Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

Unmoored

"Come on, babe!" Luciana teased, looking over her shoulder as Hunter puffed behind her, hair pulled back from his face as he jogged along the path. He'd been trying to keep his eyes on the rocky trail, although he kept getting distracted by her toned form in her sports bra and bike shorts. It was an internal battle at first – he shouldn't be looking... or should he? She offered herself so freely, literally and metaphorically, and there was something incredibly refreshing about her unadulterated enjoyment of life and her simple authenticity that invited him to let go more and more.

"I'm coming," he panted, wondering why he'd agreed to go on a run with her in the first place. He was also painfully aware of just how out of shape he'd become, although it had been apparent a few times before when he'd helped with drills at Echo's training academy. So this was a good thing, he reasoned. Even with his enhancements, which allowed him to retain an above-average stamina and strength, he could feel the difference after months of neglecting his regular routines.

"Race you to the Square?" she invited, slowing to a walk beside him. The glimmer in her green eyes gave him a little spark in his chest, and he took a deep breath, stretching his back for a moment as they walked. He grinned at her, the fresh air and sunshine doing wonders for his attitude when he'd felt an inescapable weight for a while now.

"You're on," he said, giving her a playful push before taking off down the path.

"Cheater!" she squealed, laughing gleefully and sprinting after him. He braced his core, focusing on the terrain, and gave it all he had, reveling in the strain on his muscles and the burn in his lungs. He felt alive, the blood coursing through his veins, and regained his balance quickly after stumbling over a rock. Luciana was right behind him, her runner's physique on prime display as she overtook him on a curve, blowing him a kiss as they rounded the final bend.

Narrowly missing a vendor cart as it wheeled across a street, they sprinted into the Town Square, collapsing against the stone wall at its edge at the same time, red faced and panting, flushed with exhilaration. Luci stood up, both hands over her head, and paced in a little circle, puffing out her cheeks as she looked at Hunter in admiration.

"Alright, you've got some legs on ya," she said. "We'll have to work out together more often. Do you lift weights? Wait, hang on," she continued, drawing close and squeezing his bicep. "Yeah, I bet you do. Or are you more of a calisthenics type of guy?"

"I... uh..." He had regained his breath much more quickly, secretly glad that he still had the perks of his engineering. "I do it all," he answered, with a waggle of the eyebrows that earned a delighted laugh from her.

"Oh do you? We'll see about that!"

They walked to a nearby cafe for some smoothies, sipping them on their way down to the cliffs where they sat on the soft grass and watched the activity of the island stretching out before them. Luci pointed out the surfing currents, the way the swells were rising in certain areas and how they would break, and described what made each wave good or bad to ride. Hunter was impressed by her knowledge and experience in such a wide variety of random things above and beyond bartending and having fun, and he found himself gazing at her with a small smile on his face as she described one of her first times surfing. She finished her story, looking back at him and catching his profound look, and tilted her head, suddenly inquisitive.

"What?"

"Nothing," Hunter said, shaking his head with an innocuous expression.

"No, your face is all soft or somethin," she poked, scooting closer and elbowing him in the side gently. "And your face is rarely soft."

"I mean, I feel like that's not something a man would strive for..."

"You know what I mean," she laughed. "But alright, keep your secrets." She fixed him with a mockingly scrutinizing look, and the way her eyes sparkled and her cheeks curved in an adorable smile was supposed to make him feel warm and fuzzy inside. He looked down, swirling the remaining smoothie in his cup, and she leaned into his side gently with a contented sigh.