gatherersmith

[gatherersmith]

Within his family dynamic, Hunter was known for being a deep thinker. There was no greater proof of that than the fact he was here, with the girl he'd been pining over for years half-naked on his lap, and instead of doing what he was sure most guys wouldn't hesitate to do, he was trying to have a conversation about the rules. But that made June even more amazing than he already knew she was - instead of taking offense to it, she was happy to talk it through with him. Her words settled a knot he hadn't realised was twisting in his stomach, and he let out a shaky laugh. "I mean, our rules are kind of what we're trying to figure out, right?" He pointed out. "I don't know when you got so good at this. Saying it out loud, I mean. Everything you just said is exactly what I'm trying to get at." It had taken them years to get to this point, where they were together, officially a couple. He didn't want it to take years to get to the next stage, but neither did he want to rush it. Not when they had all the time in the world. His hands slid gently up her sides, stopping just below her ribs. "It's not that I don't want you. Of course I want you, that's not a question. But it's... it's not really about that with us. I guess for me, it's enough to know we can just be here together, after everything, and not be in a rush to check boxes just because we can now, you know?" He paused for a moment, searching her face to gauge her expression. "When we get there, whether now or later, it's gonna mean something because we make it mean something. Because it's you and me."

Although her current position should've felt a lot more vulnerable, it wasn't. Not with him. Somehow, Hunter had June feeling a weird sense of safety that never came with the other guys. They'd never stop to consider her feelings for even a split second. That's why she was so okay with the idea of something not happening. He was the first person who cared about her enough to actually take her into consideration. He was right, though, rules weren't created with relationships like theirs in mind. "Yeah...so, what are our rules then, hmm?" she raised a brow. "Cause as much as I want you, and...you know what I mean when I say that, I don't want to force anything either. Like, I know this isn't normal. We're far from an every day couple, whatever that means, but that's what I like best about us. The fact we waited, what, almost a decade to stop being stupid? That says a lot, but so does me being practically naked in your lap and not feeling like I have to hide anything." The admission of that had her sighing, pushing past the way she was blushing on autopilot to continue talking. "And it also means that if we don't do anything right now that that's okay too, because I know we will when it's right for us." June felt she'd done enough talking, or at least blabbing when it came to her own feelings. She wasn't the only person in that room, though. "What are you thinking?" she asked, letting her fingers playfully catch in the end of his hair where her hands rested at his neck.

[gatherersmith]

A tiny frown appeared on Hunter's face. If he was making it count, he wasn't sure how. He should be over the moon to finally be with her in a romantic setting, but somehow, he could not stop himself from doing relationship admin. A part of him wanted to shut up, kiss her and more, especially when she shed more clothing until she was wearing nothing but her underwear, but what his brain wanted and what his mouth was doing were entirely different things right now.

"No, no, no. It's not that I'm having a change of heart or anything. God, don't even think that." He'd wanted her for so long that the idea of being saying thanks but no thanks right now was almost laughable. But that was the weird thing. He'd never been the guy to hop straight into bed with people he was dating, but he'd also never dated someone he'd been in love with for practically half his life. "It's just all the normal dating rules are kinda... redundant with us, you know?" He wondered how much she'd understand that, given her exes definitely were the type to drag her straight to the bedroom. "You're not killing the vibe. It's kinda something we have to talk about."

June's eyes widened just the slightest, her shoulders inching down as she let out a breath. There were many things Hunter knew about her, and probably a little too well. If she actually had a specific quirk or tell that revealed to him when she was lying, she wasn't sure. She wasn't about to test that theory with him, though. Even when he teased, there was nothing more she wanted than to be with him in any way, shape or form. There was no way she'd be able to be dishonest about that.

It wasn't exactly her misty feelings from before, but something grabbed hold of June's emotions and squeezed. His words felt like a giant, fuzzy pink blanket around her heart, and with the way his had stayed steady over her chest, she was almost sure he would've felt the way her pulse picked up as he spoke. "You already are making it count," she said with a small smile. She stood up from where she'd been in his lap, sliding her knee socks and skirt off so that other than a boring pair of cotton undies, there was nothing left to the imagination with her. She gently settled herself back down to her previous position before letting her arms wrap around his neck. "I don't expect, like, anything weird or crazy to happen here. I don't want that. Whatever happens...as long as it's with you, that's enough. Nothing even has to happen. Like, if you have a change of heart or if I do or if it feels too rushed or weird or like it's not working how it should..." She trailed off, cheeks heating up once more when she realized she was back to rambling. "Am I totally killing the vibe right now? Please, just...shut me up if you need to."

