Running definitely hadn’t been the first thing Clay had thought of when it came to a date or even getting to know somebody, but he figured he’d take the plunge, especially as Gil seemed nice and wasn’t intent on pushing his buttons like others he’d encountered on Tinder.

As promised he was at the agreed spot bright and early sporting a dark muscle tee, a pair of grey sweatpants, sneakers, and a water bottle along with an armband he used to keep his phone in place.

He was weirdly nervous which made no sense because it wasn’t like they were doing the whole dinner thing and if it didn’t work out then it was no big and maybe they’d end up being running buddies.

All’s well that ends well, right?

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Flirting and joking were clear signs that Gil was becoming more settled in and relaxed in this whole situation. He was learning to let himself trust his instincts more, and occasionally let down his guard. Hell, he bought a piece of furniture - a small nightstand - and that was certainly a move in the "I don't have to run" direction. The fact that there were other supernatural creatures around just helped with his nerves: he wasn't the only one.

With that said, running with the Chief of police made him nervous. He was more used to running away from the police. But Clay seemed nice, and Gil had done 0 illegal activity. So it should be okay. Besides, the man was very handsome, and maybe Gil was using this Tinder thing correctly.

It was chilly in the morning, but Gil didn't really care, as he just let his aura warm him a bit, showing up at the meeting place only a couple of minutes late. He was dressed in a pair of shorts and a Joshua tree t-shirt, both being a bit baggy over his thin wiry frame. His use of fire magic burned most of his calories, ice cream included. His hair was held back by a thin cloth headband. He waved at Clay, stopping in front of the rather imposing (and very handsome) man. His blue eyes sparkled: this was exciting, and he was ready for an adventure. "Hi! I am Gil! Nice to meet you in person!" And he extended his hand, because despite Ezra being confused by that greeting in a tinder context before, it was really the only one he knew. "Now that I am here, it occurs to me that I should have asked how long of a run you are planning on doing, but - ready for whatever you have in mind." He didn't lie about running: while probably not as methodical as Clay, Gil ran plenty. Besides, he was an elf: this was in his blood.

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Clay offered Gil a warm smile as the other man appeared and extended his hand, a hand that the Shifter reached out to take, squeezing firmly but being careful not to grip too hard. “Right back at you, Gil.” Gil had nice eyes that Clay took note of, very blue.

As for the run? Well, that all depended on whether they wanted to run or grab lunch after running.

“How far do you normally run? And the question I suppose is if you just want to run or grab some lunch at some point?” It didn’t hurt to ask, get that clarity upfront and then Clay could tailor the run to be just the right length and also finish up somewhere they could eat.

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Clay's hand felt warm, and the man's warm smile helped undercut the intimidating figure that he could have posed: the brunette was definitely taller and more built than Gil was. The handshake was reassuring, and Gil smiled, retracting his hand as his blues sparkled up at another pair of blue eyes. Those blues were almost a bit brownish, and something about them was mysterious, but Gil long learned to take things in stride.

At the question, the elf shifted from foot to foot, half shy and half with excitement. "I didn't know that lunch was on the table, but I will gladly get some lunch. I haven't had the chance to find or try a lot of restaurants" - because money was tight - "So I'm always looking to find something new." He had a roll of cash tucked into his sweats pocket. "But umm … lately, I've been running around the woods if I have to get somewhere, so a bit more than 5 miles. Less as a practice. But I used to run for longer." There was one time where he ran from some other elves… that was an exhausting race.

"How long do you usually run for? No need to change a routine just on my account. Unless you say that you run for 50 miles, in which case - I'll be at the finish line with some water for you."

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Clay chuckled at Gil’s last comment and held up both hands placatingly. “Relax, I won’t be making you run 50 miles. I’m happy with 5, think it’s a good start and means we won’t be too far away from somewhere we can grab food.”

He’d warmed up prior to Gil’s arrival, making sure to stretch and prepare his muscles for the run ahead.

“You need any help with the warm-up?”

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"5 is fine by me." Gil smiled broadly, encouraged by that chuckle from Clay. The more humour there was in a situation, the better he'd feel. Light-hearted was the way to go. At the idea of lunch, he really did perk up. Maybe it'd be breakfast depending on how fast they did the 5 miles and whether they stopped anywhere. "You have any favourite places here? I guess, what I'm saying, is: I'm very glad to provide company, but you will know this town far better, and I'm taking your lead. If that's okay. So consider me at your mercy and here for your entertainment."

At the comment about helping the warm-up, those eyes sparkled, and Gil really was trying to bite his tongue before anything too forward came out. He didn't want to assume that the other man was even interested in him beyond the run and lunch. Even if it was Tinder. "I jogged here. I think that should be good. Unless you are offering to teach me some technique?" Most of the time, the heat could work out the soreness.

