Header art by Cat_does_the_arts. She/Her (18+) - Lotsa clones around here, especially The Bad Batch. My favorite is Hunter (not to be overly dramatic, but he is everything to me.) I'm the "down bad for Hunter Bad Batch" old woman, if you saw that video. If you don't like Hunter or Hunter as Omega's "Dad", you probably won't like it here. I also have a soft spot for Wolffe and Howzer. I will also post some stuff from other fandoms, check out the tags I use and feel free to filter them as desired (things like Peter Claffey and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Call of Duty fics and art, especially Simon Riley and Ghost/Soap stuff, Predator/Yautja art and fics, and other assorted goodies.) Warning: I swear a lot! Like...a lot.
Currently it's only fics pairing Hunter x Wren (my OC), all set in a Modern AU. (Correction: in Sept. 2025, I wrote a Call of Duty fic, and it's listed below as well.)
Hunter and the Librarian - 35 Chapters (Complete)
Patience & Trust - A Sequel to Hunter and the Librarian - In Progress, started May 6, 2025
Miscellaneous Fics - One-Shots, Gift Fics, and Cameos in Others' Fics
Commissioned Art
Gift Art and Picrews
Call of Duty: Simon "Ghost" Riley x OC Willa (3 parts so far) - known as "OMG another librarian"
My Reblogs Masterlist (everything I reblog from other authors)
Author Notes: This is a short one, but it was a topic I wanted to be sure to touch on. I hope you don't find it boring. I think it's very important for a couple to have the "kids discussion" early on in a relationship. My husband let me know very early on that he didn't want to have kids. He didn't want to lead me on. And I think Hunter is a very fatherly type, so I wanted to address whether he would want kids of his own and how that would affect Wren.
Pairing: Hunter x Female OC
Word Count: 2890 (a short one!)
Warnings: Mild swearing. Talk about wanting children or not. Kissing.
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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)
Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
Over the next month, Wren and Hunter would get together at least once during the week and once over the weekend. She felt comfortable with him but wasn't ready for them to be alone together again. Not quite yet.
She really enjoyed what they'd done with each other the last couple of times they were alone. Really enjoyed it. She didn't know why she was getting nervous again. It was just her anxiety. She was frustrated with herself, but she tried not to beat herself up about it. She knew she'd get past it again.
But in the meantime, she thought it would be easiest to avoid being alone with him. Therefore, she always suggested they hang out at his house. There was always someone there, so they could never really get physical.
Whenever they would go out, and he'd drop her off afterwards, she'd hop out after giving him a quick kiss and say good-bye. She didn't even really give him a chance to suggest he go in for a while. Plus, Omega had been home all those times, so she didn't figure he'd want to stay very late anyway.
She hoped she wasn't making him feel like she didn't enjoy what they'd done. She knew she needed to talk to him about it and explain that she was just a little nervous rather than just avoiding being alone with him. She would. Soon.
At lunch one day, Amanda asked, "So, things are still going well?"
Wren looked at her with some confusion and said, "Huh?"
"With you and Hunter? I know he comes by for lunch sometimes, and you get together for dates? How are you feeling about it all?"
"Good. Fine." Wren wasn't sure why she was asking.
"Just good, fine?"
"Well, I mean, it's great. But I still worry, so you know, I can't sound too excited. But we're getting along really well. We get together at least a couple of times a week. We might go out, for a meal or a movie. But we usually hang out at home more often. At their house, because of Omega."
"And you're okay with that?" Amanda asked.
"With what? Hanging out at their house?"
"Yeah, because of Omega. Do you feel like you come second?" Amanda didn't want to stir up anything; she was just curious how Wren felt about it.
"Nooo. At this point in time Omega is more of a priority. She's a kid. She needs him."
"Yeah, I get that. Do you think you guys are going to...stay together...long-term?"
"What? I don't know! We haven't talked about that. We haven't even known each other a year yet."
"Does that mean you'd say no if he asked right now?"
Wren was starting to feel anxious. "Ask what? To get married? What brought this on?"
"I don't know. I was just thinking, and I was wondering if that had been brought up."
"I don't know what I'd say if he asked. But he's not going to, so it doesn't matter. Not yet."
Amanda nodded. She was quiet for a few moments but then started again. "Hunter seems to like kids. Do you think he would want to have kids of his own?"
Wren paused and lowered her sandwich to the table. She thought for a few moments, a jolt of anxiety running through her. "I don't know. We haven't talked about that either. I guess...maybe we should."
"Why, do you want kids?"
"Actually...no." She was having trouble swallowing, so took a big drink. She was also feeling a little light-headed. "I don't think I can have them. Meaning, my anxiety is too severe. I don't want to put myself through that. And I don't want to put a child through that. I would be a terrible mother, I'd be constantly worrying and hovering."
Amanda felt bad for even bringing it up, because she could see the instant worry on Wren's face. She reached over and patted Wren's hand. "Well, don't worry about it yet. There's no reason to borrow trouble. Maybe it won't come to that."
"Do you mean we won't stay together?"
"No, I mean maybe he doesn't want kids."
Wren just looked concerned and was quiet the rest of their lunch. Amanda kicked herself the rest of the day. Why did you say that to her! You know how she is!
Wren tried not to worry, but it kept popping into her head. Does Hunter want kids? I realize we might not stay together... But the thought of that brought her a different kind of distress. She wanted to stay with him. She really felt like he was someone she'd like to...well, be with. Long-term. But if he wanted kids, she couldn't ask him to stay with her.
They texted a bit that night. She didn't see him until the following night when they went out for supper.
They were seated near a table where a young family was already seated. There were two small children, both probably under the age of six. Wren noticed Hunter's eyes were instantly on them, and she saw a small smile forming.
