substantial-exposure

[substantial-exposure]

OKAY OKAY FIRST OF ALL I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

This was so much fun and so silly and ahh!! I've been yelling into the void for like an hour trying to write this bc I'm just sitting here stimming and giggling!!

Crosshair went over and hugged his girlfriend from behind, kissing her on the cheek.

Sometimes when he's just doing normal boyfriend things I take a seat back and just smile. Like he's come so far and I'm so proud of him!

Wren stood up, a little less enthusiastically. But she really was trying to not show how nervous and hesitant she was. She whispered under her breath to Hunter, "Can I have a hug?" She looked up at him with worried eyes, not sure if he'd want to hug her in front of everyone.

I thought this was so sweet and it really stood out to me, the vulnerability in that moment and actually having Wren reach out and ask for reassurance made me really happy!

"They'll be fine!

"I know that. I just worry about her"

"You worry about everyone, Hunter"

"I can't help it"

This part, this lil bit of dialogue made me feel so sappy inside! In a way it almost feels poetic and it just tells so much about Hunter and his character and what kind of person he is. I love it!

Wren was starting to feel more at ease around Tulip. She seemed like a very nice person, which made Wren still wonder how on Earth her and Crosshair found each other and got together. But she didn't feel she could ask that yet. That's a discussion for down the road, if they actually became friends.

This! I definitely agree with this fully! I have my draft for Girls Day and Tulip definitely isn't airing out the whole truth at first! She's keeping it nice and vague for now! Although that does make me curious for down the line when her and Wren get to gossip about everything!

And I absolutely love Tulip nosing her way around trying to figure out what Crosshair might have over exaggerated to her! She wants the truth and the drama! She wants to hear the whole love story! All I can picture is Tulip on the edge of her seat hearing all this from the source!

This was so cute and I loved it so much! I love you Carol this was amazing and so fun! I'm finally home and stuck in this heatwave and I have to say this really gave me inspo to keep writing!! Ah thank you for this work of art!

Patience & Trust: Chapter 6

Making a Friend

Author's notes: This is a continuation of Wren's introduction to @substantial-exposure's OC, Tulip (Crosshair's girlfriend.) I tried to keep this one a little shorter than the others have been in this sequel. I shoot for less than 5000, but I don't always make it. But this one came in quite a bit under 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: Hunter x Female OC

Word Count: 3172

Warnings: Talk of anxiety, especially social anxiety and shyness.

Inspiration: My modern AU was inspired by the amazing Modern Batch AU and Modern Fives AU stories by kaydear (Illyria_Lives) on AO3. Reading those fics was what gave me the courage to write my own. I borrowed some of the family's background from those stories, with the author's permission.

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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)

Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)

Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more

"Why not? This could be fun."

Wren still couldn't believe those words came out of her mouth. But what else could she do? She couldn't say no, not with Omega looking at her like that. What was the worst that could happen? She could say something really dumb and embarrass herself. But Omega wouldn't be judging her. And she was getting a pretty good vibe from Tulip, so she didn't think she would judge her harshly either.

It would be fine. It would be fine. She just needed to keep telling herself that until she believed it.

"Great!" Omega practically jumped out of her chair and hugged Wren from behind. Wren patted her arm and sent a shy smile Tulip's way, who smiled back at her.

"Good!" Tulip added.

Crosshair went over and hugged his girlfriend from behind, kissing her on the cheek.

"I need to change clothes and fix my hair though, so give me a few minutes." She quickly turned, giving Crosshair a kiss, then hurried out of the room and up the stairs. They could hear the door to Crosshair's room close.

Omega let go of Wren, and walked towards the hall. "I'll be right back also," and she ran up the stairs, presumably to her room.

Hunter stepped closer to Wren, putting his arm around her shoulders and leaning down to kiss her head. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She turned to look at him. She figured she probably looked scared, but she didn't feel too bad. She said quietly enough that she hoped Crosshair wouldn't hear, "Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be fine." She patted his hand as it rested on her shoulder.

She leaned towards Hunter slightly, and he moved forward to give her a quick kiss. "You'll do great."

She took a deep breath and nodded.

They heard someone walking down the stairs at that point, but they could tell it wasn't Tulip or Omega. Echo's legs soon appeared, and he walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on in here?" he asked.

"Not much. The girls are going out for mani-pedis, that's all." Crosshair offered, going back to refill his coffee cup.

"Oh, really?" Echo said, surprised. Then he turned to look at Wren, "You too, Wren?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah, it seems like it."

"Well, hey, that sounds like a good time. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure." He moved to the coffeemaker, where Crosshair was pouring a cup for him. He accepted it with thanks.

Hunter was still standing next to Wren with his arm resting on her shoulders, massaging her arm mindlessly. She liked it though, and didn't want him to stop. It was keeping her grounded.

Omega came hurrying back into the kitchen wearing a small crossbody purse, "Are we ready?"

Hunter said, "Tulip hasn't come back down yet."

Omega dropped into a chair. Hunter pushed her school folder towards her and said, "Don't forget that."

"I won't. I'll do it while we wait, I promise." She gave him a smile.

He gave her a kind smile in return. "Thanks, kid. Then you won't have to worry about it the rest of the weekend."

After a couple of more minutes where Echo told them what he'd done at the clinic that day, Tulip came back down the stairs. Wren noticed her hair was a little more tamed, and she'd changed clothes. She still looked adorable.

Tulip said, "Okay, if we're all set then, let's head out, troops!"

Omega jumped up saying, "Yay!"

Wren stood up, a little less enthusiastically. But she really was trying to not show how nervous and hesitant she was. She whispered under her breath to Hunter, "Can I have a hug?" She looked up at him with worried eyes, not sure if he'd want to hug her in front of everyone.

"Of course," he quietly replied. He held out his arms, and she walked into them, laying her head on his shoulder, listening to his heart, trying to calm her breathing.