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“I have a few,” he answered with a nod. “But I’ll take us to my favourite one. Best pancakes in the all of Mercy Cove.”

If Clay wasn’t interested in anything beyond the run and lunch he knew that his sister would never let him live it down. Of course, he wasn’t as young as he once was so he didn’t really do the casual thing as much, but maybe it might be a good change of pace? Maybe. The jury was still out on that one. And so far?

He caught the sparkle in Gil’s eyes and it was easily readable from his face that he was amused not offended or put off by the look in the other’s eyes.

“Well, I was going to say something about stretching, but… that might be a little much for our first time.” He smiled, warm and genuine. “C’mon, the sooner we get started the sooner we can eat.”

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If Gil was beaming before, there was nothing to kind of prepare Clay for the excitement over pancakes. It seemed like the whole elf shimmered for a second. "Oh this is already the best date ever, and we just started."

The funny thing about Gil is that he had his own preferences. And while he was very carefree with his affections before getting his powers, he decidedly wasn't after. There were things to explain and things that he always needed to keep in mind, and oftentimes - it led to trouble. But here he was: trying a human date. With a law officer. There was a thought spared for him sharing <i>this</i> story with his thieving band, if they ever got together.

He noticed the man's reaction: so interested, but cautious. And… gentlemanly? Well, then, colour him surprised. Wasn't he just complaining to someone about how it seemed that there was no romance here? "I like the fact that this implies there'll be another time." He said earnestly, with no hint of disappointment. "All right then. Lead the way. How did you get into running anyway?" They could run and talk, right?

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Gil’s obvious and very clear excitement at the thought of pancakes was kind of adorable. Clay tended to deal with people on their worst days so Gil was like a breath of fresh air. He looked young, but he came across older, and definitely didn’t smell human. Fae, if he wasn’t mistaken.

When Gil indicated they should start, Clay set off at an even pace, strong but not too fast, a nice even rhythm and one that would allow them to converse without much difficulty.

“I’ve been doing it since I was in my teens,” he shared. “Found it helped with excess energy and was a good way to keep fit when I didn’t have a lot of time in my schedule for anything else. You?”

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Look, pancakes were sweet, held a lot of toppings, and were absolutely delicious bites. They also tasted like something he might get back at Fae, and anything like that was a win. Sometimes his excitement was misconstrued as immaturity, and there was a part of him that resented it. There was nothing immature about showing positive emotion, and he refused to suppress it.

The pace was decent, and he ran next to Clay, letting his aura slowly drop so it would be easier for him. His body would warm up quickly enough - or as warm as he ever got. "So that was 7 years ago?" He parried the response of "teens". What? Yes, Clay looked older, but he also looked fit, so a compliment was in order. "I just grew up around it: between just being a teenager and living a more outdoor lifestyle, came with it. Kept it up: seemed like a useful skill." He had no clue to indicate that Clay wasn't 100% human, so Gil treaded carefully. Everything he said was true. It just… had more colour to it. "And now it's helpful. The running part of the cadet certification? Easy. The lifting part is a bit harder." He figured that if Clay was the chief of police, he probably knew something about the whole part of it. "How long have you been keeping Mercy Cove safe?"

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Clay chuckled and smiled. “If only, if only.” He was mid-forties and as Edie liked to remind him closer to fifty than he liked to think. “But I appreciate the compliment.”

He turned them right and took them deeper into the woods, along a familiar path and one he knew like the back of his hand.

“Uh… twenty-five years give or take a couple of months here and there.”

Jesus, that was a long time.

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At the small smile, he glanced at Clay as they ran through the woods, feeling his mood lift. The woods were always welcome. "I'm glad. I don't lie, by the way." And he didn't. He stretched the truth to fit in. "Especially about compliments to new running partners."

Gil actually stopped in his tracks before he started jogging again. "Wait, what? Twenty five years? That's … wow. That's commitment. You must really enjoy it." Gil could barely commit to a city, much less a job. "So you grew up here?"

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“It runs in the family,” Clay shared. “My dad was the deputy chief up until his retirement so it just made sense for me to go into the same line of work. Besides, I love Mercy Cove so whatever I can do to make sure it’s safe is definitely something I’m interested in.”

He rounded on the next bend in their path and nodded. “Yeah, born and raised. Been on vacation and stuff like that, but never felt the urge to leave here.”

Clay glanced over at Gil. “What brought you to Mercy Cove?”

