Hunter had fallen asleep on the couch, his arms still tightly wrapped around Arabella. The music playing on repeat from the movie menu on the TV was the only sound except for the quiet jingling of the dogs' collars' as they trotted around the house. Hunter woke up with a slight yawn and blinked his eyes open to see hair and not much else. She had fallen asleep on him last night and Hunter's back wouldn't have really liked it very much if he had carried her up the stairs. He reached over and shut off the TV and sat up a little bit, holding Arabella in his arms still. He didn't care to do anything today. He knew they had to, but if it meant he had to let her go and leave the couch he really could have gone without. He felt Arabella adjust a little, snuggle into his chest a little bit, letting out a soft moan. She was waking up, but she was far from being awake. Hunter kissed her head and buried his face in her hair, basking in the smell of roses and strawberries and vanilla. Her smell. "Good morning, honey bunch." Hunter breathed as he rubbed her back ever so lightly.
She could hear his voice. His warm, strong, steady voice. It was the voice that made her feel safe and loved and beautiful. It was the voice that made her the happiest. Hunter's voice. Hearing his voice and feeling his hands on her back was the best way to wake up in the morning. It was special and wonderful and just so perfect. Arabella pressed her fingers into his side softly and she moaned again, starting to wake up a little bit more. "Morning, stud muffin" She whispered in a slightly raspy voice.
Hunter smiled and put his fingers on her chin pulling her face up to look at him. Her hair fell in a curtain, shielding her face and Hunter smiled a little. "Where'd you go?" He teased a little as he brushed some hair out of her face and kissing her cheek. He did the same on the other side of her face before kissing her nose. "Hello, beautiful." Hunter said quietly, as he ran his fingers up and down her side. "How'd you sleep?"
Arabella wiggled her nose a little bit, squeezing her eyes shut. She yawned a little before laying her head back down on his chest. "I had the best sleep ever" She finally told him after a moment. Arabella took a small breath and she cuddled a bit closer to him. "How did you sleep?" She asked in a soft voice and she closed her eyes again, not really wanting to move from where she was in that moment. "How is your back?"
Hunter thought for a second. "It feels fine, but we'll find out when I stand up." Hunter said, dancing his fingers a long her arm. "I slept wonderfully though. Even with you on top of me." Hunter kissed her lightly on the lips and looked over at Ajax as he trotted over and looked at him. "Hey, buddy." Hunter said quietly, as he scratched under his chin. Ajax licked his hand and then walked back off, jingling away just as Jolie cam around. She saw Ajax disappear around the corner of the couch and barked once before chasing after him. Hunter rolled his eyes and laid back on the couch, pulling Arabela on top of him. "Our dogs are crazy." Hunter said with a smile as he kissed her several times, gently on the lips.
Arabella laughed a little bit and she closed her eyes, leaning into Hunter an running her hands down his arms. "Jolie is such a love sick puppy" She giggled and she brushed her lips along his jaw and down his neck. Arabella placed a gentle kiss on his neck. "Mmmm....I don't want to get up" Arabella said softly and she buried her face in his neck, closing her eyes. "Let's just stay here for the rest of our lives and never leave this couch"
Hunter smiled and moved his hands to her hips. "I don't know, babe. That would make some things a little more difficult." He said with a smile as he kissed her on the lips. "Like..." He kissed her neck as he thought. "Eating. Sleeping wouldn't be an issue. Decorating the house. Me proposing to you. Making sure the dogs get exercise." He said, wondering if she caught it. "You know. Typical things." He said as he brushed her hair away to give him access to her shoulder.
"Bah..the dogs can get exercise on their own. We can get a doggy door put it or something" Arabella said, waving it off. After a moment though, she perked up and she lifted her head so that she could look at him. Proposing. She tried to seem calm and cool about it but she was failing miserably. There was no way that Hunter didn't see the way her cheeks turned pink or feel the way her heart started to hammer. "Well, you know, you could do that from the couch, too"
Hunter looked at her and nodded. "I could." Hunter said with a nod. He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her. "I could do it right now. On this very couch." He said with a smile, twisting her hair in his fingers. He could feel her heart beating out of her chest and he could feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks. "But where's the romance in that?" He said with a smile before laughing as she sat up and straddled him slapping his chest.
"That was so mean" Arabella said with a huff. She was waiting for Hunter to propose to her and waiting got more and more difficult as the days went on. She didn't really know why he was holding back and it almost made her worry that he was second guessing the whole thing. Arabella folded hre arms across her chest. "I guess I'm just going to have to get up and put on something really sexy before I start decorating. Then I won't let you do anything at all"
Hunter put his hands on her thighs and looked up at her. "I guess I'll wear my sleeveless shirt then. Maybe do some exercise first." He smiled and placed a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her down for a kiss. He kissed to her ear. "Ti amo più di ogni altra cosa su questa terra. Sei così bella oggi come sarai per sempre." He said in Italian, letting his lips graze her skin with each breath.