As they looked at the menus and gave their orders, she noticed he kept looking over towards the kids. They were quiet for the most part, while they ate. And they were really adorable.
She thought maybe this was the opportunity she needed. "They're really cute," she whispered, hoping the parents wouldn't hear them talking.
Hunter looked at Wren, then followed where she nodded.
He smiled again, bigger this time. "Yeah, they are. The little boy is so sleepy, he's about to fall into his plate."
She smiled at him, and they went back to eating. At one point, a small stuffed animal found its way near their table, after the little girl threw it. He reached down and picked it up, offering it to her as she walked towards them. She looked very shy as she took it. Her mother said, "What do you say, Emily?"
"Thank you." It was practically a whisper, and the little girl hurried back to her seat, looking back at Hunter when she sat down. He gave her a dazzling smile, and Wren's heart skipped a beat.
He really does enjoy kids.
On the drive back to her house, she decided she needed to say something. "Hey, Hunter."
"Hmm?" He took his eyes off the road briefly to look at her.
"I noticed how you were with those little kids."
"They were pretty cute."
"Yeah, they were. You like kids it seems? I mean, not just Omega, but kids in general?" She looked over at him, and he was looking back, as much as he could, with a curious look on his face.
"Well, I've never really thought about it. We've never really been around kids all that much, but yeah, I guess I do. Why?"
"Oh, nothing."
He reached over and patted her knee. "Hey, what's up? Something wrong?"
She took a deep breath. "You know how I am. I need to know what other people are thinking and not just wait to find out. So, I usually ask."
"Yeah? You wanna ask me something?"
"Do you want kids? Of your own?" She felt like she was holding her breath after that.
"I don't know. I really haven't given it much thought. I think it would depend on my partner and how they felt."
"You don't have strong feelings yourself about it?"
"No, not really. I can see both sides, and I'm not pulled either way right now. I'm a bit indifferent. So yeah, it would definitely depend on my partner. How about you?"
"Well, that's the thing..."
"Yeah?" he prompted when she paused.
"I don't think I can have kids. And when I say I 'can't have' them, I mean, mentally. I don't think my mental health could handle having children. I don't know if I physically could or not. But mentally...the thought just scares the hell out of me. And I think I would be a horrible mother." She could feel her eyes burning and her throat closing up.
"Hey..." he reached over to take her hand. "Let me park here, and then I can talk easier." They were almost to her parking lot, so she nodded, and he pulled in, finding a spot and turning off the truck. He turned in his seat, taking her hand in both of his.
"Wren, please don't be upset with yourself about this. If you don't want kids, then you don't want kids. There's nothing wrong with that. I've never believed that women should all want to be mothers. That's a very outdated way of thinking. Now, I think you're an extremely kind and caring person, and you are so good with Omega. But that's different than having to take care of a kid 24/7, especially a small child. So I absolutely understand if you're not on board with that."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Did you think I would be upset about that?" He seemed concerned.
"Well, I didn't know. I know how good you are with Omega. And I saw how you were with the little kids tonight, and my mind went racing. I just...I mean... Ugh. I don't know how to say this."
He reached over and ran his knuckles over her cheek, then moved some hair from where it had fallen into her eyes. "Take your time. You can tell me anything." He cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his touch.
"I hate to sound like I'm expecting something...something to happen between us." She looked down at her hands, unable to look into his eyes. "But I just didn't want to lead you on, if you wanted to have kids, I thought I should tell you now. Again, I'm not saying you want to be with me long-term or anything-"
"Hey, look at me." She looked up. "I want to be with you as long as you want to be with me. Well, longer if you end up not wanting to be with me. But what I'm saying is, I'm not thinking of anything other than staying with you. I'm not looking beyond that, because as far as I'm concerned, there is no beyond that. I don't want to scare you by saying that; I'm not pressuring you. I'm just saying, that's where my mind is right now. So don't doubt that I want to be with you. And not just now, but in the future."
She couldn't stop the small smile from forming. "You do?" she whispered.
"I really do. And if you don't want to have kids, and we are still together in a year or two or three, then I will be fine with that. I'm not expecting you to change your mind. This is a big deal, and if you don't want them, then I don't want them. Okay?" He cupped her cheek again, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into his calloused hand.
"Yeah, okay." She felt her eyes burning, but for a good reason this time. "Thanks, Hunter."
"Nothing to thank me for."
"Well, thank you for being so kind and understanding and talking this through with me. I just got really freaked out this week, because Amanda asked me if you wanted kids, and I said I didn't know, we hadn't talked about it, obviously. We're not there yet. But then she mentioned how good you are with Omega, and maybe you would want kids of your own. Then she asked me if I wanted them, and then my mind was off to the races."
"I'm sorry you were worrying about it. You didn't have to wait until you saw me, you could have called or asked me to come over or something."
"Well, it was just yesterday that we talked about it, so it wasn't very long that I was fretting. It was fine, really." She looked up from where she held his hand and gave him a small smile. She brought his hand to her mouth and gently kissed his knuckles. "And since we're talking about stuff, I feel like I need to say something else." She looked up at him again, then back down. "I hope it doesn't seem like I've been avoiding being alone with you. I mean, I kind of have been, but not for any reason other than I got a little nervous."
"About what? I'm not going to push you to do anything, even what we've already done, Wren. It's totally up to you."
"I know. I just don't know what I want to do. Sometimes I think I want to do more, but then I get scared."
"If you're scared, then you're not ready."
"But I think I'll always be scared, until we actually do more. So, I don't want to wait forever for my fear to go away. Because I'm afraid it never will."
