting. I'll figure it out, in time. I need to conserve my battery. But..." her legs slid down. Her hands folded in her lap. "Master, if you can hear me, or hear this, I'm gonna figure it out." She picked up her helmet with both hands. Phaedra looked into the visor and saw her own reflection. She didn't like the way her face was thinning. She swallowed dryly and spoke again. "Phae out." She muttered and turned off the recording. She dropped her helmet to the ground.

Phaedra found comfort in curling back up. Her knees were pulled to her chest. In that moment she no longer looked like the fearsome boogeyman the universe had grown to know her as. Instead, a scared girl sat alone in ruins.

Her cloak had been repurposed into a blanket since the initial crash. She shifted on the floor, wrapping it around herself. Phaedra leaned down and used her arm to wipe some of the dust and pebbles away. She rested her head against hard stone and let out a deep breath.

Maybe if she slept, she'd come up with something. Yeah... maybe..

Phaedra managed to sleep for a total of forty minutes before one of her stormtroopers came to grab her.

WM-3501 had finished roasting whatever "animal" he pulled out from the swamp. It seemed that whatever it was he had fished out would have to suffice as food.

FN-2187 had stood outside of the 'room' Phaedra had claimed as her own. There was no door, there was nothing of comfort, all she had was a ratty old cloak and her helmet sitting beside her.

He ran a hand over his hair, he didn't want to be the one to wake her. He'd spent two weeks here now with her but still shuttered at the thought of spoiling the little rest she got. He'd quickly learned that something was off here.

Whenever he saw her sleep, she was twitching and sporadic, she looked almost pained. She'd wake up screaming or rambling about people and places nobody had ever heard of. In fact only a few days ago she almost killed JE- 6942. She'd awoken in a panic and called her saber into her hand, she hadn't even opened her eyes before she ignited it.

FN-2187 really didn't want it to be him next. But still, he watched the sleeping girl with a fond smile. Her face was scrunched up slightly, and she looked uncomfortable on the floor.

It felt like waking a sleeping Rancor. But he swallowed and took a few steps closer, he used his foot to tap the bottom of her boots. The tips of his stormtrooper issued boots meeting her soles for a moment. He nudged her awake.

"Rhidlu." He whispered, trying to wake her up as gently as he could. "Rhidlu!" The man asked again. He heard her sharp intake of breath and watched her eyes shoot open.

Her hands scrambled at the floor as she picked herself up and looked at him, shocked. Every time she awoke she was disoriented, unaware of where she was and what was going on.

She looked at the face of her comrade and tried to calm her heaving breaths. "What?" She asked, almost angry. She never slept well.

"Dinners ready." He said flatly. He was scared he upset her so he tried to stay as neutral as possible. FN-2187 knew he had to be chill. He had to be cool, as cool as one could be when swapping between overheating and freezing to death on an hourly basis.

Phaedra blinked back her confusion as she recalled her world before her slumber. Oh Maker, right. "That thing?" She asked quietly. "Hows it look?" Phae asked looking to the troopers face.

FN-2187 only grimaced. "Like it's all we got." He confessed truthfully. He didn't look happy about it. He could clearly see that she didn't either. The man swallowed, he was starving and truthfully whatever monstrosity WM-3501 cooked up might have been his best bet. It might have been everyone's.

Phaedra picked herself up from the floor. She left her helmet behind and tracked back in silence with the trooper. Her gaze shifted to look at the back of his head a few times. His hair was growing out, slowly but surely. Back on base he would have been due for a haircut just about when they originally crashed. She shook away her useless thoughts, after all it was time for supper.

WM-3501 sat along with the rest of the troopers around the fire they'd started hours ago. There was barely anything to burn. The fire would be out within the hour. He stood with a knife in his hand, hovering over the 'fish' he'd pulled out.

The trooper used his knife to slice up servings for each surviving member of their party. Ten people were served.

Despite how much Phaedra hadn't been looking forward to this, it wasn't as bad as she'd originally thought. The meat was tough and chewy, each bite took ample time to work through and swallow. But it was sustenance. It was something other an a ration pack.

