Author Notes: This is just some sweet goodness. Nice family time. Wren and 99 have some alone time to get to know each other. And Wren gets to show off a hidden talent.
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: 4200
Warnings: I'm pretty sure there are none needed for this chapter.
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
Wren didn't feel nervous as everyone was leaving the house heading to the back yard, leaving her alone with 99. Not one bit. She already felt so at ease with the man, because he was so kind and gentle. She could tell he wouldn't be judging her in any way.
As he stood up from his chair, she'd offered him her bent arm, and he took it to steady himself. She placed her other hand on top of his, so he knew it was okay to keep it there while they walked. But loosely enough that he could remove it if he wanted to. But he didn't, and her heart warmed.
"Do you want something warm, Wren? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?"
"Oh, hot chocolate sounds great. Do you want something?"
He replied, "Hot chocolate sounds good to me also." He dropped her arm and began moving towards the cupboards.
"Can I do it? And you can just sit and watch them?"
"You don't have to do that-"
"I would love to. Really. Just point me in the right direction."
Wren was amazed at how comfortable she felt with him. There were no nerves, no anxiety, she wasn't self-conscious or embarrassed about anything. She had always been more comfortable with older people, and he was one of the sweetest she'd ever met.
"Well, I just use instant. It's in that cupboard there." Her eyes followed where he pointed, and she moved to get out the container. "And the measuring spoon I use is in that drawer." She located the one he was pointing at and began reading the directions.
"And the mugs are in the cupboard above you." She reached up, opening the cupboard to find an assortment of mugs.
"Do you have a favorite?" she asked him.
"I usually use the one that's hand painted there. Omega made that for me." He had a smile on his face as he said it.
She pulled out the brightly colored mug with "99" written on it along with hearts, stars and butterflies. "Oh, this is beautiful! She did a great job."
He smiled his agreement. She added water to the mugs and put them in the microwave to heat up. Then she took them out, scooped the right amount of powder in, and stirred thoroughly.
He said, "I have little marshmallows if you want some."
She shook her head saying, "I don't usually add any. But if you'd like some, I'll get them."
He pointed to a cupboard, and when she opened the door, she saw the bag without too much trouble. She carried it to the table, setting it next to him. Then she went back to the counter, picked up the mugs, and carried them to the table as well. She sat across from him.
He reached into the bag, pulling out a few marshmallows and putting them in his drink. He turned the opening in the bag towards her and said, "Are you sure?"
She said, "Yeah, I don't need them in my drink." After a slight hesitation, she said, "But I do like them. Would it be okay if I just ate a few?"
He said, "Of course! Help yourself," with a big smile.
She loved his smile. It was crooked, as one side of his face drooped just a bit. But it was one of the most natural and beautiful smiles she'd ever seen. It was hard not to smile back.
They both turned towards the window to watch what everyone was doing outside. Hunter seemed to be in charge, but Crosshair was talking a lot as well. They split up into two sides. Wrecker, Omega, and Hunter on one side, Echo, Tech, and Crosshair on the other.
It didn't look like they were playing a very organized game, but there was a lot of laughter and Wren could tell they were having fun.
"You're sure you don't want to be out there with them? Looks like fun."
She looked 99's direction and shook her head. "No, I'm fine here." Then she looked back outside, her eyes naturally finding Hunter and watching him more than anyone else.
After a minute of silence, 99 said, "I want to thank you for what you've done for my son."
Wren startled and looked his way. "What?"
"Hunter. I can see such a change in him. And I know that's because of you. I can see the way he looks at you. The way he touches your arm or hand. I've never seen that before with him. He hasn't been much for affection or touching. That's changed a little bit since Omega came into our lives. But I still never thought I'd see him be so free and easy about touching someone outside the family. Not with all his siblings around. And I've never seen him look at anyone like he looks at you. I can tell he thinks the world of you."
She could feel her face heating up and knew she was getting red. She looked down at her mug, playing with the handle. She held it up to her lips, blowing a bit before taking a drink.
He waited patiently.
She glanced up at him, and his kind eyes were encouraging. "Thanks." It came out almost as a whisper.
"Well...like I said, thank you. You've obviously touched a part of him no one ever has before. His heart has opened up."
She couldn't help the smile that broke across her face. "That's so nice to hear. Thank you so much." She paused, not sure how much to say. "Please know, I think the world of him too. I still can't believe he wants me in his life at all, let alone..." She motioned around, as if saying, let alone bring me to meet his family. Even as comfortable as she was with 99, she couldn't look at him much when saying all that.
But when she was done, she glanced up at him. His smile couldn't have been bigger. He reached over and patted her hand. "Life has been a struggle for Hunt. None of the boys or Omega have had an easy time of it. But being the oldest of his batch, he always took on extra responsibility and pressured himself to take care of the rest. Even after they came to live with me, when he was around twelve. He still couldn't give up that role, that older brother/fatherly role. Not for a while anyway. It took me a few months to break that wall down, so he would let me in and let me take care of them. All of them, including him.
He still tried to mother hen the other boys after I adopted them, but the older they got the more the others started trying to get him to stop that. And he finally realized he could just be a kid too. Just like them. I was there to be their dad; he didn't have to be anymore. And it made quite a bit of difference in his personality. He laughed more, joked more, played more. He still wasn't affectionate, especially not with me, but he was changing in many ways. He was still quiet, more serious than the others, he studied everything and everyone. Making sure everyone was okay when they weren't looking, since they got irritated when he tried asking them to their face."
Wren was absolutely enthralled by all he was saying. She'd forgotten anything was going on outside. She loved hearing about Hunter as a child. It explained a lot. Why he still felt responsible for his siblings more than he needed to. He'd done that so long as a kid, the habit was hard to break. Even after they were with 99.
"It was hard for him to leave for the Army and leave the younger boys at home. He was worried about them. But we all assured him they'd be fine. If he wanted to go, then go. And he was a great soldier, a great scout. He could have made a career of it, but life had other plans."
He got more somber than she'd seen him up to that point.
She quietly said, "I'm sorry about Fives. I've heard a lot about him. He sounded like an amazing guy."
There were tears in his eyes when he looked up at her. "He was. He really was. He could make anyone laugh. Even Hunter. He'd tease him, and Hunter would act like he was so mad. But I could tell he loved it. He always seemed to feel freer when Fives was around. It broke all of us when Fives died. It was hardest on Echo, of course, being his twin. But it affected Hunter in a way none of us expected. And he just couldn't go on the way he had been. He couldn't stand to be away from the rest of his siblings; afraid something would happen to them also. It's what finally caused him to break and have to come home. And that was quite an adjustment for everyone. Then Omega showed up in our lives, and that girl saved him. She gave him something to focus on other than his grief about Fives and about the loss of his life as he knew it."
"She's a cure-all for so many."
"That she is. She's the sparkle these guys needed."
At that they both looked out the window. They could see Wrecker pick up Omega, who was carrying the ball, and carry her down the yard and across the "goal line" they'd created with a garden hose. She was laughing so hard they could hear her inside. And Wrecker was twirling her around, cheering that she scored. It was honestly one of the cutest things Wren had ever seen. And all the guys had smiles on their faces, even those on the other team.
They continued to play as Wren and 99 kept talking. He asked about her...about her job, her family, her life up until that point. And she didn't feel like he was being nosy or rude. He was just interested in her, as someone who was part of the family now. She could feel his genuineness and caring.
By the time the rest of them came back inside, Wren was so at-ease with the older man, she felt like she'd known him her whole life. Hunter came directly over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
"How are things in here?" He had a smile on his face, but she could tell he was concerned. But she also saw the relief in his eyes when he saw her big smile.
"We've had such a good time. Haven't we, 99?" She reached over and squeezed his hand.
"We certainly have. You did good, Hunt, you did real good."
Wren felt herself redden a bit, but she still looked up at Hunter with a smile so bright his heart jumped.
There was a lot of activity swirling around the small kitchen, and Wren could feel herself tensing up a bit. Hunter said, "Would you like to go in the living room now? We're in for good."
"Yeah, that sounds good." She stood up, reaching for 99's mug. "Are you done with that?"
He nodded, handing it to her. She took it and hers over to the sink, washing them before putting them in the drainer.
Hunter was standing near the doorway leading into the hall and reached out his hand to her when he saw she was done. She took it as she got closer and gave it a squeeze. They walked into the living room and headed for the sofa. No one else had gotten that far yet, so they sat on the far end, Hunter up against the arm and Wren in the crook of his arm, leaning into him. She rested her hand on his mid-section and closed her eyes.
Even though she really enjoyed her time talking with 99, she was still ready for some quiet time. Hunter put his hand over hers as it rested on him and lightly traced the back of her hand.
He leaned down slightly to kiss the top of her head. "You're sure you're okay?"
She could hear the concern in his quiet voice. "Yeah, I'm really fine. Just a little tired. I just need a couple of minutes to chill, and then I'll be great." She was mumbling by the end, and her eyes were closing.
Before long, Omega came looking for them. When she looked around the corner, Hunter put his finger to his lips, asking her to be quiet. He looked down at Wren, and her eyes were still closed. He thought it sounded like she might already be asleep.
Omega nodded and walked back out to the kitchen. He could hear her say, "Wren is asleep." It sounded like maybe the others were settling down at the table, so maybe it would be a few minutes before anyone else came in.
The next thing he knew, he heard voices and shuffling of feet, and he realized he had been asleep. Everyone was coming into the living room.
"Sorry, son, my back was starting to bother me sitting at the kitchen table," 99 said quietly to Hunter.
"That's okay, Dad. I didn't mean everyone had to stay out there. How long have we been out?" He looked around as if looking for a clock.
"It's been an hour!" Crosshair said. "You'd think you guys got no sleep."
Hunter could hear the smirk in his voice, and he quickly looked at him. There was a snicker from Wrecker, and a deep chuckle from Echo's direction.
"Knock it off, guys, you know how she feels about that."
Crosshair leaned towards him and whispered, "Then maybe you should be more careful about your nighttime activities." At least he made sure Omega and 99 couldn't hear.
If looks could kill, Crosshair would be dead on the floor after Hunter looked his way. He whispered, "Enough."
"I don't know what you're all whispering about, but I can tell by Hunter's tone that you'd better stop before someone really gets mad," their father interceded.
There were multiple mumbled Sorry Dads.
At that point, Wren started to stir, and Hunter removed his hand from where it was lightly stroking her hair, so she could move freely.
"Oh no, how long did I sleep?" She was still groggy, and Hunter's pulse jumped a bit at how her voice sounded rougher when she just woke up. Had he told her how nice he thought her voice was? Even if he already had, he needed to again.
"Not long, only about an hour." He spoke quietly to her, moving some hair out of her face.
She sighed loudly and dropped her head back to his chest. "I'm sorry! I hope I didn't keep anyone from doing something they wanted to because of it. I could've gone upstairs if I really needed to nap. But I'm okay now."
She heard 99's gentle voice say, "You're fine, Wren. We were out in the kitchen visiting and just did come in here. You haven't kept us from anything. But you're welcome to go nap if you'd like. I understand how difficult it is to sleep in an unfamiliar bed. And that old bed of Hunter's probably is not the most comfortable thing."
She felt her face start to heat up as she thought about what happened in that old bed last night. What is wrong with me, why would I do that! 99 is so nice, and I did that in his house!
She tried to sound normal when she said, "Oh, the bed is fine. I'm used to worse when I visit my parents. Everyone here can attest to the fact that I fall asleep while watching TV or sitting around all the time. It's just something I do."
He smiled at her as he turned back to the TV.
After a minute of quiet, 99 said, "What would you like to do this evening, Omega? Is there a movie you want to watch? Or a game you want to play?"
The girl's eyes brightened, "Could we play Trivial Pursuit?!"
There were multiple groans around the room. 99 said, "Hey now, why all the groans, that sounds like a fun idea." He looked around at his sons with a look that bordered on disapproving. Or as disapproving as 99 could muster anyway.
Wrecker said loudly, "Tech will just win, like he always does!"
Tech looked up from his phone, "It is not my fault I know more of the answers than you, Wrecker. I will sit out if you would prefer."
"No!" Omega exclaimed. "I want everyone to play! Wren, do you play Trivial Pursuit?" The girl turned excited eyes her way.
"I actually do! I enjoy a good trivia game." She didn't just enjoy Trivial Pursuit, she always won. It's just something she was good at, knowing mostly useless information.
"Yeah?" Hunter asked. "You'll play with us?" He smiled at her.
"Yeah, if it's okay with everyone else." She looked around quickly.
Crosshair shrugged, Omega bounced a little in her chair, Wrecker and Echo smiled, and Tech said, "This is wonderful. It will be nice to have another person. The more the merrier."
She nodded her head in agreement, and patted Hunter on the thigh.
"You actually look excited," Hunter said quietly, putting his hand on hers and rubbing gently.
"I am! I love the game." She looked up at him and could tell he was coming closer for a kiss. She obliged with a quick peck.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly and pleasantly. They watched TV, they visited, and there was a lot of laughter. Now that Wren had been around them as much as she had, she was getting to the point where she really enjoyed observing all the different dynamics between the siblings. Even though there were squabbles now and then, it was 100% apparent that each one of them would lay down their lives for each other. And they all adored Omega more than anything else in the world.
The girl sat on the arm of 99's chair, being sure not to sit on his legs and hurt him. He held one of her hands in both of his. Wren practically teared up at the sweet picture.
She felt Hunter looking at her, so she looked up quickly. "What?"
"Nothing, just glad you're here, that's all." He lightly bumped her shoulder with his.
She smiled back and whispered, "Me too." She bumped him back.
Supper was mostly made by Echo and Omega with help from Wrecker. 99 stayed in the kitchen with them, supervising. The rest of them were watching TV quietly.
Then after supper, Wren volunteered to help with the dishes. She wasn't comfortable helping with the cooking yet, but she could help clean up. So her and Hunter washed dishes with Omega chattering at them from the table the whole time. She already had the Trivil Pursuit game set up and was looking through the question cards.
Wrecker walked in and said, "Hey! You're cheating!"
"No, I'm not!" Omega said back.
Wren noticed Hunter immediately turn to intervene. "Hey, it's not really cheating, Wrecker. She's just looking through the questions. And you're going to put those cards at the back of the box, right, Meg?" He lifted his eyebrows at her.
She quietly said, "Yes." It was obvious that was not her original plan. It still wasn't technically cheating, just studying.
Omega stuck her tongue out at Wrecker, and he did the same back at her as he went to the fridge for a drink.
Hunter walked back to Wren, who was washing while he dried, and gave her a small smile.
"Crisis averted, good job." She smiled back at him.
"Thanks," he responded. "It's always something." They both chuckled.
Once all the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Omega ran into the living room to tell everyone to come back to the table. They all slowly trickled in. It was obvious Wrecker and Crosshair were simply humoring Omega and 99.
Omega and Wren were probably the most excited. Wren was really looking forward to playing.
They played teams since there were so many of them. Hunter with Wren, Echo with Omega, Crosshair with Wrecker, and Tech with 99. And actually, every team did pretty well. Between the two people, each team would know at least half of the answers.
Of course Tech knew most of the answers, especially in the Science & Nature, History, and Geography categories.
But to the surprise of almost everyone there, Wren got just as many right as Tech did, just in different categories. She excelled in the Entertainment, Sports & Leisure, and Art & Literature categories. And she held her own in Science & Nature as well.
It's not that Hunter didn't think Wren was smart before that, but he didn't realize how smart she was in this type of thing. She downplayed it. "It's just useless information, you know...trivial. It doesn't mean anything. I just watch a lot of TV and movies, I was exposed to a lot of sports knowledge by my older brother, and I took a lot of Literature classes in college, because I liked books. You'll notice I'm not great with history or geography. And I really should know more science than I do, since I got my degree in Biology, but I have a terrible memory."
Tech spoke up, "You should not sell yourself short, Wren. You are doing very well. I am quite impressed."
She felt herself blush. She looked down, playing with some of the plastic wedges. She quietly said, "Thanks, Tech," quickly glancing up at him. He nodded at her with a small smile. She felt Hunter's hand squeezing her thigh. When she looked at him, he nodded at her and patted her leg, before pulling his hand back.
Tech and 99 did end up winning, but Hunter and Wren were only one wedge short. The history one, of course! Hunter was no good with history either. But everyone had a good time.
Wren couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun. She was so proud of herself for her good showing, and she could feel Hunter's admiration. He seemed to be having trouble keeping his eyes off her. She could feel herself getting warm, and she was hoping the others weren't watching them. She didn't want to be embarrassed, she loved that he was admiring her, but she had issues with being the center of attention. Anyone's attention. Even Hunter's sometimes.
She was glad when the others started getting up from the table and putting the game away.
Omega said, "Wren, you were so good at this! That was awesome."
"Thanks, Omega. I probably just got lucky, next time I bet it won't go as well."
"I doubt that," Hunter said quietly. He stood up, but before walking away, he leaned down. His hand went to her back, and he kissed her cheek.
Wren could hear the guys talking to each other and 99 in the other room. She could hear more than one of them saying good night. As 99 walked past the kitchen, he stopped in the doorway and said, "Good night, guys. I'm going to bed."
"Good night, Dad," from Hunter.
"G'night, 99. I had such a nice time with you today." She stood up and only hesitated a second before reaching out to him.
They hugged each other, and he said, "Thank you, Wren." He walked on to his room after they parted. Omega was by his side, making sure he made it okay. Even though he was there by himself all the time, she still didn't want him walking too much without help.
After everyone else was either in the living room with the TV or in their rooms, Hunter put his arms around Wren from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, snuggling his head to hers. She put her hands over his, and they stayed like that, not saying a word, until Omega came back down the hall.
"You going to bed, Meg?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
Hunter and Wren stepped away from each other, and Hunter brought Omega in for a hug. He kissed the top of her head and said, "Sleep tight. We'll see you in the morning. We'll be leaving tomorrow right after lunch."
She nodded. After she stepped out of Hunter's arms, she gave Wren a hug also.
"G'night, hon. I hope you sleep tight."
Omega beamed up at her, "You too. Thanks again for coming with us."
"My pleasure." She gave the girl one more squeeze before turning her around and giving her a gentle push into the hallway.
Omega turned and waved at them after starting up the stairs.
"Did you want to go to bed?" Hunter asked.
