There was a warmth beside her and she felt it shift slightly. In her sleep, she squeezed it tighter to her. Slowly, Arabella started to wake up and she realized that warmth that was beside her was Hunter. She could feel his heart beat against her hand and she could hear his steady breath. A small smile spread across her face as she thought about the previous night and the fact that they were so very close to New York, to home. Arabella didn't know how late it was, but she wasn't too eager to get up. She was pretty happy where she was. After a couple minutes, Arabella moaned a little bit and she opened her eyes.
Hunter was sleeping. He had drifted into a deep sleep and he was just so glad to be with someone like Arabella. To hold her in his arms. To kiss her. To love her. Hunter felt her pull a little closer and Hunter started to wake up. He didn't mind being woken up like that. He was happy with his dreams and he was happy with reality. Life was perfect. Hunter took a deep breath and yawned a little as he woke up, placing a hand on her arm and lightly rubbing it, grazing her skin with his nails. He looked over and finally opened his eyes, making his waking vision as beautiful as he could possibly make it. Hunter smiled and ran a few fingers through her hair, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "Good morning, beautiful." He whispered in a quiet tone.
"Good morning, handsome" Arabella whispered and she closed her eyes, nuzzling into his side. She was happy. Arabella remembered how empty she felt when her and Hunter weren't together. She remembered waking up and feeling terrible right away. Waking up with Hunter beside her was the best feeling in the world. She felt wonderful and special and warm. She felt loved. Arabella rolled a little bit so that she was ontop of him and she kissed him lightly. "How did you sleep?"
Hunter smiled and put a hand on her back. "I slept wonderfully." Hunter whispered, blushing a little as he realized their unclothed state. "Mmm....This completely beats sleeping on the floor." He smiled, yawning a little. He could have stayed there all day. Honestly, he would have, but they were so close to home. Hunter kissed her on the lips and hummed as he pulled her closer, kissing her more intently. "How about you? How'd you sleep?" He whispered. He didn't feel like speaking at a loud volume. It was just so quiet and it was peaceful. He was holding the love of his life in his arms. It was perfect.
"I had a fantastic sleep" Arabella whispered and she locked eyes with him, smiling a little bit. The fact that they were unclothed didn't really bother her. She loved feeling close to him and feeling his skin against hers. There wasn't anything overly sexual about it. It just made her feel incredibly close to him and vulnerable. Arabella took a breath and she put her head down on his chest, closing her eyes. "I'm glad that you don't sleep on the floor anymore"
Hunter nodded and took a deep breath. "Me too." He whispered, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Look at you. You've housebroken me." He said with a smile as he grazed her spine with his fingers. He gingerly ran his fingers through her hair and smiled, placing another kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you. For everything. I just...Thank you."
Arabella turned her head up and she looked at him with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. "You don't have to thank me for anything, Hunter. If anything..I should be thanking you" She told him softly and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. Arabella didn't know where she would be without him. The thought actually kind of scared her. She knew for a fact that she would be very unhappy, at least. Hunter had saved her life on multiple occasions and she didn't like to think about where she would be without him.
Hunter moaned a little bit and kissed her on the lips. He thought back briefly to all the times he had saved her life. The giant in her office. Her attempted suicide. The crocotta in the zoo. Each of them bringing scars. The scar on his arm from a piece of glass that hit him. The scar on her wrist. The freshly healed wound on his arm from the crocotta. Where would he be without her, though? He'd be dead. If the illness hadn't killed him then everything else would have. He sighed and shook his head before kissing her on the head again. "So when do you want to get back on the road?"
"Soon" Arabella nodded and she yawned a little bit. "I'm really looking forward to falling asleep in our own bed and eating your food and playing with our dogs and going for walks" She sighed happily and she kissed him tightly. Arabella was having fun with him on the road and it had been a good trip, despite all of the drama but there was always going to be something special about going home.
Hunter wrapped an arm around her and moved her on top of him completely. "Sounds like a plan." He said before pressing his lips to hers. He put his hands on her back and held her close, kissing her tightly. He brushed his lips across her cheek and kissed by her ear. "Maybe we could spend a little more time in Washington, DC." Hunter whispered into her ear, grazing her skin with his lips and then nibbling lightly on her ear lobe.
