Arabella was laying on the couch with her eyes squeezed shut. Ajax, Jolie and Piggy were by the edge of the couch and looking at her with worried eyes. She was laying on her side and her 9 month old stomach was off the edge of the couch because it was so massive. Just as she started to calm down and relax a little bit, Arabella felt the pain coming over her again and she groaned, wishing that she could fold in on herself. "Where the fuck is Hunter?" She breathed and she let out a dry little sob. Ajax stepped a bit closer to her and licked her hand light and Arabella let out a sigh, petting him softly. This was not going to be fun.
Hunter pulled into the driveway with a little tired sigh. Something in the water today was making none of his students listen to him. He got out with tired legs and moved to the door, opening it and taking a deep breath. Immediately he could tell something was different. "Sweetie?" He said, looking around. He left his bags by the door and walked into the living room. He saw her laying on the couch and when she saw him, it looked like she wanted to crush his head into pieces. He quickly sat down on the edge of the couch and took her hand. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He said quietly.
Arabella snatched her hand away from him and she groaned. "No...I'm not okay" She mummbled in a snippy voice. There was a moment of silence and Arabella could tell that Hunter was trying to figure out what to do or say. Jolie wobbled over to her side and barked softly. "I'm sorry" Arabella breathed to Hunter in a watery voice. "Maybe we should go to the hospital" She suggested and she groaned again as Hunter helped her stand and waddle out of the house. At this point, 9 months pregnant with twins, Arabella was really hating being pregnant. As they were walking towards the car, Arabella stopped suddenly and her eyes went really wide. "Hunter...I think my water just broke" She squeaked.
Hunter looked down and saw the pool at her feet and completely froze. He had prepared with her and made sure he had everything planned and sorted out, but now that it was crunch time, he was drawing a blank. It took Arabella screaming at him for him to actually move again. "Okay! I have your bag and I have a towel. Here we'll take my car." He said quickly. He set out the towel on the seat and handed her one, then helped her into the car, making sure she had enough support. "Where's your phone?" He asked quickly as he got in and started the car. She practically threw it at him and he quickly called the hospital, telling them that she was on her way.
"Please hurry, Hunter...I want the drugs and I want them now" Arabella groaned and she put her hands on her stomach, closing her eyes tightly. All she wanted was to have the babies out of her, be back in her own bed and just skip over the whole giving birth thing. After a small moment, her latest contraction died down and she tilted her head back against the head rest.
"Honey, I know you're in pain." He said, reaching over and placing his hand gently on her stomach. "Breathe. Just breathe. It'll be okay." He brushed some hair out of her face and sighed a little. He wished that he could make it painless, but he knew that wouldn't be possible. "We're almost there. Just breathe." He pressed on the gas a little bit harder and in a moment he was skidding to a halt outside the hospital. Immediately there were doctors surrounding them, lowering Arabella into a wheelchair.
Arabella took a few deep breaths with her eyes closed. After a moment, she opened her eyes and she looked around, trying to find Hunter. Finally, her eyes landed on him and she tried to calm down a little bit. Part of her wanted to yell and smack someone and the other part of her wanted to fall apart into sobs. Arabella tried to take deep breaths as the doctors pushed Arabella into the hospital and down to a room.
"Okay. See you soon." He said, finally hanging up her phone. He looked up just as he saw the doctors pushing her into a room and he quickly ran to follow. He slipped into the room where they were changing her into a gown and he turned away, waiting for them to finish. He looked back a couple moments later and she was changed and waiting for the doctor to get there. He hurried over and took her hand. "I called Danny and Tom and your dad and Tyler. They'll all be here and they've paged Dr. Harris and she'll be here as fast as he can." He said quickly, holding her hand in his. "How you doing?"
Arabella took a shallow breath and she shrugged a little bit. "A bit better" She told him in a low voice and she closed her eyes. The contractions were painful and they were pretty close together but she was thankful that she was in the hospital and she was laying in a bed. With any luck, this would be over quickly and she wouldn't be giving birth for 36 hours. "I just want this to be over with" She whispered and she squeezed her eyes shut in pain as she was hit with another contraction.
Hunter took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Let me help. Squeeze my hand as hard as you want. I'll be okay. It'll help. I promise." He said quietly. He thought back to the time he had been hit by an arrow in the leg and he had to have it taken out. He remembered how much it had helped to have a hand to squeeze the hell out of while they were slowly and painstakingly sliding it out of his leg. This was probably a million times worse and he wanted to take as much of the pain as he could.
Arabella normally would have told him that she didn't need to squeeze his hand and that she was fine but now, she was holding onto his hand with everything she had and whimpering in pain. "Make it stop...make it stop" She muttered under her breath. Arabella looked up at Hunter with wide eyes and she bit her lip softly. "You're gonna be a dad soon" She breathed.
----------------------------------
Hunter brushed some hair out of her face and kissed her on the cheek. "You did so well, sweetheart. You did perfectly." He whispered into her ear as he held her hand. "You did it." He said with a smile, pressing his lips to her temple. "I love you." He heard a door open again and he looked to see the doctor walking in with his two children. One boy and one girl.
"Here is your son, Mrs. Reed." She said, passing off the child in the blue blanket to Arabella. "And your daughter, Mr. Reed." She said, handing the baby in the pink blanket to Hunter. Hunter watched Arabella accept the child and he did his best to copy what she did, supporting the head, cradling the whole body. "I'll tell your guests that they can come in." She said before disappearing out the door.
Arabella looked down at the baby boy in her arms, tears falling down her cheeks easily. She was exhausted and shaking and she felt like she looked horrid but she never felt happier. Arabella gazed down at her son and she took a shaky breath. She had never loved someone like she loved the baby boy in her arms and the baby girl in Hunter's arms. IT was like someone flicked a switch in her and suddenly, she didn't care about anything other than making sure that these babies had a perfect life. After a moment, Arabella looked at Hunter with tired eyes and she smiled a little bit. "You look really good with a baby" She teased in a slightly raspy voice.
Hunter was entranced at the sight of his daughter in his arms, but he looked up at Arabella's words. "I have no idea what to do, Ellie." He said quietly. He looked down at his son a moment who yawned a little and went right back to sleep. He then looked back at Arabella and sighed happily. "You look beautiful." He said with a smile before leaning over and kissing her tightly on the lips. He felt small shifting in his arms and looked down at the baby girl in his arms as she squirmed slightly. "Here you hold both of them. I don't know what to do." He said before passing off the baby and looking at her from the foot of the bed. "You've never looked as perfect as you do now." He said with a small smile as he looked at Arabella and their two children.
"Oh, let me see one!" Danny said with a giggle as he practically skipped over to Arabella's bedside. "Why aren't you holding one?" Danny asked Hunter.
"I uhh...I thought this was a better picture. The mother with her two twins. Autumn and Jason." Hunter said quietly. He felt a small lump form in his throat. "I'm...I'll be right back." He said, giving Arabella a quick kiss on the cheek and then slipping out of the room.
Arabella watched Hunter leave and she took a small breath before looking up at Daniel. She smiled and yawned a little bit. He started begging her to hold one of them and Arabella handed Jason over to him, shifting slightly so that she was holding Autumn close to her. Autumn wiggled a little bit and yawned. She was awake and was looking up at Arabella with massive, dark eyes that looked a lot calmer than Arabella had exptected from a newborn. Arabella yawned and looked up just in time to see her dad slip out of the room after Hunter. She was nervous about Hunter but she knew that he was going to be okay. He was going to be a wonderful father and she had faith in him.
"Oh, hunnie...they are beautiful" Daniel cooed, looking down at Jason with a big smile.
"They are, aren't they?" Arabella whispered, looking back down at Autumn and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Hunter walked a little bit down the hall and sat down on a bench against the wall. He took a deep breath and put his face in his hands. He already felt like a horrible father and he knew that it was only going to become more and more obvious as time went on. He could feel tears falling down his cheeks and he couldn't do anything to stop it. It was a moment later when he felt someone sit down next to him. He quickly pulled back his tears and shook himself, finally looking up to see Arabella's father looking at him.
"You know, when Arabella showed up at my doorstep, I was...surprised. I knew that I had slept with Aprhodite, but I didn't know that would mean I would be getting a daughter. It was 2 years after that when I married Tyler's mom, but that 2 year period was one of the most difficult times in my life." He said with a breath. "I went from working my way up the corporate ladder to working my way through Walmart, making sure I used coupons for baby food and diapers." He put a hand on Hunter's back in a comforting way. "Weren't you the same guy who was going to marry her and make her happy? And do everything you possibly can to be there for her?"
"Mr. Foster, I don't know what you want me to do. I can't even hold a baby. I'm not going to be able raise them or take care of them or change their diaper or put them to bed. I don't know what I'm doing." Hunter said, taking a deep breath.
"Well, then you need to learn. It's not going to be easy. You will make mistakes. You will feel bad when your baby starts to cry. You will feel stupid." Matthew elbowed Hunter in the side. "But that's part of the process. Luckily you have Arabella to help you learn. I was kind of winging it on my own." He said with a small laugh.
"I never did apologize for that." Hunter looked up and found a beautiful woman wearing a pair of tight jeans and a t-shirt that read "Olympus' Greatest great great great great great grandma." Hunter was surprised to see Aphrodite show up, especially since it was such a small event. "You've raised our daughter perfectly, Matt." Hunter smiled softly and looked back at the door to Arabella's room, thinking about what was awaiting him in there. He couldn't run away from this. At some point he had to face it and at some point, he needed to rely on Arabella help him. He loved her and he loved his children and now he had to take care of them. He was about to announce that he was going back in, but he saw the look on Matthew's face as he looked at the woman he had fallen so hard in love with. The conversation that was long overdue that was about to occur, was not one that Hunter needed to be involved in. He stood and made his way back into Arabella's room, taking his place next to Arabella.
"Hey there, beautiful." He said, kissing her gently on the lips. He looked down at Autumn and smiled at her quiet cooing. "And hey there, cutie pie." He said, carefully reaching to take her from Arabella. "Am I doing it right?" He said, cradling her in his arms.
"Perfect" Arabella said softly, looking down at Autumn and brushing her fingers across her cheek ginerly. She took a deep breath before leaning back into her pillows and closing her eyes. She had never felt so drained and exhausted before in her life but it had so been worth it. From either side of her, she could hear her babies cooing and shifting in their blankets and it was the best thing in the world. Arabella felt like she was exactly where she needed to be. With a little yawn, Arabella slid her hands down to her stomach and she bit her lip. After spending nine months with her two little babies inside of her, she felt almost empty without them. Arabella turned over onto her side and she looked up at Hunter with big eyes. "Are you doing okay?" She asked him in a low voice so that Daniel, Tom and Tyler wouldn't be able to hear. They were too busy with Jason to notice anything, anyway.
Hunter looked up at Arabella and took a deep breath. "I'm doing perfectly." He said with a smile as he looked down at Autumn who opened her eyes a little, revealing a pair of sparkling blue eyes that looked up at him. He looked back into them and brushed his fingers along her head, placing a small kiss against her forehead. "She's beautiful, Ellie." He looked back up at her and leaned in, kissing her cheek. "You are, too."
Arabella blushed a little bit and she smiled. "I love you, Hunter" She breathed and she brushed her fingers along his knee. Arabella was looking forward to going home and sleeping in her own bed. It would be nice to just be alone and in a routine with the love of her life and her babies.
"Here, hun..." Daniel said softly, walking over and handing Jason over to Arabella. She bit her lip as she gingerly took him and placed him down on the bed beside her. "We're going to get some coffee" Daniel told them and he waved before walking out with Tom and Tyler.
"He looks like you" Arabella said with a little giggle, looking down at Jason and gazing into his dark eyes. She smiled and touched his nose lightly with her finger tip then looked up at Hunter. "I can't believe that we actually have these babies.."
Hunter smiled and looked down at Jason. "They're our babies, Sweetie." He said, putting his arm around her. "Hello, Autumn." Hunter whispered, tickling her gently under her chin. She raised her arm up a little and Hunter pressed his finger against her arm. Autumn's fist opened and gently gripped Hunter's finger. "Oh, Ellie. Look at her. She's got an archer's grip." He said with a smile as he wiggled his finger back and forth.
Arabella giggled and she brushed her fingers across Autumn's knuckles. "Of course she does, my love" She teased and she looked up at Hunter with a loving look in her eyes. She yawned and she leaned back against the pillows, holding Jason close to her and she watched as he started to fall asleep.
"Those are some really beautiful babies" A voice from the door said and Arabella looked over to see a familiar face and she gasped.
"Mom!" Arabella squeaked, her eyes wide. She wasn't expecting to see her and she couldn't be happier.
"You look amazing, Arabella" Aphrodite said, stepping more into the room and looking over Hunter's shoulder at Autumn with a smile on her face. "May I?" She asked Hunter, holding her arms out for the baby.
Hunter smiled and nodded, standing and carefully passing Autumn to Aphrodite. "Say hi to grandma, Auddie." He said quietly, running his hand along her cheek. Aphrodite bounced her softly and kissed the baby on the forehead.
"Oh, don't call me grandma. It makes me feel old and gray." She said, making a face. She smiled down at Autumn. "She's adorable, you two." She said with a smile. Hunter took a deep breath and looked over at Jason a second.
"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but what are you doing here?" Hunter said, looking over at Aphrodite. Hunter could hear her whispering a little bit of ancient Greek against Autumn's forehead before pressing her lips against the baby's skin.
"Well, it's not very often that one of my children survives long enough to have kids. Especially one that I like as much as Arabella." She said with a wink over at her daughter. Her eyes moved to Jason and she moved to Arabella's side, trading Autumn for the other baby. "Oh, he's going to be quite a stud when he grows up." She said before bringing Jason's forehead to her lips.
Arabella watched in awe as Aphrodite whispered in ancient Greek against her son's forehead. Seeing her do that blew Arabella away and she was not expecting Aphrodite to show up like that. She glanced over at Hunter for a moment before looking down at Autumn and gingerly picking her up, holding her close. "Well, I'm sure that Jason is going to take after his father" She teased with a little giggle and she yawned.
"You say that like that's a good thing." Hunter said with a laugh. He sat down next to Arabella in her bed and put his arm around her. She placed Autumn on their legs and ran her fingers along her cheeks.
"Oh, you guys..." Aphrodite said, looking at Hunter and Arabella. "My goodness, you two are just too much." She said, walking over and placing Jason on their legs next to Autumn.
"We have such beautiful children, sweetheart." Hunter said quietly, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Beautiful just like their mother." Aphrodite cleared her throat. "And grandmother." Hunter added with a little eyeroll.
Arabella giggled and she looked down at her children with tired eyes. Now that everything was over and calming down, Arabella finally felt like she could relax and just enjoy being around her babies. She leaned back against Hunter and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I should get going. You look like you're desperate for some sleep" Aphrodite said with a little laugh and Arabella opened her eyes, looking up at her mother.
"I'm fine" She said simply and she shrugged a little. Aphrodite laughed and rolled her eyes, bending down to place a little kiss on Arabella's forehead.
"Don't worry, my dear..you'll see me again soon" Aphrodite said and she gave Hunter a wink before turning and walking out.
Hunter smiled and looked back at Arabella after Aphrodite walked out. He put his arm around her and she put her head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. The two of them just looked down at their children, soaking in the fact that they were finally a family. It seemed like a long time ago that he was looking for the soonest opportunity to leave her apartment. Now, as he looked down at their children, he wondered about where he would be if he had left her apartment and gone back to living on the streets. He ran his hand along Jason's cheek then looked over at Arabella to find her asleep on his shoulder. At that moment, Danny and Tom and Tyler and Matthew walked in. They stopped at the foot of the bed and Hunter shushed them quickly. They smiled at him and then silently said goodbye before walking out, easing the door closed behind them. Hunter looked over at Arabella and kissed her head gently. "Good night, Ellie. I love you." He breathed into her hair, closing his eyes. "Thank you. For more than I could ever hope for." He leaned his head against her head and knew in that moment that there was nowhere that he would rather be.
Chapter 160 - Arabella and Hunter
Arabella walked down the stairs, tugging on the hem of her shorts. It was a hot summer day and normally, Arabella would be really happy about that but she was hot and all she wanted to do was sit in the house, eating popsicles. However, she was stuck going to another appointment with her doctor. Hunter was waiting by the door, petting Ajax's head. Arabella yawned when she got to the bottom of the stairs and she fiddled with her shirt. "This sucks" She said with a little pout.
Hunter smiled and looked up at Arabella. "Do you see how big Ajax is now?" He said, stepping toward her and wrapping an arm around her. "He reminds me of Orion." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "You look beautiful." He said, pulling her closer, feeling her baby bump. "Alright. Let's go." He said, taking her hand and stepping outside. He opened her car door and let her in before running around and getting in on his side. He quickly leaned over and lifted up her shirt, running his hands across her belly. "You have an outie now." He said, pressing on her belly button. He quickly pressed his lips to her stomach and then sat back up.
Arabella grinned over at him and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. She really loved it when he kissed her stomach and it was the highlight of her day, especially when she was feeling rather crappy. Arabella pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and she placed her hands on the seat beside her. "I wish that we didn't have to go to doctor's appointments. I really hate these" Arabella said and she put her hands on her stomach then looked over at Hunter with big eyes. "You children hate it too"
Hunter scoffed and placed a hand on her stomach as he drove. "You can't know that. I know you don't like it, but it's for the best, sweetie. We're making sure the babies are healthy." He stopped at a stoplight and leaned over, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I've got you and I won't let anything bad happen, okay? Not on my watch." He said, kissing her tightly on the lips a moment and sitting back, driving through the light.
Arabella smiled softly at Hunter and she nodded a little, turning to look out of the window. She hummed softly to herself, running her fingers over her stomach. Whenever her mind wandered these days, she thought of her babies and her growing family. It had all happened so fast but she wouldn't have it any other way. Arabella looked over at Hunter and she yawned a little bit. "I'm really glad that you're here for all of these appointments, Hunter" She told him.
Hunter smiled and parked the car outside the hospital. "Ellie, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm here for you every step of the way." He said, sliding out of the car and opening her door. "There aren't your kids. These are our kids." He kissed her hand and the helped her out of the car. "You're not alone and I would never let you do any of this alone. We're in this together."
Arabella threw her arms around Hunter and she kissed him tightly but she pulled away when her stomach bumped against him and she giggled a little bit. "Oh man, just imagine when I'm really big...it's going to be like..an event trying to get a kiss out of you" She laughed and she slipped her arm through his, letting him lead her into the clinic. Arabella checked herself in then looked around, trying to find an empty seat. "Busy day today.." She sighed, looking around at the full waiting room with at least 5 babies crying.
Hunter sighed a little and then leaned up against the wall, grabbing her by her sleeve and pulling her toward him against the wall. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair, placing a kiss right behind her ear. "I know you're feet hurt when you stand, so go ahead and lean on me as much as you want, baby." He whispered, kissing her ear again. He hated that there weren't seat left especially since she was stressed to begin with. He gently rubbed her stomach and kept his face buried in her hair, holding her and keeping her worry away.
Arabella let out a soft sigh and she melted into his arms. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the fact that Hunter was rubbing her stomach and she could feel every breath he took. Arabella really wished that she would have been able to sit down, but she was not about to ask a woman who was clearly nine months pregnant to leave her seat. Besides, hearing Hunter say that he knew that her feet hurt when she stood made her heart flutter and her cheeks turn pink. "You're my favorite" She whispered to him, leaning against him.
Hunter helped hold her weight as much as he can, but his arms were getting tired and he closed his eyes just as a woman's name was called and she got up, disappearing down the hallway. Hunter moved quickly and led Arabella to the spot, lowering her down into the spot. "You okay? Do you need anything?" He asked, crouching down to look at her.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she shook her head, leaning forward slightly so that she could put her forhead against his shoulder. She took a long, deep breath and let it out in a low sigh. "You really don't have to be here like this and do all of those things for me" Arabella turned her head so that she could look up at him. "It really means a lot to me to have you by my side"
Hunter took a deep breath and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I wouldn't let you do it without me." He said, brushing some hair out of her face. He moved next to her and sat down on the ground, letting her have the chair. "I wonder why there are so many women here. Was it like...National unprotected sex week 9 months ago?" He said, kissing her arm and looking around at the very pregnant or new moms in the room.
"There must have been a black out or something" Arabella giggled, looking around the room. She glanced back to Hunter and she put her hand on her stomach. "Are you sure that you're okay on the floor, Hunter? I-" She started, looking down at Hunter with concerned eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Arabella Reed?" A nurse called and Arabella grinned.
"I love hearing that" She said and she went to stand, letting Hunter help her up and lead her into the office.
