Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

Wedding, Part 1

The bell on the door of the butcher shop chimed, and Hunter was surprised to see Omega coming in. Wiping off his blade and hands, he ventured into the front to greet her.

"What's up, kid?"

"Sorry for embarrassing you at dinner the other night," she admitted, although the mirth on her face did not convincingly reflect a wealth of remorse.

"Yeah, well... I probably deserve it," he chuckled. The few days between had replaced the utter humiliation with more of a begrudging acceptance of the whole ordeal.

"You're just going through your rebellious phase, since you didn't get to as an adolescent." Her diagnosis came with twinkling eyes that earned a groan and an eye roll from him.

"I don't know what I'm doing," he admitted.

"And that's alright," she said sagely. "You're doing the best you can with what you have. Besides... it's kind of fun, eh?" She elbowed him in the side, and he squinted at her in suspicion.

"And what do you know about that?"

"Nothing, of course," she smiled innocently. "Anyway... I have a favor to ask."

"You're not off to a good start."

"Neither are you," she returned evenly, surprising him into a chuckle. "Some of my friends are going to a beach bonfire, and it starts... like... now. But I was supposed to drop off all this stuff from the last few internships." She held up a bundle of datacards. "For some reason, my transmitter isn't working, so I'd have to go up to the school in person. But by the time I get there and back, I'll have missed most of the bonfire. So..."

"You want me to close the shop and take them to the top of the island?" He lifted an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He knew he was going to do it, he just liked to point out what a huge imposition it was.

"You're closing in eight minutes anyway," Omega pointed out with an equally knowing grin.

"Fine."

"Thanks Hunter! You're the best!" She gave him a hug, dropped her datacards on the counter, and bounced out of the shop with a spring in her step.

It was only then that he was hit with a sudden suspicion of her true motives.

* * *

The walk to the school ended up being just what he needed. It was a beautifully fresh afternoon on the island, with the perfect balance of sunshine and breeze. The sky was dotted with fluffy clouds that gave periodic respites of coolness when the sun would pass behind them, allowing Hunter to avoid getting overheated as he hiked up the winding path. The brick building came into view, bringing up a scourge of memories and emotions, but he attempted to fight them off with an insistent focus on his singular objective: drop the datacards off in the main office and be done.

"Well hello, sir," the main secretary greeted him as he slipped through the door, quickly donning some lipstick when he turned to secure the knob behind him. She shoved it into a desk drawer as he approached the desk, holding up the datacards. A few ladies were packing up for the day in their cubicles behind her, and he noticed a few others finishing a conversation in the back of the room around a small water dispenser.

"Afternoon," he said. "I know you're about to head out. I just wanted to drop these off for Omega. They go to... the internship office." A quick frown came and went..

"Vetana?" came an abrasive voice from a side office, and a greasy figure swaggered out. "I'll run em back to her." None other than Mullet Hanker was the one approaching the counter, a smug expression on his handsome face. The front desk lady's heart rate increased as he approached, and a light flush painted her cheeks as she fawned at him. He gave her a wink as he reached for the cards, and Hunter felt a tightness in his core.