[gatherersmith]

Hunter let out an amused snicker, though hearing June call herself his girlfriend had his heart thudding so loud that he wondered if she could hear it. It seemed almost surreal that after so many years of what was basically pining, he finally had her here, returning every sentiment he'd ever held for her. "I think you're at a bit of a disadvantage, he pointed out, letting one hand on the small of her back. "Because I can always tell when you're lying." He was teasing her right back, now, neither of them taking the other's words too seriously.

He was being driven to distraction by the way she basically ground herself against him, but talk returning to her loser ex-boyfriends had him freezing up again. He pulled away from her a little, leaning back on his hands so he could better see her face. He couldn't help it - he had met James and Caeser, knew exactly what kind of guys there were. They might have been dicks, but he had no doubt that both of them absolutely fucked, and that did awaken a sort of insecurity in him. He might have continued to feel that way, but the combination of her words and her hand yanking down his zipper was enough for him to give her a slight nod, and let go of what was weighing on him. "It is us," he agreed, his hand lying flat on her chest, though his thumb smoothed over her skin in a gentle, repeated motion. "i think I've just... been thinking about this for so long. About being with you like this. I just want to make it count."

"Wow. Spoken like someone who truly doesn't realize how handsome he is, and if it weren't for that, his loving girlfriend might start reconsidering if she wants to bang him or not," she shook her head, although the small smile and slightly pink tint to her cheeks showed she wasn't actually that off put. There was something kind of sweet about the fact he'd seen her through the ugly duckling years and still wanted her. It was enough to actually have her heart feel like it was fluttering in her chest, and even thinking about Ashley with a chainsaw or other power tools didn't push that sensation away.

Despite feeling like they were on similar pages, there was still a hint of hesitation in June's mind. Not because of her own actions, though. The way Hunter brought up her exes had her wondering why, considering that they were the last thing on her mind in that moment. Their names felt like ghosts in the room, though, and she felt like it was important to make her intentions clear. She moved her hips down just the slightest, gasping as the friction hit her in the right way. "Just so you know, those guys from before? Despite whatever I may or may not have done with them, they have nothing on you. I mean," she started to say, her hands finding the button to his jeans and casually undoing it along with his zipper while she spoke, "you're the only one who's had the privilege of making your way into my fantasies as a teen, Hunter. Like, you have been the star in at least a decades worth of fantasies about this moment." She may have been wanting to take things farther, but she was still June. That's why she cupped his face between her hands and looked him in the eye as she spoke next. "When I think about it, there's no one else. Everything and anything that we do will be amazing because it's with you, and it's us." It wasn't intended to be sexy, and considering the right circumstances, it could've been. It felt more vulnerable though as June grabbed one of his hands that rested against her side and redirected it to land on her bare chest and rest over her heart. "You're the only one who has this part of me."

[gatherersmith]

"Or does winning make it extra doofy?" Hunter shot back, grinning. It wasn't often that he brought up June's cringiest hits, and maybe it was the wrong time exactly to do it now, but there were occasions he couldn't help himself, and this was one of them. "Well, no, she's resourceful like that," he was forced to admit, the idea of his sister with a chainsaw sending a slight shudder up his spine. His brows raised as June spoke, unsure where this was going. He soon found an answer she she sat on his lap, his hands automatically curling around her waist as she moved into a position that made it far more difficult for him to keep his intentions of taking things slowly. "Uh huh," he managed to get out, before their lips met again. When he kissed her back, it was a lot less careful then before, the pressure of his lips against hers a little rougher, his grip on her waist a little tighter. He didn't take it further than that, though, waiting for June to take the lead and confirm she actually wanted to take this further.

Although June felt a bashful smile creep up on her lips, it was quickly replaced by a scoff once Hunter decided that was a good moment to walk down dorky memory lane. "Yes, actually, I do remember, and I got first place at the competition. Not so doofy when you're a winner." Despite her victory, she didn't really like it that much. It was one of those things she had to see through at the time. Thankfully, the whole gymnastics time in her life was just a phase, and with the way he mentioned Ashley and her hammer, she hoped that was also just a phase for the sake of the entire Smith family. "I wouldn't put it past her to be able to find one," she shrugged, however any thoughts of the others were quickly dropped once the conversation took a more serious turn. She nodded as she listened to him, fully understanding his view on it all. "Good thing I already am your girlfriend, right?" She wasn't even sure they'd officially said it, but there was no doubt in her mind about where they stood. "We do have lots of time, I agree, but I'm also accounting for all the lost time, so, if it's alright with you..." With that, she pushed him back before swinging a leg over so that she was now straddling him and setting her weight down in his lap. It might've made for an awkward position once she needed to take her pants off, but that was the last concern on her mind in that moment. "We have all the time in the world, right? Might as well start practicing getting it right right now. And in case I didn't make it clear," she leaned over, her head tilting in a way that'd seem innocent if it weren't for the words that followed. "I really want to fuck you, Hunter." She shot him a grin before breaking the space between them by returning her lips to his.