He rested his cheek on top of her head and whispered, "I know you're going to be fine. Omega will be there, she'll help a lot."

Wren nodded her head and said, "I know." She lifted her head to look at him. Then to his surprise, she quickly kissed him on the lips. She could see the smile in his eyes.

She gave him one last squeeze, then turned to Omega and Tulip. "I'm ready," and tried to give them a pleasant smile.

Hunter had run his hand down her arm until he was holding her hand, and as she turned, he squeezed. She turned to look at him again, and he gave her an encouraging smile. She nodded, he let go of her hand, and she took a couple of steps towards Omega.

Omega put her arm around Wren's waist and said, "Come on, it's going to be so much fun!"

Hunter watched them all file out of the kitchen. Tulip turned and waved at the guys. She looked at Hunter and said, "I'll take care of 'em. BOTH of 'em." She winked and walked on.

Hunter looked up at Crosshair with his eyebrows raised.

"What? They'll be fine!" Crosshair said.

"I know that. I just worry about her," Hunter said quietly.

"You worry about everyone, Hunter," Crosshair said with a shake of his head.

"I can't help it!" Hunter responded.

Then he walked to the front door and peeked out the window to see if they'd left yet. They were just getting in Tulip's car, Omega in the back and Wren in the passenger seat. After shutting the door and fastening her seat belt, he thought he saw her look towards the house. He gave a little wave, just in case she could see him. He saw a small smile appear on her face, so he assumed she did see. Then Tulip backed out and they were off down the street.

As he turned to go back, Hunter saw Crosshair and Echo both standing in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over their chests.

"What?!" he asked them.

They looked at each other, shook their heads, and went their separate ways.

"What? I just wanted to see them off!"

"Okay, Hunter. You're not overprotective at all, nope, not one bit." Crosshair's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Pffft. Whatever," Hunter said as he went towards his room. He shut the door behind him, then lay on the bed. He could still smell Wren on the pillow she'd been using, and he stayed there for a while, enjoying the peace and hoping for the best. "She'll be fine. I know she will."

He wished that he was as confident as he sounded in his own mind.

Wren was nervous as she got in Tulip's car, but she had to admit seeing Hunter looking out the door waving at her, definitely helped.

Tulip said, "Boy, you can tell he really likes you."

Wren looked at her suddenly and said, "Oh, he's just a really nice guy."

Omega spoke up from the back seat, "He is a really nice guy, but he definitely really likes her too." She had a big smile on her face that Tulip could see in her rear view mirror.

She then looked at Wren and could see color rising in her cheeks. She didn't want to embarrass her or make her uncomfortable, so she just said, "Hunter is a really good guy. I'm glad he's found someone who makes him happy."

"She makes him very happy," again from Omega. Tulip caught her eye in the mirror and gave her a smile, but then tried to change the topic.

"So, what do you do, Wren? I'm sure Omega has told me, but I have a terrible memory about some things."

"I work in the public library here in town," Wren said while looking out the front window.

"Yeah, that's where I met her!" Omega chimed in.

"Oh, that's really neat. I enjoy the library on campus where I'm going to school. It's a nice quiet place to study," Tulip shared.

Wren smiled at her, turning back to the window quickly.

Tulip didn't want to keep putting her on the spot, so she turned her questions to Omega. She asked how school was going and what had been going on with her friends. They ended up talking the rest of the way to the nail salon, so Wren didn't need to say anymore.

After parking, they all got out of the car. Omega took her school folder with her.

They checked in at the counter, and were told it would probably be fifteen minutes before there would be any open chairs. They sat, and Omega pulled out her homework. She started working on it, and Tulip was looking over to see what she was doing. Wren sat quietly, looking at a magazine that was on the coffee table.

Now and then Tulip would point at something on Omega's worksheet and they'd discuss it, but they were quiet enough that Wren couldn't really hear what they were saying. But she did notice how patient and sweet Tulip was with her.

After about ten minutes, an employee came over and said, "We can take you all now, if you'd like." She motioned towards some empty chairs with nail techs waiting.

The three of them moved over to the empty spots, and the techs immediately started working. Wren let them know she'd like black on her fingers and toes. She could tell her tech wasn't very pleased with that and motioned to all the other pretty colors they offered. But Wren said, "Just black, please" with a pleasant smile.

Tulip said to Wren, "I love black polish! I'm not getting it this time, but I have in the past. It's classic."

Wren smiled at her and just said, "I do like other colors sometimes, but I wear quite a bit of black, and it just looks nice with my clothes."

They discussed what Omega and Tulip were getting also, and fell into a comfortable conversation. Wren was starting to feel more at ease around Tulip. She seemed like a very nice person, which made Wren still wonder how on Earth her and Crosshair found each other and got together. But she didn't feel she could ask that yet. That's a discussion for down the road, if they actually became friends. Which she thought there was a good chance of that, the way things were going. Maybe not someone she would go out with outside the family, but definitely someone she could talk to at family gatherings.

Wren was feeling pretty good about things. She'd forced herself to go, even though she really didn't want to. And it was working out pretty well. She was pushing her boundaries little bits at a time, and nothing catastrophic had happened. Yet. That was a pretty good feeling.

Omega had her nails painted a pretty shade of pink with little white flowers. Tulip and Wren both let her know how good they looked. It was obvious Omega was in high heaven. Her two favorite women being so kind to her. She had already been feeling like Tulip was fitting into an older sister role. And even though Hunter was her brother, she still looked at him as more of a dad. So, she was beginning to think Wren might be a good stand-in for the mother she no longer had. And to be completely honest, the mother she never had. The woman who gave birth to her and who had raised her to that point was certainly not a "mom." Wren could be. Omega couldn't be happier with how things were turning out.

