Hunter stretched a little as he woke up, feeling well-rested. He glanced down at Arabella who was sleeping quietly, snuggled up to Hunter's side, an arm draped across his middle, her head on his shoulder. He smiled and kissed her head once before closing his eyes and putting his head back down. It took him one more moment to realize what day it was. "Christmas!" He shouted as his eyes shot open, sitting up and looking over at Arabella. "Ellie! Ellie! Wake up! It's Christmas!" He said, lifting her closer to him and kissing her tightly on the lips, wrapping his arms around her. She was a little disoriented at first, but she quickly slid her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He finally pulled away and ran his thumb across her lips. "Merry Christmas, Ellie. I love you more than life itself."
"Merry Christmas, Hunter" Arabella whispered in a slightly raspy voice. A tired smile slid onto her face and she snuggled closer to him. "I love you like a fat kid loves cake" She giggled and buried her face into his shoulder. Christmas morning. It was finally there and even though she was a little tired from just waking up, her stomach was doing backflips of excitment. There was a jingling sound coming down the hall towards them and Arabella lifted her head in time to see Ajax pad into the room, followed by a very excited Jolie who had a jingle bell on her collar and tinsel on her head.
Hunter smiled and let out a laugh before kissing Arabella tightly on the lips and pushing her her back down onto the bed, keeping his arms wrapped around her. He rolled and then rolled again, keeping his lips firmly placed on hers the whole time. After a few moments, he stopped with Arabella on top of him. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her tightly on the lips, smiling against her skin. "How about this? How about I go downstairs and make some coffee and a huge breakfast of food that isn't good for us, then while we exchange presents we can eat and then we'll figure it out from there?" He whispered against her skin, placing small kisses on her cheeks and lips. He felt a nose against his leg and he looked to see Ajax up on the bed, sniffing around. There were a few barks and Hunter reached down blindly off the bed and snapped until he felt fur then picked up Jolie and placed her on the bed too. "Ellie, I think all I want for Christmas is right here." He said with a smile before kissing her on the forehead.
Arabella smiled a little and she nodded in agreement. She leaned into him and kissed him tightly, happy that she was in that bed with him and that their dogs were playing around on the bed. Everything was wonderful and Arabella was happy. She was blissful. "A huge breakfast and coffee sounds amazing" She said with a happy little sigh and she sat up so that she could stretch and look out the window. "It is a beautiful day" She said and looked down at Hunter with a grin.
Hunter grinned and ran his fingers through her hair a moment, kissing her again. "You know, as much as I would love to sit here in bed with you and kiss you and hold you, I'm way too excited for gifts to be here much longer." He pulled her in for a tight kiss on the lips, putting all of his love into it and hoping that it would be enough until they could do it again.
Arabella swayed for a moment, trying to regain her composure after that kiss. She took a little breath and slowly opened her eyes. "Yeah...I'm pretty excited for gifts too. You are going to LOVE yours" She said with a little giggle and she grabbed Jolie before jumping off the bed. She put Jolie down on the ground and looked over at Hunter, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet for a moment before she turned and skipped out of the room.
Hunter smiled and rolled off the bed, grabbing a shirt and slipping it on as he hurried down the stairs, catching her at the bottom and wrapping his arms around her. "No presents until after breakfast." He said, placing a small kiss on her neck then walking her into the kitchen. He pulled away from her and opened the fridge, pulling everything out for breakfast and starting to cook. He sighed once he had everything cooking and he turned to Arabella. His stomach was twisting out of eagerness to open presents, but he really wanted to save it until after breakfast. Hunter peeked out the window. It was still pretty dark due to how early it was, but you could see light snowfall and Hunter smiled before closing the curtains.
Arabella bounced a little out of excitment and nerves. She really just wanted him to love the presents she got for him. They weren't flashy or over the top but she put a lot of thought into them. She wanted Hunter to love his first real Christmas presents. Arabella looked over at Hunter and yawned, stretching her arms out. "I'm gonna have to go for a nap later today, I think" She said in a small voice.
Hunter sighed and nodded a little turning the eggs over a little. He put away a lot of the stuff that he had initially gotten out and moved the bacon to a plate. It was a little undercooked, but he didn't care. The eggs he turned up the heat on and a few minutes later he put it on a plate and handed it to her before taking his own plate and grabbing her arm. "Alright. That's it. Gifts while we eat. I can't wait." He said, hurrying her into the living room. "Me first or you first?" He said, setting his plate on the table and walking toward the presents.
"You first!" Arabella said and she put down her plate. With slightly shaking hands, Arabella picked up a medium size box. It was neatly wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a blue bow on the top, like all of hers were. She took a small breath and passed it to him. "It's not much. It just..made me think of you when I saw it" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter weighed it in his hand a moment before unwrapping it, a gigantic smile on his face. He opened it and looked inside, his smile dropping a moment in confusion when he saw the giant gummi worm inside. "What...is...Is this a giant blue gummi worm?" He said with a raised eyebrow. She giggled and nodded. Hunter set it down on the table and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "It's perfect." He said with a grin. He stood up and walked over taking a little rectangular box out from under the tree. It was wrapped in clumsily wrapped in green paper. "Okay, I was going to save this for last, but I couldn't wait." He said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the window where the curtains were closed. "Alright. Close your eyes and open the gift and your eyes when I tell you, okay?"
Arabella looked down at the gift for a moment, running her hand over the paper. It was already so perfect and she almost didn't want to open. She almost wanted to hold onto this exact moment for ever. Almost. Arabella closed her eyes and she ripped the wrapping paper off like a little kid. Once the paper was off, she held it gingerly in her hands and ran her fingers over the front of it. "Okay, so..it's some kind of book" She said with a little giggle. "Can I open my eyes, now?"
Hunter took a deep breath and opened the curtains, letting the lights from the houses across the street streaming into the room. He was shaking a little and he cleared his throat. "Okay. Open the book and look down at it." He watched her and he waited a moment. "Okay. Look out the window." He said before standing behind her and dropping to one knee.
"This better be good, Mr. Reed. Because you seem to really enjoy teasing me.." Arabella said, her voice trailing off as she slowly opened her eyes, looking down at the book in her hands. "Oh, Hunter..it's beautiful" She said in a soft voice, amazed at what an incredible book he got for her. It was a journal, made with black leather. It had small flowers on the front of it and it had little beads along the spine. On the front, it had a small metal piece with her name engraved on it. It looked like an old-world sort of journal. Arabella took a small breath and opened the journal. In the pages was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and her heart skipped a beat. A promise ring, maybe? Before she could take a long look at the ring, she looked out of the window like Hunter told her to. What she saw made her heart stop. It made everything stop. Arabella Marie Foster, will you marry me. Across the roofs of the houses across the street was the proposal that Arabella had been waiting and wishing for. She couldn't speak. She could hardly move. Tears started to flow and her hands were shaking. It was perfect. It was beautiful. And it was for her. After a moment, Arabella turned to look at Hunter and found him on one knee. She let out a little squeak and covered her hand with her mouth, trying to find words.
Hunter smiled up at her, taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm. His heart was beating out of his chest and his hands were shaking a little as he grabbed the journal because she looked like she was going to drop it. "Ellie," He started taking the ring out of the journal and taking her hand in his. "Your journal talked about your life at camp and about how much you wished you could be with me. This journal is for the new life. The life with me. Ellie, I made this ring out of my old knife that I used at camp. It was the ring that I killed Kate with." He took a deep breath and paused as his tears started to build up on his eyelashes. "Ellie, for so long I held onto that and for a long time it controlled my life and now, I just want to be with you and nothing is ever ever going to change that. You've made me happier than anything has in my entire life and I don't ever want that to change. Ellie, will you marry me?"
Ellie, will you marry me. They were such simple words but they had such an incredible meaning. Arabella never thought that she would be lucky enough to be with someone as amazing as Hunter, let alone have the chance to grow old with him. She took a small, shaky breath and she nodded. Yes. Yes, she would marry him. She would grow old with him and raise a family with him. She would wake up to his face every single day and fall asleep in his arms every single night. Tears were falling down her cheeks freely now and it was takng everything she had not to jump on him right at that moment.
Hunter smiled finally let a tear fall as he slipped the ring on her finger and stood up, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her tightly on the lips. She was going to marry him. She was going to marry him. "Ellie, I love you so much." He breathed as he held her tight in a hug that made his heart soar. He laughed and lifted her up, hugging her more closely. "I love you." He repeated finally setting her down and kissing her.
"I love you too" Arabella said softly in a watery voice. She kissed him tightly then looked down at the ring on her finger. It was more than she could ever hope for. It was prettier than any ring she had ever seen. It meant the world to her. Everything felt so surreal, almost like it was a dream. "All of my presents for you will so not live up to this" She said with a little giggle and she looked up at him with a little smile.
Hunter laughed a little and grabbed the rest of the presents setting them on the table. "They don't have to. You just gave me the best gift ever." He said, sitting down with her and putting an arm around her. "Alright." He said, picking up one of his presents. "This one?" He said, shaking the gift a little by his ear. He was still shaking a little and he was happier than ever. He didn't really care if the rest of the gifts were any good. He was happy because of his new fiance who was leaning into him on the couch. He could really get used to the feeling.
Arabella giggled, knowing exactly what present he picked up and she thought that it was pretty funny that it was following his proposal. "I think that you're gonna like this one" She said with a mischevious smile. Arabella glanced down at her ring again and her heart fluttered. They were getting married. Nothing could ruin this day.
Hunter bit his lip a little as he destroyed the wrapping paper to reveal a box that he recognized as holding clothes. "Is this a 'World's sexiest Hunter' shirt or something?" He said with a chuckle as he pulled the lid off of the box and saw a bundle of pink lace. His jaw dropped as he helped up the lingerie from Victoria's Secret. "Uhh...umm..." He mumbled as he looked over at Arabella who was giggling her butt off. He blushed, but finally smiled a little. "I don't think this will fit me." He said with a chuckle before handing it to her and following it by pushing himself on top her a little, his lips on hers. "I can't wait for tonight." He winked at her and kissed her one more time before grabbing one of her gifts and placed it on his lap. It wasn't wrapped and it was a fairly large box that wasn't taped shut or anything. Hunter smiled and looked at her. "Alright. Open it."
Arabella looked down at the large box with a little look of awe on her face. She hoped that he didn't spend too much money on her because it would probably make her feel guilty. Arabella was about to open the box when she heard small movements coming from inside the box and she squeaked a little out of shock. It wasn't a big movment, just a soft sort of rustling. Arabella looked at Hunter before gingerly lifting the lid of the box. Inside was a small, pink pig that was fast asleep. Arabella gasped and reached inside, gently lifting the small animal out of the box. It wiggled it's nose before slowly opening it's eyes and looking at her. The pig was hardly bigger than her hand and the moment she looked in it's eyes, Arabella was in love.
Hunter laughed and looked over at Arabella and scratched the pig's head. "I have no idea what compelled me to buy that for you but I knew you would love it." Hunter said putting an arm around Arabella's middle. "The stuff to take care of him is in the back of my car." The pig wiggled its nose a little and pushed it onto Arabella's cheek like a little piggy kiss. "So what's his name?" Hunter asked, scratching the pig's side.
Arabella giggled a little, smiling down at the pig. He was the most adorable thing she had ever seen and she was pretty amazed that Hunter had gotten her a teacup pig. "Oh..I don't know" She said softly and held the little pig close to her chest. "He needs a special name" She said with a little nod and gingerly patted the pig's side.
