"No, Danny..I'm pretty sure that these cookies are not supposed to be this big..or this brown" Arabella huffed, holding up a gigantic cookie in front of her webcam. There was a sound of laughter coming from her laptop screen and Arabella turned to glare at Daniel. "Maybe Skyping while I'm doing this is a bad idea" She said with a sigh and took a bite out of the huge cookie. Arabella made a face and tossed the rest into the garbage. "Too much salt"
"And that would be cookie batch number...4" Daniel said, adding a tick to a piece of paper.
"Are you seriously keeping track of how many cookies I ruin?" Arabella gasped and looked at the screen. Daniel laughed and Arabella groaned, looking back at the cookie recipe for what felt like the billionth time. "Daniel...it's not funny. I wanted to get some decent cookies made for tomorrow, you know...Valentine's Day.." She moaned as she started measuring out the flour that she needed for yet another batch. Just then, there was the sound of a car and Arabella looked out the window, seeing Hunter pulling into the drive way. "Gotta go, Danny" she said quickly and she turned off the computer.
Hunter took a little breath as he stepped out of the car. His first week at the rec center was finally done and now he really just wanted to curl up on the couch with Arabella and watch a movie or something. Hunter walked in the front door and looked down as Jolie jingled up to him, her tongue out and her tail wagging as Ajax walked up as well. "Hey, buddy." Hunter said with a smile as he hung up his jacket and left his stuff by the door. "Ellie? I'm home!" Hunter shouted as he kicked off his shoes and started to walk into the house.
"Hi Hunter!" Arabella called back to him, quickly turning towards the sound of his voice. However, as soon as she turned, her elbow knocked into the salt and it tipped into her bowl of flour, spilling at least a cup of salt into it. Arabella looked down at it for a moment then grumbled a few choice curse words before putting the salt away and looking down into the bowl with a bit of a pout on her face. With a sigh, she wiped her hand across her forhead, leaving a long streak of flour on her skin that she was very much unaware of.
Hunter peeked into the kitchen and gasped a little. "You uh..." He stepped inside and looked around. There were pans in the sink and bowls everywhere. Ingredients, some of which didn't belong in cookies, were strewn about. "You made cookies." Hunter said with a smile as he looked up at her. "You also have ingredients on your face." He said with a smile as he moved in front of her and ran his hand across her forehead, brushing the flour off her face and hair behind her ear.
Arabella gave a tiny smile when he brushed his fingers across her forehead, getting butterflies. She hoped that that feeling would never go away. That she would always get butterflies from his touch. Arabella shook herself and pouted a little bit. "Made cookies and failed. The pig won't even eat them" She said an nodded towards the trash can where a cookie that she had thrown missed and landed on the floor. Piggy Smalls sniffed the cookie, licked it, scrunched his nose up then ran off. "I failed so hard"
Hunter smiled and bent down, picking up the cookie and throwing it away. "Were you following a recipe or something?" Hunter said with a smile. "I don't bake without a recipe. Cooking is one thing, but you can't bake without a recipe." Hunter reached into one of the cupboards and pulled out a folder. "I think there's a recipe for cookies in here." Hunter said, opening it and flipping through the pages.
Arabella huffed and leaned against the counter. "It's impossible. I should just..never go into a kitchen again" She said and folded her arms across her chest. She turned to look at him as he flipped through pages and she smiled a little, moving over to him to place her chin on his shoulder. "Did you have a good day?" She asked him and bit her lip.
Hunter glanced over at her and kissed her lightly on the lips as he turned toward her and wrapped his arms around her. "I did have a good day. David wasn't there, so it made my life easier." Hunter pulled her closer and kissed her tightly. "I missed you today." Hunter said quietly as he rested his chin on her head. "How was your day? Other than the experimentation with baking."
"It was really good" Arabella said softly and she slipped her arms around his middle. "I went shopping with Danny." She told him and grinned a little bit to herself. Shopping with her brother was always a ton of fun and it was really exciting now that he was going to be her Man of Honor at the wedding. They had spent all day talking about the wedding. "I found my wedding dress" She said to him and wiggled her eyebrows.