She had gotten her homework finished while they were waiting, so Hunter would be happy about that. She knew he meant well with his strict homework policy. And she had to admit it would be nice to have Saturday and Sunday totally clear of homework now. She probably wouldn't tell him that though.

After leaving the nail salon, they stopped for ice cream. Wren thought Tulip was really funny, and she had her and Omega laughing quite a bit.

At one point when they were eating their ice cream, Tulip said, "So, Wren, Crosshair was bragging to me about how he played a big part in getting you and Hunter together. But I need to know the truth. Is he exaggerating?"

Wren thought about it for a few moments, continuing to eat her ice cream. She wanted to be careful about what she said, because she didn't want to offend her.

"Crosshair was a bit difficult for me to deal with at first..." she began.

"Oh, I can imagine that!" Tulip exclaimed, laughing after she said it.

Wren smiled and said, "Yeah, he took some getting used to. He actually scared me at first."

"Oh, hon, he's all bark and no bite," Tulip said as she reached over the table and squeezed Wren's hand.

Wren smiled and said, "I do see that now, for the most part. But at the beginning, I couldn't."

Omega spoke up, "And he wasn't very nice to Wren at first! We all got on him about it. Especially Hunter!"

Wren continued, "But we cleared the air after a few unpleasant interactions, and I saw where he was coming from. He really cares about Hunter. He cares about all his siblings. It just seems that it's hard for him to show it."

"You would be right about that!" Tulip vehemently agreed.

"And I came to realize, he was worried about Hunter. I was very hesitant and scared at first...well, I still am, but I'm better than I was at the beginning. And I don't think anyone, Hunter and Crosshair included, really knew what I was thinking. Because I wasn't able to let anyone know. I was too anxious about everything. I tried to hide how I was feeling, because I really didn't believe Hunter liked me. No one could convince me that he did. No matter how many people tried. But I came to realize, after talking to Crosshair, that my hesitation and fears were coming across as indifference towards Hunter. I was trying to protect myself, but all I was doing was pushing him away. And Crosshair honestly thought I didn't care about Hunter, and if I didn't, then he wanted me to tell Hunter that so he could move on. He didn't want him to get hurt. And I can totally respect that."

"Yeah, it was a bit rocky there for a while," Omega agreed. "None of us were too sure how things were going to turn out. Especially Hunter."

Wren nodded and continued, "So, when the guys went out for Wrecker's birthday, a woman at the bar gave Hunter her phone number. And a couple of days later, Crosshair showed up at the library and plopped that piece of paper down on the front desk, telling me she was a girl who had been after Hunter that weekend. Well, my heart broke. But I had no one to blame but myself. And I truly believed that Hunter would be better off with someone else. So I just hoped that woman was worthy of him, and told Crosshair that. And I thought he was going to roll his eyes completely out of his head, and maybe even throw something at me. He really laid it out there for me, and let me know Hunter didn't want to be with that woman, he didn't want to be with anyone but me. And I had to be blind not to see that. Maybe he didn't say the blind part, but he sure meant that."

Wren laughed a little before continuing.

"So he made me promise I would text Hunter that day and say I wanted to talk to him. And so I did, and the rest is history, as they say. So yeah, I guess we do owe some things to Crosshair. I do believe we would have gotten there...eventually. But it would have taken time and there would have been more pain than necessary. So I do appreciate what Crosshair did."

"Awww, my guy...such a good brother," Tulip said with a smile.

"And I have a feeling he won't let us forget it for quite a while," Wren said while laughing.

They all laughed and started gathering up their trash to leave. When they got back to the car, Tulip said, "Well, I'd better get you two back. They'll wonder where we ran off to."

Wren said, "Thanks so much for bringing me along. I had a really nice time."

"Of course! You're welcome any time!" Tulip said. Omega was beaming in the back seat.

When they got back to the house, Hunter met them at the door.

Tulip teased him before they even reached the porch, "I've returned her, Hunter. You can stop worrying." But she had a good-natured smile on her face.

"I wasn't worried, Tulip. I just happened to be walking past the window when you pulled up." He held out his arms to Wren who walked into them for a hug. He said quietly, "How are you? You're smiling, so you had a good time?"

"She had a great time, Hunter. And I got my homework done!" Omega said as she walked into the house after Tulip.

Wren chuckled at the two of them giving Hunter a hard time. They stayed on the porch for a little bit longer. She looked up at him and said, "Were you worried about me?"

He responded, "I wasn't worried. Just a little concerned, because I wasn't sure how you would like being with Tulip for that long, since you don't know her very well."

He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the closeness and his warmth.

"Well, I did have a nice time. Tulip is very nice. I'm surprised she wants to be with Crosshair," and she laughed quietly after that.

"Yeah, we all kinda feel that way." He gave her a big smile. "Would you be embarrassed if I kissed you right out here on the front porch?"

She looked around and didn't see anyone. "Not at all." Then she looked at his mouth.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. But it was a quick kiss. He didn't want to overdo it in case people inside were watching.

"This has been the best day I've had in a really long time." He sounded so sincere and soft.

"Me too, Hunter. I'm so glad you invited me over." She hugged him again as she said that. "And now that I know Tulip, I feel more comfortable with the party next weekend. Now it's just your cousins I won't know."

"Yeah, and Wolffe and Fox are great guys, they won't be a problem at all. It should be a nice time."

He put his arm around her shoulders as they went inside.

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]

don’t boo me i’m right

(ps did u know the art piece itself is called “The Guard” by wlop on deviantart? memes are fun but lets remember to give credit where its due)

[substantial-exposure]

Encouragment for writers that I know seems discouraging at first but I promise it’s motivational-

• Those emotioal scenes you’ve planned will never be as good on page as they are in your head. To YOU. Your audience, however, is eating it up. Just because you can’t articulate the emotion of a scene to your satisfaction doesn’t mean it’s not impacting the reader. 