Hunter stood quickly and took Arabella's hands in his. He leaned back and pulled her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her when she was standing. He kissed her lightly on the lips then let her take his arm and lead her down the hall to another examination room. He helped her sit down in the chair then sat down next to her. "So, what are we looking at today? Do they have...hair or something now?"
Arabella placed a gentle hand on her stomach and she looked up at the doctor with big eyes when she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She sat down and looked at her papers before smiling over to Hunter and Arabella.
"Well, at this stage in the pregnancy, the vocal chords are formed and the baby will go through the motions if crying. Features of their heart should also be visable" Dr. Harris said and she grinned at the two of them. "We'll also be able to tell the gender, if you wish"
Arabella looked over at Hunter with big eyes and a little smile. It was exciting to hear about all of this.
Hunter looked up at the doctor a moment. "So, we'll find out the gender today?" He said quietly. He thought about it and stood up. "Is uh...Is there a way that we can go without knowing until the big day?" He said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Well, I can tell you, mom, or I can tell the both of you or I can tell none of you." Dr. Harris said with a nod. "Unless, you know how to decipher an ultrasound, it's really up to me who knows." Hunter wrung his hands a moment.
"I kind of want to be surprised. It's up to you whether you know or not, sweetheart." He said, putting a hand on her arm.
"Surprised sounds good to me" Arabella said softly with a little nod, locking eyes with Hunter. "We'll just make sure that we don't paint the room pink" She giggled. She took a deep breath then yawned as Dr. Harris went to work, getting everything set up. Arabella closed her eyes and she pushed some hair behind her ear. She glanced over at Hunter and sighed a little bit. "I am starving"
"That's normal" Dr. Harris said with a little smile in her voice. "Most women start to get really, really hungry around this time. Just remember to eat healthy food" she said and Arabella nodded and she opened her mouth to say something when she heard what sounded like heart beats coming from the machine and she turned her head quickly to look over at the doctor. It was the first time that Arabella had heard the heatbeats. With a little squeak, she looked over at Hunter, holding back tears.
Hunter paused and looked at the monitor. "Is that..And there are..." He said quietly, looking at the two shapes on the screen. They seemed to be facing each other, small fingers lightly touching each other.
"There's one heartbeat." Dr. Harris said, moving the probe and focusing on one heartbeat. Hunter smiled and moved to Arabella, pressing his lips to hers. He put an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the temple. "And there's the other. Two very healthy babies." She said, moving the probe, so that both heartbeats could be heard. Hunter wasn't sure why, but he was crying a little bit. It seemed so very real at this point and now he couldn't wait to be holding them in his arms.
Arabella looked over at Hunter and she smiled a little bit, brushing a tear away with her thumb. She couldn't believe it. She could see the babies touching fingertips and she could hear their hearts beating and it made her feel like a million bucks. Arabella took a shaky breath and she placed a hand on Hunter's arm, melting into him as the doctor finished up. "Two very healthy babies" She breathed to him, closing her eyes and smiling a little bit.
Hunter kissed her lightly on the lips. "I love you." He said, putting his hand on her stomach. "Is there anything we need to do for the last trimester, doc?" Hunter said, leaning his head on hers and turning to look at Dr. Harris.
"Well, as we get closer to the birth, there are certain things you can do to make the actual delivery smoother. When you sign out, the nurse will give you a list. Spicy food or meditation or intercourse. All of these can help to make the delivery more comfortable."
Trying as hard as he possibly could to not laugh at the look on Hunter's face, Arabella nodded. She looked over at Hunter and burst out into giggles. With a little giggle, Arabella pushed herself into more of a sitting position and she tugged her shirt down, covering her stomach. "Thanks for everything, Dr. Harris" She said and waved at her before standing up and tugging Hunter out of the room, who still had a stunned look on his face. Once the door was closed behind them, Arabella looked up at Hunter and laughed out loud. "You should have seen your face" She squeaked.
Hunter kind of drifted through the doctor's office and out to the parking lot. "Do you think she was serious?" Hunter said quietly, opening the door and letting her slide in. He closed it and walked to his side, getting into the car. "I mean, she could just be messing with me. She's joking. She's probably joking. She's joking." He said with a nod, starting the car. He went to back out and paused another moment. "She...She has to be joking. She's messing with me." He nodded again and backed out, heading back home.
"Hunter...babe...love of my life" Arabella said, reaching over and lightly rubbin the nape of his neck, a small smile on her face. "She wasn't joking" She said simply and giggled at the look on his face. Arabella slid over beside him and she placed a kiss on his cheek. Seeing him so flustered made her laugh and she kind of adored it. They had both changed and grown so much; it was nice to see Hunter flustered like this when the topic of sex came up.
Hunter sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We'll do it later." He said quietly. "And by later, I mean 8 months." He took a deep breath and yawned a little. "I think a nap sounds really good though. I feel really tired for some reason." He shook himself a little and took a deep breath. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day? After our nap, of course."
"I was thinking that we could work on the nursery" Arabella said, tilting her head up so that she could look at him and she smiled a little bit. "We could just take it easy and plan it all out, you know? Share our ideas" She said softly and she placed a kiss against his neck. "After our nap, of course" She giggled lightly.
Hunter smiled and slid his hand around her, kissing her lightly on the cheek as he pulled onto their street. He glanced around and sighed a little. "Do you think we should find a new place eventually?" He said, turning his head to look at her. "Could you see us living here until we die? Raising our kids here and then having family reunions here?" He paused a moment and thought about what he had said. "Don't worry what I think. I'm just curious."
Arabella looked over at him and she furrowed her brow, turning back to look at the house. After a moment, she nodded. "Yeah...I really can see us living here until we die. I mean, this is our home now and I love it here" She said softly and she shrugged a little bit. "Maybe one day, down the road...a move would be good. For right now, however, this is my home. This is our home and it's perfect"
Hunter pressed his lips to her cheek and then pulled into their driveway. "It is pretty perfect, isn't it?" He said, kissing her head once then sliding out of the car. "Thanks, grandma and grandpa. Thanks, mom." He said with a small nod as he walked to the other side of the car and opened Arabella's door. She stepped out and Hunter slid an arm around her waist, holding her close. They walked inside and Hunter led her up to their bedroom, slipping his jacket off and then stepping out of his shoes. "I don't like feeling tired." He said, flopping down onto the bed and laying on his side to look at her.
Arabella grinned at him and she leaned over, placing a kiss against his cheek. "You get comfortable. I'll be right back" She said and she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She yawned and stretched a little, walking over to the mirror. Arabella took her hair down out of the braid and she shook it out a little bit. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Arabella turned sideways and she looked into the mirror. She lifted her shirt up and gently brushed her fingers tips over her stomach. Arabella smiled a little bit to herself and tugged her shirt down, walking into the bedroom again. Hunter was laying down in the middle of the bed with his eyes closed. Arabella smiled a little bit and she laid down behind Hunter, wrapping her arms around his middle.
Hunter smiled when he felt Arabella's arms wrap around him and when he felt the baby bump press into his back. He grinned and put his hand on her arm, dancing his fingers along her skin, grazing her hand with his nails. "You know something?" He said, carefully turning around. He put his hand on her side and pulled her closer. "I like this. It feels like we're holding them or something." He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her gently. "I imagine Autumn getting up in the middle of the night because there's a storm and she sleeps between us and we make her feel safe." He kissed her again. "I can't wait."
Arabella grinned and she nodded a little bit. "And Jason follows her in, saying that he just wants to tease her but he's scared too" She said softly and she took a small breath, looking up at him. Arabella was looking forward to it all. She was excited and nervous and scared; she wouldn't have it any other way. She closed her eyes for a moment and yawned a little bit. "Two very healthy babies...they looked so adorable" She whispered, thinking about the ultrasound.
Hunter closed his eyes imagining the scene and then laid his head down on the pillow. "We're going to have to think unisexually now. Since we don't know if it's 2 boys or 2 girls or a boy and a girl." Hunter let a soft smile spread across his lips as he closed his eyes again, slowly drifting off to sleep.
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Arabella didn't sleep for very long. Her mind was racing and she was too excited to work in the nursery. After about 20 minutes, Arabella rolled out of Hunter's arms and she quickly changed into a pair of shorts and an old tee shirt. She grabbed her painting supplies from the spare room and stepped into the nursery, getting to work. The minutes seemed to slip by as Arabella painted on the white walls. She was painting a beautiful mural on the wall with bright colors. After a little while, she could hear Hunter walking down the hall and she smiled a little to herself.
Hunter had woken up and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He slipped downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water, sliding it into his back pocket before heading into the hallway and stepping into the nursery. "There you are." He said quietly, slipping his arms around her middle. He placed a kiss on the back of her head then leaned into her a little, burying his face in her hair. "I missed you." He said before pulling away and looking around the room. "Alright. I'm tagging myself in. You take a break." He said, taking the brush from her and putting an arm around her waist and quickly kissing her on the lips.
Arabella giggled and she looked over at him with happy eyes. "Just as long as you don't mess up my painting" She tease, giving his butt a little pat. She walked over to a blank wall and she leaned against it, sliding down and sitting on the floor."Did you sleep well?" She asked him, picking at a loose thread on her shorts.
Hunter started painting along the corner of the wall, being careful to not leave any air bubbles. "I slept okay. Until you left. Then I tossed and turned a little, but I couldn't sleep without you." He said with a nod. He glanced around the room a moment and rubbed his eyes with his offhand. "By the looks of it, you couldn't sleep very long. Something wrong or is it just the babies?"
"No...nothing's wrong" Arabella shrugged and she looked around the room before looking up at Hunter. "I think I was just...excited from the ultrasound and I was anxious to get to work in here, so...I couldn't sleep" She told him and she placed her hands on her stomach before giving Hunter a little smile.
Hunter looked over at her and saw her hands on her stomach, smiling at him. "You know, there are women who look like Laistrygonians when they're pregnant. And with one kid. Somehow, you are just as beautiful if not more beautiful with two babies growing inside you." He finished around the corner and moved to another wall, starting around the windowsill.
"You're too kind to me, Hunter" Arabella said softly with a little smile and pink cheeks. She looked down at her hands and stomach for a moment before looking up at Hunter. "I think that this is going to be a really good nursery.." Arabella sighed and she looked down at her stomach, patting it lightly. "You're going to love it" She said in a low voice.
Hunter smiled a little and glanced back at her as she rubbed her stomach. "I was thinking. Eventually, we'll need to clear out the other rooms. They're not going to want to share a room forever, right?" He finished painting around the windows and moved onto the main part of the wall. "If we have a boy and a girl, we might have to do separate nurseries." He said with a sigh. He finished about half the wall and then set the brush with the other paint supplies before sitting down next to Arabella. "You doing okay?"
Arabella looked over at him and a tiny smile spread across her lips. She reached over, taking his hand and holding it in his lap. "Never been better" She told him in a soft voice. With a happy little sigh, Arabella leaned her head back against the wall and she closed her eyes for a moment. "I was thinking the same thing. We could move the piano down to the living room so that we have another extra room. I think it should fit" She said and turned her head to look at him. "I have a question..." She started and she cleared her throat. "How much do you want to tell the kids, about...my mom and all of that?"
Hunter thought about it for a moment. "I don't think we need to tell them right immediately. I think once they're ready to be told then they can know." He kissed her on the temple and ran his hand through her hair a little bit. "Who knows, maybe Aphrodite will show up and explain it to them at the hospital." He laughed and put his hand on her leg. "Alright, my one and only. What would you like to do for dinner?" He asked, standing up and taking her hands.
Arabella shrugged and she looked down, taking little breaths. She wanted her kids to know about their family but she was worried that if they knew, they might start seeing monsters around their house or something. Arabella lived in constant fear of seeing a monster outside of her house and she didn't want her children to be exposed to that. Arabella cleared ther throat and wrinkled her nose a little bit, forgetting that Hunter asked her about dinner. "Do my boobs look bigger to you?" She asked him and she wiggled her chest a little bit. "They look bigger to me"
Hunter blushed and looked at her chest when she stuck it out. "I uh...They..." He stammered a little as she wiggled it and looked up at him. "I...don't...know. Come on. What do you want for dinner?" He looked down at her and shook her hands a little before pulling, leaning backward. She rose slowly and finally stood gaining momentum and falling forward into his arms. He smiled down at her, forgetting about the previous topic. "Hi." He said quietly, pressing his lips gently to her nose. "What do you want for dinner?" He said, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
Arabella shrugged a little bit. "Why don't we have breakfast for dinner? Eggs, bacon, hash browns" She said and she looked down from Hunter's face to her chest again. It had been bugging her for a little while and it was getting rather uncomfortable. "I really think that they're bigger.." She huffed and looked up at him. When she didn't get a response from Hunter, she took his hands and placed them on her chest. "I'm serious, Hunter...they must be bigger..."
Hunter blushed hard and looked down at her chest then his hands on her chest then he quickly retracted them, still looking at her chest. He cleared his throat nervously, his cheeks red. She adjusted her shirt a little bit, pulling the neck down to reveal more of her chest making Hunter even more anxious. "They uh...It's natural for a woman's chest to umm...swell, isn't it?" He said, finally looking up at her face. He wondered for a few moments if she could tell how uncomfortable this discussion was making him. "So...Umm...What do you want to do for dinner?" He asked, completely forgetting about her previous answer.
Arabella looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes and she let out a little giggle when he asked her what she wanted for dinner. "You are so amazing, Hunter" She said and she kissed him tightly before turning and walking down the stairs, holding onto the railing. Seeing how flustered Hunter was made Arabella very giddy.
Hunter moved next to her quickly, putting a hand on her side and another one on her stomach as she walked down the stairs. They were on the bottom step when he felt the little movement against his hand. He stopped Arabella and paused for a minute, waiting to feel it again. It seemed like forever, but after another second he felt the little pressing of a baby against his hand. He put his other hand over his mouth to hold in his gasp, then got down on the bottom floor, crouching to get eye level with her stomach. "Ellie, I can feel them!" He said, taking one of her hands and putting it on her stomach under his.
Arabella looked down at Hunter, her eyes filled with happy tears and she nodded. It was the most wonderful and indescribable feeling in the world. Arabella closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the small fluttering she could feel. "That's our babies, Hunter..." She breathed, a tear falling down her cheek and she took a small shaky breath.
"That's our babies." He said, standing up and kissing her gently on the lips. He pulled her closer, feeling happier than he ever has. This whole experience had been way more than he could ever have imagined. He put his forehead against hers and kissed her on the lips again. "I love you, Arabella Reed." He said quietly, a tear trickling down his cheek. He saw that she was crying too and he laughed a little wiping her tears away. "That's our babies."
Hunter smiled and looked up at Arabella. "Do you see how big Ajax is now?" He said, stepping toward her and wrapping an arm around her. "He reminds me of Orion." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "You look beautiful." He said, pulling her closer, feeling her baby bump. "Alright. Let's go." He said, taking her hand and stepping outside. He opened her car door and let her in before running around and getting in on his side. He quickly leaned over and lifted up her shirt, running his hands across her belly. "You have an outie now." He said, pressing on her belly button. He quickly pressed his lips to her stomach and then sat back up.
Arabella grinned over at him and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. She really loved it when he kissed her stomach and it was the highlight of her day, especially when she was feeling rather crappy. Arabella pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and she placed her hands on the seat beside her. "I wish that we didn't have to go to doctor's appointments. I really hate these" Arabella said and she put her hands on her stomach then looked over at Hunter with big eyes. "You children hate it too"
Hunter scoffed and placed a hand on her stomach as he drove. "You can't know that. I know you don't like it, but it's for the best, sweetie. We're making sure the babies are healthy." He stopped at a stoplight and leaned over, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I've got you and I won't let anything bad happen, okay? Not on my watch." He said, kissing her tightly on the lips a moment and sitting back, driving through the light.
Arabella smiled softly at Hunter and she nodded a little, turning to look out of the window. She hummed softly to herself, running her fingers over her stomach. Whenever her mind wandered these days, she thought of her babies and her growing family. It had all happened so fast but she wouldn't have it any other way. Arabella looked over at Hunter and she yawned a little bit. "I'm really glad that you're here for all of these appointments, Hunter" She told him.
Hunter smiled and parked the car outside the hospital. "Ellie, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm here for you every step of the way." He said, sliding out of the car and opening her door. "There aren't your kids. These are our kids." He kissed her hand and the helped her out of the car. "You're not alone and I would never let you do any of this alone. We're in this together."
Arabella threw her arms around Hunter and she kissed him tightly but she pulled away when her stomach bumped against him and she giggled a little bit. "Oh man, just imagine when I'm really big...it's going to be like..an event trying to get a kiss out of you" She laughed and she slipped her arm through his, letting him lead her into the clinic. Arabella checked herself in then looked around, trying to find an empty seat. "Busy day today.." She sighed, looking around at the full waiting room with at least 5 babies crying.
Hunter sighed a little and then leaned up against the wall, grabbing her by her sleeve and pulling her toward him against the wall. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair, placing a kiss right behind her ear. "I know you're feet hurt when you stand, so go ahead and lean on me as much as you want, baby." He whispered, kissing her ear again. He hated that there weren't seat left especially since she was stressed to begin with. He gently rubbed her stomach and kept his face buried in her hair, holding her and keeping her worry away.
Arabella let out a soft sigh and she melted into his arms. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the fact that Hunter was rubbing her stomach and she could feel every breath he took. Arabella really wished that she would have been able to sit down, but she was not about to ask a woman who was clearly nine months pregnant to leave her seat. Besides, hearing Hunter say that he knew that her feet hurt when she stood made her heart flutter and her cheeks turn pink. "You're my favorite" She whispered to him, leaning against him.
Hunter helped hold her weight as much as he can, but his arms were getting tired and he closed his eyes just as a woman's name was called and she got up, disappearing down the hallway. Hunter moved quickly and led Arabella to the spot, lowering her down into the spot. "You okay? Do you need anything?" He asked, crouching down to look at her.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she shook her head, leaning forward slightly so that she could put her forhead against his shoulder. She took a long, deep breath and let it out in a low sigh. "You really don't have to be here like this and do all of those things for me" Arabella turned her head so that she could look up at him. "It really means a lot to me to have you by my side"
Hunter took a deep breath and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I wouldn't let you do it without me." He said, brushing some hair out of her face. He moved next to her and sat down on the ground, letting her have the chair. "I wonder why there are so many women here. Was it like...National unprotected sex week 9 months ago?" He said, kissing her arm and looking around at the very pregnant or new moms in the room.
"There must have been a black out or something" Arabella giggled, looking around the room. She glanced back to Hunter and she put her hand on her stomach. "Are you sure that you're okay on the floor, Hunter? I-" She started, looking down at Hunter with concerned eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off.
"Arabella Reed?" A nurse called and Arabella grinned.
"I love hearing that" She said and she went to stand, letting Hunter help her up and lead her into the office.
Hunter stood quickly and took Arabella's hands in his. He leaned back and pulled her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her when she was standing. He kissed her lightly on the lips then let her take his arm and lead her down the hall to another examination room. He helped her sit down in the chair then sat down next to her. "So, what are we looking at today? Do they have...hair or something now?"
Arabella placed a gentle hand on her stomach and she looked up at the doctor with big eyes when she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She sat down and looked at her papers before smiling over to Hunter and Arabella.
"Well, at this stage in the pregnancy, the vocal chords are formed and the baby will go through the motions if crying. Features of their heart should also be visable" Dr. Harris said and she grinned at the two of them. "We'll also be able to tell the gender, if you wish"
Arabella looked over at Hunter with big eyes and a little smile. It was exciting to hear about all of this.
Hunter looked up at the doctor a moment. "So, we'll find out the gender today?" He said quietly. He thought about it and stood up. "Is uh...Is there a way that we can go without knowing until the big day?" He said, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Well, I can tell you, mom, or I can tell the both of you or I can tell none of you." Dr. Harris said with a nod. "Unless, you know how to decipher an ultrasound, it's really up to me who knows." Hunter wrung his hands a moment.
"I kind of want to be surprised. It's up to you whether you know or not, sweetheart." He said, putting a hand on her arm.
"Surprised sounds good to me" Arabella said softly with a little nod, locking eyes with Hunter. "We'll just make sure that we don't paint the room pink" She giggled. She took a deep breath then yawned as Dr. Harris went to work, getting everything set up. Arabella closed her eyes and she pushed some hair behind her ear. She glanced over at Hunter and sighed a little bit. "I am starving"
"That's normal" Dr. Harris said with a little smile in her voice. "Most women start to get really, really hungry around this time. Just remember to eat healthy food" she said and Arabella nodded and she opened her mouth to say something when she heard what sounded like heart beats coming from the machine and she turned her head quickly to look over at the doctor. It was the first time that Arabella had heard the heatbeats. With a little squeak, she looked over at Hunter, holding back tears.