"I think I'm ready. I'm really tired."
"Okay, let's see who's still in the living room.
They found Wrecker, Echo, and Crosshair finishing up a movie they'd started earlier. Tech had already gone to bed. They both said good night.
He put his arm around her shoulders as they reached the stairs, and they walked up the two flights together.
Tag List: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
I adore how cozy and safe Wren into the Batchers’ lives. When it is right, it is right, like a puzzle piece. Hunter and Wren are so perfect! And I love how 99 sees that too. I know Wren would love him and he her!💕
I miss the Bad Batch fandom. I know it's still very much alive but I haven't been active in it at all outside of the discord server I live in and it makes me a little bit sad. I need more Crosshair moots
Author Notes: It seems I'm going to be splitting their visit with 99 into THREE parts. I didn't expect to write some of the stuff I did in this chapter, and it was getting so long, I didn't want to write more. So the visit will end with the next chapter. I hope you like this one. It got a little spicy near the end, but nothing major. I'm still not sure about how I write stuff like that, so I'm sorry if it feels uncomfortable.
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: 5744
Warnings: Spicy, maybe a little smutty near the end. Nothing major. Messing around between Hunter and Wren. Orgasms are had but no one is nude.
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
Wren tried to not be nervous about going with Hunter and his family to visit their dad. She knew them all relatively well at this point. Well, except 99, but she wasn't really nervous about meeting him. From everything they said about him, he was a wonderful man, and she didn't think he would be judging her at all.
But even if there wasn't really anything to be nervous about, that didn't stop her from being nervous, as usual. It was just butterflies in her tummy about not being sure what to wear, what to pack, how things would go with sleeping in the same bed with Hunter where his whole family would know, including Omega and 99. Then there was the whole bathroom situation. She'd asked Hunter how many bathrooms were in the house, and he said two, so at least that would be better than just one for all eight of them. She was just always nervous about using someone else's bathroom, afraid something might go wrong. She could worry about the most ridiculous things. She knew they were ridiculous.
The Friday they were leaving, she left work a couple of hours early, so she'd be sure to have everything ready and get to their house in time. She didn't want to be the reason they didn't get to leave when they wanted.
As she was walking up to the house, Hunter came out the door with a big smile on his face. "You did come!"
"Did you think I wouldn't?" She smiled at him, but looked a little confused.
"I just wasn't sure when it came right down to it if you'd be okay. Not that I didn't have faith in you that you could do it, I just know how you get."
By that time he'd walked down the steps to meet her, taking one of her bags from her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and she felt herself blush. She would get used to that someday, but today wasn't that day.
"Well, I'm a little nervous, but nothing bad enough that I was going to back out. I really do want to meet your dad."
He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him as he kissed the top of her head. "He's really looking forward to meeting you too. Omega has told him everything."
"Everything? Like, about me?" She sounded hesitant.
"Well, some of the stuff that went on with us. But not everything...I exaggerated. Don't worry, she just told him how wonderful you are, and how much I like you. Stuff like that." He tried seeing in her eyes, to see if what he'd said made things worse. He was still learning what he should and shouldn't say when she was already nervous.
"Okay. I hope she didn't make me sound better than I am, and he'll be disappointed," she said quietly.
"There's absolutely no way he's going to be disappointed. He's going to love you, I'm sure of it. And I know what I'm talking about. It's going to be fine." He squeezed her shoulders.
She nodded at him with a strained smile. "I know. It will." She reached up and kissed him. He seemed a little surprised. "I'm not sure how much I'll be comfortable doing when we get there, so I had to get a kiss in now." She felt her face get hot.
"Oh, there will be kissing. I guarantee it," he said mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"Oh my god, Hunter. Stop." But she was smiling. He chuckled as they walked in the house.
"Wren!" Omega bounded over to them and threw her arms around her.
"Hi, Omega." She pulled away from Hunter so she could give Omega a full hug.
"I'm so glad you came! This is going to be so much fun. I want you to ride with me on the way up there." She was practically bouncing.
"We're going to take Tech's and Crosshair's cars," Hunter explained to Wren.
"Okay, if you needed me to take my car, I can."
"No, we'll be fine. Tech's car is a little bigger, so we three will ride with him, and Wrecker and Echo will ride with Crosshair."
She nodded at him, trying to listen to him and Omega at the same time. The girl had barely stopped talking since she'd walked in.
"Omega, do you have your stuff ready to go?" Hunter tried to distract her from her steady stream of chatter.
"Yeah, I just need to get my backpack."
"Okay, well go get it. We'll be leaving shortly."
At that point, the other guys started trickling in from other parts of the house. Crosshair and Tech came from upstairs, squeezing past Omega as she raced up to her room. Wrecker came from the kitchen, still chewing on something. And Echo was coming from the living room, carrying a bag with him.
"Hi, Wren!" Wrecker was the loudest, but they all greeted her in some way. Even Crosshair. She thought to herself, maybe after she proved to him that she wasn't going to bail on Hunter when his depression made its presence known, Crosshair finally accepted that she was one of them now.
"Did you need to go to the bathroom before we get on the road?" Hunter asked.
"Uh, no, I went right before I left my place. I'm good."
He smiled at her and turned as he heard Omega running down the stairs. "Omega, you should try to go to the bathroom one more time before we get on the road. We don't want to have to stop."
Wren couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face when he said that. He caught her look out of the corner of his eye, and after Omega ran to the bathroom, he turned to Wren and quietly said, "What? What's that look for?"
She said lowly, "Nothing. That was just a very dad thing to say." She reached for his hand, squeezing it. "It was cute."
He got even quieter, pulling her closer to him so no one else could hear. "Oh, you think I'm cute?"
She chuckled, "I think you know the answer to that."
She thought she saw the tiniest bit of color on his cheeks as he smiled at her. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Well, thanks," he said with a wink.
"Okay, I'm going to be driving my car in front, because I don't want to be behind Tech's car and have to see these two making out in the back seat," Crosshair said as he pushed his way in between them.
She felt her face get so hot, and Hunter said, "Cross, knock it off."
Crosshair turned to look at them, but he had a smile on his face. "Hey, I'm just saying. I'm already feeling nauseous, I can't put up with that too." He picked up his backpack and opened the front door, walking outside. "I'm leaving in three minutes, if you're riding with me, get a move on."
Hunter squeezed Wren's hand before letting it go, and walking over to a backpack and picking it up. He kept hold of her bag as well. She was still holding her backpack. She always overpacked, because she was afraid she'd need something and not have it.
By that time, Omega was back, picked up her backpack, and started out the door. Everyone else filed out behind her. Hunter was the last one, making sure all the lights were off and the door was locked.
Wren wondered how they would sit in Tech's car. Would her and Hunter be in the back seat together?
"Wren, I want you to sit next to me in the back!" Omega said excitedly.
Oh, well Wren got her answer. She glanced quickly at Hunter, and he gave the faintest shrug.
"Okay, that sounds good." Wren gave the girl a smile.
After they put their bags in the trunk, Hunter and Wren walked around to the passenger side. He took her hands. "I was hoping we could sit in the back together, but I guess that's not going to happen."
She smiled at him and said, "We'll be able to hang out tonight." She gave him a wink, and just as they were about to pull apart, Crosshair honked from behind them.
Wren startled and spun around to look at him. He had a smirk on his face and shrugged. Then he said, "Get in the car, lovebirds, we gotta go."
"Oh my god, he's such a dick," Hunter mumbled under his breath.
Wren chuckled and said, "It's how he shows love."
Hunter laughed and said, "If you say so. Okay, let's go."
They got in, and Omega started talking to Wren again, a mile a minute. She was obviously very excited. And she talked most of the hour and a half drive to 99's. Tech and Hunter talked quietly to each other now and then.
At one point, Hunter pulled his visor down, and the mirror was showing. When Wren looked forward, she saw his eyes in the mirror, and he was looking right at her. Before she could really think, a smile came to her lips. Then she thought and wondered how long he'd been looking at her, and she got embarrassed, feeling her blush starting. She could see the corners of his eyes crinkle, and she knew he was smiling. He put his visor back up, so she knew he wasn't looking at her anymore.
But then she saw his right arm slip down the side of his seat, and reach around behind him. He was just able to reach her calf with his fingers, and he ran them up and down as much as the restricted space allowed. She looked at Omega, and after seeing that she was looking out the window, talking about the cows she saw, she reached down and took hold of his fingers. She squeezed. He patted her calf before slowly pulling his arm back up front.
She knew she had to have a dopey smile on her face, but she couldn't help it. She had a boyfriend, and he wanted to tease and play. Stuff she'd seen her friends doing for years, and assumed she would never have the opportunity to participate in. She felt joy coursing through her, and she had to make a concerted effort to focus on what Omega was saying as she turned back towards Wren.
At least Omega's talking made the trip go faster. Before she knew it, they were pulling into a long driveway. She could see a house at the end, and not much else around except for trees. She didn't realize the guys had grown up out in the country like that. Like her.
When Omega saw the house, she leaned towards the front seat and said loudly, "We're here!"
Tech and Hunter both flinched at her volume, and Hunter said, "Omega, shh, we're right here."
"Sorry, I'm just so excited."
"I know. Me too." Hunter reached up and tousled her hair, and she was so distracted by her excitement that she didn't even react.
Crosshair's car was already stopped on the gravel next to the house, and Tech pulled in next to him. Everyone started piling out, some slower than others. Omega was first to reach the door, of course. Wren watched her, and saw her ring the doorbell, but then go on inside.
Hunter looked at Wren and said, "She knew it would take him a while to get to the door, so I've told her as long as she rings the bell and gives him a warning, she can go on in."
"It's really sweet how excited she is." They could faintly hear Omega call, "99! Where are you?"
All the adults walked around to the trunks to start pulling out bags and slowly making their way to the porch. Wren already loved this place. It looked like so many other old farmhouses she grew up around. Porch boards were worn and creaky, but not dangerous. His sons wouldn't allow anything unsafe around there. He just didn't need new things, according to him.
They started filing in the front door, and she could hear Omega's voice coming from the back of the house, and she could also hear the faintest masculine voice with her. She must have found 99.
Then Wren saw the two shuffle out of the hallway, Omega holding on to his elbow, taking her job of keeping him steady very seriously. Then Wren heard the sweetest voice say, "Oh my goodness, look at all my boys."
She looked at the older man, and saw how he was stooped over, as if he couldn't stand up straight if he tried. Omega wasn't much shorter than him because of it. But he had the brightest smile as he was looking around at everyone. She felt his eyes land on her, and his eyes softened. But before he could say anymore, Echo stepped forward and said, "Dad, good to see you. Happy birthday!"
The older man put his arms around Echo, as much as he was able, and said, "Oh thank you, son. Getting to see all of your faces is the best gift I could have asked for."
Then it was a steady stream of hugs. Wrecker was next, and Wren could tell he was being extra gentle with the fragile man. He looked so huge next to his dad. Then Crosshair gave a very brief hug, and she couldn't hear what was spoken between them, but they looked in each other's eyes, and 99's were bright with joy. Wren knew Tech wasn't big on physical affection, but she could tell he made an exception for 99. He held out his arms for the old man, and gave him a quick hug.
Then Hunter gently took her hand, a silent request for her to follow him. So she did, closer to where 99 stood. Hunter said, "Dad, I'd like you to meet Wren. Wren, this is our dad, 99." He dropped her hand, and she extended the other one to 99 for a handshake. He took her hand, and said, "It's so good to finally meet you, Wren. I've heard so much about you. You've made a big impression on my little family here. I'm so glad you could make it."
Wren could feel tears stinging her eyes. Why was she getting choked up. She wasn't sure, but his sweet and calm demeanor was so soothing. And to know that at least one of these grown sons of his had talked her up to him, made her feel like something special.
She put her other hand on top of their clasped hands, squeezing, trying to convey how much the moment meant to her.
"It's so nice to meet you, 99. I've heard nothing but good things about you. Your family holds you in such high regard. I'm honored to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to join your celebration."
And before she knew it, he'd shuffled the few steps forward, placing his arms around her, and gently pulling her into a hug. He was a little shorter than her, and she placed her cheek on top of his balding head. She whispered, "Thank you."
He shuffled back a couple of steps, turning slightly to see Hunter. He reached out to hug his son and said, "Well done, son. Well done."
Hunter quietly said, "Thanks, Dad," as he gently held him.
Then 99 said as he looked around, "Okay, everyone go stash your bags in the bedrooms, and come sit with me in the living room. I want to see all of you sitting and relaxing for a bit."
Hunter took Wren's hand and walked towards the stairs. "My room is up here." They walked up not one, but two flights of stairs. They ended up in what must be an attic. Hunter opened a door, and there was a very small room, not much bigger than a closet, with only room for the bed, dresser, wardrobe, and a small desk. "Here it is, tiny as ever."
"Boy, you've always been stuck in small rooms."
"Yeah, it's what I'm used to. I don't even think a thing about it." He set his backpack on the chair at the desk. He set her bag on the floor next to the desk, and took her backpack from her, setting it on the bare top of the desk.
He sat down on the bed. It looked like it was a full size, so they were definitely going to be cozy tonight. He patted the spot next to him, and she sat down without saying anything.
He bumped her shoulder with his, taking hold of her hand. "How are you feeling? You okay? Are you regretting coming?"
"No! I'm not regretting it. I'm fine, really. 99 seems like such a sweet man. I'm so glad I get to meet and spend some time with him."
She saw Hunter look into her eyes, and something changed. There was a softer look, one of admiration and sweetness. He leaned far enough to press his lips to hers. She welcomed the kiss. His breath and lips were warm. But before too long, they heard someone stomping up the stairs. Omega.
They parted, and he reached up and ran the backs of his fingers on the side of her face, and whispered, "To be continued." With one last quick kiss, he stood up and walked towards the door. Just at that moment, Omega appeared on the stairs.
"There you guys are! I didn't see ya, but Crosshair said to check up here."
"Of course he did," Hunter mumbled so only Wren could hear.
She smiled, but made it seem like she was smiling at Omega. "We're here, just dropping off our stuff. Did you find where you're going to sleep?"
"Yes, there's a couch in the family room that folds out into a bed, so that's where I sleep. It's so comfy."
Wren showed interest, "Is it bigger than this," and she motioned towards Hunter's small bed.
Omega looked and said, "Probably? I don't know. Did you want to switch?"
Hunter broke in, "No, that's okay, Omega. We'll be fine. There's room here for us."
"Okay, well, come on. 99 wants to see us all in the living room." At that she turned and hurried down the stairs.
"Are you trying to get out of sleeping with me," he said as he turned and put his arms around her waist.
"No! I thought we could both sleep on the couch, it sounds bigger." She put her arms around him and hugged. She loved how warm he was.
"It might be bigger, but I was hoping to have the privacy this room would give us." He whispered in her ear, and the warm air made her shiver.
"Oh! I see." She smiled. "What did you have in mind that we would need privacy for?" She couldn't believe she was flirting.
"Time will tell, won't it? Time will tell." He lightly smacked her ass and said, "We'd better get down there before someone accuses us of something unseemly."
She gave him one last kiss, and led the way out of the room.
When they got downstairs, everyone else was already seated in the living room. They all turned to look at Hunter and Wren, and she felt her face get hot. There were two straight back chairs that had been brought in from the dining room waiting for them, so she quickly sat.
Crosshair said, "Okay, now that everyone is here." He gave Wren and Hunter a pointed look. "What's up, Dad?"
"Nothing really, I just wanted to be able to sit and see all of you relaxed before we went on in for supper. I've made chili, and it's staying warm on the stove."
"Yum!" Wrecker exclaimed.
"Everybody loves 99's chili," Hunter whispered to Wren.
"Is that the recipe you used at the party?"
"Yeah, it is. So you will see that he always makes it just a little better than I do."
99 scoffed. "Now, Hunt, you make it just as good as me, if not better." He gave him a bright smile. Hunter returned the smile, but wouldn't agree with him.
"So, Wren, you're a librarian, is that right?" 99 looked at her.
"Yes, I am. I work at a public library. That's where I met Omega."
"Oh yes, I'm sure our Omega spends a lot of time in the library. She's so smart, and loves to read."
"She definitely is and does," Wren gave Omega a smile, and the girl looked shyly down at her hands, but it was obvious she was pleased.
Supper was uneventful. Good conversation. 99 asked Wren a few more things about herself, like where she was from originally, where she went to school, etc. But he was so warm, she wasn't uncomfortable talking to him at all.
After they ate, it was a team effort to clean up. They shooed 99 into the living room to rest and visit with Echo. The rest made quick work of the dishes.
They spent the rest of the evening watching TV and relaxing. Everyone was a little tired from the drive, and more than one of them dozed off now and then.
Wren was leaning on Hunter as they sat on the couch, and she felt her head nodding as she was falling asleep.
"Looks like someone should go on to bed," 99's soft voice drifted over to them, but she didn't hear. Hunter did though.
"I think you're right." He nodded at 99. "Wren, hey Wren? Can you wake up?"
She startled awake, looking around. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to fall asleep."
"It's okay, dear. It's getting late anyway. We should all probably get in bed."
Wren looked around and saw Omega asleep on Wrecker's lap, his head laid back on the chair, soft snores floating across the room. Crosshair and Tech were already gone. Echo was slowly standing, shaking out his stiff joints.
"Hey!" She tried to be quiet, but she was very ticklish.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." He pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You ready for bed?"
"Yeah, I think I should be. I'm already falling asleep."
Echo tapped Wrecker on the shoulder as he walked past, and the bigger man woke up. When he saw everyone else standing and moving towards the bedrooms, he stood up keeping hold of Omega.
Hunter turned around to the couch, and started taking off the cushions. Once they were on the floor, he pulled the hide-a-bed portion out for Omega to sleep on.
99 had shuffled to the closet in the hall, pulling out some bedding. Echo followed him and carried the stuff back for him. Hunter and he quickly made the bed up, and Wrecker laid Omega down. She was still quietly grumbling, but obviously she needed to sleep.
As they all started leaving the room, Hunter leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "G'night, Meg. Sleep tight."
They shut the lights off as they left the room, but there was a small night light still on if she needed to get up in the middle of the night.
99 started walking to a room in the back on the same floor, and Echo also went the same direction. Wrecker walked up the stairs and went into the room Crosshair was already in.