"It'll come to you." Hunter smiled and kissed her on the cheek. She turned her head and Hunter kissed her tightly on the lips, pushing her back a little. He heard a little small grunt and he turned toward the pig. "He's just so adorable." Hunter said, pulling away and grabbing a gift. "Alright. This one next?" He said, sitting back and leaning against Arabella a little.
Arabella nodded, holding the tiny pig close to her chest. Her heart started to flutter as she watched Hunter start to unwrap the present. It was one of the better gifts that she had gotten for him. It was a navy blue sweater that she had knitted by herself and she was rather proud of it. A lot of work and heart had gone into it. Arabella had also knitted a little special something in the left sleeve.
Hunter unwrapped and gasped a little as he ran his fingers over the thread. "Ellie, this is beautiful." He said, standing up and slipping it over his head. He smoothed it out and sat back down. "Ellie, this is absolutely perfect." He slipped an arm around her and kissed her cheek, feeling a difference in the fabric on his left arm. He rolled the sleeve to reveal a little pink heart on the inside. "Oh, gods...I love it!" He said, rolling it back down then grabbing a gift off the table. "This one next."
Arabella looked up at him for a moment, smiling softly when she saw the sweater on him. Seeing him in it made her feel pretty amazing. She placed the small pig on the couch beside her where it curled up and closed his eyes. Arabella took the gift from him and she quickly unwrapped it. When she got all of the wrapping paper off, she gasped at what was in her hands. It was a panoramic picture of the view from the roof of her old apartment building. Where her and Hunter had spent a few perfect moments and danced together. "Oh, Hunter..." She said softly and turned to kiss him tightly.
Hunter leaned into her, kissing her. He finally broke away and picked up the pig, holding it gingerly. "I stole your camera and then had Tom let me up." He looked up when the dogs walked over and Ajax hopped onto the couch, sniffing the pig curiously. Jolie barked and barked until Arabella finally helped her up. "Hi, guys. This is the newest member of our family. Be nice to him. He's very important." Ajax finished sniffing and then curled up against Hunter's leg. Jolie quickly did the same and Hunter set the pig down which did the same. He smiled and looked at Arabella. "Okay. What's next?"
"Last one" Arabella said and she bent down to pick up a hard box, wrapped neatly. She took a small breath and place it on his lap, hoping that he would like it. Arabella reached over and scratched behind Jolie's ear as Hunter started to unwrap his gift. Everything felt so surreal. Like she would wake up and this would all be a dream. Was she really sitting with Hunter, two dogs and a pig on Christmas morning? Was she really going to be getting married? Arabella hoped that it wasn't all a dream.
Hunter eagerly tore off the paper, revealing a small box with the 'LOVE' sign carved onto it. Gasping a little, he ran his fingers along the top of the box. "It's beautiful." He breathed, finally opening it and showing their first picture. In Philadelphia, in front of the sign carved onto the box she had her arms around him, her leg popped into the air, Hunter's hands up in the air in surprise. He laughed a little and looked over at her. "It's so much better than my last gift." He said with a sigh.
Arabella giggled and she grabbed the last gift with a grin on her face. "I am sure that it's amazing. Besides, you already gave me the best gift in the world" Arabella said softly and she lifted up her hand to show off her new ring. She smiled a little and kissed him before opening the gift. When she first saw it, she was a little stunned. It's not that she didn't like it, she loved it actually. It was more that she never expected Hunter to buy a book of sex positions. Arabella looked up at Hunter with the slightly stunned look on her face before smirking and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him teasingly. "I love it" She said softly.
Hunter put his arms around her, pulling her closer. "Well, I knew how much you've been frustrated with our lack of...intimacy, so I thought I'd get you this to make up for it." He said with a smile as he kissed her gently on the lips. "Maybe we could try one out, right now."
"Mmm...sounds good to me" Arabella said with a wink and she pushed him back a little bit, leaning into him and kissing him tightly. She giggled a little bit and brushed her lips along his jaw, running her fingers along the hem of his sweater. It was at that moment that she felt a wiggling in her side and she looked down to see the pig, wiggling around and nudging her side with his nose. She let out a sigh and sat up a little bit. "Silly pig.."
Hunter picked up the dogs and the pig off the couch and set the on the floor before sitting up with Arabella in his arms. "I think he might be hungry." Hunter said with a sigh as he stood up. "I'm going to go get his stuff out of the car. You can put this on and meet me upstairs." He handed her the lingerie and the book of sex positions. "Pick out a good one." He helped her up and placed his hands on her hips, kissing her tightly. "If we get interrupted, we are going to move away." He said with a chuckle before picking the pig up into his arms and walking off to the kitchen.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away then she looked down at Jolie. The dog looked up at her then stood up, wagging her tail. "I am so close to putting you in your crate for the next little while" She said with a nod then tossed a little chew toy to her before she ran up the stairs. She hoped that everything would go well for them. It felt like everytime they went to do something, they had to stop for whatever reason. It was a miracle that Daniel hadn't called her or just shown up on their doorstep yet. Arabella brushed her fingers through her hair and she quickly started to make the bed.
Hunter set the pig down on the counter and he grunted around, sniffing everything. Hunter walked out and grabbed the food and the pig's cage out of the car. He brought it back inside and set it up in the kitchen. "Who's hungry?" Hunter said, picking the pig up and bouncing him a little. He poured his food and set the pig down on the counter. He shuffled over and started eating, oinking happily. Hunter watched with a happy little sigh and then turned toward the stairs. He knew what would be waiting for him. He was tempted to unhook the phone and to put a sign on the door, but he just hoped it wouldn't be necessary.
Arabella quickly slipped into the lacey pink and looked around the room, her heart fluttering. Everything looked perfect and she was beyond excited. Arabella moved over and sat down on the bed, opening up the book that Hunter had got for her. She flipped through the pages, giggling at some of them. It was exciting and it was new and she was happy that she got to do stuff like this with the man that she was going to marry. Arabella heard the bedroom door open and Hunter walk in but she didn't look up, she smirked a little to herself. "I missed you"
Hunter grinned and laughed a little. "Don't you look absolutely lovely?" He said with a smile, running his fingers through his hair a moment. He walked over to her and crawled on top of her, smashing the book between them, kissing her tightly on the lips. "I missed you too." He whispered against her lips before rolling off next to her. "Did you pick one?" He said, putting an arm around her, running his fingers through her hair. He froze for a second. "Or...or did you pick more than one?" He said quietly, pausing a little in trepidation.
Arabella giggled at the way that he paused and she kissed him lightly, her lips brushing against his in a teasing sort of way before she lightly nibbled on his bottom lip. "I found quite a few that I like" She breathed and wiggled her eyebrows at him. Seeing the look on his face, she let out another giggled and she pulled herself closer to him. "This is a really wonderful present" She told him with a small nod.
Hunter took her hand and kissed her ear, moving his lips down to her neck. "Well, you gave me the best gift ever." Hunter said, holding up her ring hand and kissing it. "Alright, shall we do the...leg wrap or the...sun worshiper?" Hunter furrowed his brow and the turned his head, trying to understand what it was describing. "I'm not sure if that's...legal or possible." Hunter muttered a little. "Or what about the tight squeeze?" He said, turning the page and trying to get that position out of Arabella's mind.
"Mmm...I like them all" Arabella said with a little giggle and she leaned back against the pillows. She ran her fingers up and down his arm, closing her eyes as he looked through the book. From downstairs, she could hear a bit of movment as the dogs and the pig walked around but it was nothing serious. Arabella was just happy to be with Hunter in that moment. "Why don't you just...surprise me" She said with a giggle.
Hunter scoffed. "Oh, good. The guy who doesn't know anything is going to decide." He looked over at Arabella and placed his lips on hers. "You know what? It's Christmas. People don't show up until 7:30. Let's just start at 1 and we'll just keep going until we don't feel like it anymore." He said against her lips, flipping to the front of the book. "That's not so hard." He was about to explain, but he felt Arabella lean into him, kissing him more passionately. Hunter couldn't help, but respond. He put the book open on the night stand and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her tightly. "I'm very excited to show you off tonight." He said with a smirk against her lips.
"Oh please, if anyone is going to be showing off, it'll be me showing off my stud of a fiance" Arabella said with a little giggle and she smiled up at him. In that moment, with Hunter so close to her and his ring on her finger, she had never felt more beautiful. She felt like she could rule the world. She felt strong. Arabella kissed him lightly before turning her head to look at the book on the night stand. "You do remember that you're talking to a daughter of Aphrodite, right? If the plan is that we're just going to keep going until we don't feel like it anymore..we'll be here until we finish the book"
"Challenge accepted." He said with a small and slightly nervous laugh. Hunter took a deep breath and looked at the book. "Well, we'll skip the ones that are not...possible or the ones that make me cringe and that'll cut it in half, so it's not as many as you think." He said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her tightly on the lips. He grabbed the book and opened it to the first page. "Okay. The...No. Skipping that one. Yikes. And that one. See we're making progress already." He finally turned another page and turned the book, trying to figure it out.
Arabella giggled a little bit and she slipped an arm around his neck, placing little kisses along his jaw. "You know..we can't skip everyone either" She teased in a soft voice and without looking, she flipped the pages of the bookand randomly stopped on one. "That one" She whispered against his skin and trailed her lips down from his jaw to his neck, nibbling lightly.
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Hunter put his head down on the pillows, his breathing heavy. "How many do we have left?" Hunter said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "It's 5:30. We're not going to eat until 9 at this rate." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer on top of him. "I feel sore." Hunter said against her lips. "Like...more sore than when I fought Atlas. Or the Nemean Lion." He moved his lips across her cheek and to her shoulder where he bit her skin gently. "I really didn't expect you to be able to put your leg up like that."
"You underestimate me, Mr. Reed" Arabella let out a tired little giggle and she closed her eyes. She had snuggled close to him and now she was just focusing on the way his breath felt against her shoulder. All she wanted to do for the rest of the day was stay in bed with Hunter. Fall asleep early and get the best sleep of her life with her future husband. She turned her eyes down and looked at the ring on her finger, smiling to herself. She yawned before sitting up a bit, she she was straddling him and smiling down at him. "If you're sore..maybe I should give you a massage" She giggled and ran her hands down his bare chest.
Hunter laughed a little and pulled her down for a kiss. "I need to start the turkey, sweetheart." He smiled and sat up, rolling over and hovering over her. "Let start the turkey and some of the other food and then I'll be right up. I'm already going to have to cut the turkey up so it can cook before 9 o clock." He placed a lasting kiss on her lips. "I'll be back. Take a breather." He winked at her and stood up, steadying himself with a hand on the wall. He took a little breath and tracked down a pair of shorts, slipping them on and heading downstairs.
Arabella closed her eyes and she took a deep breath, wiggling under the blankets a ittle bit more. Now that Hunter was gone, she realized just how tired she was and how cold the air was. She shivered a little bit and rolled onto her stomach, putting her face into the pillow. Arabella was trying to be good and stay in bed while she waited for him, but it was very difficult. She also knew that she was probably going to fall asleep if she was by herself in a cozy bed for very much longer. Arabella groaned and pushed herself out of the bed, holding the blanket around her. She walked over to her closet, picking out her favorite shorts, the boxers that she had stolen from Hunter. She pulled them on before finding a tee shirt and a thick sweater. Once all of her clothes were on, she dropped the blanket on the bed and walked out, towards the stairs.
