Hunter let out a grumble as he woke up. The sun was shining in his face and there was warmth all around him. He sat his head up a little and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. When his vision finally focused again he saw his extra source of heat. Arabella was snuggled next to him with a soft smile across her face. Hunter stared for a few moments, looking at the way she pursed her lips together with every inhale and flared her nostrils with every exhale. Her eyes moved rapidly under her eyelids. Hunter was hoping that she was having happy dreams. He smiled softly and put his head back down, not wanting to wake her. He ever-so-lightly kissed her hair and closed his eyes as he ran fingers through her hair and grazed his fingers up and down her arm. "Non, je ne regrette rien..." He sang in not even a whisper.
Arabella was dreaming that she was sitting in Hunter's car. Then sun was warm but the air was cold and when she looked out of the window, she saw that they were no longer in New York. She had her feet on the dash and a magazine across her lap. With a small sigh, Arabella flipped the page of the magazine, wondering where Hunter was. The door opened and Hunter slipped into the car. Arabella smiled at him but saw that he was holding a huge cup of coffee for her, about as big as his head. As she looked at him, she saw as he turned into a big slice of pizza that started singing to her in french.
Arabella woke up, her stomach growling. Hunter was beside her and he wasn't a piece of pizza, but he was singing to her in french. A smile grew bigger on her lips and she stretched her legs out a little bit. She moaned softly and snuggled into him a bit tighter. "Good morning" she whispered.
"Non, rien de rien." He continued a little louder before smiling at her. "Good morning, mon doux." He said quietly, leaning forward to kiss her lips lightly. Her stomach grumbled again which made him laugh. "Someone's hungry." He said, lightly putting a hand on her back. "You want me to go make some food for you, mon amie?" He asked as he grazed her skin with his fingers.
"Mmm..not yet" Arabella said softly and she stretched up a little bit so that she could place little kisses along his jaw. The night before had been amazing and she wasn't ready for Hunter or herself to get out of bed just yet. She smiled against his skin then nuzzled her face into his neck. "How did you sleep?"
"Fantastiquement." He said with a smile. He had spoken more French last night than he had in years. His mind was still a little used to it. He didn't mind the reaction Arabella was giving him though either. "You were great last night, by the way. I'm still tired." He said with a chuckle as he pushed her up toward him, placing kisses on her cheeks.
"You're one to talk" Arabella giggled and she ran a hand down his arm a little bit. She didn't want that moment to end. She didn't want to get out of the bed and go back to reality. Arabella yawned gently and she looked up at him with a tired smile and her stomach growled again. "Ugh..this is so ruining the moment" she groaned and put her face into his neck.
Hunter pulled her up on top of him and pressed his lips to hers. "Just ignore it." He brushed his lips to her ear and kissed it gently. "Ma belle." He whispered, letting his lips lightly graze her lobe. "Think of something else." He said quietly as she clutched his face and pressed his lips tightly to hers. Hunter ran his hands up and down her back when he heard her stomach growl once again. He turned his face away and sighed. "Stay here. I'll get you something." He said, sliding out of bed. He hurried downstairs and into the kitchen where he pulled out a pan, some butter, a few pieces of bread, two slices of cheese, and the iron. He turned the stove on as high as it would go and turned on the iron. He quickly built the sandwiches and waited for things to heat up.
Arabella laid back on the bed, catching her breath. The night before had just been so perfect, making her feel so connected to Hunter in a way that she could never being to explain. Then she woke up and Hunter started speaking french, getting her all worked up again. The room felt empty without Hunter there. With a sigh, she pushed herself out of the bed and walked towards the closet. She smiled softly at the neatly folded clothes and she ran her hands along the fabrics. With a smirk, she pulled on a small silk robe, tying it loosely around her waist. Arabella walked out of the room and down the stairs. She saw Hunter and she looked at his back for a moment, admiring the shape of his muscles. She shook herself then padded over to Hunter, wrapping her arms around his middle and placing little kisses between his shoulder blades.
Hunter smiled and put his arm on hers as he used his free hand to press the iron on the sandwiches. "Ellie, I told you to stay there." He said with a sigh. He turned around and gasped at the robe she was wearing. "My goodness." He said quietly as he put his hands on her hips. He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. "You're pretty." He said with a chuckle. He brushed his lips to her ear and whispered. "Tu es incroyable."
