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Wren looked at him. “But do you get to make that choice?” She asked him. Wren did like that he was trying to lighten the moment, shaking her head with a small laugh. “Yeah. You were going to eat cereal and beer.” She pointed out, remembering calling out his lack of groceries that day. Feeling his hands on her hips, she leaned back against him as he kissed her neck. “I love you more.”

"With my ptsd diagnosis, it's kind of made for me. I probably will train other soldiers for a few years, then transfer into a paralegal role to reup. I doubt they'll let me see combat again." He told her though if he got the call he'd go. "Cereal and beer are the two main food groups." He pointed out in return. "Not possible." He hummed as he watched her cook the chicken he just held her.

Wren froze when he said he thought he’d come home dead. The thought of that really weighed on her a little as she looked at him. To think that was always a possibility. “I like it too. I never thought I’d have a man so willingly open to learning to cook. And here we are.” She smiled softly, looking back down at the chicken as she flipped it around.

He saw the way she froze and then frowned. "I don't want to go back Wren." He told her softly, as he then chuckled. "I had to survive. You wouldn't let me starve." He teased her as he walked over and held her hips gently leaning down and kissing her neck softly. "I love you." He reminded her in her ear.

"And who says we're getting wild?" She smirked a little. Wren looked in his spice cabinet, picking out a couple different seasonings that'd go good together. She put some butter in as well and started frying the chicken. Looking over at him chopping the vegetables, she smiled softly to herself. "You ever think you'd be here? Making salads for dinner with a girl by your side?"

"If we do." He told her as he started to make their salads. "Honestly? No. I thought I"d be home in a pine box." He knew it was blunt and brutally so, but he was honest. "I have to say though I am liking this version much better. I like that you are my by side and I'm here making something with you."

"We are." She had to agree. There was something about Calvin where she felt like they were made for each other. Like the higher power somewhere knew she needed him and he needed her. "I love you too." Wren always felt giddy when she heard those three words from him. She hummed against his lips before he pulled away from her, pouting as he told her they had to cook dinner. "Alright, alright." Pulling herself away from the counter, she grabbed a pan to start heating it up. "What seasonings do you think I should do?"

When she pouted he laughed softly. "You get plenty of kisses on the couch, but if we get wild at all.... I am going to need some protien." He countered as he then looked over at her. "I got that chipoltle one of there it's pretty good." He told her as he washed all the veggies and started chopping them up and putting them in bowls for them.

Tanya scrunched her nose a little, shrugging a little. "Yeah... I know. The thing is, Wren told me that you told Calvin I was hot. And to be honest that turned me off because I get called hot by at least one customer a week. Guys look at me and think here's a sexy latina she must be fun in bed. And it doesn't matter if they play nice with me to get me to go out with them, they always expect me to sleep with them and when I don't they ghost me. I've even had a relationship where they were patient with me and the minute I slept with them they bounced." Tanya realized she had been rambling about her past escapades, taking a bite of her burger to shut herself up. "But I also knew if you did that to me, Wren would have Calvin hit you for me." She teased a little. When he said he wanted to keep her to himself a little longer, she chuckled. "Because you're worried she won't approve of me." She teased a little.

"You're going to have to give me a chance at some point to prove that you can be hot to me and I'm not leaving. My dad took off when I was seven. Cal was only four. Couldn't handle having another son suddenly, so he left me and my mom and Cal. Just took off into the night. So the last thing I would ever be is like him, to sleep with you and ghost." He pushed away his plate, his appetite not there anymore as he took a long sip of his beer. "Wren would hit me." He frowned. "No that's not what I meant. I just... I don't bring people around my mom, I love her but it's complicated."

Wren listened to him talk about his father. She didn't remember him talking much about him, mostly about his mom and brother. But she figured he wasn't in the picture. "That's like my siblings. They were only two when he left, so they don't remember him at all. I was six, and I remember everything about him." She had been a daddy's girl, so him leaving was really hard on her. "And I'm not leaving you." It felt good to know he did want her for a long time, hopefully forever. Wren never loved someone like this before. "I just want you." She repeated back to him, meeting his kiss with so much love.

"Were kindered souls in that regards." he told her as he kissed her forehead. "You better not." He whispered as he then smiled. "I Love you." He told her gently as he hummed against her lips pulling away he looked down at her. "Alright, lets get dinner, then we can cuddle and make out." He smiled as he turned away and then grabbed the chicken as he cut it up for her.

Tanya let out a little sigh of relief, nodding her head. "Not that I don't want them together, obviously I do. Wren has never seemed happier. We both kind of swore off men a long time ago until you two came along. She definitely loves him though." She shrugged. "Do you think your mom will like me?"

Archer snorted. "I didn't even think we'd get to this point if I'm being honest, I didn't think I'd be able to convince you to go out with me. You were a tough nut to crack." He chuckled as he then nodded. "When we get to that point yes, but I want to keep you mine a little while longer." He admitted to her.

"Is that so bad?" She rested her head on her hand, smiling at him. When he talked about Calvin she did start to frown, sitting back up as he mentioned him training soon. "Does that mean he will get deployed again?" Tanya sipped her margarita. "I don't know if Wren will be able to handle him leaving. That's why I always lectured her about dating him." She said honestly. Tanya just knew her friend and she will be crushed the day Calvin has to leave for a long period of time.

