#sunter

Talking to Omega after Tantiss, Hunter realizes they can finally live the life Saachi has always dreamed of. Though they've been committed to each other ever since the end of the war, it's time to make it official.

Close up of their hands, bc I love drawing hands and I need everyone to see Saachi's ring

Also bonus: Saachi when she finds out Tech was recording the whole thing

Perhaps they don't have the best engagement photos, but Hunter was too impatient to wait any longer. (they're standing in front of Shep literally five minutes later asking for a marriage license).

So during the brainstorm session, my bestie suggested the two doing their hobbies together. Saachi hasn't had much time to develop any hobbies aside from surgery in the past few years, but she's not too bad a cook. Hunter hasn't had much more freedom to explore what he enjoys doing, but Saachi makes a pretty good muse whenever he puts pen to paper.

“Uh, I’m not exactly- sorry, it’s a girl.” Hunter stammered.

She squealed, “She sounds adorable! What’s her name?”

“How many?”

Saachi jumped at the voice in her ear. She missed the next bit of Hunter’s conversation as she remembered that she was also in the middle of a transaction. There were a lot of fishmongers on Pabu, but this one in particular wasn’t as chatty as the sweets stall owner was. 

“Um, uh,” Saachi tried to remember how many fish Phee said this recipe needed. 

“Three. No, six.” They needed to double it for Wrecker’s sake. Or maybe triple it. But he was already selecting and chopping the fish. She didn’t want to make his job more difficult. Besides, her gaze had already wandered back over to Hunter and the sweet stall owner.

“Here, try this one, big guy,” She had her hand on Hunter’s bicep, squeezing purposefully as she held out a piece of blue candy covered in sugar. Hunter went to take it from her, but she brushed his hand aside, pressing it against his lips. 

Hunter took a small bite, lips puckering at the sour taste. The stall owner couldn’t help herself, and popped the rest in her mouth with a blinding grin. 

“Tastes almost as good as you, sugar,” She giggled. 

“That’ll be fifteen credits for the fish.”

Saachi handed over the credits quickly, and marched over to the sweets stall. The owner still had her hand on Hunter’s arm, and was staring into his eyes like she was trying to hypnotize him. 

“Any gal in the galaxy would be lucky to have you as their fella,” She gushed.

“Well, uh, thanks,” Hunter mumbled, trying to keep his eyes on the displays of sweets.

Saachi had seen enough. 

“Hunter, let’s go. We can get snacks later.” She looped her arm around his and yanked him away before he could say a word.

“See you around, sugar!” The owner’s voice followed them across the marketplace, leaving Saachi fuming. Halfway to Shep’s place, she dropped Hunter’s hand, marching ahead of him.

“Woah, hey!” Now Hunter’s faculties decided to reappear. He jogged to catch up.

“What’s wrong?” He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to stop, but Saachi smacked it away with the bag of fish.

“Nothing.” She snapped. 

Hunter took a step back. “Okay…well, we promised Omega and Lyana we’d bring them some candy from the marketplace, and Lyana specifically mentioned that stall, so…what has you so upset?”

Saachi stared at him and imagined shooting fire at him with her eyes. 

“Are you serious?” She asked.

“Yes!” Hunter insisted, “You just dragged me away without giving me a chance to buy anything! That was the last thing on our list!”

“She was flirting with you, Hunter,” Saachi folded her arms, white-kuckling the bags of fish and fruits Phee had asked them to get.

“Were you watching me?” Hunter asked.

“No! I was keeping an ear out. You do the same thing all the time!”

“I have heightened senses! I can’t help it!”

“And you think I can help it when some cute blonde starts chatting you up and calling you a gem?”

“We were just having a conversation-”

“Are you serious?” Saachi repeated, “She had her hands all over you-”

“She was just trying to get me to buy something-”

“She was trying to kiss you!”

Saachi placed her hands on her cheeks and started speaking in an airy tone, “Any gal in the galaxy would be lucky to have you as her fella, mister!”

“I thought she was just saying you were a lucky girl!” Hunter insisted.

“Hunter,” Saachi put her foot down, “She wanted to be the lucky girl.”

Hunter paused, his brow furrowed. Saachi watched the realization dawn on him in real time as his eyebrows slowly rose and his eyes went wide. 

“Oh.”

Saachi’s eyes burned as she nodded. 

“Yeah,” She choked out around the lump in her throat. Hunter said nothing, only staring at her, shame heating his cheeks. 

She couldn’t take it anymore, and turned back towards Shep’s house. Stomping on the cobblestoned paths was more painful than it was satisfying, but she managed to get her emotions in check before walking into the house. She gave her bags to Wrecker and Shep, who thanked her for her help. Wrecker looked concerned when he realized that Hunter wasn’t there, but Saachi didn’t give him a chance to ask. She marched out onto the porch and found a corner with a semblance of privacy, staring out over the sea. 

