On Thin Ice

Chapter 2- but it burns

The knock on my door draws my eyes up from my trainers, shoelaces still undone as I clamber up, unlocking it and tugging it open.

Lips curving into a smile as I lean against the door, peering up.

"Koo! You're up bright and early. Should I be honoured the captain is making a personal call to my dorm?"

Watching as he rolls his eyes good-naturedly, gesturing to open the door to let me in.

There's a flush on his cheeks, already ruddy with exertion, that tells me he's already gotten a head-start on personal training before the next season's group training starts again.

"First you pester me to not abandon you after becoming captain. Then you're not ready on time." He shakes his head, damp waves of hair brushing against his cheek, inked fingers absently pushing his hair back, twisting to rummage in his bag for a headband.

"Well misery loves company. If I have to go on runs... might as well have some good eye-candy in the meantime." I laugh, bending down to finish tying my laces, securing them and double-checking under his watchful gaze.

"That and you need baby-sitting, or you won't get your daily cardio in." a soft tutting sound, words teasing and light but his eyes are sharply watching as I tuck my laces in before straightening, nudging the door open for me to pass through first. There's a part of him that's always been extremely attentive, even more so now ever since an injury had taken me out during the final stretch of competition season. And even though his voice is light, I know how attentive he was the entire time I was stuck healing up, how much he kept me company and how much he went out his way, as best friend and skating partner, to make sure I was in nothing less than prime condition before he'd let me back onto the ice. That too under his watchful gaze.

The electronic beep clicks into place as the door locks behind the two of us, falling into stride with him as we reach the elevators.

I bat my eyes at his reflection in the elevator mirror.

"How lucky to have the captain personally oversee me."

"Got to keep our coach's protégé in top condition." Hand nudging at my back to prompt me to step out, the air vaguely warm, the weather too ambiguously torn between late summer and early autumn still.

"...you're planning on making training hell aren't you?" eyes narrowing with suspicion, the wide scrunch of his grin disarmingly sweet and playful, laughter lines crinkling as he looks at me.

Head tilted.

"Whatever do you mean? We're going to have fun doing core workouts. Can't even begin practicing lifts until we get your core strong again."

"Jungkook!"

"Captain." He corrects with a teasing glint in his eyes, arm winding around my shoulder, a sprawling weight that makes the contemplation of bolting back fall apart in front of my eyes.

There's no way I'll outrun him.

Or even make it to the lift or stairs before he drags me back out again.

"You're a sadist Jeon."

"You love that about me. Let's start with 5 laps around campus."

My face blanches.

Trying to tug back but his arm remains around me, grinning as he tugs me reluctantly towards our usual running courses.

"Cute that you think you'll outrun me as you try escape."

"I can try."

"5 laps (Y/N)... I'll buy you breakfast if you keep up."

Bolstered by the offer, my eyes flash, lips curving into a grin as I nudge at his side, disentangling as we reach our usual running track that winds round campus. Marking the starting point at the gyms.