Everyone said good night, and Hunter and Wren walked up the stairs.
He shut the door behind them and reached for her. She smiled and met him halfway, walking into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes in contentment.
"How are you doing? Was it too much?" he asked.
"No, it wasn't too much. I'm feeling pretty good. 99 is so wonderful, I'm so glad you asked me to come with you guys."
"Well, I can tell he thinks you're pretty wonderful too."
He tried to look at her face, but she hid in his neck. He could have sworn he felt warmth from her cheeks and would've bet that she was blushing.
He pulled back, kissing her forehead. "Ready for bed?" She nodded, moving towards her bag. "Did you want to change in the bathroom?"
"I can do it here, if that's okay."
"Of course, I'll turn around." At that he went to the bed, pulling the covers down. Then he started unbuttoning his flannel shirt while she removed hers. He sneaked a peek as he tossed his flannel shirt on the chair. He was glad she couldn't see the look on his face when he realized she'd removed her bra. He was looking at her totally bare back, and he felt a stirring. He didn't want her to catch him, so he looked away, noticing she was pulling an oversized T-shirt over her head.
He took off his T-shirt, and then his jeans, tossing them where his other shirt had landed and got under the covers. She quickly took off her jeans, replacing them with her sleep shorts. He really did try not to look that time, but his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own and were drawn to her bare skin.
He picked up his phone as she turned around, before she could see him staring. "What time did you want me to set the alarm for?"
"What time do you think?" she asked.
"Does 9:00 sound okay? 99, Echo, and Omega will probably be up before then. But Wrecker, Crosshair and Tech will still probably be sleeping at that time."
"Yeah, that should be fine." She smiled at him as she walked to the other side of the bed, climbing under the covers. "This bed's quite a bit smaller than your bed at home, isn't it?" She looked at how close they were. There was practically no room between them.
"Yes, the better to snuggle you in, Little Red Riding Hood." He gave her a big smile, and practically giggled.
"Oh my god, Hunter. Have you been waiting to pull that one out all night?" She smiled back at him.
"No, it just came to me. Buuut...I have been waiting to pull something else out..." He gave her a mischievous look, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"Hunter!" she whispered loudly and put her hands over her face. "I can't believe you said that." But he could hear the smile in her voice.
He pulled one of her hands off her face, and when she opened her eyes, she saw his face so close, she took a quick breath.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked in a whisper. She could feel his warm breath on her lips he was already so close.
"Yeah," she whispered back. She looked at his lips as he moved closer, closing her eyes again just as they touched.
The kiss lasted a while...long enough that she was starting to feel breathless. He pulled back just enough to let her breathe. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."
"Nothing to apologize for. I enjoyed it." Then she brought her hands up to put them around his neck, fingers threading through his hair. "Come here," she said with a smile.
And they kissed. And kissed. And kissed some more. She moved her hands from his neck down his shoulders and back, feeling his bare skin and the muscles moving underneath. She was starting to feel hot from the top of her head to her toes. He had slowly moved to where he was over top of her, holding himself up on his elbows, one on each side of her head.
Then he did something he'd not done before...he rolled his hips into her. She gasped, eyes getting even wider, as she felt his hard cock press between her legs.
He pulled back a few inches and said, "Is that a no to that?"
"Uh, no...I mean, not necessarily. You just caught me off guard." She stared into his eyes. "What did you have in mind? I'm not ready for sex, especially not here."
"No, no, not that far. Well, I mean, our clothes would stay on..."
"What do you mean?" she looked at him with apprehension.
"Well, there are things we can do with our clothes on that could feel pretty good." He rolled his hips into her again. He dropped his mouth to her neck, placing soft warm kisses from her ear to her shoulder.
"Ooh," she said breathlessly.
"Are you interested? If not, that's totally fine. I'll just kiss you good night and we'll go to sleep."
"Not sure I could sleep after that," she replied with a small nervous laugh.
He kissed her lips again. "I should probably just go back to my side. I'm sorry. I got carried away again. It's not a good excuse, but having you here this close is very tempting. I need to do better." As he started to roll back to his side, she tightened her hold on him.
"No, wait."
His eyebrows raised at that. "Hmm?"
"We'd have to be really quiet. Like, really quiet, Hunter. There are a lot of people in this house."
"I know. I can be silent. But, just as an FYI, there isn't a bedroom below us. Just so you know."
"Good to know. But we would still need to be very quiet. I would die of embarrassment if any of your brothers heard anything at all."
He held his finger up to his lips as if he was shushing her. Then he turned his fingers as if he was locking his mouth and "threw away the key."
She couldn't help but smile at his adorableness. She reached for him, bringing him further towards her. Then to his great shock, she rolled her hips into his.
He let out a very quiet moan. She quickly put her finger up to her lips, shushing him. "Very quiet."
"That was very quiet. There's no way anyone could hear that. But I will keep my moans to myself for you."
She gave him another smile and said, "Okay, thanks." She brought his head down to hers again so she could kiss him. "I'll just have to keep kissing you so you can't moan."
"Oh no, not that." He chuckled, then kissed her with more force.
When they broke apart and she looked at him, she said, "Hunter...do you want to fool around because we're in your childhood room and bed, and you never did anything like this when you were in high school?"
He chuckled and said, "I want to fool around, because you get me so fucking turned on." He punctuated that sentence with a quick kiss.
"Okay." She looked back down at his chest, running her fingers across the hard planes.
"The fact that we're in my childhood bedroom is just a bonus." Then he laughed a full laugh, still trying to be quiet though. She quietly laughed with him, putting her face in his neck again.
He began moving his hips in a steady rhythm. She could feel his cock rubbing against her clit through their clothing. She brought her legs up to hold him around the waist, pulling him even closer.
She was already breathing heavier, her forehead pressed against his shoulder. "Fuck, Hunter," she whispered.
She heard his breath coming faster and heavier as well. It didn't sound like either of them were going to last very long at this rate. He made sure the bed didn't make any sound, keeping his movements slow and gentle. She could feel the familiar tightening in her belly and knew she wasn't far.
"Hunter, I'm going to come. I'll be quiet, I swear." He pressed his forehead against hers and nodded.
"I'm not going to be far behind." Then he kissed her again, keeping his mouth on hers as she got closer and closer to her orgasm.
He heard her whine into his mouth as she came. It was enough to make him finish as well.
They laid there, not moving for a while. Their breath slowly went back to normal. He rolled off her onto his side of the bed, laying his forearm over his eyes. She opened her eyes and looked over at him seeing the large wet spot on his underwear.
"That looks like it might be uncomfortable. Do you want me to get you a different pair?"
He turned to look at her, then down at his softening cock inside his boxer briefs. "Nah, it's okay. I'll get a pair in a minute. Do you need anything?" He looked her over to see if there was anything wrong.
"No, I'm fine. Better than fine." She ran her fingers along his chest.
He pulled her closer into his side, putting his cheek on top of her head. "I promise I'll last longer next time. That was months of pent-up desire needing to come out. I'm not usually that fast.
"Well, hey, you at least lasted longer than me. That was so fast. Faster than I've ever come before."
"Oh, you've come before? I thought..."
"I have 2 hands, Hunter. You think I made it 27 years without getting out some of my sexual frustration? I'm not that strong." She chuckled.
"Hey, it's none of my business. But let me just say, that's fucking hot."
"What? The fact that I masturbate?"
"Yeah. Have you...since we've been seeing each other?"
"Oh yeah." She realized she said that a little too quickly.
He quietly laughed. "Oh really? Would you like to share anything with the class?"
"Ha! No."
He whispered into her hair, "Did you think about me?"
"Hunter!" She said that a little too loudly and clamped her hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry, that was rude. Disregard."
It was quiet for almost a minute as he slowly ran his hand up and down her back.
"Yes." And that's all she said.
He chuckled and said, "Yeah, me too."
She felt her face get hot, and he turned to where it was buried in his his shoulder. He kissed her head again and said, "Okay, we'd better get to sleep."
"Okay, good night."
"Good night, Wren. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too."
Tag List: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
I'm starting off the new year with a FREE character/model sheet raffle. All you have to do is comment below the name of your character. It can be your OC, Star Wars OC, TBB OC, or Clone OC.
The sheet will have front view, back view, and either a head turn around OR 3 facial expressions. I will choose the winners at random (spinning a wheel) and announce them over the weekend.
For those of you who requested sketches. I am FINALLY working on them. I am so sorry it took me so long. I truly didn't have any free time until now. However, I plan to post all 12 requests in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience.
Synopsis: The Bad Batch modern AU based on @clonethirstingisreal ‘s Hunter/ female OC Wren fic “Hunter and the Librarian”
With special appearance by @substantial-exposure ‘s OC, Tulip
Echo and the Batch live together in a house in a non specific US setting. They are all military veterans and Echo volunteers at the VA hospital. This is where he meets Althea, a medical courier and uni student.
Warnings:
This starts out pretty tame, but contains mature content. There are veiled and not so veiled references to heavier stuff even in the milder chapters. There’s warnings specific to each chapter, and things are steaming up a little by chapter four and there will eventually be smut. And it’s an inter-abled relationship with Echo who is a triple amputee. So since this isn’t actually Star Wars, Echo has serious physical limitations and other issues that a 100% disabled combat veteran may have. Althea has trauma from childhood and a previous relationship.
Author Notes: I purposely tried to spread out the time between the last chapter and this one, trying to give people a bit of a break. And this one is kind of a set-up for the next chapter, which is the chapter I thought I would be writing, but then I realized I wanted to write more prep than I'd originally planned.
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: 2360
Warnings: Tiny bit of sex talk at the supper table with Omega.
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
Hunter wanted to ask Wren to go with them to see 99 for his birthday. It was in a couple of weeks, and the whole family was going for the weekend. He thought it would be a great time for her to meet their dad. He knew 99 was excited to meet her, he'd told him so more than once. But would Wren be okay with that?
When they had lunch together on Wednesday, he thought he'd just ask. He wanted to give her plenty of time to prepare, if she did end up going.
"So, I have a question."
He noticed her hands still as she was bringing her sandwich to her mouth. He needed to learn not to do that. He needed to just ASK the question, instead of telling her he's going to ask. Slowly but surely, he was learning the best ways to accommodate her anxiety. He just needed to remember.
He hurriedly continued, "It's nothing bad! And you can say no. It's really no problem."
She set her sandwich down, taking a drink, and said, "Go ahead, ask away." She tried to give him a smile, but it wasn't overly convincing.
He reached for her hands and held them as he talked, stroking with his thumbs.
"Well, 99's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and the whole family is going to spend the weekend with him. I was wondering...would you want to go with us? I totally understand if you're not ready for that. But I wanted to ask. I know he'd love to meet you. And I want you to meet him. But it doesn't have to be yet-"
"Yes."
He stopped and looked at her. He tilted his head, trying to gauge her facial expression. "Yes? You're okay with that?"
"Yes. He sounds wonderful, and I'd love to meet him."
"Well...great! That's...wonderful!" He gave her hands a squeeze before letting go.
"Did you think I wouldn't?" She started eating again.
"Well, it wasn't that I thought you wouldn't want to meet him at some point. I just wasn't sure if you were to that point yet."
"I think I am. Thanks for asking me." She gave him a beautifully genuine smile.
His heart skipped a beat. He couldn't help himself, and stood up enough so he could lean over the table and kiss her. Right there in the sandwich shop.
"Thanks." He sat down, still smiling at her.
She looked flustered, her cheeks a little red, but she still had that huge smile on her face.
"Sure. Thank you!" She giggled quietly, and it was adorable.
He took her hand again and squeezed it, holding on for a few seconds. "Okay, well, it's not this weekend, but next. And we'll probably leave on Friday after work, and come back Sunday afternoon. Will that be okay?"
"Yeah, should be. Are there enough beds for everyone? Will I make it harder on him?"
"No, you won't make it harder on him. He's going to be thrilled. And there are plenty of beds...if you share mine." He said that last part a little quieter.
Her face got redder and her cheeks were burning. "Should we do that? Do you think he will mind? What about Omega?" She seemed worried again.
"He won't mind. He knows I'm a grown man. And I think it might be time that Omega knows we've moved forward a bit. Unless that will make you too uncomfortable? I know you're going to be nervous anyway, I don't want to make it harder on you. I can sleep on the couch, and you can have the bed, if you'd prefer."
She chewed on her bottom lip for a bit, not looking at him, but staring at his hand holding hers.
"I think I'll be okay with it. I mean, I really want to. I just worry about how it will look to people."
"Maybe it'll look like we're a couple?" He gave her a small smile, and tried to convey that he thought this was a very natural progression for them. And it's not an unusual step for couples to take. "I don't plan on DOING anything except sleeping." Then he got a mischievous look on his face. "Unless you want to do more than just sleep."
She put her hand up to her face, hiding her eyes. "Hunter. No. I mean...ugh. You are mean." They both laughed quietly. "It's not that I don't want to, I'm just not ready. And certainly not in your dad's house with your whole family there." She looked up at him through her lashes, seeming embarrassed.
He took her hand again, squeezed it, and said, "I know, sweetheart. I'm just teasing you. I'm not even thinking of anything more right now. Well, not seriously. I'm not saying I never think about it..." He allowed himself to trail off and when she looked at him, he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Oh my god, Hunter. You're awful." But she quietly giggled as she stood up and threw her trash away.
He watched her walk away with a big smile on his face. She saw it when she turned around. She couldn't help but return the smile, even though she was still embarrassed.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm done teasing you, I swear. We need to be leaving anyway."
As they walked out, he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Placing a soft kiss on the side of her head, he said, "Don't hate me. You're just too fun to tease sometimes."
She playfully poked him in the ribs with her elbow, and he made an exaggerated "oof" sound, grabbing his side and rubbing.
But then he laughed quietly, pulling her against his side as close as possible. He whispered, "I'm sorry," against her hair. She placed her arms around his waist, hoping he could tell she wasn't really upset with him. Just a little embarrassed.
"It's okay. Really. I know you're just teasing." She looked up at him, and her eyes trailed to his lips. As soon as he saw that, he leaned in for a quick kiss. Nothing big, since they were out in public and not far from the library, but he couldn't resist a quick peck.
He left her at the library door, with a promise that he'd talk to her later. He saw her wave at him from behind the closed door as he walked away. He was floating. He felt so good. This was a big step. A big step!! She was going to meet 99! 99 was going to meet...his girlfriend. She felt like so much more than that though. He already felt like she was his...partner. He couldn't picture himself ever being with anyone else after this. She was it. It was just going to take some time before he could do anything about that. He still wanted to give her plenty of time to adjust to their new situation. But he planned on being there with her, forever, if she was willing.
When he got back to the job site, Wrecker commented on his huge smile. "You must have had a good lunch, Hunter!"
"I did, Wreck. Wren is going to 99's with us next weekend."
"Really! Oh, that's awesome!! She's part of the family now!"
Hunter smiled at him, and said, "Well, let's not say that around her yet. We don't want to scare her. But yeah, I agree."
Wrecker smacked him on the back so hard he stumbled forward a bit. He was used to his overexuberant brother, so he didn't mind. And he was glad Wrecker seemed almost excited as he felt.
That night at supper, Hunter decided to let everyone else know about Wren going with them. He knew if he didn't say it then, Wrecker wouldn't be able to hold in his excitement and would spill it.
Partway through the meal, Hunter stopped eating, cleared his throat and sad, "I invited Wren to go with us to 99's."
Four heads popped up quickly. Wrecker was the only one who didn't, since he already knew.
"Really?" Echo asked. "What did she say?"
"She said she would go. Is that okay with you all?" He looked around the table.
Of course, Omega was bouncing in her seat quietly clapping her hands. "I'm so excited! This is gonna be so much fun!! She's gonna love 99."
"And 99 is going to love her," Wrecker added.
Omega nodded enthusiastically.
"This is a big step," Tech said. "I am happy you have reached this point. We were not sure you would make it at times."
Crosshair chuckled. "Ain't that the truth."
Hunter just gave them a bored look. "Not everyone moves at the same pace in these situations. She had to overcome a lot of anxiety to get where we're at now. I'm very proud of her."
Echo added, "I am too, brother. I'm proud of both of you. You handled the situation so well. Many other men your age would have given up long ago. Good for you."
Hunter could feel his face getting hot, as he looked down at his plate and started eating again to try and hide his embarrassment. "Fanks," he mumbled around what he was chewing.
"99 is going to be so happy to meet her. I've told him a lot about her," Omega piped up.
Hunter gave her a soft smile. "I'm sure you're right, Meg. I'll call him a little closer to time to let him know she'll be with us. I don't want to tell him right now, just in case she would change her mind. She could start getting anxious the more she thinks about it."
"I bet she'll be fine! But hey...will there be enough beds for everyone?" Omega asked.
Hunter looked up quickly, then around the table at his brothers. There were varying degrees of amusement on their faces. Wrecker looked like he was going to laugh out loud any minute. And the smirk on Crosshair's face was intolerable.
She's not a little kid, maybe it wouldn't hurt to broach the subject now. "Uh, well, Meg...we'll figure it out. Maybe we'll just...share my bed. That would be the easiest solution for everyone."
Crosshair snarked, "Yeah, easiest for everyone. That's the reason." He was chewing on a toothpick by that point and flicked it across the table at Hunter. Hunter batted it away, then picked it up and threw it i the trash can nearby, giving Cross a dirty look the whole time.
"Oh..." Meg said. "So you two are sleeping together. Does that mean you're having sex?" She looked as innocent as could be.
Hunter practically choked on his stew. Echo patted him on the back, "Are you okay?" Hunter nodded while coughing.
Wrecker and Crosshair were snickering, and Tech was watching Hunter expectantly, adjusting his glasses.
He took a drink, trying to get a handle on his cough. She looked at him sweetly, not realizing the turmoil she was causing him. He knew she was just curious, and didn't mean anything by it.
"Well, Omega...first of all, that's not a question you should ask people. Okay? That's a very private thing, and most people aren't going to want to discuss it with you, or anyone." He looked around the table when he said that.
She looked disappointed. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any harm. I just thought that's what grown-ups did when they slept in the same bed. I didn't mean to say something bad."
His face softened when he realized she was confused. "You didn't say anything bad, it's just...well, like I said, it's a private thing. I'm going to tell you, though, because I know, for a fact, that Wren doesn't want you thinking we are...doing that."