Saachi couldn’t see the path to the house from this spot, but she heard Hunter’s plastoid boots on the cobblestone, slowly, heavily plodding along. He walked inside, and Saachi could hear him briefly conversing with Shep and Wrecker. Probably asking where she was.

A moment later, Hunter stepped back out onto the patio. It didn’t take him too long to find her, but this time, Saachi didn’t run away. She let Hunter come and stand next to her, staring out at the waves. She closed her eyes, and a stray tear made it down her cheek. The saltwater of the tears mixed with the ocean’s perfume in the air. Tension and relief, all in one breath.

Hunter had taken the first step. Saachi figured she should be the first to speak.

“I shouldn’t have thrown a fit like that, I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Hunter murmured. He leaned his cheek against the top of her head, “I should have nipped it in the bud from the start.”

“You didn’t know. You were just being nice,” Saachi put her hand over his and squeezed.

“There is such a thing as too nice,” He pointed as they heard Omega coming up the pathway to the house, laughing at something with Lyana and the moon-yos. The girls waved hello as they stumbled inside, breathless and beaming. Saachi and Hunter listened for a moment as Shep asked them to help set the table.

“Don’t stop being nice just because I got jealous,” Saachi said, and Hunter chuckled. He shuffled to stand behind her, his chest at her back and his arms on either side of hers. Saachi leaned into his chest, and Hunter’s arms naturally wrapped around her waist. 

“I guess I just forgot how attractive you are,” Saachi let Hunter sway them both back and forth, in time with the rhythm of the waves, “You’re handsome, you’re strong, you’re kind and confident.”

She stopped, bit her lip, and stared down at his arms, “Any gal in the galaxy would be lucky to be yours.”

The wistfulness in her voice must have struck a chord in Hunter. He turned her around, still in his arms, and placed a finger under her chin, begging her to look up at him.

“I hope you know that you're the luckiest girl in the galaxy. Because you're the only one who's ever gonna have me.”

“You mean it?” Saachi asked. Hunter was far from her first boyfriend. And there was so much about him that made him eye candy to individuals of all species. His muscles, his hair, the sound of his voice, his commanding presence and the way he looked out for others, especially Omega. Saachi was surprised that he hadn't lost interest in her yet. 

“I mean it,” Hunter pressed his forehead against hers, “Who else am I gonna be able to trust to watch my back the way you do?”

“Your brothers were doing that long before I showed up.”

“I can't kiss my brothers, sweetheart.”

Saachi snorted, and Hunter grinned, kissing the corner of her eye, “There's my girl.”

He kept her chin cradled in his fingertips, gently nudging her face closer to his. Saachi thought it was just a brief kiss, but Hunter pressed closer, wrapping his arm around her waist, lifting her onto her tiptoes. Saachi gasped as his teeth scraped against her lower lip, begging for more. Her stomach flipped in anticipation as Hunter's hand pressed flat against her back and the other made its way into her hair, fingers caressing her, possessing her, claiming her. How could she have ever mistaken the man who made her feel this as someone who could possibly toss her aside for the next shiny token? 

“Ah-hem?” someone coughed politely. Saachi tried to see who it was, but Hunter's hair covered half her vision. Omega, Lyana, and Wrecker were watching expectantly from the doorway. 

Hunter stepped in front of Saachi, shielding her from view, which was a good thing because she needed a moment to fan her flushed cheeks. Her head thumped against Hunter's chest as she tried to catch her breath. 

“What is it?” he coughed out, not as harsh as he could have been. Saachi could feel his heart racing in his chest. 

“Were you two kissing too much to remember that you promised to bring back some sweets?” Omega asked, arms folded bitterly. This was the first time Saachi had ever heard her be disappointed to see them kissing. 

“We'll, uh, we'll get some tomorrow, kid.”

“If you can walk tomorrow!” 

“Wrecker!” both Hunter and Saachi scolded him, but it was lost in his laughter. 

“Why wouldn't they be able to walk tomorrow?” Lyana asked, eyes round and wide. 

“Lyana, I'll get you three pieces of candy tomorrow if you don't tell your dad about any of this,” Hunter begged. 

Lyana looked to Omega. Omega hummed thoughtfully, tapping one finger against her chin. 

“Four. Each.”

“Done.” Saachi said before the deal could get any worse. 

“And me too?”Wrecker grinned devilishly. Hunter sighed. 

The three scurried back inside at Shep’s call for dinner, leaving Saachi and Hunter alone on the patio again. 

“Guess we've gotta go back to the sweets shop anyway,” Saachi scuffed her boot against the stones as she headed toward the door. 

“Maybe,” Hunter caught her wrist, pulling her back to land in his lap. 

“Hunter,” Saachi hissed, “The others can see.”

“Let them see,” Hunter ran his thumb along her jaw, “Maybe then they'll be able to remind you when you start to forget. “