[gatherersmith]

He was glad they could laugh about it, though he hoped that the jokes about his foggy, weed-addled brain capacity wouldn't be a running joke. "I don't know. I'm definitely not complaining about the idea of you in a swimsuit," he gave her an appreciative glance, though he started laughing himself when a memory came to him. "Wait, do you remember when you got really into that ribbon twirling thing? God, June, I wanted to be supportive, but that was so doofy." It had been torturous trying not to laugh at her at the time, but he'd taken every opportunity to tease her about it since she gave it up. "Eh, I don't even think we have a chainsaw, so you're safe from Ashley's potential New Jersey Chainsaw Massacre. She brings the hammer out, though, we might have to become professional sprinters."

A hug wasn't the way he expected her to react, but it was fine for him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. "Just to be clear," he spoke quietly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just if you're finally going to be my girlfriend, I want to make sure I'm doing this right. And I plan on making sure this lasts, so we have all the time in the world to get there. You know?"

"Nope. You don't," June giggled, a moment that was quickly passed by with kissing him. The running comment didn't deter her either as she shook her head and snorted in response. "Well I'm on the same page as you there. I can hold my own, but I'm not about to be a cover star on Sports Illustrated anytime soon." There was a small stint where June had gotten into rhythmic gymnastics back in her early teens, but that's about as far as her sports journey went. "Let's just hope no chainsaw wielding weirdos decide to hunt us down any time soon. Ashley's the only person who gives off that vibe, anyways, so I think we're okay."

June would've been more bashful if it weren't for the way he looked at her. His words made her feel the butterflies from her stomach creep up to her chest, some kind of flurry seeming to go haywire in both parts of her body. "No, you're not...and that's what I like best about you," she said, her tone a bit quieter. In fact, something about it all made her feel a bit choked up. "You're my Hunter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll take you at any place or time or speed as long as it's you." Before she started to spiral and overthink everything, she did what was probably not a sexy move but felt right in her mind: she leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and letting her head fit into the spot between his neck and shoulder as she hugged him tightly.

[gatherersmith]

Hunter groaned, though his lips were upturned in a smirk. "I want to argue with you on that, but I don't really have a leg to stand on, do I?" He still wished it hadn't happened, but right now, it was hard to imagine wanting to do anything differently if it meant they wouldn't be where they are right now. "Well, seeing as he's occupied..." He trailed off, taking the opportunity to kiss her again. He broke the kiss to laugh against her lips. "Don't worry. I'm fit as a fiddle. I just can't run for very long without getting cramps." The amount of smoke he'd inhaled over the years meant he couldn't keep up with his brothers in the athletic department. He was pretty sure even Robey could outrun him. He was soon distracted from thoughts of his weirdest brother, though, when June began to take her shirt off. "Yeah, it's okay," his voice was full of soft encouragement, his eyes dropping to her chest to take in the sight of her, but there was something on his mind. It wasn't the ideal time to bring it up, but Hunter went for it anyway. "I don't want you to think I don't want you, because I do. Want you." He raised his eyeline to look at her face, which made it a lot easier to say what he was about to say than looking at her chest did. "But I'm not James or Caesar or Davut from Turkey. We can slow it down, you know?"

Although June's brows rose at his comment, she found it funny more than anything. "Don't tempt me. I don't want you to forget if you say anything super important, like how much you love me," she teased. It wasn't even a level playing ground, considering that she loved him back just as much to the point that it was probably sickening for everyone around them. She shook her head at the idea of her dad showing up and barging in on their nice moment. "Pretty sure he's busy doing some post-Christmas political shit. I don't know." June loved her dad, but as she'd gotten older and wiser, or so she liked to think, she struggled to like him. The loving family part was unconditional, but other things had broken the facade she'd witnessed for years. She wasn't about to delve into that, though. Not when the next words out of Hunter's mouth set her cheeks ablaze once again. "No...well, actually, with you? Maybe. Just don't die on me anytime soon. I'd like to kiss you a lot more before you kick the bucket...among other things." She didn't think she needed to explain what that meant, and from the way he was kissing her, she assumed he was on a similar page. Without fully thinking it through, she pulled her top up over her head and let it fall to the floor. "Uh, is that okay? I can put it back on if this is too much," she stammered as her eyes nervously searched his.

