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."