Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

First Date, Take Two

"Heyyyy, there he is!" Luciana's bright voice carried across the breeze, and she bounded to meet Hunter as he approached, trudging through the sand beside the crashing waves. She greeted him with an enthusiastic hug before bringing him back to her group of friends, sprawled across the beach on a litany of thick blankets and towels with snacks and drinks scattered atop. It was a decidedly youthful crowd, making Hunter feel immediately out of place. He shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and gazing from face to face as they were introduced.

"Okay, so this is Dwigt," she began, pointing to a moon-faced kid to his left, "That's Scarn... Pan..." More individuals gave idle waves or nods as Hunter returned them awkwardly. "And over here is Wuphf, and this is Narddog. He's the one who made me so scrappy," she giggled, swatting the arm of a bulky Twi'lek sitting near where she stood. "This is Hunter, y'all. He's gonna hang with us sometimes. Don't be weird."

"Yes mom," the one identified as Scarn teased, and Luciana moved to kick some sand at him.

"Don't mind them," she grinned, turning back to Hunter, who remained standing beside her above the group. "Want to walk a bit?"

A quick, sharp pang dug into his side before he forced it away from consciousness. "Walk sounds good," he said, falling into step as they headed toward the cliffs.

"You alright?" Luciana asked, and he noticed that for once she wasn't touching him immediately.

"Yeah," Hunter said, eternally tossed back and forth in his mind like the waves that crashed beside them on the shore. "I just...eh. This feels... I don't know."

"It's alright if you're not into it," she said gently, the earnestness in her face matching her tone. "I know we're different people. I imagine it might be daunting, or feel wrong, or you think you're crazy," she laughed. "I won't be hurt if you need to dip at any point. I'd just love to enjoy the time with you. Whatever that looks like."

So simple. So straightforward. Nothing to figure out, no need to labor over discerning every nuance. He took a deep breath, releasing it along with as much of the pent-up stress as he could.

"Alright," he said, lifting his eyes to the horizon. They continued their stroll, her beach wrap fluttering in the breeze over the swimsuit it covered.

"I'm sorry for what happened with Lyra," she ventured, sincerity in her honeyed voice. "That's never fun."

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you just never heard from her again. She ditches you on a random planet and leaves her entire life here? Maybe something happened to her..."

"Who knows," he said, feeling a spiteful snake coiling inside of him that almost hoped something did.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, something always felt a little off with her. I thought it was just cause she was kinda new around here – she arrived on the island shortly before I did – but it never quite went away. Anyway, sorry to bring it up. I've been wrecked a time or two... and not in the good way," she winked, laughing at her own joke before shaking her head. "So... moving on... How's the shop?"

They chatted for a while about their jobs, life on the island, things they'd tried or had yet to explore. The sun had disappeared below the horizon as they began to head back toward the blankets on the beach, which had since been deserted by her friends, leaving only her towel and bag. She shook the sand off the towel, stuffing it into her bag, then pulled on a long, cozy wrap as the breeze grew chillier.

"Hungry?" she asked, gazing up at Hunter with green eyes that had a softening effect on his harsh exterior.

"Not really," he admitted, feeling as though it were the wrong answer somehow. It was a constant back and forth... being lost in conversation that was genuinely enjoyable and then feeling wildly out of sorts and almost as though he were in some kind of strange dream.