Hunter started the turkey right when he got down to the kitchen. He cooked the potatoes and started on the stuffing. It was a good headstart and things were probably going to be done right on time. Hunter stepped away from the counter and almost tripped over the animals swirling around his feet. Jolie yipped at him and then ran off into the living room, followed by the pig. Ajax put his paws up on his leg and barked. Hunter grabbed a tennis ball of the counter. "You're going to chew it up anyway." Hunter said before tossing it down the hallway. Hunter walked to the bottom of the steps and saw Arabella coming down. "You are awful at listening to directions." Hunter said with a laugh before running up the stairs and picking her up over her shoulder, carrying her back into the bedroom.
With a giggle, Arabella gave his butt a little pat. "Yeah, well you were taking too long and I was gettig bored" She said and she wiggled around in his arms a little bit. She could feel him walking towards the bed and she let out a little squeak of laughter when he flopped her down on her back. Right away, she turned over so that she was on her stomach and her back was facing Hunter and she buried her face into the blankets, trying not to laugh.
Hunter knelt on the bed next to her and started rubbing her back. "I think all the food will be ready at 8ish, so you might have to entertain our guests for about 30 minutes." He said, bending down and placing small kisses on her shoulders. "Are all the gifts ready, by the way?" Hunter asked, brushing his lips to her back and nibbling lightly on her skin. Hunter was excited for dinner, but he really just wanted to spend all day with his fiance.
Arabella bit her lip, gasping softly when she felt Hunter's lips against her back. She was focusing on that and nothing else. She didn't want to have to move or do anything, she just wanted to feel what Hunter was doing on her back. "Hmmm? Gifts? Oh, yeah..they're ready" She said softly and let out a little moan when he rubbed a knot in her back. "Hunter, you are going to make it very difficult for me to entertain our guests if you keep doing stuff like this to me" She giggled.
Hunter smiled and laid down on his stomach next to her, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer. She turned her head and Hunter caught her lips with hers. "That's alright. I'm sure the animals will do it well enough." He whispered against her lips, rubbing her back gently. He smiled as he kissed her and moved himself closer to her. "Tom and Daniel are coming. Then Your dad and Tyler are coming. Am I forgetting anyone?" Hunter pulled himself closer and kissed her cheek once before running his hand across it.
"Tyler's new crush, Gwen and her aunt might be stopping by. I invited them and they said that they might be able to make it" Arabella said with a small nod and she smiled at him before turning her eyes down to look at her ring. "I can't wait to show this off tonight" She said with a little grin and she looked up at him. "I can't wait to marry you, Hunter"
Hunter grinned and rolled, pulling her on top of him. She snuggled into him and put her head down on his chest, placing small kisses on his skin. "I love you, Arabella Marie Foster and I can't wait to marry you, too." Hunter sighed happily and wrapped his arms around her, placing his lips on hers. "You know, I never told you what I said to your dad that made him like me." Hunter smiled and brushed a little hair out of her face. "Mr. Foster, I love your daughter more than I have ever loved someone and I'm going to marry her. I know I am. You might not like me at all and you don't have to. That isn't going to stop me from marrying her."
Arabella looked at him with wide, amazed eyes. For about the billionth time, she wondered how she had gotten so lucky, how she had managed to find someone as amazing as Hunter. It almost felt like the life that she was living didn't belong to her, but she wasn't willing to give it up anytime soon. "Hunter, I think that you might be the most incredible man in the entire universe" She said and softly ran her fingers down his cheeks. She kissed him lightly and smiled against his lips. "I love you too"
Hunter smiled and kissed her cheek several times, running his fingers across her back. "I don't know what I did to deserve such a beautiful, charming, smart, kind, funny, loving, wonderful, sexy, young woman like yourself to be my fiance." He kissed her tightly on the lips and ran his hands up her back to her neck. "Whatever it is I couldn't be happier about it." He laughed a little and sat up with her in his arms. "I like you."
Arabella giggled and she kissed his nose "I like you too" She said and she buried her face into his neck. Arabella let out a happy little sigh and she snuggled into him. As much as she didn't really want to get out of bed, she was excited for dinner. It was their first Christmas dinner together and she was looking forward to many, many, many more. She was looking forward to Christmas morning with their kids and seeing them grow. She was excited for her life. "Mmm...I don't want to get up but I should probably get a shower and get dressed for tonight"
Hunter kissed her a moment and then put his forehead against hers looking into her eyes. Her brilliant blue eyes. He wanted to look into them forever and he was even happier now that it was now his luxury. He had the rest of their life together to do so. "A shower and you getting dressed sounds really good, Honey bunch." Hunter said with a little laugh as he put a hand under her butt and stood, wobbling at first, but steadying himself and kissing her as he walked toward the bathroom.
Arabella slipped her arms around his neck and she smiled against his lips as he walked towards the bathroom. "You know, I don't know how much showering I'm actually going to get done if you're in there with me" She said softly as Hunter moved his lips down to her neck "Not that I'm complaining" She breathed, pressing her fingers into his back.
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Hunter checked the turkey and ran his fingers through his hair. "I should get a haircut eventually, no?" Hunter said, leaning against the counter and pulling Arabella toward him, putting his hands on her hips. He smiled down at the pig in her arms and sighed a little. "Have you named it, yet, babe?" Hunter asked, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
"The Notorious P.I.G or Piggy Smalls or just Piggy" Arabella said with a small shrug and she smiled down at the small pig in her arms. She giggled a little bit when he wiggled his nose and she looked up at Hunter thoughtfully. Arabella ran her fingers through his hair, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I could cut it for you if you want, we can do it tomorrow"
Hunter made a weird face and looked up at her. "I'm not sure I can trust you. Let me see your credentials." Hunter laughed and pulled her between his legs and kissing her being met with a little pig nose against his jaw. "I don't know..." Hunter said, petting the pig gently. "I think Just Piggy could be shortened to JP. That's a good pig name, probably. I've never had to name a pig before." Hunter laughed a little and checked on the food again.
"Or, I could name him Kevin Bacon" Arabella said with a nod and she placed Piggy down on the ground. He pushed his little nose against her leg before he waddled off to find Jolie and Ajax. Arabella smiled then turned to Hunter. "And by the way, I am excellent at cutting hair. What do you think we did in the Aphrodite cabin?" She said with a smile and a little scoff. Arabella kissed his cheek and she walked over to the freezer, pulling out a bottle of vodka and a bottle of peppermint schnapps.
Hunter grabbed the bottles from her. "And what do you think you're doing?" Hunter said quietly, holding the bottles out of reach. "I'm all for you having a good time today, babe, but this is not needed." Hunter put it back in the freezer. "And what will your dad think when he sees you drinking. You are not 21 yet, beautiful." Hunter said, standing between her and the freezer.
Arabella looked up at him with a little pout. "My father knows that I drink, for one. And I was going to make martinis for those who wanted one" She said and let out a little sigh. Arabella thought abous trying to get around him to get to the freezer but she realized that she was too tired to do anything like that so she just leaned against the counter and looked up at him with big eyes.
Hunter sighed a little. "How do you expect me to refuse those beautiful eyes?" Hunter said, kissing her gently, running his fingers up her arm. "Ellie, it's unfair because you know there's nothing to rival that." He pushed her a little and stepped away from the fridge, walking over to check on the food again.
Arabella walked over to him and she slipped her arms around her neck, pressing her lips to his cheek. The last thing that she wanted was for Hunter to feel uncomfortable about anything and she certainly didn't want to fight with him. "I'm sorry, Hunter"
Hunter waved it off. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart." Hunter said, sliding his arms around her waist. "You can make the martinis or whatever. I'm just overreacting." Hunter kissed her and picked her up, setting her on the counter. "I'm not mad. I could never be mad at you, Ellie."
"I just...I don't want you to feel...awkward or uncomfortanle or anything like that, ever" She said softly and she ran her fingers down his chest a little before stopping and holding onto his shirt lightly. She looked down for a moment before turning just her eyes up to look at him, her long braid falling over her shoulder from the way that her head was tilted.
Hunter leaned into her and kissed her. "Ellie, I don't feel awkward. I don't feel uncomfortable. You're the thing that makes all that go away." He slid his hands down her sides and squeezed her thighs as he kissed her. "I promise. Everything is fine. More than fine." Hunter kissed her. "It's perfect." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Ding-dong.
"Oh!" Arabella gasped and she kissed Hunter lightly before jumping off the counter and running towards the door. She picked up a barking Jolie and an oinking Piggy in one arm before opening the door with the other. Daniel was standing there, with Tom and Arabella grinned.
"Arabella! You have a pig!" Daniel said in shock, giving her a one armed hug before walking into the house. "Where is Hunty!" He called in a sing-song sort of voice. Arabella rolled her eyes at Daniel with a little giggle before closing the door behind Tom.
"Merry Christmas, Tom" She said, putting the dogs down and giving him a hug.
"There's no one here by that name, but if you're looking for me then I'm in the kitchen!" Hunter shouted from his spot in the kitchen where he was mashing the potatoes.
"Hunter!" Danny hurried into the kitchen and Hunter turned around, just as Danny hugged him. "This sweater is great. Where...Who got this for you?" Hunter laughed and looked over at Arabella.
"Ellie made it for me. Can you believe that?" Hunter said with a laugh as he poured milk and butter and garlic salt and a little bit of cheese into the potatoes. He grabbed a masher and started smashing the potatoes. "How was your guys' Christmas?" Hunter said, adding a little more milk to the potatoes. "Speaking of...We have gifts for you two."
"We have gifts for you too!" Daniel said excitedly and he reached into his bag, pulling out two small presents from his bag and passing them to Arabella and Hunter. Arabella gasped and she ran over to their tree. She nudged Jolie out from under and she grabbed the two flat packages that she had wrapped in gold wrapping paper with little red bows. She walked back over and passed one of them to Tom and the other one to Daniel. As soon as she handed Daniel, his present, he gasped and he grabbed her hand, holding on tightly and close to his face. "Excuse me, missy. What is this ring on your ring finger?" He said, not looking up at Arabella, keeping his eyes on the ring.
"Oh...that" She said with a little giggle and she looked over at Hunter. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked back at Daniel. "It's my Christmas present from Hunter. An engagment ring" She said and laughed at the squeal that came out of Daniel.
Hunter smiled and stopped mashing potatoes for a second, bracing himself for the coming bearhug. Daniel trapped his arms and hugged him tightly until he couldn't breath. "Enough, Danny. Yes, we're all very happy." Danny finally released him and Hunter took deep breaths leaning on the counter.
"Congratulations!!!" Danny screamed, startling Ajax a little who ran off into the living room. Hunter laughed and finished the mashed potatoes before bending down and picking up JP.
"Have you picked a date, yet?" Tom asked, hugging Hunter, giving him a heavy pat on the back. Hunter walked over to Arabella and slipped an arm around her waist.
"We really haven't talked about it." Hunter grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. "We're still just excited."
Arabella leaned into Hunter and she smiled down at the ring. She was so excited and telling people was making the whole thing more real. Up until that point, Arabella was sure that she would probably wake up and find out that Hunter had never asked her to marry him. She took a small breath and looked up at Daniel and Tom. "You should open your gifts now" She said with a little nod and she giggled when Daniel ripped the paper off of his gift.
"A spa day? Oh, Arabella, you know me so well" Daniel said happily and gave Arabella a tight hug before hugging Hunter.
Hunter smiled and hugged Danny before looking at Tom. "What do you think, Tom?" Hunter said with a grin. Tom stared oddly at the certificate. "I think February is pistachios." Tom looked up at him and then burst out laughing.
"This is great. Thanks, you guys." Tom said with a chuckle. Hunter looked back and snapped his fingers.