Hunter paused and looked at the monitor. "Is that..And there are..." He said quietly, looking at the two shapes on the screen. They seemed to be facing each other, small fingers lightly touching each other.
"There's one heartbeat." Dr. Harris said, moving the probe and focusing on one heartbeat. Hunter smiled and moved to Arabella, pressing his lips to hers. He put an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the temple. "And there's the other. Two very healthy babies." She said, moving the probe, so that both heartbeats could be heard. Hunter wasn't sure why, but he was crying a little bit. It seemed so very real at this point and now he couldn't wait to be holding them in his arms.
Arabella looked over at Hunter and she smiled a little bit, brushing a tear away with her thumb. She couldn't believe it. She could see the babies touching fingertips and she could hear their hearts beating and it made her feel like a million bucks. Arabella took a shaky breath and she placed a hand on Hunter's arm, melting into him as the doctor finished up. "Two very healthy babies" She breathed to him, closing her eyes and smiling a little bit.
Hunter kissed her lightly on the lips. "I love you." He said, putting his hand on her stomach. "Is there anything we need to do for the last trimester, doc?" Hunter said, leaning his head on hers and turning to look at Dr. Harris.
"Well, as we get closer to the birth, there are certain things you can do to make the actual delivery smoother. When you sign out, the nurse will give you a list. Spicy food or meditation or intercourse. All of these can help to make the delivery more comfortable."
Trying as hard as he possibly could to not laugh at the look on Hunter's face, Arabella nodded. She looked over at Hunter and burst out into giggles. With a little giggle, Arabella pushed herself into more of a sitting position and she tugged her shirt down, covering her stomach. "Thanks for everything, Dr. Harris" She said and waved at her before standing up and tugging Hunter out of the room, who still had a stunned look on his face. Once the door was closed behind them, Arabella looked up at Hunter and laughed out loud. "You should have seen your face" She squeaked.
Hunter kind of drifted through the doctor's office and out to the parking lot. "Do you think she was serious?" Hunter said quietly, opening the door and letting her slide in. He closed it and walked to his side, getting into the car. "I mean, she could just be messing with me. She's joking. She's probably joking. She's joking." He said with a nod, starting the car. He went to back out and paused another moment. "She...She has to be joking. She's messing with me." He nodded again and backed out, heading back home.
"Hunter...babe...love of my life" Arabella said, reaching over and lightly rubbin the nape of his neck, a small smile on her face. "She wasn't joking" She said simply and giggled at the look on his face. Arabella slid over beside him and she placed a kiss on his cheek. Seeing him so flustered made her laugh and she kind of adored it. They had both changed and grown so much; it was nice to see Hunter flustered like this when the topic of sex came up.
Hunter sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We'll do it later." He said quietly. "And by later, I mean 8 months." He took a deep breath and yawned a little. "I think a nap sounds really good though. I feel really tired for some reason." He shook himself a little and took a deep breath. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day? After our nap, of course."
"I was thinking that we could work on the nursery" Arabella said, tilting her head up so that she could look at him and she smiled a little bit. "We could just take it easy and plan it all out, you know? Share our ideas" She said softly and she placed a kiss against his neck. "After our nap, of course" She giggled lightly.
Hunter smiled and slid his hand around her, kissing her lightly on the cheek as he pulled onto their street. He glanced around and sighed a little. "Do you think we should find a new place eventually?" He said, turning his head to look at her. "Could you see us living here until we die? Raising our kids here and then having family reunions here?" He paused a moment and thought about what he had said. "Don't worry what I think. I'm just curious."
Arabella looked over at him and she furrowed her brow, turning back to look at the house. After a moment, she nodded. "Yeah...I really can see us living here until we die. I mean, this is our home now and I love it here" She said softly and she shrugged a little bit. "Maybe one day, down the road...a move would be good. For right now, however, this is my home. This is our home and it's perfect"
Hunter pressed his lips to her cheek and then pulled into their driveway. "It is pretty perfect, isn't it?" He said, kissing her head once then sliding out of the car. "Thanks, grandma and grandpa. Thanks, mom." He said with a small nod as he walked to the other side of the car and opened Arabella's door. She stepped out and Hunter slid an arm around her waist, holding her close. They walked inside and Hunter led her up to their bedroom, slipping his jacket off and then stepping out of his shoes. "I don't like feeling tired." He said, flopping down onto the bed and laying on his side to look at her.
Arabella grinned at him and she leaned over, placing a kiss against his cheek. "You get comfortable. I'll be right back" She said and she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She yawned and stretched a little, walking over to the mirror. Arabella took her hair down out of the braid and she shook it out a little bit. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Arabella turned sideways and she looked into the mirror. She lifted her shirt up and gently brushed her fingers tips over her stomach. Arabella smiled a little bit to herself and tugged her shirt down, walking into the bedroom again. Hunter was laying down in the middle of the bed with his eyes closed. Arabella smiled a little bit and she laid down behind Hunter, wrapping her arms around his middle.
Hunter smiled when he felt Arabella's arms wrap around him and when he felt the baby bump press into his back. He grinned and put his hand on her arm, dancing his fingers along her skin, grazing her hand with his nails. "You know something?" He said, carefully turning around. He put his hand on her side and pulled her closer. "I like this. It feels like we're holding them or something." He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her gently. "I imagine Autumn getting up in the middle of the night because there's a storm and she sleeps between us and we make her feel safe." He kissed her again. "I can't wait."
Arabella grinned and she nodded a little bit. "And Jason follows her in, saying that he just wants to tease her but he's scared too" She said softly and she took a small breath, looking up at him. Arabella was looking forward to it all. She was excited and nervous and scared; she wouldn't have it any other way. She closed her eyes for a moment and yawned a little bit. "Two very healthy babies...they looked so adorable" She whispered, thinking about the ultrasound.
Hunter closed his eyes imagining the scene and then laid his head down on the pillow. "We're going to have to think unisexually now. Since we don't know if it's 2 boys or 2 girls or a boy and a girl." Hunter let a soft smile spread across his lips as he closed his eyes again, slowly drifting off to sleep.
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Arabella didn't sleep for very long. Her mind was racing and she was too excited to work in the nursery. After about 20 minutes, Arabella rolled out of Hunter's arms and she quickly changed into a pair of shorts and an old tee shirt. She grabbed her painting supplies from the spare room and stepped into the nursery, getting to work. The minutes seemed to slip by as Arabella painted on the white walls. She was painting a beautiful mural on the wall with bright colors. After a little while, she could hear Hunter walking down the hall and she smiled a little to herself.
Hunter had woken up and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He slipped downstairs and grabbed a bottle of water, sliding it into his back pocket before heading into the hallway and stepping into the nursery. "There you are." He said quietly, slipping his arms around her middle. He placed a kiss on the back of her head then leaned into her a little, burying his face in her hair. "I missed you." He said before pulling away and looking around the room. "Alright. I'm tagging myself in. You take a break." He said, taking the brush from her and putting an arm around her waist and quickly kissing her on the lips.
Arabella giggled and she looked over at him with happy eyes. "Just as long as you don't mess up my painting" She tease, giving his butt a little pat. She walked over to a blank wall and she leaned against it, sliding down and sitting on the floor."Did you sleep well?" She asked him, picking at a loose thread on her shorts.
Hunter started painting along the corner of the wall, being careful to not leave any air bubbles. "I slept okay. Until you left. Then I tossed and turned a little, but I couldn't sleep without you." He said with a nod. He glanced around the room a moment and rubbed his eyes with his offhand. "By the looks of it, you couldn't sleep very long. Something wrong or is it just the babies?"
"No...nothing's wrong" Arabella shrugged and she looked around the room before looking up at Hunter. "I think I was just...excited from the ultrasound and I was anxious to get to work in here, so...I couldn't sleep" She told him and she placed her hands on her stomach before giving Hunter a little smile.
Hunter looked over at her and saw her hands on her stomach, smiling at him. "You know, there are women who look like Laistrygonians when they're pregnant. And with one kid. Somehow, you are just as beautiful if not more beautiful with two babies growing inside you." He finished around the corner and moved to another wall, starting around the windowsill.
"You're too kind to me, Hunter" Arabella said softly with a little smile and pink cheeks. She looked down at her hands and stomach for a moment before looking up at Hunter. "I think that this is going to be a really good nursery.." Arabella sighed and she looked down at her stomach, patting it lightly. "You're going to love it" She said in a low voice.
Hunter smiled a little and glanced back at her as she rubbed her stomach. "I was thinking. Eventually, we'll need to clear out the other rooms. They're not going to want to share a room forever, right?" He finished painting around the windows and moved onto the main part of the wall. "If we have a boy and a girl, we might have to do separate nurseries." He said with a sigh. He finished about half the wall and then set the brush with the other paint supplies before sitting down next to Arabella. "You doing okay?"
Arabella looked over at him and a tiny smile spread across her lips. She reached over, taking his hand and holding it in his lap. "Never been better" She told him in a soft voice. With a happy little sigh, Arabella leaned her head back against the wall and she closed her eyes for a moment. "I was thinking the same thing. We could move the piano down to the living room so that we have another extra room. I think it should fit" She said and turned her head to look at him. "I have a question..." She started and she cleared her throat. "How much do you want to tell the kids, about...my mom and all of that?"
Hunter thought about it for a moment. "I don't think we need to tell them right immediately. I think once they're ready to be told then they can know." He kissed her on the temple and ran his hand through her hair a little bit. "Who knows, maybe Aphrodite will show up and explain it to them at the hospital." He laughed and put his hand on her leg. "Alright, my one and only. What would you like to do for dinner?" He asked, standing up and taking her hands.
Arabella shrugged and she looked down, taking little breaths. She wanted her kids to know about their family but she was worried that if they knew, they might start seeing monsters around their house or something. Arabella lived in constant fear of seeing a monster outside of her house and she didn't want her children to be exposed to that. Arabella cleared ther throat and wrinkled her nose a little bit, forgetting that Hunter asked her about dinner. "Do my boobs look bigger to you?" She asked him and she wiggled her chest a little bit. "They look bigger to me"
Hunter blushed and looked at her chest when she stuck it out. "I uh...They..." He stammered a little as she wiggled it and looked up at him. "I...don't...know. Come on. What do you want for dinner?" He looked down at her and shook her hands a little before pulling, leaning backward. She rose slowly and finally stood gaining momentum and falling forward into his arms. He smiled down at her, forgetting about the previous topic. "Hi." He said quietly, pressing his lips gently to her nose. "What do you want for dinner?" He said, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
Arabella shrugged a little bit. "Why don't we have breakfast for dinner? Eggs, bacon, hash browns" She said and she looked down from Hunter's face to her chest again. It had been bugging her for a little while and it was getting rather uncomfortable. "I really think that they're bigger.." She huffed and looked up at him. When she didn't get a response from Hunter, she took his hands and placed them on her chest. "I'm serious, Hunter...they must be bigger..."
Hunter blushed hard and looked down at her chest then his hands on her chest then he quickly retracted them, still looking at her chest. He cleared his throat nervously, his cheeks red. She adjusted her shirt a little bit, pulling the neck down to reveal more of her chest making Hunter even more anxious. "They uh...It's natural for a woman's chest to umm...swell, isn't it?" He said, finally looking up at her face. He wondered for a few moments if she could tell how uncomfortable this discussion was making him. "So...Umm...What do you want to do for dinner?" He asked, completely forgetting about her previous answer.
Arabella looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes and she let out a little giggle when he asked her what she wanted for dinner. "You are so amazing, Hunter" She said and she kissed him tightly before turning and walking down the stairs, holding onto the railing. Seeing how flustered Hunter was made Arabella very giddy.
Hunter moved next to her quickly, putting a hand on her side and another one on her stomach as she walked down the stairs. They were on the bottom step when he felt the little movement against his hand. He stopped Arabella and paused for a minute, waiting to feel it again. It seemed like forever, but after another second he felt the little pressing of a baby against his hand. He put his other hand over his mouth to hold in his gasp, then got down on the bottom floor, crouching to get eye level with her stomach. "Ellie, I can feel them!" He said, taking one of her hands and putting it on her stomach under his.
Arabella looked down at Hunter, her eyes filled with happy tears and she nodded. It was the most wonderful and indescribable feeling in the world. Arabella closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the small fluttering she could feel. "That's our babies, Hunter..." She breathed, a tear falling down her cheek and she took a small shaky breath.
"That's our babies." He said, standing up and kissing her gently on the lips. He pulled her closer, feeling happier than he ever has. This whole experience had been way more than he could ever have imagined. He put his forehead against hers and kissed her on the lips again. "I love you, Arabella Reed." He said quietly, a tear trickling down his cheek. He saw that she was crying too and he laughed a little wiping her tears away. "That's our babies."
Chapter 159 - Hunter and Arabella
Arabella was in one of the spare room, white paint all over her jean shorts, legs and her hot pink shirt. Her hair was pulled up behind her in a messy bun and she was slowly painting around the border of the window. It was a sunny and warm day and Hunter was at work for the day. Arabella had gotten bored very soon, so she had driven down to the store, bought the paint and started painting one of the rooms that Hunter had cleared out for the babies. The day had gone by so fast and Arabella had been so busy that she lost track of time. When she heard the front door opening and Hunter walking in the house, Arabella jumped a little bit out of surprise.
Hunter walked in, feeling a little exhausted and set his bag down by the door. Slipping off his coat and hanging it on the wall, he glanced around, looking for his wife. Ajax trotted over to him and barked up at him. "Hey, bud." Hunter said, bending down and picking him up. "Oh, you're getting big, Aj." He said, patting his back. "Ellie?" He called through the house as he walked down the hall. He opened the door to the nursery and looked in. "Sweetheart, you shouldn't be doing this. Who knows what the fumes could do to the baby? And besides, you should be relaxing." He set Ajax down and then walked over to Arabella. "No matter how cute you look with paint on your nose." He said with a smile as he put a hand on her hip and wiped the drop of paint off her nose.
Arabella giggled and she scrunched up her nose when he wiped the paint off. "I got the non-toxic paint, so..that should be good. I'm not really worried about me but I don't want out little sweetpeas to be sleeping in a toxic room" She said and she put the paintbrush down then moved closer to Hunter, slipping her arms around his middle and looking up at him with happy eyes. "And I got bored just sitting on the couch and doing nothing. Once I get so big that I start to waddle, I'll relax. Promise" She said and she kissed him lightly. "How was your day?"
Hunter pressed his lips to her cheek. "You covered all the bases, didn't you?" He laughed a little bit and wrapped his arms around her. "I had a good day, but I'm really glad that I'm home. Oh, and how was your day?" He kissed her again and leaned in a little, gasping when he felt her baby bump push against him. He crouched down and lifted up her shirt enough to access her stomach. "Did the babies behave?" He asked with a small laugh, placing a kiss next to her belly button.
Arabella grinned and she looked down at Hunter. "They had a wonderful day" She said with a little nod and she pushed a loose piece of her hair behind her ear. Being just over 3 months pregnant was going well for Arabella. Slowly, as the months went by, she started to feel better about the whole thing. It was starting to feel really natural for her and she liked it. She was starting to believe that she really could be a good mother. "All three of us are really glad that you're home too, by the way" She told him with a small smile.
Hunter stood back up and kissed her on the lips, holding her and swaying gently back and forth. He finally pulled away and sighed happily. "Wow, you did a really good job." He said, finally noticing the room. She had a lot done. Just some detail work and a wall left. He licked his lips a moment then leaned in a little bit closer again. "I'm sorry that I'm gone all day." He said with a sigh as he took her arm and started toward the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
"No...don't be sorry. I'm glad that you have a job and you get to do something that you're really, really good at all day" Arabella said and she followed him down to the kitchen. She yawned a little and walked over to the sink so that she could wash the paint off of her hands. "I went and bought a few cupcakes for dessert today from my favorite bakery" She told him and she turned to look at him with a big grin, drying off her hands.
Hunter smiled back and looked around for a second, trying to find where she put the cupcakes. He couldn't find them, so he narrowed his eyes at her then sighed a little. "What do you want for dinner, so that we can get to dessert, so I can have a cupcake?" He asked with a smile as he slipped an arm around her waist, placing his hand on her stomach. "Maybe, you want to go out for dinner? You can put on some sexy dress and we'll go out and then we'll come home and have a cupcake and we'll make a night out of it." He said, kissing her on the cheek.
Arabella bit her lip and she leaned into him. She turned her head a little bit and she kissed him lightly. "Like a date night? I think that sounds pretty amazing" Arabella said softly and she brushed her lips along his jaw. She ran her hands down his chest and she looked up at him with an excited twinkle in her eye. "I just bought a new dress the other day, too" She said and she gave him a wink.
Hunter smiled and moved his hands to her butt. "Mmmm...I'll bet it looks really good on you. You could make a garbage bag look good though, sweetie." He said, wrapping her up in his arms. "So, where do you want to go? We can try and go back to that Butter place. That sounds good? Whatever my baby wants." He kissed her on the lips again. "And my children, too." He laughed and pressed a kiss on her nose.
"Butter?" Arabella said, her face lighting up at the sound of her favorite place. "Oh boy, I am spoiled" She breathed and she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and kissing him tightly. She smiled at him and kissed him once before pulling away and letting ehr hair fall down out of the bun. "I should go get ready, then" She told him with a little nod. "Maybe this time we won't run into a jerk" She giggled.
Hunter put an arm around her waist and kissed her one more time. "That's the plan. I think we'll have to go to Burger King instead of Wendy's if that happens." He said, finally letting her go. "Maybe the whole...pregnant thing will stop people from hitting on you." He said as he turned to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "We'll leave in about an hour, okay?"
Arabella smiled at him and she nodded. "An hour sounds good" She said and she looked at him for a moment, amazed at how happy she was and how giddy he made her. Arabella took a deep breath then turned and walked up the stairs towards their bedroom. As she stepped into the closet, she ran her fingers through her hair but when she felt a spot that had a bit of paint in it, she wrinkled her nose. Quickly, she grabbed her outfit for the night, laid it out on the bed then walked into the bathroom to get a quick shower. Going out with Hunter was exciting for her and she couldn't wait to get all dressed up.
Hunter finished off his bottle of water then headed upstairs only to hear the shower on. He thought for a few seconds before grabbing a pair of boxers and heading into the bathroom. "I'm not going to get in. I'm just going to help wash your hair." He said as he took off his shirt and reached in to start getting her hair clean. He ran his fingers through it, getting the knots and the paint out. "The paint is supposed to go on the wall not on you, babe." He said, reaching in and giving her butt a pinch.
"No..that's too logical" Arabella said and she laughed a little bit when he pinched her butt. She closed her eyes and she leaned into his hand a little bit as he got the last of the paint out. "You spoil me so much, Hunter" Arabella sighed and she leaned out of the shower so that she could kiss him.
Hunter smiled and wiped his lips with his arm. "Only the best for you, wife." He said with a smile before walking back out and slipping out of his jeans. He set out his clothes and was about to put them on when he caught a whiff of his armpit. He sighed a little and then let out a little laugh as he pulled off his boxers and walked back into the bathroom, stepping into the shower with Arabella. "We're saving water now." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist, keeping his hands on her stomach and placing soft kisses on her cheek.
Arabella laughed and she slipped her arms around his neck, smiling. "I'm glad that we're saving water. That's always a good thing" She said in a light tone and she leaned into him a little bit more, kissing his lips lightly. Arabella pulled away just a little bit so that she could look up at him. With a happy little sigh, Arabella ran her fingers down his cheeks. "Our life is pretty great, huh?" She said softly.
Hunter laughed and bent down kissing her lightly on the lips. "You're pretty great. And pretty. And great." He ran his hands down her sides and leaned into her brushing his lips across hers. He pulled her closer and then pulled away quickly. "No. I'm here to shower. We're here to shower. Let's shower and then we'll go out to eat and then we'll come home and then we'll...finish the night." He said, taking a deep breath and running his hair under the water. He turned to look at her and sighed. "Why do you have to be so sexy all the time? Gosh."
Arabella smacked his chest, laughing a little bit. "You're one to talk, mister" She said and she leaned into him, kissing him tightly. Arabella ran her fingers down his chest, towards his stomach then pulled away. She stepped out of the shower, giggling and she wrapped a towel around herself. "I look forward to finishing the night" She teased and she reached in, smacking his butt then turning to walk out of the bathroom.