• Sometimes a sentence, a paragraph, or even a whole scene will not be salvagable. Either it wasn’t necessary to the story to begin with, or you can put it to the side and re-write it later, but for now it’s gotta go. It doesn’t make you a bad writer to have to trim, it makes you a good writer to know to trim.

• There are several stories just like yours. And that’s okay, there’s no story in existence of completely original concepts. What makes your story “original” is that it’s yours. No one else can write your story the way you can.

• You have writing weaknesses. Everyone does. But don’t accept your writing weaknesses as unchanging facts about yourself. Don’t be content with being crap at description, dialogue, world building, etc. Writers that are comfortable being crap at things won’t improve, and that’s not you. It’s going to burn, but work that muscle. I promise you’ll like the outcome.

[substantial-exposure]

Star Wars Dividers - 1

Please like and reblog if you use or save

More available in Part 2 - Coming Soon!

Requested by @mylifeisactuallyamess & @grinningnexu

Dividers List

[substantial-exposure]

Hi!! I decided to make new blog to keep all my stuff separate!! I had a decent few people follow me after I posted two Rick Grimes fics

All TWD content will be posted to @threatening-illusions !

[substantial-exposure]

WOAH! PAUSE THE MUSIC!?!

This is me rn btw! ^

Hunter and Wren are being so cute ahhh! I love how they keep getting more comfortable with each other! They're cuddling and smooching up together it's just so cute! Hunter still being so patient with her warms my heart! I also love the term 'devastatingly handsome' by the way, it's definitely fitting!

I feel so bad knowing how anxious Wren was to meet her omg! The anxiety spike alone just from hearing the door open! And I loved your description of Tulips bed head, it definitely had me giggling!

"She didn't know what she should do or say, but she was 100% sure she shouldn't just sit there staring at the young woman, making both of them uncomfortable."

This part genuinely had me giggling because I know the two of them were pretty much in a silent staring contest while lost in their own thoughts!

He had to be different when he was with Tulip. Right? Otherwise, why would she want to be with him?

And this! Oh my god I love Wrens reaction to seeing Crosshair actually be soft for just one minute! The way her brain stops bc she can barely process it! It makes total sense! The Crosshair that she knows is WORLDS apart from the one Tulip knows

After quickly glancing at Crosshair, who was no help at all as he smirked behind his mug,

Typical Crosshair behavior! Absolutely no help!

This was so much fun and so cute and I'm so happy you wrote this!! ILY Carol this was so good and I'm gonna be so giddy and reread this another four times most likely! This was so good and so fun thank you thank you thank you!

Patience & Trust: Chapter 5

Introductions

(Wren meets Crosshair's Girlfriend)

Author's Notes: In January, my friend, @substantial-exposure, wrote a companion piece to my fic called "Introductions (Aka the Hunter and the Librarian Crossover Event!) And in that fic (please read it, it's so great!) her OC, Tulip, was introduced to us as Crosshair's girlfriend, someone he had done an excellent job of keeping secret. Even his siblings didn't know much about her or their on-again-off-again relationship.

In this chapter, I'm going to write that meeting from Wren and Hunter's point of view.

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: 5824

Warnings: Talk of anxiety, especially social anxiety and shyness, kissing and mention of sexual arousal. Men and women in bed together, but no sex.

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.

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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)

Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)

Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Wren tried to stay awake, and had succeeded for quite a while. But the warmth and comfort she felt with Hunter caused her to finally doze off. She awoke to the alarm on his phone and felt him reach back to turn it off. She began to stir and felt his arm tighten around her.

He put his nose in her hair, then whispered in her ear, "Uh-uh, I don't want to get up. So you can't get up either." But she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh, is that right?" She teased back.

Who even are you? Teasing with Hunter like this? She was a little amazed at herself, to be honest.

"Yep, you're stuck here with me for a while longer." He kissed her neck, and she shivered just a bit. He chuckled, but didn't say anything about it, because he didn't want to embarrass her.

Then he remembered he should tell her about Tulip. "Hey...I wanted to let you know someone you haven't met is here today. It's Crosshair's girlfriend, they're up in his room right now."

Wren was surprised and said, "Crosshair's girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She sometimes comes by, especially after they've been out. I'm sorry, but I didn't realize she was going to be here until we saw her car this morning. I still haven't seen her, I assume they're sleeping."

"Okaay...that's cool." She said quietly.

"Is it?" he sounded a little concerned.

"I mean, yeah. I'm fine. Do you know if she'll be coming out of his room this afternoon?" She felt like her voice was getting quieter and weaker as her mind swirled.

"She might. It just depends. But if you don't want to have to deal with that, you can stay in here."

"Oh no, that's okay. I don't want to be rude." She felt like taking a chance on saying something dumb would look better than hiding out.

"Well, it's up to you. But I'm sure it will still be a couple of hours before they're down here. Did you want some lunch?" He asked before he kissed her cheek.

"Ummm..."

"I can make you a grilled cheese. I'm not a great cook, but that's my specialty."

"I'd love a grilled cheese." At that she rolled over so she was facing him. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said, before kissing her forehead .

She closed her eyes and soaked up the warmth she felt radiating off of him. They lay there for another minute, and then he said, "Okay, I'll get up now."

He kissed the top of her head, but before he could get up, she draped her arm around his shoulder. Her face went into the crook of his neck, so he tightened his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" concern in his voice again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just...this has been so nice, I hate to get up."

"Well, you don't have to yet. I will even bring your grilled cheese to you."

She knew he would, but she didn't want him to do that. She knew she needed to get up, but...

"Could we stay here for five more minutes. I swear that's all." She looked up at him, and he wondered if she knew how adorable she looked, her eyes big and playfully pleading. He looked at her so softly and fondly that she caught her breath.

"Definitely. I'd love to stay here five more minutes. Hell, I'd love to stay here all afternoon, and only get up in time for Omega to be home."

