[closed]

[forerun]

WHO: Minho (forerun) & Thomas (greenies)
WHAT: track stars AU
WHERE: college bruh (California because running on beaches)
WHEN: c...ollege
WARNINGS: Swearing because Minho
NOTES: In high school they were rivals, but now that Thomas has transferred to Minho's university, they'll have to learn to be teammates. (Basically a huge lovely cliche.)

It had taken two years, but the day had finally come. Minho was achieving greatness, his life-long masterpiece complete. Nothing would stand in the way of the utter happiness he felt at this point in time. Because today, he was officially becoming the captain of the track team at his dream university. To some people it didn't sound like all that much, but running was literally his life. Even his major in physical therapy was designed around his love of running. It was something he was truly good at without having to try, a skill that came as naturally as breathing. He was one of those guys that non-athletes hated because he ran marathons for fun and always hogged the treadmills at the gym during winter. Most of his friends were on the track team (or had been at one point). It was fair to say that he got tunnel-vision at times. Running was his life.

Comments

BELATEDLY SLAMS FACE INTO THIS

[greenies]

Thomas had always been more of a studious guy in high school. Sure, he loved sports. He loved track. But for him, more than anything else, his ability to get into a good school came first--if he wanted to get an engineering degree and get a good job, he was going to need to be well rounded. That was what he told his mom when he signed up to be on the track team, anyway, and let it take over his life from freshman year onwards.

But, eventually these two goals had to coincide. Thomas had started off looking at one school, but when he was offered a fairly substantial scholarship from another midway through the year--of course he was going to take it. So Thomas packed up his bags from MIT and moved out to California, enjoying the sun and surf and the sand. And UCLA's high class engineering program definitely didn't hurt the process, either.

So, on his first day of practice, Thomas figures he'll get associated with the people in the club, stretch a little, and then show his stuff. He's always been a good runner--distance is his favorite, because he feels like he can go until he's blue in the face--and so he'd put himself into that spotlight so the coach and captain would have him running races by the next month. Plan, set.

Carrying his bag onto the field, Thomas reaches down to tie his shoelaces a little tighter before he stretches, dropping the bag on the bench and taking a cursory glance up--and spotting a person. Attractive, his head says first.

Oh shuck me, his head says second, because that's-- "Minho?!"

HOLDS TO BOSOM

[forerun]

Minho was already on the field and ready to go, having arrived early to perform his captain's duties. He'd often arrived early even when he was just a greenie, doing what he could to help out and socializing with the like-minded people on the team. Now that it was in the job description, he didn't even need that excuse. If he was honest, he just loved the smell of the turf and the crunch of the gravel beneath his shoes.

Not many of their runners had shown up yet, so Minho was checking the agenda he'd written up. As the first meet of the season, it would be important to establish rules and set expectations. There were of course new members of the team, and it was his job to make them comfortable but also be real with them; UCLA was a school to be proud of, and the track team wasn't meant to be a hobby.

As he was looking down the list of new recruits, his eye caught on a familiar name. "What the f—" As if the person in question was materialized by Minho thinking about him, he heard his name being called and turned around to face a guy he hadn't thought he'd see after graduating high school.

"Thomas?" He laughed, a short disbelieving sound.