Arabella giggled a little bit and she held herself closer to him, getting goosebumps all over her skin from the feel of his breath against her ear. She ran her fingers down his arms, lightly pressing into his muscles. "Mmmm..if you keep this up, we might never make it back to New York" She teased softly with a smile and she adjusted slightly so that she was straddling him.
Hunter blushed a little and pulled her face down for a tight kiss on the lips. He ran his hands across her back to her hips, loving how close she was to him at the moment. "That's okay with me." Hunter said in a sing-songy voice before sliding his hands down her thighs, squeezing them gently. She pulled closer and ran her tongue across his lips, causing Hunter to blush a little. "That's really okay with me." He said in a low tone as he kissed her cheek.
---------------------
Arabella was tugging on her wool boots, adjusting them over her skinny jeans. With a small yawn, she stretched and tugged on her sweater. She looked around the car before turning her eyes toward Hunter. It was starting to snow, small flake were falling gently from the sky. "I'm really glad that we're going to be home for Christmas" She said and she looked out of the window briefly. Getting home was going to be an amazing thing. She was going to be able to decorate for Christmas and wrap all of her presents. She would make sure that they had hot apple cider and egg nog. She would make sure that it was perfect. "We need to get a big tree as soon as we can"
Hunter smiled and looked over at her. He was nervous about Christmas. Christmas for him meant getting a book or something from Chiron and a few spare drachmas. After that when he was homeless, it meant getting a larger meal and maybe some extra clothes. He could actually enjoy this Christmas. He was a little worried that he wouldn't know the traditions. "So, what am I supposed to do for Christmas? I usually worked on climbing the wall for Christmas." Hunter said with a chuckle. He felt so stupid sometimes when it came to stuff like this. He felt like he didn't belong here. He knew camp and he liked camp, but he wished that he had an actual childhood.
Arabella looked over at him and she smiled. She slid over to him and she put her chin on his shoulder. "It's okay. I'll show you everything as it comes up. You'll need to help me get the tree back home, though. There is no way that I am going to be able to lift it all by myself." She giggled and she placed a kiss against his cheeks. She placed her hands on his arms and she sighed a little bit. "We're going to have the best Christmas ever, I promise"
"I hope so." Hunter said quietly. Hunter pulled into their driveway and took a deep breath before putting it into park and shutting off the car. He turned to Arabella and wrapped his arms around her "Welcome home, honey bunch." He said, pressing his lips to hers. He loved being able to say that. That this was her home and this was his home. It wouldn't feel like an actual home without Arabella. "How about...we bring in our bags and unpack and organize things. Then I'll cook us dinner and then we can hurry over to Danny's to pick up the dogs." He kissed her again. "Unless, they would like to join us for dinner. And they can bring the dogs. How's that sound?"
"That sounds really good. I want to see Danny" Arabella said with a nod and she leaned into him, kissing him tightly. She was happy to be home. She was happy to just sit with Hunter in the driveway like that. Arabella missed their own bed and their own house. She missed being able to just wake up in the morning and she could do whatever they wanted. Arabella smiled against his lips and she kissed him again before pulling away a little bit. "I can't wait to see the dogs" She added with a giggle.
Hunter grinned and sighed happily. "Well, let's go then!" Hunter said with a smile. He kissed her tightly on the lips one more time before letting her go and slipping out of the car. He ran around the side and opened her car door. "Come, my love! Leap into my arms! Our humble commode awaits us!" he said in a dramatic voice, opening his arms to catch her. She giggled a little before throwing herself into Hunter's arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. Hunter caught his balance and kissed her cheek. "I'll get the bags. Why don't you go inside and decide what I'm making for dinner?"
Arabella smiled against his lips and she kissed him lightly before jumping out of his arms and she skipped towards the door. Everything was perfect. They were home, there was a week left until Christmas, it was snow, they were getting their dogs back. Everything was perfect. Arabella tugged her keys out of her purse and she unlocked the door. She pushed it open and she just stood in the doorway for a moment before taking a step inside and closing her eyes. Arabella took a deep breath in, loving the smell of their home.
"Took you long enough to get here" A woman's voice huffed and Arabella's eyes flew open. They landed on a woman with blonde hair and features exactly like Arabella's. She was wearing dark jeans that hugged her figure and a warm, chic sweater. Arabella looked at her for a moment, a little stunned. But a wide smile spread across her face.