He quietly chuckled, and pulled her head gently towards his so he could rest his forehead against hers. "Maybe your fear won't totally go away, not until the physical stuff becomes normal for us. But I think it will lessen, and you'll get to the point where you want to do more. It will just take a little more time. And I'll be here waiting when you reach that point. Please don't beat yourself up, or push yourself, or feel bad. Okay?"
She nodded, their foreheads still pressed together. Then she moved enough that she could kiss him, letting him know how much she appreciated him. "You aren't real. You can't be real."
He laughed, and said, "I'm really real. And I'm really in love with you. And I want you to remember that, whenever these doubts and fears creep into your head. I love you. And I will always love you. I'm the lucky one here."
He gave her a kiss that started slow and soft, but deepened quickly. She always got a jolt of excitement when she felt his tongue. He wasn't sloppy or demanding or pushy with his kisses. And she was actually surprised at how much she liked when tongues were involved. She always thought that would freak her out. But it didn't, not the way he went about it.
But she was tired. The anxiety about the kids discussion had worn her out. Sometimes she would worry so much about something, it felt like she'd run a race. And during those times, her mental fatigue affected her physically as well.
As they parted, she felt her eyes getting heavy.
"You're tired. You need to get inside and go to bed." He sounded concerned, and even in her tired state, it felt really good. To have him think about her well-being like that.
"it's not even that late." But she was feeling more exhausted by the minute.
"It's almost 10:00. That's late enough. Here, let me walk you to your door, so you make it okay." He started opening his door.
"Hunter, wait. I can make it to my door. I'm not going to pass out."
"I don't care. I'll just walk you there, and then I'll leave. Come on." He gave her a stern look, letting her know he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"You know, people say I'm stubborn. In fact, I think you've told me that. But you're just as stubborn." She turned to open her door, and she heard his low laugh as she did.
He must have hurried around to her side, because he was already waiting for her as she was getting ready to step down from the truck. He reached up and put his hands on her waist to help her down. She thought that was unnecessary, but she wasn't going to tell him that. It was nice, feeling his hands around her, holding her steady.
She smiled up at him after he shut her door. "Thanks. You're very chivalrous."
He smiled at her. "Come on, let's go."
He put his arm around her waist, and she laid her head against his shoulder. "This is nice," she whispered. "You're nice."
He kissed the top of her head. "Not as nice as you." And his heart warmed at her sigh.
He was true to his word. He got her to her door, waited until she'd unlocked it, then dropped his arm.
She turned her face up to him and said, "Kiss?"
"Of course." But this was a very sweet and innocent kiss. He didn't want to stir anything up, because he really wanted her to go inside and go to bed. "Now, go on and get in bed. Please. And text me when you're there. I'm going to check up on you."
"Okay, okay. I promise." She walked inside, turned and waved at him. "Thanks, Hunter."
He nodded and smiled at her. "Go ahead and lock your door, please."
She whispered, "Okay. I will," with a smile.
He waited until he heard the deadbolt before he turned towards his truck again.
Just as he was getting home, he heard his phone vibrate. He looked, and there was a text from Wren.
W: I'm in bed. Happy?
Then she sent a picture of herself, making sure he could see she was in bed.
H: Yes, very happy. Thank you. G'night, Wren.
W: G'night, Hunter. <3
Tag List: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings! Also, there were a couple of people recently who asked to be added. I think I added you, but I've kind of forgotten now. If you wanted to be added, and I didn't, please let me know that too.)
jhfqljqhqkhrfqsnf oh yeah, a new chapter, I'm so happy !!
Devoured it immediately when I saw the notification <3
A very important conversation, the kid's one, it's also one of the first I had with my partner, I didn't want any children , he neither, it's still like that today, and it's good as it is <3
This chapter was indeed short but I do not care, it wasn't boring at all and I love it <3<3<3
I'm so pleased you were happy and excited to see the new chapter. I thought about posting about it on Discord, but I started feeling like I was being annoying with it over there, so I didn't. I should have sent you a DM though. I didn't purposely keep it from you. <3 Maybe it was fun to be surprised with the notification. ;)
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad it wasn't boring!
Author Notes: I'm seeing the end in sight. I think this fic will be less than 5 more chapters. I've written about most of the non-physical things I wanted to touch on. So now I think it's time to move Hunter and Wren into a more physical relationship. I will have specific warnings when stuff starts happening, this is just a general heads-up. This chapter was almost twice as long as it is now, so I had to cut it into two. I'll post the next part in the next few days.
I still get embarrassed posting them getting physical. But I really want their relationship to go there, so I'm pushing myself. I hope it's not cringe!
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: 3630
Warnings: Hunter and Wren get physical, but no sex. Heavy kissing and petting. Swearing.
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.
Previous | Next
Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)
Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
The way Wren viewed Hunter and her relationship with him started to drastically change after that weekend trip to 99's. She felt like this might actually be something that could happen. Something that could last. She was starting to believe Hunter really did care about her enough that he wanted to be with her long-term. She couldn't say "forever" yet, but definitely long-term.
It was mind-boggling to her, because at this point in her life, with her anxieties, she'd practically given up. So, to shift into this mindset, of truly believing Hunter wanted to stay with her, and that he cared about her enough that he didn't want to be with anyone else, made her shake her head sometimes.
But she knew it was true. He was very genuine. There was no reason to doubt him. His family had accepted her, even his father. It took very little time for 99 to adore Wren and be grateful to her for all she'd done for Hunter.
When they returned from their weekend trip, Wren said good-bye to everyone else, giving Omega a warm hug, and stayed in the driveway with Hunter for a few more minutes.
"Thanks again for going with us. It means a lot to me, that you would do that, because I know you were nervous." He said this quietly as he took her hand in his, running his thumb along the back of her hand.
"Thanks again for asking me to go with you. It means more than I can say, that you would ask me to meet your dad." She squeezed his hand.