Arabella let out a sigh and she slipped an arm around his neck, shivering at his voice. She didn't even know that she got so excited by a man speaking french to her, since the only guys she knew that she could speak french with were her brothers. Arabella pulled him closer to her and she ran her hands down his back, digging her nails into his skin lightly. "What are the plans for today?" she breathed, trying to calm herself down a little bit.
"I'm probably going to take Tyler to the...store. For the stuff for the basement." He said quietly, placing small kisses on her neck and shoulder. He nibbled on her skin and moved the collar of the robe aside a little. "If we buy it today, then we can set it up tomorrow. Then it'll be ready for his birthday the next day." He said, grazing her skin with his lips.
"Sounds like a good day" Arabella whispered and she dug her nails into his skin a little bit tighter. She pulled away a little bit when her stomach growled again, like it was reminding her that she was hungry and that she couldn't jump Hunter's bones everytime he spoke french to her. "We should...breakfast" she breathed but she pulled him closer and bit her lip.
"Oh!" Hunter turned back around quickly and looked at the sandwiches. They were a little crispier than Hunter intended, but they were still good. He slid them onto a plate and shut off the stove and the iron before putting turning around to Arabella. "Breakfast." He said before pressing his lips tightly to hers almost trying to fit all of the day's passion into this one kiss. There would be time to be with her later in the day.
Arabella knew what everyone was talking about it all of those romantic movies in that moment. She was swooning, he was sweeping her off of her feet, he was making her heart race. Before she did anything to get herself too swept up in the moment, Arabella pulled away slightly, kissing him lightly. "Later" she whispered and ran a finger down his chest then turned to her breakfast. "This looks so good, Hunter. Thanks"
Hunter nodded and put the plate on the table. "Let's eat." He said with a smile. He sat down and said a silent prayer to Aphrodite before beginning to eat. "After we eat, do you want to take a shower first or should I?" He asked, biting into his sandwich.
Arabella took a bite out of her sandwich and she shrugged. She chewed for a moment and swallowed before answering him. "You can go first. I'll probably take longer, so you can get dressed and stuff while I shower" she said in a teasing sort of tone. She got up and walked over to pour herself a cup of coffee before sitting down again. "Tyler thinks you're pretty amazing, by the way" she said with a smile.
"Well, I think he's pretty cool too." Hunter said with a chuckle. "I can't express how much he reminds me of me." He said with a sigh. "It's a shame that he doesn't have more people to hang out with." He finished his sandwich and put his plate in the sink. "Why is he homeschooled? I mean, is it just your dad or is it something with him?"
"He was getting bullied a lot at school and the school wasn't doing anything about it. Dad kept taking him out of schools when he started to get harassed and putting him into new schools but it would just start all over again. So Tyler eventually asked to just be home schooled" Arabella said and took a small sip of her coffee. Arabella had been teased when she was in school but she had Camp Half Blood to escape to. "He was always the skinny, nerdy kid and I guess the other kids saw him as an easy target. Then his mom had a total meltdown and everyone on the Upper East Side heard about it and the teasing just got worse"
"That's awful." Hunter said, shaking his head. "I hate bullies. How did he deal with it?" Hunter asked. "I mean, did he fight back? Did he tell someone? I guess you can't challenge them to a sparring match like I did at camp..." He sighed and looked back at Arabella. "Is there anything I can do to help him? I don't know what I could do, in the first place..."
"Just keep doing what you're doing, Hunter. It really means a lot to all of us that you're spending time with Tyler and setting the basement up for him. He looks really happy" Arabella said with a small smile and she finished off her sandwich. "He told Dad and Dad talked to the school but they never really made sure that it stopped. They would talk to the guys that were bullying him once and then forget about it. All of the private schools in the Upper East Side don't really care about anything like that. They just want your money and alot of their students to go to ivy league universities"
Hunter sighed. He shook his head. "I feel like I should teach him something. How to defend himself or something." He said quietly. "I don't know. Okay. I'm going to go take a shower." He said finally before kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Give me 15 minutes before coming in after me." He said with a wink before walking toward the stairs.
