~CELESTIA~
Something soft brushed my cheek, leaving me wondering if Arielle was awake. I moved my head slightly, wanting to sleep just a little more, but then I began pondering how long I'd been sleeping for. Wasn't I supposed to wait till the relaxation spell wore off?
I opened my eyes; dark orange irises greeted me and relief blossomed on Hunter's face. "No nightmares, huh?” His voice was a whisper.
"Hunter?" I felt slightly disoriented, which gave me the impression I'd slept a little too long.
"Afternoon, Cutie Pie. Did you enjoy your nap?" he questioned, looking amused by my confusion.
"Nap? Oh...did I actually fall asleep? Where did Ms. Arcadia go? Wait, did I sleep the day away?" I wanted to sit up, but Hunter pressed a firm hand on my shoulder. I realized I was in his arms in a medical bed in the private clinic. Oh shit, I really did fall asleep. What year is it?
Hunter began to chuckle. "Celestia, you look like you slept for years and just woke up. Relax."
"That's because I thought I only closed my eyes," I defended, but relaxed back into his arms. I wouldn't miss a chance to spend time in his warm embrace. I felt like it had been a while since I'd seen the others, even though they had come to check on me throughout my recovery. It made me realize I'd have to try and balance myself out more with the others while still not isolating Orion and Finn. Man, balancing your time between six men is hard.
"How are you feeling?" Hunter asked. I tilted my head slightly to stare up at him. He looked relaxed but his face was guarded as if he didn't want me to see how to worried he actually was.
"I'm okay. Why? Did something happen when I was asleep?"
"Not really. We did make you something, though,” he mumbled. I gave him a curious look, a little excited at the thought of getting a present.
"A gift?" I asked, unable to hide my excitement. He grinned at my higher tone, reaching out to the table beside the bed. He picked up a little white box there and presented it to me.
He rested his chin on my shoulder and whispered, "We decided to make you something that would help you sleep better. It was originally supposed to be Finn and I making it, but then Orion wanted to join and then Theo and the twins arrived and said they didn't want to be left out. You can probably guess it was either a battle of the fittest or we all could pitch in."
"Aww, you guys actually didn't fight?" I asked.
Hunter laughed. "Hell no! Magnor scolded us when we got a bit loud and almost woke you up."
"Ah. That sounds more like it." I giggled, shaking my head as I lifted my hands to receive my gift. "Thank you."
Hunter relaxed. His arm returned to settle around my waist while I continued to enjoy my time being in his embrace. I opened the box and gasped at the beautiful stone inside. The heart shaped pendant sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow, the outside edges cradled by gold wings. I could sense the magic lingering within it, pick up a little bit from each of the guys. I grinned and turned to look at Hunter, who had a gentle smile on his face.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I love it! How did you make this? It's so beautiful and looks super expensive," I admitted. It looked like something you went to those expensive jewelers to have crafted or would have to order from a different dimension.
"Pixies can make the most expensive and valuable jewelry out of any shifter. Fae are good at it too, but pixies have endless possibilities. Finn mentioned he wanted to make something that you could always wear instead of just to bed. Cairus and Caio added that it needed to look both one of a kind and girly." Hunter rolled his eyes at the last comment.
I laughed, shaking my head. "I seriously love and will cherish it. You all put a bit of your magic inside," I whispered, trying not to cry. Gifts that held so much love in them really tore at my heartstrings and it was hard for me to not show my emotions and how much the gesture moved me.
"I'm glad you like it. Magnor added a pinch of protective magic inside it as well. You deserve the world, but I guess this will have to do for now." Hunter picked up the necklace from my hand and told me to sit up. I did as he asked, sliding out of his embrace to sit crossed legged in the middle of the bed. He changed positions so he was on his knees behind me.
He put the necklace on and its cool touch sent tingles through me. I could sense the little hints of magic from everyone: the nature magic from Finn, fire magic from Hunter, the calming healing magic from Orion, an interesting wave of magic I was unsure what was called, but felt like it came from Theo. Caio's and Cairus' magic was a mixture of fire and ice, the flame seemed somehow different than Hunter’s and the ice helped balance the magic. I could even sense Magnor's magic, easily recognizing its protective nature.
"There," Hunter whispered. His husky voice made me turn my head so we stared into one another’s eyes before I lowered my gaze to his lips. It was weird that I was suddenly aware of how attracted I was to each of my men. His dark orange eyes lowered to my lips, lingering there for a few seconds before they returned to meet my stare.
I wanted to kiss him, but I wasn't sure how to approach it. His early comment from when Finn dragged him out of our room this morning came to mind. Guess it's worth a shot.
"I thought you owed me an afternoon kiss," I mumbled. My cheeks felt slightly warm from embarrassment at my quiet comment. I closed my eyes for a moment, wondering if I'd made a mistake.
Soft lips pressed against my forehead and I opened my eyes to see Hunter’s dark orange ones staring down at me. His cheeks were a little red but he held my gaze. "There."