"This actually isn't horrible." One of the Elite Troopers spoke up to say. CZ-5039 took a chunk of another bite. She worked her way through it. "Way better than what they give us in mess." She tried to joke through a mouth full.

It seemed every Trooper, Phaedra included stared at her. Each and every one of them would have sold every material belonging they'd once held dear, just for the idea of a feast like the mess hall.

"Is anyone else's throat kind of... itchy?" WM-3501 asked. His hand raised to rub the outside of his throat as he let out a stray cough to try and clear the imaginary blockage.

The last of the execution troopers spoke. PH-5820 sounded almost casual. "Maybe you missed a few scales? I got a few here." He pointed out as he surveyed over his chunk of meat.

WM-3501 nodded his head in understanding. He looked over the meat quizzically before taking another bite. That made sense, sure.

FN-2187 ate in silence for the most part. He made a comment or two and joined in the idle conversation that floated around. He'd eaten a lot slower. Not used to the toughness of the meat he was consuming. It was almost like rubber to him.

Phaedra on the other hand, took what she could. She ate every bite in front of her. Every single day depleted her of all her strength. She needed all the nourishment she could get.

The troopers ate till their empty stomachs finally felt satiated. There had only been one downside. They'd depleted their clean drinking water hours ago. They wouldn't be able to go through the process again until tomorrow with the daylight.

Ten troopers ate their supper and cleaned their plates. The fire had dwindled out and their drinking water had run dry. Their camp looked rather sad. It barely existed except for the few things they'd lugged from off the destroyed ship weeks ago. Night fell upon the planet of Korriban. The abandoned city had served them well.

For the rest of the night up until everyone retired to their own abandoned rooms, WM-3501 was complaining. He hadn't shut his mouth since dinner. His throat still felt scratchy, his skin was itchy, he was utterly convinced his face was swelling, and his stomach cramped and bubbled. Most of the Troopers chalked it up as the usual. WM-3501 was always a drama queen.

Nobody really paid attention until it was too late. The man was wheezing, barely sitting upright. One of the troopers, JE-6942, had been in the 'room' next to him. The trooper had found him on the floor, struggling to take in air. He'd run to get the others.

Phaedra was the last to hear about it, she'd been outside staring at the sky. The girl was desperate to find their actual location, she needed a way to navigate and get a sense of direction. Instead all she heard was the commotion.

As soon as they called for her, she bolted. The force user ran as quickly as she could, only stopping once she saw JE-6942 and CA-3638 holding up the almost unconscious trooper. His heart rate had slowed to the point it was nonexistent. A few faint pulses as his body slowly gave up.

Phaedra swallowed her nerves. She looked at the man and the marks on his body. The hives looked gruesome. The way his face paled just as offputting.

"Get him up." The girl demanded. She moved closer, looking at the trooper just seconds away from death. She looked around frantically, her eyes landing on one of her comrades who stood nervously in the corner. "You." She said pointing to him

FN-2187 felt his heart leap into his throat. Him? What the hell did he do? "Ma'am?" He asked her quickly. The only formality he kept was that term. After all, they were all going to die out here soon enough. He was watching it happen in front of him right now.

"Grab the medpac, maybe there's something we can-" Phaedra had started to say. But it was too late.

In the force the girl could feel it just before she saw it. She felt his heartbeat slow to a stop. Snuffed out by the horrid reaction his body had to the food. It wasn't from battle and it wasn't from a murder and yet another soul had been claimed to the sands of Korriban.

"Crap." CA-3638 spoke as the man went limp in his arms.

Phaedra moved to rip the knife WM-3501 kept on his belt. She knew they'd be burying him in the morning. The girl was beyond disappointed. She had no way of knowing that he was allergic to such a creature. After all she hadn't even known herself what it was they were eating, but she was their leader. Despite being younger than them all, she was their superior, at least she had been at home. She was trying her best to keep them all alive. Phaedra blamed herself for this. This morning she had ten troopers. She had ten troopers filed in line, they settled down after dinner and then there were nine.

