Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

Full Circle

A number of months later...

"The balmy sea breeze ruffled the tablecloth and made the string lights dance merrily above the jovial scene below as the clinking of silverware on plates punctuated the steady hubbub of conversation that rose and fell with the emotion of what was being shared. Some overly-optimistic sea birds hovered above on a swell, fastidiously watching for any dropped crumbs before swooping gracefully into another updraft. The setting was the same, the voices and faces different, but a shared sense of gratitude and contentment prevailed over all."

"I know," Wrecker said dramatically, gesturing broadly with the drumstick of meat he was holding. "Right after I finish my porch, he comes up with this."

"You cannot assume that his timing was intentional–" Tech protested fruitlessly.

"I'll sit on your porch for you so someone can enjoy it while you're out working," Echo interrupted, flashing a grin at Tech to release him from the increasing indignation Wrecker was goading out of him. "It'll be great. I'll put one of Hunter's dusty old quilts over these creaky old legs and just watch the birds fly from tree to tree."

"Your prosthetics are hardly creaky–" Tech returned, having gotten no more than two words out in a side conversation with Phee before being lured back in by his brothers. "Nevermind," he said, more slowly now. "I see the caricature you are attempting to paint."

"Paint? Oh, that sounds good. I'll paint on the porch too," Echo continued, undaunted. The Zygerrian beside Crosshair was smiling broadly at the interchange, his distinctive leonine face relaxed into inquisitive openness. Finally, he spoke up.

"You can paint?" His sibilant tone caught Echo's attention, and he pointed an unthreatening scomp in his direction.

"Anyone can paint, Ky'tal. Might look like kark, but–"

"Language, Echo!" Omega teased, giggling from her seat beside Breslin. His eyes sparkled with unspeakable depths of affection as he met her playful gaze for a moment before flashing a rude hand signal in her direction, much to her delight. Echo looked at Hunter, who was staring at him with an entirely flat affect, and opted to return to the main conversation.

"Anyway," he said, taking a leisurely sip from his wooden cup. "If you and Crosshair want to come paint on my porch, you're welcome anytime."

"It's not your porch!!" Wrecker laughed, smacking the table with a bit too much gusto and causing a few utensils to clatter off their plates. Lyra jumped, her hand quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment – she still wasn't unfazed by Wrecker's jubilant outbursts. Hunter's hand found her leg, giving her knee a soft squeeze, and she covered his fingers with her own, casting him a grateful smile.

"Well it sounds like it's my porch now..." Echo was relentless, and as the two of them dissolved into pointless arguing, Ky'tal shifted his gaze back to Crosshair.

"What do you think? Want to paint the sunset?" He chuckled at the faintest of blushes that tinted Crosshair's cheeks, then quickly rearranged his features into seriousness as the sniper fixed him with an entirely harmless glare. "Or perhaps we should paint guns instead..."

"Now wouldn't that be just precious..." Phee interjected as Crosshair snorted, relaxing into his mirth and allowing the warmth in his eyes to show. "We can hang them all over our walls. Right, Brown Eyes?"

"Absolutely not."

"Hmm. Well, I tried," she sighed, shrugging and offering a belabored sigh of solidarity. Ky'tal laughed, a rich, deep sound, and draped his arm across the back of Crosshair's chair. Hunter kept his mouth in a straight line to restrain his smile as he watched his brother's shoulders relax a few inches.