Hunter shook his head a little, taking a little breath. "That's assuming you get ready before the night is over." He said, quickly rubbing shampoo in and out of his hair. He rinsed off and stepped out, quickly drying off and slipping on his boxers. He stepped out and started to get dressed and in a few moments he was fully dressed and ready to go. "Alright. I'm ready and it has been 57 minutes. How's it coming?"
Arabella stepped out of the closet, her hair was mostly dry and pulled back in a braid and she was just fixing the straps on her new dress. She had bought the dress because when she tried it on, it made her look like she was pregnant. Most of her clothes just made it look like she had gained about 20 pounds but this dress actually made her look like she was pregnant and it was a beautiful dark blue with a silver ribbon around the bottom hem. "What do you think?" She asked, fiddling with the straps again.
Hunter smiled and walked over to her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "You look stunning." He said, turning her around and then fixing the straps. "Absolutely perfect." He whispered, placing a kiss against the back of her neck and wrapping his arms around her middle. "I like feeling our babies when I do that. It makes it feel like I'm hugging you and them." He said, rubbing her stomach gently. He placed his chin on her shoulder. "Our babies..." He breathed, closing his eyes a moment. With a content sigh, he pulled away and took her hand. "You ready?"
Arabella looked down at herself for a moment then back up at Hunter and she nodded "Ready" She smiled and she gave his hand a squeeze. He led her out of the bedroom and down the stairs where Arabella slid into a pair of flat shoes. She missed her high heels like crazy but they hurt her feet so much ever since she had gotten pregnant. It was like her body was rejecting anything that wasn't a pair of sweatpants and slippers. She grabbed her purse and slid it onto her shoulder then followed Hunter out of the house, locking the door behind her. "Oh...I am so excited for supper tonight" She sighed happily and walked with Hunter towards the car.
Hunter laughed and opened her door, kissing her hand as he helped her in. "It feels like a long time since we went out together." He said before closing the door. "When was the last time? It must have been the honeymoon, I'll bet." He said, looking over and putting his arm around her. He kissed her temple as he backed out and turned toward the city. "We can't have that can we?"
Arabella looked up at him and she smiled. "No, we can't. Which means that we are going to have to find a really good babysitter for the kids because I will not lose my date nights with you" She said and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. Arabella smiled at him for a moment before turning a little bit and looking out of the window, happy that she was next to her husband and she had a hand on her little baby bump.
Hunter grinned and placed his head on hers. "Well, maybe our kids will just be self-sufficient. They'll learn to survive in their environment, just like their dad." He laughed a little and turned left onto the highway. "And then we'll just leave and do whatever and they'll be fine to just hang out. I'll teach them how to chop vegetables, use the oven and the stove. Fight a hellhound. Make their beds. Do the dishes. Boil water. Use measurements. They'll be like parenting-free kids."
"Oh gods...my children better not see a hellhound and if they do, I hope they take after you" Arabella said with a huff then she turned to look at Hunter. "When I first saw a hellhound, I thought it look cute and lonely and I wanted to hug it and it was NOT Mrs. O'Leary.." She said and she let out a little yawn, looking out of the window. After a few seconds, Arabella turned her head quickly to look at Hunter. "We should go back to camp for a little bit. Before the babies come" She bit her lip, wondering if he would go for that. Arabella knew how important that place was to him and it meant a lot to her too.
Hunter ran his fingers up and down her arm a second. "I'd like that. I wonder what people will think. A daughter fo Aphrodite and the only male Hunter of Artemis. We'll be the talk of the town." He said with a laugh. "I guess we did get married there. It won't be a huge surprise."
"And I'm sure that Chiron would want to see you" Arabella said softly and she danced her fingers along his leg gingerly. "I mean...he was like a father to you and now you're going to be a father...." Her voice trailed off and she took a small breath "I don't know. It's up to you" She added then looked up at him with big eyes.
Hunter took a small breath. "I know. I know." He said quietly. "I don't know. I honestly am not sure what he'd think of me and think of this life I'm living now. It's not like I'm at camp anymore. I'm not there fighting monsters anymore. I just think that he would see it as me giving up or something." Hunter shook his head a little as he found a parking spot next to the restaurant. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about this."
Arabella looked over at him and she bit her lip. "He would be really proud of you, Hunter" She said softly then shook her head. "Sorry...I needed to have the last word" Arabella bit her lip and she looked out of the windows at the restaurant then looked back at Hunter. "If you want to talk about it...I'm here. It's what I'm here for" She said with a nod
Hunter got out and opened her door, offering her his arm. She got out and took it, giving him a small smile as they walked toward the restaurant. "You don't always have to have the last word, you know." He said with a nod as they walked inside. He asked for a table and looked around the restaurant. It looked like a slow night, fortunately. They were led to a booth and Hunter sat down across from Arabella and immediately took a sip of water.
"Yes I do" Arabella said and she fiddled with her napkin. Hunter gave her an odd look and she smiled over at him. "Have the last word. I have to have the last word" She told him and she drank a little bit from her water, looking around at the beautiful restaurant. It was beautiful and fancy and Arabella loved it. She remembered the last time that they were there and she laughed a little bit. "I still can't believe that of all the people we would run into in the place, we run into Ian"
Hunter rolled his eyes. "That guy was a douchebag." He said, picking up his menu and glancing through it. He wanted to have a nice night, but something seemed a little off. He wasn't sure what it was. Something just felt off. He wasn't going to let Arabella know that though. "Alright. I don't know what I want." He said, closing his menu. "Pick us a full meal and I'll pick dessert. Especially since, you're the one who needs to watch what they eat." He said, reaching over and poking her belly.
Arabella laughed and she rubbed her stomach lightly where Hunter poked her and she looked down at the menu. She let out a little huff and she looked down at the menu. "Well, if you don't like the food that I pick for you, don't hate me" She said and she ran her finger down the menu. Finally, the waiter came over and Arabella ordered a steak dinner for Hunter that she thought looked good and a grilled chicken dinner for herself then asked for chocolate milk. The waiter gave her a slightly odd look, like he wasn't used to people asking for chocolate milk. But he nodded and walked away. "You doing okay, Hunter?" She asked him, looking over at him with a small, concerned smile. It seemed like he was a little bothered by something.
Hunter looked up and shook his head. "Yes. Of course. Why do you ask?" He said, taking another sip of water. "I am perfect. I don't know how I couldn't be." He said with a small yawn, slyly shuffling his foot over and tapping her foot with his. He was a little worried that he might be overdefending himself, but he really didn't know what to say. "You okay? Can I get you something?"
"I'm fine" Arabella said softly and she looked down at the table for a moment. The waiter came back with two glasses of chocolate milk and placed it down on the table in front of them. Arabella smiled at him and thanked him. As he walked away, Arabella looked back at Hunter. She moved her foot so that it was ontop of his and she tapped his foot lightly. "You know...I'm going to convince you to talk about this when we get home"
Hunter examined his glass of milk a little oddly. He'd never had chocolate milk before, so this would be new for him. "I didn't anticipate doing much talking when we got home." He said, sliding his glass of chocolate milk closer towards him then looked up and giving her a wink. "Besides, there isn't anything to talk about. I'm fine. Really." He nudged her foot then took a sip of chocolate milk. He was surprised at first, but quickly he really liked it. "This stuff is delicious." He said, taking a big gulp.
Arabella smiled when he drank the chocolate milk and she placed her straw in it, stiring it around a little. She leaned over slightly and took a sip of her milk. In all honesty, she was worried about Hunter and there was no way that she was going to let him get away without talking about it. Something was wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it. "Thanks for bringing me here tonight, Hunter"
Hunter smiled over at her. "Well, any excuse to see you look even more beautiful than you do at home is well worth it." He said, taking another sip of chocolate milk. "Good grief, why didn't you tell me about chocolate milk before?" He said, finishing off the glass. "How-oh. Food's here." He said, looking up at the waitress who set a very delicious looking steak in front of him.
Arabella thanked the waiter and she looked down at her chicken, pushing the veggies around on her plate with her fork. She let out a little sigh then took a bite of carrot. Something was bothering Hunter but Arabella didn't want to think about it, not right then. She wanted to have a good night with Hunter. "How's your supper?" She asked, nodding towards his plate.
Hunter took a bite of steak and chewed hungrily. "Wonderful. You made a great choice." He took a bite of the mashed potatoes next to it and soaked up some of the juice from the steak and crammed it into his mouth, washing it down with another sip of water. He looked down at Arabella's plate. "Ellie, Look at me. If something were really really bothering me, 1) I would tell you, and 2) I probably wouldn't be eating." He said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "And if you suddenly don't want that, then I can make you something at home, if you'd like."
Arabella looked over at him and she smiled softly. "I just...worry" She said with a little shrug then took a bite of her chicken. Arabella leaned across the table and she kissed him lightly. She smiled then sat back in her seat, smoothing out her dress and running her fingers over her stomach. Maybe a change of subject would be good. Something happy. "I hope that I don't get too big too fast. I don't really want to spend 4 months on bedrest"
"I'll start lifting weights, so I can carry you." He said with a wink. She reached across the table and slugged him lovingly in the shoulder. He caught her hand and gave it a quick kiss before waving to a waitress that he wants two more glasses of chocolate milk. With that, he went back to his steak and took a big bite. "I really like this. This was a good choice. You made a good choice."
"I know. I'm pretty amazing" Arabella giggled and she took a big bite of her rice. She picked up the chocolate milk, drinking a bit from it. "I'm glad that you like the chocolate milk so much" Arabella giggled. Seeing him react the way he did when he first drank it was amazing and really hard not to laugh at.
Hunter took a big gulp of chocolate milk. "You know," he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I don't think chocolate milk is the right culinary choice with a steak. Don't people usually have wine with a steak? I'm not sure chocolate milk really complements the flavors of the filet." He said with a smile as he finished off his steak with a smile. He took a deep breath and waved to their waitress, asking for the check.
"Well....chocolate milk is a lot more fun" Arabella said and she placed her fork and knife down neatly on her empty plate. They were going to go home nad have a cupcake and Arabella was nearly bouncing out of her chair for some of that cupcake. As Hunter paid for the bill, Arabella tried really hard to look anywhere else. She didn't like that the food was so expensive and she was very happy that they got to go there, but she didn't really want Hunter to have to pay that much.
Hunter signed the receipt and slipped his card back in his wallet. He stood up and helped Arabella up, offering her his arm. She took it and they headed out the door, back to their car. "Alright. Shall we get back home for dessert or did you want to stop for ice cream or something?" He asked, opening her door and letting her in.
"Oh...well...ice cream does sound really good" Arabella said with a nod. "Maybe we could go through a drive-thru at Dairy Queen, something really fast. I've been thinking about my cupcake all day" She giggled and grinned over at Hunter as he slid into his seat and started the car. He smiled and nodded, driving down the street. Arabella reached over and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. "Thanks for everything tonight, stud" She said softly.
Hunter stopped at a red light and looked over at her, pressing his lips to hers. "Well, the night's not over yet, beautiful." He said, kissing her again and pulling her toward him, putting his arm around her. He got into the line at the Dairy Queen. "What would you like?" He asked, kissing her again. "And what would I like?" He asked with a smile.
"I'm just going to get a regular dipped cone'' Arabella said with a little nod. She yawned and rested her head on Hunter's shoulder. As he ordered two dipped cones for themselves, Arabella looked down at her stomach, tracing a heart over and over again with her finger. She was looking forward to being able to feel the babies kicking and moving around. It still blew her mind that they were having twins and she had no idea what to expect from that.
Hunter handed the woman in the window the money and then waited for his ice cream. He sighed happily and looked over at her, smiling as she absently traced a heart over her stomach. He quickly leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I bet they can feel that. And I bet they're drawing one back." He kissed her on the jaw and then moved back to his seat just as their ice cream came. He handed one cone to Arabella and then bit into his own. "Mm...You're on a roll tonight, sweetheart."
Arabella grinned over at him, eating a bit of her ice cream. "I'm glad that you like this, too" She giggled and she placed a messy kiss on his cheek. She laughed a little and leaned back, taking another bite of her ice cream. Sitting with Hunter in the car like that, it was easy to forget that they were adults and married and had kids on the way. She felt like she was younger and had less to worry about, laughing at the ice cream and chocolate that was smeared on Hunter's cheek.
Hunter wiped his cheek on his shoulder and carefully drove, taking another bite out of the ice cream. He drove in comfortable silence and in a few moment he was done with his ice cream, wiping his fingers on his pant leg. He reached over and put his arm around her just as he pulled into their driveway. "Well, I had a wonderful night." he said, placing a kiss on her lips. "We should do this again sometime."
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she nodded. She leaned into him a little bit more, kissing him. Being with Hunter was easy and she never wanted to give it up. She could never be without it. Arabella slipped her arms around his neck and she looked up at him with content eyes. "It was an awesome night. Thanks" She said softly and she kissed him again.
Hunter smiled and reached for the door handle, giving it a pull and opening the door. He slid out and pulled Arabella with him, lifting her up out of the car. He slammed the car closed with his foot then walked toward the front door, putting his key in the lock and swinging it open. "Why do I feel like it has been a long time since we've done this?" He said, heading up the stairs. He walked into the bedroom and carefully set her on the bed. He was about to climb on top of her when he realized it might not be good with the pregnant belly. "Uhh...Now I realize why it has been a long time."
Arabella giggled a little bit and she slid her arms around his neck, pulling herself a bit closer to him. "It's been too long" She huffed and she placed a gentle kiss against his chin. Arabella pulled away a little bit so that she could look at him and she slid her hands away from his neck, dancing her fingers down his arms. "Is everything okay?" Arabella asked, thinking about earlier in the evening and wondering if there was anything bothering Hunter.
Hunter slid next to her and pressed his lips on hers, pulling her close. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled away a little. "Everything is fine, okay? I promise." He said, kissing along her jaw and to her neck. Hunter tangled his legs with hers and brushed some hair out of her face. "You okay? Anything feel weird?" He asked, pressing a hand on her stomach.
Arabella shook her head and she placed her hand ontop of his. "I'm good. Nothing feels weird" She said and she looked down at her stomach before looking over at Hunter. She laughed a little bit and she shrugged. "I don't know. Everything feels a little weird now, but...it's not bad" Arabella sighed and she brushed her fingers over his knuckles.
Hunter smiled and pressed his lips to hers. "I don't want anything bad to happen to the baby or you." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "If anything hurts or feels weird or...aches or...moves or pinches or-" He was interrupted by Arabella pulling his face to hers, kissing him on the lips tightly. Hunter leaned into her a moment before pulling away slightly. "Tell me, okay?" He said, kissing her neck and sliding his hands down to the hem of her dress. "I love you."
Hunter walked in, feeling a little exhausted and set his bag down by the door. Slipping off his coat and hanging it on the wall, he glanced around, looking for his wife. Ajax trotted over to him and barked up at him. "Hey, bud." Hunter said, bending down and picking him up. "Oh, you're getting big, Aj." He said, patting his back. "Ellie?" He called through the house as he walked down the hall. He opened the door to the nursery and looked in. "Sweetheart, you shouldn't be doing this. Who knows what the fumes could do to the baby? And besides, you should be relaxing." He set Ajax down and then walked over to Arabella. "No matter how cute you look with paint on your nose." He said with a smile as he put a hand on her hip and wiped the drop of paint off her nose.
Arabella giggled and she scrunched up her nose when he wiped the paint off. "I got the non-toxic paint, so..that should be good. I'm not really worried about me but I don't want out little sweetpeas to be sleeping in a toxic room" She said and she put the paintbrush down then moved closer to Hunter, slipping her arms around his middle and looking up at him with happy eyes. "And I got bored just sitting on the couch and doing nothing. Once I get so big that I start to waddle, I'll relax. Promise" She said and she kissed him lightly. "How was your day?"
Hunter pressed his lips to her cheek. "You covered all the bases, didn't you?" He laughed a little bit and wrapped his arms around her. "I had a good day, but I'm really glad that I'm home. Oh, and how was your day?" He kissed her again and leaned in a little, gasping when he felt her baby bump push against him. He crouched down and lifted up her shirt enough to access her stomach. "Did the babies behave?" He asked with a small laugh, placing a kiss next to her belly button.
Arabella grinned and she looked down at Hunter. "They had a wonderful day" She said with a little nod and she pushed a loose piece of her hair behind her ear. Being just over 3 months pregnant was going well for Arabella. Slowly, as the months went by, she started to feel better about the whole thing. It was starting to feel really natural for her and she liked it. She was starting to believe that she really could be a good mother. "All three of us are really glad that you're home too, by the way" She told him with a small smile.
Hunter stood back up and kissed her on the lips, holding her and swaying gently back and forth. He finally pulled away and sighed happily. "Wow, you did a really good job." He said, finally noticing the room. She had a lot done. Just some detail work and a wall left. He licked his lips a moment then leaned in a little bit closer again. "I'm sorry that I'm gone all day." He said with a sigh as he took her arm and started toward the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
"No...don't be sorry. I'm glad that you have a job and you get to do something that you're really, really good at all day" Arabella said and she followed him down to the kitchen. She yawned a little and walked over to the sink so that she could wash the paint off of her hands. "I went and bought a few cupcakes for dessert today from my favorite bakery" She told him and she turned to look at him with a big grin, drying off her hands.
Hunter smiled back and looked around for a second, trying to find where she put the cupcakes. He couldn't find them, so he narrowed his eyes at her then sighed a little. "What do you want for dinner, so that we can get to dessert, so I can have a cupcake?" He asked with a smile as he slipped an arm around her waist, placing his hand on her stomach. "Maybe, you want to go out for dinner? You can put on some sexy dress and we'll go out and then we'll come home and have a cupcake and we'll make a night out of it." He said, kissing her on the cheek.
Arabella bit her lip and she leaned into him. She turned her head a little bit and she kissed him lightly. "Like a date night? I think that sounds pretty amazing" Arabella said softly and she brushed her lips along his jaw. She ran her hands down his chest and she looked up at him with an excited twinkle in her eye. "I just bought a new dress the other day, too" She said and she gave him a wink.
Hunter smiled and moved his hands to her butt. "Mmmm...I'll bet it looks really good on you. You could make a garbage bag look good though, sweetie." He said, wrapping her up in his arms. "So, where do you want to go? We can try and go back to that Butter place. That sounds good? Whatever my baby wants." He kissed her on the lips again. "And my children, too." He laughed and pressed a kiss on her nose.
"Butter?" Arabella said, her face lighting up at the sound of her favorite place. "Oh boy, I am spoiled" She breathed and she slipped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and kissing him tightly. She smiled at him and kissed him once before pulling away and letting ehr hair fall down out of the bun. "I should go get ready, then" She told him with a little nod. "Maybe this time we won't run into a jerk" She giggled.
Hunter put an arm around her waist and kissed her one more time. "That's the plan. I think we'll have to go to Burger King instead of Wendy's if that happens." He said, finally letting her go. "Maybe the whole...pregnant thing will stop people from hitting on you." He said as he turned to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. "We'll leave in about an hour, okay?"
Arabella smiled at him and she nodded. "An hour sounds good" She said and she looked at him for a moment, amazed at how happy she was and how giddy he made her. Arabella took a deep breath then turned and walked up the stairs towards their bedroom. As she stepped into the closet, she ran her fingers through her hair but when she felt a spot that had a bit of paint in it, she wrinkled her nose. Quickly, she grabbed her outfit for the night, laid it out on the bed then walked into the bathroom to get a quick shower. Going out with Hunter was exciting for her and she couldn't wait to get all dressed up.
Hunter finished off his bottle of water then headed upstairs only to hear the shower on. He thought for a few seconds before grabbing a pair of boxers and heading into the bathroom. "I'm not going to get in. I'm just going to help wash your hair." He said as he took off his shirt and reached in to start getting her hair clean. He ran his fingers through it, getting the knots and the paint out. "The paint is supposed to go on the wall not on you, babe." He said, reaching in and giving her butt a pinch.
"No..that's too logical" Arabella said and she laughed a little bit when he pinched her butt. She closed her eyes and she leaned into his hand a little bit as he got the last of the paint out. "You spoil me so much, Hunter" Arabella sighed and she leaned out of the shower so that she could kiss him.
Hunter smiled and wiped his lips with his arm. "Only the best for you, wife." He said with a smile before walking back out and slipping out of his jeans. He set out his clothes and was about to put them on when he caught a whiff of his armpit. He sighed a little and then let out a little laugh as he pulled off his boxers and walked back into the bathroom, stepping into the shower with Arabella. "We're saving water now." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist, keeping his hands on her stomach and placing soft kisses on her cheek.