Arabella shivered a little bit and she took a breath, trying to calm herself down. She bit her lip, not too gently and she leaned closer to him, pressing her body against his. Her lips brushed against his ear and she pressed her fingers into his arms. "It's on" she breathed before rolling off of him and standing up, fixing her shirt. She grinned down at him then gave him a wink before walking to the kitchen, making sure to wiggle her hips.
Hunter smiled and sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the couch. With a small groan he stood, bending backward and popping the vertebrae in his back. "Much better." He muttered as he stepped over the couch and looked at Arabella in the kitchen once before hurrying upstairs. He grabbed his sleeveless shirt and changed into it before walking downstairs and into the kitchen. "What would you like for breakfast?" He asked, walking up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist, kissing her lightly on the lips, tasting coffee on her breath. "I can make bacon and eggs, if you'd like." He said quietly, placing gentle kisses on the side of her neck.
"Mmm..that sounds wonerful" Arabella said softly and she leaned back into him, closing her eyes for a moment. She turned around so that she was facing him and she put her hands on his arms, pressing her fingers into his muscles. "You do that..I'll be right back" she said softly and she kissed him tightly, teasingly before she pulled away and headed up the stairs towards their bedroom.
Hunter raised an eyebrow and watched her walk away, a happy smile on his face. He loved it when they played this game. It was fun and he hoped that they would keep playing it even when they were married. He turned and opened the fridge, sticking his head in and looking for eggs, bacon, butter, and milk for their breakfast. He couldn't find it for some reason. "Ellie, do you know where the bacon is?" He asked as he grabbed the milk and everything else.
Arabella slipped into a pair of very short shorts and a loose fitting shirt. She slipped into a pair of cozy slippers and she ran her fingers through her golden curls, letting them bounce around her shoulders. Arabella smirked and she walked down the stairs. Jolie was laying at the bottom of the stairs and when she saw Arabella, she turned over onto her back. Arabella giggled a little bit and she scratched her stomach with her foot before walking into the kitchen. "Hmm? The bacon?" Arabella said as she walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his middle, burying her face into his back. "It should be in there somewhere"
Hunter smiled and ran his fingers along her arms a bit before pulling away and turning back to the fridge. He opened one of the drawers and found it. "Oh, here it is." He said before feeling a hand on his butt and being surprised when he felt it squeeze. He jumped a little and hit his head on the top of the fridge. With a groan he stood up and turned around to see Arabella with a devious smile on her face. Hunter gasped as he looked her up and down, his cheeks turning bright red. "I'm never going to get to breakfast when you dress like that, babe." Hunter said, kissing her forehead and putting some pans on heat on the stove. He mixed some milk in with some eggs and added some salt and pepper and cheese and then opened the bacon in preparation putting a small square of butter in both pans.
Arabella giggled and she stood beside him, placing kisses on his arm, slowly brushing her lips up to his shoulder and she pressed herself close to him. She placed a gentle kiss on his jaw before pulling away. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She said and she walked out of the kitchen. She came back with a bag from their shopping yesterday and she pulled out a book. "I bought a book with Chirstmas songs in it for the piano" she told him with a proud smile.
Hunter looked over and smiled at her, kissing her on the forehead. "That sounds perfect. You can play when we have guests over." He said with a laugh as he took the book from her and placed it on the counter, hoping she didn't remember what seeing her play the piano did to him. He put the bacon in with a sizzle and poured the eggs in, stirring them as they began to cook. "So, after breakfast do you need help setting the tree up before I go out and do the lights?" He asked, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing her on the temple.
"Mmm..I don't think so" Arabella said softly and she leaned into him, placing more kisses on his jaw, leading up to his ear. "I don't want you to hurt your back anymore. My winning this little compitition won't be any fun if you have a sore back" She teased in his ear then giggled and pulled away from him, walking over to the fridge and opening it up.
Hunter raised an eyebrow and looked over at her. He walked over and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her backward against him. "Don't count on it, Mia Bella." Hunter breathed gently against her neck as he placed soft kisses on her neck up to her ear, nibbling on her earlobe gently. He kissed her cheek until he felt her lean into him and then he let go and walked over to the stove. "Breakfast is almost ready."
Arabella closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get her heart rate back to normal. She took a deep breath before turning to him with a smile on her face. "Fantastic, I am starving" She said and she walked over to him, leaning on the counter beside him. She looked at him with a small smirk on her face and she leaned into him, pressing her lips against the side of his mouth.
Hunter slid an arm around her waist and kissed her gently on the lips. He turned the eggs and then divided them onto 2 plates and divided the bacon as well. "Breakfast." He breathed as he leaned into her a little. He closed his eyes a moment and slid his arms around her, kissing across her cheek and down her neck. "Tu es si belle." He breathed against her skin. He couldn't help himself. He ran his hands down her sides to her hips and pulled her closer before smelling the bacon and shaking himself. "Here's your plate." He said, handing her a plate.
