Morning Run (Closed to Peter

[st_x5_494]

Alec believed Peter when he said he'd be up. He knew Peter would take the challenge seriously, too, because the kid had this wish to show people he could do things. He just hoped Peter was actually ready for the amount of running today - almost 50 miles - and that he could keep up.

He padded out of his room in jogging pants and a t-shirt and eyed the room. "Ready or not, time to get your ass kicked."

Comments

[st_arkintern]

Peter is stretching when Alec emerges from his bedroom, wearing a t-shirt and a pair of blue workout shorts. He straightens when Alec addresses him and gives him a look.

"Good morning," he says to that, trying to look less defensive than he actually feels. "You ready?"

[st_x5_494]

At least he didn't have to wait Peter up, which he would have. He did appreciate Peter was stretching. "Yeah. Listen, you let me know if you want to change pace, alright?"

[st_arkintern]

Peter is audibly and visibly offended. "I can keep up."

[st_x5_494]

"Alright fine." And this is why Alec thought he needed some self-confidence. "Then it's go."

He gestured with his head and then headed toward the lobby. Once he was outside and he saw that Peter was with him and ready, Alec took off. His pace was a run for an average person.

[st_arkintern]

Peter can match this pace easily. He's pretty sure that Alec can, too. This wasn't what Alec promised.

Peter turns and frowns at Alec.

And then speeds up.

[st_x5_494]

He sighed and moved to keep in the same pace with Peter. "You ever heard of pacing?" He wondered, with all of Peter's math and science, if Peter knew how far 50 miles were.

[st_arkintern]

"I am pacing," Peter insists, still very obviously on the defensive here.

[st_x5_494]

Alec tried to hide the eyeroll, but the intent was still there. "Alright, fine." Alec knew he could keep up the pace pretty well, but he made another mental note to keep an eye out on the kid as they ran.

[st_arkintern]

"What do you do while you run?" Peter asks as he runs. People'd probably ask him the same thing about his patrols, but there was a lot more to look at in New York City than there was to look at around the mostly-desert that surrounded the Madonna Inn. Even on the slow no-criminal-activity-days.

[st_x5_494]

Alec side-eyed Peter. Of course he'd be a chatty runner. "I run."

For a moment Alec considered picking up the speed so Peter might be fully winded and unable to talk, but he was sure Peter would insist on keeping that pace for the entire run.

[st_arkintern]

Peter gives Alec a puzzled look as he matches Alec's pace.

"You don't think? Or daydream?"

[st_x5_494]

How did you explain to someone like Peter than when you were raised the way Alec was, daydreaming didn't come easily.

It took him a second to answer. "I'm calculating terrain, possible extraction points, tactical vantage points, potential threats, food sources, animal tracks..."

[st_arkintern]

Peter gives Alec another look, because he can't tell if Alec is joking or not. "Really?" He's not just messing with him, is he?

[st_x5_494]

"Yeah." He even managed a little shrug. Scouts had to spot as many things as possible on their runs. And as they ran some more, Alec took the time to point out some good places for an ambush, the tracks of a fox, the signs of water nearby.

[st_arkintern]

After awhile, Peter can feel the muscles in his legs start to burn. He probably shouldn't have started at such a rough pace and now he's regretting it. On patrol, he was mostly swinging around; yeah, there was occasionally chasing after someone on foot, but for the most part, he was web-slinging around. His arms and his core got way more use than his legs, and it was stupid of him to assume that hours of patrolling New York would somehow qualify him to go on a 50-mile run with Alec at 6 in the morning.

Still, he pushes through it, though Peter's place slows a tad. Not enough that his pace isn't still a run, but enough that Alec would notice it.

[st_x5_494]

He did notice. He had half expected it to be earlier than this and so, in some degree, Alec was impressed. Of course, he'd have been more impressed if Peter would have just gone the original pace he had set. As for himself, it was about ten minutes into when he seemed to be breathing heavier, like the rest had been a casual jog and now it was starting to show signs of its affect on him outwardly, though he had been sweating for a while now. He tried to slow down a little more, hoping Peter would think it was him who needed the change of pace. They were officially half way there. One marathon over, but they had a whole other one to get through.

[st_arkintern]

As soon as Peter notices Alec's breathing change, Peter slows his pace even more. He looks over at Alec pensively, wondering if he had started off too hard. If Alec was used to moving at a certain pace, then maybe he was at fault here for changing it up.

[st_x5_494]

Oh God. Alec noticed the pensive almost puppy-like look. "What?" He was still quite able to talk, despite the breathing change. He wasn't necessarily impervious to cardio.

[st_arkintern]

That puppy-like look doesn't disappear.

"You okay?"

[st_x5_494]

He looked only slightly confused. "... I'm running?" He glanced in front of a moment. They were hitting a stretch that was slightly up hill. "You know I still have lungs, right?" He was just really conditioned for these sorts of things.

[st_arkintern]

Peter can't tell if Alec's being serious or if he's trying to minimize his own struggle to look cool in front of him. Peter decides he doesn't want to embarrass him and press further.

"Yeah," Peter says. "Was just making sure. We've been running awhile now."

[st_x5_494]

"27 miles." Alec was able to judge distances pretty accurately - thanks Manticore. He let them run another half mile before asking without look at Peter, which was a calculated move. "You okay?"

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah," Peter says, though his breathing is heavy. He wipes away a few beads of sweat from his forehead. "I'm fine. You fine?"

[st_x5_494]

Alec didn't buy that Peter was fine. "Maybe we should take a break. Or - turn back" He almost said give up but he figured that would have gone over less well.

[st_arkintern]

"Break," Peter agrees. He knows when he's hit his limit, as much as he's loathe to admit it.