"Mom!" She said excitedly.
Hunter grabbed an armful of bags and carefully carried them into the house where he dropped them in a pile and sighed happily. He was so glad to be home. He walked into the kitchen and looked around. "Ellie?" He said, wondering where she had gone. He walked back out and looked into the living room where he saw Arabella hugging a woman. She looked almost exactly like Arabella and that meant one thing. "Hello, Aphrodite." Hunter said with a smile. He wasn't glad to see Aphrodite particularly, but he knew how badly Arabella wanted to see her. He was glad she now had the chance. She looked up from her daughter and grinned the same grin she usually gave Hunter.
"Hello, Hunter." She said in that same flirty voice he had heard times before.
Arabella beamed at Aphrodite. She was beside herself. Her mom was in her home and she was smiling at Hunter. Arabella didn't really get to see her mom much and after all of the drama on their road trip, she had been dying to see her again. Now she could hug her and see her and talk to her. Arabella didn't know how long she was going to stay but she really didn't care. She was just happy that she was there. "What are you doing here, Mom?" Arabella asked her in a curious voice and she stepped over to Hunter, taking his hand.
"Oh, you know..I was in the area" Aphrodite said and she waved her off.
Hunter grinned and kissed Arabella's cheek. "Well, Danny and his latest conquest--" Arabella smacked his arm. "Excuse me. Relationship. They're coming over for dinner, so you're welcome to join us, if you'd like. I don't know if you have some...urgent god business to attend to." Hunter suggested with a nod. "Speaking of...did you decide on what we're having?" Hunter asked Arabella, slipping an arm around her waist and placing a small kiss on her temple.
Arabella smiled a little, blushing. She leaned into Hunter slightly and she shook her head. She bit her lip then turned back to look at Aphrodite. "It's really good to see you, Mom. I was really missing you" She told her softly and Aphrodite looked at her with an understanding expression. Aphrodite probably knew about the fight that her and Hunter had and what had happened to them. She always seemed to know everything. "How is everything going?" She asked. She felt Hunter pull away from her slightly and she watched as he walked past them, heading outside. Arabella could see him pulling bags out of the car.
"Oh..you know. Same old, same old" Aphrodite said with a shrug. "Nothing too exciting" She added with a giggle and Arabella grinned. "How was the trip?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Arabella. She took a breath and looked down for a moment.
"It was good. I'm really glad to be home, though" Arabella told her and she nodded before looking up in her mom's eyes again. "I really missed you"
"I missed you too" Aphrodite told her softly and Arabella smiled up at her for a moment. She heard the door open and Hunter walk back in and she looked away from Aphrodite.
"I should go pick out supper" Arabella said after a moment and she hugged Aphrodite again before smiling at her and giving Hunter a kiss on the cheek and walking towards the kitchen, on cloud nine.
Hunter set the bags with the others and watched as Arabella walked into the kitchen, an ear-to-ear smile on her face. Hunter sighed happily now that the bags were all brought in and looked at Aphrodite whose warm smile had shifted into a more serious one. Hunter became worried. When a god has a bad feeling, so should everyone else. "Is there something wrong?" Hunter asked quietly, stepping forward away from the kitchen.
"Hunter, I didn't just come here to say hi." She said with a sigh. Hunter froze. He wanted to be done with that life. When he didn't say yes to becoming a hunter again, he wanted to be done with Greek gods and monsters and all of that. He just wanted to be with Arabella.
"What is it? Let me guess, the gods need me to do something again." Hunter said a little indignantly. She raised an eyebrow.
"Watch what you say, Hunter. Some of the gods don't like you as much as me." She said quietly. She sighed and looked at him. "That's why I'm here actually. I have to--" Knock knock knock ding dong! Hunter turned toward the door and when he looked back Aphrodite was gone. He stood there for a second before shaking himself and walking to the door, opening it and seeing Tyler and Matthew smiling at him.
Arabella was pulling out a box of macaroni and cheese when she heard the doorbell ring. She put it down on the counter and she walked back towards the living room and the front door. When she looked around, she didn't see Aphrodite and that put a frown on her face. Where did she go? But then she saw her father and her little brother and Arabella smiled a little bit, walking over to them and wrapping her arms around Matthew. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked
"After you texted me today while you were on the road, we figured that we would come down to say hi" Tyler explainned and hugged Arabella next.