Arabella took the plate from him and she chewed on a piece of bacon before kissing him tightly. "Mmmm..perfect" She said softly and she sat down on the counter. As she ate, she slowly slipped one of her legs around his waist and she tugged him closer gently. "This is such an incredible breakfast" Arabella said with a happy moan.
Hunter carefully shuffled out and sat down on the counter next to her. "Thanks." He said quietly, trying to focus on eating. He tried to ignore her rubbing her leg against his and he tried to ignore the occasional teasing kisses she left on his neck, but it was becoming more and more painful. He took a deep breath and finished eating quickly before standing and putting his plate in the sink. "I'm going to go put on a jacket and do the lights." Hunter said quickly not really giving her a chance to respond before walking out of the kitchen and hurrying upstairs.
Arabella giggled as he ran up the stairs and she picked up her cup of coffee finishing the last drop. She put her dishes in the sink and walked over to the dog's food dishes. Arabella carefully filled each one before she walked to the living room, looking at the tree. It wouldn't be too hard to get it into the stand and maybe once she had that done, she would go practice on the piano a little bit. With a smirk, she walked off to find the stand. Arabella quickly found the stand and she held onto it as she walked back to the living room. As she walked, she saw Hunter pulling on a jacket and she walked over to him, pressing her body against his tightly. "Don't take too long with those lights" She breathed and gave him a wink.
Hunter sighed a little and looked at Arabella. "I won't." He said, quietly before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her tightly on the lips, putting all of the love he had for her in that one kiss. That was sure to knock her off her feet. "Find me if you need help with the lights." He breathed, his lips gently grazing hers. He finally broke away and walked outside and grabbed the first spool of lights off the porch.
Arabella took a breath, swaying a little from his kiss. She almost didn't know what to do with herself. That kiss and totally blown her away. She closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lip. Arabella was tempted to follow him, to go after him and kiss him but she stopped herself and she turned back into the house and she walked towards the tree, wondering how she was going to lift it. She put the stand down and she looked over at Ajax, who was sitting on the couch and looking at her with a slightly confused look on his face. She huffed and bent down, grabbing the tree and slowly starting to lift it up with a groan.
After an hour of untangling cord, several broken bulbs, and a string of multilingual swear words, Hunter finally got the lights up. He was sweaty in his jacket which was sticking to his skin and his arms ached a little. He put the ladder away in the garage and stepped inside, peeling off his jacket and hanging it over the banister on the stairs. "Lights are done." Hunter said as he looked into the living room to see Arabella putting ornaments on the tree. It looked great. Hunter walked up behind her and with slightly heavy breaths, wrapped his arms around her middle and put his chin on her head. "The tree looks amazing, Ellie." He said quietly as he rubbed her stomach a little.
Arabella smiled and she leaned back into him for a moment, looking at the tree with a proud smile. It was their tree. Their first Christmas tree. She picked up a silver bauble and palced it on the tree. "There. Done. Well...almost" She said and she picked up a delicate star. Arabella turned to look at Hunter with a wide smile. "You should be the star on the top, since it's your first Christmas and all" She said happily and held the star out for him.
Hunter looked down at the star and gingerly took it from her, his eyes not leaving it like if he did he would drop it and it would break and everything would be ruined. He didn't realize it, but his mouth was open a little in awe. He finally looked up at Arabella and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you so much." He said, a small tear falling from his eye. He was just so happy. He was tired and he was achy, but he was just so blissful. This was just so perfect. He could imagine them a few years from now, Hunter holding up their daughter as she placed the star on the tree. He swayed lightly and held onto her just as tightly as he held onto the star. "So much, Ellie."
Arabella leaned into him, squeezing her eyes shut and taking a deep breath. Hunter was very close to making her cry at that moment and she was trying to hold back as much as she could. She wanted to stay in his arms like that forever. She smiled softly and she looked up at Hunter with big, happy eyes and she placed her hands on his cheeks. "I love you too, Hunter. I've never loved anyone half as much as I love you" She told him softly and she pulled him down to her so that she could kiss him tightly.
Hunter smiled and picked her up a little, swinging her back and forth as he hugged her. He was just so glad. He finally broke away, setting her down gently and turning to the tree. He put an arm around her and reached up, carefully placing the star on the top of the tree. He stared at it. his first Christmas Tree. Hunter felt tiny paws on his leg and looked down to see Jolie barking up at him. With the light from the tree and the snow outside. The smell of food. It was really starting to feel like Christmas. Hunter bent down and picked Jolie up, scratching her behind the ear. He finally looked at Arabella who was staring at him and biting her lip. Hunter walked over and hugged her again. "Thank you, Ellie. For all of this. For being here." He said, kissing her head.