Arabella laughed and she slipped her arms around his neck, smiling. "I'm glad that we're saving water. That's always a good thing" She said in a light tone and she leaned into him a little bit more, kissing his lips lightly. Arabella pulled away just a little bit so that she could look up at him. With a happy little sigh, Arabella ran her fingers down his cheeks. "Our life is pretty great, huh?" She said softly.
Hunter laughed and bent down kissing her lightly on the lips. "You're pretty great. And pretty. And great." He ran his hands down her sides and leaned into her brushing his lips across hers. He pulled her closer and then pulled away quickly. "No. I'm here to shower. We're here to shower. Let's shower and then we'll go out to eat and then we'll come home and then we'll...finish the night." He said, taking a deep breath and running his hair under the water. He turned to look at her and sighed. "Why do you have to be so sexy all the time? Gosh."
Arabella smacked his chest, laughing a little bit. "You're one to talk, mister" She said and she leaned into him, kissing him tightly. Arabella ran her fingers down his chest, towards his stomach then pulled away. She stepped out of the shower, giggling and she wrapped a towel around herself. "I look forward to finishing the night" She teased and she reached in, smacking his butt then turning to walk out of the bathroom.
Hunter shook his head a little, taking a little breath. "That's assuming you get ready before the night is over." He said, quickly rubbing shampoo in and out of his hair. He rinsed off and stepped out, quickly drying off and slipping on his boxers. He stepped out and started to get dressed and in a few moments he was fully dressed and ready to go. "Alright. I'm ready and it has been 57 minutes. How's it coming?"
Arabella stepped out of the closet, her hair was mostly dry and pulled back in a braid and she was just fixing the straps on her new dress. She had bought the dress because when she tried it on, it made her look like she was pregnant. Most of her clothes just made it look like she had gained about 20 pounds but this dress actually made her look like she was pregnant and it was a beautiful dark blue with a silver ribbon around the bottom hem. "What do you think?" She asked, fiddling with the straps again.
Hunter smiled and walked over to her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead. "You look stunning." He said, turning her around and then fixing the straps. "Absolutely perfect." He whispered, placing a kiss against the back of her neck and wrapping his arms around her middle. "I like feeling our babies when I do that. It makes it feel like I'm hugging you and them." He said, rubbing her stomach gently. He placed his chin on her shoulder. "Our babies..." He breathed, closing his eyes a moment. With a content sigh, he pulled away and took her hand. "You ready?"
Arabella looked down at herself for a moment then back up at Hunter and she nodded "Ready" She smiled and she gave his hand a squeeze. He led her out of the bedroom and down the stairs where Arabella slid into a pair of flat shoes. She missed her high heels like crazy but they hurt her feet so much ever since she had gotten pregnant. It was like her body was rejecting anything that wasn't a pair of sweatpants and slippers. She grabbed her purse and slid it onto her shoulder then followed Hunter out of the house, locking the door behind her. "Oh...I am so excited for supper tonight" She sighed happily and walked with Hunter towards the car.
Hunter laughed and opened her door, kissing her hand as he helped her in. "It feels like a long time since we went out together." He said before closing the door. "When was the last time? It must have been the honeymoon, I'll bet." He said, looking over and putting his arm around her. He kissed her temple as he backed out and turned toward the city. "We can't have that can we?"
Arabella looked up at him and she smiled. "No, we can't. Which means that we are going to have to find a really good babysitter for the kids because I will not lose my date nights with you" She said and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. Arabella smiled at him for a moment before turning a little bit and looking out of the window, happy that she was next to her husband and she had a hand on her little baby bump.
Hunter grinned and placed his head on hers. "Well, maybe our kids will just be self-sufficient. They'll learn to survive in their environment, just like their dad." He laughed a little and turned left onto the highway. "And then we'll just leave and do whatever and they'll be fine to just hang out. I'll teach them how to chop vegetables, use the oven and the stove. Fight a hellhound. Make their beds. Do the dishes. Boil water. Use measurements. They'll be like parenting-free kids."
"Oh gods...my children better not see a hellhound and if they do, I hope they take after you" Arabella said with a huff then she turned to look at Hunter. "When I first saw a hellhound, I thought it look cute and lonely and I wanted to hug it and it was NOT Mrs. O'Leary.." She said and she let out a little yawn, looking out of the window. After a few seconds, Arabella turned her head quickly to look at Hunter. "We should go back to camp for a little bit. Before the babies come" She bit her lip, wondering if he would go for that. Arabella knew how important that place was to him and it meant a lot to her too.
Hunter ran his fingers up and down her arm a second. "I'd like that. I wonder what people will think. A daughter fo Aphrodite and the only male Hunter of Artemis. We'll be the talk of the town." He said with a laugh. "I guess we did get married there. It won't be a huge surprise."
"And I'm sure that Chiron would want to see you" Arabella said softly and she danced her fingers along his leg gingerly. "I mean...he was like a father to you and now you're going to be a father...." Her voice trailed off and she took a small breath "I don't know. It's up to you" She added then looked up at him with big eyes.
Hunter took a small breath. "I know. I know." He said quietly. "I don't know. I honestly am not sure what he'd think of me and think of this life I'm living now. It's not like I'm at camp anymore. I'm not there fighting monsters anymore. I just think that he would see it as me giving up or something." Hunter shook his head a little as he found a parking spot next to the restaurant. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about this."
Arabella looked over at him and she bit her lip. "He would be really proud of you, Hunter" She said softly then shook her head. "Sorry...I needed to have the last word" Arabella bit her lip and she looked out of the windows at the restaurant then looked back at Hunter. "If you want to talk about it...I'm here. It's what I'm here for" She said with a nod
Hunter got out and opened her door, offering her his arm. She got out and took it, giving him a small smile as they walked toward the restaurant. "You don't always have to have the last word, you know." He said with a nod as they walked inside. He asked for a table and looked around the restaurant. It looked like a slow night, fortunately. They were led to a booth and Hunter sat down across from Arabella and immediately took a sip of water.
"Yes I do" Arabella said and she fiddled with her napkin. Hunter gave her an odd look and she smiled over at him. "Have the last word. I have to have the last word" She told him and she drank a little bit from her water, looking around at the beautiful restaurant. It was beautiful and fancy and Arabella loved it. She remembered the last time that they were there and she laughed a little bit. "I still can't believe that of all the people we would run into in the place, we run into Ian"
Hunter rolled his eyes. "That guy was a douchebag." He said, picking up his menu and glancing through it. He wanted to have a nice night, but something seemed a little off. He wasn't sure what it was. Something just felt off. He wasn't going to let Arabella know that though. "Alright. I don't know what I want." He said, closing his menu. "Pick us a full meal and I'll pick dessert. Especially since, you're the one who needs to watch what they eat." He said, reaching over and poking her belly.
Arabella laughed and she rubbed her stomach lightly where Hunter poked her and she looked down at the menu. She let out a little huff and she looked down at the menu. "Well, if you don't like the food that I pick for you, don't hate me" She said and she ran her finger down the menu. Finally, the waiter came over and Arabella ordered a steak dinner for Hunter that she thought looked good and a grilled chicken dinner for herself then asked for chocolate milk. The waiter gave her a slightly odd look, like he wasn't used to people asking for chocolate milk. But he nodded and walked away. "You doing okay, Hunter?" She asked him, looking over at him with a small, concerned smile. It seemed like he was a little bothered by something.
Hunter looked up and shook his head. "Yes. Of course. Why do you ask?" He said, taking another sip of water. "I am perfect. I don't know how I couldn't be." He said with a small yawn, slyly shuffling his foot over and tapping her foot with his. He was a little worried that he might be overdefending himself, but he really didn't know what to say. "You okay? Can I get you something?"
"I'm fine" Arabella said softly and she looked down at the table for a moment. The waiter came back with two glasses of chocolate milk and placed it down on the table in front of them. Arabella smiled at him and thanked him. As he walked away, Arabella looked back at Hunter. She moved her foot so that it was ontop of his and she tapped his foot lightly. "You know...I'm going to convince you to talk about this when we get home"
Hunter examined his glass of milk a little oddly. He'd never had chocolate milk before, so this would be new for him. "I didn't anticipate doing much talking when we got home." He said, sliding his glass of chocolate milk closer towards him then looked up and giving her a wink. "Besides, there isn't anything to talk about. I'm fine. Really." He nudged her foot then took a sip of chocolate milk. He was surprised at first, but quickly he really liked it. "This stuff is delicious." He said, taking a big gulp.
Arabella smiled when he drank the chocolate milk and she placed her straw in it, stiring it around a little. She leaned over slightly and took a sip of her milk. In all honesty, she was worried about Hunter and there was no way that she was going to let him get away without talking about it. Something was wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it. "Thanks for bringing me here tonight, Hunter"
Hunter smiled over at her. "Well, any excuse to see you look even more beautiful than you do at home is well worth it." He said, taking another sip of chocolate milk. "Good grief, why didn't you tell me about chocolate milk before?" He said, finishing off the glass. "How-oh. Food's here." He said, looking up at the waitress who set a very delicious looking steak in front of him.
Arabella thanked the waiter and she looked down at her chicken, pushing the veggies around on her plate with her fork. She let out a little sigh then took a bite of carrot. Something was bothering Hunter but Arabella didn't want to think about it, not right then. She wanted to have a good night with Hunter. "How's your supper?" She asked, nodding towards his plate.
Hunter took a bite of steak and chewed hungrily. "Wonderful. You made a great choice." He took a bite of the mashed potatoes next to it and soaked up some of the juice from the steak and crammed it into his mouth, washing it down with another sip of water. He looked down at Arabella's plate. "Ellie, Look at me. If something were really really bothering me, 1) I would tell you, and 2) I probably wouldn't be eating." He said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "And if you suddenly don't want that, then I can make you something at home, if you'd like."
Arabella looked over at him and she smiled softly. "I just...worry" She said with a little shrug then took a bite of her chicken. Arabella leaned across the table and she kissed him lightly. She smiled then sat back in her seat, smoothing out her dress and running her fingers over her stomach. Maybe a change of subject would be good. Something happy. "I hope that I don't get too big too fast. I don't really want to spend 4 months on bedrest"
"I'll start lifting weights, so I can carry you." He said with a wink. She reached across the table and slugged him lovingly in the shoulder. He caught her hand and gave it a quick kiss before waving to a waitress that he wants two more glasses of chocolate milk. With that, he went back to his steak and took a big bite. "I really like this. This was a good choice. You made a good choice."
"I know. I'm pretty amazing" Arabella giggled and she took a big bite of her rice. She picked up the chocolate milk, drinking a bit from it. "I'm glad that you like the chocolate milk so much" Arabella giggled. Seeing him react the way he did when he first drank it was amazing and really hard not to laugh at.
Hunter took a big gulp of chocolate milk. "You know," he said, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I don't think chocolate milk is the right culinary choice with a steak. Don't people usually have wine with a steak? I'm not sure chocolate milk really complements the flavors of the filet." He said with a smile as he finished off his steak with a smile. He took a deep breath and waved to their waitress, asking for the check.
"Well....chocolate milk is a lot more fun" Arabella said and she placed her fork and knife down neatly on her empty plate. They were going to go home nad have a cupcake and Arabella was nearly bouncing out of her chair for some of that cupcake. As Hunter paid for the bill, Arabella tried really hard to look anywhere else. She didn't like that the food was so expensive and she was very happy that they got to go there, but she didn't really want Hunter to have to pay that much.
Hunter signed the receipt and slipped his card back in his wallet. He stood up and helped Arabella up, offering her his arm. She took it and they headed out the door, back to their car. "Alright. Shall we get back home for dessert or did you want to stop for ice cream or something?" He asked, opening her door and letting her in.
"Oh...well...ice cream does sound really good" Arabella said with a nod. "Maybe we could go through a drive-thru at Dairy Queen, something really fast. I've been thinking about my cupcake all day" She giggled and grinned over at Hunter as he slid into his seat and started the car. He smiled and nodded, driving down the street. Arabella reached over and she brushed her fingers along his jaw. "Thanks for everything tonight, stud" She said softly.
Hunter stopped at a red light and looked over at her, pressing his lips to hers. "Well, the night's not over yet, beautiful." He said, kissing her again and pulling her toward him, putting his arm around her. He got into the line at the Dairy Queen. "What would you like?" He asked, kissing her again. "And what would I like?" He asked with a smile.
"I'm just going to get a regular dipped cone'' Arabella said with a little nod. She yawned and rested her head on Hunter's shoulder. As he ordered two dipped cones for themselves, Arabella looked down at her stomach, tracing a heart over and over again with her finger. She was looking forward to being able to feel the babies kicking and moving around. It still blew her mind that they were having twins and she had no idea what to expect from that.
Hunter handed the woman in the window the money and then waited for his ice cream. He sighed happily and looked over at her, smiling as she absently traced a heart over her stomach. He quickly leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I bet they can feel that. And I bet they're drawing one back." He kissed her on the jaw and then moved back to his seat just as their ice cream came. He handed one cone to Arabella and then bit into his own. "Mm...You're on a roll tonight, sweetheart."
Arabella grinned over at him, eating a bit of her ice cream. "I'm glad that you like this, too" She giggled and she placed a messy kiss on his cheek. She laughed a little and leaned back, taking another bite of her ice cream. Sitting with Hunter in the car like that, it was easy to forget that they were adults and married and had kids on the way. She felt like she was younger and had less to worry about, laughing at the ice cream and chocolate that was smeared on Hunter's cheek.
Hunter wiped his cheek on his shoulder and carefully drove, taking another bite out of the ice cream. He drove in comfortable silence and in a few moment he was done with his ice cream, wiping his fingers on his pant leg. He reached over and put his arm around her just as he pulled into their driveway. "Well, I had a wonderful night." he said, placing a kiss on her lips. "We should do this again sometime."
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she nodded. She leaned into him a little bit more, kissing him. Being with Hunter was easy and she never wanted to give it up. She could never be without it. Arabella slipped her arms around his neck and she looked up at him with content eyes. "It was an awesome night. Thanks" She said softly and she kissed him again.
Hunter smiled and reached for the door handle, giving it a pull and opening the door. He slid out and pulled Arabella with him, lifting her up out of the car. He slammed the car closed with his foot then walked toward the front door, putting his key in the lock and swinging it open. "Why do I feel like it has been a long time since we've done this?" He said, heading up the stairs. He walked into the bedroom and carefully set her on the bed. He was about to climb on top of her when he realized it might not be good with the pregnant belly. "Uhh...Now I realize why it has been a long time."
Arabella giggled a little bit and she slid her arms around his neck, pulling herself a bit closer to him. "It's been too long" She huffed and she placed a gentle kiss against his chin. Arabella pulled away a little bit so that she could look at him and she slid her hands away from his neck, dancing her fingers down his arms. "Is everything okay?" Arabella asked, thinking about earlier in the evening and wondering if there was anything bothering Hunter.
Hunter slid next to her and pressed his lips on hers, pulling her close. He placed a hand on her hip and pulled away a little. "Everything is fine, okay? I promise." He said, kissing along her jaw and to her neck. Hunter tangled his legs with hers and brushed some hair out of her face. "You okay? Anything feel weird?" He asked, pressing a hand on her stomach.
Arabella shook her head and she placed her hand ontop of his. "I'm good. Nothing feels weird" She said and she looked down at her stomach before looking over at Hunter. She laughed a little bit and she shrugged. "I don't know. Everything feels a little weird now, but...it's not bad" Arabella sighed and she brushed her fingers over his knuckles.
Hunter smiled and pressed his lips to hers. "I don't want anything bad to happen to the baby or you." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "If anything hurts or feels weird or...aches or...moves or pinches or-" He was interrupted by Arabella pulling his face to hers, kissing him on the lips tightly. Hunter leaned into her a moment before pulling away slightly. "Tell me, okay?" He said, kissing her neck and sliding his hands down to the hem of her dress. "I love you."
Chapter 158 - Arabella and Hunter
Arabella took a small breath and she rolled over in the bed. She groaned a little bit as she woke up, her stomach feeling tight. Hunter was beside her, fast asleep, so Arabella turned to look at the clock and huffed when she saw that it was about 6:45 in the morning. She placed her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes, wondering why she had woken up so early when she felt a tug in her stomach. Her eyes flew open and she raced out of the bed and ran to the bathroom as fast as she could. She was really hoping that she would avoid the whole 'morning sickness' thing but clearly, no such luck.
Hunter took a little breath he woke. He rubbed his eyes and looked over to find empty space where Arabella was. The sound of retching told him all he needed to know about why she wasn't there. He quickly got up and ran to the bathroom where he crouched down behind her and grabbed her hair. He held it in a pile on her head as she threw up again. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." He said quietly as he reached around and startes rubbing her stomach. "You're okay. I've got you."
"I'm so gross" Arabella moaned and she flushed the toilet, resting her forehead on her arms. "This better be worth it" She mummbled and she stood up, going to the sink and scrubbing her teeth clean. Arabella was thankful that Hunter was taking care of her like that but her cheeks still blushed at the fact that Hunter had now seen her throw up far too many time. She folded her arms across her chest and she rested her forhead on Hunter's shoulder
Hunter put his hand on her back and rubbed it gently. "It'll be worth it, beautiful." Hunter said, placing his lips on her head. "it won't be long until we'll be holding a little pink ball of a child and you'll be just as beautiful." She looked up at him and blushed. "Good morning, hot stuff." He said giving her butt a squeeze then leaning down and going to kiss her lips then moving to her cheek.
Arabella closed her eyes and she let out a little sigh, melting into his body. She felt gross and sick and tired. She wanted to go back to sleep but she was already so awake, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again and if she did sleep, she would sleep for the whole day. Arabella yawned and she turned her eyes up to look at him. "I'm sorry that I woke you up"
Hunter shook his head. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I was going to wake up eventually. This way, I get to make you a really nice breakfast." He said, pulling her closer. He was always going to be a little surprised at the ever-growing belly she now had. He pulled away a little and crouched down lifting up her shirt again like he had done almost everyday since ahe had started to develop the little baby bump. "Good morning to you, too." He said, placing a kiss against her skin.
Arabella looked down at him and she smiled softly to herself. Seeing him like that, so loving and so tender made her heart melt. Seeing Hunter do that everyday, was her favorite time of the day. It made her so happy to know that Hunter was so excited for this baby. As he placed the kiss against her skin, her eyes started welling up with happy tears. Hunter stood up and as soon as he saw her, he got a concerned look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but Arabella waved him off. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm just emotional. Stupid hormones" She huffed and looked up at him with big eyes and a little smile. She leaned into him and she kissed him tightly. "I love you"
Hunter pulled away a little then kissed her gently on the lips one more time. "I love you, too, Ellie." He smiled and put a hand on her cheek, sweeping a couple of tears away with his thumb. He looked into her eyes for several long moments then took her hand. "Alright, what would you like for breakfast, my beautiful wife? We've got about 3 hours before the doctor's appointment and I want to make you breakfast."
"Mmm...toast" Arabella said after a few moments and she looked up at him biting her lip. "I'm not really too hungry right now. I still feel pretty gross" She told him and she ran a hand through her hair. She let out a little sigh then kissed him. "I'm going to go get dressed. I need to find something that will fit me.." Arabella's voice trailed off then she shrugged and walked out of the bathroom with Hunter before she turned to go to her closet.
Hunter stood by the bed and watched her walk off to the closet. He sighed a little then pulled off his pajama pants and reached into his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. After a moment of thought, he grabbed another plaid shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. He took them over to the closet and handex the shorts and shirt to her. "There you go. We'll go shopping for maternity clothes after the doc's office." He said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
Arabella held the clothes lightly in her hand and she smiled a little bit in thanks to Hunter. Her stomach wasn't huge or anything but most of her clothes were skin tight and when she wore them, she just looked like she had gained about 15 pounds. Arabella turned her back to him and she slipped into the shorts before pulling the plaid shirt over her tanktop and buttoning it up. Arabella yawned then walked back over to Hunter and leaning against him, resting her forhead on his chest.
Hunter put a hand on her back and kissed her head. "Come on. Breakfast." He said with a laugh as he ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him a moment and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips before lifting her up in his arms and starting down the stairs. He brought her to the sitting room and set her down on the couch before hurrying to the kitchen and putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.
Arabella pulled her feet up onto the couch and she glanced around, feeling a little useless. She knew that if she got up and went to go help Hunter with something, he would probably just tell her to sit down or he would carry her back to the couch. A piece of her blonde hair fell in front of her face and Arabella slowly twisted it around her finger while she waited for Hunter. Arabella looked up when she heard Hunter coming back and she smiled.
Hunter placed a plate with two pieces of lightly buttered toast on the table in front of Arabella with a glass of orange juice and a small vase with a flower in it. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "Everything okay?" he asked, seeing the look on her face. "Did your craving change or something? I can go make you something else. Do you want something else?" Hunter said, starting to stand up.