She dropped her head again and smiled into his neck saying, "Okay, just five more minutes."

He rubbed his hands gently up and down her back. "Did you sleep at all?" he asked.

"I think I must have. At least briefly. I tried to stay awake, but then I heard your alarm, so I'm pretty sure I was asleep. You?"

"I dozed off too. It's so comfortable with you here. You're warm and so soft. Like a heated body pillow." With that he put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face out of his neck, so he could see her. "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she whispered back.

She moved her head toward him just a little, and he closed the rest of the distance. When their lips met, her eyes closed, and she brought her hand to his cheek. She was the one who deepened the kiss that time, turning her head just a bit so their noses didn't smoosh together.

After she pulled back, she hid her face in his shoulder again. She was still a little embarrassed about kissing. Part of that was because she wasn't sure if she was doing it right. She decided to just tell him that. Honesty had been the best route to take so far with him.

"I don't know if I'm doing that right. Would you tell me if I wasn't? You know I don't have experience." She couldn't look at him.

"Hey. Wren." She didn't look up . Again he hooked his finger under her chin, raising her face so he could see her.

She looked into his eyes briefly, and then off to the side. He leaned his head so he could see her eyes, even if she was trying to hide. "You are doing great. You're just as good at this as anyone else I've kissed. I really...really...enjoy kissing you." With that he dipped his head just low enough to get another kiss. "In fact, it's much better kissing you, because I actually care about you."

She snorted quietly and hid her face in his neck again. He wasn't going to push her anymore, so they just lay there. She was relishing his smell, his soap and shampoo. And the feel of his skin against her face.

"And I don't want you to worry about what might happen down the road. There are other things we could do, kissing-wise...but we also don't have to. I want you to know that. I would never push you to do something you're uncomfortable with. And if I did think about doing anything more, I would ask you first. Okay?"

She slowly nodded, and he could feel her head moving against his neck and shoulder, even though he couldn't really see her.

She whispered, "Do you mean...tongue stuff?" He thought he could feel her burrow her face even further in his neck, if that was possible.

"Yeah, that's one of the things I was referring to. But again, it's not something we have to do. Ever. Okay?"

She nodded again, and then whispered, "I'd like to try." But then she was quick to add, "Eventually. Just not yet."

"Okay, that's perfectly fine. We're going at your speed, with everything. You're in the driver's seat, okay? I'm just along for the ride. And if you ever want me to drive, then all you have to do is ask, yeah?"

"Yeah. Thank you." Then she kissed him on the neck and he chuckled again. Such a lovely sound, especially when she was so close to his chest and could feel the vibrations.

Finally, after five more minutes, he pulled back and said, "Okay, I'm going to get you that grilled cheese now. I'm hungry."

"Okay, I'll get up too. I don't want to waste my day in here when you're out there."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. Then he rolled over and stood up. She watched him as he messed with his hair while looking in the small mirror on the wall. She pulled herself out of bed as well, looking in the mirror as she stood behind him.

She started to mess with her hair as well, and he turned to look at her. "You look great." He pulled her into a hug.

"Ha, well thank you. So do you."

"Come on, let's go get some food."

They stopped hugging, but he put his arm around her shoulders as they walked into the laundry room, and then into the rest of the house. It was still quiet. They went into the kitchen.

"Have a seat there if you want. This shouldn't take too long. I just need to get the pan hot. Did you want some tomato soup along with it? It's actually homemade. And not made by me, so it's safe." He laughed, and she smiled at him. "Echo made it yesterday."

"Yeah, that actually sounds really good."

He smiled at her as he went into the fridge to pull out the container with the leftover soup. She watched him work with a contented smile on her face.

"Do you want something to drink while you wait?" He opened the fridge again and motioned to the beverages that were on the door.

"I'll just take some water."

"Okay, water it is." He reached into the cabinet for a glass, put some ice in it, then pulled out the water pitcher. He poured her some and placed it on the table in front of her before putting the pitcher back. Then he went back to the stove, getting his pans ready for the soup and sandwiches.

She thought she could watch him like this all day and never tire of it. He was so handsome. Devastatingly handsome, to be exact. He happened to glance at her once, and saw her watching him. She looked down at her glass quickly, taking a drink. But she was sure her cheeks were red from being caught.

She didn't see the small grin on his face as he turned back towards the stove. It made him feel like maybe she was getting more comfortable with him, even if he could tell she blushed. He had come to the conclusion that she's just one of those people who blushes a lot. And it was adorable.

They both seemed comfortable with the silence. He liked that he didn't have to constantly worry about conversation with her. She was perfectly okay with them coexisting quietly, until one of them had something to say.

"So what time does Omega usually get home from school?" she finally asked, as he was plating her sandwich and dipping her soup into a bowl.

He carried both to the table and set them down in front of her. "Usually anywhere between 3:00 and 4:00, depending on if she stops at the library, and if so, how long she stays."

She nodded, then said, "Thanks, this looks and smells so good." She gave him a big smile.

He smiled back and went to get his own food dished up. He then sat down next to her, after getting himself a drink, and they both began eating.

As soon as Wren took a bite of the grilled cheese, she said, "Mmmmmm! That is so good!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it really is good. And it's cooked perfectly. Not too dark, not too light, bread still fluffy and cheese very gooey. Perfect." She reached over and rubbed his forearm. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome," he said as he looked at her. Then he leaned towards her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

She smiled and looked down at her food. She then tried Echo's soup. "Oh, that's really good too! You guys are good cooks! I need to hang out here more often," she laughed.

"You're welcome anytime. I think you know that." He looked at her with a smile, but she knew he was serious.

"I know. Thank you." She bumped his shoulder with hers very lightly.

Then they ate in silence for a few minutes.