"I'm always going to be here. I'm never leaving" Arabella told him softly and she turned her eyes to look up at him with a tiny smile. "I couldn't stand to be away from you" she added in a whispered and she stretched up a little so that she would be able to kiss him. They were going to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives and they were going to have kids together and they were going to grow old together and this was just the start of it all. Arabella scratched behind Jolie's ear and she quickly wiped a happy tear off of her cheek before she turned back to the tree. "It's going to be a wonderful Christmas" She whispered.
Hunter handed Jolie to Arabella and then put her face in his hands as another tear fell. He kissed it and then smiled at her. "It's going to be a perfect Christmas." He said, leaning in and putting his forehead against hers. "I promise." He said with a smile before kissing her lightly on the lips and slipping his arm around her. "One to remember." He said as he pulled her down onto the couch. They sat and looked at the tree, happy smiles on their faces. "I'm going to build a fire." He said as Ajax jumped up next to Arabella. Hunter stepped over to the fireplace and tossed a log in and then reached up, opening the flue. He turned on the gas and then lit it, a warm fire crackling away as he took his spot on the couch again. "What do we do now?" He asked quietly as he kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Hmm..." Arabella said softly and she curled up to his side, resting ehr head on his shoulder. "I don't know if there is anything that we could do to make this moment more perfect" She said with a small shrug and she giggled a little bit. "You could..show me how to make cookies or I could make us some hot apple cider or we could sit here on the couch and look at your amazing fire or we could lay down on this couch and do bad things to each other" She said and she looked up at him, giving him a wink. She giggled at the look on his face and back to the fire.
Hunter blushed and cleared his throat. "How about we bake cookies?" He said quietly, looking into the fire. He took a deep breath before looking over at Arabella. She bit her lip and tugged on the hem of her shirt a moment, looking up at him with big eyes. "You look really beautiful when you're all hot and bothered." He said with a grin before kissing her on the lips. He leaned into her and he felt her react, kissing him back and running her hands down his arms. Hunter put his hand on her leg and pushed her backward as he kissed her, causing the dogs to jump off the couch and run into the kitchen. "Now, we have some privacy." He said against her lips before sitting up and pulling off his shirt.
Arabella's heart raced and she slipped her arms around him, pressing her fingers into his back. "Oh, Hunter...." she breathed and she lifted her knee a little bit so that Hunter was laying between her legs and she kissed him deeply. She was happy there. She was happy with him and how her life was. Everything felt so perfect and wonderful. Arabella nibbled on his bottom lip a little before kissing him and brushing her tongue across his lips.
Hunter smiled and moved his lips across her cheek and down her neck as he ran his hands down her sides to her legs. "Je ne peux pas exprimer à quel point tu es belle, mon amour." he whispered as he squeezed her thighs and pulled her closer, kissing the contour of her collar bone. He danced his fingers up her thighs and past her butt to her sides. There was a knock on the door and Hunter pulled away from Arabella, breathing heavy. He looked at the time and cursed under his breath. "Hey." He leaned back over and pressed himself against her. "Go upstairs and put on one of those things from Victoria's Secret. I'll be up there to take it off in 30 minutes or less." he whispered into her ear before biting her earlobe softly. She froze for a second before standing off the couch and scrambling up the stairs.
Arabella looked around the room, her heart racing and her breathing heavy. She closed her eyes for a moment before she started walking around the room, fixing the blankets on the bed and turning on the smaller, dimmer lights. She turned off the large overhead light and she slowly tugged off her clothes. With a small smirk on her face, she grabbed the bag from Victoria's Secret and she pulled on the black satin piece with the bow. When she was all dressed, Arabella walked over to the bed, running her fingers through her hair and she sat down, stretching a little bit. As she sat there, she wondered what Hunter was doing. He had clearly been expecting someone since he said that he might be 30 minutes. Arabella looked around the room nervously, hoping that he would come back soon.
15 minutes later and one crappy job of rigging lights to a roof, Hunter hurriedly said goodbye to the neighbor across the street and sprinted back to his house. He swung open the door and stepped inside, tearing off his jacket and pulling off his shirt, leaving them in a pile on the ground by the door. He locked it and bounded up the stairs taking multiple steps at a time. He took a deep breath before opening their bedroom door and letting his eyes rest on her. His jaw dropped when he saw her. "Doesn't someone look absolutely smoking hot?" He said, walking over trying to not look too eager. He took off his jeans and walked over to the bed sitting down at her feet and putting them in his lap. He rubbed them and occasionally lifted them placing small kisses on her leg as he ran his hands up and down her smooth skin.
Arabella bit her lips and she smiled down at him. Her heart started racing the moment she saw him and she pulled herself up, moving closer to him. All she wanted was to be close to him, to feel all of his muscles and his skin. Arabella pulled herself closer to him and she slipped her arms around his neck, brushing her lips along his jaw. "Mmm..what was that about?" She whispered and placed her hands on his arms.