Arabella tugged him down beside her again and she shook her head. "No..this is perfect" She said softly and she placed a kiss against his cheek. "Everything is fine" Arabella told him with a nod and she looked down at the tray, a little smile spreading across her lip. "Thank you for all of this" She said and she leaned into Hunter, closing her eyes for a moment.
Hunter nodded softly and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" Hunter said quietly, kissing her lightly on the temple. He put his hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. "If there is anything wrong, please tell me." He said, burying his face in her hair. He closed his eyes and placed a kiss behind her ear. "I couldn't imagine losing you or the baby." He said quietly, pulling her closer.
Arabella looked up at him and she let out a little sigh. "You're not going to either of us. We'll both be here or you" She told him and she curled up beside him. "I'm just being silly. I feel really gross and useless and slobby and I'm all emotional and it sucks" She said and let out a sigh, not looking up at him. Maybe once they got moving and left for their appointment, she would start to feel better.
Hunter sighed and leaned into her a little, kissing her gently. "You are beautiful and wonderful and perfect. You will never be anything else." He rubbed her stomach a little and then reached down, grabbing the flower off the table and putting it in her hair. "I love you." He said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "And that will not change no matter how big you get or how many times I hold your hair and rub your back as you throw up or anything else. I promise you."
"Thanks" Arabella said softly and she touched the flower lightly then grabbed the toast off of the table. She leaned back into her seat, next to Hunter and she took a bite of the toast. Chewing slowly, she thought over the day ahead of them and as she did, she drummed her fingers on Hunter's leg. "I hope that this doctor's appointment goes okay" She said and she offered a bite of the toast to Hunter.
Hunter took a bite of toast and nodded a little. "Well, if the baby is this big at two months then, I can't imagine that he's unhealthy. I'm sure we're fine." He said, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Do you know what this appointment is about? Or is it just some check up appointment where they make sure everything is okay?" He asked, placing his hand on her leg.
"It's just a check up. They'll do an ultrasound and all of that" Arabella said and she finished off the piece of toast. She picked up the glass of orange juice and took a big sip, starting to feel a lot better. "I hate all of these doctor's appointments. Going to the clinic is just so..." She said and she shuddered. "It's full of sick people and it smells too clean"
Hunter laughed a little. "Isn't that kind of the point?" He said, giving her a little squeeze. "I'll be right there with you. You'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you." He leaned back on the couch and pulled her down on top of him, so she could put her head on his chest. They had about 3 hours until they had to leave and he really wanted to just lay with his wife. He ran his hand down her side and to her stomach where he placed his hand and rubbed gently.
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Arabella slipped into a comfortable pair of shoes and she yawned a little bit. They were just going for a small apointment, but Arabella was happy that Hunter was going with her. He didn't have to and he didn't have to get up with her, but he did and he was by her side. Arabella couldn't express just how thankful she was for that. She looked over at Hunter and smiled a little bit as she put her bag on her shoulder. "Ready to go?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Hunter said, offering her his arm. She took it and he led her out of the house, locking it behind him. He opened her car door and helped her into the car before going around and getting in his own spot, starting the car. A moment later he was backing out of the driveway, heading for the doctor's office. He looked over at her and took a deep breath. "You doing okay? The baby alright? Can you feel that he's there at all? I don't know when the baby becomes a...actual...thing or something, but I don't know."
Arabella smiled a little bit at him. It was really amazing to see how excited he was about this whole thing. She liked knowing that he was totally invested in it with her. Arabella placed a hand on her stomach and she shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it. Like...it doesn't feel like an actual baby but I feel different" She said and she looked up at him. "It's rather hard to explain"
Hunter nodded a little and put a hand on her leg. "Well, if you need anything, tell me, okay?" He said, taking a deep breath. He thought a moment and then looked over at her. "Am I being too...like...I don't know. Overbearing? I don't know. I don't want to bother you. I'll do whatever you want, sweetheart."
Arabella smiled and she slid over so that she was closer to him and she could place a tender kiss on his jaw. "You're amazing, Hunter" She said softly and she smiled up at him. "I'm really, really happy that you're here for and you want to be involved in all of this. It would be easy for you to just...go on with your life" She said and she placed her hand ontop of his.
Hunter laced his fingers with hers and smiled a little. "I just want everything to be perfect." He said, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. "I would never ever leave you. This isn't your kid." He said with a nod. "This is our child and I'm going to be with you to help him." He said, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.
Arabella grinned up at him and she turned to look out of the window. As Hunter pulled up to the doctor's office, Arabella let out a sigh and she placed a hand on her teeny tiny baby bump. She always felt really uncomfortable going to a doctor's office or a hospital. Clearly, it was going to be something that she was going to need to get used to. Arabella turned to look at Hunter and gave him a small smile. Just as she was about to get out of the car, she saw that Hunter had ran over to her side of the car and was holding the door open for her. She smiled a little and took his hand, letting him help her out. "Here we go.." She said and she hooked her arm with his, walking into the doctor's office.
Hunter put his hand on hers as she held her arm. "We'll be okay." He said, pressing his lips to her cheek. They walked in and Hunter stepped up to the counter. "We have an appointment with Dr. Harris for 11." He said to the woman at the desk. She handed him a clipboard and Hunter took Arabella's hand and found a seat, helping her sit down then sitting next to her. With that he looked at the clipboard and took the pen in hand. "Okay. I'll need your name." He said with a laugh.
"Hmmm...I can't remember my name" Arabella giggled and she placed her chin on his shoulder, looking down at the orm. "I know my last name, because I'm rather ond of it. It's Reed. However, I forget my first name" She teased and she placed a kiss on his jaw. She watched him as he filled out her name and she closed her eyes. "Once we get home, I think that I need to go for a nap. Getting up at 6:45 is not working or me" She mumbled.
Hunter kissed her lightly on the temple and then continued filling out the form. It didn't take very long and a moment later he was handing it back to the woman on the desk. He sat back down and looked over at Arabella and grabbed his arm and put her head down on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Hunter took her hand and placed a kiss against her hair and watched the door, waiting for the doctor to come out and lead them back to a room where they would find out how their baby was doing. Hunter was anxious and a little nervous, but but he couldn't imagine how Arabella was feeling. She must have been a mess.
Arabella took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down a little bit. It had taken so much for them to get pregnant. It had been such a difficult process and part of Arabella was expecting something bad to happen to the baby. They couldn't go for this long and not have something major happen to them. Life just didn't work out for them that way. Arabella could feel herself drifting off in Hunter's arms. Feeling his arms around her mixed with the gentle sounds of the clinic was almost soothing. Arabella was just about to fall asleep when she heard someone say. "Arabella Reed?" and she looked up with big eyes then turned to look up at Hunter before nervously standing up.
Hunter helped her up and she hooked her arm in his. "Come on, Ellie." He said quietly, pressing his lips on her temple. She held onto his arm like she was going to float away or something. They followed the nurse back through the hallways and into an examination room. The nurse said she'd be right back and then stepped out, letting Arabella sit down carefully and get comfortable. Hunter took his spot next to her on a stool and took her hand. "Everything is going to be just fine, sweetheart." He whispered, holding her hand tightly and placing a hand on her stomach as he leaned in to put a small kiss on her cheek.
Arabella smiled softly up at Hunter and she leaned into him as much as she could from her spot on the chair. She hated sitting on the chair like that, it made her feel all exposed and vulnerable. Arabella took a deep breath as the doctor walked in and said hello to them. Hopfully, this would get easier for her the more they went to see the doctor. She listened as Hunter and the doctor talked for a minute, but she didn't really pay much attention. Arabella looked up at the doctor once she had everything set up. "Are you ready, Mrs. Reed? This is going to be cold" She said with a little chuckle and a friendly smile.
"Yeah" Arabella said softly and she put her head back, looking at Hunter. The doctor squirted some kind of gel on her stomach and Arabella squeaked. It was very cold. Goosebumps popped up all over her arms and she smiled a little bit when she felt Hunter rubbing her arms.
"How is everything going for you?" Dr Harris asked, looking at the screen as she worked.
"Really great, actually" Arabella said softly and she smiled up at Hunter a little bit. There was a bit of silence in the room and she closed her eyes. It seemed to be going well so far. Dr. Harris seemed happy at least. But then she heard the doctor gasp a little bit out of shock and Arabella snapped her head over to look at her.
"Well, well, well..this is a surprise" Dr Harris said and Arabella bit her lip, squeezing Hunter's hand tightly. That did not sound good. "It looks like it's twins" She said to Arabella in a happy voice. Twins? As in..two? Arabella looked up at the doctor with a shocked look on her face then she turned slowly to look at Hunter.
"Twins?" She breathed. Arabella could feel her heart skipping and her stomach twisting up into knots. They had tried so hard just for one. They almost didn't have any at all. Now, they were having twins. Arabella turned to look at the screen and when the doctor pointed out the two very separate babies, tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Hunter blinked at the ultrasound and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. "Uhh...wha..." He muttered, looking from the doctor to the ultrasound to Arabella then down to her stomach then back up to her. He took a deep breath and then cleared his throat a little, realizing how long he had kept his mouth open. "Twins?" He asked, looking at the doctor in disbelief. The doctor laughed a little.
"No one ever believes me." She laughed again and smiled at Arabella. "Yes, Mr. Reed. Twins. It's too early to tell the health or the type or the gender, but yes. Twins."
Arabella covered her mouth with her hand, tears falling easily. She didn't feel ready for twins at all, but she was just happy that she was actually pregnant and she was blown away by the fact that it was twins. Arabella turned to look up at Hunter and she took a deep breath. "Twins" was all she managed to say and she smiled softly up at him as the doctor cleaned off her little stomach.
Hunter let out a sigh of relief and just plain surprise as he finally realized what it meant. He took Arabella's hand away from her mouth and leaned forward, placing his lips on hers briefly before just holding her in a hug as Dr. Harris finished cleaning off her stomach. She pulled her shirt back down and then wiped off the probe and put it back on the cart. "We're going to have twins, sweetheart." Hunter whispered to her as he pulled away a little and wiped her tears away.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she nodded. "Yeah.." She whispered in a watery voice and she kissed him lightly then sat up. With shaking hands, she smoothed out her shirt and took Hunter's hand as he helped her down from the chair. Arabella thanked the doctor and said goodbye to her then hooked her arm with Hunter's and let him lead her out of the room. Everything felt lighter and better. She was nervous and anxious and worried about having twins, but it was more than she could ever ask for. Just a few months ago, she didn't think that she would ever have kids and now they were having twins.
Hunter helped her into her seat and then got into his and started the car. "That explains why you got so big so fast." Hunter said with a laugh. He backed out and headed toward there house when he stopped at a red light and looked over at Arabella. "Does that mean we'll have to buy two of everything, now? We should call Kyle and Marina and see if they have any tips or hints or extra stuff maybe." He said, moving through the stoplight.
"We should call them anway, it would be nice to talk to them for a little bit" Arabella said with a nod and she looked out of the window, placing a hand on her stomach lightly. She smiled to herself, picturing her and Hunter with two little babies with two little blankets and two little stuffed animals. "Oh my gods....two of everything.." Arabella breathed then turned to look at Hunter. "Two college funds. Two cribs. Two babies.." It was like everything was finally hitting her and her stomach twisted up at the thought.
Hunter took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "Oh my gods, I didn't even think about the college funds. I'll have to make another one." Hunter said with a nod. "We'll have to get another crib and a stroller for two babies instead of one. And blankets and toys and clothes. Well, we can't really buy clothes, yet. We need to figure out if it's two girls or two boys or a girl and a boy." Hunter took a deep breath and slipped a finger into the waist of her shorts, pulling her across the seat to him and putting his arm around her. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
Arabella sighed softly and she shrugged, placing her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. "Anything works for me" She said and she looked up at Hunter. "Shopping. Sleeping. Eating. All three" She said with a littla laugh and she ran her fingers along his thigh.
Hunter laughed and turned to her, pressing his lips to her hair. "Let's go home, then. And we can take a nap and I'll make you food and we'll have a nice night then we'll go shopping tomorrow or something." He said as he turned onto their street. It was only a moment later when he was parking in their driveway. He got out and pulled her out into his arms, shutting the door with his foot. "Couch or bed, my dear?"
Arabella yawned and she nuzzled into him. "Bed" She whispered. Part of her felt almost guilty when Hunter took care of her like this. The other part of her, however, was exhausted from waking up early and being all stressed out from the doctor's office and she was glad that Hunter was taking her into the house and up to their bedroom. He placed her down on the bed gently and Arabella tugged him down next to her, snuggling up to his side. "What do you want to have? Two boys, two girls or a boy and a girl?" She asked him in a low voice.
Hunter laid on his side next to her and put his hand on her stomach. "I'd be happy with anything, but I really want one boy and one girl. I know that we'd be lucky to get everything that we want out of this pregnancy, but I'd really like to get a boy and a girl." He rubbed her stomach for a moment before leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips. "How about you?"
Arabella nodded in agreement. "A boy and a girl would be amazing" She said softly. A small smile spread across her lips and she looked down at her stomach. "I like the balance of it. I like the idea of our daughter growing up with a protective brother" Arabella said with a little shrug and she looked up at Hunter. "I used to want a twin brother, so badly" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter smiled and unbuttoned a couple of the buttons on the shirt, revealing her pregnant stomach. He put his hand there and gently rubbed it, feeling her skin. "You're so beautiful." He said, pressing his lips gently to her stomach then back to her lips where he kissed across her cheek to her ear. "I love you."
Arabella blushed and she closed her eyes, leaning into his kisses. "I love you too, Hunter" She whispered. Being in that bed with him felt amazing. She loved laying next to him and when she felt him kissing her and holding her, the fear and the anxiety went away. Everything went still and she could breathe. Arabella nuzzled into him and she placed her hands on his arm. Slowly, she began to drift off to sleep and she was happy.
Hunter closed his eyes as he leaned back and put his head on the pillow, feeling her fall asleep in his arms. He took a deep breath and he could feel his own fatigue catching up to him. He finally took a deep breath and fell asleep.
Hunter took a little breath he woke. He rubbed his eyes and looked over to find empty space where Arabella was. The sound of retching told him all he needed to know about why she wasn't there. He quickly got up and ran to the bathroom where he crouched down behind her and grabbed her hair. He held it in a pile on her head as she threw up again. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." He said quietly as he reached around and startes rubbing her stomach. "You're okay. I've got you."
"I'm so gross" Arabella moaned and she flushed the toilet, resting her forehead on her arms. "This better be worth it" She mummbled and she stood up, going to the sink and scrubbing her teeth clean. Arabella was thankful that Hunter was taking care of her like that but her cheeks still blushed at the fact that Hunter had now seen her throw up far too many time. She folded her arms across her chest and she rested her forhead on Hunter's shoulder
Hunter put his hand on her back and rubbed it gently. "It'll be worth it, beautiful." Hunter said, placing his lips on her head. "it won't be long until we'll be holding a little pink ball of a child and you'll be just as beautiful." She looked up at him and blushed. "Good morning, hot stuff." He said giving her butt a squeeze then leaning down and going to kiss her lips then moving to her cheek.
Arabella closed her eyes and she let out a little sigh, melting into his body. She felt gross and sick and tired. She wanted to go back to sleep but she was already so awake, she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again and if she did sleep, she would sleep for the whole day. Arabella yawned and she turned her eyes up to look at him. "I'm sorry that I woke you up"
Hunter shook his head. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I was going to wake up eventually. This way, I get to make you a really nice breakfast." He said, pulling her closer. He was always going to be a little surprised at the ever-growing belly she now had. He pulled away a little and crouched down lifting up her shirt again like he had done almost everyday since ahe had started to develop the little baby bump. "Good morning to you, too." He said, placing a kiss against her skin.
Arabella looked down at him and she smiled softly to herself. Seeing him like that, so loving and so tender made her heart melt. Seeing Hunter do that everyday, was her favorite time of the day. It made her so happy to know that Hunter was so excited for this baby. As he placed the kiss against her skin, her eyes started welling up with happy tears. Hunter stood up and as soon as he saw her, he got a concerned look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but Arabella waved him off. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm just emotional. Stupid hormones" She huffed and looked up at him with big eyes and a little smile. She leaned into him and she kissed him tightly. "I love you"
Hunter pulled away a little then kissed her gently on the lips one more time. "I love you, too, Ellie." He smiled and put a hand on her cheek, sweeping a couple of tears away with his thumb. He looked into her eyes for several long moments then took her hand. "Alright, what would you like for breakfast, my beautiful wife? We've got about 3 hours before the doctor's appointment and I want to make you breakfast."
"Mmm...toast" Arabella said after a few moments and she looked up at him biting her lip. "I'm not really too hungry right now. I still feel pretty gross" She told him and she ran a hand through her hair. She let out a little sigh then kissed him. "I'm going to go get dressed. I need to find something that will fit me.." Arabella's voice trailed off then she shrugged and walked out of the bathroom with Hunter before she turned to go to her closet.
Hunter stood by the bed and watched her walk off to the closet. He sighed a little then pulled off his pajama pants and reached into his dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. After a moment of thought, he grabbed another plaid shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. He took them over to the closet and handex the shorts and shirt to her. "There you go. We'll go shopping for maternity clothes after the doc's office." He said, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
Arabella held the clothes lightly in her hand and she smiled a little bit in thanks to Hunter. Her stomach wasn't huge or anything but most of her clothes were skin tight and when she wore them, she just looked like she had gained about 15 pounds. Arabella turned her back to him and she slipped into the shorts before pulling the plaid shirt over her tanktop and buttoning it up. Arabella yawned then walked back over to Hunter and leaning against him, resting her forhead on his chest.
Hunter put a hand on her back and kissed her head. "Come on. Breakfast." He said with a laugh as he ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at him a moment and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips before lifting her up in his arms and starting down the stairs. He brought her to the sitting room and set her down on the couch before hurrying to the kitchen and putting two pieces of bread in the toaster.
Arabella pulled her feet up onto the couch and she glanced around, feeling a little useless. She knew that if she got up and went to go help Hunter with something, he would probably just tell her to sit down or he would carry her back to the couch. A piece of her blonde hair fell in front of her face and Arabella slowly twisted it around her finger while she waited for Hunter. Arabella looked up when she heard Hunter coming back and she smiled.
Hunter placed a plate with two pieces of lightly buttered toast on the table in front of Arabella with a glass of orange juice and a small vase with a flower in it. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. "Everything okay?" he asked, seeing the look on her face. "Did your craving change or something? I can go make you something else. Do you want something else?" Hunter said, starting to stand up.
Arabella tugged him down beside her again and she shook her head. "No..this is perfect" She said softly and she placed a kiss against his cheek. "Everything is fine" Arabella told him with a nod and she looked down at the tray, a little smile spreading across her lip. "Thank you for all of this" She said and she leaned into Hunter, closing her eyes for a moment.
Hunter nodded softly and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" Hunter said quietly, kissing her lightly on the temple. He put his hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. "If there is anything wrong, please tell me." He said, burying his face in her hair. He closed his eyes and placed a kiss behind her ear. "I couldn't imagine losing you or the baby." He said quietly, pulling her closer.
Arabella looked up at him and she let out a little sigh. "You're not going to either of us. We'll both be here or you" She told him and she curled up beside him. "I'm just being silly. I feel really gross and useless and slobby and I'm all emotional and it sucks" She said and let out a sigh, not looking up at him. Maybe once they got moving and left for their appointment, she would start to feel better.
Hunter sighed and leaned into her a little, kissing her gently. "You are beautiful and wonderful and perfect. You will never be anything else." He rubbed her stomach a little and then reached down, grabbing the flower off the table and putting it in her hair. "I love you." He said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "And that will not change no matter how big you get or how many times I hold your hair and rub your back as you throw up or anything else. I promise you."
"Thanks" Arabella said softly and she touched the flower lightly then grabbed the toast off of the table. She leaned back into her seat, next to Hunter and she took a bite of the toast. Chewing slowly, she thought over the day ahead of them and as she did, she drummed her fingers on Hunter's leg. "I hope that this doctor's appointment goes okay" She said and she offered a bite of the toast to Hunter.
Hunter took a bite of toast and nodded a little. "Well, if the baby is this big at two months then, I can't imagine that he's unhealthy. I'm sure we're fine." He said, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Do you know what this appointment is about? Or is it just some check up appointment where they make sure everything is okay?" He asked, placing his hand on her leg.