"I should get back to the food. Wait. What did you get us?" Hunter asked, changing his attention quickly.
Daniel passed a present to Hunter and a little present to Arabella. She looked at it for a moment before pulling the paper off of it. Arabella looked at the little blue box, a look of awe on her face and she gingerly lifted the top of it. Inside was a delicate bracelet made out of rose gold with a few diamonds. "Oh, Danny..." She breathed. Daniel stepped closer to her and helped her get it on.
"I know that you've had a bit of an...emotional year and I wanted to thank you for everything that you've given me with the company and all of that" Daniel said in a low voice to her as he finished with the bracelet. Arabella hugged him tightly.
"Thank you" She said softly.
Hunter smiled at Arabella then turned to his own gift. He opened it and found a small box. He smiled a little and opened it to reveal a beautiful silver watch nearly identical to the one he had as a Hunter.
"We're starting to do Mens' Jewelry and that is our newest piece." Daniel said with a grin. Hunter looked down at it and slipped it out of the box and onto his wrist.
"Danny, it's fantastic. Thank you." Hunter said, hugging the both of them. Hunter sighed happily. Even though things were completely different it was comforting to feel something that reminded him of his life at camp made him happy. "Alright. I have to get back to the food or we'll never eat on time."
"Can I help?" Tom asked, stepping forward. KNOCK KNOCK Ding-dong ding-dong ding-dong KNOCK KNOCK.
Arabella squeaked and she ran to the door, yanking it open. Matthew and Tyler were on the other side of the door and when she saw them, she grinned from ear to ear. "Hi guys!" She said happily and she threw her arms around Matthew in a hug. Tyler stepped into the house and stuck out his hand to give Daniel a handshake but Daniel pulled him into a hug and Tyler let out an 'oomph!'
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart" Matthew said with a smile when Arabella finally let go of him.
"Merry Christmas, Daddy" Arabella grinned and looked around for Tyler. She rushed over to him and jumped at him, giving him a huge bear hug.
Hunter smiled and shook Tyler and Matthew's hands. "Merry Christmas, sir. Merry Christmas, Tyler." Hunter said, patting Tyler on the shoulder. Hunter briefly turned to Tom. "You could finish the stuffing or heat up the cranberry sauce or the gravy. It's jarred or canned or mix, so whatever the directions say..." Hunter laughed a little and crouched down checking the turkey. "Looks like dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes."
Arabella smiled and she walked over to the stereo that she had set up a little while ago and she turned a Christmas CD on, keeping the volume pretty low so that everyone could talk. She walked towards Hunter and leaned against the counter, smiling a little. Arabella could see Daniel and her father talking and it made her smile. Daniel was her brother and she wanted him to be able to have a good relationship with her father. They were both her family. She took a breath and looked over at Hunter. He looked amazing and all she really wanted to do in that moment was hug him. She brushed her fingers along his forearm before turning to look at Tom. "How have things been going, Tom?"
Hunter smiled and looked over at Arabella a moment, before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "Are you back at work at the apartment complex?"
"Yep!" Tom said with a grin. "I started back up again a couple of weeks ago. I feel fine honestly." Tom stretched a little. "Danny seems to make a fuss over me usually, but I'm really in good shape. Danny makes sure of that." Tom winked at Arabella who giggled, but Hunter cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"So, what did Danny get you for Christmas?" He asked, kissing Arabella lightly on the head.
"Nothing too special, really. I promised him that I would take him out on a fancy date. That was all he wanted" Tom said with a little nod and Arabella giggled.
"And he is impossible to shop for" Arabella added and Tom grinned.
"That too" He said and Arabella looked up at Hunter, snuggling into him a little bit.
"Danny is the pickiest person on the planet and he gets really fussy about certain things but when you ask him what he wants, he just tells you that he doesn't need anything" Arabella explained and she turned her eyes down to the ring on her hand for the millionth time, just to remind herself that it was actually real.
"We should have gotten him socks." Hunter said with a smile. "When do people not need socks?" Hunter wrapped his arms around Arabella and kissed her lightly on the lips before hugging her then turning back to the food. "People can sit down. We'll be ready to eat soon." Hunter grabbed Arabella's wrist. "Can put some of the food on the table?" Hunter said quietly before kissing her on the lips.
"I suppose I could manage that" Arabella said softly with a smile and she kissed him again, her heart fluttering when she did then picked up a bowl with the mashed potatoes in it and she headed towards the table. Everyone was sitting around, talking and having a good time but her father was standing off to the side, holding something gingerly in his hands. Arabella's eyes narrowed and she saw that he was holding her little statue of Aphrodite. The look on his face nearly broke her heart. It was the same look that she saw in Hunter's eyes when he looked at her. But Matthew would never get to marry the love of his life. Arabella took a breath and cleared her throat and putting the bowl on the table. Matthew quickly put the statue down and walked over to the table, sitting down.
"This looks really good, Arabella" Tyler said, sniffing the air.
"I know...I worked really hard" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Hunter put the rest of the food on the table except for the turkey. He turned to the oven and opened the door. The turkey looked good and so Hunter pulled it out and set it on the table with a knife and a fork. "Mr. Foster?" Hunter said, spinning the knife on his finger. "Would you like to do the honor?" Matthew shook himself a little and waved it off.
"Oh, no, no." He said, shaking his head a little. "You cooked it, you carve it. Besides, you look a lot better with that knife than I am." Hunter smiled and nodded before beginning to carve. He cut skillfully around each section, making sure there wasn't too much fat and making sure it was white meat or dark meat. Hunter served everyone and then served himself before sitting down.
"I'd just like to thank everyone for coming to the first Christmas here at the Hunter Reed and Arabella Foster home and I am happy to announce that this will be the last Christmas at the Hunter Reed and Arabella Foster home." Hunter looked over at Arabella and smiled proudly.
Arabella smiled over at Hunter, her heart fluttering. In the next year, she was going to be Arabella Reed. She took a sip from her water and realized that Matthew and Tyler were looking at her with very confused and slightly nervous looks on their faces. Arabella cleared her throat and grinned. "Yeah, this time next year, I won't be Arabella Foster anymore. I'll be Arabella Reed" she said and paused for a second before holding up her hand. "Hunter proposed this morning. I said yes!"
"He...wha...really?!" Tyler said in an excited voice and he looked from Arabella to Hunter and a grin appeared on his face. "Wow! That's awesome!''
"Daddy?" Arabella said in a soft voice, looking over to Matthew, who was still silent and had a hard to read look on his face. He shook himself a little and smiled at Arabella.
"That's really exciting. Congrats. I'm happy for you" Matthew said and Arabella grinned at him.
Hunter smiled and let out a happy sigh. "That's right, Danny. Soon we'll be family and that means no more flirting with me." Danny put a fake look of disappointment on his face, but then smiled and laughed along with Hunter. "Alright. I've kept you all away from your food for long enough. Dig in!" Hunter said and he closed his eyes a moment. He was just so happy and right now everything was perfect. He was going to have a family. The family he always wanted. Hunter cut one of the bones out and tossed it to Ajax who caught it in his mouth and started gnawing at it. He cut a much smaller bone and tossed to Jolie who did the same right next to him. Hunter stood a moment and put Piggy on the counter, who wobbled over to his bowl and ate a little bit before crawling into his cage and curling up. It all seemed so iconic. So picturesque and Hunter knew that today would be the start of many other moments like it. "How's the company going, Danny?"
Arabella looked up from her meal quickly to look over at Daniel. She was glad that she had given up the company to Daniel but she still cared about it and she still wanted it to be successful. It was still her name, after all. She had put a lot of work into it. ''I saw the spread in Vogue" She said giving him a little smile.
"Everything is so amazing!" Daniel gasped and he put down his fork. "You should come by the office sometime, Arabella. You need to see it now. Everything is going so well but everyone misses you so much"
"Awh, tell them I say hello" Arabella said and she took a bite out of her turkey. "Oh! I just realized that I'm going to have to go dress hunting soon. I'll need your help, Danny" She said and gave him a wink.
"Oh, and I'll need to go suit shopping. I'll need your help..." Hunter looked at Arabella, but closed his mouth when he realized how little sense that made. "Uhh..."
"I'll help." Tom said with a chuckle.
"I'll need your help, Tom." Hunter said with a smile. "Thanks." Hunter glanced around the table. "And Tyler. You could help too. Speaking of..." Hunter stood and walked behind Arabella, crouching down by her ear. "Où avons-nous mettre vos cadeaux pour votre famille?"
"Oh!" Arabella said and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Merci" She giggled and stood up, walking over to the Christmas tree.
"She always used to speak french around me when she was teasing me" Tyler muttered.
"Love you, Tyler!" She called back to him and he waved his hand. Arabella grabbed the two presents and walked back to the table, placing one down in front of Tyler and one in front of Matthew. She sat down and grinned at them "Okay, open them!" She said happily.
"Oh, dear..." Matthew muttered and he slowly started to open up his present. He got the wrapping paper open to reveal a photo on canvas of Arabella, Tyler and Matthew when Arabella and Tyler were kids and there was also two ties and a set of cuff links. "This is just...wow" He said and leaned over to hug Arabella and shake Hunter's hand "Thanks"
"Go ahead and open yours, Tyler." Hunter said with a smile. Tyler grinned and shredded the paper, an excited look on his face. He opened the box and inside were a quiver of arrows and a bow.
"WOW! Thank you so much." Tyler said with a smile as he stood and took it out. "This is awesome!"
"Now, Tyler. With the permission of your dad, I have decided to pay for lessons with me at the rec center." Hunter said, glancing over at Matthew. He smiled a moment and nodded. "And as an added bonus, you'll get to see Gwen everyday."
"Gwen? Who's Gwen?" Matthew and Danny asked, looking interested, but for different reasons. Tyler turned a bright shade of red and sat back down.
Arabella giggled and smacked Hunter's arm with a smile on her face. "Gwen is just a friend" She said with a nod.
"Ha! As if! You are not going to fool me, sister. If this Gwen is just Tyler's friend, then I am a goat" Daniel said, grinning at Tyler "So...who is she?"
"She's just a girl" Tyler muttered, his cheeks still a deep red.
"A very pretty girl who laughed at all of your jokes" Arabella teased with a little wink.
"That's how Arabella got me." Hunter said with a laugh. "I laughed at her jokes and now we're together." She scoffed and smacked his arm, but Hunter caught it and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "We're just giving you a hard time, Tyler. Seriously, if you'd like lessons, I would be honored to teach you. What do you say?" Hunter said, offering his hand as a peace offering. Tyler shook it and laughed a little.
"Thank you, Hunter." He said, taking a bite of his food.
----------------------
Arabella smiled and hugged Daniel tightly before he walked out of the door, following Tom. She smiled a little and turned to look at Hunter, letting out a happy but tired sigh. Christmas dinner had been fun and she loved it but she was very glad that their guests were leaving now and her and Hunter could just relax together. "That was a very wonderful supper, Mr. Reed" She said and walked over to him, slipping her arms around his middle and resting her forhead on his chest.
Hunter wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the head. "Why thank you, soon-to-be Mrs. Reed." He smiled at the thought and sighed happily. "Was the turkey okay? I was worried it wasn't done." She looked up at him with a look that said, 'Shut up. It was perfect.' and Hunter smiled before kissing her on the forehead. "We should do this ever year. I had a lot of fun." Hunter pulled her closer and put his chin on her head and swayed softly to imaginary music that was running through the wind that blew against the house. He reached down and took her left hand in his and held it up, taking more of a dancing position. "I love you."
