#fun run

Read part one here // Masterpost // Continued from here

I CAN'R BELIEVE WE'RE ALREADY ON CHAPTER TEN!!! HOLY CRAP!!!! THIS IS SO EXCITING, AND THE STORY HAS BARELY BEGUN YET!!!!

*****

The next day began the same. Flint woke Luca at an ungodly hour and didn’t stay long enough for Luca to argue. He ordered Luca to put on something warm and closed the door after him.

Luca groans as he forces himself to his feet. He opens the wardrobe that day in the corner of the cabin’s room. He rakes a hand through his hair before slipping off his shirt and trousers, wincing as he sees the damage from yesterday’s “training”.

He pulls on black tracksuit bottoms along with a long sleeve compression shirt and a fleecy half zip. Ruffling his hair, he walks out of the room, hoping he wasn’t too slow that it meant Flint continuously berating him over tiny little things.

“Breakfast,” Flint says as Luca walks into the kitchen. The General looks comical in an apron as he stands at the stove, cooking eggs and bacon and spinach.

“You need to fuel your body to use your body,” Flint says, spooning some food onto Luca’s plate as he sat down. There was a jug of water on the small table and two glasses already full.

“Thank you,” Luca says, deciding – very wisely –not to make a comment about Flints kitchen fashion choice.

The smell of the food alone was enough to make his stomach growl. He looks at the plate – this wasn’t packaged food to reheat; this was real and proper food. Luca’s mouth salivates as he picks up his fork, twirling it between his fingers.

Flint glances back as he cracks eggs in the pot, realising he didn’t hear the fork hit the plate yet. “Well don’t let it go cold.”

Luca rolls his eyes with a smirk and starts into his eggs, his eyes widening slightly at the burst of flavours. This definitely wasn’t the eggs in the bag that he got back in the cadets.

When his plate is cleared, he takes a gulp of his water, accidentally dropping his fork with a loud clank. Luca grimaces, “shit- sorry.”

Flint either doesn’t hear or doesn’t care as he cooks his own breakfast on the pan. He flips the bacon with the same brutal efficiency Luca imagines he’d use on the battlefield.

As it sizzles away, he turns back to Luca. “Today I’ll be testing your stamina. We’ll run drills so I can get a better sense of your abilities.”

Luca nods, that was easy. He was fastest in his unit but knowing Flint’s reputation, he tries not to look confident. He focuses extra as he places down his glass, satisfied with the quietness.

“Is it raining?” He asks absentmindedly.

“No,” Flint replies with what Luca assumes is Flint’s version of a smile; a slight, tight command of the corner of his lip upwards. “Though it will be cold. But I see you have a warm fleece at least.”

Flint turns back to the stove. “The dew will make the grass slippery, but your shoes are adequate as far as I’m aware from the trip up here.”

Flint serves himself and puts the pan in the sink with some water. He removes his apron and hangs it neatly on a hook before he sits across from Luca with his breakfast and starts tucking into the food.

They sit in a comfortable silence as Luca finishes his water before his eyes go to the sink. Get Flint on your good side. He stands up and grabs a sponge, running it over the table as he begins to clean the pan. “The food was really good, thanks. Much better than bagged food,” he smirks.

“Thank you,” Flint says like it’s an obligation to thank people for compliments. It wasn’t a natural thing to come from his lips and Luca quirked a brow but didn’t comment on it as the general continues, “cadets are overworked and get the worst rations. I have tried to bring it up the problem to high command, but they have their bureaucratic reasons for it.” After a long, comfortable silence, Flint continues, “I’m glad you can finally eat properly. Though, I’m sure the cadet food was sufficient, just not— good.”

Luca smiles to himself at the awkward small talk Flint tries to share with him. Maybe he decided to try too today.

“Yeah” Luca laughs quietly. He sees Flint smile ever so slightly before he corrects it, smoothing down his top and stands to grab his light running jacket.

Luca dries the pan with a tea towel, “Where does this go?” He asks, not having seen where Flint had got it from.

“In that corner press,” Flint says as he stands from the table and grabs the plates, dumping them in the sink. He pats Luca’s shoulder as he walks past. “Thank you. We can clean the rest when we return.”

Luca smiles, hating the warmth that spreads in his chest at Flints pat on his shoulder. He forces it down and nods, putting the pan back into the press. When he stands, he cracks his neck, waiting and hoping that training won’t be as grim as yesterday.

***

There was no semblance of the awkward Flint once they left the cabin. Flint carried a small bag on his back as he marched up a small hill towards a large flat expanse. The cold bit at Luca’s cheeks, but he had to admit, it was nice to be up as the sun was only peaking its head over the horizon. The sky was a warm blue-black colour, cozy, like midnight but brighter, more inviting. After his breakfast, Luca found his body filled with a ready energy, like he was able to tackle whatever the General threw at him today.