He leaned forward as she tilted her head the little bit needed to meet him halfway. He felt that kiss through his whole body, and it warmed him. He became so emotional, he had to pull back and take a deep breath.
"Are you okay," she asked.
"Yeah, definitely. Just...I'm just feeling a lot right now, and I don't know how to say it." He gave her a small smile as he looked up from where he'd been staring at their hands.
"Well, then maybe you could show me," she reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling his head forward very gently.
"I could do that," he said with a small smile.
He kissed her again, with purpose. He stepped even closer, so their bodies were pushed against each other. His hands were on both sides of her face, holding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. She ran her free hand up his back, feeling the dense muscles flex as he moved.
She was starting to feel lightheaded, and needed a breath. She pulled her head back gently, and he took the hint.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away." He looked sheepish and almost embarrassed.
"No, that's perfectly fine. I just couldn't breathe," and she chuckled. "Plus, I guess we're out here in your driveway for God and all your neighbors to see."
"Yeah, we should stop." He still had his hands on the sides of her face and he was looking into her eyes. "Even though I really don't want to." He gave her one more quick kiss before dropping his hands and totally stepping back.
She dropped her hands to her sides and took another deep breath. "To be continued?" She couldn't believe she said that, but she really loved the thought of continuing what they were doing, but in private.
"Yeah." It sounded like a low growl. "Definitely to be continued."
She felt her face get hot, and she turned and walked to her car. As she opened her door, she looked at him. She made a split-second decision and hurried back, giving him a quick hug, before hurrying to her car, getting in, and shutting the door.
He had been caught off guard when she hugged him, not even hugging her in return. But as she began to back out of the driveway, he waved and gave her a warm smile. As she started down the street, she saw him wave again. She gave him an enthusiastic wave out her window, before driving on. Then she took an even bigger breath and let it out slowly. Wow, that was fun.
She was already wondering when she could see him again, and he was thinking the same thing as he walked on into his house.
Over the next month or so, things stayed about the same between them. They would meet for lunch once or twice a week. They would get together at least one time over the weekend. They'd either go out to eat, or to a movie, or to play putt-putt golf.
Wren was really enjoying the time with him, and she thought he seemed to feel the same way. But she was starting to wonder if it was time to move things forward a little bit. They kissed quite a bit. They had what she would call make-out sessions whenever they were at her place. Usually if they'd gone out somewhere, when he took her home, he'd go in for a little bit and they'd sit on the couch together, talking. And kissing. And snuggling. It was better than Wren could have hoped for.
But it was getting harder for her to stop. She didn't know if he felt the same. He didn't push to go further though. They'd never gotten as far as they did the night they were at 99's. But she started daydreaming a lot about how she might bring up the subject to him. She didn't think she was ready to have sex with him. As much as she wanted to, she just knew she wasn't ready for that. But she wanted to try what they'd already done at least. But how do you bring that up? She was so nervous.
It seemed natural the night they stayed at 99's. Because they were already in bed together. But how do you get from making out on the couch, to in bed, without just saying, do you want to go to bed. And she didn't know if she could say those actual words.
Then one Thursday night Wren was watching TV, and she heard a text come in. She looked, and it was from Hunter. She felt a little jolt of excitement run through her.
H: Hey! Do you have plans tomorrow night?
W: You're funny. Do I ever unless you're involved? 😉
H: Well...Omega is gonna be spending the night with a friend, so I don't need to be home at any certain time...
W: Oh really?
H: Yeah...I was wondering if maybe we could do something...like watch TV and hang out or something...
W: Yeah, I'd love to! Maybe we could get pizza?
H: Sounds good...I can bring the pizza with me when I come.
W: Okay, just come over whenever you want to. I'll be here all night, of course. 😊
H: Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Lookin' forward to it.
W: Me too. ♥
She was so excited at first...he could be there as late as he wanted!
But then she really thought about it...he could be there as late as he wanted...how long would he want?
Did he mean he wanted to spend the night? Is that what he was saying?
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she felt the heat begin in her chest and spread throughout her body, up into her face. She had to take off her hoodie and throw her blanket off her legs. She always got a flash of heat when her anxiety hit.
What was going to happen? She was immediately nauseous. The thought of Hunter spending the night made her almost giddy with happiness. But also so nervous she felt like she might pass out.
It was going to be a long 24 hours until he came over for pizza, a movie, and...whatever else he had in mind. She could barely concentrate on anything, so she just decided to go to bed early. She would want to get up earlier in the morning, so she had time to do a thorough job of shaving and grooming. Just in case.
Just in case what? Even thinking about that made her scared as hell. She re-read the text conversation at least 10 times before she finally fell asleep.
Friday arrived, and Wren's anxiety was through the roof. She did take extra time in the shower to shave and trim. Just in case. Just in case... Good lord, she didn't know if she could do this. Whatever this ended up being.
Time at work creeped by. She kept getting startled by her coworkers, because she was in her own little world. The world where she might actually have sex tonight. With Hunter.
Did she want to? Was she ready? They'd been seeing each other for 6 months at that point. They'd made out quite a bit the past month. But anytime she thought she might be ready to go further, her anxiety got the better of her. Hunter didn't act like he minded.
Her head started to spin and her vision started to gray out when she thought about him coming over later on.
After work, she went home and cleaned the bathroom, not knowing if he would be using the shower, and ran the vacuum in the living room and bedroom.
At 6:00 she got a text.
H: I'm leaving home now. I'm going to pick up the pizza then come on over. Should be there in less than half an hour.
W: Okay, looking forward to it.
And that wasn't a lie. She was looking forward to it, she just didn't add that she was also a nervous wreck.