Taglist: @clonethirstingisreal @feral-ferrule

[substantial-exposure]

"Ten Little Troopers"

From the "Where We Gonna Leave It" Series

Summary: Over a year before TFA, Stormtrooper FN-2187 had a crush on a superior officer. He'd never spoken to her but one day he got his chance. Then of course a crash landing renders half their team dead. It's up to Phaedra Taraay to get all her men to safety. A romance begins to bloom along their perilous path...

WC: 2k (estimated?)

(A/N): This series has been in the works since January and I finally got around to start posting it! Finn and Phaedra are worth the wait I promise you!

FN-2187 worked in sanitation.

Just like every Stormtrooper in the last twenty five years he was taken as a child from his family. No memory of any of them. He was left without an inkling of an idea of where he came from.

He was put through induct camp, processed into batch eight, and somehow despite being marked a literal soldier and member of the FN Corps he'd been funnelled down to work in sanitation. Part time soldier, part time janitor.

Amazing.

FN-2187 did his job. He very rarely had personal free time. The First Order didn't exactly allow much time for anything else. He would spend a day as a soldier just occupying space. Then he would spent a day going floor by floor. He enjoyed sanitation days more than the alternative. He still never quite understood how they were helping the galaxy. Their presence on planets seemed to just be intimidation. That they were only there to beat people into their space and make them fall into line. The only violence he ever saw was in training simulations. He spent half his days contemplating and feeling guilty. The other half he spent happily parading around Star Killer base. Nothing made him more excited than the one time a week he got to pass through Precinct 9904.

Unless there was an foreseen circumstance, he was guaranteed to get a glimpse of her. He looked forward to this day every week. His chest would grow tight and he would swear he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. Despite being hid behind a uniform and a helmet, he could see her every time.

Last week he'd seen her leave the training room, tired and angry and pulsing with energy. He'd been in the middle of opening up a wall panel when he heard the thunder of her footsteps. He had heard the angry huff in her breath and he had seen her tight grip she held on her saber.

She looked absolutely pissed. And he hadn't cared. All he cared to realize that she wasn't wearing her helmet and she'd gotten her hair cut.

FN-2187 wondered what she'd be doing this week. Maybe she'd walk passed him like she had last month. Or maybe she would be walking with General Hux? There even was a chance she'd be in the training room again.

Except as soon as he scanned through the precinct, a blaring alarm sounded.

He looked through the visor of his helmet. He heard them before he saw them. A large group of stormtroopers, six elite troopers and six execution troopers came marching down the hall. FN-2187's heart began to pick up as he saw who led them. Standing fierce and tall and powerful.

Phaedra Taraay carried herself highly as she marched down the hall. FN-2187 stared in awe as she approached. It was as she took each step closer he realized that he had never actually been this close to her. He felt like he was going to throw up in his helmet.

He failed to actually acknowledge her as his superior. He didn't salute, he didn't say anything, he just stood there. She held her hilt in one hand and her helmet was held tightly in the other. She looked too preoccupied to even care.

Because as soon as she reached FN-2187 and his partner in the hall, her voice reverberated inside their skulls.

"You two with me." She had stated, not slowing down in the slightest. The two Stormtroopers fell into line far behind the other troopers. They marched in line, following blindly to the nearest hangar. The group had managed to pick up another four troopers on the way. The soldiers piled into her ship. It was state of the art Upsilon-class shuttle, it fit the soldiers as well as Phaedra comfortably.

Two soldiers took control of the piloting and another took care of the calculations necessary for them to jump to light speed. The rest stood at arms. A total of eighteen soldiers in total. They were on their way to a battle happening outside the atmosphere of Dantooine.

A resistance safe house was found only a few short hours ago. Phaedra was called in as reinforcements, she had grabbed her usual squad of random Troopers she had never really cared to learn the names of and any one of them she could get her hands on after.