She finally said, "I'm so glad you asked me to come here today. This has been really great. Thank you." She tried to look at him, and was able to for a few seconds. But after that she had to break eye contact and look out the window. "And now I'd like to take care of these dishes. You cooked, I clean."

"You don't have to do that. There aren't very many. They can wait until later."

"Yeah, but since there aren't very many, I can get them done really quickly."

He looked at her and said, "You are a stubborn one, aren't ya?"

"I've been told that a few times, but usually by my mom," and she chuckled. "She says I inherited that from my dad's side of the family."

"Well, I won't argue with you. I should probably start a load of laundry, so I can do that while you do the dishes."

They both stood up and carried their dishes to the sink. Wren started running water, adding the soap. She looked at Hunter, who was still standing next to her. "Is there anything special I need to know?"

"Nope, pretty standard set-up here."

"Okay, cool." She was already beginning to wash.

He put his hands on her shoulders from behind and kissed her cheek. "Okay, I'll go get the laundry started." He rubbed her upper arms a few times before stepping away.

She heard him walk into the laundry room and she assumed the rustling she heard was him grabbing some clothes out of the hamper she saw there. She heard the water start running into the washer. After a couple of minutes he came back in. She was just finishing up, rinsing out the sink.

"Well, you're done there, did you want to go hang out in the living room for a while?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

He took hold of her hand, and they walked into the living room. He grabbed the remote and then sat in his usual spot on the couch. She sat next to him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world now, their watching TV position. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer into him. He turned on the TV and just left it on an animated show on the same channel Omega had been watching last. It's one he'd seen Wren enjoy with Omega and Wrecker one time she was over.

She laid her head on his chest, and they again sat in silence. That was one thing she had always hoped her first boyfriend would be able to handle...her when she needed to be quiet for a bit. Hunter could definitely sense when she needed that.

She was thinking about Crosshair and his girlfriend. Tulip. Wondering if they would come downstairs while she was there. But after a few minutes she was able to let that go for a little bit and just enjoy being there with Hunter, watching a show she liked.

Now and then they would talk quietly about the show, or something random that would pop into their heads. Just comfortable and easy conversation.

There were touches and kisses now and then. He kissed her hair at one point and laid his cheek on her head. With his arm still draped over her shoulders, he mindlessly ran his fingers up and down her upper arm. Her hand moved from his mid-section down to his thigh and back up again. She would burrow her face into his soft shirt now and then, inhaling his scent. They could not be more comfortable and content than they were.

It had been more than an hour when Hunter jumped a little and said, "Oh, I almost forgot! Omega made you...well us...some brownies! Did you want to try some? She was really proud of 'em, and I told her I'd offer you some today. Maybe we should do that before she gets home? You interested?"

"Heck yeah, I'm interested! Do you have milk?"

"Of course! Can't have brownies without milk. Come on." He started to stand up, and pulled her up with him.

Just at that time they heard the front door open. Echo was home. He looked at them with a sly look on his face and said, "Hi, guys. Hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Wren didn't see Hunter roll his eyes at Echo. He followed that with, "We were just getting up to try Omega's brownies. Did you want to join?"

"I will a little later. I need to shower first."

"Okay, we'll leave you one or two." He smiled and gave Wren a squeeze with the arm that was around her shoulders. She smiled at him, then at Echo.

"Thanks," Echo had a deadpan look on his face. Then they all laughed as he went up the stairs, and they headed for the kitchen.

When they got there, Hunter went to the counter and opened the container with the brownies. He got down two small plates and put two brownies on each, then took them to the table. At the same time Wren was getting in the cabinet for two glasses.

"Did you want milk too?" she asked him.

"Absolutely! Thanks."

She put the two glasses on the counter, then got in the fridge and brought out the jug of milk. She poured them both some, putting it back when she was done. She walked over and set the glasses next to the plates.

In the meantime, Hunter had gotten the coffee maker going. He would probably want a cup before too long, and he knew Crosshair would if he got up anytime soon. Echo might even want one after his shower. Then he went and sat next to her at the table.

She took a bite, and said, "Mmmmm, that is good! She did a great job!"

"She did. She's made them before, and they've always been good, so I expected it."

They were quiet while they enjoyed their dessert. After they were done, Wren said, "I could eat that whole container! Those were really yummy."

Hunter walked over and held out the container. "Here, have more."

"No, I've had enough for now. I would eat so many I'd make myself sick if I allowed it. Thank you though."

He nodded, "If you're sure." Then he put the lid back on.

She picked up her dishes and took them to the sink.

He said, "Don't worry about the dishes. We'll do them later when we have more."

"Okay, I'll agree this time," she said. She did rinse out her milk glass though. Then she went back and sat at the table.

He was at the coffee maker pouring himself a cup. He didn't offer one to her, knowing she didn't drink it.

Then her breath caught when she heard a door open upstairs. She could still hear the shower running, so it wasn't Echo. Oh no, it must be Crosshair...or his girlfriend!

Wren was frozen in place.

Hunter heard it also, and he turned to look at Wren. He could see the look on her face. He walked over to her, put his hand on her shoulder, and leaned down, kissing the top of her head.

"You'll do great. And I'll be right here."

She put her hand on top of his for a few seconds and squeezed while giving him a weak smile.

She could hear a shuffling coming down the stairs. She looked into the hall toward the staircase, and the first thing she saw were two fuzzy black slippers. Then she saw some black lounge pants, then a black top of some sort. Then a young woman looking very sleepy, with bed head that didn't take away from how pretty she was, fully appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

Wren held her breath for a few seconds...she's so lovely! She was going to feel like a frumpy frog on a log around her. How could someone who just got out of bed, wearing a haphazard combination of clothes, look ten times better than her when she'd actually made an effort that morning?! How could Hunter want to be with her, when Crosshair had a girlfriend who looked like that?!

She could tell the young woman paused looking into the kitchen. Her eyes landed on Wren, and she thought she noticed them widen just a bit.