About 20 minutes later she heard Hunter's truck pull into the parking lot. Then within a minute she heard a knock on her door.
She took a deep breath, got up, and unlocked the door. She opened it and stepped to the side so he could carry in the pizza box and some sodas.
When Omega asked him if she could spend the night with Hera, Hunter said yes without giving it much thought. It certainly wasn't the first time.
It wasn't until about 15 minutes later that the thought hit him...it would be Friday night. He didn't have to work the next day. And neither did Wren.
At the thought, he smiled. He wouldn't need to be home when Omega went to bed. She was old enough that she didn't need him to tuck her in, but he could tell she still enjoyed it. He wanted to be able to experience that as much as possible, before she got too old and didn't want him to anymore.
Plus he wasn't ready to explain why he didn't come home from Wren's. So this would be the perfect opportunity. He just wasn't sure for what.
After they were done eating and were watching a movie, Hunter was on the couch with Wren's head in his lap. He had been running his fingers through her hair for the past 15 minutes, and she was close to falling asleep.
They hadn't discussed what was going to happen tonight beyond the movie.
They watched The Princess Bride (Wren's choice, because it's her go-to movie when she's stressed.) After that was over, they watched a little bit of the Great British Bake Off channel. That was just so they would have something to watch, because neither of them wanted to move from the spot yet.
At around 10:00, Hunter made a big show out of stretching both his arms and making a loud yawning sound.
"I'm so tired!"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, it was a hard day today."
"Well, did you want to go to home?" Then she paused, and he could tell she was struggling with something. "Or...did you want to go to bed...here?"
Hunter looked at her, really looked at her, enough that she felt like she needed to look away, because the eye contact was so intense.
He quietly said, "What would you like me to do?"
She replied, "What would you like to do? Or maybe a better question is what would you like me to like you to do?"
He looked at her with a little bit of confusion, then broke into a smile.
He shook his head as he said, "Wren, you are something else." He chuckled and went back to "petting" her hair.
She tried to swallow away the lump in her throat and calm her pounding heart. "Well...I don't know what to say. I think I would like for you to stay. But I also know myself, and I know I might get a little freaked out at some point. And I don't want you to have to deal with that."
He said, "What do you mean? Deal with what?"
"Deal with me getting scared and anxious and possibly having an anxiety attack and getting dizzy...all that good stuff you've had to deal with for six months, but this might be a whole 'nother level."
"Hey, come here." With that he lightly tugged on her arms to let her know he wanted her to sit up with him. She did and leaned into his side with her head on his chest and his arms around her waist.
He laid his cheek on top of her head. "Wren. I would like to spend the night here. With you. But I can sleep on the couch if you'd prefer. Or I can sleep in the bed, but not touch you at all. Or I can touch you, but stop at whatever point you want to. It is totally up to you. But I would really like to stay. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and see you first thing. It's my favorite thing. Whether it's next to me in bed, or from my spot here on the couch. Whatever you are comfortable with."
How could she say no to such a sweet request? She felt like her heart was about to explode, she cared for him so much. She was pretty sure she even loved him, but hadn't actually said that out loud yet (or even truly admitted it in her own head.)
And it's not like they hadn't slept in the same bed before. They did it 2 nights at 99's. That still seemed different though. There were 6 other people in the house at that time. She knew they had to be careful and quiet. But now, they were in her apartment all by themselves. And they could be all night.
She finally said, "Okay, I'd like you to stay. And I'd like you to sleep in bed with me. I'm not sure about any other stuff though. I definitely know I'm not ready to have sex yet, so I don't want to seem like a tease. Is it being a tease if I want you to sleep with me, but not really sleep 'with' me?"
"Wren, you are the furthest thing from a tease. Don't worry about that. I know you're not ready for sex yet. And to be honest, I'm not sure I am either. Things haven't gone all that well for me in that area in the past, and I'd rather not push anything."
At that, he turned his head and kissed the top of hers. "That being said, I do love the thought of more cuddles. All night."
She looked up at him with a smile, and he had the sweetest, most gentle look on his face. She said, "I would love some cuddles. Let's go."
As she stood up, she looked around and said, "Did you bring an overnight bag?"
He said, "Well, I didn't want to presume..."
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him.
"...but I do have it out in the truck."
She laughed and smacked him on the arm. "So you were just going to go home if I didn't ask you to stay?"
"Yeah, definitely. I don't want to pressure you about anything."
She stepped closer to him, and put her arms around his waist. She looked in his eyes, then at his lips, and back to his eyes. He smiled and they moved towards each other for the softest kiss.
But then his arms went around her waist and pulled her as close as he could. He kissed her again. And again. And again. It was as if he couldn't stop. They both started quietly laughing against each other's lips. After one more kiss, she pulled back enough to look at him and said, "Maybe you should go get your bag."
"Okay, I'll go get my bag." And he kissed her once more before letting her loose and walking towards the door. She watched him walk out, and reached up to touch her lips with her fingers.
When he came back inside, he locked the door behind him. He said, "I thought I would use the bathroom, brush my teeth, change clothes, and all that. Is that okay?"
"Sure, sounds good."
Hunter walked down the hall into the bathroom and shut the door. Wren followed him but went into the bedroom at the end of the hall. She found the clothes she sleeps in and changed into them quickly.
She heard the sink water turn off, then the door opened, and Hunter walked on down the hall to the bedroom. He was wearing some gray sweat pants. And no shirt. Seeing his muscles like that again was a little overwhelming. He wasn't overly large, but he was in really good shape. He just looked strong. And he had actual abs. He didn't look starved though, he had a thin layer of cushion over his mid-section, but she could still see those abs underneath.