Hunter took a breath and pulled her onto his lap, running his hands along her legs. "The neighbor." Hunter said, motioning toward the door as he kissed her lips. He ran his hand up her leg and to her hip where he pulled her closer, kissing across her cheek to her neck. "He asked for help putting up his lights." He whispered, breathing heavily as he put his hand on her back and rubbed it as he brushed the strap of the lingerie away with his lips. "I said yes and then forgot, but we got it taken care of." He said quickly before pulling her back as he laid down. He kissed her shoulder and her arm, lightly nibbling on her skin as he ran his hands down her back.
Arabella shifted a little bit so that she was straddling him and she leaned into him, closing her eyes as he pressed his lips against her arm. She smiled a little, pressing her fingers into his biceps. Hunter had a way of making every inch of her skin tingle with just a little touch. Her heart sped up when she was with him and her cheeks flushed. She looked at him, locking eyes with him and a spark flew between them. She honestly didn't think that she could be any happier. Arabella kissed him tightly, pressing her body closer to his.
Hunter smiled and wrapped his arms around her kissing her tightly in a kiss that lasted for several moments. He loved her more than any man has ever loved a woman and he never want to be away from her. That's when there was a crash and a series of barks. Hunter sighed and put his forehead on her shoulder. "This is just...unnatural." he said with a groan.
Arabella let out a sigh an she closed her eyes. "I am never getting laid" She groaned unhappily and she rolled over so that she was laying beside Hunter on the bed, her face buried in the mattress. It wasn't fair. They were having a perfect, wonderful moment and something had to happen to ruin it. "Maybe we should go check..." She said softly, turning her head to look at Hunter.
Hunter leaned over and kissed he on the lips. "I'll check. You just...stay beautiful." he said with a smile. He sat up and patted her butt once before standing and slipping his jeans back on. He walked downstairs and to the kitchen where he found Ajax with a towel in his mouth and a broken coffee mug around him. "Aj..." Hunter said as he crouched down and picked up the mug. He threw it away and took the towel from Ajax using it to soak up the coffee as he picked up Ajax. "Wait a minute..." he said looking at Ajax. "Why do you not have any coffee on you?" Hunter said quietly as he stood up and started toward Jolie's cage.
Arabella moaned softly and she rolled over so that she was on her back and she looked up at the ceiling. With a small sigh, she tugged on the hem of the outfit she was wearing, wishing that Hunter was with her. Without him, she felt cold. She shivered a little bit and when she hear footsteps coming up the stairs, she sat up, looking at the door. She really hoped that it was just Hunter and he was going to tell her that nothing was wrong and they coul continue with what they were doing. Instead, she saw him walk into the room with a dog under each arm, Jolie soaked in what was clearly coffee because her white fur was stained brown. "What the world..." She muttered and looked up at Hunter.
Hunter looked over and sighed wishing he didn't have a coffeesoaked dog. "Your guess is as good as mine." he said as he pushed the bathroom door open with his foot. He set them down in the bathtub and turned on the water. "I think Jolie spilled the coffee and broke the mug and then Ajax tried to take the blame for it." Hunter said peeking out to Arabella. "I had to track down Jolie from under the couch."
"Well...that is a very adorable story" Arabella said and she rolled off of the bed, grabbing a robe and slipping it around her shoulders. She followed Hunter into the bathroom and looked down at Jolie in the tub. Jolie looked up at her with big eyes that just screamed 'guilty'. "There is no way that she didn't do it" Arabella said and she sat down on the edge of the bathtub, looking over to Hunter. She smiled a little at him. "Silly dogs..."
Hunter looked at Arabella and put his hand on her leg leaning over and kissing her gently on the lips. He heard a splash and looked back as Ajax put his paws on the edge of the tub and looked at Arabella with a look that said, 'let me out. Please.' Hunter looked at Arabella and scoffed before grabbing Ajax and putting him under the water. He stood up and walked to the closet, finding some baby shampoo. "After this," Hunter said sitting on the edge of tub behind Arabella an kissing her neck. "I cannot wait to get back to what we were doing."
Arabella giggled a little bit and she place her hands on his legs, pressing her fingers into his skin lightly. She closed her eyes, focusing on the way Hunter felt behind her. But then she felt something wet hit her leg and she looked down to see Jolie looking up at her with a mingled look of guilt and sadness. Arabella looked down at her and her lips stuck out in a little pout. "Ohhh, Hunter...she's so cute"
Hunter looked over at Jolie and smiled a little. "Don't give in, Ellie." Hunter said as he rolled up his pant legs. "She smells like coffee and she broke one of our coffee mugs." He said with a little chuckle as he gave up on his pants and walked into the bedroom, taking them off and changing into a pair of swim trunks. He walked back in and got into the bathtub with them, grabbing Jolie and squirting a little bit of baby shampoo on her and rubbing it in.