Hunter was slightly distracted by Aphrodite's sudden disappearance, but he could understand. She and Matthew had a relationship and a child Matthew didn't need to deal with that and Aphrodite probably didn't have the time. Hunter shook Matthew's hand and gave Tyler a high five. "Well, you actually didn't beat us here by much. We're not even unpacked." Hunter said with a laugh, nodding toward the pile of bags, most of them Arabella's.
"She still packs like she's traveling all the way around the world, huh?" Matthew said with a smile.
Arabella smacked Matthew's arm and she smacked Hunter when he chuckled. "I wanted to be prepared. We never ran out of anything, did we?" She said and she stuck out her tongue at Hunter.
"Well, there was that one night..." Hunter started but Arabella laughed, cutting him off.
"We never ran out of anything, Hunter. You know that" Arabella said, giving him a look. Her cheeks were bright pink, hoping that her father didn't pick up on the fact that Hunter was about to say that they had ran out of condoms. Matthew and Tyler were looking at them with confused looks on their faces. "Well! I'm going to go change out of jeans and into something a bit more comfortable...be right back" she said and she turned, running up the stairs.
Hunter watched her go upstairs before looking back at Matthew and Tyler. Without thinking he glanced at where Aphrodite had been standing, almost expecting her to be there again, but she wasn't. Hunter sighed and looked back. "I'm sorry. How rude of me." Hunter said, rubbing his eyes. "Did you want to come inside?" Hunter said, moving out of the way of the door and presenting them with an entrance into the house. Matthew thought for a second before shaking his head.
"No, we just wanted to say hi. And welcome back." He said with a smile. "We'll let you guys get things sorted out." He said with a nod. Hunter nodded and smiled.
"Okay. Well, we'll say you around. Thanks, you guys." Hunter said as he closed the door behind them. Hunter sighed and looked up the stairs, smiling, and running up. He caught her in her underwear, looking for something to wear. "All of your clothes are downstairs remember?" Hunter said with a chuckle as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Arabella shrugged and she turned around in his arms, looking up at him. She smiled a little but it quickly faltered. "Do you know why my mom left so fast? She didn't say goodbye or anything..." she said softly and she chewed on her lip. Arabella understood that her mother didn't always have a lot of time but she hoped that she would have at least said goodbye to Arabella. Given her a hug and say that she'd see her later. Something.
Hunter sighed and kissed her on the forehead. "She had started to say something to me. I don't know what it was, but she might have seen your dad walking in. She didn't want to risk him seeing her probably." He sighed and tried not to look as worried as he actually was. Aphrodite was never very serious, but when she was that meant a big deal. "She still loves you, Ellie. You know how gods are, though. She'll be back." He kissed her lightly on the lips and brushed his hands across her bare skin, blushing a little and resting his hands on her hips. "Do you still want to do dinner tonight? We don't have to if you don't want."
"Why don't we just go get the dogs tomorrow? You and I can have mac and cheese and go to bed early" Arabella suggested softly and she leaned into Hunter, putting her head on his chest. "I don't know...it might be kind of a nice night to just relax and unpack a little bit. We both know that it's going to take me days to get my stuff unpacked" She added with a little giggle and she slipped her arms around his middle.
"Whatever you want, sweetie." Hunter said quietly, placing a small kiss on her head. Hunter smiled and hugged her, lifting her up off the ground a little. "I'll go get your bags, so that you can get some clothes on and start to unpack a little. And while you're doing that I will start on our mac and cheese." She looked up at him and Hunter kissed her on the lips, letting his lips linger for more than a few moments. He finally broke away and kissed her forehead. "I love you." Hunter said before slipping out of her arms and heading downstairs.
Arabella stood there for a moment, swaying a little as she listened to Hunter walk down the stairs. She moved over to the bed and she wrapped a blanket around herself tightly before flopping down, putting her head on the pillows. She wondered what Aphrodite had to say to Hunter and why she couldn't just say it. Was something wrong? Did the gods need Hunter to do something for them again? Arabella didn't think she would be able to stand it if Hunter had to go on another quest or something.