Flint took his bag off and laid it against a log. He looks back at Luca, his face set in his usual insouciant expression. He puts his hands behind his back and Luca stops, unconsciously echoing Flint’s stance.

“First, a warmup.”

Flint’s warm up was more like a boiling over, but at least Luca’s body was alive and ready to go afterwards. The chill still nipped at him, so he kept his fleece on, but his blood was pumping, keeping his muscles warm.

“Good,” Flint says after Luca kept up with him, his breath working a little harder than Flint’s but that was okay. “Very good.”

Flints praise washed over him and he nodded once. As they came for a water break, he takes a long swig of his drink, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his fleece.

“First, we’ll test your endurance and stamina with a run through the forest,” Flint says, walking towards a trail, a beaten track. Luca silently thanked the gods it wasn’t going to be off the path for today. He looks at the forest, nodding as he takes in the information.

“Are you coming with me or is this an orientation to see if you can get rid of me,” he smirks, a cheeky glint in his eyes.

Flint glances at Luca. Humour shining in his own eyes which almost startled Luca. “I can get rid of you with the stroke of a pen, cadet, why lose you in the woods?”

Luca would laugh but the ‘joke’ took a slight toll on him. He felt dizzy with fear, but he forces a stiff laugh, trying to act as if it didn’t affect him.

“Besides,” Flint continues, stretching his arms again. “I need to make sure you can keep up with me.”

“Yeah, I don’t think you have to worry about me dragging you behind,” he smirks, hoping that Flint wasn’t much faster than him. Especially since Luca was half the man’s age.

“Let’s hope not,” Flint says lightly and starts at an even jogging pace.

Luca follows him in a quick jog, coming back to a steady one as he stays beside Flint. His eyes study the terrain before him and he quickens his pace slightly, not too much to wind him from the start.

“Good pace,” Flint says after ten minutes of running, “let’s see if you can keep it up.”

With an internal groan, Luca follows Flint off trail and up hill, his feet crunching against untrodden leaves and cracking fallen branches. They have to hurdle logs and jump over stumps of trees as they run, Luca’s lungs burning while Flint remains annoyingly consistent.

His pace drops slightly as he begins to feel the stretch of his lungs – a classic technique they were taught when the cadets didn’t know the distance they’d be running. While the distance between Flint and Luca isn’t large, it annoys Luca, he balls his fists as he pushes himself faster. Flint glances back at Luca and grins, also slowing his pace slightly to let Luca catch up.

The air is crisp and fresh against Luca’s face which combats the heat from the exercise, something he’s grateful for. Their boots set into a solid rhythm, each foot matching the other.

Luca looks around him, watching the wildlife. A squirrel dashed along the branches of the tree ahead of them. The birds sing their morning song. His body eventually stops fighting him as they fall into sync and he just enjoys the run.

After a while of running off trail, they get back to a beaten track, higher up the mountain. They approach a hill, the dirt trail lined by trees as they come up to a veranda that overlooks the valley below. Stretches of dark green leaves and light green patches of grass and farmland cover the valley with the River Leon running in between. It’s waters so beautiful in the morning light that beams over the valley like it’s making the water shine just for them. Flint slows to a stop at the viewing area and puts his hands on his hips, sucking in a breath.

Luca stops behind him, putting his hands on his head, stretching his lungs so he can get a sufficient breath in. He looks up and looks to where Flint was looking and he stops.

“Holy shit…” It was beautiful. He hadn’t seen the grounds of the base like this.

Flint laughs at Luca’s colourful vocabulary and nods.

“Indeed,” he says with a hum of approval, happy that Luca appreciates the view as much as he does. “It’s good to see the place like this,” Flint says softly. “Makes you remember why we’re fighting so hard to keep it.”

Luca nods. His eyes taking it all in. Maybe his years in the cadets was worth it.

Just even for this moment.

This bliss.

He would give his life, do anything, to protect it.

They remain there until both their breath has returned and then Flint says, “there’s another view like this, at my base. I’ll show you that too when we get there.” He claps a hand on Luca’s shoulder. “I think you’ll enjoy it.” And they start back into a run. It’s mostly downhill this time and Luca works hard not to go faster than Flint. Mostly doing it so he wouldn’t tumble head over heels down the hills and embarrass himself in front of Flint… but still.

There are two more small hills they climb on their way down and Flint goes off the trail again to finish the run downhill. Luca’s brows furrow as he looks at the trail, wondering where it leads to, but he quickens his pace, verging on being in front of Flint as they run.

“Oh, is that a challenge?” Flint asks as Luca pulls ahead slightly. Luca smirks, a light hand pushing Flint back as he takes lead. It wasn’t a hard push, but he speeds up all the same, spotting the familiar manmade trail and following it.