Arabella giggled a little as Jolie squirmed in Hunter's hands. She stood up and slipped her robe off before walking back into the bedroom. She pulled of what little she had on then tugged on a black bikini and she headed back to the bathroom. Once she got there, she slid into the bathtub so that she was facing Hunter and she pulled Ajax closer to her, holding him close and scratching behind his ear. "Our dogs are adorable" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter looked over at Ajax as he wrangled Jolie back and washed behind her ears. "Pretty much." He said with a chuckle as he finally let go of Jolie, letting her run over to Arabella all sudsy and look up at her with sad eyes. "So is one of the owners though too." He said with a wink over at Arabella, reaching across and grabbing Ajax's tail. Ajax whipped around and snapped at Hunter, but he moved his hand away. He grabbed Ajax and pulled him between his legs where he tapped his nose, causing him to snap and bark at Hunter. Hunter just laughed and then sprayed a little bit of shampoo on him and scrubbed it in, scooping water on as well.
Arabella laughed and rolled her eyes a little bit at Ajax before turning to Jolie. She gently washed all of the shampoo out of her fur, brushing her fingers against her softly. When all of the soap was out of her fur, Arabella scooped her into her arms and held her close to her chest. She giggled a little when Jolie licked her face and she looked over at Hunter with Ajax. "How's it going?" She asked in a teasing sort of tone.
Hunter looked down at Ajax as he scrubbed the suds into his fur. Ajax had a sort of 'I am ashamed. This does not bring me honor.' kind of look on his face. "Well. Better than the time I tried to give Orion a bath." Hunter said holding up his forearm and showing the distinct teeth marks from the wolf's bite. He remembered it well. Orion had found some stinky mushrooms in the forest and rolled around in them and Chiron told him to give Orion a bath. He found a hose and brought out a tub, but as soon as soap hit Orion, he whipped around and bit Hunter right on the arm. The next day in the infirmary he would leave his side and he had an apologetic look on his face. That was when it seemed first that Orion was more than just a wolf. Hunter reached over the side and grabbed a towel handing it to Arabella. "She looks cold. Go ahead and dry her off." He said as he stood and reached to the sink, grabbing her brush off the counter and handing it to Arabella.
Arabella took the brush from him and she stood up, holding Jolie close to her. She walked over to the counter and she set Jolie down. For once in her life, she didn't move around. She just sat down and looked up at Arabella with big eyes, like she was trying to prove that she wasn't a horrible dog and she was sorry about breaking the mug. Arabella wrapped the towel around her and rubbed gently, drying her off. "I don't think she had ever sat so still" She laughed.
Hunter ran water over Ajax and grabbed a towel. He wrapped it around the dog and stood up with him in Ajax in his arms. "She probably feels bad. She got in trouble AND now she owes Ajax for trying to take the blame." Hunter said with a nod. He rubbed Ajax down with the towel until he was fluffy and then Hunter grabbed a brush as well and quickly ran it through his fur, smoothing it out a little. "Alright. He's good to go." Hunter said, putting Ajax down on the ground. He knelt down and looked at Ajax. "He looks like I just tortured him." He said with a small smile as he scratched behind his ear. Hunter scratched under his jaw then his neck and in a few moments, Ajax was on his back with his tongue out kicking his leg as Hunter scratched his belly. "That's a good dog!" Hunter said with a laugh.
Arabella started brushing her fur gently with a small smile on her face. When she finished, she kissed the top of Jolie's head and put her down on the ground. Jolie timidly walked up to Ajax with a sorry look on her face and she nudged his side with her head a little. Arabella grinned and walked over to Hunter, slipping her arms around his neck. "Mmm...now that the dogs are clean and have made up..." She breathed and placed a kiss on his collarbone before brushing her lips up his neck and placing a kiss on his chin.
Hunter smiled and put his hands on her hips. "I don't know..." Hunter said quietly as he kissed her gently on the lips. "I kind of want to just sit around now." He said with a laugh when he saw the look on her face. She looked mortified. "I know! 2 days! It's been SO long." He said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm serious. Come on. We ate breakfast at 11:30. It's now 4. We'll have an early dinner or late lunch like a....lunner or a linner or a...dunch." He thought for a second before looking back. "I'll make you your favorite. That pasta pesto and I'll make the pizza too. With pepper hearts. We'll curl up on the couch and watch a movie and we'll sit with the dogs and then we'll go to bed instead of fall asleep on the couch. It'll be relaxing." He said, shaking her a little. "What do you think?"