Hunter grabbed an armful of Arabella's bags and carried them up the stairs to their room. He looked at Arabella on the bed and sighed a little. He felt bad. He felt like somehow it was his fault, but he really just wished that Arabella would feel better. Hunter walked over and climbed into bed next to Arabella, lying the same way. "She said that is had something to do with the gods not liking me." Hunter explained. He didn't want her to worry. "They're not sending me on another quest. Even if they wanted to I would refuse. I'm not a demigod. I don't have to do anything, but be with you. That's all I want to do. I want to be with you and I want to marry you and raise our kids and grow old with you. I'm not going to be going on some quest. I'm staying right here."
Arabella looked up at him with wide eyes, wanting nothing more than to hear those words from him. she needed him to comfort her. To tell her that it was all going to be okay. Hunter wasn't going on some wild quest and he wasn't going to be hurt. Hopfully. The gods didn't like him but that didn't mean that they would ruin his life or anything, right? Arabella slid across the bed, moving closer to him and she felt his arm slip around her, holding her close. "Good. I need you to stay right here" She whispered softly and she closed her eyes.
Hunter looked at her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as he pulled her closer. "Ellie, I promise that I'm going to do everything in my power to make you as happy as possible. You're absolutely the most beautiful person on the planet and you're perfect in every way." He gently rubbed her back and placed another kiss on her forehead. They needed to get unpacked and Hunter needed to make dinner, but none of that mattered if Hunter needed to cheer Arabella up. Her being happy was the most important thing to him.
A small smile spread across her lips and her cheeks turned pink. Hunter always knew what to say. He knew how to make her feel better. He knew when something was wrong just by thr smallest thing. He was perfect. Arabella took a deep breath and she chewed on her lip. "I just...I can't lose you. And I can't stand the idea of you having to do something dangerous like another quest. I would be so lost without you" She said softly and took a breath.
Hunter nodded and sighed. "I don't want to be without you." Hunter said, running his fingers through her hair. "I can't be without you." He added, brushing the hair out of her face and kissing her on the lips. "Do you want me to make dinner? Or do you want me to stay here? I can't do both, but I will do whatever you want me to, Sweetie." He kissed her again and nodded. "Anything."
Arabella kissed him lightly and she rolled over so that she was on her stomach. "Let's go make dinner. If I stay here by myself, I might fall asleep" She said and she looked over at him for a moment before brushing her fingers along his jaw. "Thank you, Hunter..for everything. Keeping me sane, saving my life, making me happy...I couldn't ask for anyone better"
Hunter offered a small smile and kissed her on the forehead. "Don't mention it." He said with a nod before kissing her on the lips. Was he worried about what Aphrodite wanted? Of course, but he wasn't going to let it ruin his life. He just wanted to be with Arabella and he didn't want to to worry about what the future held. "Get some clothes on, babe. We're going to be cooking bacon and we don't want you burning that perfect body of yours." He said with a wink before pressing his lips to hers.
Arabella giggled a little bit against his lips before kissing him and pulling away from him. She walked over to one of her bags and she opened it up, digging through her clothes. Finally, she found a pair of sweatpants and a loose tee shirt. Arabella dropped the blanket and she quickly pulled on the clothes. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders again before turning and smiling at Hunter. "I am looking forward to whatever dinner you have planned" She said with a smile and she walked out of the bedroom with him.
Hunter took her hand and kissed it as they walked down the stairs. "Well, it's just your basic mac and cheese." Hunter said with a smile. "With bacon. And more cheese. And more pasta." He said, placing a kiss on her temple. They walked into the kitchen and Hunter left her at the counter to shove his head in the fridge. "You can cook the bacon and feel free to make it a little extra crispy considering it's going to be chopped up anyway."
"Oh dear..." Arabella said softly and she took the bacon from him. She wanted to learn how to cook. She wanted to be able to cook breakfast for Hunter or make lunch for their kids. Arabella didn't want to be an incredible chef or anything, she just wanted to be able to cook simple mirrors for themselves. She opened up the package and she nervously turned on the pan. "I hope that I don't burn down the house or anything" She giggled and when the pan was heated up, she placed a few strips of bacon in the pan.