[gatherersmith]

"Give me enough weed and you might get close." It might have sounded like a joke, but given his little memory slip the last time they had met, there was more truth to it than Hunter would like to admit, though he hoped they were at a point of being able to make light of it. It seemed insignificant enough at this point, given where they were now. "Good for him," he nodded. "Andrew, I mean. Not your dad. I really fucking hope he doesn't manage to find his way in. Or that Ashley manages to intercept him on the stairs if he does." The thought of June's weirdo dad interrupting them now was horrifying. "Yeah?" He found a smirk creeping on to his face. "You wanna make out in Anne Frank's attic, too?" It was about the only part of that doofy movie he remembered clearly, considering it had been a while since he'd been forced to watch it. His flippant sarcasm was soon driven from his mind by her actions though, a shiver running down his spine as she made contact with his chest. His arms tightened around her a bit, his kiss deepening to something a little hungrier.

"You're very lucky that I actually care about you as a person, or else I'd be finding a way to have all these memories of yours wiped," June joked, knowing if that were truly the case, she'd have years of embarrassment to knock out of his brain. The fact he'd been there for her dorky preteen years and still wanted her said everything she needed to know. Her brows raised a bit, her nod showing that she wasn't about to disagree. "Yeah, well, Andrew's probably off in some comatose state with his girlfriend next to him, and I'm pretty sure my dad isn't gonna come barging in your room any time soon, either. I'm not too worried," she snorted. "And we'll just have to go somewhere like Amsterdam to make up for it, plus I kind of want to see where they filmed parts of The Fault In Our Stars. I'll smack you if you tell anyone else I told you that, though." If there were anything that could've shocked her, it was what came from his mouth next. "Oh?" she responded, her splash of confidence from before melting away into something else. The way she'd blushed with him before had definitely returned. She wasn't a virgin by any means, but with Hunter, the idea of being that vulnerable with him had a swarm of butterflies emerging in her stomach. Still. She wasn't about to say no. She kissed him back eagerly, letting her hands slip under his shirt to trace patterns with her fingers against his chest.

[gatherersmith]

"Oh, trust me, it wasn't amusing going through it. Right now, though? Practically a comedy show." He wouldn't be so light about it if he couldn't tell from her expression that she wasn't taking it seriously, either. There was a reason those guys were exes, and he was the one there with her now. "I'd taken Andrew any day over Mitchell, to be honest. Your dad, on the other hand, is another story." He screwed up his face, pretending to think over the choice. "Well, it wouldn't be permanent, would it? I can go a plane ride without weed." He nodded his head, his hands snaking around her waist as she shifted her position. He was about to argue that nothing was worth having his siblings as an audience, but when she kissed him again, he wasn't sure he could back that statement any more. "You'll get no argument from me," he agreed. "But I wouldn't mind making absolutely sure." With that, he kissed her again.

"I'm glad my trauma is so amusing," she joked with an eyeroll, obviously not meaning anything by it. It was years ago, and considering where she currently was, her past guys were just that. Past. She truly couldn't imagine any other guy she'd want more than Hunter now. She smirked at his comment, although it quickly turned into a scoff. "You'd ditch the weed for me? I'm touched. And I mean, I'd hope that if I go on a trip any time soon, you'd be there with me," she suggested. "And don't tell me you wouldn't have considered doing the same thing in my situation. Andrew being there to watch it all go down wouldn't be half as bad, but still. We're both kind of stupid for taking this long to acknowledge it." Knowing Hunter and that he'd fully try and dispute her claims, she sat up and readjusted her position so that she was now on top of him, or rather in his lap. "But like I said, at least I didn't. I think that having your siblings watching made it all worth while if it means I get to do this." It wasn't much, but she did rest her full weight on top of him so that she was straddling him before leaning back down to return her lips to his. "Wouldn't you agree?" she muttered against his mouth with a devilish smile.

[gatherersmith]

If Hunter were a better person, he wouldn't be enjoying this as much as he was. The only conclusion was that he was absolutely a horrible guy, and in this moment, he was okay with that. There was an aura of patheticness radiating from Mitch now, and if he hadn't have pissed Hunter off so very many times in the past, he might even feel sorry for him. He popped another chip in his mouth, very much enjoying the power he held in that moment. "Oh, you should have seen it, Mikki. Actually, maybe you wouldn't have wanted to, it definitely wasn't very PG. He had her up against the wall - like, lifted her up - and was fully making out with her." He was a lot more animated than usual, his free hand gesturing wildly for emphasis. "I might be stoned, but I'm not blind. The image of him trying to find her tonsils with his tongue is gonna haunt my nightmares tonight."