Phaedra stood tall in the center of her ship. Her held tight on her lightsaber hilt as she tapped the barrel end anxiously against her palm. She took a few deep breaths, like she was mentally preparing herself for a bloodbath.

Meanwhile FN-2187 was certain he was shaking. This was her shuttle. He was standing inside her shuttle. Forget that, she was standing right there. He looked at her from this new angle. So close and so present. He could see the crease in her brow from her furious and hard expression.

He thought it was rather cute. Granted he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help but find the pout she wore endearing. He watched her take a deep breath and stare out the large windshield and stare at the hyperspace streaks just outside the window.

They exited hyperspace after a few short minutes. As soon as they exited the jump, it was a firefight. Phaedras breath caught in her throat as she looked at the sky surrounding them. By now the entire sky was streaking with hyperdrive rings. Lasers from battleships were firing from every direction. It was a whirlwind battle. As far as the eye could see it was confusion and mayhem in all directions.

FN-2187 stared in horror. He watch as Phaedra Taraay stepped towards the front of the ship. She stood before the pilots seats and she pointed into the distance.

"Get me to the surface. I need to get into that base." She had said. Her gaze fixated on the land down on the planets surface. Phaedra had her own objective here. The Boogeyman had her orders and her kill list. All that was left was to sit back and let her off of her leash.

The last thing anyone should ever do in that situation was question her or disagree...

"With all due respect, ma'am, we can't maneuver around. They're in the process of an air strike... I don't know if it'll be safe or even possible to land." The one Elite Trooper told her from the pilots seat. He flipped a switch and looked up behind him. Looking at his superior and waiting for her instruction.

"I dont repeat myself. Land." She ordered.

FN-2187 took a shaking breath and held onto his blaster. So were they just storming this place with no actual clue what was going on? He wondered for a moment if the other Troopers were actually briefed on this.

The entire ship shook, much to the surprise of everyone. It seemed like all eyes looked around the vessel, to its ceilings, to its floorboards, to its doors. And then it shook again.

"What's going on?" Phaedra asked. The ship sputtered, falling a few feet lower to the ground.

"They're shooting at us ma'am." The co-pilot stated.

Phaedras eye twitched. "I know that." She grumbled. "Why aren't the shields up? They shouldn't be able to get through." She said grabbing ahold of the seat and leaning forward to look at the screens of the console.

"They are. Shields are at fifty percent ma'am."

She didn't have time to grapple with the fact of how that was even possible. Phaedra walked to stand between the two pilots, she squinted trying to ignore the particle beams and explosions outside the window. The light was moments blinding as she stared at the screen in the cockpit. The readings didn't make any sense.

The ship shook again. This time Phaedra didn't waste a second. "Get me down to the surface."

"Ma'am our fuel supply... I think.. I think it's draining."

"What?" She asked. Her eyes went wide as she turned to a separate screen and watched the numbers slowly decline. She wanted to break something. Kick something. Snap a bone or hear the sound of her saber melting solid metal till it pooled and solidified to something even slightly more helpful. Instead she took a deep breath and tried to curb the searing anger inside her chest.

"What are our orders?"

"Ma'am!"

"Get us out of here." She barked the order. The entire ship shook violently. Sending everyone aboard lurching a few steps forward. An insistent and constant rain of fire was 'blocked' by their shields, they were barely held together now. Phaedra held tightly onto the back of the pilots chair as she tried to keep her footing. She had called upon the force just to keep herself upright.

"The nav system is shot" the copilot said. His terror was evident in his tone.

Phaedra wanted to scream into the void of interstellar. "Make the jump!" She had told him anyway. "We need to get out of here. Make the karking jump!"

"But the computer!"

"Put it for the coordinates we just came from!" She said quickly. They'd been here less than five minutes for karks sake! Besides if they stayed here a minute longer the ship was more than likely going to explode.

The exterior hull of the ship was degrading from the onslaught of attacks and their physical shields carried a whopping integrity of 8%. They were quite literally sitting ducks. They were running out of fuel at an accelerated rate and they couldn't even protect themselves from oncoming fire.