Wrecker and Crosshair started snickering.
Echo spoke up, "Guys, stop."
Hunter gave them a look before continuing. "So, to answer your question, Wren and I are not having sex. She's still getting used to us being a couple. But we do like cuddling, so I would like to be able to do that when we visit 99, where beds are in short supply anyway. And I'd ask that you not bring it up with her, she's still a bit uncomfortable about it, and I know she'd be mortified if you asked."
"Okay, Hunter! I won't say anything more about it, especially to her. I promise."
He smiled and nodded at her.
Tech adjusted his glasses and said, "That went much better than I expected."
"Well, if it's okay with everyone, I think we can drop this now and get back to eating," Hunter said with finality
He gave Omega a small smile, and she returned it with a nod.
After supper, when Hunter and Echo were doing dishes, and everyone else was either in the living room or upstairs, Echo said, "Well, that was an interesting conversation over the supper table." There was a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, you can say that again. I hope I handled it in the best way."
Echo said, "You did a great job. You didn't just shut her down, you answered her question. That's the best thing to do. But I do think it's a good idea to tell her not to talk to Wren about it. I can't imagine how she would react to that."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I think I will tell her Omega asked about it though, and that I told her we aren't yet. She's been worried about what Omega might think."
"She's a sweet person, not wanting to cause weirdness for you and Omega."
"She really is."
They continued in silence for a couple of minutes. At one point, Echo looked at Hunter, who was drying the same dish over and over. "Hunter, I think it's dry."
Hunter startled and looked up from the plate. "Oh, yeah, sorry."
Echo chuckled, "It's okay. You have a lot on your mind."
"At least it's good stuff for a change. That's nice," Hunter continued.
"It really is."
Tag list: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
Author's chapter notes: Some of this chapter might sound familiar to a lot of you. Part of it was a one-shot I did back in April, but I wanted to incorporate it into this chapter now that I'd reached that point in their overall story. I did change just a few details to match up with things I'd already written. I do apologize if having both Wren's and Hunter's points of view seems redundant. I just really wanted to show how they both were feeling, and I didn't want to split it into two chapters. I hope this fluffiness helps make up for the heaviness of the last chapter.
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: 3163
Warnings: Mention of depression and anxiety. Making out with kissing and arousal. Leaving "love marks" on a partner's body.
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
Things felt different between Hunter and Wren after that weekend. But in a good way. She felt like she knew more about him, and it seemed to bring them closer together. She knew she could be there for him, like he's there for her all the time. And he knew he could be himself, depression and all, and she wasn't going to leave him because of it. Not that he'd thought she would, but there was a bit of fear that it might be too much for her along with her own anxiety.
He had his psych appointments on Monday, and he called her that evening. He said it went pretty well, and they were going to adjust his meds dosage just a bit, and see how that went. He was sounding a little better, a little more like the Hunter she was used to.
He was able to go back to work on Tuesday. Wrecker still took on a lot of the crew boss duties while Hunter was adjusting to his meds change. But at least he was there, getting back to his life. Until the next time it happened. He always hoped there wouldn't be a next time though. Maybe someday they'd get the right combination and dosage of meds/therapy/and whatever else they could throw at it.
He didn't tell Wren, not yet anyway, but part of the problem this time around was deep down he had hoped meeting Wren and getting closer to her would keep those extra low cycles or waves away. And when he still felt that old despair coming back, even after things had been going so well with her, it hit him hard. But he talked about that with his psychiatrist and psychologist on Monday, and they helped him work through that.
Wren was going to be out of town most of Saturday, but he asked if she wanted to get together on Sunday. Maybe he could come to her place, and have a quiet visit, just the two of them. He was thrilled by the excitement he saw in her eyes when she said yes.
Sunday afternoon came, and Wren had been having a bad anxiety day. Actually, a bad anxiety weekend.
She and Hunter had mostly been watching TV, but nothing in particular. They were just spending time together.
But her mind kept wandering. Nothing specific was bothering her, just work stuff, and family stuff, and all sorts of stuff. It didn't have to be anything big to make her anxious and worried. She had a lot of trouble shutting down her racing thoughts. Her mind went from one thing to another to another, worry after worry after worry.
She didn't realize how long she had been zoning out, staring into space.
"Hey, Wren."
Nothing.
"Wren. Are you okay?"
Still nothing.
He reached over and lightly nudged her arm with his hand. She looked over at him suddenly with a surprised look on her face.
"Oh! I'm sorry! What did you say?"
"Are you okay? You seem a little...absent."
"Oh shoot, I'm so sorry. I try not to do that when you're around. I've just had a lot of stuff on my mind. I'm so sorry. I'll try to stop."
"Did you want to talk about anything?" He was genuinely interested in trying to help any way he could.
"No, I'd rather just try to not think about it. None of it is really important stuff, I just fret a lot. About anything. I just need to distract myself." She gave him a small smile while playing with the hem of her shirt.
He was quiet for a little bit, before he spoke up again.
"Well...I can think of a couple of ways I can try to distract you." His voice was very low, more of a rumble. And when she quickly looked at him, she felt her face get hot and she was sure she was bright red. The smile he gave her was more mischievous than anything else.
She made a ridiculous snort, trying to cover up her embarrassment. But that just made her more embarrassed. She looked away, reaching up and laying her hand on her cheek, feeling her hot skin beneath her hand.
He chuckled and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you." He reached up and removed her hand from her face, but instead of dropping it, he kept hold of it, resting it on the couch.
"That's okay. You didn't." But she couldn't really look at him. She stared at their hands instead.
"Oh, I think I did." At that, he scooted closer to her, until he was sitting right next to her. He bumped his shoulder into hers. "But I was serious. I'd love to try to distract you."
She looked at him again, and he was leaning his head forward slightly so he could look in her eyes. His eyes wandered over her face, pausing on her lips.
She couldn't believe she was going to say it, but she couldn't stop herself. "What did you have in mind?" She took her bottom lip between her teeth, gently chewing with nervousness.
"Well..." He scooted even closer, even though she didn't think that was possible. His leg was practically on top of hers at that point.
She could feel his breath on her face. He smelled like the cookies she'd made for him.
"I was thinking...maybe...I could kiss you. Would that distract you?" He was having a hard time taking his eyes off her lips.
Her breath hitched just a little. Then she tried to take a deep breath without being too obvious. Otherwise she was afraid she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen.
She whispered quietly, "There's only one way to find out." Then she looked back up at him with a faint smile.
He replied in a whisper almost as quiet, "I guess you're right."
He leaned forward the last remaining little bit that separated their mouths. She felt his lips land on hers, firm but careful. He pulled back after a few seconds. "Did it work?"
She said, "I think it's starting to. But we might need to try again. Just to make sure."
His smile grew and her heart warmed at the affection showing in his eyes.
"I think you're right." He moved his arm so it was around her shoulders, pulling her towards him just a little bit. She moved her free hand so it was resting on his waist. And they kissed again. And again. And again. None of them were long kisses, but they were very sweet. And her head was beginning to spin.
She pulled back a little bit, looking at him. She reached up and moved some hair out of his eyes. She trailed her hand down his face, and said, "Yeah, it's definitely working."
"Good. You were really worried though, so we'd better not stop yet." He was having a hard time containing his grin.
"You're right. I could definitely use some more distracting. These worries, they're stubborn." She kissed him quickly, then looked down, staring at his chest, rubbing it with her hand, then moving up to his shoulder. "But, I think you said you knew of a couple of ways." She felt her face getting hot again, but she wasn't going to stop now. She peeked up at him, and his smile had grown.
"I did, didn't I?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Well, I thought maybe..." and he leaned his head further towards her, but then bent down so his nose was in her pulse point. He nuzzled her neck, and she shivered without warning. She felt a puff of air on her neck as he chuckled, deep and low. He placed a very soft kiss on the side of her neck, working his way up behind her ear. It took every ounce of strength for her to stay calm and quiet.
But he could tell he was having an effect. He nuzzled her ear and moved her hair out of the way so he could get to more of the skin on her neck. She'd closed her eyes as soon as he started in, and she was enjoying it immensely. They had kissed, but hadn't done much actual making out up to that point, but she knew already she was a big fan of any activity around her neck.
Then she felt him suck just a little bit, nothing serious or painful. But it was very distracting. What was she worrying about again? She had no idea at this point.
Oh, he was good.
And the thought of having him to distract her when she was spiraling was enough to put a big smile on her face.
After a minute or so of that, he pulled his head back to look at her face. "Is it working? Or are you still worrying?"
"Worrying? Was I worrying? I don't know what you're talking about." She took advantage of his face being right in front of hers and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
When she stopped for air, she pressed her forehead against his and said, "Thank you, Hunter. You're really good at distractions."
He smiled a small but very warm smile and said, "I'll be glad to help anytime, sweetheart. Just give me a call, and I'll be here before you know it."
And those pesky worries were forgotten for the next two hours.
Hunter was enjoying hanging out with Wren on her couch, just lounging around, watching TV, talking. But she seemed distracted. Very distracted at times. He would notice her staring out the window, or at the floor. She would play with the hem of her shirt or her sleeve. She would stare at their joined hands, like she was in a trance.
Whenever he would talk to her or ask her something, she'd respond. And she seemed like she was in a pretty good mood. But before long, she'd be mentally wandering off again.
When he asked her about it, asked if she was okay, she said she was, just thinking about things. She said she didn't really want to talk about it, but would rather be distracted.
And that made something click in his mind. Distracted. She wanted to be distracted? Well, he could certainly help with that. He thought for a minute, trying to come up with the best way to bring it up.
"Well...I can think of a couple of ways I can try to distract you." He gave her a smile, and trying to sound as sexy as possible, although it probably just sounded weird. He felt his face start to heat up and was glad for his dark complexion so she couldn't see his blush.
But he definitely saw her face immediately get red, and she made some sort of snorting sound. Maybe she thought he was joking or just teasing. But he wasn't. He was very serious.
She looked away and put her hand up to her cheek, trying to hide her face. So he took her hand and moved it to the couch where he kept hold of it.
He said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."
She tried to lie and say, "That's okay. You didn't." But he knew better.
"Oh, I think I did." He moved closer to her, bumping her with his shoulder. And he continued, "But I was serious. I'd love to try to distract you."
He kept looking at her, trying to see in her eyes. Then his eyes moved to her lips, and he couldn't seem to stop staring at her mouth.
And then to his surprise, she said, "What did you have in mind?" chewing on her bottom lip. A gesture so endearing that he felt his heart swell, like it was going to burst out of his chest. God, she was adorable.
He wanted to just grab her face, gently but firmly, and kiss her hard. And not stop kissing her until she was thinking about nothing but him. But he couldn't quite bring himself to that.
So instead, he moved even closer, until his leg was practically on top of hers, and said, "Well...I was thinking...maybe...I could kiss you. Would that distract you?" He held his breath. He didn't want to freak her out. And if she didn't want him to kiss her, then he would be fine. But he couldn't express how much he hoped she would accept his offer.
He kept looking at her mouth. And when he realized, he would quickly look back at her eyes, but then they'd wander down to her lips again. They were so perfect. So inviting. So soft. He knew how soft they were, and since the first time they'd kissed, he'd had trouble not thinking about her lips all the time.
His pulse quickened when she whispered, "There's only one way to find out." That was his cue. That was a green light, a "let's do this" if he'd ever heard one.
"I guess you're right." And then he leaned forward to press his lips to hers. Gently, carefully, but still firmly. He didn't want to push too hard, but he wanted her to know it was just the beginning, if she wanted. "Did it work?" He gave her a small smirk.
And to his utter delight, she said, "I think it's starting to. But we might need to try again. Just to make sure."
He was surprised at that. She was flirting! Wren was being flirty and teasing with him.
He replied, "I think you're right." Then he placed his arm around her shoulders, drawing her whole body closer to his. He felt her practically melt into him, her hand going to his waist. There was no resistance or hesitancy there at all.
And they kissed again. And again. And again. Mostly small kisses, no urgency, no pushiness, just enjoying the feel of each other's lips over and over again.
She pulled back, and he looked into her eyes.
"Yeah, it's definitely working," she whispered.
He felt practically giddy with the joy and comfortableness of the moment. "Good. You were really worried though, so we'd better not stop yet." He was trying not to smile, but he doubted he was hiding it very well.
"You're right. I could definitely use some more distracting. These worries, they're stubborn." She kissed him quickly, but seemed to be having trouble looking at him. He could tell she was embarrassed to be talking like that. He could see she wanted to be open with him. She wanted to let him know how much she liked it, how she wanted to keep going, but she was still holding back. "But, I think you said you knew of a couple of ways."
His heart skipped a beat when she said that. That was what he was hoping for, his invitation to move forward.
"I did, didn't I?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Well, I thought maybe..." And he leaned down so he could nuzzle her neck. He could smell her shampoo and her soap, and he just wanted to stay there, with his nose nestled into her pulse point, inhaling quietly. He felt her shiver, and he chuckled a little. He enjoyed knowing he was having an effect.
Then he went a step further and kissed the side of her neck. He left a line of small gentle kisses up and behind her ear. He was getting so aroused, it took all of his will power to not do what he wanted to, which was to just ravish her neck. To suck and gently bite until there were marks. Marks that other people would see tomorrow. He wanted everyone to see them at lunch together and know he did that. He marked her. Because she was his girlfriend.
And that actually surprised him, because he never thought of himself as possessive. And he still didn't really think it was a possessive thing. It was more a declaration of his feelings. A public declaration. I care about this woman, a lot. And we are close. Closer than I've ever been with anyone else. And these marks are proof of that.
But he held back. For now. They had kissed, but hadn't done much actual making out up to that point, so he still wanted to take things slowly.
She was relatively quiet, although he did hear the faintest whimper. And that sent a jolt straight to his cock. He hoped she couldn't feel how hard he got at that. He tried to keep his crotch away from her as much as possible. He at least didn't want to press up against her with it. Their legs were touching, but he could keep his erection out of the way for now. But that whimper crumbled his resolve about not making a mark.
He worked his way down to her collar bone, pulling her shirt collar to the side. He put his mouth on the exposed skin, starting with gentle kisses, up and down and around. But then in an area he knew could be hidden if she wanted, he sucked.
He heard the tiniest, quietest gasp he'd ever heard. But it was a gasp, he knew that. He looked up at her face, not removing his lips from her skin.
Against her skin, he said, "Are you okay? Would you like me to stop?"
She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, please, don't stop."
After a minute or so of that, he pulled his head back to look at her face. "Is it working? Or are you still worrying?"
"Worrying? Was I worrying? I don't know what you're talking about." He smiled at that as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He noticed she was getting more and more comfortable with kissing, in fact she was becoming very good at it. He was going to have to up his game to keep up with her. He smiled at the thought.
When she stopped for air, she pressed her forehead against his and said, "Thank you, Hunter. You're really good at distractions."
"I'll be glad to help anytime, sweetheart. Just give me a call, and I'll be here before you know it."
He was so pleased, he couldn't stop smiling. It was a win-win situation. He got to kiss her sweet lips and soft skin and she got to forget her worries for a couple of hours.
He was feeling so good, especially after the incredibly rough patch he, well...they, had gone through recently. They got through it and were closer afterwards. And his medication adjustment was already having a positive effect. He felt so fortunate.
No, Wren couldn't cure his depression, but having her in his life was already making it a little easier to deal with. He hoped he was having a positive effect on her mental health as well. That's what you hope when you love someone.
Tag list: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
Author's chapter notes: This isn't an easy chapter. It wasn't easy to write, and it will probably be uncomfortable for some to read. Depression is the main topic, Hunter's depression specifically. I totally understand if that's something you don't want to read. Feel free to skip ahead to the notes at the end of the chapter for a summary. The events of the chapter are loosely based on an event that happened early on with my husband and me, just with slight differences in details. And it probably happened a little earlier in our relationship than it does here in Hunter and Wren's. But I hope this chapter will show that Wren can be there for Hunter when he needs support, as he is there for her all the other times.
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: 6940
Warnings: Talk of depression, behaviors of a depressed person, mention of anti-depressants, upset and hurt feelings, crying, a slight misunderstanding that is sorted out pretty quickly.
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
Wren didn't hear from Hunter much the week after the party. He did text her Monday evening and asked how she was and how her day was. But there wasn't much extra talking. He said he was tired and going to bed early.
Tuesday she texted him in the evening. It took over an hour for her to hear back, but he finally responded. But he didn't say much again. Just that he was okay, but tired. She did mention she was going out with Amanda for her birthday Friday evening. He didn't really react to that, just said "okay." She started feeling like something was off, but she didn't know what and didn't know how to ask, so she didn't.
Wednesday...nothing. She'd decided she wouldn't text, maybe he needed a break. And when he didn't text, she assumed she was right.
Thursday...the same. Nothing. She was really starting to feel uncomfortable. But she fought the urge to text. She remembered that he'd said she could text anytime, he wouldn't get tired of her. But this week felt different.
On Friday at lunch, he texted.
H: Hey, would you want to come over tonight?"
W: Oh, I'm going out with Amanda for her birthday, remember? I don't know how long that will be, but it might be late before I'm home.
Then nothing. Finally about fifteen minutes later...
H: Fine.
Fine? Fine?! What does that mean? She had to admit she was a little irritated. She'd told him she was going out with Amanda. He acknowledged that he read the text. Why was he acting like this now? Like she was blowing him off or something.
She didn't know what to say.
W: Sorry. Maybe Saturday?
H: We'll see. Have fun.
W: Okay, thanks. Have a good night.
Then nothing. No response. She had a sick feeling in her stomach. What just happened? She couldn't cancel on Amanda, it was her birthday. She'd told her she would go out with her. What did he want her to do? Why was tonight so important to him?
She tried to put it out of her mind, but it gnawed at her all day. One minute she would be annoyed. Then the next she would be sad. She might even tear up. Then she'd be anxious. Then back to annoyed.
She didn't tell Amanda any of this, she didn't want her to feel bad. She probably would have said to not worry about going out with her, go see Hunter instead. But Wren had already told her she would go. She wouldn't back out.
