On Thin Ice

Chapter 13- changing your tune

(Y/N) POV:

"Five laps around the grounds. Make sure everyone's in pace with each other—no-one falls behind." Jungkook calls out, the figure skating team a crowded huddle around him on the tracks.

"Five?" I mouth at him incredulously. It was meant to be a few warm-up laps around the tracks.

His lips quirk into a grin, eyes alight with a giddiness, though he knows that a whole team staying in sync for miles is something that regularly tests stamina and consistency. Something his grin shows he revels in proving and testing. In ensuring it.

"Five laps. Around the whole grounds to kick off morning training." Grin deepening at the protests and grumbles, but at the next nudge of his words everyone falls into formation of two clean lines.

The first lap warms us up, chases away the faint coolness of an early morning run.

The second and third makes my skin heat, heartbeat echoing in my ears, sweat beading at my temples, beading on skin. The steady thump-thump-thump of feet pounding against the pavements in echoing, thundering unison.

The ground beneath us changing, morphing as we pass through and around the grounds. Terrain turning from solid concrete to looser gravel, to the softer press of grass.

And at some point between the second and third lap, Kook drops back from leading the team, weaving his way back and voice calling out, continuous encouragement over the resounding echo of the team continuing to run.

"Keep going—we're halfway there." Voice strong and level even though he's been running at the same pace as us too, rather than monitoring from the sidelines.

And when he drops back, he falls into pace with me, running alongside me, grin breathless and cheeks flushed with colour. Skin beaded with sweat.

"Doing okay icicle?"

"Never been better." Breath uneven, eyes darting to the side to see his gaze flit to me, amusement lingering in his eyes.

"Seeing as you're not totally out of breath means—you kept to the fitness schedule!" pride bleeding into his voice.

"I've got a Spartan partner."

"I've got a badass covering my back as Captain."

There'd been a reason he'd been leading from the front, and I'd been at the back, rounding off the team whilst he'd led it to keep at its constant speed.

"If I've got your back—not going to head to the front for the final 2 laps?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"Gotta make sure my partner doesn't slack off." Words teasing, eyes creasing slightly when I scowl, a huff of breath exhaled shakily, keeping in pace with him.

The burn that'd started mid second lap slowly slowly turning into a growing sensation that makes my lungs heat, that makes every inhale and exhale feel overheated, sweat trickling down skin.

The telltale burn spreading out to encompass my limbs.

"You left me at the back to keep everyone in line, remember Captain?"

"And now I'm here to make sure you don't lag without me keeping you in line." A playfulness in his words, that slowly peters out into the same ragged breaths that also seem to flutter and fluctuate in sync with my own.

Lungs burning and legs trembling as I push myself to keep on going, one foot in front of the other, the running becoming a mindless repetition. Body going through the motions, legs moving in trained response to keep on going, sweat dripping down skin as we reach the final lap.