"It's just a check up. They'll do an ultrasound and all of that" Arabella said and she finished off the piece of toast. She picked up the glass of orange juice and took a big sip, starting to feel a lot better. "I hate all of these doctor's appointments. Going to the clinic is just so..." She said and she shuddered. "It's full of sick people and it smells too clean"
Hunter laughed a little. "Isn't that kind of the point?" He said, giving her a little squeeze. "I'll be right there with you. You'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you." He leaned back on the couch and pulled her down on top of him, so she could put her head on his chest. They had about 3 hours until they had to leave and he really wanted to just lay with his wife. He ran his hand down her side and to her stomach where he placed his hand and rubbed gently.
---------------------------------------
Arabella slipped into a comfortable pair of shoes and she yawned a little bit. They were just going for a small apointment, but Arabella was happy that Hunter was going with her. He didn't have to and he didn't have to get up with her, but he did and he was by her side. Arabella couldn't express just how thankful she was for that. She looked over at Hunter and smiled a little bit as she put her bag on her shoulder. "Ready to go?" She asked.
"Absolutely." Hunter said, offering her his arm. She took it and he led her out of the house, locking it behind him. He opened her car door and helped her into the car before going around and getting in his own spot, starting the car. A moment later he was backing out of the driveway, heading for the doctor's office. He looked over at her and took a deep breath. "You doing okay? The baby alright? Can you feel that he's there at all? I don't know when the baby becomes a...actual...thing or something, but I don't know."
Arabella smiled a little bit at him. It was really amazing to see how excited he was about this whole thing. She liked knowing that he was totally invested in it with her. Arabella placed a hand on her stomach and she shrugged. "I don't know how to describe it. Like...it doesn't feel like an actual baby but I feel different" She said and she looked up at him. "It's rather hard to explain"
Hunter nodded a little and put a hand on her leg. "Well, if you need anything, tell me, okay?" He said, taking a deep breath. He thought a moment and then looked over at her. "Am I being too...like...I don't know. Overbearing? I don't know. I don't want to bother you. I'll do whatever you want, sweetheart."
Arabella smiled and she slid over so that she was closer to him and she could place a tender kiss on his jaw. "You're amazing, Hunter" She said softly and she smiled up at him. "I'm really, really happy that you're here for and you want to be involved in all of this. It would be easy for you to just...go on with your life" She said and she placed her hand ontop of his.
Hunter laced his fingers with hers and smiled a little. "I just want everything to be perfect." He said, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. "I would never ever leave you. This isn't your kid." He said with a nod. "This is our child and I'm going to be with you to help him." He said, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.
Arabella grinned up at him and she turned to look out of the window. As Hunter pulled up to the doctor's office, Arabella let out a sigh and she placed a hand on her teeny tiny baby bump. She always felt really uncomfortable going to a doctor's office or a hospital. Clearly, it was going to be something that she was going to need to get used to. Arabella turned to look at Hunter and gave him a small smile. Just as she was about to get out of the car, she saw that Hunter had ran over to her side of the car and was holding the door open for her. She smiled a little and took his hand, letting him help her out. "Here we go.." She said and she hooked her arm with his, walking into the doctor's office.
Hunter put his hand on hers as she held her arm. "We'll be okay." He said, pressing his lips to her cheek. They walked in and Hunter stepped up to the counter. "We have an appointment with Dr. Harris for 11." He said to the woman at the desk. She handed him a clipboard and Hunter took Arabella's hand and found a seat, helping her sit down then sitting next to her. With that he looked at the clipboard and took the pen in hand. "Okay. I'll need your name." He said with a laugh.
"Hmmm...I can't remember my name" Arabella giggled and she placed her chin on his shoulder, looking down at the orm. "I know my last name, because I'm rather ond of it. It's Reed. However, I forget my first name" She teased and she placed a kiss on his jaw. She watched him as he filled out her name and she closed her eyes. "Once we get home, I think that I need to go for a nap. Getting up at 6:45 is not working or me" She mumbled.
Hunter kissed her lightly on the temple and then continued filling out the form. It didn't take very long and a moment later he was handing it back to the woman on the desk. He sat back down and looked over at Arabella and grabbed his arm and put her head down on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Hunter took her hand and placed a kiss against her hair and watched the door, waiting for the doctor to come out and lead them back to a room where they would find out how their baby was doing. Hunter was anxious and a little nervous, but but he couldn't imagine how Arabella was feeling. She must have been a mess.
Arabella took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down a little bit. It had taken so much for them to get pregnant. It had been such a difficult process and part of Arabella was expecting something bad to happen to the baby. They couldn't go for this long and not have something major happen to them. Life just didn't work out for them that way. Arabella could feel herself drifting off in Hunter's arms. Feeling his arms around her mixed with the gentle sounds of the clinic was almost soothing. Arabella was just about to fall asleep when she heard someone say. "Arabella Reed?" and she looked up with big eyes then turned to look up at Hunter before nervously standing up.
Hunter helped her up and she hooked her arm in his. "Come on, Ellie." He said quietly, pressing his lips on her temple. She held onto his arm like she was going to float away or something. They followed the nurse back through the hallways and into an examination room. The nurse said she'd be right back and then stepped out, letting Arabella sit down carefully and get comfortable. Hunter took his spot next to her on a stool and took her hand. "Everything is going to be just fine, sweetheart." He whispered, holding her hand tightly and placing a hand on her stomach as he leaned in to put a small kiss on her cheek.
Arabella smiled softly up at Hunter and she leaned into him as much as she could from her spot on the chair. She hated sitting on the chair like that, it made her feel all exposed and vulnerable. Arabella took a deep breath as the doctor walked in and said hello to them. Hopfully, this would get easier for her the more they went to see the doctor. She listened as Hunter and the doctor talked for a minute, but she didn't really pay much attention. Arabella looked up at the doctor once she had everything set up. "Are you ready, Mrs. Reed? This is going to be cold" She said with a little chuckle and a friendly smile.
"Yeah" Arabella said softly and she put her head back, looking at Hunter. The doctor squirted some kind of gel on her stomach and Arabella squeaked. It was very cold. Goosebumps popped up all over her arms and she smiled a little bit when she felt Hunter rubbing her arms.
"How is everything going for you?" Dr Harris asked, looking at the screen as she worked.
"Really great, actually" Arabella said softly and she smiled up at Hunter a little bit. There was a bit of silence in the room and she closed her eyes. It seemed to be going well so far. Dr. Harris seemed happy at least. But then she heard the doctor gasp a little bit out of shock and Arabella snapped her head over to look at her.
"Well, well, well..this is a surprise" Dr Harris said and Arabella bit her lip, squeezing Hunter's hand tightly. That did not sound good. "It looks like it's twins" She said to Arabella in a happy voice. Twins? As in..two? Arabella looked up at the doctor with a shocked look on her face then she turned slowly to look at Hunter.
"Twins?" She breathed. Arabella could feel her heart skipping and her stomach twisting up into knots. They had tried so hard just for one. They almost didn't have any at all. Now, they were having twins. Arabella turned to look at the screen and when the doctor pointed out the two very separate babies, tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Hunter blinked at the ultrasound and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. "Uhh...wha..." He muttered, looking from the doctor to the ultrasound to Arabella then down to her stomach then back up to her. He took a deep breath and then cleared his throat a little, realizing how long he had kept his mouth open. "Twins?" He asked, looking at the doctor in disbelief. The doctor laughed a little.
"No one ever believes me." She laughed again and smiled at Arabella. "Yes, Mr. Reed. Twins. It's too early to tell the health or the type or the gender, but yes. Twins."
Arabella covered her mouth with her hand, tears falling easily. She didn't feel ready for twins at all, but she was just happy that she was actually pregnant and she was blown away by the fact that it was twins. Arabella turned to look up at Hunter and she took a deep breath. "Twins" was all she managed to say and she smiled softly up at him as the doctor cleaned off her little stomach.
Hunter let out a sigh of relief and just plain surprise as he finally realized what it meant. He took Arabella's hand away from her mouth and leaned forward, placing his lips on hers briefly before just holding her in a hug as Dr. Harris finished cleaning off her stomach. She pulled her shirt back down and then wiped off the probe and put it back on the cart. "We're going to have twins, sweetheart." Hunter whispered to her as he pulled away a little and wiped her tears away.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she nodded. "Yeah.." She whispered in a watery voice and she kissed him lightly then sat up. With shaking hands, she smoothed out her shirt and took Hunter's hand as he helped her down from the chair. Arabella thanked the doctor and said goodbye to her then hooked her arm with Hunter's and let him lead her out of the room. Everything felt lighter and better. She was nervous and anxious and worried about having twins, but it was more than she could ever ask for. Just a few months ago, she didn't think that she would ever have kids and now they were having twins.
Hunter helped her into her seat and then got into his and started the car. "That explains why you got so big so fast." Hunter said with a laugh. He backed out and headed toward there house when he stopped at a red light and looked over at Arabella. "Does that mean we'll have to buy two of everything, now? We should call Kyle and Marina and see if they have any tips or hints or extra stuff maybe." He said, moving through the stoplight.
"We should call them anway, it would be nice to talk to them for a little bit" Arabella said with a nod and she looked out of the window, placing a hand on her stomach lightly. She smiled to herself, picturing her and Hunter with two little babies with two little blankets and two little stuffed animals. "Oh my gods....two of everything.." Arabella breathed then turned to look at Hunter. "Two college funds. Two cribs. Two babies.." It was like everything was finally hitting her and her stomach twisted up at the thought.
Hunter took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "Oh my gods, I didn't even think about the college funds. I'll have to make another one." Hunter said with a nod. "We'll have to get another crib and a stroller for two babies instead of one. And blankets and toys and clothes. Well, we can't really buy clothes, yet. We need to figure out if it's two girls or two boys or a girl and a boy." Hunter took a deep breath and slipped a finger into the waist of her shorts, pulling her across the seat to him and putting his arm around her. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
Arabella sighed softly and she shrugged, placing her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. "Anything works for me" She said and she looked up at Hunter. "Shopping. Sleeping. Eating. All three" She said with a littla laugh and she ran her fingers along his thigh.
Hunter laughed and turned to her, pressing his lips to her hair. "Let's go home, then. And we can take a nap and I'll make you food and we'll have a nice night then we'll go shopping tomorrow or something." He said as he turned onto their street. It was only a moment later when he was parking in their driveway. He got out and pulled her out into his arms, shutting the door with his foot. "Couch or bed, my dear?"
Arabella yawned and she nuzzled into him. "Bed" She whispered. Part of her felt almost guilty when Hunter took care of her like this. The other part of her, however, was exhausted from waking up early and being all stressed out from the doctor's office and she was glad that Hunter was taking her into the house and up to their bedroom. He placed her down on the bed gently and Arabella tugged him down next to her, snuggling up to his side. "What do you want to have? Two boys, two girls or a boy and a girl?" She asked him in a low voice.
Hunter laid on his side next to her and put his hand on her stomach. "I'd be happy with anything, but I really want one boy and one girl. I know that we'd be lucky to get everything that we want out of this pregnancy, but I'd really like to get a boy and a girl." He rubbed her stomach for a moment before leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips. "How about you?"
Arabella nodded in agreement. "A boy and a girl would be amazing" She said softly. A small smile spread across her lips and she looked down at her stomach. "I like the balance of it. I like the idea of our daughter growing up with a protective brother" Arabella said with a little shrug and she looked up at Hunter. "I used to want a twin brother, so badly" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter smiled and unbuttoned a couple of the buttons on the shirt, revealing her pregnant stomach. He put his hand there and gently rubbed it, feeling her skin. "You're so beautiful." He said, pressing his lips gently to her stomach then back to her lips where he kissed across her cheek to her ear. "I love you."
Arabella blushed and she closed her eyes, leaning into his kisses. "I love you too, Hunter" She whispered. Being in that bed with him felt amazing. She loved laying next to him and when she felt him kissing her and holding her, the fear and the anxiety went away. Everything went still and she could breathe. Arabella nuzzled into him and she placed her hands on his arm. Slowly, she began to drift off to sleep and she was happy.
Hunter closed his eyes as he leaned back and put his head on the pillow, feeling her fall asleep in his arms. He took a deep breath and he could feel his own fatigue catching up to him. He finally took a deep breath and fell asleep.
Chapter 157 - Arabella and Hunter
Arabella drove her car up to the house and she smiled a little bit when she saw Hunter's car parked in the driveway. When she had left to go shopping, he had been at work but she was hoping that he would be home when she got there. Arabella parked the car and she hurried around to the back, pulling out bags after bags and placing them on the ground. She locked her car, loaded up her arms and walked towards the house as fast as she could. It had only been a month since she found out that she was pregnant and she was already buying a bunch of baby stuff.
Hunter pulled up behind Arabella's car and looked at the door. Arabella had her arms full of bags and he quickly got out and ran to help her. "Ellie, what are you doing?" He said, taking the bags from her. She smiled and kissed his cheek quickly before opening the door and walking in. Hunter dropped the bags by the door and then wrapped his arms around his wife. "Hey there, beautiful."
Arabella grinned up at him and she leaned into his arms. She placed her hands on his chest and she kissed him tightly. "I went shopping today!" She announced with a little laugh. Arabella looked over at the bags and bit her lip. Shopping for baby stuff was making her over the moon happy. "Did you have a good day?" She asked Hunter, turning to look at Hunter again.
Hunter grinned and put his hands on her hips. "I did have a good day. And it's gotten a lot better within the past few minutes." He laughed and kissed her gently on the lips. "So, what did we buy while we were shopping?" He asked, pulling her toward the bags. "It's a good thing we're wealthy, because we'd really have to be with your shopping habits." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again, putting his forehead against hers. "So, what are we to expect this month from you and the baby?" He said, moving behind her and putting his hands on her stomach.
"Well, I just bought some toys and things like that. I didn't want to get anything too girly and then find out that I'm having a boy" Arabella giggled and she turned her eyes away from Hunter to look down at the bags."I got a bunch of groceries and vitamins and stuff too" She added then turned back to look at him, a small little smile on her face. "I don't really know what to expect this month....our little cupcake seems to be growing really big. I don't think most people actually have much of a bump at one month but..." Arabella voice trailed off and she looked down at the little baby bump she had.
Hunter smiled and crouched down so he was eye level with his stomach. He lifted up her shirt a little and ran his hand over the small bump in her stomach. To a regular person, they probably couldn't even tell it was there. "He's going to be a very healthy baby." He said with a laugh before leaning forward and placing a small kiss against her skin next to her belly button. "We're having a baby, sweetheart." He said with a smile on his face as he stood up and put his forehead on hers. "A really big baby."
Arabella grinned and she slipped her arms around his neck, leaning into him a little bit. She was excited for the whole process of being really pregnant and having the baby and everything, but she was nervous. It had taken so long and so much effort for them to get pregnant in the first place, she was afraid that something would go wrong. Arabella wiggled her nose a little bit and she kissed him lightly. "You're going to be such a wonderful dad for our big baby"
Hunter smiled and let out a happy sigh. "You are going to be a perfect mother for our big baby and you are already a perfect and beautiful wife of mine." He kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her closer, keeping his hands on her hips. "Alright. So, what can I get you? You're my pregnant wife and that means that I will wait on you hand and foot until we have our baby." He put his lips gently on hers again then bent down and lifted her up in his arms. "Where to, milady?"
Arabella laughed and she looked around before looking back at him with happy eyes. "You know that I'm pregnant and not disabled, right?" She teased then placed a few kisses on his cheeks, holding herself closer to him. "Hmmm...we could go to the kitchen and get some snacks. I'm really hungry and I'm assuming that you're hungry too since you've been at work" She said with a little nod and she put her head on his shoulder. "And I want a pickle so bad right now"
Hunter laughed a little and walked into the kitchen. He set her down in a chair and then walked to the cabinet, bringing out a jar of pickles. "Having any weird cravings, Ellie?" He said, opening it with a pop and handing to her. "I'm not really that hungry. I'm just--" He was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling. "Huh. I lied." He laughed and then reached into the fridge and cabinet, looking around for the ingredients needed for the soup he was about to make. In just a moment he was setting it all on the counter and turning on the stove. "How does soup sound?"
"Soup sounds really good" Arabella said with a nod and she picked a pickle out of the jar. She crunched into it and sighed happily. "I'm just really happy that I'm not one of those crazy people that crave like...dirt" She said and shrugged. Arabella finished off her pickle then started to fish out another one. ''What kind of soup are you making?"
"Cheese, chicken and vegetable soup." Hunter said, looking over at her. "Guess what's in it." He winked at her then set everything out on the counter. He started chopping all of the ingredients and then started mixing flour and some other things to make fresh bread. He paused a moment then turned to her. "Wait...Should I be changing anything? Like...No...flour or eggs or something. So the baby is healthy?"
"Uhm....I don't think so" Arabella said and she leaned back in the chair, looking over at Hunter with a thoughtful face on. "I think that as far as food goes, I need to stay away from processed food. Like lunch meat and processed cheese slices. I know that I can't have caffeine which is just torture.." She said, her voice trailing off. Arabella yawned a little bit and she shrugged. "It should be fine"
Hunter nodded and then thought about the ingredients of the soup. "Okay. Umm...That's...okay." Hunter grabbed the cheese and then laughed a little to himself as he put it back in the fridge then stuck his head in to find an alternative. "I know we have something..." He looked through the drawers and finally found a couple of blocks of cheese. "Umm...I can do this." He said before going back to work.
Arabella stood up and she walked over to him. She slipped her arms around his middle and she placed little kisses on his back. "You're pretty darn amazing, Hunter" She said and she stood on her toes so that she could look down at what he was doing. Arabella bit her lip and she turned her head a little bit to look at him and she kissed his cheek loudly.
Hunter laughed and quickly put an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Well, you might not be saying that after we eat." He said with a chuckle. "I have no idea how it'll turn out. This will be the first time I've tried it with not processed cheese." He sighed and put the cheese in a pot with some butter. "I hope it melts." He said, starting to stir.
"I'm sure it'll melt" Arabella said softly, keeping her eyes on the pot. Slowly but surely, the cheese started to melt and Arabella grinned up at Hunter. "Told you so" She said and she kissed his cheek quickly before pulling away and going to get her shopping bags. Arabella placed a couple of them on the table and she started to unload the groceries. "I went to that all natural health food store that I keep meaning to go to but I never do because they don't have cupcakes" She said and she opened the fridge to put some yogurt away.
Hunter laughed and kept stirring the cheese. "We have to give up cupcakes?!" He said in fake shock. "This whole thing is just not worth it if we have to give up cupcakes. I'll go back to Olympus and see if I can get a mulligan on this." He laughed again then went back to chopping vegetables. It wasn't long until he was stirring it all together. The oven beeped and Hunter quickly reached in pulling out a loaf of fresh bread. "Alright. Dinner is served, my love."
Arabella cleared off the table and she grabbed a couple spoons. As she walked past Hunter, she smacked his butt and giggled a little. She placed the spoons down on the table then sat down, taking a deep breath. Arabella bit her lip then looked up at Hunter. He was gingerly putting the soup into bowls. "Is there anything that I can do?" She asked him, leaning forward a little bit.
Hunter smiled and leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. "Get a drink. Sit down and relax." He said, running his hand down her back a moment before moving back to the food. He put some soup in a bowl and then sliced the bread, giving her two slices and then setting her plate down in front of her. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips before taking his own food and sitting across from her.
Arabella looked over at Hunter and she bit her lip a little bit, smiling. "Thanks for supper, Hunter. It looks really perfect" She said and she brushed her fingers across his knuckles before turning to the soup. Arabella took a small bite of her soup then grinned over at Hunter. "I think that this is one of my favorite soups ever" She said with a little giggle and she ripped of a piece of bread from one of her slices.
"Well, thank you for putting up with the setback." He said, taking a big bite of soup. "I actually think I like this better than the original recipe." He said with a shrug. He tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the soup and ate it. "I want to do this with you, so if you can't eat something I'm not going to eat it either." He reached across the table and took her hand. "I want to do this with you step by step."
She glanced down at her hand in his before she turned and looked up at Hunter. She let out a little breath then stood up, walking over to his side of the table and hugging him tightly. She pulled away a little bit and looked at him, locking eyes with him. "I can't imagine doing any of this without you, Hunter." Arabella said softly and she kissed him lightly.
Hunter smiled and put his hands on her hips. "I couldn't imagine not being with you." He said before pulling her down onto his lap a moment, kissing her again. He held her close and he wasn't just holding his wife. He was holding his family. He pulled away after another moment and helped her stand so she could finish eating. "So, what is our kid going to be like?" He asked, turning back to his food.