That evening, Amanda, Wren, and Amanda's other friend, Stacy, went out to eat. Then after that, they went to shoot pool. Wren had mentioned Wolffe to Amanda early in the week. She said she remembered him coming into the library more than once. He's hard to forget with the scar and all. She said he was very quiet, but polite. Wren didn't want to betray his trust, so all she said was that he remembered Amanda and said she was very nice. Wren got the feeling that Amanda liked him well enough that maybe she'd be receptive to meeting him outside the library. She'd work on that.
They didn't stay very late though, they were all tired after a long week. Wren was home by 10:00. She received a text. From Hunter.
H: Are you home yet?
W: Yeah, I just got home. We were all tired. We felt like old women. How was your night?
H: Fine. We went out.
W: Oh, really? Who? The whole family?
H: Yeah, except Omega. She's at Hera's.
W: That's nice. Did you have a good time? Where did you go?
H: The bar. It was fine. I talked to Megan.
Wren felt the air leave her lungs as if someone punched her in the gut. Megan? As in, Megan who gave him her phone number? Megan who was after him that one night at the bar? That Megan?
W: Oh, the girl from before at the bar?
H: Yeah, she came over and sat with us for a while. I talked to her.
W: Oh. That's cool. I'm glad you had a nice time.
What was he doing? Why was he telling her this? Was he trying to hurt her?
H: Yeah, well, good night I guess.
W: Okay, good night. I'll talk to you later.
And that was all.
Then she sat there. And cried. What just happened? What happened this whole week? She didn't understand his attitude and how he was talking to her. It didn't feel like Hunter.
She decided she was just going to bed. She'd had enough of this night. But her phone rang. She was shocked to see it was Crosshair. She picked up:
"Hello?"
"Hey, Wren. It's Crosshair."
"Yeah, what's up? Is everything okay?"
"Not really." Her stomach dropped. "I saw the texts Hunter sent you just now. He'd left his phone laying on the table when he went to the bathroom. I just wanted you to know there was nothing to the Megan thing. She sat down and talked to us. She did try to flirt with Hunter, but he wasn't receptive."
"Do you know why he told me that? Is something wrong, Crosshair? Something doesn't feel right with him."
"It's not." He paused, as if trying to decide how to proceed. "How much do you know about Hunter's depression?"
"Uh, not that much. Just that he sees a doctor regularly, he's on anti-depressants. But that's all. He hasn't talked about it much."
"Okay, well, this is really something you should hear from him, but when he gets like this, it's hard to get him to talk. He's been having a rough week. He just has these low points now and then. It's not because of something that happened. It's not because of something you did, so don't think that. I know you well enough by now to know that's probably what you're thinking."
"Well, I was beginning to wonder. He just hasn't been very communicative this week. Not many texts, which isn't like him. Then this thing tonight. I'd told him I was going out with Amanda. I told him that early this week. And then when he asked me to come over, and I said I couldn't, he seemed upset. Mad even maybe. I didn't understand."
"Are you able to come over here?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, if you can. I think it would be a good idea if you could talk to him in person. He's gone to bed now, but I doubt he's sleeping. He didn't even go to work the past couple of days. He didn't feel up to it. I know this is asking a lot, and not everyone is able to deal with this type of stuff. But this might be a good time to see if you're able to be with him. Because most of the time he's the Hunter you've seen up to now. But now and then, this other Hunter shows up. He probably needs a meds adjustment, and I think he has an appointment next week with his doc, but for right now, he's struggling. And no matter what he would say, I know he would benefit from you being here. If you are able to deal with it."
"Okay, sure. I'll come right now. Thank you, Crosshair. Thanks so much. I had no idea."
"I know. Just get here when you can. I won't tell him you're coming, but I know he'll be glad to see you, even if he doesn't say it."
"Sure, sure. I'm changing clothes, and I'll be on my way."
"Bye, Wren. And thanks."
"Of course. Thank you."
Oh no, she thought. I don't know if I'm equipped to handle this. I don't know what to say. I've never talked to a truly depressed person. Or not when they're in a depressive episode anyway. What should I say?
She changed into clothes that she didn't wear to bed, but that were still comfortable, a pair of sweats and a hoodie over a T-shirt. Then she quickly tossed her bed clothes in a bag, and some toiletries, not knowing how long she'd be there, and was out the door in less than five minutes.
She tried to keep calm on the drive over. She was trying to think of what she could say to him, but she didn't come up with anything. But as he said last weekend, she's a good listener. She would just listen and go from there. And if he didn't want to talk, maybe just being there would help. She had to try.
When she got there, the door opened before she even rang the bell or knocked. Crosshair was there, and he said, "Thanks for coming."
"Yeah, of course. Thanks again for calling." She looked around the doorway to the living room, but only saw Wrecker, Tech, and Echo. No Hunter.
Wrecker said, "Hey, Wren," but he was quieter than she'd ever heard him before. The other two gave her weak smiles and waved.
"He's in his room. Go on back. Just knock on the door, and let him know you're here. It's not locked."
She handed him her coat, so he could hang it up. She'd left her overnight bag in the car, not knowing for sure what would happen. She could get it later if need be. Maybe he wouldn't want her to stay. She'd play it by ear.
She walked quietly back to his room, standing outside for a few moments. She didn't hear anything inside.
She knocked lightly. "Hunter? It's Wren."
She didn't hear anything. She waited a few more moments and knocked a little louder. "Hunter?"
"Huh?" she heard his muffled voice.
"Hey, it's Wren. Can I come in?"
"Yeah." It was quiet and still muffled, but he said yes. She was relieved at that.
She opened the door and walked into the dark room. She saw a lump on the bed, under the covers, but she couldn't actually see him.
She closed the door quietly behind her and said, "Hunter?"
He just made a quiet groaning sound.
"Hey, is it okay that I'm here?"
"Yeah."
"Can I turn on this lamp? Just a little light, so I don't trip."
"Yeah."
She turned the light on, then made her way to the bed, sitting down on the edge. She put her hand on what she thought was his thigh or hip. She waited, and after a minute or so, he slowly brought down the blanket. She hoped her eyes didn't show the surprise she felt when she saw him. His eyes were so red and puffy. He'd obviously been crying at some point. His hair was a tangled mess. He had bags under his eyes, and he looked exhausted.
"Hi." She gave him the best smile she could.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" He was still mumbling into his blanket.
"I just wanted to come by and say hi. I've missed you. Thought maybe I could get some snuggling in. Do you think that would be possible?"
"I haven't showered in a few days. Not sure you want to be that close to me." The eyes he turned on her were so sad and almost pleading.
"Sure I do. I always want to be close to you. Can I crawl in there with you. You can stay right like you are, you don't have to move at all. I can just hug you from over there." She pointed to the spot behind him, on the other side of the bed.
"Yeah, if you're sure."
"I'm sure. But before I do, did you want anything? A drink? A snack? Anything at all from out there?" She was running her hand up and down his thigh, very gently, soothingly.
"Maybe a drink. A Pepsi? And my phone. I don't know where it is. Out there somewhere?" He gave her the faintest smile, and she could see some of "her" Hunter in there.
"Absolutely. I'll go right now." She stood up, but then leaned over him, kissing his forehead. "I'm glad to see you, Hunter." She held his cheek in her hand for a few seconds, before standing and turning off the light. "I'll be back shortly." He just grunted.
She walked out into the hall and saw Crosshair leaning against the kitchen counter. When he saw her, he hurriedly stood straight. "How is he?"
She whispered, "He's quiet, but he talked to me a little. He said he wants a Pepsi and his phone. Do you know where his phone would be?"
"Probably in the living room. I'll get a soda ready, you go get the phone."
Wren nodded, and turned to go to the living room. She walked into the room where Tech, Wrecker, and Echo were watching TV.
"Hey, guys. Have you seen Hunter's phone?"
They all looked at her, and Wrecker pointed to the end table next to where Hunter usually sits. "I think it's over there."
She walked closer, saw it, and grabbed it. "Thanks."
"How is he?" Echo asked.
"He's pretty quiet, but he did talk to me a little. And he wanted a drink."
"Good. That is a good sign," Tech sighed after saying that.
"Would someone be able to go out to my car and get the bag that's on the passenger seat? It's an overnight bag, and I didn't know if I'd be staying, so I didn't bring it in. But I'm going to stay as long as he lets me, so I could use the bag."
Wrecker jumped up. "Yeah, where are your keys."
She walked to the closet and fished her keys out of her coat pocket. "Here ya go, Wrecker. Thanks. When you get back, you can just put my keys back in there. And maybe just leave the bag on the washer or dryer. I'll pop out and get it when I'm sure what my plans are. Is it right that Omega won't be home tonight?"
"That's right. She's at Hera's for a sleepover," Echo responded.
"Okay, good. Then I won't feel funny about staying the night. If he's okay with that."
"I think that would be a great idea. Thanks, Wren." Echo was so sincere. She could feel the worry coming off him in waves.
"Of course, I'm glad to do it." She smiled at all of them. "Thanks for being such good brothers to him." She felt tears stinging her eyes.
Wrecker reached out and enveloped her in his big arms. She put her arms around his waist as far as she could reach and rested her head on his chest. "You're doing great, Wren. No matter how he acts or what he says, just know he's going to appreciate you being here. Once his mind is cleared, he'll remember this."
"Does he get like this often? I had no idea..." she trailed off.
Echo spoke up again, "Not often. Once in a great while. And it's usually when his meds need adjusting. He's got an appointment with his psychiatrist on Monday, so they'll discuss that. Hopefully they can tweak them a little bit to get him back on track. He never seems really angry, just gets sad and quiet."
"I guess Omega has seen this?"
"A little bit. She doesn't understand the full weight of it. And he does try to hide it from her as much as he possibly can. But it's one reason we asked Hera's parents if she could stay over tonight and tomorrow night."
Wren nodded and said, "Okay. Thanks, guys." She started to turn towards the kitchen.
Wrecker said, "I'll be right back with your bag, and I'll leave it in the laundry room."
"Thanks, Wrecker." He went out the door as she went to the kitchen.
Crosshair had the soda in a cup with some ice. He held it out to Wren. He also held out a water bottle, and she took it as well.
"Thanks, Crosshair. And thanks again for calling."
He just nodded, and she turned and went back to Hunter's door. She knocked, but then slipped on in quietly.
"Are you okay with me turning the light on again, so you can see to drink?"
He grunted and she assumed it was a yes. The light was very dim, so she didn't think it would be too much for him. She held out the cup to him, and his hands came out from under the blanket to grab it. They were shaking. He lifted his head enough that he could get a good angle to drink. He drank most of the soda before setting the cup down on the stand.
"Here's some water if you want some later also." She set that next to his cup.
"Thanks."
"And here's your phone. Did you want it, or just set it here?"
"You can just set it there for now." She set it on the corner of his stand.
"Okay, so can I come in now?"
He gave her the faintest smile, and it did her heart good to see. She walked to the other side of the bed and crawled under the covers. She scooted behind him, putting her arms around his waist. He grabbed onto her hands as if he never wanted to let go. She felt the tears in her eyes again. She pressed her forehead to his back, kissing his shoulder through his shirt.
"I'll stay as long as you want. It's up to you though."
"Can you stay all night?" He sounded so small. Like a hurt little boy.
"Absolutely, if that's what you want. I will stay all weekend if you want."
He squeezed her hands. Then it was quiet. And she wasn't going to make him talk. He knew she was there if he wanted to. He knew she was a good listener if he wanted to talk. But he didn't, not yet.
It wasn't more than five minutes when she heard his even breathing. His sleep breathing. She quietly sighed, grateful he'd been able to fall asleep. It was obvious he hadn't slept much lately.
She might have drifted in and out of sleep, but she definitely didn't sleep soundly. She looked at the clock once, and it had been two hours. He stirred, and rolled over a bit to look at her. It was mostly dark, but she could see his eyes.
"Thanks for staying."
"It's my pleasure."
He rolled over so he was facing her. She rolled to where she was facing him and brought her hand to his cheek. She leaned forward so her forehead was pressed against his. And they stayed like that until they fell back to sleep.
At some point in the night, Wren turned over so her back was to him, and they were able to spoon. She heard him sigh peacefully before falling asleep again. And he slept better than he had in a week.
In the morning, she woke to an empty bed. She got up, wandering out to the laundry room. She picked up her bag that Wrecker had left for her, and placed it inside Hunter's room on a chair. Then she went into the hallway. Hunter was in the kitchen, drinking some coffee at the table.
"Hey, you should have woken me up."
He looked less exhausted than he did last night, so she was glad about that.
"I haven't been up long. I needed some coffee to try to help my headache. Do you want something?"
"No, not right now. Is anyone else up?" She looked at the clock, and it was only 7:30 am.
"Echo has been up, he's the one who made the coffee, I'm sure. But I haven't seen him. It's been quiet."
She sat down next to him, and took his hand in hers. "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty good. You helped." He squeezed her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. "So, who called you to come over?"
"Crosshair. I'm really glad he did though. I had no idea what was going on. I'm sorry for not being there for you earlier."
"No, don't worry about that. I wasn't thinking clearly when I asked you to come over. I knew you had plans, and I didn't want you to cancel on Amanda. I just wasn't thinking. And I shouldn't have said what I said in the texts after. I'm sorry about that."
"It's fine, Hunter. I understand. I mean, I can't understand what you're feeling, but I understand that you didn't mean anything by it. If I'd realized how bad you were feeling, I would have asked Amanda if I could leave after we ate and not do anything after. She would have been fine with that. So in the future, just let me know what's really going on. I'm new at this, but I want to try to help you as much as I can."
"I know." He gave her a small smile, and leaned over, giving her a quick kiss. "You're the greatest."
"Oh, far from it. But I'm willing to do whatever I can. I just need a little guidance."
He nodded at her, standing. He pulled her up with him, and hugged her, resting his head on hers.
"I'm still tired, would you want to go back to bed for a while?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." She leaned into him again, putting her head on his shoulder, arms around his waist.
He kissed her head, and said, "Okay, come on. Let's go back."
They walked into his room, closing the door. She climbed into bed, him following, and they got back into their favorite position. Spooning. He kissed her neck, causing her to giggle.
"That tickles."
"Oh, really?" So then he peppered little kisses all over her neck, trying to tickle her as much as possible. She tried to stifle her giggles, but it was hard. She got her pillow and put her face in it.
"Hey, you're going to make me wake everybody up."
He just chuckled and settled in. She put her pillow back and laid her head down. They spent a couple of more hours in bed, sleeping and waking and cuddling. They heard everyone else up, and finally decided they should join them.
He kissed her cheek, saying, "Thanks again for coming over. You have made a huge difference."
"I'm so glad. I wish I could do more."
He shook his head, "Nah, it's okay. This just happens sometimes. I think I need to have my meds adjusted. Sometimes, they lose some effectiveness. I've had to switch meds before, or sometimes it's just a dosage adjustment. I try really hard to keep it in check with Omega here now. I don't want to scare her. But sometimes I can't fight it enough."
Wren brought her hand to his face, moving some hair out of his eyes, caressing his cheek. "No one expects you to fight it, Hunter. Not even Omega. She's old enough to understand some things. She's mature, she's already been through a lot in her life."
"Yeah, so I don't want to put her through with my shit. Not if I can help it." He reached up and held her hand as it rested on his cheek.
She could tell she wasn't going to change his way of thinking on that right now, so she dropped it.
"Most of the time I just feel numb. Like I don't really have emotions. But when this starts happening, I can feel those emotions bubbling up, and it's not pleasant. The sadness and guilt. The pain and heartache. The pain of losing Fives. And also of losing the only future I'd ever really planned for myself. The numbness sucks too. I hate that I can't feel as much for you as I'd like. But the numbness is better than the pain."
What did he mean about not feeling as much for me as he'd like? Can I ask?
"So what's that about your feelings for me? What do you mean?" She tried not to sound anxious or worried.
"Well, I know that I care about you. A lot. I know, because I never get tired of you. Never. And that's never happened with a woman before. I know, because when you're not around, I can't stop thinking about you. I know, because when I tell someone about you, I can't keep the pride out of my voice. Pride in what a good and kind person you are. And that you want to be with me. I KNOW all those things. But I can't usually FEEL them. And sometimes, that pisses me off. Because you deserve someone who can really feel how much they care about you. You deserve someone who isn't dead inside."
She felt tears start burning her eyes. She didn't realize these things about him. She didn't realize the depth of his depression and pain. This is all new to her, and it's overwhelming. But she wanted to keep in control for his sake. And not show how upsetting some of this was. Not upset at him. But upset FOR him. She hated that he had to feel like this.
"Hey, Hunter. What I deserve is to be happy. Just like everyone else. And you make me happy. Period. You. You are the one I want to be with. You are the one I want to open myself up to. You and only you. And if your depression is part of that, then so be it. I'll take that on and do my best with it. It's not like I'm a walk in the park over here. I can be very difficult. I think you've come to see that. And I don't expect that to get any better. So maybe we were meant to be together. Our issues aren't the same issues, but I think we are more empathetic towards each other, because we know how shitty we feel sometimes. And we would do anything in our power to try to stop each other from feeling shitty."
She could see tears in his eyes, so she just leaned forward and kissed him. So softly, it was barely a kiss. But it conveyed everything she wanted it to. She was here for him, just as he was here for her. And it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. She truly believed that.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "You're the best."
Every time he said that her face got warm and she knew she was blushing. Because she could tell it wasn't just an empty platitude. He meant it. He was convinced she was the best person he'd ever met, and no one would change his mind. Of course, 99 and Omega were in a different category, so they didn't count in that comparison.
"Pfft."
"Pffft, nothing. You are." He kissed the side of her mouth, then the other side. Then on the lips. But he pulled back saying, "So are you going to be heading home?"
She thought he sounded hopeful, but didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
"Well, I wasn't sure. I thought I might stay a while today, if you didn't mind. It was a long week not getting to see you." She looked at him shyly, picking at the blanket that covered their legs.
"If you want, that would be great. I just wasn't sure if you needed to get home."
"Nah, not really. I didn't have any plans. So I can stay as long as you would like. And when you get tired of me, just boot me out the door." She smiled at him.
"Never. I don't think I could ever get tired of you." He leaned forward, putting his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight hug. She had a little trouble catching her breath while he was hugging her that time, because he had such a tight grip. Like he didn't want her slipping away.
She tried to joke. "Well, we'll see about that. I can be pretty annoying. You ain't seen nothin' yet." Then she laughed, and he actually laughed a bit with her.