"I think that 2 days is an awfully long time" Arabella said with a fake pout and she kissed him lightly. "You're just lucky that I love you so much" She said and she patted his chest as she walked out of the bathroom. She had to admit it, the mood was gone. Once they had finally gotten the dogs clean, it was just..not the same. Arabella wanted it to be spontaneous and filled with passion. It just wouldn't be the same. She walked over to her closet, out of Hunter's eye sight, and she tugged off the bikini. Arabella got dressed, putting on a basic white tee shirt and a pair of blue plaid boxer shorts that she stole from Hunter. She stepped out of the closet, pulling her hair up and she smiled at Hunter. "I can't wait to have your pesto...best stuff in the world" She said with a happy sigh.
Hunter smiled as he changed back into his jeans in the bathroom. He walked back out and grabbed a plaid shirt, slipping it on and buttoning a couple of buttons just to close it. He looked at Arabella and blushed a little when she complimented his food. "You know..." He said, walking over and putting a hand on her hip. "How am I supposed to have clothes when you take all of my clothes?" He asked, sliding a finger inside her 'shorts' and snapping the elastic. He kissed her gently on the lips and took her hand as he turned to the door. "You pick out a movie, I'll start the pizza and then you come in here and WE'LL make the pasta pesto." He said with a smile before giving her a small hug and separating.
"If WE make it, it'll be terrible. If YOU make it, it'll be the best thing in the world" Arabella called to him as she sat down infront of her DVDs and started searching through them. She smiled a little bit to herself and picked out Scrooged. She put it ontop of the TV and she grabbed a couple extra blankets and pillow, putting them on the couch. Humming to herself, she walked into the kitchen. "How's the pizza?"
"In the oven." Hunter said grabbing her by the shirt and pulling her in for a tender kiss. "Now we start the pesto. Okay. Grab the garlic, 2 bags of pine nuts, the fresh basil from the fridge, the garlic salt, black pepper, and...the coriander." he said as he pointed to several places on the kitchen. "I'll grab the food processor, pasta, and the heavy stuff. Do you want to chop or cook the pasta?" he said, putting a hand lightly on her hip.
"Well, if I chop stuff then I might cut my fingers off but if I cook the pasta, I might burn the house down" Arabella said with a little giggle and she looked around. "Hmm..I'll cook the pasta" She finally decided and she picked up the pot. She took it over to the sink and filled it with water before placing it on the burner and turning it on. As she waited for the water to boil, she put her chin on Hunter's shoulder, placing a kiss against his jaw.
Hunter looked over and smiled, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "Come here." He said, lifting on of his arms. He moved her to stand in front of him and he put his arms over hers, placing his hands on hers. "Just pick up the knife." He said quietly as he lead her to pick up the knife. "This is really easy. We're going to chop the basil so it distributes better in the food processor." He whispered, placing a small kiss behind her ear. Slowly he started moving her hand with the knife, carefully going through the basil, chopping it into smaller pieces. He slowly picked up the pace with the knife hand and the feeding hand until it was all cut. "See? Perfect. And we both still have all of our fingers." He said with a smile, craning his head to look at her.
With a small smile, Arabella turned her head to look at him and place an innocent on the tip of his nose. "You're my hero" She said with a giggle. Arabella turned around in his arms and she slipped her hands up, placing them on either side of his neck. "I adore you, Hunter, you know that?" She said softly, looking up at him with a sparkle and a happiness in her eyes that she had lost for a while, after she had left camp with Brian. Being with Hunter brought the joy and the happiness and the sparkle back into her life the moment he stepped foot into her office building.
Hunter smiled and put his hands on her sides. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He said before placing a small kiss on her nose. There was the sound of sizzling to his left and Hunter looked over. "It looks like your water is boiling, sweetie." He said, walking over and opening the top to let some steam out. He quickly tossed in some salt and the pasta before looking back at Arabella. "Why did you stop chopping? I thought you were a pro now. I showed you." He said with a laugh as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Come on. Let's move on to garlic." He said, standing behind her again. "This one's fun. Watch." He peeled the garlic and then placed the small clove down and set the flat of the knife on top of it. "Now, hit the knife. It'll smash it and break the peel and then we can start chopping it. So go a head and give it a whack." He said with a smile as he held the knife with one hand and placed his other hand on her stomach, pulling himself closer to her.
Arabella looked up at him with wide eyes before turning her gaze down to the knife in his hands. She took a breath an held up her hand, shaking a little. Quickly and with a little squeak, Arabella whacked the knife with the heel of her hand. She looked at it for a moment, taking a few breaths. After a second, she gasped and grinned up at Hunter. "That was so cool!" She said excitedly and she leaned into him.