Hunter grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "You did?!" Hunter picked her up and swung her back and forth a little. "Well, can I see it?!" Hunter set her back down and smiled. "Wait, is that bad? I'm sorry, I don't know this stuff!" Hunter said with a sigh as he put his forehead down on her shoulder.
"Of course you can't see it!" Arabella said with a giggle and she slipped her arms around him, resting her hands on his back. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding" She said in a matter-of-fact tone and let out a happy sigh. Arabella pulled away from him a little bit and she looked in the cupboard, taking out a box of Oreos and she grabbed some milk from the fridge. "Well, I can't make cookies but I know how to buy them! Want to watch a movie or something?"
Hunter watched as she started to walk out of the kitchen, but Hunter grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into his arms. "Now, hold on." Hunter said with a smile as he kissed her lightly on the lips. "We...are going to make cookies or at the very least, you are going to help me clean up the kitchen." He pulled her closer and kissed her lightly on the lips again. "Now, which do you want to do?"
Arabella pouted and looked around at the mess she had made, trying to bake for Hunter and she let out a little sigh. "We might as well make cookies, then we'll have something to show for this mess" She said and looked up at him with a little smile. Arabella put the Oreos and milk down on the counter and she rubbed her hands together. "Okay, what do we do first?"
Hunter took a deep breath and looked around. "Well, let's look at the recipe. How about you track down all the ingredients and I will begin resetting the workstation, so that we have stuff to use. You dirtied all the bowls and...many...many other things." Hunter said as he started to fill the sink with water. "You know? One of these days I should learn how to use the dishwasher." Hunter said with a sigh as he tapped it with his foot.
"The man can cook anything he wants but he can't figure out the simple dishwasher" Arabella giggled and she leaned into him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "It's okay. It's what makes us such a good team. You cook and I clean. Perfect" She said and she got to work on cleaning everything up, making sure that everything was clean and tidy and spotless so that cooking would be easier. "So, uh..tomorrow should be a good day" She said, wondering if he knew that Valentine's Day was the next day.
Hunter paused and thought for a moment, a devious smile spreading across his lips. "Well, I've got to go into work tomorrow and then David missed today, so I have a lesson with him after that and his parents said that I had to drive out to their ranch in Connecticut. In exchange they said that they were going to pay me double though, so that's nice." Hunter tried to hide his smile and turned to her. "Why? What's your day look like?"
Arabella took a little breath, trying not to show the hurt that she was feeling on her face. Valentine's Day was always a really big deal for her, being a daughter of Aphrodite. It was one of her favorite days of the year and she was really looking forward to her first Valentine's Day with Hunter. Arabella shook herself and cleared her throat as she wiped down the counter, not looking Hunter in the eye. "Oh, no plans, really. We're getting low on dog food and we need to get some groceries" She said, trying to sound calm and keep her poker face on.
Hunter moved forward and put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer and lifting her chin up to look into her eyes. "See, I did have to do all that, but I cancelled it to spend my whole day with you for Valentine's Day." Hunter said, laughing at the look on her face. She punched him in the shoulder and Hunter kissed her tightly on the lips, pulling her closer and showing her how much he cares for her. "Do you really think that I would forget Valentine's Day? When I'm engaged to a VERY proud daughter of Aphrodite?" Hunter kissed her forehead and smiled. "What do you take me for?"
"You are so mean to me, Hunter Reed" Arabella huffed but she slipped her arms around his middle and she put her forehead on his chest, taking a deep breath. She was glad that he was going to be staying home. All of her plans and everything she had been thinking of would have been totally ruined if he was gone. "I was really worried for a mintue there, mister"
Hunter kissed her head and ran his hands up and down her back for a moment before pulling away a little. "Alright. Let's bake some cookies." Hunter said with a laugh. "Okay. We need to combine our dry ingredients first." Hunter said as he started adding ingredients into a bowl. "Flour, baking soda, sugar, brown sugar, little bit of vanilla, some chocolate syrup, and okay. Now start mixing that will you?"