She really tried not to stare, but he caught her looking anyway. He smiled a little as he put his bag down on the floor. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Good, really good", she answered. She laid her head on his bare chest and could feel the soft hair against her cheek. He smelled like cinnamon toothpaste.
He pulled her tightly against him. The friction against her breasts made her nipples stiffen. When she pulled away to walk to the bathroom, she saw him looking at her chest.
"Hunter, did I just find out you're a breast man?"
He laughed, "Well with you, it's a hard choice between your tits and your ass!"
She laughed as she walked away, "Oh listen to that sweet talk." She went on into the bathroom and could see in the mirror her face was flushed red. Of course it was!
She took a few deep breaths. Then she brushed her teeth, and finished her nightly routine. She opened the door, shut off the light, and went back to the bedroom. Hunter was laying in the bed with the sheet pulled up around his chest. She figured he could see the disappointment on her face when she saw he was partially covered this time.
He patted the open side of the bed while looking at her. She turned off the light and the room was mostly dark except for the shining of the outside lights coming in the window. She went to the bed, and crawled in next to him, but without touching him. Not yet. She was on her right side, looking at him. And he was on his left side looking at her.
"Well..." he said.
"Well..." she replied.
Then they both laughed again.
Hunter said, "Okay, let's not make a big deal out of this, okay?"
"Yeah."
"We're just sleeping in the same bed, that's it. We've already done that. Twice."
"Yup." But we're here alone this time, she thought to herself. That's the difference.
Wren then said a little timidly, "Wanna spoon?"
"I would love to."
So she turned over and then scooted herself back towards him. He scooted himself closer to her, until his chest was pressed against her back, and his head was above hers but still on the edge of his pillow. His breath blew lightly on her hair, and he put his right arm over and around her waist. He pulled her even closer, as close as she could be.
She felt...loved.
She moved her top leg towards her side of the bed just a bit more, and he was able to lay his leg in between hers, so they intertwined a bit. She could feel his penis in his sweatpants, but it wasn't hard. She would try not to move her hips around too much so she didn't accidentally stir him up. She didn't want to be a tease. Even if he knew she didn't mean to be, his body might not understand.
Once they were settled, he sighed and she felt a big breath on her head. She took her right hand and reached behind her a little to touch his thigh. She rubbed it lightly, just wanting to feel him beneath her hand. His free arm was under her pillow, so she moved her left hand under there as well, and held his hand.
Even though she was nervous, she was also so happy. This was a huge step for her, and she was able to do it. Maybe her heart would stop racing at some point.
She was honestly exhausted. The worry of the day had caught up to her, and she could feel her body finally relaxing and making her sleepier. She didn't know how long before she fell asleep, but it couldn't have been more than a minute or two.
To be Continued...
Tag List: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
Author Notes: This is a short one, but it was a topic I wanted to be sure to touch on. I hope you don't find it boring. I think it's very important for a couple to have the "kids discussion" early on in a relationship. My husband let me know very early on that he didn't want to have kids. He didn't want to lead me on. And I think Hunter is a very fatherly type, so I wanted to address whether he would want kids of his own and how that would affect Wren.
Pairing: Hunter x Female OC
Word Count: 2890 (a short one!)
Warnings: Mild swearing. Talk about wanting children or not. Kissing.
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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)
Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
Over the next month, Wren and Hunter would get together at least once during the week and once over the weekend. She felt comfortable with him but wasn't ready for them to be alone together again. Not quite yet.
She really enjoyed what they'd done with each other the last couple of times they were alone. Really enjoyed it. She didn't know why she was getting nervous again. It was just her anxiety. She was frustrated with herself, but she tried not to beat herself up about it. She knew she'd get past it again.
But in the meantime, she thought it would be easiest to avoid being alone with him. Therefore, she always suggested they hang out at his house. There was always someone there, so they could never really get physical.
Whenever they would go out, and he'd drop her off afterwards, she'd hop out after giving him a quick kiss and say good-bye. She didn't even really give him a chance to suggest he go in for a while. Plus, Omega had been home all those times, so she didn't figure he'd want to stay very late anyway.
She hoped she wasn't making him feel like she didn't enjoy what they'd done. She knew she needed to talk to him about it and explain that she was just a little nervous rather than just avoiding being alone with him. She would. Soon.
At lunch one day, Amanda asked, "So, things are still going well?"
Wren looked at her with some confusion and said, "Huh?"
"With you and Hunter? I know he comes by for lunch sometimes, and you get together for dates? How are you feeling about it all?"
"Good. Fine." Wren wasn't sure why she was asking.
"Just good, fine?"
"Well, I mean, it's great. But I still worry, so you know, I can't sound too excited. But we're getting along really well. We get together at least a couple of times a week. We might go out, for a meal or a movie. But we usually hang out at home more often. At their house, because of Omega."
"And you're okay with that?" Amanda asked.
"With what? Hanging out at their house?"
"Yeah, because of Omega. Do you feel like you come second?" Amanda didn't want to stir up anything; she was just curious how Wren felt about it.
"Nooo. At this point in time Omega is more of a priority. She's a kid. She needs him."
"Yeah, I get that. Do you think you guys are going to...stay together...long-term?"
"What? I don't know! We haven't talked about that. We haven't even known each other a year yet."
"Does that mean you'd say no if he asked right now?"
Wren was starting to feel anxious. "Ask what? To get married? What brought this on?"
"I don't know. I was just thinking, and I was wondering if that had been brought up."
"I don't know what I'd say if he asked. But he's not going to, so it doesn't matter. Not yet."
Amanda nodded. She was quiet for a few moments but then started again. "Hunter seems to like kids. Do you think he would want to have kids of his own?"
Wren paused and lowered her sandwich to the table. She thought for a few moments, a jolt of anxiety running through her. "I don't know. We haven't talked about that either. I guess...maybe we should."
