“Ah so strong!” Happy chortled as he slung his arm around Kay’s neck and pulled him under his arm. Kay growled as he hit Happy’s arm with rosy, warm cheeks.
“Hey.” Kay snapped as he pulled Happy’s arm off of him. “I can do pull ups, I can! I’m just…tired.”
Happy opened his mouth to comment again when the teacher started yelling about everyone needing to move outside. Like a crowd of sheep, the students all flocked towards the large courtyard where the teacher stood in the middle amongst the students as they all waited. Some shivered as they sighed and tapped their foot in boredom.
“Right—everyone does ten laps around the field. No one’s allowed back in till it’s done.”
Groans and replies of detesting were all shouted back as the teacher smacked his hands together and whistled sharply. “I SAID EVERYONE! NOW MOVE IT!”
“W-wait… can they do that?” Sam gaped as he looked around at the ridiculously large field. Happy turned to Sam with a sympathetic shrug for the newbie.
“Course ‘e can. E’s the boss round ‘ere.” Happy said. Kay groaned as he dragged himself towards the field where Sam nervously followed. Hunter walked with ease towards the field, but he looked over at his small Bambi for a second to gauge his reaction only to see that he looked nervous and worried. Hunter frowned, his eyebrows drawing together before he looked up at the sky. ‘It’s going to rain’, He thought as he looked back at Bambi.
The teacher whined and so Hunter shook his head and got into position. The moment the teacher whitied everyone began running. Some show offs ran too fast and got out of breath too quickly as they began to slow down. Some simply didn’t care and barely jogged since it wasn’t a race but just laps. Hunte Kept a steady pace beside Carter, the two of them running with ease due to their healthy and muscular forms.
However, Sam was already feeling the burn in his legs and the tightness in his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to power on when approaching the second lap, but the field was so large he doubted he could get through the second. By half of the second lap most of the chubbier students were beginning to groan and drag themselves around the field. The larger, muscular ones (Happy, Hunter, Carter…) were still at ease and not yet even sweating in the slightest. Sam belonged to neither group of chubby or muscular yet he was quickly panting, beads of sweat down his forehead as he felt that familiar pain in his chest. Sam stopped as Happy looked back at him with a frown once realising only Kay was stumbling behind and not Sam too. Kay groaned as he turned back to Sam.
“Come on, man. It sucks but we’ll do it together.” he panted.
Sam shook his head as he clutched his chest. “I-I can’t.” He wheezed out as he dipped low and rested his palms against his kneecaps. “I-I h-have a-asthma.” He wheezed. Hunter was already on his third lap and so when he was coming up near Sam he began to get slightly worried on why he had stopped. Once seeing that Sam was doubled over Hunter subtly sped up, so he could make sense of what was happening.
“Boy! Why have you stopped.” The teacher yelled as he stalked towards Sam. Happy had also stopped along with Kay. Happy was rubbing Sam’s back as he bent down to try and look at Sam’s face and make sure he was okay.
Kay turned to the teacher striding towards them. “He’s got asthma—can’t do it.”
The teacher stopped short in front of the panting Sam as he scoffed. “I don’t care if his leg fell off! Now get back out on the field!”
Happy’s lips curled down as he glared at the teacher “He can’t! If he loses his breath he—”
“Everyone has to do ten laps!” The teacher spat back. His spit hit Happy’s face, who glared as he wiped it off with the back of his hand.
“Sir—this fields too big. Everyone’s already dying at three laps, how can you expect an asthmatic to do—”
“DID I ASK FOR YOUR OPINION KAY? NOI NOW GET YOUR LAZY ASSES BACK ON THE FIELD” the teacher barked, slamming his arm out and pointing to where the students were all running, “If he doesn’t do ten laps—”
“I’ll do it.”
The teacher and the three boys all turned to look at Hunter who had stopped running and walked over to them. His face was casual and calm as if he hadn’t just run three laps around the entire field. “What?” The teacher snapped Hunter blinked slowly as if the teacher was an idiot for not understanding but even the others were confused.
“His laps. I’ll do them for him.” Hunter announced. The teacher looked startled for a minute before he cleared his throat and regained his posture.
“What? Twenty laps? You’ll never do it. You’ll die.”
Sam watched Hunter with big eyes, but Hunter never once looked at him. Kay and Happy shared confused, surprised looks as Sam fell into a deep confusion about who Hunter really was and whether he really cared.
“I said I’ll do it.” Hunter stated slowly as he asserted his authority. The teacher flinched as he coughed and looked away from Hunter’s intense gaze before he looked back and pretended to sigh and not care.
“Fine. Twenty laps. But don’t come in until they’re done. I don’t care if there’s an earthquake. You better do it now you’ve made yourself look big.” The teacher scoffed as he walked off to yell at some students who were walking slowly now that the teacher had turned his back. Happy and Kay, slowly and cautiously got back to running whilst Sam stood gawking at Hunter. Sam reached out, his fingers slipped over Hunter’s sleeve as he just about missed due to Hunter already walking away without looking. Sam went to say something, but the teacher was already calling out to Sam.
“Hey! Asthmatic! Get your ass inside. You’ve caused all this fuss so get in before you die.”