"Tell me if I'm doing anything wrong" Arabella said with a little smile and she picked up the spoon, starting to mix it. She watched it intently, trying not to spill anything or mess it up somehow. Her personal goal was to learn how to bake. She wanted to be able to do that for Hunter. Arabella bit her lip a little bit and turned her eyes to look at Hunter for a quick moment before looking back at the bowl. "How is Tyler doing with the archery?"
Hunter went to the fridge and pulled out the eggs and the milk. He grabbed some chocolate chips and then set it down next to the bowl where he stopped her. "You know, we have a mixer for a reason, babe." Hunter said as he pulled the mixer out and plugged it in. "Tyler is doing great. He's one of my better students." Hunter said, standing behind her and directing her hand-over-hand what to do, placing small kisses on her neck. "He's one of the only people who pays attention though, so..."
"Tyler is really happy there" Arabella said softly and she leaned into him, letting his hand guide hers and soaking in the feeling of his lips on her neck. "Thank you. For everything that you've done for him. You've made him really, really happy" She said softly and turned to look at him with big eyes.
"Well, you and your family have made me really happy. It's the least I can do to make up for it." Hunter said as he kissed her on the lips. He turned back to the food and scraped the mix off the side as it mixed. "Alright. Let's crack the eggs." Hunter said as he grabbed both eggs. With one in each hand he tapped them on the counter and broke them into the bowl, adding a little milk. He set it down and then wrapped his arms around her waist, putting his hands on her stomach, gently brushing his lips along her neck and up to her cheek.
Arabella closed her eyes and she rested her hands on his hands. Everything he was doing to her, every way that he was touching her..it all felt so innocent and so simple. Yet it got her heart beating a million times a minute and it made the butterflies in her stomach go wild. "How long will it take for the cookies to bake?" She breathed, drawing circles on his hands with her fingers.
Hunter led her hands to the mixer again and then added the chocolate chips. "Alright. Let's just stir these in and then we'll be ready to make cookies." Hunter kissed her cheek and then kissed her lips when she turned her head. " They need to back for about 12 minutes." Hunter said, turning off the mixer.
"Perfect" Arabella said softly and she turned around in his arms so that she could press her lips against his, smiling a little bit. "12 minutes is just enough time for a super hot make hot session" She teased with a giggle and gave him a wink. Arabella put her hands on either side of his neck and kissed him tightly before pulling away and looking down at the cookie dough. "So now we just put it on a cookie sheet and stick it in the oven" She said with a nod and took a bit of the cookie dough, popping it into her mouth.
"Or..." Hunter said as he grabbed a cake pan. He pressed it into the cake pan and spread it out before sliding it into the oven. "That probably changes the cook time, so we'll wing it." Hunter said as he turned the timer. He hit start and then grabbed Arabella by the waist and lifted her up onto the counter. He stood between her legs and kissed her tightly on the lips. "Alright. 12 minutes."
Arabella giggled and she put her hands on his sides, holding onto his shirt lightly. She kissed his top lip gently before kissing his bottom lip an nibbling a little bit. Her heart started to race again as she hook her legs arouns his hips, pulling herself much closer to him. Everything about him made this so much fun and so easy for Arabella. She knew that she could spend the rest of her life doing this with him. Her hair fell over her shoulder but she didn't bother moving it away as she brushed her lips away from his and along his jaw.
Hunter smiled and pulled away a little. "You know," Hunter brushed the hair away and pressed his lips to every inch of her skin. "when we start...having kids...I think that....these will...have to stop..." Hunter finally brushed his lips down the other side of her neck and then lightly nibbled on her shoulder, pressing closer to her and squeezing her thighs.