The way both Mitchell and Mikki paused would've been comical for anyone stumbling into the scene. His shirt was gathered up in her fist, and they slowly turned their heads in unison to stare at Hunter imparting his words of so-called wisdom. Both were furrowing their brows but for very different reasons. "Yeah, I said that to you, not-" Mitchell was about to explain before the realization hit him. Lottie thought those words, the one's he thought were clearly spoken to his brother in an attempt to get him to scurry off, were directed at her. "Ohhh...oh, fuck! Shit!" he shout-whispered before looking at Mikki in defeat. He physically deflated a bit, sighing heavily. "Slap me. I deserve it."

Although she still remained confused about whatever the hell had happened, Mikki eyed Mitchell as if he were a puppy holding up its sore paw. He had his pathetic moments more often than not. This was a little much for her, though. "Nah, you asking takes most of the fun out of it," she muttered, although as Hunter continued, she couldn't help but be piqued by what came up but in the worst possible way. "Cozy?" She was suddenly backtracking and feeling like taking Mitch up on his slapping offer. "What exactly does that mean, Mitchell?" she asked, watching him go from shaking his head and glaring at Hunter to being a deer in the headlights upon making eye contact with her.

"...Mik, come on. He's stoned and seeing shit! Don't listen to - ahhh!" He hunched over, receiving another fist full of pummeling from Mikki's side. She clearly wasn't in the mood to hear anyone out. Unfortunately, he mostly stood there and took it while shooting a couple death stares in Hunter's general direction.

[gatherersmith]

If Mitchell expected help from Hunter, he was sadly barking up the wrong tree. Instead, he sat there, eating his Cheetos, watching what was unfolding in front of him like a toddler engrossed in watching dancing fruits parade around his iPad. It was a shame that it was only him there to witness this, and he debated running back to his room to grab June, but also didn't want to miss a second of this.

"I can tell you what he said, Mikki," he held up one Cheeto-dust covered finger, gesturing for her to stop raining blows on Mitch for a second and listen to him. "He said, 'nothing is happening here. it's all in your mind'." With that, he nodded, as though he had just imparted some great wisdom on them both. "Of course, it might have been what he was doing before that which had her so spooked. Honestly, if it were me, I'd have ran screaming for the hills. Do you want to fill her in on your cozy little moment with Lottie, or shall I?" The latter question was directed at Mitchell, his brother's attempt at gaslighting already working a little too well on him.

Mitch wasn't a rocket scientist by any means, but he knew when he'd fucked up. It was a little too evident with the laugh from Lottie's side as she broke away. He couldn't even find the words to try and stop her, pathetically reaching out to but missing by a few inches and letting his hand fall to his side. "Fuck," he muttered, resting his forehead against the wall where she was previously hiked up for a few moments. Hunter's comment had him coming back to, and as much as he wanted to be annoyed or tackle him, the Cheetos seemed like a peace offering. "It...it's whatever, it doesn't matter. Nothing even happened, dude." With a sigh, he reached into the bag. A split second later, the Cheeto was essentially karate chopped from his hand. "Huh?!" he exclaimed dopily, watching it fall to the carpet then up to what smacked it away.

"What. The. Hell." It was panted out, Mikki crouched over and looking like she was moments away from pouncing. She didn't, but she did start smacking Mitchell as if her hands were the mallet and he was a human whack-a-mole. "What did you do, Mitchell? Huh? You couldn't act like a normally functioning human for a single day? What did you say to Lottie?" She paused when he squeaked in protest, her hand still up and ready to strike.

"I didn't-"

"No? You didn't say something stupid to scare her off? Cause things were all fine and dandy up until just moments ago when she came into my room and muttered something about you then ran out like the house was on fire. What nimrod thing did you do or say, Mitchell? Don't make me get Bonnie and shove her down the back of your shirt."

"I...she...we...help?" he cried out once he was able to form a sentence, cowering a bit despite the fact Mikki was a good foot shorter than him. His eyes widely met with Hunter's, attempting to send him an S.O.S through eye contact alone but the memo clearly not being recognized as Mikki wailed on him a bit more.