Hunter smiled and pulled out several kinds of cheese and closed the fridge. He turned on another burner and grabbed a pot from the cabinet along with an assortment of spices. "I'll have you know, I'm completely making this up as I go along." He said as he put a couple of pads of butter in the bottom of the pan. He grated some cheese and pulled out a clove of garlic, chopping it into very small pieces. He waited for the butter to melt and then added it all to the pot. He stirred it slowly and slipped an arm around Arabella. He loved cooking with her. They kitchen wasn't large, so it made for a more intimate experience, but he just loved being near her. "Bacon looks perfect, sweetie." Hunter said with a smile as he kissed her on the cheek.
Arabella blushed when he kissed her cheeks but she didn't take her eyes off of the bacon. She was worried that if she looked away from it, she would get distracted and forget all about it until it was black and crispy beyond belief. With a fork, Arabella poked at the bacon, moving it around the pan a little bit. When it was finally ready to go, she turned off the pan but she didn't touch it because she knew that she would probably burn her arm if she tried to pick the hot pan up. "Whatever you're making over there smells amazing" She told him and she looked into the pot that he was cooking in.
"Yeah. I like to call it melted cheese." Hunter said with a teasing chuckle as he gave her a little squeeze. He looked at the bacon as it continued to cook in the still hot pan. "Go ahead and grab it by the handle and set it on..." He opened a draw and pulled out an oven mitt, setting it on the counter next to his cutting board. "That." He pointed at the cutting board. "You won't burn yourself. I promise." Hunter said as he moved his pot of cheese off the burner. He grabbed some pasta and another pot which he filled with water and put it on the previous burner, starting to get it to boil. "Can you keep stirring the cheese? It'll get burned if we don't." She looked at him hesitantly. Hunter smiled and stood behind her, " Go ahead and place your hand here." He said, taking her hand and placing it on the handle of the pot where it was safe to touch. "And stir with your other hand." He guided her as she took the position for her job of cheese stirring. "Perfect. You're a natural, my dear." Hunter said with a laugh as he placed a kiss on her head.
"Well, thank you" Arabella smiled and she steadily stirred the cheese. "I might have to disagree with you, but..whatever" She giggled and looked over at him. Arabella leaned into him and she kissed him lightly. She was happy to be there, happy to be cooking with him, happy that they were home. Arabella went back to the cheese and she yawned a little bit. "Where did you want to eat? I was thinking that maybe we could eat in bed like a picnic or something" She said with a playful smile.
"Is that a picnic?" Hunter said with a laugh. She nudged him with her elbow and Hunter gave her a little squeeze, kissing her temple. "That sounds perfect." He said before adding the pasta to the water. Hunter stirred it a little and then turned to the bacon. "Here. You can do this." He said to Arabella as he pulled out a bowl. He drained the bacon fat into a cup and set it aside before dumping the bacon onto the cutting board. "Go ahead and break this up however you want. Crush it. Cut it. Whatever. And put it into this bowl." He explained before picking up a piece and breaking it in half. He ate a half and then fed the other half to Arabella before kissing her lightly on the lips. "Save some for the macaroni. Don't eat all of it."
Arabella giggled and she nibbled on another piece while she crushed all of the bacon into small, bite size pieces. She didn't care that she was getting bacon all over her hands or any of that. She was having fun with Hunter. Arabella passed the bowl of the crushed bacon to Hunter and she walked over to the sink to wash her hands. Her stomach growled a little and she blushed. "Dinner smells fantastic, Hunter" She told him and she took out the kettle, putting some water on. She grabbed two mugs and put it hot chocolate mix.
"Well, It's a good thing I had my beautiful and ever so wonderful sous chef with me." Hunter said with a smile as wrapped an arm around her. He fished a piece of pasta out with a spoon and blew on it to cool it down. "I need to check if this is cooked." He said before dangling on end into his mouth. He slurped it except for the other half which he offered to Arabella who giggled a little and then kissed him, biting off the piece of pasta. "It's perfect. He said with a smile as he put a colander into the sink. He drained the pasta and put it into a bowl before grabbing the cheese and the bacon. He poured it all in together and stirred it a little. "You'll like this part." He said with a smile as he grabbed an identical bowl and flipped it upside down on itself, sealing it. He picked it up carefully and started to shake it, blending the ingredients together.