"No it's not bad." He saw her frown and he shook his head. "I don't think so Tan. They will work with him to transition him probably to the paralegal side. With PTSD we get marked unfit to see combat." He told her as he looked at her. "That's why I gave her hell, and my brother. I don't know what the future is, but I know he is trying to stick around this time." He said honestly.

She pulled him closer to her as he talked about seeing a future with her. "I want to build towards that too. Look, I am not expecting a marriage proposal anytime soon. I don't even know if I want to get married someday. My dad left my mom and that was after being happily married for years and having three kids. But I do know whatever future I want is with you." She looked up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do feel secure now. I just wanted to make sure."

"My dad left when I was like three? four. I don't have many memories of him. Archer kind of filled that role so I watched my mom date a bit. Some guys were good, some not so good for her. But I promise you that whatever we decide for our future is that I'm not leaving you Wren." He told her as he held her close to him. "I just want you." He said as he leaned down and kissed her softly, his body relaxed a bit now that she was secure and not going to leave him.

"Yeah gross." She teased, knowing that he used to be one of those army men. And her brother and Calvin were one. "Well, you can always spend the night, even if nothing ends up happening." She grinned when he said he could survive her two cats. They were her little babies. Tanya actually couldn't wait to show him her place. Taking her half of the burger, she bit into it and thought while she chewed. "So what did your Mom think of Wren? She said she met her when we got home from camping."

"You just want to sleep in my arms again." He teased her, but he wanted to be there with her. He would like to see her place even with the cats. "Mom said she liked her, she invited her over for sunday supper which most girls don't get that invite so she's pretty lucky. I think she just likes that Wren is the reason Cal isn't jumping back into war. He's hitting his milestones with therapy and may start training soon which I don't love. But we'll see what that snaps for him if he starts training again, could toss him back to square one." He shrugged.

"I had a great time camping! You gave me enough attention, babe. Seriously, I had a lot of attention from you." She assured him. "I just don't want you to wake up one day and think 'oh my god what am I doing'. And regret me." Wren just didn't want to get hurt. There was a reason she never got into serious relationships herself. "You did nothing wrong. It's just my own brain."

"That's not how I operate Wren. Christ. If I am with you I see a future, I want to build towards that. Not run away from it, I don't just wake up and say fuck off." He told her as he looked down at her. "I want you to be secure in this relationship Wren."

Tanya winked at him as he complimented her again. "Not every day. Usually when the army men come rolling in I get some gross lines tossed my way." At this point she knew how to roll it off her shoulder and ignore them. Or she'd be friendly so they'd throw cash in their tip jar. "Me? No, not too tired. But if you don't want to stay the night tonight you don't have to." Tanya was willing to wait if he didn't think tonight was the night. "I do have to tell you something though..." She paused for dramatic effect. "I have two cats in my house."

"Oh not gross army men." He told her as he then shook his head no. "No I want to stay over, but if you are tired than I want to respect you, but I got all my stuff in my bike." When she hesitated about what she had to tell him he snorted. "I can survive with two cats that's fine." He laughed and thanked the waitress for their burger, he cut it in half and dished up a plate for Tanya as he slid it her way.

"I still plan to wear a pretty dress on Sunday." She leaned against the counter, looking at him as he told her. "Okay, that's really nice to hear. I don't know… when we were camping, we couldn't exactly get too intimate, and being unplugged gave me a lot of time to think. I guess I just got in my own head." She took his hand and smiled softly, squeezing it a little.

"I'm good with that." He told her as he shook his head. "DId I not give you enough attention? I thought we had a really good time camping." He frowned, he enjoyed getting to know Wren without his dick in her. He wondered now if he wasn't enough. His mind went spinning that he didn't do what he needed as a boyfriend.

"I don't need everyone to like me. But when it comes to my boyfriend I like for his family to like me." She gave him a look and laughed as he said gross. Wren helped him take stuff out of the grocery bags, looking at him as he crossed his arms over his chest. Reaching over, she touched his muscles as they were more defined. "So, you found your fiancé in bed with another man, and then went overseas for three years. And then you came back and met me. Do you ever think I like.. love bombed you? I just would never want to be like a rebound or something."

"Well my family likes you." He told her as he looked over at Wren confused as he shook his head. "Love bombed me? If I didn't want to be around Wren make no mistake that I wouldn't be here. You are so far from a rebound. I just didn't want to get in the dating world, then I met you and that changed and I want you next to me all the time." He mused as he squeezed her hand.

"I did have to get your brother to like me. I need everyone to like me. I worked hard to get you to like me." She pointed out to him. Wren pulled away and went to the kitchen to grab some water, looking back at him as he talked about the boyfriend. "Women have needs." She teased him, opening the water and sipping it. "Can I ask you something?"

"You don't need everyone to like you. Hell I liked you a lot." He teased as he then groaned. "Oh god gross." He shook his head. "Uh, that sounds serious." He grabbed the groceries when they came and brought them into the kitchen. "Go ahead though shoot." He said as he pulled things out he turned to look at Wren as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Wren let out a huff as he hugged her, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling into his chest. "Because! I had to get your brother to like me, and I want your mom to like me. I don't want you deciding to not be with me because she hates me." She leaned back and kissed him. "Do you not like her boyfriend?" She noticed he gave her a look earlier.

"Okay first of all, you didn't have to get my brother to like you, and my mom is pretty nice so you need to relax and I'm not going anywhere Wren." He assured her as he kissed her back. "No, Ryan is a nice enough guy, much better than my father was. But.... the thought of my mom kissing anyone or being with anyone.... yuck." He scrunched his nose up.