Her voice came out loud and angry. A yell so deep, so forceful, her own will was imposed on the pilots. "Make the karking jump!" She influenced their motions without even trying to. Within seconds the cockpit windows showed the slow jump to hyperspace.

It was a second of peace before a chorus of loud bangs rattled the ship. The entire thing gave out and a blinding light came from the window. Within seconds the ship had begun free fall. Fighting with gravity the entire ship rattled and threw every soldier to their left.

They had been thrown out of hyperspace.

FN-2187 scrambled along with the rest of the soldiers to make it into the crash seats. The ship was hitting turbulence as the crew panicked and tried to make it around. Another violent tilt of the ship sent Phaedra stumbling, once again calling upon the force to lessen the blow she had only fallen onto her knee.

As she looked up, a hand was outstretched right before her. Immediately she wrapped her hand around the troopers and hoisted herself back to her feet. FN-2187 might of actually felt his heart stop beating. He actually touched her, he had helped her, he had felt that infamous iron grip.

Kylo Ren fought to keep his fighter upright. His hands were grappling at the controls and using all his sheer strength to pull it each which way. He seriously hadn't expected the afternoon he'd had.

He watched it happen. From where he sat it looked like an ambush. He watched the shields deteriorate and finally give way, he saw the way her ship began to fall.

He was watching it with his own eyes. Smoke billowed and began to pour out from the dispersion vents at the rear of the ship. Kylo was watching it happen. He had seen the dead hit that he knew was going to ground the shuttle.

Phaedras shuttle had taken a hit that had blown one of the repulsar lifts clean off from the underside carriage. Even if they managed to land, it was a guaranteed crash landing. Kylo had tried to call her over his own ships communication. His voice had been nothing short of concerned.

"Rhidlu." He stated quickly. The headset he wore had a direct link to her ship. She should have been able to hear him. "Rhidlu, come in." He said watching the ship descent into the open space. It hit debris and knocked around.

Phaedra didn't answer

Kylo reached out to her with the only other way he knew how. He attempted to contact her, the same way he had many times before. Within the force he tried to make contact with his apprentice.

They had forged their force bond ages ago, kept intact and used it nearly every day. On any given day he could practically read her mind, see through her eyes and she could see through his. And yet in that moment, as he watched her ship get nearly shot down, he couldn't see a thing. His vision was black and all he could feel was panic intensive enough to leave him dizzy. To make his head ring and his stomach turn Kylo had only experienced something like that once a long time ago.

He couldn't reach her, her emotions and mind were too scrambled. So undisciplined, he couldn't get through. The male took heavy breathes as he watched the back lights on the ship shut down. The air was nearly pulled from his lungs as he watched. Did they just lose power?

He practically watched it in slow motion. Those milliseconds felt like an eternity and burned into his mind. He saw those lights turn off and then he blinked. He opened his eyes and saw the marks as the ship jumped to light speed. His mouth went dry and his heart pounded. As the ship disappeared he swore he could hear her voice echoing into the dark recesses of his mind.

"Make the karking jump."

Darkness surrounded her. It stirred inside her and all around her. She could feel it. A presence she'd felt before only in spurts. An evil force, an echo of Siths past.

There were a thousand voices overlapped. Yelling obscenities and inquiring about their new acolyte. One voice spoke and eased the squabble of the others.

It sounded intrigued. "Oh..." it had drawled. "They haven't made one like you yet... have they?" It chuckled. A dark and haunting noise that reverberated inside her head before the yelling resumed.

The volume felt like motion. Like racing wind. And then it was a blinding light. 

When Phaedra woke up from the crash she was being forcibly removed from her ejected seat. Hands were unbuckling her harness and pulling her from the smoking wreckage. An Execution Trooper had yanked her from her seat to drag her back to the others.

She was definitely concussed. Her head rung with a pain that was nearly unbearable as the sun shone overhead. Her body was barely conscious but, in her mind, she was screaming. Tearing at the floors of her brain to try and awaken. Instinct took over, knowing she was in danger and unable to fully get up.

