Hunter swallowed and rolled over on the couch. In his head he was dreaming. He was in the woods back at camp. He was wearing an orange camp shirt and had his old pendant around his neck. He looked down to see a bow slung around his chest and a quiver on his back. He felt a soft squeeze in his hand and looked over to see Arabella standing there, smiling at him. He smiled back and gave her a peck on the cheek before walking through the forest. He suddenly found a small dock looking over a pond in a clearing. He lead her onto the dock and looked at her again. She had changed from her orange shirt and jean shorts to a sweater and sweatpants. He looked down and found himself in a sweater and a pair of jeans. He dug his hand into his pocket and looked at her as she bit her lip and twirled her hair as she always did. Hunter's hands were shaking like crazy for some reason. He finally pulled his hand out of his pocket and heard a small plunk as whatever it was he was pulling out dropped into the water. He looked up at her and opened his mouth to speak, but smelled bacon. He furrowed his brow and took a deep breath of slightly burned bacon smell. He listened and heard humming and the sound of a pan sizzling. That's when he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and licked his lips as he squinted due to the sunlight. She was cooking. Hunter shrugged and sat there, just to see how things turned out.
Arabella cursed under her breath when she saw that the bacon had started to burn while she was trying to crack an egg. She quickly grabbed a fork and tried to pull the bacon out of the pan. A few drops of hot bacon grease jumped out of the pan and landed on her hand, making her curse again. But she managed to get the bacon out and she quikly got the eggs into the pan. The timer went off on the oven and Arabella squeaked out of surprise and she opened the door. With gloved hands, she pulled the hash browns out of the oven but not before wacking her forearms against the inside of the oven door. Finally, the food was done and Arabella had managed to put it all on two plates. The bacon and the eggs were slightly burnt but the hash browns turned out fine. Arabella was just proud that she only managed to burn her arms a little and cut her finger while she cut up some strawberries. She poured orange juice into two big cups and she gingerly walked towards the living room, making sure that the oven and the stove was off "Are you awake?" she asked softly, not wanting to look up from the full tray in her hands in case she dropped it.
Hunter saw the full tray and quickly hurried over to take it from her. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good morning." He said with a smile as he looked down at the tray. "This looks great. I couldn't have done it better myself." He said as he walked over and carefully set the tray on the coffee table. He smiled as he looked at his breakfast. He took a bite of bacon and it crunched a little too much. He cleared his throat and swallowed it. "This is great, Ellie. Thank you."
Arabella looked at him and raised her eyebrow "No it isn't..but that you for telling me that it is" she said and kissed his cheek. Arabella leaned back in the couch, folding her legs under her and playing with the hem of the shirt she had on "But look! I only hurt myself twice!" she said happily, showing off the burns on her arms and her bandaged ring finger on her left hand.
Hunter gasped at her injuries. "Ellie..." He said with a chuckle. "You could have woken me up. Or....worn a suit of armor or something." He gingerly took her arms and kissed them and took her finger and kissed it. "There. All better." He said with a smile as he took another bite of bacon. "This is actually really good though." He said before scooping some of the hash browns into his mouth. He smiled and looked at her. "Are you hiding a chef in there?" He teased before taking a sip of orange juice.
"Pssh, there is no chef in here" Arabella said and she grinned at him, picking up a piece of bacon and eating it quickly. Hunter's food was so much better in her opinion. The only thing that turned out was the hash browns and those were pre-made. She smiled at Hunter then looked down at her arms briefly before picking up her plate and eating some of her eggs "I got all of my clothes packed up too. The rest will be really easy to take down to the cars" she told him with a nod.
"Fabulous." He said with a nod. "I should sleep in more often." He smiled as he finished off the eggs and bacon. The food wasn't out of this world, but it was exactly what Hunter needed. He leaned over and kissed Arabella on the cheek before taking the tray and all the dishes into the kitchen. He started to wash them when he heard the door open and close from the other room.
"Sis! I think I'm in love!" Hunter heard a familiar voice say. He walked in to see Daniel sitting on the couch.
"Not me. I'm accounted for." Hunter said, walking into the room. Daniel looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Not you, but where is that sleeveless shirt I was promised." He said with a grin. Hunter sighed and went back to the dishes. He did promise.
"I'll get it after I'm done with the dishes." He shouted back as he started in.
"You better hurry with those dishes, Stud Muffin..waiting for a sleevless you is pretty difficult" Arabella said and Daniel giggled beside her. Arabella turned on him and took his hands, practically bouncing up and down with exctement "Who is he, Danny? Whose the lucky guy?" she asked
"Well, you know him and-" Daniel started but Arabella's excitment got the best of her.
"Is it someone from the office? Someone from camp?!" Arabella asked excitedly and she grinned up at her brother.
"It's Tom" Daniel said and Arabella stopped bouncing. She looked over at the kitchen where Hunter was and she raised an eyebrow. She was sure that Tom was straight and she didn't want Daniel to have his heart broken when he found out.
Hunter peeked his head out of the kitchen at the mention of his name. "Tom?" Hunter said as he dried a plate. "As in...Tom? Doorman Tom? As in the one down stairs?" Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow. Daniel nodded excitedly.
"Mmhmm. He's so great!" Daniel said. "He's so funny! And smart!" Daniel said as he fell into the back of the couch in a dreamy state. "He's not too bad on the eyes, either. You know what I mean, sister?" He said with a wink. Hunter narrowed his eyes and shared a brief look with Arabella.
"Uhh...Daniel? You do know that Tom is-" Hunter started, but was interrupted by Arabella.
"A really great guy" Arabella said quickly, looking over at Hunter for a second before turning her attention back to Daniel "So, have you gotten his phone number or anything?" she asked him and Daniel nodded, holding up his phone.
"Just got it" Daniel said happily and he looked down at his phone, like he was expecting Tom to call right then. Arabella took a little breath.
"And have you asked him if he's gay..?" Arabella asked in a careful voice, really worried about how Daniel would answer. He shook his head and slipped his phone into his pocket.
"No, but there was major flirting. He was flirting with me like crazy" Daniel said and grinned "Besides, I have an excellent gay-dar. I know these things. Sorry Hunter, I know how much you want me but Tom has my heart"
"Gasp. Oh no. Whatever will I do." Hunter said, incredibly deadpan. Hunter could have sworn that Tom was straight. He never tried to flirt with Hunter. At least not that Hunter noticed. Hunter shrugged and went back to doing dishes. As soon as he was done, he left the apartment and went straight to his car. He sorted through the box of his clothes and found a camp shirt that he had cut the sleeves off of, during a sleeveless shirt phase. He was about to change shirts, but thought about what he would look like walking back. Surely he'd pass Tom. Maybe that would prove it. He changed shirts and tossed the other one in the back of the car. He twirled his keys once before locking it and walking back. He glanced over at Tom who did his usual smile and nod. Hunter lingered for a moment before walking back up the stairs and into the apartment.
Arabella had started walking around the living room, putting Post It notes on her things. She had kind of zoned out while Daniel was talking about every little details about Tom. He was dreaming and giddy and Arabella was just letting him talk. She was putting pink Post It notes on things she wanted to keep, yellow on things she wanted to give away and green on things for storage. She smiled at Daniel then turned when Hunter walked in the door and she gasped lightly. Seeing him in a sleeveless shirt was enough to make her giddy. But then he went and made it a camp shirt and she remembered when he used to wear that shirt at camp. When she first saw him in it, she squeaked and ran off to her cabin when he started to walk towards her, even though he was going to talk to his friend who was standing behind her.
"Oh, hot damn, Hunter. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Daniel said, giving Hunter a wink. Arabella giggled and she walked over to Hunter, giving him a kiss and squeezing his biceps.
"I am one lucky girl" She said and grinned up at Hunter.
"Keep it in your pants, Daniel." He said, unintentionally flexing under Arabella's hand. He pulled Arabella into a hug and put his forehead on hers. "Tom is straight as an arrow." Hunter whispered, giving Arabella a cautious look. He moved his hands to her waist and gave her a small kiss on the lips before breaking away. "Okay. What do I need to take down?" He said, clearing his throat.. "Rest of the clothes?"