"Oh...that's a tough one" Arabella giggled and she took a bite of her soup, thinking about it. "I think that our kid is going to be totally awesome and the best kid ever. However, I might be just a little bit biased since it's, you know...our kid" She said and she shrugged a little bit. "I don't know..I think that our son would be a lot like you"
Hunter laughed a little. He though about it. "I can't imagine our kids being anything like me." Hunter sighed and took another bite of soup. "I just don't see them being as weird and dysfunctional as I am." Hunter ate another bite of soup and bit off a piece of bread. "I'm just glad that he's not a demigod. I can't imagine what I would do if they were a demigod..."
Arabella laughed and she shook her head. "I would go crazy. Simple as that" She said and she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Arabella ate a bit of her soup then looked over at Hunter after a few moments of silence. "When I say that I think our kids would be like you, I mean that I think they'll be strong. They'll be brave and kind and so full of love, they're practically burstinh. They'll be incredible human beings and they'll do so much good in the world"
Hunter sighed and nodded a little. "I hope they're like you." He said quietly. He moved his soup around a little then looked up at her. "I mean, smart and talented and loving and kind and fun and brave and strong. I think the best they could be is to be like you." He said with a nod before pushing his bread into his soup. "We can really only hope that they end up like you."
Arabella looked over at him and she let out a little sigh. "You know...you're always getting on my case about me shutting myself down all the time but I think that I rreally need to start getting on your case more often, mister" She said and she put her spoon down in her empty bowl. "You're an amazing man, Hunter. You really are"
Hunter sighed and finished off his piece of bread. "Well, the main difference is that when you say it, you're being nice." Hunter leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "I'm being honest." He said before, grabbing her dishes and putting them in the sink. "And now for dessert...Whatever you want me to get you because I don't know what you're craving, right now."
Arabella stood up and walked over to him, sliding in between him and the counter. She looked up at him with a searching gaze and a little pout on her lips. "When I say it, I'm being honest too" Arabella told him with a nod. "How many times do I have to tell you that my life is a million times better because you're in it for you to get it?" She sigh and she gingerly placed a hand on his chest.
Hunter took a deep breath and placed a hand on her cheek. "Fine. We're both incredible people who made each other's lives better." He kissed her gently on the lips. "Now, that we have that out of the way, what do you want for dessert. I will do whatever you want." He said putting an arm around her, his hand on her stomach.
Arabella took a deep breath and she shrugged. "Anything is good with me. Something sweet would be amazing, though. I'll have anything" She said and she smiled a little bit then she kissed him tightly. "It's your choice, stud muffin" Arabella nodded and she brushed her fingers down his chest before leaning back on the counter.
Hunter took a deep breath and faced her, putting a hand on either side of her on the counter. "Well, Mrs. Reed..." Hunter said, pressing his lips to hers a moment. "I was more asking what was allowed while you were pregnant. But since you said anything, how about we have...Rice Krispies treats." He said, grabbing a box of the treats.
Arabella started bouncing on the balls of her feet a little bit and her whole face lit up. "Yay!" She said excitedly and she watched as Hunter opened the box, clearly trying not to laugh at her. Arabella took one of the treats from him when he passed it to her and she grinned happily as she tore the wrapper off. "I really, really like this idea of yours" She nodded before taking a bite.
Hunter smiled and opened another one. "Well, I do have some pretty good ideas from time to time." He said, shoving the whole thing in his mouth. He laughed a little and then sat on the counter, pulling her back towards him. He started rubbing her shoulders and her back as he ate another rice krispies treat. "Is there anything I can get you, sweetheart?" He asked, running a hand down her back and to her stomach.
Arabella smiled softly and she shook her head. "No. Everything is perfect" She breathed and she leaned back into him a little bit, closing her eyes. Arabella stayed there with him for a moment, savouring the eeling of Hunter's hands on her stomach. It was something that she couldn't explain. It was wonderful. Arabella tilted her head back and she looked up at him. "Do you want to go to the couch or something? I can't help but feel that it would be much more comfortable than the counter" She said with a giggle.
Hunter leaned over and kissed her cheek before grabbing her hand. "I just like sitting next to you." He said with a smile before pulling her off the counter and lifting her up. "This is nice, too." He said as he carried her toward the couch. Hunter gave her a quick kiss on the lips before sitting down on the couch with her on his lap. She put her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. "So, what would you like to do for the rest of the night?"
Arabella shrugged a little bit and she closed her eyes. "This feels pretty good to me" She said softly, cuddling up to Hunter as close as she possibly could. As much as she wanted to be really pregnant and really big, she couldn't help but worry a little bit because it was such a new experience. Arabella knew that her stomach would be huge soon enough and she wouldn't be able to cuddle up to Hunter like she was right then.
Hunter put his arms around her and laced his fingers together. "I'm certainly enjoying it." He said, placing his chin on her shoulder. "What are we naming our kids, again? I forget. Autumn Grace, right?" Hunter placed small kisses on her neck and buried his face in her hair as he listened to the sound of her breathing. "I feel like a bad father. Not remembering our kids' names already."
Arabella giggled a little bit and she nodded. "Autumn Grace" She said and she looked up at him. "Jason Tyler, I believe" She added with a little nod then she kissed him tightly. "You won't be a bad father until they're 4 and you forget their names. Mind you, most parents do forget names...my dad used to call me Tyler when he got all flustered"
Hunter grinned and placed his lips on her cheek a moment. "It's a good thing that you're here to remember everything." He laughed and adjusted a little. "You're a lifesaver. And not the gummi kind. The mint kind." He laughed and pulled her a little bit closer. "I wonder how big you'll be next month or what kind of surprises our little cupcake will give us."
Arabella looked down at her stomach and she smiled a little bit. The bump that she had didn't really look like a bump at all. If someone she didn't know were to look at her, they would probably think that she had been eating a few too many cupcakes. For someone who knew her well or knew that she was pregnant, it would be obvious that the little bump wasn't from cupcakes, it was from a baby. "I can't wait for another doctor appointment. I never thought that I would be so happy to go to the doctor" She said with a giggle. "By the way, I was wondering if you want to know the gender of the baby before we have it? Some people don't like that"
Hunter thought for a second. "I'm going to be happy either way. I just don't know if I'll be able to handle the wait." He sighed and placed his hand on her stomach. "I want to be surprised." He said with a nod. "i think. Ellie, I want to be there for every doctor's appointment, okay? I don't want to miss a thing." He pulled her back and the laid down putting his head on the armrest. "Ellie, I don't think things could be more perfect."
Hunter pulled up behind Arabella's car and looked at the door. Arabella had her arms full of bags and he quickly got out and ran to help her. "Ellie, what are you doing?" He said, taking the bags from her. She smiled and kissed his cheek quickly before opening the door and walking in. Hunter dropped the bags by the door and then wrapped his arms around his wife. "Hey there, beautiful."
Arabella grinned up at him and she leaned into his arms. She placed her hands on his chest and she kissed him tightly. "I went shopping today!" She announced with a little laugh. Arabella looked over at the bags and bit her lip. Shopping for baby stuff was making her over the moon happy. "Did you have a good day?" She asked Hunter, turning to look at Hunter again.
Hunter grinned and put his hands on her hips. "I did have a good day. And it's gotten a lot better within the past few minutes." He laughed and kissed her gently on the lips. "So, what did we buy while we were shopping?" He asked, pulling her toward the bags. "It's a good thing we're wealthy, because we'd really have to be with your shopping habits." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her again, putting his forehead against hers. "So, what are we to expect this month from you and the baby?" He said, moving behind her and putting his hands on her stomach.
"Well, I just bought some toys and things like that. I didn't want to get anything too girly and then find out that I'm having a boy" Arabella giggled and she turned her eyes away from Hunter to look down at the bags."I got a bunch of groceries and vitamins and stuff too" She added then turned back to look at him, a small little smile on her face. "I don't really know what to expect this month....our little cupcake seems to be growing really big. I don't think most people actually have much of a bump at one month but..." Arabella voice trailed off and she looked down at the little baby bump she had.
Hunter smiled and crouched down so he was eye level with his stomach. He lifted up her shirt a little and ran his hand over the small bump in her stomach. To a regular person, they probably couldn't even tell it was there. "He's going to be a very healthy baby." He said with a laugh before leaning forward and placing a small kiss against her skin next to her belly button. "We're having a baby, sweetheart." He said with a smile on his face as he stood up and put his forehead on hers. "A really big baby."
Arabella grinned and she slipped her arms around his neck, leaning into him a little bit. She was excited for the whole process of being really pregnant and having the baby and everything, but she was nervous. It had taken so long and so much effort for them to get pregnant in the first place, she was afraid that something would go wrong. Arabella wiggled her nose a little bit and she kissed him lightly. "You're going to be such a wonderful dad for our big baby"
Hunter smiled and let out a happy sigh. "You are going to be a perfect mother for our big baby and you are already a perfect and beautiful wife of mine." He kissed her softly on the lips and pulled her closer, keeping his hands on her hips. "Alright. So, what can I get you? You're my pregnant wife and that means that I will wait on you hand and foot until we have our baby." He put his lips gently on hers again then bent down and lifted her up in his arms. "Where to, milady?"
Arabella laughed and she looked around before looking back at him with happy eyes. "You know that I'm pregnant and not disabled, right?" She teased then placed a few kisses on his cheeks, holding herself closer to him. "Hmmm...we could go to the kitchen and get some snacks. I'm really hungry and I'm assuming that you're hungry too since you've been at work" She said with a little nod and she put her head on his shoulder. "And I want a pickle so bad right now"
Hunter laughed a little and walked into the kitchen. He set her down in a chair and then walked to the cabinet, bringing out a jar of pickles. "Having any weird cravings, Ellie?" He said, opening it with a pop and handing to her. "I'm not really that hungry. I'm just--" He was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling. "Huh. I lied." He laughed and then reached into the fridge and cabinet, looking around for the ingredients needed for the soup he was about to make. In just a moment he was setting it all on the counter and turning on the stove. "How does soup sound?"
"Soup sounds really good" Arabella said with a nod and she picked a pickle out of the jar. She crunched into it and sighed happily. "I'm just really happy that I'm not one of those crazy people that crave like...dirt" She said and shrugged. Arabella finished off her pickle then started to fish out another one. ''What kind of soup are you making?"
"Cheese, chicken and vegetable soup." Hunter said, looking over at her. "Guess what's in it." He winked at her then set everything out on the counter. He started chopping all of the ingredients and then started mixing flour and some other things to make fresh bread. He paused a moment then turned to her. "Wait...Should I be changing anything? Like...No...flour or eggs or something. So the baby is healthy?"
"Uhm....I don't think so" Arabella said and she leaned back in the chair, looking over at Hunter with a thoughtful face on. "I think that as far as food goes, I need to stay away from processed food. Like lunch meat and processed cheese slices. I know that I can't have caffeine which is just torture.." She said, her voice trailing off. Arabella yawned a little bit and she shrugged. "It should be fine"
Hunter nodded and then thought about the ingredients of the soup. "Okay. Umm...That's...okay." Hunter grabbed the cheese and then laughed a little to himself as he put it back in the fridge then stuck his head in to find an alternative. "I know we have something..." He looked through the drawers and finally found a couple of blocks of cheese. "Umm...I can do this." He said before going back to work.
Arabella stood up and she walked over to him. She slipped her arms around his middle and she placed little kisses on his back. "You're pretty darn amazing, Hunter" She said and she stood on her toes so that she could look down at what he was doing. Arabella bit her lip and she turned her head a little bit to look at him and she kissed his cheek loudly.
Hunter laughed and quickly put an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Well, you might not be saying that after we eat." He said with a chuckle. "I have no idea how it'll turn out. This will be the first time I've tried it with not processed cheese." He sighed and put the cheese in a pot with some butter. "I hope it melts." He said, starting to stir.
"I'm sure it'll melt" Arabella said softly, keeping her eyes on the pot. Slowly but surely, the cheese started to melt and Arabella grinned up at Hunter. "Told you so" She said and she kissed his cheek quickly before pulling away and going to get her shopping bags. Arabella placed a couple of them on the table and she started to unload the groceries. "I went to that all natural health food store that I keep meaning to go to but I never do because they don't have cupcakes" She said and she opened the fridge to put some yogurt away.
Hunter laughed and kept stirring the cheese. "We have to give up cupcakes?!" He said in fake shock. "This whole thing is just not worth it if we have to give up cupcakes. I'll go back to Olympus and see if I can get a mulligan on this." He laughed again then went back to chopping vegetables. It wasn't long until he was stirring it all together. The oven beeped and Hunter quickly reached in pulling out a loaf of fresh bread. "Alright. Dinner is served, my love."
Arabella cleared off the table and she grabbed a couple spoons. As she walked past Hunter, she smacked his butt and giggled a little. She placed the spoons down on the table then sat down, taking a deep breath. Arabella bit her lip then looked up at Hunter. He was gingerly putting the soup into bowls. "Is there anything that I can do?" She asked him, leaning forward a little bit.
Hunter smiled and leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. "Get a drink. Sit down and relax." He said, running his hand down her back a moment before moving back to the food. He put some soup in a bowl and then sliced the bread, giving her two slices and then setting her plate down in front of her. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips before taking his own food and sitting across from her.
Arabella looked over at Hunter and she bit her lip a little bit, smiling. "Thanks for supper, Hunter. It looks really perfect" She said and she brushed her fingers across his knuckles before turning to the soup. Arabella took a small bite of her soup then grinned over at Hunter. "I think that this is one of my favorite soups ever" She said with a little giggle and she ripped of a piece of bread from one of her slices.
"Well, thank you for putting up with the setback." He said, taking a big bite of soup. "I actually think I like this better than the original recipe." He said with a shrug. He tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the soup and ate it. "I want to do this with you, so if you can't eat something I'm not going to eat it either." He reached across the table and took her hand. "I want to do this with you step by step."
She glanced down at her hand in his before she turned and looked up at Hunter. She let out a little breath then stood up, walking over to his side of the table and hugging him tightly. She pulled away a little bit and looked at him, locking eyes with him. "I can't imagine doing any of this without you, Hunter." Arabella said softly and she kissed him lightly.
Hunter smiled and put his hands on her hips. "I couldn't imagine not being with you." He said before pulling her down onto his lap a moment, kissing her again. He held her close and he wasn't just holding his wife. He was holding his family. He pulled away after another moment and helped her stand so she could finish eating. "So, what is our kid going to be like?" He asked, turning back to his food.
"Oh...that's a tough one" Arabella giggled and she took a bite of her soup, thinking about it. "I think that our kid is going to be totally awesome and the best kid ever. However, I might be just a little bit biased since it's, you know...our kid" She said and she shrugged a little bit. "I don't know..I think that our son would be a lot like you"
Hunter laughed a little. He though about it. "I can't imagine our kids being anything like me." Hunter sighed and took another bite of soup. "I just don't see them being as weird and dysfunctional as I am." Hunter ate another bite of soup and bit off a piece of bread. "I'm just glad that he's not a demigod. I can't imagine what I would do if they were a demigod..."
Arabella laughed and she shook her head. "I would go crazy. Simple as that" She said and she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Arabella ate a bit of her soup then looked over at Hunter after a few moments of silence. "When I say that I think our kids would be like you, I mean that I think they'll be strong. They'll be brave and kind and so full of love, they're practically burstinh. They'll be incredible human beings and they'll do so much good in the world"
Hunter sighed and nodded a little. "I hope they're like you." He said quietly. He moved his soup around a little then looked up at her. "I mean, smart and talented and loving and kind and fun and brave and strong. I think the best they could be is to be like you." He said with a nod before pushing his bread into his soup. "We can really only hope that they end up like you."
Arabella looked over at him and she let out a little sigh. "You know...you're always getting on my case about me shutting myself down all the time but I think that I rreally need to start getting on your case more often, mister" She said and she put her spoon down in her empty bowl. "You're an amazing man, Hunter. You really are"
Hunter sighed and finished off his piece of bread. "Well, the main difference is that when you say it, you're being nice." Hunter leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "I'm being honest." He said before, grabbing her dishes and putting them in the sink. "And now for dessert...Whatever you want me to get you because I don't know what you're craving, right now."
Arabella stood up and walked over to him, sliding in between him and the counter. She looked up at him with a searching gaze and a little pout on her lips. "When I say it, I'm being honest too" Arabella told him with a nod. "How many times do I have to tell you that my life is a million times better because you're in it for you to get it?" She sigh and she gingerly placed a hand on his chest.
Hunter took a deep breath and placed a hand on her cheek. "Fine. We're both incredible people who made each other's lives better." He kissed her gently on the lips. "Now, that we have that out of the way, what do you want for dessert. I will do whatever you want." He said putting an arm around her, his hand on her stomach.
Arabella took a deep breath and she shrugged. "Anything is good with me. Something sweet would be amazing, though. I'll have anything" She said and she smiled a little bit then she kissed him tightly. "It's your choice, stud muffin" Arabella nodded and she brushed her fingers down his chest before leaning back on the counter.
Hunter took a deep breath and faced her, putting a hand on either side of her on the counter. "Well, Mrs. Reed..." Hunter said, pressing his lips to hers a moment. "I was more asking what was allowed while you were pregnant. But since you said anything, how about we have...Rice Krispies treats." He said, grabbing a box of the treats.
Arabella started bouncing on the balls of her feet a little bit and her whole face lit up. "Yay!" She said excitedly and she watched as Hunter opened the box, clearly trying not to laugh at her. Arabella took one of the treats from him when he passed it to her and she grinned happily as she tore the wrapper off. "I really, really like this idea of yours" She nodded before taking a bite.
Hunter smiled and opened another one. "Well, I do have some pretty good ideas from time to time." He said, shoving the whole thing in his mouth. He laughed a little and then sat on the counter, pulling her back towards him. He started rubbing her shoulders and her back as he ate another rice krispies treat. "Is there anything I can get you, sweetheart?" He asked, running a hand down her back and to her stomach.
Arabella smiled softly and she shook her head. "No. Everything is perfect" She breathed and she leaned back into him a little bit, closing her eyes. Arabella stayed there with him for a moment, savouring the eeling of Hunter's hands on her stomach. It was something that she couldn't explain. It was wonderful. Arabella tilted her head back and she looked up at him. "Do you want to go to the couch or something? I can't help but feel that it would be much more comfortable than the counter" She said with a giggle.
Hunter leaned over and kissed her cheek before grabbing her hand. "I just like sitting next to you." He said with a smile before pulling her off the counter and lifting her up. "This is nice, too." He said as he carried her toward the couch. Hunter gave her a quick kiss on the lips before sitting down on the couch with her on his lap. She put her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. "So, what would you like to do for the rest of the night?"
Arabella shrugged a little bit and she closed her eyes. "This feels pretty good to me" She said softly, cuddling up to Hunter as close as she possibly could. As much as she wanted to be really pregnant and really big, she couldn't help but worry a little bit because it was such a new experience. Arabella knew that her stomach would be huge soon enough and she wouldn't be able to cuddle up to Hunter like she was right then.
Hunter put his arms around her and laced his fingers together. "I'm certainly enjoying it." He said, placing his chin on her shoulder. "What are we naming our kids, again? I forget. Autumn Grace, right?" Hunter placed small kisses on her neck and buried his face in her hair as he listened to the sound of her breathing. "I feel like a bad father. Not remembering our kids' names already."
Arabella giggled a little bit and she nodded. "Autumn Grace" She said and she looked up at him. "Jason Tyler, I believe" She added with a little nod then she kissed him tightly. "You won't be a bad father until they're 4 and you forget their names. Mind you, most parents do forget names...my dad used to call me Tyler when he got all flustered"
Hunter grinned and placed his lips on her cheek a moment. "It's a good thing that you're here to remember everything." He laughed and adjusted a little. "You're a lifesaver. And not the gummi kind. The mint kind." He laughed and pulled her a little bit closer. "I wonder how big you'll be next month or what kind of surprises our little cupcake will give us."
Arabella looked down at her stomach and she smiled a little bit. The bump that she had didn't really look like a bump at all. If someone she didn't know were to look at her, they would probably think that she had been eating a few too many cupcakes. For someone who knew her well or knew that she was pregnant, it would be obvious that the little bump wasn't from cupcakes, it was from a baby. "I can't wait for another doctor appointment. I never thought that I would be so happy to go to the doctor" She said with a giggle. "By the way, I was wondering if you want to know the gender of the baby before we have it? Some people don't like that"
Hunter thought for a second. "I'm going to be happy either way. I just don't know if I'll be able to handle the wait." He sighed and placed his hand on her stomach. "I want to be surprised." He said with a nod. "i think. Ellie, I want to be there for every doctor's appointment, okay? I don't want to miss a thing." He pulled her back and the laid down putting his head on the armrest. "Ellie, I don't think things could be more perfect."
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