"Mmm...nope. They can go to their bedrooms" Arabella breathed and she ran her fingers down his body, pressing her fingers into his skin lightly as he squeezed her thighs. She smiled a little as his lips grazed her shoulder before pulling away a little bit so that she could place a gentle kiss on his chin. Arabella slowly brushed her lips to the side of his mouth, placing a teasing kiss there. With a little smile, she moved her lips to just above his top lip and placed another teasing kiss there.
Hunter sighed a little and put his hands on each side of her face. "We'll have to be quieter then, too." He said before pulling her face into his, kissing her tightly on the lips. He ran his hands down her neck and to her hips where he lifted her up, placing his hands on her butt and walking over to a chair where he sat down, holding her on his lap. "I hope you'll still enjoy doing this when I can't do that anymore." Hunter said, smiling and pinching her butt.
Arabella giggled and she rested her hands on his arms. She squeezed his biceps and gave him a little winking, biting her lip. "I am going to enjoy doing this for the rest of my life" She said and she brushed her lips along his jaw. Arabella took one of his hands and she placed it over her heart which was beating a million miles a minute. "Do you see what you do to me, Hunter? You are going to drive me crazy one of these days" She whispered with a smirk.
Hunter blushed a little at the placement of his hand. He pulled her hand away and put her hand against his, her nimble soft hands small in comparison to his large scarred hands. He finally folded his fingers with hers and placed her hand against his chest where his heart was beating out of control. He looked up into her eyes and kissed her neck softly before brushing his lips up to her ear and nibbling it gently.
Arabella giggled a little bit and she leaned into his nibbles, closing her eyes. She let out a low breath and turned to head to kiss him but then she heard the timer go off and she cleared her throat. "Maybe we should check that. I don't want to burn the...cookie cake thing" she said with a little giggle and she kissed him lightly.
Hunter nodded softly and wrapped his arms around her, standing up. He kissed her tightly on the lips, pouring love and affection into it. Valentine's Day was tomorrow and he was so glad that he could spend it with someone that he really truly cared about. She seemed to melt into his kiss and released her legs' grasp on his waist and let her legs hang down again. Hunter finally set her down and kissed her on the forehead before walking over to the oven and pulling the cookies out.
Arabella leaned against the counter, running her fingers through her long hair. "How do they look, handsome?" She asked and smiled a little bit before turning her head to look at him. She smiled a little bit to herself. Arabella was looking forward to the next day and she had a few surprises up her sleeves. She just hoped that it would all work out. Arabella stepped over to Hunter and she put her chin on his shoulder, looking down at the cookies. "They smell like....home"
Hunter smiled and set them down on the stove. He put his arm around her and turned his head, kissing her lightly on the lips. He walked over to a drawer and grabbed a pizza cutter and a spatula. Carefully he cut it into pieces and scooped two onto plates. They were still hot so he walked over and put them and the whole pan with a lid on it in the freezer. Hunter walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her cheek. He couldn't wait for them to get married and have kids. He could imagine her standing in the kitchen with a pregnant belly and he would walk up behind her and place his hand on her stomach and feel their baby. He placed his hand on her stomach and kissed her cheek, brushing his lips against her skin.
Arabella smiled a little and she placed her hands ontop of his hands, closing her eyes. She leaned back into him and let out a sigh, completely letting herself melt into him and just relax. Arabella chewed on her lip and she traced circles on his hands. "I like you a lot, Hunter" She told him with a little giggle and she moved her hand over to her left hand and she touched her ring lightly.
Hunter smiled, brushing his lips against her ear. She laced her fingers in with his and leaned against him, closing her eyes. He really just loved holding her in his arms. He hated being away from her. Like if he were separated from her, she would slip away and disappear. Hunter let out a happy sigh then took her hand, leading her into the living room. He sat her down and picked up Jolie, handing her to Arabella with her brush and then he watched as Ajax climbed up as well. He walked back into the kitchen and put the dishes in the sink, filling the sink with water. He grabbed their cookies out of the freezer and brought them back with some milk.