"Well, I really need to take a shower then. I don't want you having to be around me when I stink."
"I didn't notice. You just smell like you. Maybe a little more than normal."
He chuckled, "That's a nice way of saying it."
He stood up and went to his dresser, pulling out some clothes.
"Did you need to go to the bathroom before I head in? I mean, we have another upstairs, but if you need to go, I can wait."
"No, I'm fine. Go ahead."
He gave her a smile, albeit small and subdued, as he walked out of the room. She grabbed her bag, shut the door, and changed her clothes. She didn't feel like she needed a shower yet. She'd rather not deal with that if she didn't have to. Showering in someone else's bathroom, especially an unfamiliar one, wasn't high on the list of things she wanted to do today. Although if she ended staying all day and night again, she might.
She wandered out to the kitchen, and all the guys were there either drinking coffee or eating. The shower was running already, so they knew Hunter wouldn't be able to hear.
"Hey, Wren. Thanks so much for helping." He stood up and gave her another big bear hug. She soaked it up.
"I'm glad I could help a little. He seems to be a little better than when I got here last night."
"Oh, he's worlds better," Echo added. I can tell in his eyes, there's less despair. You've grounded him." He then walked over and hugged Wren.
Oh, she was getting hugs from everyone. How nice! Well, half of everyone. She knew Tech wasn't a hugger, and she was pretty sure Crosshair wouldn't want to hug her. But they did both smile at her, acknowledging how grateful they were too.
Hunter was their oldest brother, well, other than Echo, but even he looked up to Hunter. He was the head of the household for all intents and purposes. And he tried his hardest to help all of them. When he was in these low spots, they wanted to be able to help him, but it wasn't always possible. But having Wren added to the mix was definitely reassuring.
Echo dished up some eggs and bacon, setting it in front of her. "Thanks, Echo. This looks so good. And smells delicious." He just smiled and nodded at her.
"So are you staying today?" Crosshair asked.
"I am for a while. He seemed like he wanted me to."
They all mumbled their agreement, that it would be a good thing to have her around. Wrecker was talking about things that went on at work the day before. Without Hunter there, Wrecker was in charge. Before too long, Hunter came down the hall. He was wearing sweats and a T-shirt, and his hair was wet.
Wren tried not to stare at the way his gray sweats fit or how adorable he was with his wet curls around his face.
Stop thinking about that. He didn't feel well. It's not nice to think about shallow stuff like how good he looked.
But he did. Look really good. He caught her looking at him and gave her a mischievous smile. She just looked down at her plate and shoved more food into her mouth. He took his dirty clothes and put them in the hamper in the laundry room. After he came back, he stood behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing gently. She looked up at him and smiled, and he bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Want some food, Hunter?" Echo asked.
"Yeah, I do, thanks." He moved to sit next to her as Echo brought a full plate over. "Looks really good, Echo." And then he dug in. It was obvious he was hungry. Who knows how much he'd eaten the past few days. He'd cleaned his plate in no time, and got up to get some more.
Echo was washing dishes, and Wrecker got up to move on into the living room. He patted both Wren and Hunter on the back as he walked past. "It will be good having you both around today." Wren felt her face get warm, but she couldn't stop the huge smile from forming.
The rest of the morning was quiet. Echo sent everyone out of the kitchen while he cleaned up. Crosshair went up to his room for a while. The rest of them went into the living room to hang out and watch TV.
There was nothing they were watching that Wren really cared to focus on, so she focused on Hunter. She rested her head on his chest as she pulled her legs up, bending them to curl up under her as she leaned into his side. She rested her hand on his stomach, slowly and gently moving her fingers up and down, left to right. His arm was around her shoulders, and he was lightly rubbing her upper arm.
After a quiet ten minutes, she looked up at him. "Is this annoying you?" She looked down at her hand.
"No," he said quietly. "Why would it?"
"I don't know. I thought maybe you'd like me to stop hanging on you, give you some space." She looked up at him.
"No, I like you hanging on me." He smiled at her. "I will tell you if I need space."
"Okay, please do."
Most of the day was like that. They all ate lunch together. Echo, Wrecker, and Tech came and went. Tech took Wrecker shopping at one point. They needed some groceries. Hunter would have normally gone with them, but they didn't ask him. They knew he wasn't up to it.
Crosshair came down for supper and then left for work not longer after.
At one point, Wren said, "Is there anything I can do around here to help you guys? Laundry? Cleaning?"
Echo and Hunter both said, "No! You're not going to do our chores. We'll get to them." Some of it was what Omega helped with to warrant the allowance they gave her, so she would help on Sunday when she was back.
So Wren just relaxed and let them do their stuff around her. But Hunter stayed with her most of the time. At one point he asked if she wanted to lie down.
"Here? Or in bed?" she asked.
"I was thinking here for now. We can do the bed part later, if you're still here."
"Hunter, I'll stay all night if you're fine with it. But I'll also leave if you'd rather I do that."
His face lit up, "You'll stay all night?"
"Yeah, sure! It would be my pleasure." She kissed him quickly.
She didn't ask how he was feeling, thinking maybe that wasn't the best way to handle things. She didn't want to pressure him to talk. But she would be glad to listen if he ever wanted to. And she thought he knew that.
So they laid on the couch together, him behind her. Their favorite spooning position, just a little more cramped. Around 9:00 Wren was falling asleep. He said, "Hey, Wren, you ready for bed?"
She barely woke up but said, "Yeah, I'm ready."
He helped her up and they started walking out of the room. She said good night to Wrecker, who was the only one left there with them.
When they got to his room, she was still half-asleep, so she just started undressing, changing into her bed clothes. She didn't notice Hunter's eyes going wide, as he saw more of her skin than he had up to that point. She put her sleep shorts and shirt on, taking her bra off last. Then she crawled into bed.
He took off his shirt and pants and climbed in next to her. He laid on his back, and she curled into his side, her head on his chest.
She was so tired, she barely woke up. And he was pretty exhausted too, after the rough week he'd had. They were asleep in no time.
But a couple of hours later, Wren woke up to strange sounds. She tried to clear her head to remember where she was, and she felt something hard under her cheek. Oh, Hunter's chest. And then she realized the strange sounds she heard were coming from him.
He was talking, but she couldn't really understand what he was saying. He kept going and after a minute, he'd increased his volume to where he sounded angry, like he was yelling at someone. It still sounded like gibberish, except she could make out a few fuck you-s. She was getting ready to say something to him, because it sounded like he was getting more and more upset. Almost as if he was crying. But before she could say his name, his arms and legs started jerking. He was kicking and the arm around her squeezed her much tighter. She started feeling nervous.
"Hunter?" No change. "Hunter!" He was still crying and flailing more. Then she yelled, "HUNTER!" and he startled awake.
"WHAT?! Wha- wha-..." He looked around frantically, his eyes landing on her face. Even in the near dark he seemed to recognize her, and he loosened his grip. "Wren?"
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?" Her voice was shaking a little bit.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Why, what did I do?" He sounded confused.
"You were yelling and started crying, then you were kicking and holding me tighter. Almost flailing."
"Shit, sorry. I should have warned you when I'm in these depressive periods, I often have bad dreams that sometimes turn violent. I'm really sorry. Did I hurt you?"
He sat up, turning on the light next to the bed. He looked at her face closely, touching her, feeling her arms, as if he was feeling for broken bones or something.
"No, you didn't hurt me. I'm okay. I was just surprised, that's all. I woke up and heard you, then you started jerking around. I wasn't sure if I should wake you up or not. But when you started squeezing me, I thought I should."
"Yeah, definitely. Thank you." He turned off the light again, and laid back down. He kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Wren. I'm so so sorry."
She thought it sounded like he might cry. "It's okay, Hunter. It's fine. I'm fine." She stroked his hair and his face, trying to calm him. His breathing had returned to normal. But he felt really hot. "You feel really hot. Do you want your fan on higher?"
"No, that's okay. If it's too high, then I'll get cold because I'm sweating. It will be fine in a minute."
"Okay, well, I'm still going to stop laying on your chest. Give you some space. I'll be over here, and if you want to come over, feel free. But I want to give you the chance to stay over there if you'd prefer."
She did as she said she would, and turned on her side away from him, on her side of the bed.
After he spent a few minutes deep breathing, he moved over behind her. He gently slid his arm around her waist, putting his nose in her hair. He snuggled up to her back, and they were both asleep again before too long.
The next morning, Wren wanted to be gone before Omega came home. It's not that she didn't want to see her, but she still wasn't comfortable with her seeing Wren spend the night with Hunter. So she got up before anyone else was up. She whispered for Hunter to stay in bed and sleep more. She kissed his cheek, and was getting ready to stand up and walk away, but he moved faster.
He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her down on the bed. "No, you can't leave!" He was smiling though, as he pulled her down close to him. They looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Then he kissed her tenderly. "Thanks for coming to hang out with me. You really are the best." With his face softened by sleep, he looked even more adorable to Wren.
She bent down and kissed him...once...twice. She could feel his smile against her lips. She pulled back and said, "I hope you have a good day. Omega will be back, so that will be nice."
"Yeah. You have a good day too. Thanks again for coming to hang out with me. I hope I didn't scare you away."
"Never, Hunter. Never." She grabbed her bag, gave him a small wave, and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
After she got to her car and could take a minute to breathe, she thought about the past 48 hours. She was proud of herself for being able to be there for him.. She wasn't sure how it would go the next time it happened, but she would deal with that when it happened.
She cared about him way too much to run away because of this. He was so good at helping her with her anxiety, the least she could do was try to help him when he needed it. That's what you do when you love someone.
Summary in case you don't want to read details about depression: Wren finds out Hunter cycles into lower depressive episodes now and then. There's a misunderstanding because she doesn't realize what the problem is. Crosshair calls her and asks her to come over to be with Hunter. She ends up spending most of the weekend with him, and they have some really good talks about his mental health. You won't miss anything in the main storyline if you don't read this chapter.
Tag list: (Let me know if you'd like removed, it won't hurt my feelings!)
The simple way Hunter and Wren are there for each other, no fuss, just love and warmth and genuine concern is so sweet and beautiful to me. The comfort they give each other, the way the whole batch is with each other, is true and honest love, even Crosshair. This just gets better and better❤️
I took my little brother (autistic, mostly non verbal) out and he was using his voice keyboard to tell me something, and this little boy (maybe 4 or 5?) heard him and asked me "Is he a robot??" I tried to explain to him that no, he isn't a robot, he just communicates differently, but my darling brother was in the background max volume "I am robot I am robot I am robot I am robot"
My little brother insisted if I was going to post about him, he wanted a cut of the "profits". When I explained to him that Tumblr isn't monetized, and is pretty pointless, he and my older brother pointed out that he'd still be bringing me "fame and notoriety" if the post got "big". So we agreed, if the post hit 10k notes, which seemed extremely farfetched and silly at the time, I'd take my little brother out for sushi (his favorite food) and let him eat as much as he wants.
I guess God wanted the little robot to enjoy some sushi 🍣 🥲
Author's chapter notes: I didn't wait all the way until September, but it's been about 5 weeks since the previous chapter. This is the same events as Ch. 7, but mostly from Hunter's perspective. I did add one new scene. I'm very sorry it's so long, but I will move on now after this. (One more note at the end, but I didn't want it to spoil anything.)
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: 9629 (So sorry - I can't believe it's even longer than the previous chapter!)
Warnings: M/F snuggling and kissing (some of it in a bed, but very tame stuff.) Mention of sexual arousal. Shirtless Hunter makes an appearance. Mild real world 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.
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Patience & Trust Masterlist (the sequel)
Hunter and the Librarian Masterlist (the original)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
What a day, what a day! Hunter hadn't felt this light and carefree in so long. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy. He had been happy when they received custody of Omega, of course. But that was more of a relieved happiness. And a bit of worry about what they were getting themselves into. Happy, but restrained.
But right now, as he was waiting for Wren to return from her outing with Tulip and Omega, he felt almost giddy. Giddy? Did he actually just use the word giddy in reference to himself? The hardened soldier, oldest brother, man with so much responsibility on his shoulders it felt like a physical weight sometimes...that guy? He was giddy?
Wow, who would have thought that. Not him!
But Wren had an effect on him that no one ever had before. He knew. He knew she was the one.
He certainly wouldn't tell anyone that right now. Not his brothers or Omega, and definitely not Wren. He didn't want to scare her more than she already was. But yeah, he really felt like she was it. There was no reason to consider other women, or wonder if there was someone better out there. Because he knew there couldn't be.
He couldn't explain what it was about her that made him think that. But for one, she was good. She was a really good person. And he admired that more than anything. She was kind. And caring. She had a huge heart. She was empathetic, almost to a fault. She would sometimes make herself sick feeling bad for someone else. And she would never hurt someone on purpose. She couldn't.
What more could a person ask for in a partner?
Was she as pretty as some other women? No. But she was cute. And he could look at her all day and not get tired of her face. It was interesting. The little bump on the bridge of her nose. Her lopsided smile. How her face was kind of wide and squarish with prominent cheekbones. And her green eyes.
He looked forward to the day when she would be able to focus those eyes onto his for longer than a few seconds, because he really enjoyed getting a peek. A peek at the person inside of her wanting to come out. The person who wasn't scared of him or what was happening between them. She was in there. It was just going to take a little more time. He would catch glimpses of her now and then, before she'd run back inside to hide.
It had been a couple of hours since they'd left, so he assumed they'd be back any minute. He was trying not to pace or look out the window. He didn't want to hear the shit his brothers would give him about it.
He wasn't worried. He was just a little concerned about her. She'd looked pretty scared when she said she would go with Tulip and Omega. He was really proud of her for doing it though. He wanted to tell her that without making too big of a deal about it. But he knew how hard stuff like that was for her. He knew all too well.
He heard a car pull into the driveway, and when he looked out the window, he saw it was Tulip's. He watched as Omega was the first out. Wren was slower, but she looked okay. No worse for the wear. She had a small smile on her face, and seemed to be listening to something Omega was saying.
He walked out onto the porch to wait for them. Tulip said, before she'd even reached him, "I've returned her, Hunter. You can stop worrying." But he saw her smile and knew she was just teasing.
"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.
Hunter smiled at Omega before looking more closely at Wren. She said, "Were you worried about me?"
He didn't want to come across as too overprotective, so he just said, "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." Then he kissed her forehead trying to convey how much he cared, but yet also that he trusted her and knew she could take care of herself.
She smiled at him, and his heart skipped a beat. "Well, I did have a good time. Tulip is very nice. I'm surprised she wants to be with Crosshair," she said with a smirk.
He smiled at that. "Yeah, we all kinda feel that way." He looked around briefly and said, "Would you be embarrassed if I kissed you right out here on the front porch?" He knew he might be pushing her limits a bit much with that request, but he couldn't help himself. He really wanted to kiss her there, because once they went inside his family would be everywhere.
She looked around as well, and seeming satisfied that no one was there, she said, "Not at all."
Her cheeks were getting pink, but she was still smiling, so he leaned down to kiss her quickly. He had a sudden wave of emotion wash over him, and he said, "This has been the best day I've had in a really long time." He really meant that.
And he was so pleased when she said, "Me too. I'm so glad you invited me over." Then she hugged him before continuing. "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."
He knew she would still be a little nervous about that, but he tried to reassure her. "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 and turned them towards the door to walk inside.
When they entered the kitchen, Echo asked Wren if she was going to stay for supper. Hunter really hoped she would, so when she turned to him, he lifted his eyebrows, trying to show how much he wanted her to stay. After looking around at the others, and seeing Omega look so excited, she said that she would. Giddy. He was giddy again, but tried to keep it in check.
He put his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on the temple. As Crosshair and Tulip walked past, he bumped into Hunter's arm and said, "Is this going to be a regular thing now? Gross."
Hunter laughed and said, "Maybe so, Cross. You'd better get used to it." He was so pleased that he could tease with his brother about it, and know that it was only teasing. He didn't have to worry about him being the way he was at the beginning when he wasn't sure about Wren and her intentions. They'd finally gotten through to him, that this was a real thing, so he was letting them be. With a little teasing, which he would expect.
He saw Tulip turn and wink at Wren as they were walking away, and that pleased him. The girls must have gotten along pretty well, and he was so glad.
Wren asked Echo if he needed any help with supper, but he said not at the moment. And Hunter realized everyone else was busy. Wrecker and Omega were watching TV, Tech, Crosshair and Tulip were upstairs, Echo was cooking...that just left Hunter and Wren alone, for the most part. He got an idea.
He caught her eye and motioned with his head towards his bedroom. He could tell she didn't know what he was trying to do. She had a look of confusion on her face. So he motioned again while taking her hand and gently pulling her in his direction. He saw her look around and when she saw Echo wasn't paying attention, she followed him to his room. Once inside, she said nervously, "Hunter...what are you doing? Everyone is out there."
"I know. But they're all distracted right now. I just wanted five minutes alone with you. Is that okay?" He had taken hold of both of her hands and was looking into her eyes.
After looking at the door again, she quietly said, "Okay." She gave his hands a squeeze.
"Good." Dropping her hands, he wrapped her in a hug instead. He could smell her shampoo, so he put his nose closer to her head and inhaled.
She asked, "Did you just sniff my hair?" but she was smiling, so he knew she wasn't offended.
He responded, "Yeah! I love the smell of your shampoo!" And he pushed his nose further into her hair, sniffing again, making her giggle. The sound sent warmth throughout his body.
Then she said, "I have to admit, I like the smell of yours too." And she lifted her hands to run her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes as she lightly massaged his scalp at the base of his skull. It felt so good, he couldn't stop the sound that came from deep within him. No one had done that before, and it caught him off guard. It was a cross between a purr and a growl.
She very innocently said, "You like that, don't you?"
He opened his eyes, nodded at her, and said, "I really do." He was starting to get aroused, and he held her tighter. He tried not to let on just how much he liked it, because he didn't want to scare her.
After she laid her head on his shoulder, he said, "Hey, let's sit down?" When she looked up again, he motioned towards the bed.
He loosened his hold and started backing up. When his legs hit the bed, he sat down, starting to pull her with him.
But she quickly said, "Hunter, I'm too heavy for you."
Did she actually think that? He responded, "What?! You are not. Come on, come down here with me."