[gatherersmith]

"That's where you're wrong, June. It's hilarious," the grin on his face was almost uncharacteristic. He was moved backwards a bit by her playful push, but was soon scooting close to her again, arms wrapping around her waist and lips brushing against her cheek. It was a huge boost to his ego to know that even when she was wasting her time with losers, her mind was still on him. The moment of hilarity was broken, though, when she mentioned her dad, his brows furrowing in concern when she mentioned his reaction to her breakup. He decided not to dwell on it, opting to try and keep the good vibes going. "Nah. I'd leave the weed at home. Wouldn't risk seeing you off." He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Well, unless you tried to sneak out without saying goodbye. Which could happen," he was fully teasing her now, the kiss he pressed to her lips making it obvious he wasn't holding it against her. "I'm glad you didn't too."

June was likely blind to the jabs at her exes before, but something about hearing them now caused the corner of her lips to creep upwards. "Yep, and now you know exactly why he didn't see me off," she confirmed, realizing her gaze was mostly cast downwards as she told the story. Once she looked back at his face and realized he was fully grinning, she couldn't help but reach over and give him a playful shove. "It's not funny, Hunter," she replied but found herself giggling as well. "I had to sit next to my dad in hysterics for, like, nine hours, and all he did was offer me his complimentary cookie and ask if I could stop crying by the time the plane landed so that I didn't ruin any potential pictures." With a sigh, she nuzzled back in closer, intentionally brushing the tip of her nose against his. "At least I know that the only reason you wouldn't see me off at an airport is for having weed in your bag...or being stubborn and letting me leave." She couldn't help but reference his little stunt from earlier, although she knew they were both at fault there. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, showing that in that moment, she didn't care too much about what'd happened pre-living room confession. "I'm glad I didn't, though."

[gatherersmith]

Hunter's face darkened a little when she mentioned Davut, another guy he had watched hurt her while he waited on the side-lines. unlike Caesar and James, though, he'd hadn't been around to witness that one first-hand, given it happened on the other side of the world, so he got extra points based on that alone. "The dude who didn't see you off from the airport, right." he said that more to hammer home that Davut was not the guy for her, still not quite used to the fact they'd already established that he was. When she started telling the whole story, though, his stormy expression gave way to a grin, and by the time she was done, he was practically beaming. "Oh," this shouldn't be as funny as it was, but he'd be lying if he said this wasn't an ego boost. Hunter ran his hand over his jaw, trying to hide his smile and pretend he felt even a little bit bad about this, but he just couldn't. "Well. I'm sure he'll get over it."

June shook her head a bit, unsure what he felt the need to apologize for. A different expression washed over her face once she heard his reasoning, though. She wondered how long they both would've been stupid for if the weed didn't force out their feelings. She kissed him back, unintentionally breaking the kiss once a giggle bubbled up on her side. "I'm sorry, I just..." She trailed off, not sure if there'd ever be a right time to tell him about what came to mind but feeling it somehow fit in that moment. She rested a hand against the side of his face and traced her thumb along his cheek. "You know when daddy dragged me along on one of his work trips to Türkiye and things with Davut blew up before I left, but I never really explained what happened? So, um, around the last day of the trip, I was hanging out with him and we were...kissing." She winced a bit, feeling weird for replaying the whole thing considering the position she was currently in, however it was necessary to the story. "We were really getting into it, but instead of saying his name in the middle of all that...I, uh, I said your name." If she'd been blushing in the living room, she was fully morphing into a tomato now. "So...yeah, if you feel like you need to apologize for not saying it sooner, then obviously, I do, too."

[gatherersmith]

"There's never really been anybody who comes close to you, June." He dismissed her gratitude easily, because in his mind, there was absolutely no need to thank him. He wasn't doing her any special favours by choosing to be with her, because for him, it was not a choice. It was always June, and it would only ever be June, and that was that. He didn't have to choose to love her, because loving her came about as naturally to him as breathing. His arms snaked around her waist, and he pulled her down until they were both lying on the bed, his face only inches from hers. "I'm sorry," His gaze raked over her tear-stained face, and he pressed his forehead to hers. "Sorry it took me so long to say anything. I guess I got so caught up in how I feel about you that I never stopped to think that you might feel the same way back. That's on me." Now he'd kissed her, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop. He closed the gap between them, and his mouth found hers again.

As far back as she could recall, June had always been a romantic at heart. Maybe that's why everything falling into place with Hunter felt so delicate and special to her. He was the first guy in maybe her entire life that she could imagine forever with but actually see it coming true. She was in a bit of a ragdoll state once Hunter pulled her into his lap, although she leaned into his touch almost immediately as it came. Jerky nods were given as a response to everything he was saying, unable to find proper words that came close to explain her gratitude. There were a bunch in mind, but it'd likely come out in a choked up and sob-laced way about how much she loved him. That urge was only heightened as his next sentence followed. Although his lips were gentle against hers, she returned the kiss like she was drowning and the only way to stay afloat was being close to him. "I love you so, so much," she muttered against his mouth, only pulling back so she could tearily look him in the eye with the next words she spoke. "You are genuinely the greatest man I've ever known, Hunter John Smith. I mean it. Thank you for choosing me."