Arabella looked at him, amazed. "That is so cool!" She gasped, honestly thinking that it was pretty amazing. Arabella watched him for a moment but then the kettle clicked off and she opened up the cupboard, digging around in it for a moment before finding what she was looking for. Arabella pulled out a box of peppermind candy canes and she stuck one in each of the mugs. She poured the water in and stirred it around a little bit with the candy cane. "Okay...hot chocolate is ready"
Hunter set the bowls down carefully and tapped the top one a few times, to remove any food that might have stuck on. He removed the top bowl and looked at the mixed mac and cheese that sat before them. "Dinner is ready." Hunter said with a nod as he divvied up the food into the two bowls. "The other benefit of doing that." He said with a smile as he set her bowl onto a tray along with the hot chocolate. He thought for a second before ducking through the kitchen to the freezer where he grabbed a pint of Mint Chip ice cream and a couple of spoons, setting them on the tray and picking it up. "Alright. To the bedroom?" He asked with a smile.
Arabella grinned and she kissed him before running up the stairs, ahead of Hunter, towards the bedroom. She fixed the blanket, smoothing it out and she lit a few candles. She also turned off the big, over head light and just turned on the small lights. They cast a warm, happy glow in the room and Arabella smiled to herself. When Hunter walked in, Arabella sat down on the bed and she folded her legs beneath her. "Thanks for all of this, Hunter. I seriously don't know what I would do without you" she giggled
Hunter smiled and sat down across from her. "Probably have a really poor diet." He said, before looking down at the food in front of him. "Bacon and cheese and ice cream. Maybe you''d have a better diet actually." He said before leaning over and kissing her cheek. "I'd be dead without you, babe, so thanks." Hunter said.
Arabella smiled softly and she kissed him lightly. "I think that we both know that I would be dead without you. Since you have hardcore monster killing skills" She giggled and she winked at him. Arabella kissed him again, leaning into him a little. She was happy like that, sitting beside him and kissing him. It was just so easy and it all came so very simple for her. Arabella sat back and she took a sip of her hot chocolate before picking up her bowl of mac and cheese and taking a big bite. "Mmmmm...Hunter...you should be the god of food"
Hunter laughed and almost choked on the bite he had taken. He coughed and swallowed it all down before taking a deep breath and looking at Arabella. "You're too kind." He said quietly before taking a sip of hot chocolate, stirring the cup with his candy cane. "I think I'd have to fight Demeter or Mr. D for that." He said, taking another sip of hot chocolate. It was delicious. "So, what shall we do tomorrow?" He asked quietly, taking another bite of food.
"Mmm..well, we need to get a Christmas tree and we should make a snowman" Arabella said with a smile and she looked out of the window and the snow that was still falling. She grinned to herself then turned back to Hunter, taking a bite out of her mac and cheese. "I need to go shopping too. I don't really own a whole lot of Christmas decorations. Just a few little things." She told him with a shrug.
"I think we might have some in the boxes in the spare room. I don't remember. We'll have to look." Hunter said with a nod as he took another bite of mac and cheese. "I think I made a snowman once. Back at camp. I gave it a helmet and a sword and an arrow for a nose. I think Rory said something about a carrot for a nose. I thought it was silly." Hunter said with a smile. He sighed and leaned back a little thinking about building a snowman with their kids and going sledding. "We're supposed to put lights up or something, right?"
"Yes! Lights all over and a wreath on the door and all kind of different decorations around the house and a big tree with lights and decorations. A snowman in the front yard with a carrot for a nose and a corncob pipe" Arabella said, lighting up as she told him all about it. She was excited. She was thrilled. It was their first Christmas together. They would start traditions and make memories that would last a lifetime. "It's going to be so perfect" She said softly.
Hunter smiled a little at her excitement. He was excited to have a regular Christmas for once. Especially now that he was celebrating it with Arabella. "I think I'll try and figure out the lights. You can do the inside and I can show you how to bake cookies or something." He said with a smile before placing a small kiss on her cheek. He finished off his mac and cheese and took a big sip of his hot chocolate before grabbing the ice cream and the spoons, handing one to Arabella. He opened it and took a bite before passing it to Arabella.