"Why, do you want kids?"
"Actually...no." She was having trouble swallowing, so took a big drink. She was also feeling a little light-headed. "I don't think I can have them. Meaning, my anxiety is too severe. I don't want to put myself through that. And I don't want to put a child through that. I would be a terrible mother, I'd be constantly worrying and hovering."
Amanda felt bad for even bringing it up, because she could see the instant worry on Wren's face. She reached over and patted Wren's hand. "Well, don't worry about it yet. There's no reason to borrow trouble. Maybe it won't come to that."
"Do you mean we won't stay together?"
"No, I mean maybe he doesn't want kids."
Wren just looked concerned and was quiet the rest of their lunch. Amanda kicked herself the rest of the day. Why did you say that to her! You know how she is!
Wren tried not to worry, but it kept popping into her head. Does Hunter want kids? I realize we might not stay together... But the thought of that brought her a different kind of distress. She wanted to stay with him. She really felt like he was someone she'd like to...well, be with. Long-term. But if he wanted kids, she couldn't ask him to stay with her.
They texted a bit that night. She didn't see him until the following night when they went out for supper.
They were seated near a table where a young family was already seated. There were two small children, both probably under the age of six. Wren noticed Hunter's eyes were instantly on them, and she saw a small smile forming.
As they looked at the menus and gave their orders, she noticed he kept looking over towards the kids. They were quiet for the most part, while they ate. And they were really adorable.
She thought maybe this was the opportunity she needed. "They're really cute," she whispered, hoping the parents wouldn't hear them talking.
Hunter looked at Wren, then followed where she nodded.
He smiled again, bigger this time. "Yeah, they are. The little boy is so sleepy, he's about to fall into his plate."
She smiled at him, and they went back to eating. At one point, a small stuffed animal found its way near their table, after the little girl threw it. He reached down and picked it up, offering it to her as she walked towards them. She looked very shy as she took it. Her mother said, "What do you say, Emily?"
"Thank you." It was practically a whisper, and the little girl hurried back to her seat, looking back at Hunter when she sat down. He gave her a dazzling smile, and Wren's heart skipped a beat.
He really does enjoy kids.
On the drive back to her house, she decided she needed to say something. "Hey, Hunter."
"Hmm?" He took his eyes off the road briefly to look at her.
"I noticed how you were with those little kids."
"They were pretty cute."
"Yeah, they were. You like kids it seems? I mean, not just Omega, but kids in general?" She looked over at him, and he was looking back, as much as he could, with a curious look on his face.
"Well, I've never really thought about it. We've never really been around kids all that much, but yeah, I guess I do. Why?"
"Oh, nothing."
He reached over and patted her knee. "Hey, what's up? Something wrong?"
She took a deep breath. "You know how I am. I need to know what other people are thinking and not just wait to find out. So, I usually ask."
"Yeah? You wanna ask me something?"
"Do you want kids? Of your own?" She felt like she was holding her breath after that.
"I don't know. I really haven't given it much thought. I think it would depend on my partner and how they felt."
"You don't have strong feelings yourself about it?"
"No, not really. I can see both sides, and I'm not pulled either way right now. I'm a bit indifferent. So yeah, it would definitely depend on my partner. How about you?"
"Well, that's the thing..."
"Yeah?" he prompted when she paused.
"I don't think I can have kids. And when I say I 'can't have' them, I mean, mentally. I don't think my mental health could handle having children. I don't know if I physically could or not. But mentally...the thought just scares the hell out of me. And I think I would be a horrible mother." She could feel her eyes burning and her throat closing up.
"Hey..." he reached over to take her hand. "Let me park here, and then I can talk easier." They were almost to her parking lot, so she nodded, and he pulled in, finding a spot and turning off the truck. He turned in his seat, taking her hand in both of his.
"Wren, please don't be upset with yourself about this. If you don't want kids, then you don't want kids. There's nothing wrong with that. I've never believed that women should all want to be mothers. That's a very outdated way of thinking. Now, I think you're an extremely kind and caring person, and you are so good with Omega. But that's different than having to take care of a kid 24/7, especially a small child. So I absolutely understand if you're not on board with that."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Did you think I would be upset about that?" He seemed concerned.
"Well, I didn't know. I know how good you are with Omega. And I saw how you were with the little kids tonight, and my mind went racing. I just...I mean... Ugh. I don't know how to say this."
He reached over and ran his knuckles over her cheek, then moved some hair from where it had fallen into her eyes. "Take your time. You can tell me anything." He cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his touch.
"I hate to sound like I'm expecting something...something to happen between us." She looked down at her hands, unable to look into his eyes. "But I just didn't want to lead you on, if you wanted to have kids, I thought I should tell you now. Again, I'm not saying you want to be with me long-term or anything-"
"Hey, look at me." She looked up. "I want to be with you as long as you want to be with me. Well, longer if you end up not wanting to be with me. But what I'm saying is, I'm not thinking of anything other than staying with you. I'm not looking beyond that, because as far as I'm concerned, there is no beyond that. I don't want to scare you by saying that; I'm not pressuring you. I'm just saying, that's where my mind is right now. So don't doubt that I want to be with you. And not just now, but in the future."
She couldn't stop the small smile from forming. "You do?" she whispered.
"I really do. And if you don't want to have kids, and we are still together in a year or two or three, then I will be fine with that. I'm not expecting you to change your mind. This is a big deal, and if you don't want them, then I don't want them. Okay?" He cupped her cheek again, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into his calloused hand.
"Yeah, okay." She felt her eyes burning, but for a good reason this time. "Thanks, Hunter."
"Nothing to thank me for."
