Morning Jog

"Do we... really... need to... keep doing this?" huffed Scott as he jogged behind Chad.
"'Course, brah!" Chad beamed. Compared to Scott he was barely breaking a sweat. "This new path is all scenic and stuff, really pumps up that motivation, yeah? And there's a cool smoothie place near the end I wanna check out. I saw some neat pics of it and I think I can get a lotta views if I make a vlog on it!" Scott rolled his eyes as he talked on and on about video ideas. How the hell can he talk so much while running? he grumbled in his mind. Just thinking is messing up my breathing.
Every morning Chad would wake up early to jog, and every morning he'd beg Scott to join him. A good hunter needs to exercise! That's what he always said, at least. Scott would always meet him with a silent stare. He'd been hunting for years, he knew what he was doing! Chad was still new to all this! Hell, he thought a baseball bat was a good enough weapon against things they fought. Sure he was tough, but Scott liked to think he had a better idea of how to do this.
Nevertheless, here he was, joining him. It had to have been, what, a couple weeks since he started doing this? Scott gulped, feeling his face burn up, and not because of the exercise. If it had been two weeks since he started jogging with Chad, then how long had they been together? A few months? Half a year, maybe? Had it really been that long?
He still remembered vividly how they first met, both running into each other when hunting the same vampire. It happened again a few more times until they decided to work together. And then... And then he got bit by a vampire, and Chad had to suck out the venom, and...
Suddenly, his images of their time together was replaced with a full view of the pavement.
"Whoa! You okay, bro?" Chad asked, crouched down besides him. "You took a pretty nasty fall."
"Shit," Scott hissed under his breath as he sat up. His nose got a scratch at the tip, by the feel of it, but it looked like his left knee got it worse.
"You wanna keep going?" Chad asked again. Scott looked up at him. You'd think he just got ran over by a car with how worried he looked. Smirking, he shook his head and got up. "It's just a scratch, I'll live," he dismissed.
"If you say so, brah. At least lemme help make you feel better." Chad leaned over and gave him a quick kiss at the tip of his nose. "Tell me if you find any more scrapes when we get back and I'll kiss all of them," he teased over his shoulder as he resumed his jog.
Scott stood there, red and dazed. Doing something like that in front of everyone... And just a kiss too. He shook his head and started following him, biting back his smile.

Well, Chad was right, this new jogging path was scenic. It started with the boardwalk overlooking the beach and stretched through the city to one of the large parks. It really was refreshing and gave him at least a second wind for his jog. And the best part?
Halfway through the park Chad slowed to a walk, waiting for Scott to get to his side so he could hold his hand. "I know my whole life revolves around stuff like vlogs, and pictures, and exercise, and stuff. Even with my past girlfriends all we ever did together was take pictures. Like... Looking back on it, I don't know if they were really relationships. Like real, you know? Because I met you and... you're different." He squeezed Scott's hand and smiled at him. "I don't know, I feel like... like I can be myself around you. Like there's no need to have my phone out, or put on a show or anything. It's something I have to get used to, but I'm glad it's around you. I know you've had it tough too - tougher, I mean; and I'm glad you're able to start opening around me too."
Scott had been so absorbed in his words that he hadn't realized they stopped. Blinking out of his thoughts, he took in his surroundings to notice, right at the top of a green hill at the park, was a picnic. A white and red blanket with a basket full of already cooked food and wine sticking out of it. That was the best part.
He took it in for a moment before looking at Chad to see him staring back. He put his free hand on Scott's cheek and pulled him in for a kiss.
"I love you," he whispered, resting his forehead against his and effectively taking the other's breath.
Scott hesitated. He felt light-headed. It felt like everything was happening so fast. They were supposed to only be on a jog! He wasn't in the right clothes or the-the right mindset for this!
And yet through that panic... he felt happy. Excited. Relieved, even. Despite everything he wanted to say, there was one line that kept repeating in his head, one fact he was undoubtedly sure of.
"I love you too."
They shared another kiss before sitting down for their picnic, chipping away at their pasts to build a future together.