Arabella laughed and she quickly finished her coffee then walked over to do the dishes. Once those were done, she walked up the stairs and into their bedroom to find something to wear for the day. She didn't really feel like getting to dressed up or wearing anything too special. So she pulled out a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a white shirt with 3/4 sleeves. Arabella laid it out on the bed and walked around, getting everything that she needed for her shower. With a sigh, she flopped down on the bed, trying to resist the urge to go into the bathroom with Hunter. She thought about it for a moment then shrugged, picked up her stuff and walked into the bathroom. "Has it been 15 minutes, yet?"
When Arabella came in, Hunter was just shutting the shower off. "16 actually." He said with a laugh. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out of the shower. "If you'll excuse me..." He said, scooting past her. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Pardonnez-moi." He said with a wink before stepping out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
"Oh sweet Jesus" Arabella whispered when he closed the door. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. With a little smile, she opened the door a crack. "You are so mean to me!" she called after him then closed the door, peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower.
"Love you!" He shouted back as he slipped a t-shirt over his head. He pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a pair of socks and his green converse. He sat on the bed for a little while just thinking about Tyler and everything he's gone through. That's when Arabella walked out of the shower.
Arabella stepped into the room, holding a towel around her body loosely and she gave Hunter a small smile. "What a great shower" she said and walked into her closet, making sure to wiggle her hips just a little bit more than usual. Hunter wasn't going to get away with teasing her like that so easily. Arabella opened up a drawer and started to look through it for certain bra with a smirk on her face.
Hunter looked away at her with red cheeks. He sighed and looked at the closet. "Uhh...Well, I'm going to go." He said, standing up from the bed. He slowly walked over and leaned his back on the wall next to the doorway to the closet. "Did you want to come along to the store with us? Maybe there's a game you want to buy or something." He asked quietly.
Arabella found what he was looking for and quickly pulled it on. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm always up for a shopping trip" she giggled and stuck her hand out of the closet. "Pass me my clothes on the bed, would you?" she asked and waited for Hunter to pick up her shirt and jeans and put them in her hand. She said and quick thanks and pulled on her jeans then stepped out of the closet with her shirt in her hands. "What time are we leaving? Right away?"
Hunter glanced over and blushed again. "Oui." He said, looking away from her as she slipped her shirt on over her head. He suddenly had the realization that she was getting back at him for teasing her. This had become a contest of who would give up first. He smiled and put his hands on her waist. "Vous regardez plus belle à chaque moment qui passe de la journée, mon amie." He whispered before pressing his lips to hers. "Laissez-moi baiser tes lèvres et murmure des mots doux à votre oreille. Nous allons tomber en amour tout recommencer." He continued against her lips. He felt her pull him closer and that's when Hunter smiled and pulled away. "Well, best not keep Tyler waiting." He said with a chuckle. He winked at her and turned toward the door.
Arabella watched him walk away and she had to catch her breath. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and she quickly pushed on her bracelets and looked back at him. The look on her face was definitely a game face. This was a challenge and Arabella wasn't going to lose it. She walked past him and as she did, she smacked his butt lightly. "Game on, buddy" she said with a wink and walked down the stairs.
Hunter laughed and shook his head. "20 years, Ellie. That's how long I've gone without." He said as he followed her down the stairs. "You don't think I can last a couple more days without it?" He swung himself in front of her and put his hands on her hips. "That as long as you'll last." He whispered, leaning forward enough to breath gently on her ear. "Miele grappolo." He breathed in Italian. He snickered to himself and walked out the door, toward the car.
Arabella watched Hunter walk towards the car and she took a breath, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. She was determined to win this. She was going to win this. Hunter wasn't making it very easy though. With a huff, she followed Hunter towards the car and she slid into the passenger side seat. "Do you know what stores we're going to?" she asked him, looking over at him when he sat down.
"I haven't a clue." Hunter said with a sigh. He backed out of the driveway and turned toward Arabella's dad's apartment in New York City. They drove for a few minutes when Arabella opened her window and turned on the radio. She put her feet on the dash with nails that were painted bright red. She sang along and danced to the music with her hair flapping in the wind. He thought she looked incredibly cute. He shook out of it and focused on the road. The road. The road. Driving. He thought to himself, trying to keep himself focused. He glanced over to see her pulling down the mirror and opening makeup. "What are you doing?" He asked, stupidly. "I mean, why are you doing that? You look beautiful without makeup." He said quietly.