Arabella smiled at him when he walked into the living room. She put the brush down and placed Jolie on the couch beside Ajax and she leaned into Hunter, kissing him lightly. "They look really, really good" She said with a little giggle and she picked up a cookie, taking a bite. Arabella let out a soft moan and leaned back against the couch. "Now this is a good cookie. I need to learn how to do this" She said and winked at Hunter.
Hunter took a bite out of his cookie and smiled. It was still warm, but not hot and the chips were still mostly melted. Hunter dipped his cookie in the glass of milk then ate and leaned back in the couch, closing his eyes. He could feel Arabella leaning into him and snuggling up next to him and he put an arm around her, holding her close. He wasn't sure if there was a better moment then this. He smelled the soft scent of roses coming from his fiancee and the smell of cookies wafting in from the kitchen. Ajax wiggled a little and adjusted next to his leg and Hunter pet him a little, lulling him back to sleep, Jolie curled up right next to him. Hunter put his head back and closed his eyes, wondering if he could fall asleep right here.
Arabella looked up at him when he closed his eyes and she smiled a little bit to herself and she took a deep breath. It was finally starting to hit her. She was going to marry Hunter and she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. At first, it all felt so surreal and she was so stressed out because of all of the planning she was doing. But when she put on her dress for the first time, everything felt magical and it hit her. She was actually going to marry Hunter. Arabella closed her eyes for a moment before she moved onto his lap, straddling him and she started placing little kisses along his neck.
Hunter smiled and looked up at her, opening his eyes. She pulled away and smiled at him and he looked into her eyes with a tired look. He did have a kind of a long day today, but being around Arabella was making him feel so much better. Hunter put his hands on her hips and then ran his fingers to her thighs, squeezing them lightly. He kissed her lightly on the nose then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He lightly rubbed her back and buried his face in her hair lightly kissing behind her ear.
Arabella smiled softly and she closed her eyes. She stayed like that with him for a little while and it was comforting and warm and wonderful. After a few moments though, she pulled away so that she could lay down, resting her head on his lap. Arabella took his hand and lightly sprea his fingers out, running her fingers over his skin and holding her hand up against his. "So, today, I was walking down the street to meet Danny at the Starbucks when I ran into Amy! Do you remember her? She was at camp for a little while. She's a daughter of Apollo. I remember her telling some of the funniest jokes..like this one about a satyr and some magic mushrooms.." Arabella broke off into a little giggle then cleared her throat. "So anyway, I was talking to her for a little bit. She was going to some store...I think it might have been that new one with all of the yoga clothing and stuff. Their pants make my ass look SO good. Well, she said to say hello to you and she said congrats on the engagement"
Hunter laughed and smiled down at her, brushing her hair back. He lifted her head a little and pulled out her hair, spreading it across his lap then playing with it. He lightly brushed her cheek with his hand and then down around her chin and then ran his thumb across her lips then walked a finger up her nose and to her forehead where he spelled out 'I love you.' in all caps with his finger. She seemed to think for a second before smiling and turning a soft shade of pink, causing him to smile down at her again.
Arabella smiled up at him, biting on her bottom lip a little bit. She could feel that her cheeks were a bright pink and she lifted her hand to place it on his chest for a moment. "I love you too" She said softly and she yawned a little bit, snuggling closer to him. "Are you ever going to talk again or are you going to be getting your best man to read your vows for you?"
Hunter smiled softly and cleared his throat. "Well, it took you long enough to realize that the other voice in out conversations was missing." Hunter said, still playing with her hair. "That reminds me that I need to write my vows." He said, taking a deep breath. "And find a best man." Hunter paused for a moment and then looked down at her. "Can you be my best man?" He asked, laughing a little.