"I love you too, Hunter" Arabella said softly and she closed her eyes as Hunter swayed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. It felt like it should have been in a movie or something. Arabella took a deep breath, letting out in a content sigh. "I could stay here forever" She whispered, snuggling closer to him, listening to his heart beat against her ear.
"Merry Christmas, Hunter" Arabella whispered in a slightly raspy voice. A tired smile slid onto her face and she snuggled closer to him. "I love you like a fat kid loves cake" She giggled and buried her face into his shoulder. Christmas morning. It was finally there and even though she was a little tired from just waking up, her stomach was doing backflips of excitment. There was a jingling sound coming down the hall towards them and Arabella lifted her head in time to see Ajax pad into the room, followed by a very excited Jolie who had a jingle bell on her collar and tinsel on her head.
Hunter smiled and let out a laugh before kissing Arabella tightly on the lips and pushing her her back down onto the bed, keeping his arms wrapped around her. He rolled and then rolled again, keeping his lips firmly placed on hers the whole time. After a few moments, he stopped with Arabella on top of him. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her tightly on the lips, smiling against her skin. "How about this? How about I go downstairs and make some coffee and a huge breakfast of food that isn't good for us, then while we exchange presents we can eat and then we'll figure it out from there?" He whispered against her skin, placing small kisses on her cheeks and lips. He felt a nose against his leg and he looked to see Ajax up on the bed, sniffing around. There were a few barks and Hunter reached down blindly off the bed and snapped until he felt fur then picked up Jolie and placed her on the bed too. "Ellie, I think all I want for Christmas is right here." He said with a smile before kissing her on the forehead.
Arabella smiled a little and she nodded in agreement. She leaned into him and kissed him tightly, happy that she was in that bed with him and that their dogs were playing around on the bed. Everything was wonderful and Arabella was happy. She was blissful. "A huge breakfast and coffee sounds amazing" She said with a happy little sigh and she sat up so that she could stretch and look out the window. "It is a beautiful day" She said and looked down at Hunter with a grin.
Hunter grinned and ran his fingers through her hair a moment, kissing her again. "You know, as much as I would love to sit here in bed with you and kiss you and hold you, I'm way too excited for gifts to be here much longer." He pulled her in for a tight kiss on the lips, putting all of his love into it and hoping that it would be enough until they could do it again.
Arabella swayed for a moment, trying to regain her composure after that kiss. She took a little breath and slowly opened her eyes. "Yeah...I'm pretty excited for gifts too. You are going to LOVE yours" She said with a little giggle and she grabbed Jolie before jumping off the bed. She put Jolie down on the ground and looked over at Hunter, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet for a moment before she turned and skipped out of the room.
Hunter smiled and rolled off the bed, grabbing a shirt and slipping it on as he hurried down the stairs, catching her at the bottom and wrapping his arms around her. "No presents until after breakfast." He said, placing a small kiss on her neck then walking her into the kitchen. He pulled away from her and opened the fridge, pulling everything out for breakfast and starting to cook. He sighed once he had everything cooking and he turned to Arabella. His stomach was twisting out of eagerness to open presents, but he really wanted to save it until after breakfast. Hunter peeked out the window. It was still pretty dark due to how early it was, but you could see light snowfall and Hunter smiled before closing the curtains.
Arabella bounced a little out of excitment and nerves. She really just wanted him to love the presents she got for him. They weren't flashy or over the top but she put a lot of thought into them. She wanted Hunter to love his first real Christmas presents. Arabella looked over at Hunter and yawned, stretching her arms out. "I'm gonna have to go for a nap later today, I think" She said in a small voice.
Hunter sighed and nodded a little turning the eggs over a little. He put away a lot of the stuff that he had initially gotten out and moved the bacon to a plate. It was a little undercooked, but he didn't care. The eggs he turned up the heat on and a few minutes later he put it on a plate and handed it to her before taking his own plate and grabbing her arm. "Alright. That's it. Gifts while we eat. I can't wait." He said, hurrying her into the living room. "Me first or you first?" He said, setting his plate on the table and walking toward the presents.
"You first!" Arabella said and she put down her plate. With slightly shaking hands, Arabella picked up a medium size box. It was neatly wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a blue bow on the top, like all of hers were. She took a small breath and passed it to him. "It's not much. It just..made me think of you when I saw it" She said with a little giggle.
Hunter weighed it in his hand a moment before unwrapping it, a gigantic smile on his face. He opened it and looked inside, his smile dropping a moment in confusion when he saw the giant gummi worm inside. "What...is...Is this a giant blue gummi worm?" He said with a raised eyebrow. She giggled and nodded. Hunter set it down on the table and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "It's perfect." He said with a grin. He stood up and walked over taking a little rectangular box out from under the tree. It was wrapped in clumsily wrapped in green paper. "Okay, I was going to save this for last, but I couldn't wait." He said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the window where the curtains were closed. "Alright. Close your eyes and open the gift and your eyes when I tell you, okay?"
Arabella looked down at the gift for a moment, running her hand over the paper. It was already so perfect and she almost didn't want to open. She almost wanted to hold onto this exact moment for ever. Almost. Arabella closed her eyes and she ripped the wrapping paper off like a little kid. Once the paper was off, she held it gingerly in her hands and ran her fingers over the front of it. "Okay, so..it's some kind of book" She said with a little giggle. "Can I open my eyes, now?"
Hunter took a deep breath and opened the curtains, letting the lights from the houses across the street streaming into the room. He was shaking a little and he cleared his throat. "Okay. Open the book and look down at it." He watched her and he waited a moment. "Okay. Look out the window." He said before standing behind her and dropping to one knee.
"This better be good, Mr. Reed. Because you seem to really enjoy teasing me.." Arabella said, her voice trailing off as she slowly opened her eyes, looking down at the book in her hands. "Oh, Hunter..it's beautiful" She said in a soft voice, amazed at what an incredible book he got for her. It was a journal, made with black leather. It had small flowers on the front of it and it had little beads along the spine. On the front, it had a small metal piece with her name engraved on it. It looked like an old-world sort of journal. Arabella took a small breath and opened the journal. In the pages was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and her heart skipped a beat. A promise ring, maybe? Before she could take a long look at the ring, she looked out of the window like Hunter told her to. What she saw made her heart stop. It made everything stop. Arabella Marie Foster, will you marry me. Across the roofs of the houses across the street was the proposal that Arabella had been waiting and wishing for. She couldn't speak. She could hardly move. Tears started to flow and her hands were shaking. It was perfect. It was beautiful. And it was for her. After a moment, Arabella turned to look at Hunter and found him on one knee. She let out a little squeak and covered her hand with her mouth, trying to find words.
Hunter smiled up at her, taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm. His heart was beating out of his chest and his hands were shaking a little as he grabbed the journal because she looked like she was going to drop it. "Ellie," He started taking the ring out of the journal and taking her hand in his. "Your journal talked about your life at camp and about how much you wished you could be with me. This journal is for the new life. The life with me. Ellie, I made this ring out of my old knife that I used at camp. It was the ring that I killed Kate with." He took a deep breath and paused as his tears started to build up on his eyelashes. "Ellie, for so long I held onto that and for a long time it controlled my life and now, I just want to be with you and nothing is ever ever going to change that. You've made me happier than anything has in my entire life and I don't ever want that to change. Ellie, will you marry me?"
Ellie, will you marry me. They were such simple words but they had such an incredible meaning. Arabella never thought that she would be lucky enough to be with someone as amazing as Hunter, let alone have the chance to grow old with him. She took a small, shaky breath and she nodded. Yes. Yes, she would marry him. She would grow old with him and raise a family with him. She would wake up to his face every single day and fall asleep in his arms every single night. Tears were falling down her cheeks freely now and it was takng everything she had not to jump on him right at that moment.
Hunter smiled finally let a tear fall as he slipped the ring on her finger and stood up, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her tightly on the lips. She was going to marry him. She was going to marry him. "Ellie, I love you so much." He breathed as he held her tight in a hug that made his heart soar. He laughed and lifted her up, hugging her more closely. "I love you." He repeated finally setting her down and kissing her.
"I love you too" Arabella said softly in a watery voice. She kissed him tightly then looked down at the ring on her finger. It was more than she could ever hope for. It was prettier than any ring she had ever seen. It meant the world to her. Everything felt so surreal, almost like it was a dream. "All of my presents for you will so not live up to this" She said with a little giggle and she looked up at him with a little smile.
Hunter laughed a little and grabbed the rest of the presents setting them on the table. "They don't have to. You just gave me the best gift ever." He said, sitting down with her and putting an arm around her. "Alright." He said, picking up one of his presents. "This one?" He said, shaking the gift a little by his ear. He was still shaking a little and he was happier than ever. He didn't really care if the rest of the gifts were any good. He was happy because of his new fiance who was leaning into him on the couch. He could really get used to the feeling.
Arabella giggled, knowing exactly what present he picked up and she thought that it was pretty funny that it was following his proposal. "I think that you're gonna like this one" She said with a mischevious smile. Arabella glanced down at her ring again and her heart fluttered. They were getting married. Nothing could ruin this day.
Hunter bit his lip a little as he destroyed the wrapping paper to reveal a box that he recognized as holding clothes. "Is this a 'World's sexiest Hunter' shirt or something?" He said with a chuckle as he pulled the lid off of the box and saw a bundle of pink lace. His jaw dropped as he helped up the lingerie from Victoria's Secret. "Uhh...umm..." He mumbled as he looked over at Arabella who was giggling her butt off. He blushed, but finally smiled a little. "I don't think this will fit me." He said with a chuckle before handing it to her and following it by pushing himself on top her a little, his lips on hers. "I can't wait for tonight." He winked at her and kissed her one more time before grabbing one of her gifts and placed it on his lap. It wasn't wrapped and it was a fairly large box that wasn't taped shut or anything. Hunter smiled and looked at her. "Alright. Open it."
Arabella looked down at the large box with a little look of awe on her face. She hoped that he didn't spend too much money on her because it would probably make her feel guilty. Arabella was about to open the box when she heard small movements coming from inside the box and she squeaked a little out of shock. It wasn't a big movment, just a soft sort of rustling. Arabella looked at Hunter before gingerly lifting the lid of the box. Inside was a small, pink pig that was fast asleep. Arabella gasped and reached inside, gently lifting the small animal out of the box. It wiggled it's nose before slowly opening it's eyes and looking at her. The pig was hardly bigger than her hand and the moment she looked in it's eyes, Arabella was in love.
Hunter laughed and looked over at Arabella and scratched the pig's head. "I have no idea what compelled me to buy that for you but I knew you would love it." Hunter said putting an arm around Arabella's middle. "The stuff to take care of him is in the back of my car." The pig wiggled its nose a little and pushed it onto Arabella's cheek like a little piggy kiss. "So what's his name?" Hunter asked, scratching the pig's side.
Arabella giggled a little, smiling down at the pig. He was the most adorable thing she had ever seen and she was pretty amazed that Hunter had gotten her a teacup pig. "Oh..I don't know" She said softly and held the little pig close to her chest. "He needs a special name" She said with a little nod and gingerly patted the pig's side.
"It'll come to you." Hunter smiled and kissed her on the cheek. She turned her head and Hunter kissed her tightly on the lips, pushing her back a little. He heard a little small grunt and he turned toward the pig. "He's just so adorable." Hunter said, pulling away and grabbing a gift. "Alright. This one next?" He said, sitting back and leaning against Arabella a little.
