Miracle On Ice One Shots

Morning Runs (Mike Ramsey- #5)

Alice's alarm blared through her apartment, signaling the beginning of another day. She rolled over, turned off her alarm and glanced at the clock- 5:00. Just like every other morning.

The girl sighed as she got out of bed and immediately brushed her teeth. She stared at herself in the mirror, big brown eyes staring back. She began brushing through her long, dark brown hair, slowly working through each and every knot. Then, she put a plait on each side of her head.

She walked out of her bathroom, and slipped on a pair of thick, warm leggings and a thermal top. November had just began, and the cold was starting to settle. Alice was quite familiar with the cold as she had grown up in the cities- went to kindergarten through high school in Saint Paul, and then decided to stay here and go to the U, where she still is. The cold was as comforting and familiar as her mother's hugs, but that didn't mean she wanted to freeze on her morning run.

She had started this tradition while she was still in high school- a way to wake up her brain and body and get ready for the next day. From there, the ritual became the most important part of her morning routine. If she missed a run (or a walk, on her rest days), things always seemed to drag and the day wasn't as great.

Now, she did change up her route depending on her mood. She lived just off of the east bank campus, in a one bedroom apartment, just cozy enough for her, as well as her cat, Carl. She had found the tabby on the side of the road one day in high school, and the two had quickly grown fond of each other.

The tabby was now laying right in the middle of her unmade bed- his very own morning routine. She scratched him behind the ear, and walked into the living room, slipping on her beanie and vest as she went. Finally, next to the door, she slipped on her pair of bright blue running shoes.

She locked the door behind her, and slipped the key under the door mat. She could never stand to run with it- it always annoyed her.

As she stood up, she heard another door close behind her. Confused, she turned to face the sound. How odd- no one was ever out this early. The man responsible for the door closing towered over her, and his broad shoulders seemed to take up half the hallway. What looked to be a hockey bag was thrown over those large shoulders of his. His brown hair fell over his forehead, and his brown eyes looked tired. Alice felt her breath catch in her throat- he was beautiful.

The man's eyes snapped to her's, and she became acutely aware of the fact that she had only been awake for about 20 minutes at this point- and she had been up late finishing a paper for her communications class.

He smiled at the girl, as it appeared that she had gone shy. She smiled back, trying frantically to keep her cool. All she had to do was get outside of the building- that's all she had to do. Easy, right?

She was startled out of her thoughts, by the man walking down the stairs. She couldn't miss the way that he would turn back every few steps to look at her.

"He probably is wondering what I'm doing just standing here like an idiot." She thought to herself. She made herself move, frantically trying to get her head in the right headspace for a run.

When the two reached the bottom floor (more like, when she reached the bottom floor), he turned to look at her one last time. He gave an awkward (and very endearing wave) and then he was gone.

Alice attempted to shake the man from her thoughts as she started running towards the U. She quickly found her rhythm, the steady sounds of her feet hitting the concrete comforting her. She could clearly see her breath in front of her, but the exercise allowed her to stay warm. Soon, she found herself wishing she hadn't layered so much.

She was 15 minutes into her run when she passed by the stadium and the hockey rink, immediately bringing to mind the man with a hockey bag slung over his shoulder. She shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind, as she looped around and started back home.