Fire & Ice | Soulmate AU 1 |

chapter two

I make sure to wake up extra early the next morning to do all of the homework that I've been neglecting. I'm not exactly taking some hardcore courses during my junior year because I'm a creative writing major, but the few required core courses are kind of killing me. I pushed everything back so I could make the exam for the League my top priority, but it's crunch time now that it's over. The pile of work that I have yet to even start is more intimidating than I thought it would be. I don't think I've ever pulled off what I'm about to attempt in all my years of college, but I have to try at the very least.

It takes me until around three in the afternoon to finish every assignment since I procrastinate at every turn. I figured it'd be a good idea to get ahead of the work instead of behind like I typically am, so I made sure to catch up on the work due next week, as well. My schedule is only going to get tighter from here on out now that I'm an active League agent.

Atlas is absent throughout my homework binge. He's made it a point to schedule back to back classes on Fridays since freshman year because he's a total psychopath. He usually just crashes at Maggie's place for the night and stumbles his way back to our room sometime Saturday afternoon. She may be our mutual best friend but she's also his girlfriend and counterpart, so she's willing to put with his exhausted whining. They've been Bonded since middle school which is just another example of how weird it is I'm still alone and without a counterpart. Neither him or Maggie really get how it is to still not know their other half at my age.

I change into shorts and a loose t-shirt after I save my last essay. I'll admit that it's not my best work, but my skin started itching for a run about an hour ago, which is about as long as I can restrain myself. Anything I try to write in my current state will be absolute trash, anyways.

It takes me a few moments to find my running shoes. They're tucked under Atlas's bed once again, kicked underneath by careless feet. It's usually Atlas's fault but, for once, I can't be entirely sure if it was him or I. I was in quite a state when I dragged myself back into our room after the League exam. The test took a lot out of me.

I rush through tying the neon blue laces before finally making my way down to the gym.

There's five dorm halls and two gyms on campus, but the one closest to my hall is the only one with an indoor track. Most people opt for a treadmill or the outdoor track, but I don't have a preference. Running is running.

I walk half a lap as a warm-up. As part of my official induction into the League, Max has placed me on a regimen of training that he's confident will have me ready to be in the field more regularly. The man's face lit up when I told him that I run for fun and am more than happy to tack on a mile or so. His plan includes four days of "training" of primarily easy stuff that I can do by myself while I'm at school. I'll drop by the tower on Wednesdays to train with Max for real until the semester ends and I'm free from classes. His training sessions will focus more on the combat oriented aspects of our job.

Everything around me slips away once I start running. It's been like that since my first year of middle school. I joined the track team and discovered the amazing way the exercise just shut my brain off and turned it blessedly quiet. It's been my thing ever since.

I run two laps and focus on the way my heartbeat rises steadily as I go. I sprint the entire round of the track once, heart pounding in my ears and knocking against my skull. It quiets down when I slow back to a jog, feet tapping lightly as they hit the spongy red flooring of the track.

My counterpart pendant bounces against my neck with every step, a red isosceles triangle wrapped tightly around an identical blue one. They're made of a kind of thick wire cable that hasn't even begun to show any signs of wear even after all these years. I've worn my pendant since I was physically old enough to like most other people on the planet earth. It's a bittersweet reality. I've never felt it heat up, not even the slightest whisper of warmth against my skin. It's kind of hard to be grateful for something that refuses to function the way it's designed to.