With a nervous sigh, Arabella looked around at her apartment "Uhm, all of the things with pink stickers need to go to the cars" she said with a nod and Daniel stood up excitedly. He grabbed a lamp and a pile of magazines and walked out of the apartment, saying something about Tom under his breath. Once he was gone, Arabella looked at Hunter "How do you know that he's straight?"
Hunter hesitated. "I walked past him in this." He said quietly. He realized how dumb that sounded. "Every gay guy I've ever met has hit on me though. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm attractive." He said a little embarrassed. "Other than that, he has never hit on me or made a pass at me or anything. Oh! And he said something about punching a unicorn for a shot at you. Something like that." He said slightly frantically. He took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose before shaking his head and shrugging. "I'm going to take something down." He said as he walked to the bedroom.
Arabella let out a little giggle and she started placing some things by the door to go downstairs. It wasn't much stuff, really. Her furniture and things didn't have to go with her but she did want her TV and some of the other little things around her house. Arabella walked back to the bedroom and she gingerly picked up her goldfish tank "Maybe he's just..in denial or he hasn't come out yet" she said with a shrug and looked at Hunter.
"I don't know." He said with a sigh. "I'm going to take the rest of the clothes and then probably one more thing, then my car will be full." He filled his arms with clothes and left the apartment. He walked down and saw Daniel and Tom talking. He rolled his eyes and took the clothes to his car. As he was walking back, he saw Daniel and Tom laughing about something. It was very...flirtatious. Tom looked odd to Hunter. He had never seen him like that. "Danny. We're moving, remember?" He said with a chuckle. Daniel gave him a death glare very familiar to Hunter. He shuddered a little and walked by. He reentered the apartment and leaned against the door behind him. "I didn't think he was gay...." He said with a sigh.
"Hmm? What did you say, Babe?" Arabella asked, walking out of her bathroom with a huge box in her hands. Inside of the box was all of her make up and lotions and shampoos and perfumes and body washes and at-home spa treatments. She was glad that they had two cars and that Daniel had a car too. It would make all of this moving so much easier. Arabella looked at Hunter and raised and eyebrow. He looked upset about something "You doing okay?"
Hunter nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...confused or surprised or something." He said, shaking his head. "Ellie, can Daniel charmspeak?" He asked hesitantly. He took the box from her and cleared his throat. "I'm not saying he did! But it's a little...I don't know. Hinky?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "Never mind. Never mind. I'm done talking about this. Sorry. I'm done." He said before leaving the apartment.
Arabella watched Hunter walk out of the apartment and she sighed softly. His ego seemed to have been bruised and Arabella felt a little bad. She wondered if there was anything that she could do, anything to make him feel better. For the entire time that she had known Hunter, she had seen a lot of her brothers hit on him and a lot of her sisters too. But she never thought that it was something that he had noticed or cared about. When Hunter walked back upstairs and into the apartment, Arabella walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him deeply.
Hunter jumped a little at the kiss. He didn't really see it coming, but leaned into her and put his hands on her hips, pulling her close. He finally broke away and peppered her cheek with kisses. He stopped and smiled at her with his hands still holding her tightly. "What was that for?" He asked before kissing her on the forehead. "If we keep doing this, we'll never get you moved." He chuckled and kissed her on the nose.
Arabella leaned into him, kissing him lightly before pulling away "It was just to remind you that I still think you're the sexiest man on the planet" she said softly with a smirk then she grabbed a box and headed for her car.
Hunter knit his eyebrows and stood there after the door closed. "What..." He muttered as he heard the door open and see Daniel walk in. He raised an eyebrow at Hunter.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Hunter." He said, patting him on the arm, lightly squeezing his bicep. "Mmmm...Great." He said with a grin.
"Hey!" Hunter said, pulling his arm away from him and shuddering. "Look, but don't touch. Only Ellie can touch." He said with a chuckle as he walked toward the living room and picked up her TV.
"You really do love her, don't you?" Daniel said behind Hunter. Hunter turned around briefly and looked at Daniel.
"Yeah." He said, picking up the TV with a groan. "More than anything." He said in a strained voice as he carried the TV. Daniel smiled and sighed.
"That's really great." He said before awkwardly hugging Hunter. It was at that time that Arabella came back. Daniel stopped and stepped back, looking at Arabella. Hunter smiled at Arabella squeezed through the doorway and made his way down to Arabella's car.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away and she looked at Daniel, a little bit confused. She never thought that she would walk in on Hunter and Daniel hugging. Daniel however grinned at Arabella and hugged her. She patted his back and he pulled away from her.
"I'm so happy for you, Arabella" Daniel said in a happy voice. Arabella looked at him, she was slightly confused but she still smiled at him.
"And I'll be happy once we get some of this stuff out of here" Arabella teased and she handed a box to Daniel. He took the box from her hands and headed out of the apartment "And don't stop to flirt!!" she called after him and she started looking though a stack of papers to try and find her land lord's phone number.
Hunter put the TV in her car and decided to take the first load in his car to the house. It was at this point that he wished that he had a cell phone. He quickly ran upstairs, passing Daniel and Tom inevitably flirting, and walked into the apartment. He walked in and found Arabella looking for something. "What are you looking for?" He asked, stepping toward her and slipping an arm around her waist. "Can I help?"
"I'm just trying to find the land lord's phone number" Arabella said with a sigh and she leaned back into him slightly. She took a deep breath, happy that she was with him and that she was moving in with him. "I think that most of my stuff is pretty well downstairs" Arabella said softly and she looked around at the apartment. She realized just how little stuff she had. She had never turned this apartment into a home. Arabella let out a soft sigh and looked up at Hunter.
Hunter smiled and kissed her forehead. "Nothing has left." He said, turning her around and putting his hands on her sides. "It's not too late to change your mind." He said. He pulled her close and kissed her lightly on the lips. "We'll always have the rooftop." He said with a smile.
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she shook her head "I want to, Hunter. I don't regret this" she said softly then looked back at her apartment "I just noticed that I had never really made myself home here. I put things up on the walls and decorated because I wanted it to look pretty, not because I liked it and I was settling in" she said softly and shrugged, slipping her arms around his waist "I can't wait to have a home"
"Well," Hunter said as he hugged her. "Let's go, then." He looked into her bright blue eyes a moment before placing a small kiss on her forehead. She sighed and shook her head. "Land lord's number. Right. Sorry. Uhh..." He said as he pulled away from her and looked around for a second. He snapped his fingers and walked into the kitchen. He pulled the number off the fridge and walked back in. "It was magneted to your fridge." He said, handing it to her.
"Of course it was" Arabella sighed then gave Hunter a little smile "Thanks" she said and kissed his jaw before walking out to the balcony. She quickly dialed the phone number on the piece of paper and she got the voice mail. Arabella left a message, telling her land lord that she was going to be moving out and she gave him her new phone number. She hung up and slid back inside to see Daniel walk in the door with a huge smile on his face "Wow, Danny..took you a long time to put a box into the car" she said in a teasing voice.
"He is so....amazing" Daniel sighed, ignoring Arabella and sitting down on a box with a dreamy look in his eyes.
"What happened, now?" Arabella asked and Daniel smiled up at her. He looked like he was about to burst.
"We're going out on Friday!" Daniel squeaked.
"Going out?" Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow. "As in...drinks? Or...coffee? Or..romantic date?" He verbally stumbled before glancing over at Arabella. Hunter chuckled at his gaydar being so off about Tom. "Well, either way...Friday is not today. We were going to go to the house. You want to take both of the things that you took over and I'll give you the grad tour?" He said, putting his hands up in a showy manner.
"Come on, Danny...you'll love the house. It's so big!" Arabella giggled and she linked arms with her brother. Daniel and Arabella walked out of her apartment together and Arabella smiled back at Hunter as he walked out behind her, closing and locking the door.
"He is such a great guy, Arabella! I seriously think he might be the one!" Daniel sighed as they walked down to the cars. Arabella looked at Hunter and rolled her eyes. Daniel had a habit of saying that every boy he was with was 'the one' but she hoped that Tom was someone special for Daniel.
"That's great, Danny" Arabella said softly and she hugged him, kissing his cheek in a friendly way then she pulled away from him and her hand automatically found Hunter's. She didn't even plan on it. It just happened "Just follow our cars..I'm sure you won't get lost" she said to Daniel.