I lifted my hand to my forehead, feeling a bit relieved he hadn’t been upset by request, but still slightly disappointed. "I wanted a real one," I confessed and immediately regretted it, realizing I'd said it out loud. Hunter smirked and I covered my face with my hands to avoid showing how red it was about to come from my admission.
"I didn't mean that. Blame the relaxation spell. Definitely the spell. I don't need a afternoon ki-" I defended, but was cut off when Hunter's hands wrapped around my wrist, moving my hands away from my face and in a smooth movement, his lips pressed firmly against mine.
My eyes grew wide while his slowly closed as he deepened the kiss. I tensed for a moment, but quickly relaxed as I kissed him back.
We pulled back slightly and our quiet but rapid breathing made me smile. Hunter grinned and soon we both were laughing.
"I think I like afternoon naps," I whispered.
"Why?" Hunter asked.
"They lead to afternoon kisses." I giggled.
He shook his head. "You really are something, Celestia," he whispered, pulling me into a hug.
"Hey! Surprise hugs weren't included in the deal," I huffed but was laughing in seconds.
"I don't remember agreeing to a deal." Hunter chuckled before he began to tickle me. I laughed and tried to get out of his hold but then he hugged me again, pressing a gentle kiss on my shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay," he whispered.
"That's thanks to you guys taking care of me," I replied.
"More like Finn and Orion hogging you," Hunter pointed out. I smirked, shaking my head.
"They weren't that bad," I tried to defend.
"They were horrible." We turned our heads at hearing two people call out in unison. Caio and Cairus walked in from the space between the white curtains.
"Hey, you two," I greeted with a wide smile. I'd missed them even though we'd left the house together and we were all at the meeting. I wondered if they were just checking in or they were going to rotate with Hunter.
"Hey Cutie Pie," Caio greeted, coming over to the bed. Hunter released me so I could move to the edge and reach out my arms for a hug. He embraced me, squeezing tightly for a long moment before letting go.
"Afternoon, Cutie Pie Dearest." Cairus smiled and I couldn't help but laugh at the extended nickname.
"That is way too long." I giggled, shifting and opening my arms so he could give me a hug.
He held me just as tightly and chuckled. "I like it."
"Of course you do. You gave her the long nickname to begin with," Hunter sighed before he yawned. "Where's Theo anyways?"
"Ah. He's chasing Arielle," Caio revealed.
Cairus pulled away and I glanced at the both of them in confusion. "Why is Arielle being chased by Theo?"
"Oh, Theo found a shiny button on the floor which belonged to a pixie shifter who dropped it. So he tried to give it back but Arielle swooped in out of nowhere and took it," Caio sighed, shrugging his shoulder.
"You have to admit, it was totally hilarious. One of those 'I don't give a fuck' moments and Theo's been chasing her for a good half an hour. We decided to leave and come see if you were awake. I guess you like your gift," Cairus explained, looking at my necklace.
I grinned. "Yes, I really do love it. Thank you guys." I held the little pendant in my hand, staring at its beautiful exterior.
"We're glad you like it," Caio hummed.
Cairus clapped his hands. "Now it's time for you to get some fresh air."
"Fresh air? It's not too late for us to explore?" I questioned. There weren't any windows in this section so I didn't know what time it was.
"It’s only three in the afternoon. We have lots of time. Let's go, Celestia. Cairus will buy you food,” Caio offered.
"Um, why am I the buyer of the food? You’re the one who owes her food after you thought it was a smart idea to let Orion cook the other day," Cairus reminded.
Caio frowned, looking away. "I didn't think he'd burn all the food. He did make a really good cake though."
"I still don't get how he makes the best desserts but manages to burn everything else." Hunter sighed, laying down with a yawn. "You guys go enjoy some sun. I'm gonna take an afternoon nap."
"Sounds good," Cairus cheered.
"Sleep well! Let’s go, Celestia!" Caio called excitingly. Both of them extended their arms to help me out of bed. I grinned, placing my left hand in Cairus’ and my right in Caio's. They helped me up and after ensuring I was good and felt energized enough to go exploring, we decided to make our departure. I glanced back at Hunter, who was already fast asleep, his breathing slow and his expression peaceful.
I bet Finn and Orion were relaxing by now and I hoped they were taking advantage of the extra time to catch up on some snooze. I figured Finn would be exhausted, especially after making me such a beautiful jewel. Orion must have been tired from dealing with whatever happened last night in terms of my supposed nightmares and barely getting any sleep.
I quickly walked up to Hunter, giving him a gentle kiss on his forehead before turning back, ready to enjoy some fun with the twins.
"Have fun," Hunter mumbled sleepily. I blushed, looking over my shoulder to see his eyes were half open, fighting to stay awake long enough to bid me farewell.
I grinned. "Thanks, Hunter. Sleep well," I whispered. He nodded before closing his eyes, falling asleep in seconds. It made me smile and I loved how compassionate my men were.
Now, it was time to enjoy the great outdoors.