"Morning, Tulip," Hunter said with amusement in his voice. Well that's a Dad joke for ya, Wren thought, since it was nearly 3:00 pm. She almost smiled, and thought, He's a keeper for sure. "Late night last night, hmm?" he asked with a chuckle.

She came into the kitchen and rolled her eyes at Hunter good-naturedly. "Only always with him," she said as she motioned vaguely above her. Then she turned slightly to look at Wren, and gave her an awkward smile.

Wren didn't know what to do. Then Hunter realized and quickly said, "I'm sorry, Wren. This is Crosshair's girlfriend, Tulip."

Wren realized she was probably staring, but she couldn't seem to pull herself out of the socially awkward stupor she was in.

Hunter continued, "Tulip, this is..." Wren heard him hesitate, but only briefly. "This is a very good friend of mine, Wren."

I'm happy with that for now. It would have been weird to hear him say girlfriend.

But after that thought, her mind seemed to shut down and race at the same time. It shut down to anything constructive or helpful. But it raced with doubts and fears. She didn't know what to say or do. Should she stand up, and go shake her hand? Should she stay seated, and just say hi? Should she say nice to meet you or how are you doing? What had Crosshair already told her about Wren? Did she already dislike her? Probably. She couldn't imagine Crosshair would have been very complimentary, even if all he said was how silly Wren had been with the Hunter situation. To normal adult people that would seem pretty ridiculous.

She didn't know what she should do or say, but she was 100% sure she shouldn't just sit there staring at the young woman, making both of them uncomfortable.

But before she could decide, Tulip's smile grew and Wren thought maybe she wasn't judging her after all. She saw her look from Wren to Hunter, and then back again.

"Nice to meet you, Wren." She then gave a small wave that Wren had to admit was a little goofy-looking, which made her feel just a bit better, because it looked like something she would do.

Then Wren was even more surprised at what happened next. Before she could say anything, Tulip continued, "I like your hair," while motioning towards her.

What? She likes my hair? MY hair? It's so plain. Even though hers is messy, I can still tell it's way cooler than mine.

She was shocked and frozen.

Say something, Wren! You're making it weird!

"Th-thank you." Yep, she even stuttered over her words. Bra-vo, Wren, bra-vo. She rubbed her hand rapidly up and down her thigh as a nervous habit, but Hunter and Tulip couldn't see. Or at least Tulip couldn't, maybe Hunter could, but he knew how she was, so that was okay.

Tulip smiled a little awkwardly again, and started to back towards the doorway leading into the hall. "I'll uh...let you guys get back to whatever you were up to."

Wren felt a little bad, because it seemed like now she had made Tulip uncomfortable, and she didn't want that.

Little did she know, Tulip was kicking herself for how she handled it. She could tell she made that weird. She wouldn't normally be concerned about what people thought of her, that's not something she cared about. Except when it came to Crosshair...and his family. And from what Omega had told her, this woman was on her way to becoming family, especially if Omega had anything to say about it. She'd only had good things to say about her. She talked about how nice she was, and how much Hunter liked her. And Hunter wasn't easy to please, so she must at least be special in some way. And here she screwed up their first meeting. Ugh.

Tulip was actually glad when Hunter spoke, easing some of the awkwardness. "Of course," he said as he placed his milk glass in the sink. She started to turn around to finally go to the bathroom...the whole reason she'd dragged herself down here, into this uncomfortable situation. "Uh, hold on a second," Hunter continued, as if just remembering something. "Omega's going to be home shortly, are you taking her out?" He grabbed his coffee cup again and sipped while looking at her.

"If it's alright with you guys, I wouldn't mind. I was thinking about taking her for mani-pedis. I thought she might enjoy it." She had a smile on her face as she put her hands in her pockets. "Besides, I'm not sure if he's waking up anytime soon-"

But as if he was just waiting for her to say that, they heard footsteps on the stairs. They all turned and saw Crosshair's legs coming into view. He looked even more tired than she felt. He shuffled over to the coffee maker, realizing at the last minute that someone had already started it, and there was some waiting for him. He looked over at Hunter, who gave him a small smile and nodded.

Crosshair nodded back, grunted, and walked over to Tulip. He stood behind her and slipped his arm around her waist.

Wren was shocked, but tried to keep it off her face. And she thought it looked like Tulip might have been a little embarrassed. There was possibly a little color in her cheeks, and she felt bad for her.

"I was just about to head up and wake you in a minute," she said to him. Then she got even more embarrassed when he kissed the top of her head.

Wren was sure her mouth was hanging open at that point. She didn't even know Crosshair had a girlfriend until just a few hours ago. And now she was watching him put his arm around an adorable young woman, and kissing her on top of the head very softly. In front of Hunter and her. It was so bizarre. He had to be different when he was with Tulip. Right? Otherwise, why would she want to be with him? She felt a little bad thinking that, but he's just so...contrary sometimes.

"Morning, Crosshair!" Hunter said in a very cheery tone. Wren had to assume he was putting that on a bit, because she didn't think she'd ever heard him sound THAT cheerful. Especially when talking to his brother.

Crosshair threw Hunter an unamused look as he walked back to the coffee maker. "That joke never gets old, Hunter."

Hunter snickered and brought his cup up to his mouth again to hide his big smile.

Wren watched Tulip follow Crosshair and try to hug him from behind as he was pouring his coffee. She seemed a little fidgety, like she had excess energy. She wondered how that went over with Crosshair, since he was so quiet and calm all the time. She bet they were an interesting pair to be around. She assumed she would be seeing more of them in the future, so she would get her answers eventually.

She'd glanced over at Hunter who was smiling at her over his cup. He gave her a little wink, and she smiled back at him before quickly looking down at the table. When he winked at her, it gave her butterflies. When she looked back up to where Crosshair stood drinking his coffee, she noticed Tulip had disappeared. How did that happen? She's quick...and quiet!