It felt like vultures were picking her apart. Screaming whilst clawing and taking her for all she was worth in their eyes.

Her body was hauled towards the others, she could barely open her eyes. She caught wild glimpses of the barren planet from within the visor of her helmet. Ruins of what was left of an ancient civilization.

She was propped up against a rock beside the others. Two hands came to hold the sides of her helmet, searching for the release mechanism. The Elite Trooper struggled to find the button, white gloved hands slapped the troopers hands aside. Coming to rest on one knee, FN-2187 reached to the back of her helmet, unlocking it the same way he'd watched her do it. The helmet hissed as it released, opening and allowing the man to slowly take it off of her.

There was blood trailing from a cut on her forehead. Sweat stuck parts of her hair to her brow and she grimaced in pain.

"Rhidlu?" FN-2187 asked trying to wake her.

Although she did not know it. The Sith Lords of old, who'd spirits haunted the desolate planet left her mind, and in turn left her one piece of advice.

"Beware, Sith'ari. You will not live. You will survive."

In the most horrifying display, he watched her eyes shoot open. Panic and fear and anger swirled inside those eyes before she lunged to her feet. Faster than he could process or think, invisible hands pulled him off and pushed him back from her.

He stumbled back, noticing that the other trooper had been shoved by the force push as well. FN-2187 had no way to describe how it felt. It felt so personal, not in the way he viewed most of their interactions. It was much like a tugging in the back of his mind, he knew it was her. Her presence had a certain feel, the same that carried into her pull. With bated breath he watched her strut closer to the crashed pile of scrap that was once their ship.

She held her palm out into the open air. With blinding speed, quicker than any of them could see, a strip of metal came hurtling from the far-off wreckage. Despite the speed and force in which it flew, she caught it cooly in an open palm.

Despite the searing headache and the blurred lines around the corners of her visions, she turned around and looked to the surviving few that sat there. "Where are the others." She yelled loudly.

The air around her felt eerie. The sands and red dust sucked at her feet and tried to sink her boots down. Its aura was heavy, weighted with thousands of years' worth of the darkest and most treacherous atrocities.

Despite the feeling, Phaedra doubled down on herself and stared at the others expectantly. If she could handle it, why couldn't they?

The troopers looked amongst each other; nobody spoke. Phaedra closed her eyes momentarily and held her side, she was quickly feeling the dull ache of a wound she had yet to find.

She didn't wait for them to speak. Instead, she raced towards the wreckage. The smoke billowed from the crash which gave clear direction as to where she was heading. She reached out into the force, searching for any life forms inside the ship. She couldn't register a single karking one. She started this mission with nineteen soldiers, including herself. Out of the eighteen troopers she took with her she feared that only nine of them remained. She checked the wreckage and her suspicions were correct. She had started with nineteen soldiers in her unit. It seemed she had blinked and then there were ten.

Dividers are by @firefly-graphics!

Taglist: @clonethirstingisreal @feral-ferrule

Thank you so much for reading! I don't get much activity on my sequels verse Fics so it means a lot!

Another authors note: if you noticed the precinct is Crosshairs trooper number you're absolutely correct! It's a subtle/not so subtle reference to the fact that in the Taraay bloodline Crosshair is actually Phaedras grandfather!

Link to Part 2

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writing is hard but coming up with a cunty title and catchy summary will slay even god's strongest soldier

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Thinking about the Taraay lineage today....

Thinking about how Phaedra and Finn are a perfect parallel of Dasibri and Crosshair... It's the way that Phaedra is just like her grandfather, the stoic soldier who will do whatever it takes and practically loses themselves in their misery. And Finn being just like Dasibri, brave, hopeful, and that shining ball of light that she can hold onto.

Once Crosshair is back on Pabu, there's still that snarky, sharp, and bitter person bubbling under the surface. He tries to be better, he truly does, and I can't help but feel like that's exactly how Phaedra is. Crosshair just follows his wife everywhere, letting her light illuminate his world view. Just like Phae and Finn.

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iii. the king, finn