Arabella laughed and she shook her head a little bit. "I can't be bride, wedding planner and best man. Do you need me to be flower girl too?" She asked in a teasing sort of voice and she reached up, placing her fingertip on his nose for a second with a giggle. "Why not ask Will? Or Kyle? They're your best friends and you guys have been through a lot together. Either one would be perfect"
"Well, Will was the best man for Kyle's wedding. I'll probably be the best man for Will's wedding. So, I'll make Kyle the best man for my wedding. Then we'll be taking turns." Hunter said with a laugh as he stuck his tongue out to lick Arabella's hand. She pulled away with a giggle and wiped her hand on his shirt. "I can't believe Kyle was the first one to get married. He's the youngest of the three of us." Hunter said with a sigh. "Well, he was born last. Technically, I'm the youngest with the whole...temporary immortality and death thing."
"Death thing?" Arabella asked softly and she looked up at Hunter with confused and worried eyes. What could he possibly be talking about? What made her worry even more was the way that his cheeks turned red and he looked like he was freaking out about something. Arabella pushed herself off of his lap and she sat down on the couch beside him, looking at him closely. "Hunter..what death thing?" She asked in a tense and low voice, almost a whisper.
Hunter cursed under his breath and took her hand. He really didn't want to talk about this. He really just wanted to forget about it, but the truth was, that he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. "Ellie," He said, taking her hand and looking a the ring on it. "While you were in California, you heard about the war?" Arabella nodded, her eyes not moving from his. Hunter took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I died." Hunter said plainly. He imagined Arabella's reaction as many things, not sure how she'd react. "Prometheus killed me and I met Charon and all that jazz."
"You died. As in...dead?" Arabella said in a low and rather stunned voice. She didn't know how to react. She didn't know how she was supposed to react. How do you react when you find out that the love of your life had died? Arabella kept her eyes locked on Hunter but her mind was racing and her heart was beating out of her chest. None of this made sense. He said that he had died. He said that he had been killed and he met Charon. How was he talking to her today? "I..I don't..what?" She breathed, trying to understand everything and trying really hard not to panic.
Hunter couldn't bring himself to look at her. He felt like he had lied to her and now it was crashing down on him. "Charon made me wait and while I was there, your mom came in and got me and brought me back out. And that's why I'm not immortal anymore and that's how we won because Prometheus assumed I was dead and I was able to kill him." Hunter took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know why your mom brought me back, but I'm not real sure I deserve it." Hunter said, letting his voice trail off the last part into a mumble. Hunter stared down at the ground, too afraid to look up at her and risk having his heart broken again.
Arabella looked away from him, trying desperately to wrap her head around what Hunter was saying to her. She was mad and she was worried and she was overwhelmed. How did this happen? More importanly, why did it take so long for Hunter to tell her? He wasn't even going to tell her. He had just slipped up and made a mistake. She took a shaky breath and looked back at him. "Why would you think that you don't deserve it?" She asked in a slightly strained voice.
Hunter sighed and looked over at her, finally looking into her eyes. They looked so hurt. Hunter looked away again and cleared his throat. "Of all the people in the world that have died, why am I the one who gets brought back from the dead? There are hundreds of other more worthy people who deserve to come back to life. What made me worthy?" Hunter muttered, letting go of her hand and pulling away from her a little. He felt like he had betrayed her. In a way he did, but he just didn't want her to worry.
"What made you worthy?" Arabella said softly, looking at him with a furrowed brow. "How could you think something like that? Hunter, look back at your life. Look at everything you have ever done for the gods. My mother knows how much you've done and she cares about you. You're a hero, Hunter. If anyone deserves it, it's you" She told him in a soft but honest voice. Arabella wanted him to feel better, even if she was a little ticked off.
Hunter sighed. He still wasn't sure why Aphrodite would save him, but that's not what mattered. All that mattered was having Arabella be okay. Hunter looked over at her and put his hands on her cheeks. "Ellie, this doesn't change anything between you and I. I still love you with my entire being and I want to marry you and raise kids together and grow old and call you beautiful even when you think you look terrible. Ellie, there is nothing that will ever change that." Hunter kissed her on the forehead and took a deep breath. "I just didn't want you to worry or break up with me like Philippa did." Hunter muttered under his breath as he stood up off the couch. "Ellie, take all the time you need. Please."