Arabella nodded, holding the tiny pig close to her chest. Her heart started to flutter as she watched Hunter start to unwrap the present. It was one of the better gifts that she had gotten for him. It was a navy blue sweater that she had knitted by herself and she was rather proud of it. A lot of work and heart had gone into it. Arabella had also knitted a little special something in the left sleeve.
Hunter unwrapped and gasped a little as he ran his fingers over the thread. "Ellie, this is beautiful." He said, standing up and slipping it over his head. He smoothed it out and sat back down. "Ellie, this is absolutely perfect." He slipped an arm around her and kissed her cheek, feeling a difference in the fabric on his left arm. He rolled the sleeve to reveal a little pink heart on the inside. "Oh, gods...I love it!" He said, rolling it back down then grabbing a gift off the table. "This one next."
Arabella looked up at him for a moment, smiling softly when she saw the sweater on him. Seeing him in it made her feel pretty amazing. She placed the small pig on the couch beside her where it curled up and closed his eyes. Arabella took the gift from him and she quickly unwrapped it. When she got all of the wrapping paper off, she gasped at what was in her hands. It was a panoramic picture of the view from the roof of her old apartment building. Where her and Hunter had spent a few perfect moments and danced together. "Oh, Hunter..." She said softly and turned to kiss him tightly.
Hunter leaned into her, kissing her. He finally broke away and picked up the pig, holding it gingerly. "I stole your camera and then had Tom let me up." He looked up when the dogs walked over and Ajax hopped onto the couch, sniffing the pig curiously. Jolie barked and barked until Arabella finally helped her up. "Hi, guys. This is the newest member of our family. Be nice to him. He's very important." Ajax finished sniffing and then curled up against Hunter's leg. Jolie quickly did the same and Hunter set the pig down which did the same. He smiled and looked at Arabella. "Okay. What's next?"
"Last one" Arabella said and she bent down to pick up a hard box, wrapped neatly. She took a small breath and place it on his lap, hoping that he would like it. Arabella reached over and scratched behind Jolie's ear as Hunter started to unwrap his gift. Everything felt so surreal. Like she would wake up and this would all be a dream. Was she really sitting with Hunter, two dogs and a pig on Christmas morning? Was she really going to be getting married? Arabella hoped that it wasn't all a dream.
Hunter eagerly tore off the paper, revealing a small box with the 'LOVE' sign carved onto it. Gasping a little, he ran his fingers along the top of the box. "It's beautiful." He breathed, finally opening it and showing their first picture. In Philadelphia, in front of the sign carved onto the box she had her arms around him, her leg popped into the air, Hunter's hands up in the air in surprise. He laughed a little and looked over at her. "It's so much better than my last gift." He said with a sigh.
Arabella giggled and she grabbed the last gift with a grin on her face. "I am sure that it's amazing. Besides, you already gave me the best gift in the world" Arabella said softly and she lifted up her hand to show off her new ring. She smiled a little and kissed him before opening the gift. When she first saw it, she was a little stunned. It's not that she didn't like it, she loved it actually. It was more that she never expected Hunter to buy a book of sex positions. Arabella looked up at Hunter with the slightly stunned look on her face before smirking and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him teasingly. "I love it" She said softly.
Hunter put his arms around her, pulling her closer. "Well, I knew how much you've been frustrated with our lack of...intimacy, so I thought I'd get you this to make up for it." He said with a smile as he kissed her gently on the lips. "Maybe we could try one out, right now."
"Mmm...sounds good to me" Arabella said with a wink and she pushed him back a little bit, leaning into him and kissing him tightly. She giggled a little bit and brushed her lips along his jaw, running her fingers along the hem of his sweater. It was at that moment that she felt a wiggling in her side and she looked down to see the pig, wiggling around and nudging her side with his nose. She let out a sigh and sat up a little bit. "Silly pig.."
Hunter picked up the dogs and the pig off the couch and set the on the floor before sitting up with Arabella in his arms. "I think he might be hungry." Hunter said with a sigh as he stood up. "I'm going to go get his stuff out of the car. You can put this on and meet me upstairs." He handed her the lingerie and the book of sex positions. "Pick out a good one." He helped her up and placed his hands on her hips, kissing her tightly. "If we get interrupted, we are going to move away." He said with a chuckle before picking the pig up into his arms and walking off to the kitchen.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away then she looked down at Jolie. The dog looked up at her then stood up, wagging her tail. "I am so close to putting you in your crate for the next little while" She said with a nod then tossed a little chew toy to her before she ran up the stairs. She hoped that everything would go well for them. It felt like everytime they went to do something, they had to stop for whatever reason. It was a miracle that Daniel hadn't called her or just shown up on their doorstep yet. Arabella brushed her fingers through her hair and she quickly started to make the bed.
Hunter set the pig down on the counter and he grunted around, sniffing everything. Hunter walked out and grabbed the food and the pig's cage out of the car. He brought it back inside and set it up in the kitchen. "Who's hungry?" Hunter said, picking the pig up and bouncing him a little. He poured his food and set the pig down on the counter. He shuffled over and started eating, oinking happily. Hunter watched with a happy little sigh and then turned toward the stairs. He knew what would be waiting for him. He was tempted to unhook the phone and to put a sign on the door, but he just hoped it wouldn't be necessary.
Arabella quickly slipped into the lacey pink and looked around the room, her heart fluttering. Everything looked perfect and she was beyond excited. Arabella moved over and sat down on the bed, opening up the book that Hunter had got for her. She flipped through the pages, giggling at some of them. It was exciting and it was new and she was happy that she got to do stuff like this with the man that she was going to marry. Arabella heard the bedroom door open and Hunter walk in but she didn't look up, she smirked a little to herself. "I missed you"
Hunter grinned and laughed a little. "Don't you look absolutely lovely?" He said with a smile, running his fingers through his hair a moment. He walked over to her and crawled on top of her, smashing the book between them, kissing her tightly on the lips. "I missed you too." He whispered against her lips before rolling off next to her. "Did you pick one?" He said, putting an arm around her, running his fingers through her hair. He froze for a second. "Or...or did you pick more than one?" He said quietly, pausing a little in trepidation.
Arabella giggled at the way that he paused and she kissed him lightly, her lips brushing against his in a teasing sort of way before she lightly nibbled on his bottom lip. "I found quite a few that I like" She breathed and wiggled her eyebrows at him. Seeing the look on his face, she let out another giggled and she pulled herself closer to him. "This is a really wonderful present" She told him with a small nod.
Hunter took her hand and kissed her ear, moving his lips down to her neck. "Well, you gave me the best gift ever." Hunter said, holding up her ring hand and kissing it. "Alright, shall we do the...leg wrap or the...sun worshiper?" Hunter furrowed his brow and the turned his head, trying to understand what it was describing. "I'm not sure if that's...legal or possible." Hunter muttered a little. "Or what about the tight squeeze?" He said, turning the page and trying to get that position out of Arabella's mind.
"Mmm...I like them all" Arabella said with a little giggle and she leaned back against the pillows. She ran her fingers up and down his arm, closing her eyes as he looked through the book. From downstairs, she could hear a bit of movment as the dogs and the pig walked around but it was nothing serious. Arabella was just happy to be with Hunter in that moment. "Why don't you just...surprise me" She said with a giggle.
Hunter scoffed. "Oh, good. The guy who doesn't know anything is going to decide." He looked over at Arabella and placed his lips on hers. "You know what? It's Christmas. People don't show up until 7:30. Let's just start at 1 and we'll just keep going until we don't feel like it anymore." He said against her lips, flipping to the front of the book. "That's not so hard." He was about to explain, but he felt Arabella lean into him, kissing him more passionately. Hunter couldn't help, but respond. He put the book open on the night stand and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her tightly. "I'm very excited to show you off tonight." He said with a smirk against her lips.
"Oh please, if anyone is going to be showing off, it'll be me showing off my stud of a fiance" Arabella said with a little giggle and she smiled up at him. In that moment, with Hunter so close to her and his ring on her finger, she had never felt more beautiful. She felt like she could rule the world. She felt strong. Arabella kissed him lightly before turning her head to look at the book on the night stand. "You do remember that you're talking to a daughter of Aphrodite, right? If the plan is that we're just going to keep going until we don't feel like it anymore..we'll be here until we finish the book"
"Challenge accepted." He said with a small and slightly nervous laugh. Hunter took a deep breath and looked at the book. "Well, we'll skip the ones that are not...possible or the ones that make me cringe and that'll cut it in half, so it's not as many as you think." He said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her tightly on the lips. He grabbed the book and opened it to the first page. "Okay. The...No. Skipping that one. Yikes. And that one. See we're making progress already." He finally turned another page and turned the book, trying to figure it out.
Arabella giggled a little bit and she slipped an arm around his neck, placing little kisses along his jaw. "You know..we can't skip everyone either" She teased in a soft voice and without looking, she flipped the pages of the bookand randomly stopped on one. "That one" She whispered against his skin and trailed her lips down from his jaw to his neck, nibbling lightly.
-------------------
Hunter put his head down on the pillows, his breathing heavy. "How many do we have left?" Hunter said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "It's 5:30. We're not going to eat until 9 at this rate." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer on top of him. "I feel sore." Hunter said against her lips. "Like...more sore than when I fought Atlas. Or the Nemean Lion." He moved his lips across her cheek and to her shoulder where he bit her skin gently. "I really didn't expect you to be able to put your leg up like that."
"You underestimate me, Mr. Reed" Arabella let out a tired little giggle and she closed her eyes. She had snuggled close to him and now she was just focusing on the way his breath felt against her shoulder. All she wanted to do for the rest of the day was stay in bed with Hunter. Fall asleep early and get the best sleep of her life with her future husband. She turned her eyes down and looked at the ring on her finger, smiling to herself. She yawned before sitting up a bit, she she was straddling him and smiling down at him. "If you're sore..maybe I should give you a massage" She giggled and ran her hands down his bare chest.
Hunter laughed a little and pulled her down for a kiss. "I need to start the turkey, sweetheart." He smiled and sat up, rolling over and hovering over her. "Let start the turkey and some of the other food and then I'll be right up. I'm already going to have to cut the turkey up so it can cook before 9 o clock." He placed a lasting kiss on her lips. "I'll be back. Take a breather." He winked at her and stood up, steadying himself with a hand on the wall. He took a little breath and tracked down a pair of shorts, slipping them on and heading downstairs.
Arabella closed her eyes and she took a deep breath, wiggling under the blankets a ittle bit more. Now that Hunter was gone, she realized just how tired she was and how cold the air was. She shivered a little bit and rolled onto her stomach, putting her face into the pillow. Arabella was trying to be good and stay in bed while she waited for him, but it was very difficult. She also knew that she was probably going to fall asleep if she was by herself in a cozy bed for very much longer. Arabella groaned and pushed herself out of the bed, holding the blanket around her. She walked over to her closet, picking out her favorite shorts, the boxers that she had stolen from Hunter. She pulled them on before finding a tee shirt and a thick sweater. Once all of her clothes were on, she dropped the blanket on the bed and walked out, towards the stairs.
Hunter started the turkey right when he got down to the kitchen. He cooked the potatoes and started on the stuffing. It was a good headstart and things were probably going to be done right on time. Hunter stepped away from the counter and almost tripped over the animals swirling around his feet. Jolie yipped at him and then ran off into the living room, followed by the pig. Ajax put his paws up on his leg and barked. Hunter grabbed a tennis ball of the counter. "You're going to chew it up anyway." Hunter said before tossing it down the hallway. Hunter walked to the bottom of the steps and saw Arabella coming down. "You are awful at listening to directions." Hunter said with a laugh before running up the stairs and picking her up over her shoulder, carrying her back into the bedroom.