Hunter and Arabella walked over to their cars, parked side-by-side. Hunter's dark blue Tucker sedan and Arabella's bright red Bel-Air convertible. As odd a couple as the owners. Hunter gave her hand one last squeeze and got into his car. He started it and started the drive toward his house. He pulled out of the lot and waved to Tom briefly who was waiting to get across. Hunter checked as rearview as Arabella followed close behind. He smiled and looked at the road. That's when he heard tires screech, a multitude of screams. He immediately parked and got out, thinking the worst. He saw Arabella doing the same and he exhaled in relief. "If it wasn't Arabella, then it's..." Hunter said as he sprinted to Daniel's parked car.
"Hunter! Arabella! Someone! Help! Oh my gods!" Daniel shouted.
Arabella looked at Hunter and she ran towards Daniel. She froze when she saw what had happened. Tom was on the ground and there was blood. A lot of it. He didn't look like he was moving and his body was in an horribly awkward position. She moved her eyes away from Tom, not wanting to see that and she looked at Daniel instead. He was freaking out. Arabella ran over to him and she wrapped her arms around him but he didn't move. He just stared down at Tom "Danny, what happened?"
"I was-I was driving and I got a text..." Daniel said, his voice broken "I only looked at my phone for a second then he was right in front of me, and.." his voice broke off and tears started welling up in his eyes.
"You need to take him to the hospital" Arabella said and she pulled away from Daniel. She was shocked. She couldn't believe what had happened. Looking down at Tom made her want to burst into tears right then and there but she wanted to be strong for Daniel. Oh gods, let him be okay..
Hunter ran up to Daniel and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Daniel." He said clearly. He shook him slightly and Daniel seemed to start paying attention to him. "You need to take him to the hospital. The hospital will call the police. You can talk to them. Now, help me load him up." He said, looking into Daniel's eyes. Daniel wiped his face and nodded. Hunter nodded back and immediately knelt down by Tom. "Tom, how you doing?" He said quietly as he pulled him away from the car. Tom had a large cut on his face and his leg seemed to be bent the wrong way. He moaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Tom. Tom! Wake up!" He said, lightly slapping his face. "How's it going?!" He said clearly as he helped him sit up a little.
"I'm...I'm doing we-AAH!" He shouted and clutched his stomach. His breathing was shallow and he was shaking.
"Come on! Stay with me. Stay with me." He said as he slung him over his shoulder. "Daniel is going to take you to the hospital, okay? You're going to rest up and you're going to get better, okay?" He walked over to the open car doors with Daniel standing by. He carefully put him in and closed the car door before grabbing Daniel by the shoulders again. "Danny. Danny, listen to me. He's going to be fine, okay? Take him straight to the hospital." Hunter said clearly, shaking Daniel again. Daniel nodded and started to walk away.
"It'll be okay, Danny" Arabella called after him in a shaky voice and she watched with one arm folded across her chest and the other hand covering her mouth as her brother got into his car and drove away, towards the hospital. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't she just live a regular, happy life? It wasn't fair that Daniel had found someone that he was so crazy about only to have him get hit by a car. She looked over at Hunter, frozen in her worry and her fear. What if Tom wasn't okay? Daniel would never be able to forgive himself.
Hunter stood there as Daniel drove away. He wasn't even sure what to do, now. Should he follow Daniel to the hospital? He immediately looked for Arabella. He found her standing a few feet away by her car. He looked at her for a moment before walking to her and wrapping his arms around her. Hunter needed comfort just as much as she did. Tom was one of his closest friends. Hunter held her close and buried his face in her hair. "He's going to be okay, Ellie." He said in barely a whisper. Maybe he truly believed that, but he was probably just trying to convince himself.
Her arms wrapped around him and she held him close to her, giving him a small squeeze. She knew how important Tom was to him. Arabella gripped onto his shirt lightly with shaking hands "I know. Everything is going to be fine" she whispered back and took a small breath. She couldn't get the image of Tom on the ground out or the sound of Daniel's panicked voice out of her mind "Come on, let's get out of here" she whispered, looking around at the crowd that started to form.
Hunter nodded and got into his car, taking one last glance at the pool of Tom's blood that had formed. He shuddered and started his car. He drove. He just drove. He never took his eyes off the road. When he arrived at his house, he parked and got out. He walked to the back and started unloading things. He needed to get his mind off what he had just seen. He felt bad. He felt bad for Tom, his close friend and confidant. One of the only people he got to know outside of camp. He felt bad for Danny, someone who he considered a friend and someone who he could trust. He didn't deserve that kind of guilt. Hunter just needed to stop thinking about it. He brought in his box of clothes and brought them upstairs. He quickly put them away, solely to keep his mind occupied. As soon as that was done he went back out and got another box.
Arabella was too nervous to do anything. She saw Hunter taking the boxes inside and she tried to help, she really did. She managed to bring in a stack of magazines but then she had to go sit down. Her stomach was twisted into knots that seemed to get tighter and tighter as each second ticked on. Arabella sat down on a box by her car, looking at her phone in her hand. She was waiting for Daniel to call her, to tell her that Tom was alright. All she could do was wait. She turned her head up and she saw Hunter walking out of the house to grab another box and she wanted to say something to him but she didnt know what "You..you don't have to unload everything right now.."she told him softly and she bit her lip.
Hunter glanced at Arabella before walking past and back out to the car. He grabbed another box and brought up stairs. It was Arabella's clothes. He left it on the bed and walked back down. He went out and grabbed the last box out of his car. He brought it in and set it on the bed. He was starting breath a little heavy from the nonstop movement, but he knew that if he stopped that he would think about what he had just seen. He shook his head as he grabbed an armful of dress bags and hauled them inside.
Arabella sighed and she slipped her phone into her pocket. She walked inside the house and looked around. Once everything was settled, once she wasn't so worried, Arabella would be able to really look at the house. Right now, however, she had a lot on her mind. She headed towards the stairs and walked up them slowly. She could hear Hunter moving around in the bedroom. Arabella took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom "I'm sure that Danny will call me soon. It shouldn't take too long, right?" she asked him in a small voice.
Hunter looked up at Arabella and took a deep breath. "I uh...I don't know, Ellie." He said as he hung up what he could. "You want to do this?" He asked quietly. He came out sounding a bit rude and he hoped that she wouldn't take it that way, but he needed to keep moving. "I was going to get the TV and put it in here. What do you think? You're my decorator, so your opinion is the one that matters." He said with a nod and another deep breath. He didn't even wait for an answer before starting toward the door again.
Her stomach knotted up even tighter and Arabella felt her cheeks turn pink. The rudness of his voice made her feel like she had done something wrong. Messed up in someway. Arabella started picking up her things then looked at Hunter's back "No TV in the bedroom" she said curtly and stepped into the closet, hanging up some of her things.
Hunter nodded as he climbed down the stairs. They'd just need to figure out a place for it. He walked out to the car and grabbed the TV. He hauled it inside and set it down on the ground, assuming that they'd take care of it later. He took a deep breath and walked back outside to take the last armful of clothes inside. He brought it up to the bedroom and set it in front of Arabella before leaving again and walking out to her car. He grabbed a box and brought it inside. It was the box full of perfumes and make up and glass bottles. He headed toward the stairs and started to climb. He gasped as his foot caught on the last step and he fell to the ground. The box fell with a loud noise and Hunter took a deep breath and buried his face in the ground. "SHIT!" He said, his voice muffled by the floor. He stopped and that meant everything w as setting in. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" He shouted as he rolled over and sat against the wall.
The loud crash echoed though the house and it caused Arabella to squeak in shock and drop the shirt that she was folding. Hunter's voice hit her next and she jumped over the pile of clothes to find him. By the stairs, she saw a big box with one corner that was slowly getting wetter and wetter. Hunter was sitting against the wall and Arabella forgot that she was annoyed with him. Arabella bit her lip, walking over to him. She stood beside him and placed a hand on his head gingerly "Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly.
Hunter looked up at Arabella and put a hand over his eyes, rubbing his temples. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ellie." He said quietly as he stood up from his spot on the ground. "I'll uh...I'll sort through the glass and find what's salvageable." He looked at Arabella who was giving him a disbelieving look. "I'm just worried." He said quietly. "I was trying to be strong, but obviously not strong enough." He said with a sigh as he picked up the box and walked toward the bathroom where he turned on the lights and started to sort through.He didn't care about cutting his hand on broken glass, he just wanted this day to be done. It could never be easy. Two days of perfection was all they got.