After a very gentle pull that she easily could have resisted, she sighed and sat down sideways on his lap. And he quickly realized she'd never sat on his lap. They'd spooned while lying down, she'd sat next to him on the couch, leaning on him, his arm around her, her hand here and there. But her ass had never been right...there. And it was already very alert from her hands in his hair.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He shifted just a little bit so she wasn't sitting right on his crotch, and instead was a little further down his thighs. That definitely helped. Not that he didn't like the other way, but he was still trying to reign his body's reactions in around her. Her ass was too soft to have sitting right on his dick. For now, anyway, he thought to himself with a smile.
He noticed her looking at him, and he thought he saw her lean the slightest little bit towards him. And that was his cue. She didn't have to ask him twice. He bridged the small gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. But he didn't back away immediately like he'd done the times before. And he could tell she wasn't backing away. In fact, he thought he could feel her lean into the kiss more, her hands moving to his shoulders.
He still didn't try to open his mouth or add any tongue whatsoever, but it lasted a really long time compared to previous kisses. As the seconds wore on, he could tell she was moving her lips more than she had before. She was getting really good at this. Not that she was bad before, she just didn't do much. But there was definite movement now.
He heard her make the smallest sound. Was it a whimper? A little moan? It was so quick and quiet, he wasn't sure. But it definitely sent a shock straight to his cock. And he growled. Not loudly, but it was a growl.
She moved her hands from his shoulders around to the back of his neck, and then up into his hair again. Her fingernails were lightly scraping along his scalp, and he started picturing doing more than kissing. Much more. He moved his hands up and down her back and sides, scrunching her shirt up a little, but not touching her skin beneath. He was really trying to keep himself in check.
And then after what felt like an hour but was probably only a minute, they heard, ""Hunter? Wren?! Where are you guys?"
Omega.
He felt Wren jump back and make a startled sound. She was off his lap in an instant, messing with her shirt and hair. He sighed.
When she looked back at him, he pouted a little, but she acted like she didn't even see. She reached towards him and messed with his hair whispering, "Fix your hair." Then she reached for the door and walked out. He heard her say, "Here, Omega. We're here."
He stood up and walked after Wren, seeing Omega at the laundry room door. She asked, "What were you guys doing?"
Before he could respond, Wren said, "Nothing! I mean, he was showing me his guitar! I was surprised when he told me he played, so he pulled it out to show me."
He winced a little at that last line, wondering if she thought how that sounded. He could have sworn he heard Echo laughing in the kitchen. But he didn't think Omega caught what was funny, so he just stepped forward and put his hand on Wren's lower back trying to reassure her that Omega didn't realize what they were doing, and it was fine.
"Yeah, I told her I'd play for her at some point. Maybe."
"Oh, okay! Come on in the living room and watch TV with us. It's Jeopardy time!" She grabbed Wren's hand and started walking. Wren quickly looked back at Hunter with a half smile and he ran his hand down his face.
He walked into the kitchen and Echo looked at him, laughing quietly.
"Shut up, Echo." But he couldn't even add any venom to his voice. He was feeling too happy. And he knew his brother was just teasing him.
"Hey, I'm sorry. She got past me before I even realized where she was going. Hopefully she didn't see anything she shouldn't have?"
Hunter acted offended when he said, "No, we weren't doing anything like that."
"Yeah, I know. You were just pulling it out to show her." Then Echo laughed again.
Hunter gave him a very light punch in the shoulder as he went to the fridge to grab chocolate milk for him and Wren.
When he got to the living room he saw Omega snuggled into Wren's side. He smiled at her while handing her the milk. "Thanks," she said.
He winked at her before taking his spot at the opposite end of the couch.
They had a nice family meal together, Wren sitting next to Hunter. Their thighs were touching most of the meal. Their arms would bump into each other since he was left-handed and she was right-handed. And unlike that first day when they met and kept pulling their arms away, this time they left them there, touching for a few moments.
Tulip had left before they ate, saying she had things she needed to get done at home. Hunter saw Wren give Tulip a big smile before she left, thanking her again for inviting her to go with them.
After supper, Wren and Omega did the dishes. Hunter and Echo both tried to tell her she was their guest, and she didn't need to do that. But she wasn't hearing it. So everyone else went into the living room to watch TV. But Hunter kept going back to the kitchen to check on them. Just to make sure he couldn't take over. And every time she shooed him away.
The last time he tried that, he didn't realize Wren could hear him as soon as he stood up from the couch and started walking. She quickly whispered to Omega, "Hey, let me have your towel." Omega looked confused but handed her the wet dish towel.
Wren hurried over and stood next to the doorway, out of Hunter's line of sight. As he approached, he saw Omega standing at the sink looking at him, but he didn't see Wren. He took one step into the kitchen and just as he was turning his head her direction, she snapped him on the thigh with the towel.
He was sure the look of surprise on his face was comical, but he quickly shifted to a mischievous look and said, "Oh, really?!"
He saw the huge smile on Wren's face as she hurried back over towards the sink, but he lunged after her and caught the towel. It didn't take much effort to pull it away from her, and as he acted like he was going to snap her back, she squealed and laughed, "No, Hunter! I'm sorry! Please, don't!"
But they were all three laughing. Omega stepped in front of Wren, holding her arms out in an exaggerated pose and said, "No, Hunter, I won't let you!"
"But she snapped me!" he laughed. He saw Wren crouch down behind Omega so her head was behind the girl's, and she peeked around. He felt such an overwhelming sense of joy and peace looking at her happy face. There was no way he would snap her. He was just teasing.
Right then, Wrecker came in, after hearing the noise, and said, "Hey, what's all the ruckus?!"
Wren saw her opportunity, so she ran behind Wrecker before Hunter even had time to react. "Protect me, Wrecker!" she laughed.
Hunter's eyes got really big and he said, "Ooooh, what?! Using my own brother against me?"
Wrecker was laughing trying to look behind him at Wren. "What is going on?"
Hunter said, "Okay, okay, I give up." He handed the towel to Omega and held up his empty hands. "I'm done, I promise. You can come out."
He saw Wren peek around Wrecker who moved to the side and said, "Are you okay now? Do you need more protection?"
She shook her head, giggled, and said, "No, Wrecker. I'm sorry I dragged you into that. It was just too tempting to hide behind you."
"That's okay! I just came out to see if I was missing any fun, and I see I was." He laughed again.
She patted his arm and said, "Thanks for the help," while looking up at him.
He got red around his ears and neck and said, "Awww, anytime." He patted her on the shoulder as he turned and walked back towards the living room.
Hunter walked a step towards her and held out his arms. She smiled at him and walked into his hug. "Sorry for snapping you."
He chuckled and said, "It's fine. It didn't really hurt. You need some practice snapping if you want to actually do some damage."
She pulled back and looked at his face and said, "Oh, really? Well maybe I was taking it easy on you."
He laughed and said, "Yeah, I'm sure that's what it was."
She smacked him on the chest as she pulled away, going back to the sink to finish up.
"You go on back in there. We're almost done. I promise." She turned to wash the last remaining pan.
He looked at Omega and winked at her. She giggled and turned back towards Wren. He walked back out towards the living room.
Omega had a big smile on her face when Wren looked down at her. "What?" Wren asked.
"Nothing," the girl replied with a smirk.
Wren just laughed and bumped her with her hip. They finished in silence.
Afterwards, they went into the living room with everyone else. Everyone except Crosshair, who was getting ready to leave for work. She sat where she usually did when Omega was with her, on the end of the couch opposite Hunter.
They had a nice time watching TV and talking and enjoying each other's company. Hunter noticed that Wren talked to all the guys and Omega at one time or another. Even Tech, who was usually the one she talked to the least. Hunter had always assumed that was for no other reason than he was usually either in his room gaming, or reading something even when he was with the rest of them.
Omega was talking about something she'd learned at school, and Tech had plenty to say about the subject. Hunter noticed Wren seemed to enjoy listening to him "info dump" as they called it. She asked him questions and he seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to share some of his knowledge. Hunter knew sometimes they probably made Tech feel like they were just humoring him as he talked, but it's just that they didn't always have time for all he wanted to share.
While he was watching her talk to Tech, she happened to turn to look his way. She caught him staring at her, but it didn't bother him. She knew how he felt at this point. So he just gave her a smile and a wink before turning back to the TV.
Tech was the first one to head up to his room. At around 10:00, Hunter decided it was time for Omega to go to bed. She'd already been asleep with her head on Wren's lap for the last hour.
He stood up and said, "Omega, time for bed." When she just grumbled, he put his hands under her and lifted.
"No, I don't want to go," she said with a whine.
"Sorry, kiddo, it's time. You've been asleep for the last hour," he told her.
Wren moved some of Omega's hair out of her face and said, "I'll see you again real soon, Omega."
She mumbled something in Wren's general direction as he began walking her out of the room. He carried her to her room, laying her in bed and kissing her forehead before shutting the door behind him.
He met Echo on the stairs, and they said their good nights. As he got back to the living room, he heard Wrecker and Wren talking quietly.
Wrecker said, "I'm gonna head up to bed also. You two enjoy yourselves." He smiled and winked at Hunter as he walked past him. Hunter tried not to react so Wren wouldn't notice anything.
Wren said, "Good night, Wrecker."
Hunter sat down next to her on the couch, patting her thigh. He relished being able to touch her like that without her pulling away. They were only baby steps, but they were steps nonetheless.
She gave him a suspicious look saying, "What? You look like something's going on."
He started feeling nervous, afraid what he wanted to ask her would offend her, or freak her out in some way. But he didn't want to pass up this opportunity.
"I do? Nah, nothing going on. I was just going to ask you something. But I don't want you to take it the wrong way."
He saw her eyes widen a bit, and he could tell her anxiety was starting to pull her under. She did not handle his questions well at all.
"What?" she said, quieter, voice thick with worry.
He knew he needed to quickly do something to ease her mind, before it was too late and she was spiraling. He bumped her shoulder with his playfully and said, "Nothing bad." He wasn't sure that was enough, so he also leaned towards her and placed a very soft kiss to her cheek.
"Mmmm-hmmm," she said, still apprehensive.
He continued quickly. "I was just wondering...do you want to stay the night. With me. In there." He motioned with his head to his room.
And then he held his breath, watching her face for any sort of fear. He wouldn't let her do it if she looked scared. Even if she said it was fine. He was trying to read her body language and facial expressions. In the few months they'd known each other, he'd gotten pretty good at telling how she was feeling, no matter what she said.
She was definitely caught off guard. "I- uh- wha- uh--"
"I have no ulterior motives. I just thought we could sleep. That's all. Sleep together. And not on the couch, but in my comfy bed. I don't plan on trying anything at all. Or nothing we haven't already done." He winked at her, trying to sound playful to hopefully ease her worry. "I promise." He had to lower his head a bit so he could look into her eyes. He needed to know for sure what was happening in there. "But if that makes you uncomfortable, then please let's just act like I didn't even as-"
"Okay."
He was caught off guard by her interruption. He drew back a bit, eyes wide. His mouth was probably hanging open, his unfinished sentence left there. After a few seconds, he internally shook himself, pulling him out of his surprised stupor. "Really? You'll stay...in bed?"
There was no hesitation from her. "Yeah, I trust you. I would like to get up and be gone before Omega is up. Do you think that's possible?"
He was in shock. Not only did she say yes, but she seemed at ease with the decision. He didn't see that worry or anxiety he would often see in her eyes. Her voice sounded steady and sure. She actually wanted to do this, he was sure of it. And his heart soared. Be cool, be cool, Hunter. Don't make it weird.
Now what did she ask? Oh, Omega, right.
"Oh yeah. She would probably sleep until at least 8:00 in the morning, so if we were awake by 7:30, that should give you plenty of time to leave. Does that sound like something you want to do?"
He wanted to ask one more time. Just to give her another chance to say no. There would be no hard feelings at all. But he was hoping she would still say yes. He was hoping with all his heart.
"Yeah. Yeah, I do!" She gave him a happy smile.
Was she actually excited and happy about this? Was he worrying for nothing? Was she ready for this next step with him? He was still shocked, but tried to hide it.
"Well, okay then." He turned off the TV and said, "Shall we?" He held out his arm to her, bent at the elbow. She put her hand around his forearm with an adorable smile.
He heard her whisper under her breath, "Okay."
He felt an excitement he hadn't felt in a long time. Long enough that he couldn't even remember. His heart was racing, and he was afraid his hands were shaking. Be cool, be cool, Hunter. Don't make it weird.
He turned out the lights as he went, and when he got to his door, he gently dropped his arm, so he was holding her hand, making it easier for them to fit through the door, him just a little ahead of her. After she was fully in, he reached behind her to shut the door quietly.
Then he stepped closer to her, putting his arms around her and pulling her gently against him. He leaned the short distance and kissed her, very softly. He pulled back a bit, but he saw her move forward, as if she wasn't ready to be done. She kissed him once more as he chuckled.
Then he stepped back. He thought surely she wouldn't want to sleep in her jeans, so he said, "Okay, would you like a pair of my shorts or lounge pants? They'll be more comfortable than your jeans."
"Sure, I'll take a pair of shorts."
He tried to keep his reaction steady, because he didn't want her to see how excited he was that she chose shorts. He was going to get to see her in shorts. He'd never seen her legs! And he was going to get to feel her legs, all night. He tried to be cool.
He pulled out a pair of his shorts, and then thought about where she would change. "If you don't want to bother with going to the bathroom to change, I'll just turn around so you can do it here."
"Okay, yeah, let's do that."
He was a little surprised she took him up on that. She was full of surprises today. But he wouldn't betray her trust by trying to sneak a peek, so he turned towards the wall. He went ahead and started taking off his jeans to change into shorts as well. He wasn't concerned if she saw him in his underwear. He was curious if she would look, but he wasn't going to turn around.
He got out another pair of shorts and put them on. He could tell out of the corner of his eye that she was done changing, so he asked, "Do you want a shirt?"
"Sure, if you don't mind."
"No, not at all." He opened another drawer and said, "Do you have a preference?" He motioned to the folded T-shirts.
"No, whatever you want me to wear."
He just grabbed one from the top and handed it to her. "Here ya go."
"Thanks."
He turned to the wall again, "Go ahead. I'm not watching."
He could hear the rustling of her clothes as she changed, and he felt his face heat up. God, what are you, 13 years old? She's just changing her shirt.
When he heard her say, "Okay, I'm done," he turned around.
He wasn't ready for the effect seeing her in his clothes would have on him. He smiled at her, trying to mask his nerves, his butterflies, his...desire? Yeah, desire. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
That's what he thought, but what he said was, "You look great." Because she did. She really did. Her hair was a little messy from changing shirts, and it was falling into her face.
And he took the opportunity to actually look at her legs, and he thought they were beautiful. They were long, but she was relatively tall, so that made sense. They weren't very tanned, she obviously didn't get a lot of sun. Well, and it's winter, so of course she wouldn't right now. But they looked fit, like she had maybe played sports. They were really nice...
He realized he might be staring, but luckily it had only been a few seconds. Though he did see a blush spreading across her cheeks as she said, "Pfft. Thanks." She turned and crawled into bed after pulling the covers down. And he got a great look at her back side. He bit his lip and closed his eyes briefly. Get it together, Hunter. Don't make it weird.
He took a deep but quiet breath. He had another thing to ask her, and he wasn't sure how she would respond.
"I usually sleep without a shirt, will that bother you? Please, be honest." He looked at her expectantly. And that was absolutely true. He did usually sleep without a shirt. And he would usually not have shorts on either. His sleeping clothes were usually just his boxer briefs. But he thought that would be asking too much. But he hoped she wouldn't mind him being shirtless.
Did he have an ulterior motive? Did he want her to see him shirtless? Did he want to see what an effect it would have on her? A little bit, yeah. He really wasn't a conceited guy, and didn't have an inflated view of himself. But he did think he was probably above average in the looks department. He'd had attention from girls and women through the years, and he knew he was still in pretty good shape from his time in the Army. He was curious if he would see any reaction from Wren. He was only human, and wanted her to think he looked good.
If he only knew just how attractive she found him, he wouldn't need to be worried at all.
She fumbled out, "N-no." Then she seemed to collect herself and said more firmly, "No, that's fine."
He went ahead and removed his shirt. He noticed she was staring as he tossed the shirt into the hamper in the corner of his room. He couldn't help but smile a little bit as she quickly looked away. She stared up at the ceiling.
He could tell he was having at least a small effect on her, so he had to tease her a bit. "You're sure this is okay?" He watched her, but she didn't take her eyes off the ceiling.
"Yup! Totally okay!" She sounded so enthusiastic, he had to wonder if she really was okay. He was feeling pretty good about things at that point. He was convinced she found him attractive after seeing her reaction.
"Okay, good," he said as he lay down on his side so he could look at her.
She was still looking at the ceiling, and he patiently waited. She finally turned her head towards him.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," she replied with an adorable smile.
"What time would you like me to set the alarm for? 7:30?"
"Yeah, that should be good." She nodded at him.
He reached back for his phone and set the alarm, showing her. She nodded, and he placed the phone back on the stand.
"Okay, so how do you want to do this?" he asked.
Her eyes widened and she said, "Uh...what?"
"Our positions here? Do you want to be like we were this morning? Me being the big spoon? Or some other way?" He really hoped she said she wanted him to be the big spoon again. He really loved being able to hold her against his chest as he slept.
"Oh! Oh, right." She paused. "Yeah, let's start out like that, if it's okay with you."
Yes! he thought.
But he remained calm and said, "Absolutely."
He watched as she turned to her side, facing away from him, setting her glasses on the night stand. He saw her scoot back a bit, so he scooted up to meet her. He put his arm around her waist and gently pulled her back. He could feel her smooth legs against his, and it had enough of an effect that he needed to close his eyes and take a few breaths, calming himself.
He heard her sigh, as if she was content, and he moved his head forward ending up with his nose in her hair. He loved to smell her hair.
She said, "Good night, Hunter."
He replied, "G'night, Wren." He moved slightly so he could kiss behind her ear, and he felt her shiver. It made him smile and laugh quietly.
Then he was surprised when she turned her head far enough back that she was looking at him. After a pause, she said, "Kiss?"
Kiss?! She was asking him for a kiss!! Well, this couldn't get much better.
"Of course!" He leaned further towards her and kissed her, rather quickly. But then he did it again. And again. During the last one, he felt her smile against his lips.