With a giggle, Arabella gave his butt a little pat. "Yeah, well you were taking too long and I was gettig bored" She said and she wiggled around in his arms a little bit. She could feel him walking towards the bed and she let out a little squeak of laughter when he flopped her down on her back. Right away, she turned over so that she was on her stomach and her back was facing Hunter and she buried her face into the blankets, trying not to laugh.
Hunter knelt on the bed next to her and started rubbing her back. "I think all the food will be ready at 8ish, so you might have to entertain our guests for about 30 minutes." He said, bending down and placing small kisses on her shoulders. "Are all the gifts ready, by the way?" Hunter asked, brushing his lips to her back and nibbling lightly on her skin. Hunter was excited for dinner, but he really just wanted to spend all day with his fiance.
Arabella bit her lip, gasping softly when she felt Hunter's lips against her back. She was focusing on that and nothing else. She didn't want to have to move or do anything, she just wanted to feel what Hunter was doing on her back. "Hmmm? Gifts? Oh, yeah..they're ready" She said softly and let out a little moan when he rubbed a knot in her back. "Hunter, you are going to make it very difficult for me to entertain our guests if you keep doing stuff like this to me" She giggled.
Hunter smiled and laid down on his stomach next to her, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer. She turned her head and Hunter caught her lips with hers. "That's alright. I'm sure the animals will do it well enough." He whispered against her lips, rubbing her back gently. He smiled as he kissed her and moved himself closer to her. "Tom and Daniel are coming. Then Your dad and Tyler are coming. Am I forgetting anyone?" Hunter pulled himself closer and kissed her cheek once before running his hand across it.
"Tyler's new crush, Gwen and her aunt might be stopping by. I invited them and they said that they might be able to make it" Arabella said with a small nod and she smiled at him before turning her eyes down to look at her ring. "I can't wait to show this off tonight" She said with a little grin and she looked up at him. "I can't wait to marry you, Hunter"
Hunter grinned and rolled, pulling her on top of him. She snuggled into him and put her head down on his chest, placing small kisses on his skin. "I love you, Arabella Marie Foster and I can't wait to marry you, too." Hunter sighed happily and wrapped his arms around her, placing his lips on hers. "You know, I never told you what I said to your dad that made him like me." Hunter smiled and brushed a little hair out of her face. "Mr. Foster, I love your daughter more than I have ever loved someone and I'm going to marry her. I know I am. You might not like me at all and you don't have to. That isn't going to stop me from marrying her."
Arabella looked at him with wide, amazed eyes. For about the billionth time, she wondered how she had gotten so lucky, how she had managed to find someone as amazing as Hunter. It almost felt like the life that she was living didn't belong to her, but she wasn't willing to give it up anytime soon. "Hunter, I think that you might be the most incredible man in the entire universe" She said and softly ran her fingers down his cheeks. She kissed him lightly and smiled against his lips. "I love you too"
Hunter smiled and kissed her cheek several times, running his fingers across her back. "I don't know what I did to deserve such a beautiful, charming, smart, kind, funny, loving, wonderful, sexy, young woman like yourself to be my fiance." He kissed her tightly on the lips and ran his hands up her back to her neck. "Whatever it is I couldn't be happier about it." He laughed a little and sat up with her in his arms. "I like you."
Arabella giggled and she kissed his nose "I like you too" She said and she buried her face into his neck. Arabella let out a happy little sigh and she snuggled into him. As much as she didn't really want to get out of bed, she was excited for dinner. It was their first Christmas dinner together and she was looking forward to many, many, many more. She was looking forward to Christmas morning with their kids and seeing them grow. She was excited for her life. "Mmm...I don't want to get up but I should probably get a shower and get dressed for tonight"
Hunter kissed her a moment and then put his forehead against hers looking into her eyes. Her brilliant blue eyes. He wanted to look into them forever and he was even happier now that it was now his luxury. He had the rest of their life together to do so. "A shower and you getting dressed sounds really good, Honey bunch." Hunter said with a little laugh as he put a hand under her butt and stood, wobbling at first, but steadying himself and kissing her as he walked toward the bathroom.
Arabella slipped her arms around his neck and she smiled against his lips as he walked towards the bathroom. "You know, I don't know how much showering I'm actually going to get done if you're in there with me" She said softly as Hunter moved his lips down to her neck "Not that I'm complaining" She breathed, pressing her fingers into his back.
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Hunter checked the turkey and ran his fingers through his hair. "I should get a haircut eventually, no?" Hunter said, leaning against the counter and pulling Arabella toward him, putting his hands on her hips. He smiled down at the pig in her arms and sighed a little. "Have you named it, yet, babe?" Hunter asked, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
"The Notorious P.I.G or Piggy Smalls or just Piggy" Arabella said with a small shrug and she smiled down at the small pig in her arms. She giggled a little bit when he wiggled his nose and she looked up at Hunter thoughtfully. Arabella ran her fingers through his hair, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I could cut it for you if you want, we can do it tomorrow"
Hunter made a weird face and looked up at her. "I'm not sure I can trust you. Let me see your credentials." Hunter laughed and pulled her between his legs and kissing her being met with a little pig nose against his jaw. "I don't know..." Hunter said, petting the pig gently. "I think Just Piggy could be shortened to JP. That's a good pig name, probably. I've never had to name a pig before." Hunter laughed a little and checked on the food again.
"Or, I could name him Kevin Bacon" Arabella said with a nod and she placed Piggy down on the ground. He pushed his little nose against her leg before he waddled off to find Jolie and Ajax. Arabella smiled then turned to Hunter. "And by the way, I am excellent at cutting hair. What do you think we did in the Aphrodite cabin?" She said with a smile and a little scoff. Arabella kissed his cheek and she walked over to the freezer, pulling out a bottle of vodka and a bottle of peppermint schnapps.
Hunter grabbed the bottles from her. "And what do you think you're doing?" Hunter said quietly, holding the bottles out of reach. "I'm all for you having a good time today, babe, but this is not needed." Hunter put it back in the freezer. "And what will your dad think when he sees you drinking. You are not 21 yet, beautiful." Hunter said, standing between her and the freezer.
Arabella looked up at him with a little pout. "My father knows that I drink, for one. And I was going to make martinis for those who wanted one" She said and let out a little sigh. Arabella thought abous trying to get around him to get to the freezer but she realized that she was too tired to do anything like that so she just leaned against the counter and looked up at him with big eyes.
Hunter sighed a little. "How do you expect me to refuse those beautiful eyes?" Hunter said, kissing her gently, running his fingers up her arm. "Ellie, it's unfair because you know there's nothing to rival that." He pushed her a little and stepped away from the fridge, walking over to check on the food again.
Arabella walked over to him and she slipped her arms around her neck, pressing her lips to his cheek. The last thing that she wanted was for Hunter to feel uncomfortable about anything and she certainly didn't want to fight with him. "I'm sorry, Hunter"
Hunter waved it off. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart." Hunter said, sliding his arms around her waist. "You can make the martinis or whatever. I'm just overreacting." Hunter kissed her and picked her up, setting her on the counter. "I'm not mad. I could never be mad at you, Ellie."
"I just...I don't want you to feel...awkward or uncomfortanle or anything like that, ever" She said softly and she ran her fingers down his chest a little before stopping and holding onto his shirt lightly. She looked down for a moment before turning just her eyes up to look at him, her long braid falling over her shoulder from the way that her head was tilted.
Hunter leaned into her and kissed her. "Ellie, I don't feel awkward. I don't feel uncomfortable. You're the thing that makes all that go away." He slid his hands down her sides and squeezed her thighs as he kissed her. "I promise. Everything is fine. More than fine." Hunter kissed her. "It's perfect." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Ding-dong.
"Oh!" Arabella gasped and she kissed Hunter lightly before jumping off the counter and running towards the door. She picked up a barking Jolie and an oinking Piggy in one arm before opening the door with the other. Daniel was standing there, with Tom and Arabella grinned.
"Arabella! You have a pig!" Daniel said in shock, giving her a one armed hug before walking into the house. "Where is Hunty!" He called in a sing-song sort of voice. Arabella rolled her eyes at Daniel with a little giggle before closing the door behind Tom.
"Merry Christmas, Tom" She said, putting the dogs down and giving him a hug.
"There's no one here by that name, but if you're looking for me then I'm in the kitchen!" Hunter shouted from his spot in the kitchen where he was mashing the potatoes.
"Hunter!" Danny hurried into the kitchen and Hunter turned around, just as Danny hugged him. "This sweater is great. Where...Who got this for you?" Hunter laughed and looked over at Arabella.
"Ellie made it for me. Can you believe that?" Hunter said with a laugh as he poured milk and butter and garlic salt and a little bit of cheese into the potatoes. He grabbed a masher and started smashing the potatoes. "How was your guys' Christmas?" Hunter said, adding a little more milk to the potatoes. "Speaking of...We have gifts for you two."
"We have gifts for you too!" Daniel said excitedly and he reached into his bag, pulling out two small presents from his bag and passing them to Arabella and Hunter. Arabella gasped and she ran over to their tree. She nudged Jolie out from under and she grabbed the two flat packages that she had wrapped in gold wrapping paper with little red bows. She walked back over and passed one of them to Tom and the other one to Daniel. As soon as she handed Daniel, his present, he gasped and he grabbed her hand, holding on tightly and close to his face. "Excuse me, missy. What is this ring on your ring finger?" He said, not looking up at Arabella, keeping his eyes on the ring.
"Oh...that" She said with a little giggle and she looked over at Hunter. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked back at Daniel. "It's my Christmas present from Hunter. An engagment ring" She said and laughed at the squeal that came out of Daniel.
Hunter smiled and stopped mashing potatoes for a second, bracing himself for the coming bearhug. Daniel trapped his arms and hugged him tightly until he couldn't breath. "Enough, Danny. Yes, we're all very happy." Danny finally released him and Hunter took deep breaths leaning on the counter.
"Congratulations!!!" Danny screamed, startling Ajax a little who ran off into the living room. Hunter laughed and finished the mashed potatoes before bending down and picking up JP.
"Have you picked a date, yet?" Tom asked, hugging Hunter, giving him a heavy pat on the back. Hunter walked over to Arabella and slipped an arm around her waist.
"We really haven't talked about it." Hunter grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. "We're still just excited."
Arabella leaned into Hunter and she smiled down at the ring. She was so excited and telling people was making the whole thing more real. Up until that point, Arabella was sure that she would probably wake up and find out that Hunter had never asked her to marry him. She took a small breath and looked up at Daniel and Tom. "You should open your gifts now" She said with a little nod and she giggled when Daniel ripped the paper off of his gift.
"A spa day? Oh, Arabella, you know me so well" Daniel said happily and gave Arabella a tight hug before hugging Hunter.
Hunter smiled and hugged Danny before looking at Tom. "What do you think, Tom?" Hunter said with a grin. Tom stared oddly at the certificate. "I think February is pistachios." Tom looked up at him and then burst out laughing.
"This is great. Thanks, you guys." Tom said with a chuckle. Hunter looked back and snapped his fingers.
"I should get back to the food. Wait. What did you get us?" Hunter asked, changing his attention quickly.
Daniel passed a present to Hunter and a little present to Arabella. She looked at it for a moment before pulling the paper off of it. Arabella looked at the little blue box, a look of awe on her face and she gingerly lifted the top of it. Inside was a delicate bracelet made out of rose gold with a few diamonds. "Oh, Danny..." She breathed. Daniel stepped closer to her and helped her get it on.