Hunter laughed at her reaction. "Kills a crocotta with his bare hands? Gets yelled at. Shows you how to smash garlic? That was so cool!" He said in a mocking voice as he placed a kiss on her head and lead her hands to chop the rest of the garlic. He finished chopping and then grabbed everything and put it in the food processor. "Okay. Now, we're going to toast the pine nuts." He said with a smile. He stepped away from her and grabbed a pan, pouring some oil in it and placing it on a hot burner. "Oh, and pasta is done." He said quietly as he removed the pasta from the heat and quickly drained it, putting the pasta into a bowl. "Alright. We pour a bag of pine nuts into the pan." He said quietly before stepping away and putting his hands on her hips. "See, toasting the pine nuts helps bring out the flavor." He said with a wink as he placed a small kiss on her forehead.
"Very interesting" Arabella said with a nod and she smiled up at him. She watched him as he pulled away from her a little bit to put the pine nuts in the pan. She pulled him back to her and she kissed his lips tightly. "I never really thanked you for killing that crocotta" She said softly and she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "That must have been the..20th time you saved my life? Something like that" She said with a little smile.
Hunter smiled a little and pulled her closer. "Don't sweat it. I will never let anything hurt you." He kissed her lightly on the lips and wrapped his arms around her. "I promise." he said, putting his lips on her head lightly and hugging her. He felt her bury her face in his chest and he smiled, swaying slightly and burying his face in her hair. "I love you, you know that?"
"I think you might have told me before" Arabella said with a giggle and she placed a kiss against his chest. "I love you too, Hunter" She said softly and took a deep breath. Arabella kissed his chest one more time before pulling away a little bit and opening up the cupboards. "We need a drink of some kind.." She said and she looked around until she found the bags of tea and she pulled them out. She turned on the kettle and grinned up at Hunter. "At least I know how to turn on a kettle"
"20 years in learning." he teased with a laugh as he pulled the pizza out of the oven and put the pine nuts in the food processor. He turned it on high and cut the pizza into squares. He added some oil into it and after a few moments he stopped it and poured the majority into the bowl. The rest he spread on some of the pizza. "Dinner," he started as he snatched the front of her shirt and pulled her into his arms. "is served."
Arabella giggled a little and she slipped her arms around his neck. She placed a few kisses along his jaw before burying ehr face into his neck. Arabella took a deep breath, inhaling the smell that could make her feel better no matter what. Clean cotton and pine trees. It was his scent. It was her favourite smell in the world, mostly because it was his own. Arabella slipped her arms around his middle and she held herself close to him. That was all she wanted, to be close to him and feel his arms around her.
Hunter smiled and placed a small kiss on her head before pulling away and grabbing two plates and divvying out the food. He put the plates on a tray along with their tea and a carton of Peanut Butter Panic ice cream before walking to the couch, setting the tray down on the table. "So, what movie did you pick out, dearest?" He said as he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her a moment, placing a small kiss on her shoulder before letting go and moving her next to him. "I hope it's a good one."
"Scrooged" Arabella told him and she folded her legs under her. She pressed play on the DV remote before pulling her plate onto her lap. She took a bite of the pizza and let out a happy moan. "Ohh, Hunter..this is the best pizza ever" She told him and placed a kiss against his cheek. When she looked at him, she bit back a giggle because there was a lip print on his cheek from pizza sauce that was on her lips.
Hunter sighed and tried licking it off with his tongue, but it was too far. "Eh. I'll save it for later." He said with a chuckle as he wrestled his arm out from where it was comfortably laying and wiped his cheek off. He went back to the movie and watched idly as he ate. "How about we actually fall asleep in our bed tonight?" He said with a chuckle as he took another bite of pizza.
"Oh, come on, falling asleep in odd spots around the house is fun. Let's fall asleep in the kitchen, tonight" Arabella teased an she nudged him playfully with her elbow a little bit. She yawned a little bit before taking a bite of her pasta. She sighed happily to herself then giggled at a joke from the movie. "Thanks for making supper and everything else" She said softly, looking up at him. "Thanks for being here"
Hunter looked at her and finished eating, setting his plate on the table. Putting his arm around her, he held her closer and pressed his lips tightly to her temple. "I will always be here." He whispered into her ear before kissing her cheek and putting his head on hers, watching the movie. "I promise." He said as he rubbed her arm gently and then grabbed the ice cream off the tray. He took a bite and then passed it to Arabella for her to eat when she finished her pasta.
Arabella smiled up at him for a moment before delicately taking the ice cream from him. She put her empty plate down and took a small bite of her ice cream. She let it melt in her mouth before she turned to look up at him with a small smile. "I'll always be here too, Hunter. Always" She told him gently and she stretched up a little to place a kiss on his cheek.
Hunter took another bite of ice cream and sighed happily. There were people in the world that were in relationships, but none of them could be as satisfying as the one he was in, at that moment. He put an arm around her and leaned his head on hers, keeping his eyes on the movie and placing a hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently. He knew that they would be married soon and kids would be next and he just absolutely couldn't wait. He kissed her temple and brushed his lips down to her cheek where he placed several soft kisses. "I wouldn't have it any other way."