[gatherersmith]

"Then maybe we can postpone the deep chat," the pink of her cheeks had a smile on his face, but clearly the idea of putting off their talk in favour of a makeout session was wiped from his mind when he saw her reaction to his confession. He didn't think it would elicit tears on her end - not when she had said it first downstairs. "Yeah, well, It's Mitchell. I'm a little surprised natural selection hasn't already got him somehow." The joke was a failed attempt at diffusing the tension. When that didn't work, he took her hand, leading her to the bed and sitting on it before pulling her on to his lap. "Hey. Don't cry." One hand snaked around her waist, the other reaching up to gently brush away her tears with the back of his hand. "I'm not going anywhere. No matter what you say or do. This is it for us, June. There's no more bullshit and boyfriends getting in the way." He blinked at her next words, not even sure how to respond to them. "Are you kidding? You are, by far, the most amazing person I know. And that's not even close." With that, he pressed his lips to hers again, but more gently this time.

June sheepishly pressed her lips together, the wavering line of a smile trying to break through and touch of pink on her cheeks showing that Hunter knew exactly what she was trying to do. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I'm not going anywhere. There's lots of time to talk," she said in a hushed tone, automatically kissing him back but not resisting when he pulled back from it either. She eyed him curiously, not expecting to feel her stomach flip the way it did when his next words came out. "Yeah?" It was silly and she wasn't sure why, but actually hearing the words from him, spoken out loud, had her welling up again. The comment about Mitch broke the tension for a moment as she let out a choked-up laugh. "I was a little scared he'd drown himself with the way he downed that milk," she snickered before turning her attention back to his prior comment. "I don't know if you'll ever realize how much that means to me, Hunter. After all my silly mistakes and times where you really should've given up on me throughout the years, you never did. I hope you know that I didn't take any of that for granted." Despite the fresh batch of tears that'd started making their way down her cheeks, she momentarily ignored them so she could really look at him. "I don't even really feel like I'm worthy of it, but you make me want to be."

[gatherersmith]

Hunter had every intention of speaking with June. There was no part of him that had an ulterior motive for getting her on her own, away from Ashley and Mitch and Mike and his girl. He wanted to have an open, honest conversation about their relationship, and how it would look moving forward. However, when he felt her lips trail along his jaw, it was hard to remember everything he wanted to say to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, using his other hand to catch her chin and tilt her face up to his. "Well, I have some stuff I want to get off my chest, but you're not exactly making it easy to remember exactly what," he smirked, leaning in to close the gap between their faces and press a kiss to her lips. But then, he remembered what she had said downstairs, and broke the kiss to lean his forehead on hers. "I love you too, by the way. I think I sort of always have. I just didn't want to say it for the first time with Mitch watching us."

June may as well had been floating through a pink, cloudy haze with hearts bouncing around her head. That's why she was a little lost when Hunter mentioned going upstairs. "But we are-" she was about to say, cutting short when she heard a slurp from the kitchen. She turned to watch as Mitchell tilted his cereal bowl back, taking what had to be a Guinness World Record long drink of his soggy wheat and milk mix. A stream of it dripped like a waterfall from the corner of his mouth to his shirt, and she made accidental eye contact once he finally came up for air. "Please," he waved, wiping his face off with his arm before smirking in their direction, "don't stop on my account." A deep blush set into her cheeks, pressing her face into Hunter's chest with a chuckle. "Right, we just did all that in front of them. Shit." She pulled back after a moment before nodding. "Sounds good. There are some things that should be for your ears only, anyways." With that, she took a step back but not before grabbing his hand and dragging him back up the stairs with her.

-

It may had been seconds, maybe even milliseconds, between June shutting Hunter's door and being all over him again. "Is it time for that proper talk?" she asked between lining kisses along his jawline. "I think I said everything I was feeling...but I can definitely keep gushing if you're into that. I have about a decade of repressed feelings here."

[gatherersmith]

Ashley had lost interest in Hunter and June's will-they-won't-they a long time ago, bored of watching them dance around what she would have acted on years ago. She swung her arms back and forth, mostly to get the blood flowing back into them, and patted Mitch on the back, but even she couldn't resist grinning at her dorky little brother and his girl. "C'mon, big guy. Your cereal is starting to disintegrate." With that, she moved back into the kitchen.