As he pulled back, he saw her looking into his eyes. That didn't happen a lot, so he was relishing it. She said, "Thanks. Good night for real this time."
He responded, "G'night for real."
He listened as she settled, and her breathing evened out. He could tell she was asleep in less than a minute. She must have been so exhausted with everything that went on that day.
He didn't want to fall asleep. He wanted to stay awake and feel her body against his all night. But he knew that wasn't possible. He was tired as well. And within fifteen minutes, he was asleep too.
Hunter didn't know how long he'd been asleep when he woke up. He didn't open his eyes right away. He thought he'd felt Wren shift, but he was still in a sleepy state.
When he did finally open his eyes, he saw her lying on her side facing him. She was looking down towards his belly or waist area. He didn't say anything at first, waiting to see what she might do. But after a few more seconds, he said, "You okay?"
She startled and quickly looked up at his face. He saw her eyes get big and heard her sharp intake of breath.
"Oh! Hi!" she whispered.
He couldn't see much of her face, as she was in the shadows. But he would be willing to wager that her cheeks were red. He didn't want to tease her a lot, but he couldn't let the situation pass by with nothing.
"Are you okay? You seemed like maybe something was wrong." He tried not to smile or laugh.
And what she said next was said in what could only be referred to as a whine, "Hunter..." She turned her face so it was half-hidden in her pillow.
"Yeah, Wren? Something wrong?" He couldn't resist reaching up to move some hair out of her face.
Then he heard her giggle, and it was the sweetest sound. "Oh, you know..."
He wasn't going to torture her much longer, but he did say, "Know what?" He was trying so hard to hide the smile that he felt forming. He heard her sigh loudly.
"Are you going to make me say it?"
He was pretty sure she could see the start of his smile at this point. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Say what? I don't know what you're talking about."
She whispered, "You can be an asshole, Hunter Fett."
But he saw the happiness on her face. He knew she wasn't really mad.
"Awww, I'm sorry. I'll stop. I won't make you say it." He rubbed his hand up and down her side. Then he tenderly kissed her on the forehead. He hoped that would make up for the teasing.
He was surprised when she went ahead and said more. She sighed and whispered, "I was staring at you. At your..." Then she made a motion with her hand towards him. "At that." She covered her face with her hand and said, "Aaaahh! There, are you happy?!" But she quietly laughed, so he was pretty sure she wasn't really mad at him.
And he was trying to not overreact to what she'd just said. She admitted she'd been staring at his shirtless self, and she liked what she saw, it seemed. He took her hand and gently pulled it away from her face, holding it in between them.
"I can't express how happy I am. But not because I shamed you into saying that. I'm sorry, that wasn't nice of me. I just couldn't help myself." She was looking at him, and he continued, "I'm happy, because you were comfortable enough to look, and then even if you were embarrassed, you told me when I asked. You've come a long way, Wren. I'm very proud of you." He hoped he was conveying his sincerity in his voice.
He moved his hand and cupped her cheek, rubbing gently with his thumb.
"Well, if you didn't look so flippin' good, I wouldn't have been ogling you." She was looking down at the bed when she said that, picking at the sheet.
He had to laugh quietly at her word choice. "Flippin' good?"
And then he wanted to laugh even more when she said, "I was trying to be less vulgar. Would you prefer I say, you look fuckin' good? Because ya do."
She looked up at his chest again, and he saw her hand twitch the tiniest bit towards him. She wanted to touch him. He could tell.
"Wanna touch?" he asked. She looked into his eyes quickly and licked her lips.
"I don't want to be a tease," she said quietly as she looked away again.
A tease? Is that what she said? He didn't understand what she meant. So he placed his fingers under her chin and gently lifted. "A tease? Wren? What do you mean?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "If I touch you, then I'll feel like I'm being a tease. Because I'm not ready to do much else. And I'm afraid you'll be upset if I do that and then we have to stop again."
He was surprised when he heard her. He would never think that. "Hey, hey...Wren. Look at me." He waited while she opened her eyes. "I do not think you're a tease. I won't think you're a tease. No matter what. I could never think you were a tease. And I won't get upset. I promise."
She was so sweet when she said, "You won't?"
He was quick to reassure her. "Absolutely not. Go ahead. Touch me. I promise, I won't think it's anything more than a touch."
She looked at him, and he tried to convince her he meant it with his eyes. She reached out with her hand, moving it towards his chest. Right before she made contact, she looked up at him questioningly.
He nodded. Then she lightly touched him. She gently rubbed her fingers across the planes of his chest. He could feel the smile spreading across his face as she seemed transfixed watching her fingers move through his chest hair.
She watched her fingers move lower, following the faint line of hair running down his abs. Her touch was so light that it tickled. His skin quivered involuntarily.
She pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry," she quickly whispered.
He tried to reassure her. "Nope, nothing to be sorry about. It was just such a light touch that it tickled a little, that's all. Come on." He picked up her hand and brought it back to his abs.
He was holding his breath as she lightly scratched her pretty black nails across his belly.
She said, "That's a pretty nice treasure trail, you have there, mister." She giggled as she looked up at his face.
What did she just say? A what trail?
He looked at her confused and said, "What did you say?"
"I said, that's a pretty nice treasure trail," she responded.
He decided he would just ask. "Treasure trail?"
"Yeah, that..." and she pointed to the path his hair took towards his waistband.
He asked, "This? You call that a treasure trail?" He knew his smile was getting even bigger.
"Well, yeah. What do you call it?" She seemed surprised that he'd never heard that.
"I don't know. I don't call it anything. It's just...hair." He laughed.
She continued, "Well, yeah...it's hair. But it leads down...to the... It leads down to the treasure." She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "So it's the treasure trail."
And he burst out laughing. He didn't laugh loudly, but he could tell she was caught off guard.
"Shhhh! Hunter! Quiet, I don't want everyone else to know I'm here."
"They won't hear me." He laughed some more, but quieter. "That is hilarious. I've never heard that."
"Oh yeah, I guess maybe girls talk about that stuff more than guys," she laughed quietly.
"I enjoy you so much, Wren. Come here." He reached and pulled her closer.
He ran his hand up and down her back. He kissed the top of her head and said, "Well, I'm still sleepy. Wanna sleep some more?"
She looked up at him and nodded, "Yeah, sounds good." Then she quickly kissed his neck.
When she looked up at him again, she looked at his lips and made the slightest movement with her head. He took her cue and leaned towards her, kissing her, very innocently still. They both laid their heads on the pillow, closed their eyes, and it wasn't long before they were asleep again.
Hunter woke up with the sun starting to shine through the blinds. But he didn't move. Wren had her back to him again, and he was loosely holding her. She seemed to be asleep, so he just lay there quietly. Enjoying her warmth, her softness, her breathing. I could definitely get used to waking up to this every morning.
Then he felt her shift just a little, and it seemed like maybe she looked at the clock. He could see that it was 7:00, they still had a half an hour before his alarm would go off. He hoped she wouldn't get up earlier than she'd planned. He wanted this to last as long as possible.
She slowly turned over to face him, and he smiled as he saw her sleepy face. She's so adorable. She's always adorable, but when her hair is messy, and she's squinting, trying to get accustomed to being awake, she was even more so.
She looked a little surprised when she saw his face, and she asked, "How long have you been awake?"
He said, "I just did wake up."
She stretched and yawned, looking even more adorable. Then she looked at him, saying quietly, "Well, you should go back to sleep. You still have a half an hour to sleep. And well, really, you have longer. You don't have to get up when I do."
He smiled and said, "Oh, but I will, at least to see you off." Without even thinking, he reached for her hand, bringing it to his mouth for a soft kiss. She seemed embarrassed, and hid part of her face in the pillow. "You're cute," he said. He moved some hair out of her eyes, and then caressed her cheek.
She shook her head. It was a very small movement, maybe she thought he wouldn't see, but he did.
"Does that bother you? Would you rather I not say stuff like that?" He was sincere. If she wanted him to stop, he would. Even though he really meant the compliments he paid her, and he liked telling her how he felt about her. He didn't want to make her unnecessarily uncomfortable.
She moved her face out of the pillow enough that she could look at him. "Well, I mean, it would seem ridiculous if I said I didn't like compliments. I just still have trouble accepting..."
He broke in with, "Accepting compliments in general? Or accepting that I feel the things I say?"
He held her hands, looking at her recently painted nails. They were lovely. He liked the black.
"Both, but especially the second one." Then she bit her lip, which made her even more adorable. "I'm sorry. I will get better. I promise. I'm just not used to this." She sounded apologetic.
He didn't want her to feel bad about it. She felt bad about way too many things already. He assured her, "It's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. I'll just keep saying the stuff until you just have to believe me." He quietly laughed so she would know he was kidding around. Although he did mean that he wouldn't stop complimenting her, not unless she explicitly asked him to stop.
She smiled, but he could also see her cheeks get red.
"And I love to see you blush. So I don't necessarily want that to stop. It's really adorable." He could feel the heat from her cheek as he ran his fingers over her face.
She closed her eyes, turning into the pillow gain. "You're killin' me, Hunter. Killin' me." She gave him a big smile though, and he felt his heart pounding harder. Then he noticed her look at his lips.
He took the opportunity to lean forward a bit. "Do I have morning breath?" he asked.
"Not that I can tell. Do I?" she replied.
He didn't smell her breath. "Not that I can tell. And even if you do, I don't care. I wanna kiss ya anyway." He moved the last bit needed to kiss her. And this kiss was longer than any other they'd had so far. His pulse raced faster, and he felt hot. His breath was quickening, but he tried not to make it obvious.
He knew he needed to break the kiss. When he did, he saw her bite her lip and look down.
He said, "You good?"
And she said, "Yeah, very good." Then to his surprise, she kissed him again. After another minute or so, she broke the kiss. "That was really nice. Thank you."
They both seemed out of breath.
"Thank you," he whispered. I could really get used to this.
He had felt himself stirring as they kissed, and he hoped if she noticed, it wouldn't upset her. He was already half-hard when he woke up due to morning wood. And the kissing and touching and being that close to her did nothing but stir him up more.
She flipped to her other side again, scooting back towards him a bit. He figured she wanted to spoon more, so he obliged, scooting closer to her, putting his arm around her waist. He knew she had to feel his erection against her lower back/upper ass, but she didn't react in a way that he could tell.
They settled, but then very soon after she bolted upright. She said, "Oh no, is that Omega?!" She had a panicked look in her eyes.
He hadn't even heard anything, but he listened. "I don't think so. Hang on, it'll be okay," he assured her.
He turned and got out of bed, walking to the door. He cracked it open and saw Echo walking towards the kitchen. He must have seen the door move, because he turned his head towards Hunter. He motioned him over. As Echo slowly moved towards him, Hunter asked, "Is Omega up?"
"No, not that I know of. Whyyy?" Hunter could see him trying to look over his shoulder.
He replied, "No reason," and tried to move so Echo couldn't see Wren. He didn't want her to be embarrassed. But he did motion with his head back towards his bed.
He saw Echo's eyes get really big, and he knew he was going to say something. "Hunter!"
Hunter whispered, "Nothing happened, Echo. We just slept. But she didn't really want Omega to see her this morning. I thought we would have until 8:00."
"Yeah, I think you probably will." Then he got a big smile on his face and said, "Hunter, you dog."
Hunter rolled his eyes at him. "Echo. I am not!" He knew Echo was teasing, but he didn't want Wren to hear him.
Echo laughed quietly. Then Hunter heard movement behind him. When he turned his head, he saw Wren walking towards them. He could see her face was red, and he felt terrible that she was embarrassed. She said, "Hi, Echo." She looked at Hunter and said, "Hunter, I think I'm going to go. It's close enough to time when I was going to get up. And I just don't want Omega to see me. Even if we didn't do anything, I don't want even the appearance of it. Not yet."
He wasn't going to push her. He could tell she'd made up her mind. She was already embarrassed that Echo saw her. He couldn't imagine how she'd feel if Omega did as well. She'd probably never want to stay again, and he certainly didn't want that to happen.
"Okay, if you're sure." He gave her a soft smile.
Echo addressed her. "Wren, I'm sure she won't be down for a little bit yet. I just came down to start the coffee."
Her mind was made up. "It's okay. I'm awake anyway, so I'll just go."
Hunter looked at Echo, shrugging. Echo nodded, turned, and walked towards the kitchen.
Hunter looked at her again and said, "Are you sure, Wren? I don't want you to feel like you have to run off. We can just explain to Omega that you slept here last night, and that's all."
She shook her head. "I don't really feel up to that conversation yet. I'm sorry to seem silly." He could see her shrinking in on herself, as if she was afraid he would be upset.
He wanted to make sure she knew he wasn't upset with her. He pulled her into a hug. "You don't seem silly. You go ahead and change, and I'm going to the bathroom and will be back." He couldn't resist kissing her forehead. He really wanted to make sure she knew he wasn't disappointed or upset with her.
He went to the bathroom, passing by Echo making coffee in the kitchen. When he returned, Wren was back in her clothes. She still looked great, but he was a little sad that she was no longer wearing his clothes. That was a picture he wouldn't get out of his mind for quite a while.
"Did you need to use the bathroom?" he asked.
She was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. He could tell she was still nervous. "Nah, I can wait until I'm home. I'm just getting really nervous. I'm sorry."
He tried to look as sincere as possible, because he really did mean what he said. "Wren, really, you don't need to apologize. I understand. It's still early on. We can talk about these things with Omega later on. There's no hurry," he said quietly, followed by a smile that he hoped would convince her of what he was saying.
He saw a smile cross her face, and he felt relief. Even though he thought he saw tears appear in her eyes as well.
"Thank you. You're honestly the sweetest." He was pleased when she took hold of his hand and squeezed.
He laughed as he said, "Well, now who has who fooled." He was trying to lighten her mood.
They slowly walked from his room towards the front door.
"Stop, you know you're a sweetheart. Or you are with me anyway. And Omega." He thought his cheeks were probably red as warm as he felt. He wasn't used to feeling like this when someone complimented him. It didn't usually affect him all that much. But when she did it, he felt like he was floating.
Then she put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. He felt a peace surround him. He rested his cheek on top of her head. They stood there, neither of them wanting to move.
When she finally started to pull back, she said, "Okay, I'm going. Thanks again for everything. Now, go back in and sleep some more. I might when I get home."
He assured her, "Okay, I'll lay back down, I swear." He placed his hand on her back, guiding her forward.
As they got close to the door, she surprised him by turning quickly and kissing him. She shyly looked away and laughed. A very adorable laugh.
He asked, "What's so funny?"
She looked back up at him and said, "Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised at myself. Once I started kissing, it's like I can't stop." She laughed again and he gave her a big smile.
"Well, I'm not going to complain, that's for sure." He couldn't resist one more kiss before opening the door.
"Bye, Hunter. Get some sleep. And I'll talk to you later. And have a good weekend."
"Okay, you too. Thanks for coming over and...you know...for staying." He felt a little shy all of a sudden.
She gave him a small wave and said, "Believe me, it was my pleasure."
He smiled at her again. After she turned and started walking away, he closed the door. But he stood there, watching her through the window.
He saw her turn back towards the house when she got to her car. He waved, and she waved back. After she backed out of the driveway and drove away, he locked the door and went to the kitchen.
Echo was still standing by the coffee maker, leaning against the counter. Hunter said, "I would appreciate it if you didn't mention what you saw to anyone. Especially Omega. Nothing happened that we should be ashamed of, but she just doesn't want to make it seem like we're moving faster than we are."
Echo nodded and said, "I won't say a word. I'm just really happy for you. She's so much better than those other two women--"
Hunter gave him a dirty look and interrupted him. "Nope...don't wanna talk about them."
Echo patted his shoulder and said, "Right, I'm just saying. You've picked well this time. And now I'm going back to bed for a bit."
Hunter nodded and said, "Yeah, me too. Omega will be up soon enough. I want to get a little more sleep if I can." His yawn punctuated his point.
He went back to his room. As he lay down, he pulled the pillow Wren had been using closer to him. He could still smell her, so he held it as he drifted back to sleep with a smile on his face.
Author's Note: I didn't want to put this at the top and spoil anything, but I did want to add this. My husband has told me after-the-fact that he knew I was "the one" after our first date. Or the first time we were alone together when my friends bailed. So it's not unheard of that someone would feel that way that quickly. So that's why I added that in. :)
I love how sweet and gentle they are with each other, little baby steps that lead to so much more. This story makes me so happy. I adore how the boys tease Hunter. Siblings make dating so much more interesting
Author's Note: I thought I was finished with my longfic, Hunter and the Librarian. But I realized when the time came, I wasn't done with Hunter and Wren's story. I continued to write "one-shots", that I knew were not really one-shots. They were just more chapters in the story. A friend suggested I create a sequel, so here I am. Their story will continue on.
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.
Warnings: Modern AU. Talk of anxiety, especially social anxiety and shyness. All of the Batch and their cousins are military veterans, so there will be a little talk of some of their issues, like depression, PTSD, and physical disabilities. It's mostly SFW, but I do think there will be some NSFW moments at some point. I will put warnings on each chapter. Real world swearing.
Series Author's Notes: Hunter and the Librarian was my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I thought it might be helpful for some people who also deal with anxiety to see how it affects relationships, especially early on when it comes to social anxiety, and see that there are people out there who can "put up" with you...that you aren't "too difficult or exhausting" for the right person. (In quotes, because those are things I thought about myself for years.)
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.
Hunter and the Librarian (the beginning of the story)
Dividers by animatedglittergraphics-n-more
Chapter 1: The Closer You Get (The Further I Fall) (posted March 19, 2025) - 5962 words
Chapter 2: Happy Hunter (posted April 10, 2025) - 5191 words
Chapter 3: I Really Missed You (posted April 22, 2025) - 6921 words
Chapter 4: I Trust You, Completely (posted May 14, 2025) - 4889 words
Chapter 5: Introductions (posted May 29, 2025) - 5803 words
Chapter 6: Making a Friend (posted June 21, 2025) - 3172 words
Chapter 7: Do You Want to Stay? (posted 7/8/2025) - 7114 words
So I have been away for a while, and I have finally gotten to really read this series, it is the sequel to my favorite Hunter and the Librarian! (If you love Hunter, it is a must read!) this is so lovely, and it gives me the warm fuzzies!
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