Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

Party Hard and...

Luci's gigantic floppy hat nearly hit Hunter in the face for a third time as they made their way into the transport station. It was perched on the side of the island, with equal access to a small landing pad as well as docks below, providing passage by air or by sea depending on the destination. After purchasing their tickets, they wandered down the stairs to the boats, scanning the numbers to find the right one. There were only a few routes available – one to each of the nearby islands – and Plata was by far the most popular destination.

Wind ruffled his hair as the sound of engines grew louder, and Hunter looked up to see the shuttle coming in for landing. It was the same one he'd taken to Keytoll, and he squinted at it harshly as though the ship itself were to blame for all the strife he'd experienced. Something caught his eye, though, as it turned and settled onto the landing platform – a small tracking beacon stood out against the otherwise dull and dingy hull of the shuttle. The shiny little dome-shaped piece reflected the sunlight from its perch beneath one of the lateral wings, hidden to the casual onlooker. His brow furrowed, old habits kicking in as he wondered who put it there and for what reason. Hundreds of people had taken the shuttle to and from various places since he and Lyra had been on it; he was undoubtedly being paranoid to think it had something to do with them. But still...

"Time to go!" Luci's bright voice called him back to the present as she took his arm and pulled him into motion. Her sundress fluttered in the breeze, and she entwined her fingers with his, coaxing him on with an affectionate gaze as they walked along the dock. They boarded the boat to Plata, tucked into some seats at the rear, and then they were off, skimming across the waves and leaving the weight of the world behind.

* * *

"I am not wearing that!" Hunter laughed, giddy from a delicious dinner and the bottle of liquor they continued to share as they had returned to their hotel room. "You already got your way with the hair."

"Come onnnn," Luci insisted, waving at him like a flag. "You'll fit right in."

"I don't want to fit in with that!" he protested, taking a swipe at it but missing as she jerked it out of his reach.

"Well then you can just go naked!"

"You would like that, wouldn't you," he said, slurring his words a tiny bit.

"I mean, yeah!" she giggled, throwing her hands in the air in surrender. "Okay, we'll compromise. Just wear the shirt. Keep your stupid jeans."

"It's not even a shirt!" he complained, shaking his head with a dumb grin on his inebriated face.

"Just put it on so we can go," she said, exasperated. She began to tug his shirt up and over his head, biting her lip at the way his hair scattered across his face once the shirt was free of his arms. A few fingers traced across his chest and stomach, and with just a look in those emerald eyes, he was drawn in for a kiss. When she released him, she pushed the "shirt" into his hands with a mischievous smile. "Go on."

"This is beyond ridiculous," He muttered, pulling it on and staring at her in disbelief.

"You look sexy!"

"I can't..."

"Ssshhhhh," she pressed a finger to his lips, then stepped back and took another swig from the liquor bottle before handing it to him. He followed suit, set it on the counter with a loud clank, then turned to look at the tiny mirror on the back of the hotel room door.

"Son of a Hutt..."

His reflection stared back at him, almost unrecognizable. He was mercifully still wearing a plain pair of jeans, but that was where the common garb ended. Luci had pulled the top half of his hair into two slightly crooked little tufts atop his head and, once they were secured with rubber bands, had tied his bandana in its usual place below them. The "shirt" she'd insisted on looked like a fishing net. In fact, he was fairly certain it was made from a fishing net. There was a faint sense, somewhere deep inside, that he was embarrassed, or should be embarrassed... But it was quieted as Luci spun him around to face her.