Arabella watched Hunter as he walked away and she let out a small sigh. What was she going to do? She wanted to help him but she felt like he kept pushing her away. Arabella chewed on the inside of her cheek and she followed Hunter to the bathroom. Without saying anything, Arabella took his hands out of the box gingerly then put the box on the floor. She didn't care about any of her things. All she cared about was Hunter. Arabella turned on the cold water and stuck his bleeding hands under it "You don't always have to be strong" she told him in a soft but steady voice.
"I need to be strong. I have to be strong." He said quietly. He wasn't sure when he learned that mentality, but it felt so ingrained in his memory that he would never see otherwise. " I've always taken care of myself. I've had to be strong for my sake. When I came into your life, I wanted to take care of you. You've been through hell and I wanted to be there to make you feel safe and loved and protected. To make you feel worth it. I need to be strong." He said in a shaky voice with his hands under the faucet. "Tom is injured. I don't know what to do. I feel like I should be at the hospital, but I know that he's in good hands. I don't know what's going on. Ellie, I don't know what's going on and it's driving me crazy." He said quietly, a lump forming in his throat.
"It's okay, Hunter. It's okay to be worried" Arabella said softly and she rested her chin on his shoulder for a moment, kissing his jaw line "You don't have to be so strong all the time. That safe and loved and protected thing goes both ways, you know. I'm here for you no matter what. If there is anything you need to talk about, you can always come to me" she told him and turned the water off. Arabella fished out a first aid kit and she went to work on his hands, bandaging them up neatly. Arabella looked up at him and she linked her arm through his. She placed her chin back where it was on his shoulder and she looked at him with big, worried eyes.
Hunter looked down at her and sighed. He didn't like being worried. At the same time, he felt comforted by Arabella's words. He slipped his arm out of hers and outside to bring in the last couple of boxes. He brought them in and put them on the bedroom before closing everything outside. He walked back and found Arabella again. He stood nearby and looked at her. "Did you want to do something? I can make us dinner or we can watch TV." He really needed something to take his mind off the hospital.
Arabella walked over to Hunter and she wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her forehead against his chest. "Doesn't matter..I just want to-" she said softly but she was cut off when her phone started ringing. Arabella pulled away from Hunter so that she could fish her phone out of her pocket. She quickly answered the phone "Danny?"
"Arabella, hi" Daniel said into the phone. He sounded exhausted but he didn't sound as stressed anymore.
"How is everything? Is he okay?" Arabella asked and she started biting on her nail.
"I can't talk for very long right now but I wanted to call you to tell you that Tom is going to be fine and I think that everything else is going to be sorted out pretty soon too. I already spoke to the police and I think that it went well" Daniel told her "Look, I gotta go but give Hunter a hug for me and tell him that I say 'thank you' and I love you, Sis"
"Love you too, Danny" Arabella said softly before hanging up. Tom was okay. He was going to be okay. Arabella could have danced right then and there.
Hunter looked at Arabella as she hung up the phone. He smiled and ran over to Arabella, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up into a hug. He spun a few times and held her there, her face a little bit above eye level. Tom was okay. Daniel was not in jail and he was okay. Hunter breathed easily again. Arabella was almost completely moved in. Today was not perfect, but the ending sure seemed to be. "What should we do with the TV?" Hunter asked with a chuckle as he put his forehead to hers.
The knot in Arabella's stomach seemed to unravel instantly. She rested her hands on his neck and giggled as he spun her. Everything in Arabella's world fell back into place and she felt like she could finally be happy and excited about the house. She could walk around and check it all out. She could cuddle with Hunter. She could relax. Arabella smiled and looked into his eyes "We can figure that out later" she said softly, not really feeling like doing anymore packing.
"Well, Ms. Foster." He said with a smile. "Welcome to your new home." He whispered before lightly kissing her top lip. He didn't bother putting her down. He never want to let go of her. "Shall I give you the tour?" He smiled and held her closer. He chuckled to himself as he slung her over his shoulder, keeping a tight grip on her legs. "As you can see, this is the living room." He started as she squirmed around, trying to break free.
Arabella squeaked when he put her over his shoulder and she giggled, trying to get out of his grasp "It's a wonderful living room" she said and she wiggled again. Arabella huffed and put her hands on the small of his back so she could lift her head up. As Hunter carried her into the kitchen, Arabella looked around "Oh, the kitchen. Lovely. I'm probably never going to cook again though, just so you know" she teased.
"The hospital bills would be too much anyway." He said as he moved through the kitchen and into the garage. "Through here is the garage. It's kind of boring." He said with a chuckle. It was mostly empty except for somecar parts and tools. He jostled her a little as he walked back into the kitchen. "And if you walk through here, we have the dining room. The chandelier was a gift from the queen of Peru and each crystal was cut by blind monks." He said as he continued to walk through. "Bedroom. Bedroom. Bedroom. Bathroom. Closet. Spooky basement." He pointed as he turned around in the hallway and walked back to the living room. "Here ends our tour." He said, giving her butt a few celebratory pats.
"Oh, well, it was a wonderful tour" Arabella giggled and she let out a laugh when Hunter patted her butt. She lifted up the back of his shirt and she pressed her lips against the small of his back, giving him a raspberry. Arabella was thrilled with all of this. Tom was okay. Daniel was okay. She was in Hunter's arms and she was moving in with him. Everything was perfect. Everything was finally wonderful. It was easy and it was simple.
Hunter squirmed and bounced her on his shoulder. "Oh, wait. I need to show you the bedroom." He said, running toward the stairs. He climbed them quickly and burst into the room. He tossed her on the bed and fell down on his chest next to her, bouncing and shaking the whole bed. He felt his body relax into the bed. He had been on his feet most of the day. It felt good to just lay down for once.
When the bed stopped shaking, Arabella rolled over so that she was lying next to him on her stomach. She cuddled up to his side and she closed her eyes. Arabella could almost feel his body relaxing next to her and she smiled softly. It was comforting to know that he was relaxing and he was letting go of some of the stress. She moved then so that she was straddling his back and she lifted his shirt up. Arabella started to rub his back, working on all the kinks and all the knots.
Hunter moaned quietly as she rubbed his back. It felt fantastic. "So," He started, his voice slightly muffled by the bed. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" He asked quietly. They had so much to look forward to, now that she was living with him. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "I'd like to visit Tom, actually. After that, the entire day is open." He said, turning his head to the side. "We should invite your dad over to see the house. And Tom and Daniel as soon as he gets out." He moaned quietly again and sighed. "It's up to you, though."
Arabella smiled a proud little smile to herself when he moaned. She continued rubbing his back, adding just a touch more pressure "I would love to go see Tom" Arabella said softly with a nod. She wanted to see him for herself, to make sure that he was really okay. Whenever someone like Tom or Hunter got hurt, she realized how lucky she was to be a demigod. She could just eat some ambrosia and everything would be fine "It really means a lot to me that you want to try again with my dad, by the way" she said softly and she took her hands off of his back to reach for her purse. Arabella pulled a lotion out of it and squirted some on her hands before going back to rubbing his back.
"Well, I want him to support us." He said, starting to sit up a little, thinking that she was done. "I want to show him that-COLD!" The feeling of her lotioned hands on his back made him tense up. She giggled and started rubbing his back again. He relaxed again and closed his eyes as she seemed to work all the stress out of his body. "Mmm...What were we talking about...Oh. Right. Your dad." He said, clearing his throat. "I want to show him that I'm going to be with you, even if he doesn't like it. Hopefully, he'll come around." He said with a sigh. "I kind of wanted to apologize for storming out last time too." He said quietly.
Arabella ran her hands down his sides and started rubbing the small of his back. She looked up at him for a second before looking at his back again "I think he will come around. He just needs some time" she said softly and let out a sigh "Maybe once he sees us in this house and you making supper and all that, he'll realize that you're here to stay" she said with a little nod and run her hands up his spine. Arabella leaned down and she placed a kiss on the nape of his neck.
Hunter smiled. "I really hope so." He said with a sigh. "I really want your family to like me. And not just because I've saved the world." He said with a smile. "Did you see Tyler's face? Like I was made of gold or something." He chuckled to himself and moaned again as she found a knot near the base of his neck. "Why are you so good at this?" He asked quietly. He wasn't really looking for an answer, but was more amazed at her ability. "So, are there any other relatives that I should know about?" He asked with a sigh. "On your dad's side, of course. I know your mom. She likes me." He said with a chuckle.