"Well, thank you for being so kind and understanding and talking this through with me. I just got really freaked out this week, because Amanda asked me if you wanted kids, and I said I didn't know, we hadn't talked about it, obviously. We're not there yet. But then she mentioned how good you are with Omega, and maybe you would want kids of your own. Then she asked me if I wanted them, and then my mind was off to the races."
"I'm sorry you were worrying about it. You didn't have to wait until you saw me, you could have called or asked me to come over or something."
"Well, it was just yesterday that we talked about it, so it wasn't very long that I was fretting. It was fine, really." She looked up from where she held his hand and gave him a small smile. She brought his hand to her mouth and gently kissed his knuckles. "And since we're talking about stuff, I feel like I need to say something else." She looked up at him again, then back down. "I hope it doesn't seem like I've been avoiding being alone with you. I mean, I kind of have been, but not for any reason other than I got a little nervous."
"About what? I'm not going to push you to do anything, even what we've already done, Wren. It's totally up to you."
"I know. I just don't know what I want to do. Sometimes I think I want to do more, but then I get scared."
"If you're scared, then you're not ready."
"But I think I'll always be scared, until we actually do more. So, I don't want to wait forever for my fear to go away. Because I'm afraid it never will."
He quietly chuckled, and pulled her head gently towards his so he could rest his forehead against hers. "Maybe your fear won't totally go away, not until the physical stuff becomes normal for us. But I think it will lessen, and you'll get to the point where you want to do more. It will just take a little more time. And I'll be here waiting when you reach that point. Please don't beat yourself up, or push yourself, or feel bad. Okay?"
She nodded, their foreheads still pressed together. Then she moved enough that she could kiss him, letting him know how much she appreciated him. "You aren't real. You can't be real."
He laughed, and said, "I'm really real. And I'm really in love with you. And I want you to remember that, whenever these doubts and fears creep into your head. I love you. And I will always love you. I'm the lucky one here."
He gave her a kiss that started slow and soft, but deepened quickly. She always got a jolt of excitement when she felt his tongue. He wasn't sloppy or demanding or pushy with his kisses. And she was actually surprised at how much she liked when tongues were involved. She always thought that would freak her out. But it didn't, not the way he went about it.
But she was tired. The anxiety about the kids discussion had worn her out. Sometimes she would worry so much about something, it felt like she'd run a race. And during those times, her mental fatigue affected her physically as well.
As they parted, she felt her eyes getting heavy.
"You're tired. You need to get inside and go to bed." He sounded concerned, and even in her tired state, it felt really good. To have him think about her well-being like that.
"it's not even that late." But she was feeling more exhausted by the minute.
"It's almost 10:00. That's late enough. Here, let me walk you to your door, so you make it okay." He started opening his door.
"Hunter, wait. I can make it to my door. I'm not going to pass out."
"I don't care. I'll just walk you there, and then I'll leave. Come on." He gave her a stern look, letting her know he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"You know, people say I'm stubborn. In fact, I think you've told me that. But you're just as stubborn." She turned to open her door, and she heard his low laugh as she did.
He must have hurried around to her side, because he was already waiting for her as she was getting ready to step down from the truck. He reached up and put his hands on her waist to help her down. She thought that was unnecessary, but she wasn't going to tell him that. It was nice, feeling his hands around her, holding her steady.
She smiled up at him after he shut her door. "Thanks. You're very chivalrous."
He smiled at her. "Come on, let's go."
He put his arm around her waist, and she laid her head against his shoulder. "This is nice," she whispered. "You're nice."
He kissed the top of her head. "Not as nice as you." And his heart warmed at her sigh.
He was true to his word. He got her to her door, waited until she'd unlocked it, then dropped his arm.
She turned her face up to him and said, "Kiss?"
"Of course." But this was a very sweet and innocent kiss. He didn't want to stir anything up, because he really wanted her to go inside and go to bed. "Now, go on and get in bed. Please. And text me when you're there. I'm going to check up on you."
"Okay, okay. I promise." She walked inside, turned and waved at him. "Thanks, Hunter."
He nodded and smiled at her. "Go ahead and lock your door, please."
She whispered, "Okay. I will," with a smile.
He waited until he heard the deadbolt before he turned towards his truck again.
Just as he was getting home, he heard his phone vibrate. He looked, and there was a text from Wren.
W: I'm in bed. Happy?
Then she sent a picture of herself, making sure he could see she was in bed.
H: Yes, very happy. Thank you. G'night, Wren.
W: G'night, Hunter. <3
Tag List: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings! Also, there were a couple of people recently who asked to be added. I think I added you, but I've kind of forgotten now. If you wanted to be added, and I didn't, please let me know that too.)
I am really glad you wrote a chappie on this specific topic! I had been wondering about that for them lately, tbh 😅 I'm a no-kids by choice person so I am curious how other people navigate the question during dating. I loved reading about normal, kind, people being normal kind humans about the topic.
I'm so happy to hear you appreciated this chapter. I was afraid people would think it was too boring or too "real world", but since so many of us see Hunter as a "dad", I wanted to address how Wren would handle that.
And when Hunter's brothers start having kids, he's going to be the first uncle with his arms out to hold the babies. But he will still be 100% okay with their decision not to have their own kids. Frees us more time to be an awesome uncle and big brother/dad to Omega. And he would never want to push Wren into something that would cause her so much anxiety. He's a good guy. And he's especially glad she felt comfortable enough to talk to him about it early on.
Love your doodle here!! You gotta burp the baby, Echo! Haha.
Summer of Clones week 6 theme: No order 66 Week, Alternative prompt: Post-War.
Without Order 66, Nax would have probably a better life.
(He is the homeless clone in the Obiwan Tv Show)
I draw him chilling on Pabu.
