A/N: Here's the next chapter. There is fluff. And a long-awaited Huntcylia kiss. Does that earn me a review now? Probably not :( (Sorry I'm pushing reviews so much, Pusheen and I have just worked really hard on this and we want some feedback to see what y'all think about it).

Hunter's P.O.V.

December 21, 2012

Hunter was looking for Reese and Aya. They had disappeared while all of them went last minute Christmas shopping. Jeff had sent him in search because last time he had left Reese in the mall alone she had started riding the kid-train (A/N: It's that train that mom's put their kids on while they go shopping that keeps the kids entertained… if you don't know what I'm talking about, ignore this. It's for the best) with a bull horn yelling for him. It made him nervous.

"Hey, you," Hunter heard loud whispering from behind him, but was pretty sure they were trying to get someone else's attention. "Hey! You with the converse!" He still thought that they were talking to someone else, he continued to look for Aya and Reese. "You with the cute butt, turn around!"

Hunter turned around and saw Reese waist-deep in a bush. She had binoculars hanging around her neck and a walkie-talkie in her hand. "Dang it, I thought I had Kylie's Christmas present!" she said, looking genuinely upset.

"What?" Hunter asked. Him? Kylie's Christmas present?

"Well," Reese said, looking guilty, "I was too cheap to buy her something, I had no idea what to get her, and she's been complaining how Aya, her, and I don't have boyfriends; so I decided to see if I could get her a boyfriend for Christmas. You do have a cute butt, just by the way." Hunter could feel his face get warm.

"What were you going to do, wrap him up and put him under the tree?" he asked. That sounded like a very Reese-thing to do. He had gotten to know her pretty well over the past couple of months, and he'd heard several stories similar to that one.

"No," she looked indignant, "I was going to put him in a box with food and water first." She also looked completely serious.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "So where's Aya?" he asked.

"In a trash can on the other side of the mall," Reese said. About then the walkie-talkie started crackling.

"Gingersnap to Shortie, I repeat, Gingersnap to Shortie!" came through the device.

"I told you to call me colonel!" Reese complained.

"Fine. Gingersnap to Colonel," Aya repeated through the device.

"This is Colonel," Reese said. She was still waist deep in the bush, and Hunter gestured to the tile floor. Reese stepped out of the bush and onto the tile floor, waiting for Aya's reply.

"I think we have found Kylie's Christmas present. He's tall, blonde, athletic build—wait a second, that's a mannequin. The view's not so great from a trash can," Aya said through the walkie-talkie. Reese sighed as if it happened before. Knowing Aya, it probably had.

"Well, I found Hunter, we'll be coming after you now. Roger,"

"Roger," Aya replied and the line went dead. Reese dropped the device into a few shopping bags that were in front of the bush she had recently occupied. He thought one of the bags was from a spy store.

"So I have a cute butt, now?" Hunter asked.

"Shut up," Reese said and elbowed him in the ribs.

When they got back from last minute Christmas shopping, Hunter and Reese accidentally tried to enter the dorm at the same time, resulting in them getting stuck in the doorway together. "Hey Reese," Jeff said and pointed above them. Hunter didn't have to look to know that somehow Jeff had smuggled mistletoe into the dorm.

"When I get out of here, Jeff, I am going to slap you so hard you won't be able to grow facial hair in the future," Reese said through her teeth.

"Oh come on, Reese it's Christmas," Kylie whined. "Kill him later, you have to abide by Christmas rules and kiss Hunter." Hunter didn't know why he was fine with this. It didn't bother him one bit. Not at all. He was actually kind of looking forward to it, assuming Reese actually went through with it.

"I wasn't planning on violating any Christmas rules," Reese said, Hunter mentally did a fist pump. He knew he had a crush on Reese, and wouldn't deny it in his head. If anyone else did however… "I just want to brutally murder Jeff first. I know that he planned this somehow."

"Hunter you haven't voiced your thoughts on this topic either," Jeff was a picture of innocence standing next to Gabby.

"I don't think you want to know," Hunter shot him a death glare; even though he wanted to throw Jeff a Thank You party.

"Look, at least let them out of the doorway first," Kylie said.

"Thank you, Kylie!" Reese said, looking as if she would hug the girl.

"Least I can do," the girl said and took a seat on a bar stool.

Reese did her best to back out of the doorway, and managed to get an arm out. She dropped one of the bags on the front stoop and put a hand against the doorframe, using the leverage to get herself out. Hunter couldn't do much because one of his hands was pinned to his side by Reese, and the other one was pinned to his side by the doorway.