Arabella giggled softly "No, I don't have any other family" she reassured him and slid her hands to his shoulders, rubbing with a little more pressure than she used on his back. She let out a softly sigh and chewed on her lip "I worry about Tyler, to be honest" Arabella admitted and moved her hands down his arms a little bit "He doesn't really have any friends, at all. He's been home schooled his whole life. His mother isn't around anymore, the bitch. And the only guys he has ever really looked up to were Chad and Brian. When they broke my heart, they broke Tyler's too" her voice broke off and she moved her hands to the middle of his back again.
Hunter sighed. Tyler seemed relatively normal. Hunter didn't think that he would have gone through something like that. He put his face in the sheets and stayed silent for a few moments. In a way, he related to Tyler. Hunter used to feel like he didn't have a place. A lot of the time at camp, he was lonely. He finally turned his face again and took a deep breath. "What's he like, Ellie?" He asked, clearing his throat. "Tyler. What are some of his interests? What does he like to do?" He wanted to get to know Tyler. He hoped that they could be good friends. That Tyler would finally have someone other than some deadbeat to look up to. "Tell me about Tyler."
"Well, his 16th birthday is coming up pretty soon. He likes to play video games and things like that, he's amazing when it comes to technology. I can hardly turn a computer on" Arabella said with a giggle "He loves to write and he loves to read. Tyler told me once that he wants to be an author but Dad doesn't approve. He wants Tyler to do something like...a lawyer or something like that. I think he would be an amazing author. I told him all about Percy and that whole story and he says that he wants to write a book about it"
Hunter chuckled. "I've got a few stories for him, if he's looking for inspiration." He said, before rolling over with Arabella still on top of him. He gently brought her face down for a soft kiss. "Thanks." He said with a smile. "16...So he'll be getting his license, then? That's perfect." He said with a nod as he fixed his shirt a little. "I was thinking, though. You said he didn't have many friends, so he basically hangs out with your dad, all day, right?" He said. Arabella nodded and slid sideways and laid next to him, snuggling into his side. "The basement has virtually nothing in it. I was thinking...." He said quietly. "What if that became Tyler's...area? Like a place where he could come and he and I could hang out and play video games and we can talk and he can amaze me with his writing ability. Would he go for that?" He asked, putting an arm around her. "I could even teach him how to knife fight." He chuckled and kissed Arabella on his forehead.
"Oh, dear gods. Teach him how to knife fight and he'll be your best friend for the rest of your life" Arabella said with a small roll of her eyes. She slipped her arm across his middle, pulling herself closer to him. Hearing him talk about Tyler like that, saying that he cared about him and wanted to make sure that Tyler was alright almost made Arabella cry right then and there. Tyler was always someone that she worried about a lot and she never really knew how to deal with it. She could hang out with him, sure. That was always something that Arabella loved but Tyler needed a guy to hang out with. Someone who he could talk to and get advice from. She smiled up at Hunter and nodded "You have no idea how much that means to me, by the way" she said softly
Hunter smiled and kissed her cheek. "I thought we went through this." He said with a chuckle. "I want to get along with your family." He rolled slightly, so that he was looking into her face. "I know what tomorrow is going to look like then." He said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "We'll sleep in after a long night of love-making." He said with a chuckle. "I'm kidding. We'll sleep in, so that you have time to get used to your new bed. I'll make you breakfast. You call your dad. We finish unpacking. I'll make you lunch. We'll visit Tom. I'll run a quick errand. We'll have dinner back here with your dad. I'm thinking about steak. That sound good?" He said, putting his head on hers. He kissed her lightly on the nose and smiled as he laid back again.
"Steak sounds amazing" Arabella said softly and she placed her arm across his middle again. A yawn managed to fight it's way out and Arabella rested her tired head against Hunter's side "Tomorrow sounds wonderful. Though I'm not sure I like the lack of love-making" she teased and looked up at him "I love you Hunter. You've done so much for me" she whispered and pressed her lips against his chest gently.
Hunter smiled and held her close. "I love you too." He ran his fingers up and down her arm and chuckled. "We're even." He wrapped his arms around her and rolled on top of her. "About the love-making..." He said with a smile before pressing his lips to hers. He finally broke it and yawned, sitting up. "We'll do a lot of it tomorrow. That sound okay?" He said, pressing his lips to hers again. "Let's go to bed. You go ahead and become even more beautiful, I'll be back in a little while." He kissed her on the lips again before standing up and walking out. He went downstairs and walked to the basement. It was bare. He stood there and imagined what this room could be. "I'll see if we can get a big TV on that wall. Gaming stuff down there. A computer in the corner. Maybe a few arcade games." He pondered. Hunter really wanted Tyler to be able to have a good time and making an awesome place where he can hang out was something that he thought was the right thing to do. He picked up a box that had miscellaneous things in it and brought it upstairs. He tossed it in one of the spare bedrooms and walked back upstairs.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away and she smiled, closing her eyes. She had gone through so many emotions that day and it was making her very tired. Tomorrow was going to be a perfect day and she was thrilled. Arabella knew that even if she had a bad day or something went wrong, Hunter was always going to be there and he was always going to turn her day around in a heart beat. Arabella yawned softly, waiting for Hunter to come back upstairs. She was happy and excited that he wanted to get to know Tyler. It was like a huge weight off of her shoulders. Arabella rolled over so that she was on her side and she pulled her knees up to her chest. Before she could stop herself, Arabella was drifting off into a gentle sleep just like that. Wearing Hunter's shirts, jean shorts and curled up on top of the blankets.
Hunter walked in to see Arabella asleep. He smiled gently and walked around to her side. He grabbed the throw blanket at the foot of the bed and spread it over her. Immediately she seemed to uncurl and relax. "You didn't change a thing, but you're even more beautiful." He whispered before kissing her ever so lightly on the forehead. He quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants and slipped off his shirt before sliding into bed next to her. He quietly and carefully got under the blanket and put an arm around her. He buried his face in her hair for a moment before relaxing and falling asleep.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away and she looked at Daniel, a little bit confused. She never thought that she would walk in on Hunter and Daniel hugging. Daniel however grinned at Arabella and hugged her. She patted his back and he pulled away from her.
"I'm so happy for you, Arabella" Daniel said in a happy voice. Arabella looked at him, she was slightly confused but she still smiled at him.
"And I'll be happy once we get some of this stuff out of here" Arabella teased and she handed a box to Daniel. He took the box from her hands and headed out of the apartment "And don't stop to flirt!!" she called after him and she started looking though a stack of papers to try and find her land lord's phone number.
Hunter put the TV in her car and decided to take the first load in his car to the house. It was at this point that he wished that he had a cell phone. He quickly ran upstairs, passing Daniel and Tom inevitably flirting, and walked into the apartment. He walked in and found Arabella looking for something. "What are you looking for?" He asked, stepping toward her and slipping an arm around her waist. "Can I help?"
"I'm just trying to find the land lord's phone number" Arabella said with a sigh and she leaned back into him slightly. She took a deep breath, happy that she was with him and that she was moving in with him. "I think that most of my stuff is pretty well downstairs" Arabella said softly and she looked around at the apartment. She realized just how little stuff she had. She had never turned this apartment into a home. Arabella let out a soft sigh and looked up at Hunter.
Hunter smiled and kissed her forehead. "Nothing has left." He said, turning her around and putting his hands on her sides. "It's not too late to change your mind." He said. He pulled her close and kissed her lightly on the lips. "We'll always have the rooftop." He said with a smile.
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she shook her head "I want to, Hunter. I don't regret this" she said softly then looked back at her apartment "I just noticed that I had never really made myself home here. I put things up on the walls and decorated because I wanted it to look pretty, not because I liked it and I was settling in" she said softly and shrugged, slipping her arms around his waist "I can't wait to have a home"
"Well," Hunter said as he hugged her. "Let's go, then." He looked into her bright blue eyes a moment before placing a small kiss on her forehead. She sighed and shook her head. "Land lord's number. Right. Sorry. Uhh..." He said as he pulled away from her and looked around for a second. He snapped his fingers and walked into the kitchen. He pulled the number off the fridge and walked back in. "It was magneted to your fridge." He said, handing it to her.