Arabella looked at Hunter for a moment, a little bit startled by his question. She wasn't really expecting it. "I don't know..habit, I guess. I feel better with makeup on" she said with a shrug and she looked over at Hunter with a small smile on her face and her cheeks were a little pink. She looked at him for a moment, wondering what he was thinking and feeling. He had so much to look forward to in his life and she knew that he was going to make a big impact on the world, even if he didn't know it yet. Her hand fluttered down to her stomach and she leaned back against the seat. "Thanks, though. You look pretty studly without makeup too" she said with a wink.
"Thanks. I try to go for a natural look." He said with a chuckle, looking over at Arabella. Even looking past all the sex, the kissing, the turmoil, she was his best friend. Everyone in camp had almost given up on him, but as soon as she saw him she was there for him. "I'll have to try that shade of red on my toenails, though. I always feel more powerful with a strong shade of red." He nodded like it was a fact. They finally arrived at the apartment building and Hunter parked. "Do you want to call him and he can come down or should we go up?" He asked with a shrug. It was at times like these when a phone of his own seemed like a good idea, but they never really appealed to Hunter. He never found it necessary.
"Maybe you should get your own phone" Arabella teased and she took her phone out of her purse, her fingers flew over the screen as she wrote a quick text to Tyler, telling him to get his butt downstairs then she slipped her phone away. She looked down at her toe nails before turning to look at Hunter again. "Red would be a wonderful color for you" she said with a nod. One of her hands rested on her stomach again and she snuck her other hand over to rest on his thigh, waiting for Tyler to come down the stairs.
"It really does wonders for my eye color." He said with a shrug. "Or something like that." He smiled over at her and put a hand on her hand, giving it a light squeeze. He glanced down at her hand on her stomach and raised an eyebrow. "Still hungry or are we going to see the sandwich again?" He asked, feeling a little concerned.
"Hmmm?" Arabella said and she looked down at her stomach. She hadn't even realized that she had put her hand there. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine" she said in a slightly nervous voice, her cheeks were suddenly pink. Hunter opened his mouth to say something but at that moment, Tyler walked outside and he got into the car with a happy look on his face.
"Hi, guys!" Tyler said excitedly, not noticing Arabella's pink cheeks or slightly tense atmosphere in the car.
"Hi, Tyler" Arabella said softly, looking away from Hunter.
Hunter blinked at Arabella. Something was amiss, but he was sure there would be time for that later. "Hey, Tyler." He said, putting his happy face back on. "How's things?" He asked with a smile.
"Boring, really." Tyler responded with a shrug. "So, where are we going?" He asked with a sigh.
"I have no idea. Point the way." Hunter said, shifting into drive. Tyler gave the directions and Hunter drove toward their destination.
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Arabella opened the door to the house and she walked inside, carrying hardly anything. Just a few bags that had some games in them. She placed them on the counter and turned around to see Tyler and Hunter walking into the house with boxes in both of their arms.
"Why do you get to carry the bags and we have to carry the heavy boxes?" Tyler huffed and he placed the boxes down on the floor for a moment.
"What's this 'we' stuff?" Hunter asked as he stepped inside, carrying the TV. "I'm carrying the heavy box. You're carrying boxes." He looked Arabella up and down. "You're only sort of doing work in the first place." He said with a chuckle as he pushed past and started down the stairs. He finally set it down and sighed. "I'm...pooped." He said with a sigh. "What say we pick this up tomorrow?" He asked quietly.
Tyler nodded in agreement and he yawned, leaning against the wall. "Tomorrow sounds good" he said and he pushed himself off of the wall. He didn't really know how he was getting home but he was looking forward to going home. Arabella seemed to be a little bit out of it and lost in her own little world.
"I'll drive you" Arabella said suddenly and she grabbed her car keys. She was nervous about being around Hunter a little bit because of all the things going on in her mind. So she figured that a drive to drop off Tyler would help her clear her mind. Arabella kissed Hunter's cheek lightly before walking out of the house with Tyler.
Once they were on the road, Tyler looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's up with you? You've been acting weird all day" he said and Arabella looked at him briefly then shrugged, but her hands on the steering wheel tightened.
"Nothing. I'm fine" Arabella said softly and Tyler scoffed.
"You are many things Arabella but you are not a good liar. Tell me what's wrong" Tyler said and Arabella looked at him before pulling up to the apartment, parking the car. Could she tell him? Maybe he would know what to do. Maybe she would be able to tell him and he wouldn't start giving her tons of advice that just made it even more confusing. Arabella took a deep breath and she looked down at her stomach.