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Gil nodded along, thinking of the discussion he had about inheriting father's professions. Seemed to be a lot of that going around. He probably would have also - if not for the flammability of wood, the questions his parents got after his transformation, and well - a lot of complications. "So you clearly raised the bar." Chief sounded higher than deputy chief. "He must be proud." the jog was easy enough, as he kept up with Clay. Though - to be honest - yes, he would need a stretch after it. Clay wasn't setting the slowest of paces.

He met the other man's glance and smiled. "Work." 100% not a lie. "I heard that there were cadet posts in the State Park. Thought I'd try to see if I could qualify for them. Though, okay, the exams are hard. Not the written ones, but the physical ones." He shrugged. "I don't lift a lot, in case that's not evident."

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“I like to think so,” Clay answered. It was hard to tell though as his father wasn’t the most forthcoming with either thought or emotion, he was stern and at times cold, but he knew his mother was definitely proud as she had no hesitation in telling him as much.

He chuckled and smiled at Gil. “Yeah, I had a friend go through the training and I’m pretty sure he thought about quitting on more than one occasion because of the physical tests. He’d been a track athlete in high school so I don’t think it’s just about your physical strength, it’s also a mental thing.”

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Gil wasn't sure what the relationships were in Clay's family, but he also hadn't yet learned to filter this. He came from a very <i>very</i> supportive household, and the only reason he kept his distance was for his family's sake. Or so he thought. "You enjoy it?" Clay must have - if he kept doing it, right?

He grinned to Clay's comment. "Look, I just - I get why they make you do it. I have to be able to drag someone to safety. Or lift some barriers. But it's just a lot and all at once." He nodded along and then looked at Clay. "What's your friend's name? Maybe I know them."

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“Most of the time,” was as honest as Clay was willing to be. “Some days are better than others.” The bad days were just… bad, sometimes bad enough that he questioned his life choices.

He took them on another right, this time they hit a slight incline.

“I know him as Benjamin Forrester, but he prefers to be called Ben?” Mercy Cove wasn’t exactly big after all.

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He just gave Clay a look, reaching out a hand to pat the other man on his back. But then the jog turned uphill, and his breathing got a little heavier as they went up. He waited until they reached to the top and took a deep breath: "I know him. Not closely, but I know him. He told me that if I make any joke about a Forrester in a forest, I would regret it." He gave an impish grin. "I might have anyway."

Gil let his fire aura drop a bit, cooling himself off because you needed it after the uphill, and he didn't see another one yet. "You always tire your dates out by making them do sprints uphill?" he shot a teasing look to Clay. He wasn't sure what constituted dating here, but at least Gil thought it was going well.

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Clay snorted, clearly amused. “Yup, that sounds like Ben alright.” A glance over to his right clearly displayed a broad grin that took at least ten years off Clay, boyish in its sincerity. “Not always, sometimes and just sometimes they’re lucky we rock climb.”

It was an unusual date yes, but it was a fun one, and even if nothing came of it, it was still nice to have made a new connection.

“Not much longer to go, promise and then all the pancakes.”

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"But the joke was like right there! I couldn't resist it." And it was true: Gil was not the best at controlling his impulses. It is what endeared him to Lumin - because he was 100% genuine. While sometimes able to charm his way out of a situation, Gil really was 100% what you see is what you get. But the fact that he got that grin from Clay made him smile back, matching its sincerity. "Are you saying, sir, that this is a subpar date? That I haven't earned rock climbing yet?"

He clutched at his heart before pouting greatly. "I don't know if I can survive this revelation."

He continued the charade, releasing a huge huff. "You are now just trying to sweettalk me."

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“I diiiid not say that,” Clay replied with a laugh, shaking his head.”But you know if you feel that bad I’m sure I can fit in a rock climbing date to make up for it.”

He pushed them further along the trail until sure enough the pancake giving restaurant was in sight.

“Well if I were trying to sweet talk you what would you say if I were to tell you that we’re here?”

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"And sometimes when they are lucky, we rock climb - or something like that. Clearly, I'm unlucky," because Gil could definitely be melodramatic as he listened to Clay. "Oh? You are saving it for a second date? Because yes, you absolutely should make up for it."

He jogged along Clay, and yes - he was sweaty, but he thought he saw that from the other man, so - it was acceptable, right? He smiled as he saw the restaurant.

"Well, maybe. Or you are just a very good planner. So yes, definitely rock climbing on that date." He slowed up as they jogged up to the restaurant. "I didn't even know this was here. Thank you for that."

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Clay slowed until he came to an eventual stop, drawing in a breath and rubbing the back of his hand across his forehead. “Rock climbing,” he promised with a nod, gently nudging Gil’s shoulder before tilting his head in the direction of the restaurant.

“Come on, let’s get you those pancakes I promised you.”

With a final parting smile the shifter headed in the direction of the restaurant.