"Of course it was" Arabella sighed then gave Hunter a little smile "Thanks" she said and kissed his jaw before walking out to the balcony. She quickly dialed the phone number on the piece of paper and she got the voice mail. Arabella left a message, telling her land lord that she was going to be moving out and she gave him her new phone number. She hung up and slid back inside to see Daniel walk in the door with a huge smile on his face "Wow, Danny..took you a long time to put a box into the car" she said in a teasing voice.
"He is so....amazing" Daniel sighed, ignoring Arabella and sitting down on a box with a dreamy look in his eyes.
"What happened, now?" Arabella asked and Daniel smiled up at her. He looked like he was about to burst.
"We're going out on Friday!" Daniel squeaked.
"Going out?" Hunter asked with a raised eyebrow. "As in...drinks? Or...coffee? Or..romantic date?" He verbally stumbled before glancing over at Arabella. Hunter chuckled at his gaydar being so off about Tom. "Well, either way...Friday is not today. We were going to go to the house. You want to take both of the things that you took over and I'll give you the grad tour?" He said, putting his hands up in a showy manner.
"Come on, Danny...you'll love the house. It's so big!" Arabella giggled and she linked arms with her brother. Daniel and Arabella walked out of her apartment together and Arabella smiled back at Hunter as he walked out behind her, closing and locking the door.
"He is such a great guy, Arabella! I seriously think he might be the one!" Daniel sighed as they walked down to the cars. Arabella looked at Hunter and rolled her eyes. Daniel had a habit of saying that every boy he was with was 'the one' but she hoped that Tom was someone special for Daniel.
"That's great, Danny" Arabella said softly and she hugged him, kissing his cheek in a friendly way then she pulled away from him and her hand automatically found Hunter's. She didn't even plan on it. It just happened "Just follow our cars..I'm sure you won't get lost" she said to Daniel.
Hunter and Arabella walked over to their cars, parked side-by-side. Hunter's dark blue Tucker sedan and Arabella's bright red Bel-Air convertible. As odd a couple as the owners. Hunter gave her hand one last squeeze and got into his car. He started it and started the drive toward his house. He pulled out of the lot and waved to Tom briefly who was waiting to get across. Hunter checked as rearview as Arabella followed close behind. He smiled and looked at the road. That's when he heard tires screech, a multitude of screams. He immediately parked and got out, thinking the worst. He saw Arabella doing the same and he exhaled in relief. "If it wasn't Arabella, then it's..." Hunter said as he sprinted to Daniel's parked car.
"Hunter! Arabella! Someone! Help! Oh my gods!" Daniel shouted.
Arabella looked at Hunter and she ran towards Daniel. She froze when she saw what had happened. Tom was on the ground and there was blood. A lot of it. He didn't look like he was moving and his body was in an horribly awkward position. She moved her eyes away from Tom, not wanting to see that and she looked at Daniel instead. He was freaking out. Arabella ran over to him and she wrapped her arms around him but he didn't move. He just stared down at Tom "Danny, what happened?"
"I was-I was driving and I got a text..." Daniel said, his voice broken "I only looked at my phone for a second then he was right in front of me, and.." his voice broke off and tears started welling up in his eyes.
"You need to take him to the hospital" Arabella said and she pulled away from Daniel. She was shocked. She couldn't believe what had happened. Looking down at Tom made her want to burst into tears right then and there but she wanted to be strong for Daniel. Oh gods, let him be okay..
Hunter ran up to Daniel and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Daniel." He said clearly. He shook him slightly and Daniel seemed to start paying attention to him. "You need to take him to the hospital. The hospital will call the police. You can talk to them. Now, help me load him up." He said, looking into Daniel's eyes. Daniel wiped his face and nodded. Hunter nodded back and immediately knelt down by Tom. "Tom, how you doing?" He said quietly as he pulled him away from the car. Tom had a large cut on his face and his leg seemed to be bent the wrong way. He moaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Tom. Tom! Wake up!" He said, lightly slapping his face. "How's it going?!" He said clearly as he helped him sit up a little.
"I'm...I'm doing we-AAH!" He shouted and clutched his stomach. His breathing was shallow and he was shaking.
"Come on! Stay with me. Stay with me." He said as he slung him over his shoulder. "Daniel is going to take you to the hospital, okay? You're going to rest up and you're going to get better, okay?" He walked over to the open car doors with Daniel standing by. He carefully put him in and closed the car door before grabbing Daniel by the shoulders again. "Danny. Danny, listen to me. He's going to be fine, okay? Take him straight to the hospital." Hunter said clearly, shaking Daniel again. Daniel nodded and started to walk away.
"It'll be okay, Danny" Arabella called after him in a shaky voice and she watched with one arm folded across her chest and the other hand covering her mouth as her brother got into his car and drove away, towards the hospital. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't she just live a regular, happy life? It wasn't fair that Daniel had found someone that he was so crazy about only to have him get hit by a car. She looked over at Hunter, frozen in her worry and her fear. What if Tom wasn't okay? Daniel would never be able to forgive himself.
Hunter stood there as Daniel drove away. He wasn't even sure what to do, now. Should he follow Daniel to the hospital? He immediately looked for Arabella. He found her standing a few feet away by her car. He looked at her for a moment before walking to her and wrapping his arms around her. Hunter needed comfort just as much as she did. Tom was one of his closest friends. Hunter held her close and buried his face in her hair. "He's going to be okay, Ellie." He said in barely a whisper. Maybe he truly believed that, but he was probably just trying to convince himself.
Her arms wrapped around him and she held him close to her, giving him a small squeeze. She knew how important Tom was to him. Arabella gripped onto his shirt lightly with shaking hands "I know. Everything is going to be fine" she whispered back and took a small breath. She couldn't get the image of Tom on the ground out or the sound of Daniel's panicked voice out of her mind "Come on, let's get out of here" she whispered, looking around at the crowd that started to form.
Hunter nodded and got into his car, taking one last glance at the pool of Tom's blood that had formed. He shuddered and started his car. He drove. He just drove. He never took his eyes off the road. When he arrived at his house, he parked and got out. He walked to the back and started unloading things. He needed to get his mind off what he had just seen. He felt bad. He felt bad for Tom, his close friend and confidant. One of the only people he got to know outside of camp. He felt bad for Danny, someone who he considered a friend and someone who he could trust. He didn't deserve that kind of guilt. Hunter just needed to stop thinking about it. He brought in his box of clothes and brought them upstairs. He quickly put them away, solely to keep his mind occupied. As soon as that was done he went back out and got another box.
Arabella was too nervous to do anything. She saw Hunter taking the boxes inside and she tried to help, she really did. She managed to bring in a stack of magazines but then she had to go sit down. Her stomach was twisted into knots that seemed to get tighter and tighter as each second ticked on. Arabella sat down on a box by her car, looking at her phone in her hand. She was waiting for Daniel to call her, to tell her that Tom was alright. All she could do was wait. She turned her head up and she saw Hunter walking out of the house to grab another box and she wanted to say something to him but she didnt know what "You..you don't have to unload everything right now.."she told him softly and she bit her lip.
Hunter glanced at Arabella before walking past and back out to the car. He grabbed another box and brought up stairs. It was Arabella's clothes. He left it on the bed and walked back down. He went out and grabbed the last box out of his car. He brought it in and set it on the bed. He was starting breath a little heavy from the nonstop movement, but he knew that if he stopped that he would think about what he had just seen. He shook his head as he grabbed an armful of dress bags and hauled them inside.
Arabella sighed and she slipped her phone into her pocket. She walked inside the house and looked around. Once everything was settled, once she wasn't so worried, Arabella would be able to really look at the house. Right now, however, she had a lot on her mind. She headed towards the stairs and walked up them slowly. She could hear Hunter moving around in the bedroom. Arabella took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom "I'm sure that Danny will call me soon. It shouldn't take too long, right?" she asked him in a small voice.
Hunter looked up at Arabella and took a deep breath. "I uh...I don't know, Ellie." He said as he hung up what he could. "You want to do this?" He asked quietly. He came out sounding a bit rude and he hoped that she wouldn't take it that way, but he needed to keep moving. "I was going to get the TV and put it in here. What do you think? You're my decorator, so your opinion is the one that matters." He said with a nod and another deep breath. He didn't even wait for an answer before starting toward the door again.