"Hunter, this..this doesn't change how I feel about you. This doesn't change how I see you, at all. And there is now way that I would ever break up with you over something like this" Arabella said softly, looking up at him for a moment before turning her eyes down to look at her lap. "I just...this is a lot to take in" She bit her lip and looked over at the dogs, who both had slightly confused look on their faces. "I wish you would have told me sooner" She whispered.
Hunter buried his face in his hands and sat down on the chair at the end of the couch. "Ellie, I didn't think it mattered. I tried to forget it and I knew that if you had known you'd always worry about me being dragged back down. On top of that, the last person I thought I loved that knew broke up with me hours after coming back to life." Hunter finally looked up at her. "I just couldn't stand the idea of you breaking up with me again. It hurt me the first time and it nearly killed me the second time. I just...I can't do it."
Was there really a possiblity of Hunter being taken back? Arabella hadn't thought about it like that until then. She ahd been worried that the gods would ask him to do a major favor since they had brought him back from the dead. But now she realized that there was a very real chance that he could be taken from her at any moment. She could lose him in the blink of an eye. Arabella could feel her hands shaking a little and her breathing was becoming a bit more shallow. "I..I just..need a drink or something.." She said softly and pushed herself off of the couch, walking to the kitchen as quickly as she could because she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.
Hunter watched her for a moment before standing up himself. He followed her into the kitchen and grabbed her, turning her around and placing his lips on hers. He let his hands fall to her hips and he pulled her closer, kissing her tightly, pouring all of the apology that he could muster into this one kiss, hoping that she would get how much he cared for her across. "Ellie, this is real. I promise you that I am not going anywhere. I promise." Hunter whispered against her lips
Arabella closed her eyes, letting her arms hang limp at her sides. She took a small breath, trying to calm herself down. His words and his kiss and his hands on her hips calmed her down a little bit. He kept her grounded. Arabella nodded softly and she finally slipped her arms around his neck. She kissed him lightly before resting her chin on his shoulder. "I can't lose you, Hunter" She whispered, taking slightly shaky breaths.
"You're never ever going to." Hunter said, wrapping his arms around her. "Ellie, I promise that I am never going to let anything happen to you or me." Hunter moved his head and caught her eyes, placing his forehead against hers. He kissed her lightly on the nose then kissed her lips, once, twice, letting his lips linger a little longer each time until he finally broke away. "This is why I shouldn't talk anymore." Hunter said with a chuckle, looking into her eyes, hoping she might laugh back.
Arabella looked up at him, keeping her eyes locked with his. She gave a little watery laugh and she shook her head. "I like it when you laugh" She said softly and she let her hands fall down from his neck. Gingerly, she put her hands on his sides and she looked down, biting her lip. "I'm really glad that my mom brought you back..maybe she'll come to the wedding and you can ask her about it there" She said softly.
Hunter nodded softly and slipped his arms around her, hugging her close and burying his face in her hair. "We should see if we can invite her." He said, placing a kiss on her head. He held her close and surrounded her with his arms, keeping her safe. "I'm sorry, Ellie."
Arabella closed her eyes and she rested her head on his chest. Part of her wished that she had neer asked him about it or got him to talk about it with her because he had been right. She was going to worry about the fact that Hunter could be taken away from her at any moment. How would she be able to function without him? What if they had kids when he was taken from her? Arabella took a small breath and chewed on her lip. "Don't be sorry"
"I just...I really don't want you to worry about me." Hunter said, placing his thumb on her chin and pulling her lip out of her mouth. "Ellie, I won't let them take me back. I will do everything that I can to insure that I spend the rest of my life with you in my arms, you understand?" Hunter said, looking into her eyes. "I promise." He placed his lips on hers and pulled her closer. "I love you more than anything. Please. Just forget about this."