"Now that you've gotten out, the show can go on," Sebastian said, looking amused. Reese shot him a look and retrieved her shopping bag. She looked up at Hunter and then turned to Jeff.

"He's too tall. I'd need a stepping stool," Reese said. Hunter couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Here, use this," Jeff slid one of the sofa ottomans over. Reese looked defeated.

"I guess I'm out of excuses, then," she sighed and climbed onto the ottoman, which made her Hunter's height exactly. He could see her emerald eyes perfectly and every single one of her freckles.

"Get on with it. I have things to do," Sebastian said impatiently.

"Fine," Reese said. She leaned forward and the next thing Hunter knew Reese's soft lips were on his. The kiss was over quickly and very chaste, but Hunter's face was still warm. Reese hopped off the ottoman and moved it back. "Happy?" she asked.

"Very," Jeff said and took his Christmas presents downstairs to his room. Hunter looked around and saw Aya on the steps, looking like she was going to explode with happiness.

"Aya if your grin gets any wider your face may be stuck like that. It's kind of scary," Kylie said from the bar stool she was sitting on. Aya just ran up the stairs squealing like a little girl. Hunter knew that she was rooting for them to date, and now Hunter was rooting for it too. He just didn't think Reese returned his feelings based off of how much she protested about it. But then again, he protested too, right?

December 25th, 2012

"Here," Reese threw the mail down on the table for Hunter to look through while she went upstairs to kick off her Converse. He knew Reese was going to be alone on Christmas and came home early to spend the rest of Christmas Day with her, much to her suspicion. Especially after the other day.

Hunter threw the envelopes addressed to Gabby from Romania and came across a folded note that didn't have an address on it. He unfolded it and found that it was addressed to Reese. He knew he shouldn't have read it, but did anyway:

Reese-

Merry Christmas. Saw your stunt the other day. I told you to stay away from that boy, you should've listened.

-L

Hunter's brow furrowed. It didn't seem like something friendly; it seemed a little menacing to him. He heard footsteps on the spiral staircase and turned around.

"Where did you get that?" Reese asked, worry on her face.

"It was in the mail. Who's L?" he demanded.

"I don't know. I started getting them awhile ago," she looked a little ashamed. Hunter raised an eyebrow and she continued, "Relax. It's probably nothing."

"This one seems like an indirect threat Reese. That doesn't seem like nothing," Hunter said. She should've told them, or him, or someone.

"Really? Let me see it," she said. He handed her the note and she read through it, completely unfazed. "Like I said, nothing. I know it's a joke. It seems like something Jeff would do."

"You need to go to the police. Prank or not. It's still a threat to your wellbeing. It'd be terrible for all of us if you got hurt, let me help, my mom's a cop she can investigate it, and—"

"I can take care of myself, Hunter," she said, voice steely.

Hunter felt his emotions jumble up and then he felt his anger level rise. His demons had taken over and he couldn't control himself anymore. He saw his hand pick Reese up by her shirt collar, even though he didn't tell it to. But then he saw Reese's eyes fill with terror and he dropped her. His anger was gone.

Reese scrambled backwards until she reached the wall, and then she curled up in a ball next to the stairs. "I-I'm sorry, Reese. I didn't—" but before he could finish, Reese had jumped up and bolted down the staircase onto the main floor. Hunter followed, wondering why she looked so terrified.

She was curled up into a ball, covering her face with her hands, in a corner. Hunter went over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, but immediately pulled it away when she said, "don't touch me." Reese's voice cracked and Hunter immediately apologized. Reese slowly lifted her head and Hunter saw that the terror was gone, replaced by relief. She immediately flew into his arms, crying. He rubbed her back, still a bit confused, and murmured comforting things to her until she stopped crying. The stood like that for awhile.

"I'm going to put you on the couch and get something for you to drink, is that okay?" Hunter asked, not wanting to do anything that might set her off again. She nodded, and Hunter guided her over to the living room couch, and she sat down mechanically. He guessed Reese wasn't all the way back yet.

A/N: I felt like being mean and having y'all wait for the explanation in the next chapter. This is what happens when I don't get any reviews *pouts*. Please review? I really want to know what you guys are thinking about the story so far. I'm enjoying staying up until 5 in the morning to finish chapters (yet another reason for a review, especially since I have to get up at 7 this morning) and start new ones. I have a feeling this habit is going to carry on into the school year… *sigh*. What I do for you guys…