Her stomach knotted up even tighter and Arabella felt her cheeks turn pink. The rudness of his voice made her feel like she had done something wrong. Messed up in someway. Arabella started picking up her things then looked at Hunter's back "No TV in the bedroom" she said curtly and stepped into the closet, hanging up some of her things.
Hunter nodded as he climbed down the stairs. They'd just need to figure out a place for it. He walked out to the car and grabbed the TV. He hauled it inside and set it down on the ground, assuming that they'd take care of it later. He took a deep breath and walked back outside to take the last armful of clothes inside. He brought it up to the bedroom and set it in front of Arabella before leaving again and walking out to her car. He grabbed a box and brought it inside. It was the box full of perfumes and make up and glass bottles. He headed toward the stairs and started to climb. He gasped as his foot caught on the last step and he fell to the ground. The box fell with a loud noise and Hunter took a deep breath and buried his face in the ground. "SHIT!" He said, his voice muffled by the floor. He stopped and that meant everything w as setting in. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" He shouted as he rolled over and sat against the wall.
The loud crash echoed though the house and it caused Arabella to squeak in shock and drop the shirt that she was folding. Hunter's voice hit her next and she jumped over the pile of clothes to find him. By the stairs, she saw a big box with one corner that was slowly getting wetter and wetter. Hunter was sitting against the wall and Arabella forgot that she was annoyed with him. Arabella bit her lip, walking over to him. She stood beside him and placed a hand on his head gingerly "Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly.
Hunter looked up at Arabella and put a hand over his eyes, rubbing his temples. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ellie." He said quietly as he stood up from his spot on the ground. "I'll uh...I'll sort through the glass and find what's salvageable." He looked at Arabella who was giving him a disbelieving look. "I'm just worried." He said quietly. "I was trying to be strong, but obviously not strong enough." He said with a sigh as he picked up the box and walked toward the bathroom where he turned on the lights and started to sort through.He didn't care about cutting his hand on broken glass, he just wanted this day to be done. It could never be easy. Two days of perfection was all they got.
Arabella watched Hunter as he walked away and she let out a small sigh. What was she going to do? She wanted to help him but she felt like he kept pushing her away. Arabella chewed on the inside of her cheek and she followed Hunter to the bathroom. Without saying anything, Arabella took his hands out of the box gingerly then put the box on the floor. She didn't care about any of her things. All she cared about was Hunter. Arabella turned on the cold water and stuck his bleeding hands under it "You don't always have to be strong" she told him in a soft but steady voice.
"I need to be strong. I have to be strong." He said quietly. He wasn't sure when he learned that mentality, but it felt so ingrained in his memory that he would never see otherwise. " I've always taken care of myself. I've had to be strong for my sake. When I came into your life, I wanted to take care of you. You've been through hell and I wanted to be there to make you feel safe and loved and protected. To make you feel worth it. I need to be strong." He said in a shaky voice with his hands under the faucet. "Tom is injured. I don't know what to do. I feel like I should be at the hospital, but I know that he's in good hands. I don't know what's going on. Ellie, I don't know what's going on and it's driving me crazy." He said quietly, a lump forming in his throat.
"It's okay, Hunter. It's okay to be worried" Arabella said softly and she rested her chin on his shoulder for a moment, kissing his jaw line "You don't have to be so strong all the time. That safe and loved and protected thing goes both ways, you know. I'm here for you no matter what. If there is anything you need to talk about, you can always come to me" she told him and turned the water off. Arabella fished out a first aid kit and she went to work on his hands, bandaging them up neatly. Arabella looked up at him and she linked her arm through his. She placed her chin back where it was on his shoulder and she looked at him with big, worried eyes.
Hunter looked down at her and sighed. He didn't like being worried. At the same time, he felt comforted by Arabella's words. He slipped his arm out of hers and outside to bring in the last couple of boxes. He brought them in and put them on the bedroom before closing everything outside. He walked back and found Arabella again. He stood nearby and looked at her. "Did you want to do something? I can make us dinner or we can watch TV." He really needed something to take his mind off the hospital.
Arabella walked over to Hunter and she wrapped her arms around his waist, putting her forehead against his chest. "Doesn't matter..I just want to-" she said softly but she was cut off when her phone started ringing. Arabella pulled away from Hunter so that she could fish her phone out of her pocket. She quickly answered the phone "Danny?"
"Arabella, hi" Daniel said into the phone. He sounded exhausted but he didn't sound as stressed anymore.
"How is everything? Is he okay?" Arabella asked and she started biting on her nail.
"I can't talk for very long right now but I wanted to call you to tell you that Tom is going to be fine and I think that everything else is going to be sorted out pretty soon too. I already spoke to the police and I think that it went well" Daniel told her "Look, I gotta go but give Hunter a hug for me and tell him that I say 'thank you' and I love you, Sis"
"Love you too, Danny" Arabella said softly before hanging up. Tom was okay. He was going to be okay. Arabella could have danced right then and there.
Hunter looked at Arabella as she hung up the phone. He smiled and ran over to Arabella, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up into a hug. He spun a few times and held her there, her face a little bit above eye level. Tom was okay. Daniel was not in jail and he was okay. Hunter breathed easily again. Arabella was almost completely moved in. Today was not perfect, but the ending sure seemed to be. "What should we do with the TV?" Hunter asked with a chuckle as he put his forehead to hers.
The knot in Arabella's stomach seemed to unravel instantly. She rested her hands on his neck and giggled as he spun her. Everything in Arabella's world fell back into place and she felt like she could finally be happy and excited about the house. She could walk around and check it all out. She could cuddle with Hunter. She could relax. Arabella smiled and looked into his eyes "We can figure that out later" she said softly, not really feeling like doing anymore packing.
"Well, Ms. Foster." He said with a smile. "Welcome to your new home." He whispered before lightly kissing her top lip. He didn't bother putting her down. He never want to let go of her. "Shall I give you the tour?" He smiled and held her closer. He chuckled to himself as he slung her over his shoulder, keeping a tight grip on her legs. "As you can see, this is the living room." He started as she squirmed around, trying to break free.
Arabella squeaked when he put her over his shoulder and she giggled, trying to get out of his grasp "It's a wonderful living room" she said and she wiggled again. Arabella huffed and put her hands on the small of his back so she could lift her head up. As Hunter carried her into the kitchen, Arabella looked around "Oh, the kitchen. Lovely. I'm probably never going to cook again though, just so you know" she teased.
"The hospital bills would be too much anyway." He said as he moved through the kitchen and into the garage. "Through here is the garage. It's kind of boring." He said with a chuckle. It was mostly empty except for somecar parts and tools. He jostled her a little as he walked back into the kitchen. "And if you walk through here, we have the dining room. The chandelier was a gift from the queen of Peru and each crystal was cut by blind monks." He said as he continued to walk through. "Bedroom. Bedroom. Bedroom. Bathroom. Closet. Spooky basement." He pointed as he turned around in the hallway and walked back to the living room. "Here ends our tour." He said, giving her butt a few celebratory pats.
"Oh, well, it was a wonderful tour" Arabella giggled and she let out a laugh when Hunter patted her butt. She lifted up the back of his shirt and she pressed her lips against the small of his back, giving him a raspberry. Arabella was thrilled with all of this. Tom was okay. Daniel was okay. She was in Hunter's arms and she was moving in with him. Everything was perfect. Everything was finally wonderful. It was easy and it was simple.
Hunter squirmed and bounced her on his shoulder. "Oh, wait. I need to show you the bedroom." He said, running toward the stairs. He climbed them quickly and burst into the room. He tossed her on the bed and fell down on his chest next to her, bouncing and shaking the whole bed. He felt his body relax into the bed. He had been on his feet most of the day. It felt good to just lay down for once.
When the bed stopped shaking, Arabella rolled over so that she was lying next to him on her stomach. She cuddled up to his side and she closed her eyes. Arabella could almost feel his body relaxing next to her and she smiled softly. It was comforting to know that he was relaxing and he was letting go of some of the stress. She moved then so that she was straddling his back and she lifted his shirt up. Arabella started to rub his back, working on all the kinks and all the knots.