Hunter had been pretty open with his feelings, considering he was announcing them with almost the entire Smith clan hanging on his every word. Where he drew the line, was, apparently, saying the words I love you in front of them. He kissed June back, using one hand to cup the back of her head gently, before pulling away, jerking his head towards the kitchen to make her aware of their audience, if she wasn't already. "Why don't we go back upstairs," he murmured, quiet enough that only she could hear him. "And we can talk about things properly when we're on our own."

Mitchell loosened his grip, but it wasn't necessarily due to Ashley's request. It was more for is own benefit and the sudden urge to flail every part of his body in giddy. He found himself finally releasing her so that he could plant his elbows on the table and rest his chin on his cupped hands. He was watching June and Hunter in a similar fashion to how a teenage girl likely watched interviews of Harry Styles or a really touching rom-com scene. He was hooked, the bowl of cereal left to get soggy as he gazed upon them. "Dude," he sighed. "This is better than TV. I can't wait to bug Hunter about it later, but right now?" He shook his head, unable to find proper words to describe how the scene in front of him made his heart feel like it was melting into a pile of goo.

June was almost certain she looked like a lunatic in that moment, but it was hard to care. Hearing him verbalize what they'd danced around for months was everything she'd needed without knowing it. Even as it caused fat, wet tears to continue streaking down her face, it didn't matter because for once, they were happy tears. Her words likely would've been annoyingly laced with sobs, so she let him do the talking for once, nodding in agreement as if to actually say that she did and she does feel the exact same way. She returned the kisses with as much enthusiasm, her arms winding around his neck to bring him as close as humanly possible. "I love you so much, Hunter. I'm so in love with you, and I'm so lucky," she whispered, the words muttered against his lips before kissing him again.

[gatherersmith]

Even if Ashley wanted to reply to Mitch, she wasn't sure she was physically capable of doing so - not with him squeezing her so tightly she could feel the air being choked out of her lungs. The arm that wasn't trapped by his body began to flail wildly, signalling to Mike and Jer and Mikki that she was in desperate need of help before she passed out there on the kitchen floor. "Let go of me," she hissed, wriggling her shoulders to try and loosen his grip. Surely this was some sort of attempted murder. "I literally can't breathe, idiot." She wasn't even sure he'd hear her. His attention was definitely fixed on Hunter and June.

Kissing June was not what Hunter thought it would be, but it was somehow better. It was rare that something he wanted and waited for was ever as good as it was in his head, but this? This smashed all expectations. His hands settled on her hips, holding her in place until she pulled away. When the kiss finally broke, he rested his forehead on hers. "It does," he confirmed, the goofy, very un-Hunter smile on his face only getting bigger. He wasn't sure he'd ever live this one down with his siblings, but right now, that wasn't even in the top ten of things he cared about. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I guess I didn't really think you'd ever feel the way about me that I've always felt about you." And he kissed her again, and it was just as perfect as the first time.

He wasn't sure if he was hypnotized by the drama or what, but Mitch barely registered that he was practically pinching off Ashley's blood supply to her hand. That wasn't of main concern to him right now, though. "He's like those spicy kittens I get on my TikTok feed all the time, dude just needs a little love or else he's gonna be feral. Oh, Ash, shit, shit, shit! Ashley, June's crying." He did as she said, letting go of the iron grip on her hand. She was far from free, though, with Mitch wrapping his arms around her now and squishing her as close as humanly possible to him. Despite saying he was going to intervene if he saw tears, he couldn't. Not just yet. Despite the crying, he also noticed June saying something to Hunter and the scowl of his shifting into something different. "Man, I wish I had super human vision and could read lips," he sighed, his cheek pressed right against Ashley's before he was gasping again. "Wait, did he smile? Did Hunter just smile? Oh my God! I'm sweating so hard."

His words would've sent June slinking out the door like a sad puppy if it weren't for the way he grinned while saying them. It took her aback, blinking in response as she watched him moving closer. She didn't even know what to say or do, finding herself frozen until she was pulled towards him. Kissing him back didn't require much thought, if any at all. She practically melted into him. It did have her mind swirling a bit. Most of all, though, it had her questioning why she hadn't come to this conclusion sooner. She'd wasted so much time kissing all the wrong frogs and ignoring what was right in front of her the entire time. "I'm gonna assume that means you love me, too," she whispered, breaking away to flash him a teary smile before bringing her lips back to his. She had years of not kissing him to make up for, so she thought she might as well strike while the iron was hot.