Unexpected

Taking a Few Laps

"Penny, are you sure you're even awake enough for this?" Steve asked as he stretched out his quads. His long navy blue running pants and tight fitting grey athletic t-shirt kind of made him look like any other buff, blonde athletics enthusiast going out far too early in the morning for a jog

"Shut up, military man. I can wake up before the sun any day of the week and still lap you!" I grumbled, as we came up to our starting place. My movements were sluggish, my eyes droopy since Steve had knocked on my door that morning. I still wasn't one hundred percent awake and my body was more than a little disgruntled to be asked to stretch and run before the sun had truly peaked over the horizon by the Lincoln Memorial.

"Oh really?" Steve chuckled, "Can you do that without your silver shocker?"

I shot up from touching my toes, "Oh, heck no! You crazy?"

"That's what I thought! Ready?"

I twisted the dial on my device, giving the button a click and breathing deeply as I felt the electricity shoot up my arm and sink into the very fibers and blood of my body. Rotating my shoulders I finally put my earbuds in, before nodding, "Yeah, ready."

The pair of us then dashed off, full-on running as we started our route. I raised my knees and pumped my arms as I kept pace with the super soldier, though his strides were naturally longer than mine as he had longer legs, meaning that I had to pump my legs faster in order to keep up with him. I focused on my breathing, trying to keep it even as I internally jammed out to 'Eye of the Tiger', which I thought was always a funny song to work out to.

Today was the best weather yet of the year, the air just cool enough for me to run in my t-shirt and stretchy running legging capris that had a corseted design going up the side of my calves and thighs, my sweatshirt tied around my waist. The sun was just barely starting to bring a blushing pink to the sky when we passed by another morning runner.

"On your left." Steve huffed as we came up rapidly behind him.

"On your right." I echoed just a second later before I passed the guy as well.

"Keeping up there, Pen?" Steve called out behind him as I'd dropped back just a bit as I turned my attention to my phone to change the music to "Let's get Down to Business" from Disney's Mulan, which meant that I'd slowed my pace while being distracted with my phone.

I rolled my eyes, focusing my energy in my legs as I shot forward until I was in the lead, giving him a glance over my shoulder, "Just fine thank you!"

"Showoff!" he panted with a small laugh.

"Oh and you aren't one?" I retaliated before singing out, "Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns!"

We passed by jogger guy again in front of the Lincoln Memorial, I was still in the lead by just a bit, so I warned him with a " On your left!"

"On your left." Steve said simultaneously.

"On my left. Got it." The other runner called at our backs, sounding vaguely amused and out of breath.

As Steve and I came up behind the same runner again, I think he heard the rapid rate of our sprinting footsteps, because just as we were approaching him he started shouting over his shoulder at us, "Don't say it. Don't you say it!"

"On your left." Both Steve and I said at the same time before shooting past him and taking the sharp corner around the reflecting pool.

"Come on!"

I twisted my neck to cast him a glance back to see that the runner had picked up his speed for just a minute before floundering back into a slower pace. "I think he's taking being lapped a bit hard."