"I know that you've had a bit of an...emotional year and I wanted to thank you for everything that you've given me with the company and all of that" Daniel said in a low voice to her as he finished with the bracelet. Arabella hugged him tightly.
"Thank you" She said softly.
Hunter smiled at Arabella then turned to his own gift. He opened it and found a small box. He smiled a little and opened it to reveal a beautiful silver watch nearly identical to the one he had as a Hunter.
"We're starting to do Mens' Jewelry and that is our newest piece." Daniel said with a grin. Hunter looked down at it and slipped it out of the box and onto his wrist.
"Danny, it's fantastic. Thank you." Hunter said, hugging the both of them. Hunter sighed happily. Even though things were completely different it was comforting to feel something that reminded him of his life at camp made him happy. "Alright. I have to get back to the food or we'll never eat on time."
"Can I help?" Tom asked, stepping forward. KNOCK KNOCK Ding-dong ding-dong ding-dong KNOCK KNOCK.
Arabella squeaked and she ran to the door, yanking it open. Matthew and Tyler were on the other side of the door and when she saw them, she grinned from ear to ear. "Hi guys!" She said happily and she threw her arms around Matthew in a hug. Tyler stepped into the house and stuck out his hand to give Daniel a handshake but Daniel pulled him into a hug and Tyler let out an 'oomph!'
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart" Matthew said with a smile when Arabella finally let go of him.
"Merry Christmas, Daddy" Arabella grinned and looked around for Tyler. She rushed over to him and jumped at him, giving him a huge bear hug.
Hunter smiled and shook Tyler and Matthew's hands. "Merry Christmas, sir. Merry Christmas, Tyler." Hunter said, patting Tyler on the shoulder. Hunter briefly turned to Tom. "You could finish the stuffing or heat up the cranberry sauce or the gravy. It's jarred or canned or mix, so whatever the directions say..." Hunter laughed a little and crouched down checking the turkey. "Looks like dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes."
Arabella smiled and she walked over to the stereo that she had set up a little while ago and she turned a Christmas CD on, keeping the volume pretty low so that everyone could talk. She walked towards Hunter and leaned against the counter, smiling a little. Arabella could see Daniel and her father talking and it made her smile. Daniel was her brother and she wanted him to be able to have a good relationship with her father. They were both her family. She took a breath and looked over at Hunter. He looked amazing and all she really wanted to do in that moment was hug him. She brushed her fingers along his forearm before turning to look at Tom. "How have things been going, Tom?"
Hunter smiled and looked over at Arabella a moment, before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "Are you back at work at the apartment complex?"
"Yep!" Tom said with a grin. "I started back up again a couple of weeks ago. I feel fine honestly." Tom stretched a little. "Danny seems to make a fuss over me usually, but I'm really in good shape. Danny makes sure of that." Tom winked at Arabella who giggled, but Hunter cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"So, what did Danny get you for Christmas?" He asked, kissing Arabella lightly on the head.
"Nothing too special, really. I promised him that I would take him out on a fancy date. That was all he wanted" Tom said with a little nod and Arabella giggled.
"And he is impossible to shop for" Arabella added and Tom grinned.
"That too" He said and Arabella looked up at Hunter, snuggling into him a little bit.
"Danny is the pickiest person on the planet and he gets really fussy about certain things but when you ask him what he wants, he just tells you that he doesn't need anything" Arabella explained and she turned her eyes down to the ring on her hand for the millionth time, just to remind herself that it was actually real.
"We should have gotten him socks." Hunter said with a smile. "When do people not need socks?" Hunter wrapped his arms around Arabella and kissed her lightly on the lips before hugging her then turning back to the food. "People can sit down. We'll be ready to eat soon." Hunter grabbed Arabella's wrist. "Can put some of the food on the table?" Hunter said quietly before kissing her on the lips.
"I suppose I could manage that" Arabella said softly with a smile and she kissed him again, her heart fluttering when she did then picked up a bowl with the mashed potatoes in it and she headed towards the table. Everyone was sitting around, talking and having a good time but her father was standing off to the side, holding something gingerly in his hands. Arabella's eyes narrowed and she saw that he was holding her little statue of Aphrodite. The look on his face nearly broke her heart. It was the same look that she saw in Hunter's eyes when he looked at her. But Matthew would never get to marry the love of his life. Arabella took a breath and cleared her throat and putting the bowl on the table. Matthew quickly put the statue down and walked over to the table, sitting down.
"This looks really good, Arabella" Tyler said, sniffing the air.
"I know...I worked really hard" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Hunter put the rest of the food on the table except for the turkey. He turned to the oven and opened the door. The turkey looked good and so Hunter pulled it out and set it on the table with a knife and a fork. "Mr. Foster?" Hunter said, spinning the knife on his finger. "Would you like to do the honor?" Matthew shook himself a little and waved it off.
"Oh, no, no." He said, shaking his head a little. "You cooked it, you carve it. Besides, you look a lot better with that knife than I am." Hunter smiled and nodded before beginning to carve. He cut skillfully around each section, making sure there wasn't too much fat and making sure it was white meat or dark meat. Hunter served everyone and then served himself before sitting down.
"I'd just like to thank everyone for coming to the first Christmas here at the Hunter Reed and Arabella Foster home and I am happy to announce that this will be the last Christmas at the Hunter Reed and Arabella Foster home." Hunter looked over at Arabella and smiled proudly.
Arabella smiled over at Hunter, her heart fluttering. In the next year, she was going to be Arabella Reed. She took a sip from her water and realized that Matthew and Tyler were looking at her with very confused and slightly nervous looks on their faces. Arabella cleared her throat and grinned. "Yeah, this time next year, I won't be Arabella Foster anymore. I'll be Arabella Reed" she said and paused for a second before holding up her hand. "Hunter proposed this morning. I said yes!"
"He...wha...really?!" Tyler said in an excited voice and he looked from Arabella to Hunter and a grin appeared on his face. "Wow! That's awesome!''
"Daddy?" Arabella said in a soft voice, looking over to Matthew, who was still silent and had a hard to read look on his face. He shook himself a little and smiled at Arabella.
"That's really exciting. Congrats. I'm happy for you" Matthew said and Arabella grinned at him.
Hunter smiled and let out a happy sigh. "That's right, Danny. Soon we'll be family and that means no more flirting with me." Danny put a fake look of disappointment on his face, but then smiled and laughed along with Hunter. "Alright. I've kept you all away from your food for long enough. Dig in!" Hunter said and he closed his eyes a moment. He was just so happy and right now everything was perfect. He was going to have a family. The family he always wanted. Hunter cut one of the bones out and tossed it to Ajax who caught it in his mouth and started gnawing at it. He cut a much smaller bone and tossed to Jolie who did the same right next to him. Hunter stood a moment and put Piggy on the counter, who wobbled over to his bowl and ate a little bit before crawling into his cage and curling up. It all seemed so iconic. So picturesque and Hunter knew that today would be the start of many other moments like it. "How's the company going, Danny?"
Arabella looked up from her meal quickly to look over at Daniel. She was glad that she had given up the company to Daniel but she still cared about it and she still wanted it to be successful. It was still her name, after all. She had put a lot of work into it. ''I saw the spread in Vogue" She said giving him a little smile.
"Everything is so amazing!" Daniel gasped and he put down his fork. "You should come by the office sometime, Arabella. You need to see it now. Everything is going so well but everyone misses you so much"
"Awh, tell them I say hello" Arabella said and she took a bite out of her turkey. "Oh! I just realized that I'm going to have to go dress hunting soon. I'll need your help, Danny" She said and gave him a wink.
"Oh, and I'll need to go suit shopping. I'll need your help..." Hunter looked at Arabella, but closed his mouth when he realized how little sense that made. "Uhh..."
"I'll help." Tom said with a chuckle.
"I'll need your help, Tom." Hunter said with a smile. "Thanks." Hunter glanced around the table. "And Tyler. You could help too. Speaking of..." Hunter stood and walked behind Arabella, crouching down by her ear. "Où avons-nous mettre vos cadeaux pour votre famille?"
"Oh!" Arabella said and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Merci" She giggled and stood up, walking over to the Christmas tree.
"She always used to speak french around me when she was teasing me" Tyler muttered.
"Love you, Tyler!" She called back to him and he waved his hand. Arabella grabbed the two presents and walked back to the table, placing one down in front of Tyler and one in front of Matthew. She sat down and grinned at them "Okay, open them!" She said happily.
"Oh, dear..." Matthew muttered and he slowly started to open up his present. He got the wrapping paper open to reveal a photo on canvas of Arabella, Tyler and Matthew when Arabella and Tyler were kids and there was also two ties and a set of cuff links. "This is just...wow" He said and leaned over to hug Arabella and shake Hunter's hand "Thanks"
"Go ahead and open yours, Tyler." Hunter said with a smile. Tyler grinned and shredded the paper, an excited look on his face. He opened the box and inside were a quiver of arrows and a bow.
"WOW! Thank you so much." Tyler said with a smile as he stood and took it out. "This is awesome!"
"Now, Tyler. With the permission of your dad, I have decided to pay for lessons with me at the rec center." Hunter said, glancing over at Matthew. He smiled a moment and nodded. "And as an added bonus, you'll get to see Gwen everyday."
"Gwen? Who's Gwen?" Matthew and Danny asked, looking interested, but for different reasons. Tyler turned a bright shade of red and sat back down.
Arabella giggled and smacked Hunter's arm with a smile on her face. "Gwen is just a friend" She said with a nod.
"Ha! As if! You are not going to fool me, sister. If this Gwen is just Tyler's friend, then I am a goat" Daniel said, grinning at Tyler "So...who is she?"
"She's just a girl" Tyler muttered, his cheeks still a deep red.
"A very pretty girl who laughed at all of your jokes" Arabella teased with a little wink.
"That's how Arabella got me." Hunter said with a laugh. "I laughed at her jokes and now we're together." She scoffed and smacked his arm, but Hunter caught it and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "We're just giving you a hard time, Tyler. Seriously, if you'd like lessons, I would be honored to teach you. What do you say?" Hunter said, offering his hand as a peace offering. Tyler shook it and laughed a little.
"Thank you, Hunter." He said, taking a bite of his food.
----------------------
Arabella smiled and hugged Daniel tightly before he walked out of the door, following Tom. She smiled a little and turned to look at Hunter, letting out a happy but tired sigh. Christmas dinner had been fun and she loved it but she was very glad that their guests were leaving now and her and Hunter could just relax together. "That was a very wonderful supper, Mr. Reed" She said and walked over to him, slipping her arms around his middle and resting her forhead on his chest.
Hunter wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the head. "Why thank you, soon-to-be Mrs. Reed." He smiled at the thought and sighed happily. "Was the turkey okay? I was worried it wasn't done." She looked up at him with a look that said, 'Shut up. It was perfect.' and Hunter smiled before kissing her on the forehead. "We should do this ever year. I had a lot of fun." Hunter pulled her closer and put his chin on her head and swayed softly to imaginary music that was running through the wind that blew against the house. He reached down and took her left hand in his and held it up, taking more of a dancing position. "I love you."
"I love you too, Hunter" Arabella said softly and she closed her eyes as Hunter swayed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. It felt like it should have been in a movie or something. Arabella took a deep breath, letting out in a content sigh. "I could stay here forever" She whispered, snuggling closer to him, listening to his heart beat against her ear.