Hunter moaned quietly as she rubbed his back. It felt fantastic. "So," He started, his voice slightly muffled by the bed. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" He asked quietly. They had so much to look forward to, now that she was living with him. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "I'd like to visit Tom, actually. After that, the entire day is open." He said, turning his head to the side. "We should invite your dad over to see the house. And Tom and Daniel as soon as he gets out." He moaned quietly again and sighed. "It's up to you, though."
Arabella smiled a proud little smile to herself when he moaned. She continued rubbing his back, adding just a touch more pressure "I would love to go see Tom" Arabella said softly with a nod. She wanted to see him for herself, to make sure that he was really okay. Whenever someone like Tom or Hunter got hurt, she realized how lucky she was to be a demigod. She could just eat some ambrosia and everything would be fine "It really means a lot to me that you want to try again with my dad, by the way" she said softly and she took her hands off of his back to reach for her purse. Arabella pulled a lotion out of it and squirted some on her hands before going back to rubbing his back.
"Well, I want him to support us." He said, starting to sit up a little, thinking that she was done. "I want to show him that-COLD!" The feeling of her lotioned hands on his back made him tense up. She giggled and started rubbing his back again. He relaxed again and closed his eyes as she seemed to work all the stress out of his body. "Mmm...What were we talking about...Oh. Right. Your dad." He said, clearing his throat. "I want to show him that I'm going to be with you, even if he doesn't like it. Hopefully, he'll come around." He said with a sigh. "I kind of wanted to apologize for storming out last time too." He said quietly.
Arabella ran her hands down his sides and started rubbing the small of his back. She looked up at him for a second before looking at his back again "I think he will come around. He just needs some time" she said softly and let out a sigh "Maybe once he sees us in this house and you making supper and all that, he'll realize that you're here to stay" she said with a little nod and run her hands up his spine. Arabella leaned down and she placed a kiss on the nape of his neck.
Hunter smiled. "I really hope so." He said with a sigh. "I really want your family to like me. And not just because I've saved the world." He said with a smile. "Did you see Tyler's face? Like I was made of gold or something." He chuckled to himself and moaned again as she found a knot near the base of his neck. "Why are you so good at this?" He asked quietly. He wasn't really looking for an answer, but was more amazed at her ability. "So, are there any other relatives that I should know about?" He asked with a sigh. "On your dad's side, of course. I know your mom. She likes me." He said with a chuckle.
Arabella giggled softly "No, I don't have any other family" she reassured him and slid her hands to his shoulders, rubbing with a little more pressure than she used on his back. She let out a softly sigh and chewed on her lip "I worry about Tyler, to be honest" Arabella admitted and moved her hands down his arms a little bit "He doesn't really have any friends, at all. He's been home schooled his whole life. His mother isn't around anymore, the bitch. And the only guys he has ever really looked up to were Chad and Brian. When they broke my heart, they broke Tyler's too" her voice broke off and she moved her hands to the middle of his back again.
Hunter sighed. Tyler seemed relatively normal. Hunter didn't think that he would have gone through something like that. He put his face in the sheets and stayed silent for a few moments. In a way, he related to Tyler. Hunter used to feel like he didn't have a place. A lot of the time at camp, he was lonely. He finally turned his face again and took a deep breath. "What's he like, Ellie?" He asked, clearing his throat. "Tyler. What are some of his interests? What does he like to do?" He wanted to get to know Tyler. He hoped that they could be good friends. That Tyler would finally have someone other than some deadbeat to look up to. "Tell me about Tyler."
"Well, his 16th birthday is coming up pretty soon. He likes to play video games and things like that, he's amazing when it comes to technology. I can hardly turn a computer on" Arabella said with a giggle "He loves to write and he loves to read. Tyler told me once that he wants to be an author but Dad doesn't approve. He wants Tyler to do something like...a lawyer or something like that. I think he would be an amazing author. I told him all about Percy and that whole story and he says that he wants to write a book about it"
Hunter chuckled. "I've got a few stories for him, if he's looking for inspiration." He said, before rolling over with Arabella still on top of him. He gently brought her face down for a soft kiss. "Thanks." He said with a smile. "16...So he'll be getting his license, then? That's perfect." He said with a nod as he fixed his shirt a little. "I was thinking, though. You said he didn't have many friends, so he basically hangs out with your dad, all day, right?" He said. Arabella nodded and slid sideways and laid next to him, snuggling into his side. "The basement has virtually nothing in it. I was thinking...." He said quietly. "What if that became Tyler's...area? Like a place where he could come and he and I could hang out and play video games and we can talk and he can amaze me with his writing ability. Would he go for that?" He asked, putting an arm around her. "I could even teach him how to knife fight." He chuckled and kissed Arabella on his forehead.
"Oh, dear gods. Teach him how to knife fight and he'll be your best friend for the rest of your life" Arabella said with a small roll of her eyes. She slipped her arm across his middle, pulling herself closer to him. Hearing him talk about Tyler like that, saying that he cared about him and wanted to make sure that Tyler was alright almost made Arabella cry right then and there. Tyler was always someone that she worried about a lot and she never really knew how to deal with it. She could hang out with him, sure. That was always something that Arabella loved but Tyler needed a guy to hang out with. Someone who he could talk to and get advice from. She smiled up at Hunter and nodded "You have no idea how much that means to me, by the way" she said softly
Hunter smiled and kissed her cheek. "I thought we went through this." He said with a chuckle. "I want to get along with your family." He rolled slightly, so that he was looking into her face. "I know what tomorrow is going to look like then." He said, kissing her lightly on the lips. "We'll sleep in after a long night of love-making." He said with a chuckle. "I'm kidding. We'll sleep in, so that you have time to get used to your new bed. I'll make you breakfast. You call your dad. We finish unpacking. I'll make you lunch. We'll visit Tom. I'll run a quick errand. We'll have dinner back here with your dad. I'm thinking about steak. That sound good?" He said, putting his head on hers. He kissed her lightly on the nose and smiled as he laid back again.
"Steak sounds amazing" Arabella said softly and she placed her arm across his middle again. A yawn managed to fight it's way out and Arabella rested her tired head against Hunter's side "Tomorrow sounds wonderful. Though I'm not sure I like the lack of love-making" she teased and looked up at him "I love you Hunter. You've done so much for me" she whispered and pressed her lips against his chest gently.
Hunter smiled and held her close. "I love you too." He ran his fingers up and down her arm and chuckled. "We're even." He wrapped his arms around her and rolled on top of her. "About the love-making..." He said with a smile before pressing his lips to hers. He finally broke it and yawned, sitting up. "We'll do a lot of it tomorrow. That sound okay?" He said, pressing his lips to hers again. "Let's go to bed. You go ahead and become even more beautiful, I'll be back in a little while." He kissed her on the lips again before standing up and walking out. He went downstairs and walked to the basement. It was bare. He stood there and imagined what this room could be. "I'll see if we can get a big TV on that wall. Gaming stuff down there. A computer in the corner. Maybe a few arcade games." He pondered. Hunter really wanted Tyler to be able to have a good time and making an awesome place where he can hang out was something that he thought was the right thing to do. He picked up a box that had miscellaneous things in it and brought it upstairs. He tossed it in one of the spare bedrooms and walked back upstairs.
Arabella watched Hunter walk away and she smiled, closing her eyes. She had gone through so many emotions that day and it was making her very tired. Tomorrow was going to be a perfect day and she was thrilled. Arabella knew that even if she had a bad day or something went wrong, Hunter was always going to be there and he was always going to turn her day around in a heart beat. Arabella yawned softly, waiting for Hunter to come back upstairs. She was happy and excited that he wanted to get to know Tyler. It was like a huge weight off of her shoulders. Arabella rolled over so that she was on her side and she pulled her knees up to her chest. Before she could stop herself, Arabella was drifting off into a gentle sleep just like that. Wearing Hunter's shirts, jean shorts and curled up on top of the blankets.
Hunter walked in to see Arabella asleep. He smiled gently and walked around to her side. He grabbed the throw blanket at the foot of the bed and spread it over her. Immediately she seemed to uncurl and relax. "You didn't change a thing, but you're even more beautiful." He whispered before kissing her ever so lightly on the forehead. He quickly changed into a pair of pajama pants and slipped off his shirt before sliding into bed next to her. He quietly and carefully got under the blanket and put an arm around her. He buried his face in her hair for a moment before relaxing and falling asleep.