Arabella grinned and she took the ice cream from him, taking a small bite. "Mmm..perfect" She said softly and she passed the ice cream back to Hunter. She looked at him with happy eyes before leaning over and kissing him lightly, slipping an arm around his neck. Not for the first time, she wondered what she ever did to deserve someone as amazing as Hunter. He made her whole and she was just so happy that he loved her back.
Hunter smiled and ate another bite of ice cream. He handed her the carton and then picked up the tray, setting it on the dresser. He changed into a pair of athletic shorts and walked back to bed, sitting down next to Arabella, putting their backs against the wall at the head of the bed. She passed him the ice cream and he took a bite. He took another bite and handed it back before slipping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "I love you." Hunter said with a smile as he placed a kiss on her temple.
"I love you too, Hunter" Arabella said softly and she closed her eyes, leaning into Hunter. She tugged on the blanket, pulling it up and taking a deep breath. She thought about what they were going to do the next day and the days ahead of them and she smiled a little. Arabella was excited to decorate for Christmas and she was excited to give Hunter presents. Everything was going to be so perfect and so wonderful. "I can't wait to get the dogs back. We're going to have to get some Christmas gifts for them"
"Ajax will probably want a chew toy or something. We'll get Jolie a hair brush or a bow or something. Get her nails painted." Hunter smiled and took the ice cream from her, taking a bite and then scooping out the last bite, offering it to Arabella. She giggled a little and ate it off of his spoon. Hunter kissed her tightly on the lips, taking the empty ice cream and throwing it away. He leaned into her and kissed her as he pulled her closer.
Arabella kissed him back, placing her hands on his chest. She brushed her lips away from his, along his jaw towards his ear. They were home and they were in their own bed. Arabella loved all of this so much more than a fancy hotel. She grazed her lips down, towards his neck and she nibbled on his skin lightly.
Hunter grinned and ran his hand down her side and to her thigh, squeezing gently. He was so glad that they were back in their house. The house they were going to grow old in and raise a family in. The rest of their life was going to be wonderful and he was so excited. He was nervous and anxious and happy, but right now he was just happy to be holding Arabella in his arms. He lifted her legs onto his lap and pulled her closer. "I love you so much."
"I love you too" Arabella whispered and she nuzzled into Hunter, closing her eyes. "I'm so glad that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. It all seems like a dream or something, you know?" she said softly and she placed a hand on his arm, squeezing a little bit. She smiled a little bit and she placed an innocent kiss against his shoulder.
Hunter ran his hand along her bare legs and kissed her neck. "You're telling me." Hunter said with a smile, nibbling gently on her skin. "I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my immortal life. Now I'm in a very serious relationship with a beautiful, talented, kind, smart, and sexy girl that I love very very much." He said with a grin as he turned her head, placing his forehead against hers. "That's you, by the way." He kissed her on the lips, leaning into her and pulling her closer so that she was sitting on his lap.
"I was getting worried for a second there. I thought that I was going to have to hunt that bitch down" Arabella giggled and she leaned into him, kissing him tightly. She left her hands on his arms, loving the way that his muscles felt under her palms. "I thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life at the company, working my ass off and never falling in love. I thought that I was going to be alone too. I'm really glad that you're here now" She said softly and kissed him.
"Me too." Hunter flexed under her hands and brushed his lips down her cheek to her shoulder where he placed small kisses, tracing the slender shape of her musculature. Hunter adjusted a little, scooting down in the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and laid down, putting his head on the pillow. He pulled her down, letting her head rest on his chest as he placed small kisses on her head.
Arabella snuggled into him, closing her eyes. She shivered a little bit and she pulled the blanket up. When Arabella thought about the fact that she was going to fall asleep like this every night for the rest of her life, her heart skipped a beat. She was so content and she felt so safe in Hunter's arms. They were perfect and they were set for the rest of their lives. Arabella couldn't wait to bring children into the whole thing. "Thanks for everything tonight, Hunter" she said softly.
"Anything for the girl of my dreams." Hunter said with a smile before kissing her forehead and grabbing the blanket, pulling it up on top of them. He closed his eyes and held her tightly, lightly rubbing her back. "Good night, Ellie." Hunter whispered as he felt his eyes becoming heavy. He kept himself awake long enough to feel Arabella's breathing slow before drifting away into sleep.