"Okay" Arabella said in a quiet voice. She knew that there was no way that she was going to just forget about it. She also knew that there was no point in talking about it for ages and ages. Arabella let out a tiny sigh and she closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. Tomorrow was Valentine's Day and she wasn't going to let this ruin her plans. "I kind of like you, you know that?"
Hunter smiled and ran his hands up her sides to her face. "I kind of like you too. You're just so nice to look at." Hunter laughed a little and put his hand on her cheek, putting his fingers in her hair. He pulled her up and kissed her on the lips, running his hands back down her arms and pulling her closer. "So, since we're getting things out in the open, anything you ahve to bring to the floor?" He asked, running his thumb across her lips.
Arabella looked up at him, locking eyes with him. She thought about it then shook her head. "No..I don't think so" She said softly and she scrunched up her face a little bit in concentration. In all honesty, she really couldn't remember if there was anything she needed to tell Hunter or not. Her brain felt all scattered and rattled after finding out that he had died. "If I can think of something, I'll tell you right away"
Hunter took a deep breath and let it out against her lips as he placed a small kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Ellie. I'm really really sorry." Hunter said, picking her up and setting her on the kitchen counter. "Really very sorry." He said, putting his forehead on hers. "What do you want me to do?"
"Stop saying sorry" Arabella said, giving him a little smile. She looked into his eyes, trying as hard as she could to just push all of the bad stuff to the back of her mind. Arabella didn't want to bother with any of that. She didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to sit with Hunter and try to enjoy the night. "Why don't we watch a movie or we could go for a walk or something"
"Is anything going to be easy?" Hunter muttered under his breath as he picked her up and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I like that idea." Hunter said as he carried her into the living room and set her on the couch. He grabbed Piggy and set him on her stomach and then walked back into the kitchen. He grabbed the pan of cookies and a knife. He set the milk and two glasses on top of the lid then walked back into the living room, setting it on the table. He grabbed a DVD at random and put it into the DVD player, handing Arabella the remote and then lifting her neck up and sitting down, resting her down on his lap.
"Do you know what movie you picked out?" Arabella asked, looking down at Piggy as she scratched behind his ears. She smiled a little at the small oinks he made before she turned on her side, placing him on the couch beside her. Arabella cuddled a bit closer to Hunter and pressed play on the remote.
"Nope. Not a clue." Hunter said as the TV buzzed on. He reached forward and grabbed a cookie just as 'The Goonies' title came onto the screen. Hunter paused and looked at the TV. "The Goonies?" Hunter said, sitting back and breaking the cookie in half. He bit into it then fed a piece of it to Arabella. "What in the world is The Goonies?"
"Only one of the best movies ever" Arabella said and she reached for another cookie piece. She nibbled on it happily before letting out a yawn. It was nice to just sit with Hunter and watch a movie. Arabella slowly rubbed Piggy's belly and he let out a few happy oinks. "I can't get over how adorable Piggy is"
"I can't get over how adorable my fiance is." Hunter smiled and then stood, adjusting himself a little and then laying down behind Arabella on the inside of the couch. He draped his arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, feeling a piggy nose against his fingers. Hunter scratched under Piggy's chin and the pig snuggled into the couch, grunting happily. Hunter leaned in and buried his face in her hair, placing small kisses behind her ear. "And you are very very adorable."
Arabella giggled and she cuddled up to him. It was comforting to feel him behind her like that and she loved the way his kisses by her ear felt. It was gentle and loving and she was head over heels. "You're too kind" She said softly and she put her hands over his hands. "I like it, though" She added in the same soft tone and she closed her eyes, leaning back into him.
Hunter smiled and pressed his lips down behind her ear to her neck . "I like it, too." Hunter said with a smile as he finally leaned back. He didn't realize how tired he was, but the fatigue came quickly once he started to relax. He let out a small yawn and closed his eyes a moment, pulling Arabella closer. He didn't want to, but he was just so comfortable that he fell asleep.