She didn't have long to think about it, as they heard the front door open, then close quickly. Then what sounded like a pair of shoes being tossed off and quick footsteps to the kitchen. Omega stood at the door with her backpack still on.

She smiled at all three of them and said, "I missed you guys!" Wren quickly looked at Hunter, and she could see an incredibly soft look in his eyes and a smile on his face. She'd been the recipient of a soft look from him a few times also, but of course it was a different kind of softness when he was looking at Omega. It was obvious how he felt about that girl, it was written all over his face.

As she dropped her backpack onto a chair, she said, "Hey, Wren!" and sat in the chair right next to her. "I stopped by the library, but you weren't there. Obviously. Since you're here."

Wren patted the girl's knee and said, "Pretty rare I know. I thought it might be good to take the day off and just relax though. I have so much vacation time saved up, I'll start losing if I don't take some now and then."

Omega looked at the guys, and then looked even more excited. "Did you meet Tulip yet?" She said that quietly though, glancing at Crosshair again, before looking back at Wren.

She nodded at Omega, "I did, briefly. She seemed nice."

"She's super nice. When I first met her, I thought she was kind of scary. But I promise she's so nice," she said enthusiastically. "She sometimes takes me out on Fridays for girl time."

At just that moment, Tulip came back into the room. When she saw Omega, her face lit up more than Wren had seen up to that point. For one, she was probably fully awake now, but it was also obvious she thought a lot of Omega.

"Hey, kid!" she said happily. "How about you get settled with your stuff, and we head out?"

That was Dad Hunter's cue to step in. "Before that," he said gently. "What's the homework for the weekend?" he asked Omega.

A look of disappointment crossed Omega's face, and Wren actually felt a little bad for her.

"I have half of a math sheet and a science packet," Omega answered quietly. She looked at Hunter with her puppy dog eyes.

"Can't be worse than any lecture I've been too lately," Tulip joked while looking at Omega. "I can help her. Besides, our appointment is a little later. We can sit and do it while we wait," she explained looking over to Hunter. "If that's alright with you, I mean." She didn't want to overstep, but Crosshair had told her that Hunter could be a little too strict about stuff like that sometimes. It's Friday night, after all. She had all weekend to finish what little homework she had.

Hunter let out a quiet breath and said, "That's fine, just make sure she gets it done." He gave both of them a half smile, trying to let them know he wasn't trying to be a hardass. He just wanted to make sure she didn't put it off until Sunday night and then have to scramble. He'd seen his brothers do that too many times when they were growing up. Well, and he'd done it a few times as well. Isn't that a parent's job? Try to help their kids avoid the mistakes they made? He knows she needs to make her own mistakes though. This is one of those walking a tightrope things that he felt very ill-prepared for when it came to helping raise Omega.

He knew Tulip would do what she said. He'd still not been around her enough to get a really good feel for what type of person she was, but she had always followed through when she said she'd do something with or for Omega. He had no reason to doubt her.

Excitedly, Omega turned and pulled out a folder and pen from her backpack. Then an idea hit her as she noticed Wren.

"Tulip, I was wondering..." Omega started to say. Wren looked up and noticed Crosshair hiding behind his mug, but she could see the corners of his smile.

"I don't know if you have plans for the afternoon," she said to Wren. She looked hesitantly between them all. Then she focused on Tulip. "Do you think Wren could come with us?"

Then she quickly turned to Wren, putting her hands on the woman's forearm, and looked at her. Wren felt her mouth go dry, and she started feeling nervous butterflies in her stomach. She looked quickly at Tulip, eyes wide, trying to process and immediately thinking of everything that could go wrong.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I think it would be really fun," Omega said.

Tulip had been told enough about Wren's anxiety by Omega and Crosshair to know that look on her face was the anxiety taking over. And knowing how anxious and nervous Wren was, and probably would continue to be if she went, started making Tulip nervous.

After quickly glancing at Crosshair, who was no help at all as he smirked behind his mug, she said as casually as possible, "I don't see why she cant." She turned to look at Wren. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I don't know what your schedule looks like." She tried to give her an out if she wanted one.

Wren blinked and looked at Tulip, and then to Omega. "Oh, I...I don't know about that." She looked to Hunter, needing his reassurance. He nodded at her with a gentle smile, eyebrows raised as if asking her if she wanted to. She felt like everyone was looking at her, which didn't help matters.

To her surprise, and the surprise of everyone else it seemed, Crosshair spoke up. He placed his mug on the counter motioning with his head for Tulip to come over. He told her, "I think it would be nice."

Hunter laughed. "Oh, really?" He looked at his brother with his eyebrow raised. He was surprised Crosshair had an opinion on this at all.

"Why not?" Crosshair said as he gently pulled Tulip to stand in front of him. He put his arms over her shoulders, lightly resting his chin on the top of her head. "The girls can get to know each other a little, and Omega gets them both to herself for the afternoon. I think it'd be nice for them."

Hunter looked at Wren again, seeing she still had her deer in the headlights look. He moved to stand beside her, speaking quietly and gently, "You don't have to. No pressure," he reminded her.

Her thoughts were still racing. She'd already pushed herself a lot recently, and overall it had turned out pretty well. She guessed she could push herself a little more. Omega had such a hopeful look on her face. Hunter looked sympathetic. Tulip looked really friendly and open, and Crosshair was still smirking. But when she caught his eyes, he actually winked at her. That was weird, but oddly encouraging.

She figured she would regret this, and she felt like she was going to pass out or throw up, but she heard herself say, "Why not? This could be fun."

Taglist:

@transactivecybermemory, @the-hexfiles, @griffedeloup, @eclec-tech, @feral-ferrule

@lightwise, @votedprettybythecommittee, @totallyunidentified, @indigofyrebird, @adamime

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

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

[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.

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