Sam slowly, and guiltily walked back inside but he propped himself up against the ledge as he watched out the window. His eyes never left Hunter the entire time (who ran steadily).
‘He acted like he wasn’t doing it for me, but why else would he choose to run for me? It’s not like twenty laps is easy even for someone as physically fit as himself. Maybe he does care?’
***
Everyone was finishing up their tenth lap and Kay was really feeling the effects. Being naturally skinny, Kay had wanted to give up at the fouth lip and was tally feeling the pain during the fifth. However, Happy coached him on all through it and Kay was not oblivious to Happy slowing down to stay [beside Kay even though Happy could have been miles ahead with all of the other good runners instead of the out-of-breath dorks at the back. “I can’t!” Kay panted as his footsteps became harsh and clumsy. “I— really can’t” he wheezed.
Happy frowned as he turned back to Kay and saw his flushed face and sweaty skin. He knew that encouraging words would have no more effect on Kay as he was about to fold. Kay gasped when he suddenly felt himself being hosted up. “W-what?” he stumbled out as Happy continued to jog. Kay nervously wrapped his arms around Happy’s broad shoulders as he remained gawking in shock and disbelief as Happy ran the last lap with Kay on his back. As the last Lap was finished Happy began to walk off to the building where Sam was peering out of the window when Kay tapped his shoulder awkwardly. “Y-you can put me down now.”
“Huh?” Happy replied. “Oh! Yeah.” he let Kay get down as he asked if Kay was okay, dipping his body to see if Kay’s legs really could support him. Kay nodded bashfully as he coughed awkwardly and walked beside Happy, eyeing him to the side every now and then as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Happy, along with all the other students, piled into the building.
Happy and Kay approached Sam who was leaning against the window ledge, looking out like he belonged in a tragic musical. “Kid, you coming to get some food?” Happy asked.
Sam didn’t once look back as he shook his head, still looking out like a sorrowed puppy waiting for its owner to come back. “No, I’m gonna wait some more. He’s still not done”
Kay glanced out as he winced, silently sympathetic for Hunter as he had only just started his eleventh lap. Hunter was strong, mentally and physically, but twenty laps was enough for even him. Kay clapped his shoulder as he and Happy walked away whilst Sam continued to watch. Hunter continued to jog around the field and was now on his twelfth lap. His throat had begun to get dry and raw, throbbing along with his pulse.
His skin was cold and taut, but he pushed on even though his legs ached. Had it been any other student they would have passed out by now. If Sam was worried he was even more worried when it began to pelt down with rain. Not just any small drizzle but thunderous rain that soaked Hunter to the bone. His black locks clung to his flushed skin as he panted heavily, driving his arms through the pouring rain into his thirteenth lap. The ground began to get muddy as his battered shoes splashed up mud all over him. His skin was bitten raw and bright red as he clenched his teeth and drove through it.
Sam was a panicking mess as he rushed to his dorm like a frightened deer. He quickly gathered up a large throw blanket as he ran all the way back to the window before exiting. Hunter finished his laps and now that he had slowed down to a stop his body was really feeling it. He walked heavily towards the door just as Sam came out.
“Hunter!” Sam cried as he threw the towel around him though since Sam had to go on his tippy toes to wrap it around him it didn’t quite reach Hunter’s shoulders but wrapped around his upper torso. Hunter’s heart almost melted, it felt as if Sam had reached inside and gave it a squeeze. Upon feeling this Hunter worried about how he was struggling to push Sam away and so he played his part.
“Get out the rain idiot.” Hunter said as he rolled his eyes, but Sam wasn’t going to scuttle off and whimper in the corner anymore. Hunter tossed the towel aside as he entered the building and walked ahead of Sam, but Sam followed quickly behind.
“You’re going to get ill—you need to dry yourself.”
Hunter ignored Sam as he entered their dorm with Sam following behind.
Sam stood by the door as Hunter was not in a rush to remove his wet clothing, but Sam wished he would hurry up and change as the longer he was in it the sicker he would be.
“Quit freakin’ Bambi. I’m fine.” Hunter rasped. Sam could already hear his voice changing but Hunter really was the type where his word was the final one. Sam sighed as Hunter shut the door to the bathroom. Sam heard the sound of the shower running which put him at ease to know the warm water would help him a little.
He got changed whilst Hunter was showering and quickly got out some of Hunter’s pyjamas but made sure to layer them up since he knew Hunter would sleep shirtless if he didn’t. He crawled up onto his own top bunk as he climbed into bed and pulled up the covers but only pretended to sleep until he knew Hunter was safe and sound in his own bed. Soon Hunter got out the shower and Sam was glad because his lids were beginning to close as sleep tugged at him. Hunter’s steps were not quiet and calm like usual but clumsy and loud as his bare feet slapped against the floor,his body stumbling a little. Sam peaked worriedly out at him but quickly scrunched his eyes shut when Hunter got changed. Hunter saw the folded clothes on his bed as he turned around and glanced at Sam, believing Sam was asleep, as he reached out and grabbed the hoodie, staring at it softly before he shook his head and got changed. He groaned mentally as he stumbled into bed like a heavy, clumsy Lion and yanked the covers up over him as he instantly fell asleep.
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