"I think I might be pregnant" Arabella whispered, not looking at Tyler's face. "I took a test and it came up as positive, so I took another and it was positive too"
"Bell...just go to the doctor" Tyler said in a soft voice and Arabella still didn't look at his face. "These tests are often wrong. Don't freak out just yet" he added and Arabella nodded a little bit, trying to calm down. Tyler sighed and he gave her a small hug. "You would be an awesome mom" he told her before sliding out of the car.
"I love you, Ty" Arabella said, looking up at him for the first time. Tyler gave her a small smile, looking a little bit worried about her.
"I love you too, Bell" Tyler said and Arabella pulled away, driving back towards the house. Maybe Tyler was right. She would just have to make an appointment with the doctor sometime. When she got to the house, Arabella walked down to the basement, wondering if Hunter and left yet. She saw him laying down on the ground and looking up at the ceiling. With a small smile on her face, Arabella sat down beside him. "Hey, Stud Muffin"
"Miele grappolo!" He said with a tired smile. For some reason, he had reached that level of fatigue that he was incredibly fun. "You have returned to our castle on the shore." He said as he sat up and put a hand on her back. "Tyler get home okay?" He asked quickly. She nodded. "Did he seem...happy?" He asked, putting his forehead on her shoulder. He could feel her nod. "Okay. My final question: Are you okay? You seem...odd." He asked, looking up and rubbing her back. "The whole stomach thing. Do I need to take you to the hospital or something?" He asked, putting his chin on her shoulder and looking at her.
Arabella froze for a second, a little unsure of what to say to him. She didn't want to talk about it. She wasn't ready to tell him. Arabella was nervous about telling him because she was nervous about how he would react. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of having a baby with Hunter. Maybe a little girl. She could imagine waking up in the morning and playing with their daughter for a little while before kissing Hunter goodbye as he went to work. Then when he came home, they would sit in the living room and play together. Then they would kiss their little girl goodnight and fall asleep in each other's arms. It would be a perfect life and Arabella wanted it. Without thinking, she put her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes. Would Hunter feel the same way? Would be be happy and excited or would he be mad and try to talk her out of having the baby?
"I'm fine, Hunter. No need to worry. I just feel a little off today. Too much coffee, maybe" Arabella said softly.
Hunter blinked at her a few times. "You sure?" He asked quietly. "Is it because I keep teasing you? I'll do whatever you want, Ellie." He said, kissing her cheek lightly. "My woman gets what my woman wants." He said quietly with a small chuckle. He really just wanted to cheer her up. She looked down and that broke Hunter's heart. "Come on. Let's go to sleep." He said, pressing his lips to her cheek again. He leaned her back and laid next to her. He pulled her into his shoulder a little and kissed her temple. "Let's not wake up with a loud tummy tomorrow, okay?" He asked before placing a hand on her stomach.
Arabella looked down at his hand on her stomach and even though he was only teasing her, Arabella felt like crying. This moment..his hand on her stomach, her laying in his arms, his baby just under his hand..it was all so perfect. Arabella nodded softly and she buried her face into his side, trying not to show what she was feeling. She could imagine herself at eight months pregnant, with Hunter holding her in his arms with a hand on her stomach, waiting to see if the baby kicked. With a small sigh, Arabella closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Hunter" she mumbled into his side.
"Good night, Ellie." Hunter said with a smile. He rubbed her stomach and closed his eyes, trying to sleep, but unable. "Wait. I forgot something." He said sticking his head up. Hunter heard a muffled, 'What?' from Arabella. He kissed her head. He looked at her and at every waking moment he knew that she was the only one that he ever wanted to be with. She was his soulmate if there ever was a thing. "You're the love of my life, sweetie. I love you." He said before putting his head back down and rubbing her stomach. He wasn't sure if there was any greater feeling in his entire life than what he was feeling right now.
His hand on her stomach, his words echoing in her ears and his warm body against her was almost too much for her. She was going to tell him tomorrow. She would tell him that she was pregnant and he would hug her and tell her that he loves her and they would spend the night looking at baby names and shopping online for baby things. It would be perfect. They would work on clearing out a spare room so that they could turn it into the baby's room and they would plan their lives together. It would be perfect. "I love you too" she whispered in a small voice and she squeezed her eyelids shut when tears started to prickle at her eyes.