He can hear Flint laugh lightly behind him and footsteps pound harder against the earth after him. Trees whizz by Luca and he breaks into a sprint, ensuring to take caution in the branches and any trip hazard.

Flint hops a fallen log like a professional jumper and he’s out two steps in front of Luca with a laugh as Luca pushes himself faster to catch up. He can see the expanse of flat ground and Flint’s bag from earlier.

Almost there.

He sets his eyes hard, pumping his arms he fastens his pace, putting his entire energy and he pushes, he reaches the bag and catches himself on the tree, unable to slow to a stop by himself with his pace. He smirks but pants for breath, his breathing short and shallow.

His brows pinch together as a soft laugh followed by a huff of breath echo from behind, and Flint claps lightly. He runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair and pants, smiling at Luca. “Well done,” he says, laughing again as he straightens. “Well done.”

Luca practically beams as he catches his breath, coughing into his elbow as the cold air catches in his throat. “Yeah. Something tells me that you weren’t exactly going hard on me,” Luca laughs.

“The real tests will come later,” Flint says, waving the comment away as he walks towards Luca and grabs the bag, pulling out two bottles of water. “At the moment, I am just trying to get a read of where you are, so we know what better to work on when we go back to my proper base.”

Luca nods, accepting a water bottle and drinking at least half of it. He pulls off his fleece just to have a moment for the cold to settle in, trying to cool himself down.

“I’m impressed you kept up,” Flint praises. “Your fitness seems good. In your reports it says you would do extra training on your own time.” He raised a brow when Luca doesn’t answer. “Not spending time getting to know your fellow cadets?”

Lucas body stiffens, knowing exactly what Flint was hinting at. He forces and lies easily through his teeth. “Oh no, we got to know each other, we’d go on runs through the forest together, swimming in the lake too. We were all quite close.” He doesn’t look at Flint as he finishes the water in his bottle.

Flint nods, but Luca can tell he doesn’t quite believe him. “That’s good. It’s important to form friendships and bonds with your comrades. It’s necessary in the army, to let people have your back.”

Luca just hums, his jaw set tight. He picks at the bark of the tree, watching the old wood chip beneath his fingers. “We’ll test some of your close order drills before we head back. I have to visit your old base today if you’d like to come along.”

Luca’s eyes widen slightly, at the news and being invited along before he nods a little too eagerly. He could see Jet. Maybe the General did listen to him last night. Maybe… maybe he isn’t going to be like the lieutenants. Luca doesn’t let the thought get steam; he doesn’t want to build himself up with hope to get it smashed out of him again.

“Most of the training you’ll do will be with the unit in my team,” Flint says, “learning to adapt and adjust to more advanced tactics than the cadets. My unit moves as one, attacks as one, and every person there is as strong as each other. You’ll have to match it once we go back, but I’m impressed Luca. I have a feeling the reports were wrong about you.”

Flint smiles, and it feels warmer than the sun on Luca’s face. “I think you’ll fit in well.”

Luca can’t help but smile back, finally feeling seen. “Thanks, Captain- shit– wait... was that right?”

“General,” Flint corrects lightly. He chuckles as he grabs the bag and puts his water bottle into it. “At the very least, we need to get that in your head before we rejoin my team.”

Luca smirks and nods, “gonna write it on my hand next time,” he jokes but the idea was probably best for the cadet. “They all call you general too?”

“Yes, they do,” Flint replies. “They didn’t have to be taught my title either,” he adds with an arched brow.

Luca rolls his eyes, “you really like your little digs, don’t you, general?”

Flint smirks. “I will give you as good as you give me, if you want respect show it, if you want back and forth banter, I will provide. As any good leader does.”

Luca let’s out a breath, smirking as he mumbles, “touché”

They run through drills until lunch, Flint ensuring Luca knows proper commands like attention and at ease. He only has to correct Luca’s posture twice in the entire time and Luca thinks it’s progress. He feels more comfortable when they walk back down the hill towards the cabin, like he actually accomplished something today. Feeling seen for the first time in… well, ever maybe.

He thinks he could get used to this feeling.

*****

Continued Here

ROLL CALL MAGGOTS! (aka the tag-list): @imgoingtobiteyounow @whumplicity @creatureofstories @afternoonfairy @castell-da-near @funnymemedude @hiddencowboybarbarian @hueningplushie @fallenwaltz

Full piece for PHTubers Bayanihan's Charity Run!🏃‍♀️💨💕

Charity fun run for House of Somang!!

by now the finisher merch kits should be arriving and/or on their way!! Huge thank you to everyone who supported the cause and to PHVTBayanihan for hosting and having us!!

So far my Guan Kantra is a Sorcerer, Druid, Wizard, Bard, Warlock, Rogue, and Cleric (of war).