Title: run melos

Prompt: 22. Rush of adrenaline, sylvixgrid

A/N: I'm mixed about this one—I wanted to do a fluff piece, but I'm not in practice and it shows. Oh well, I'll just have to keep at it.

Summary: Cold, wet, and muddy, Ingrid was pretty sure any jury would get her off for killing Sylvain. Maybe she should have expected this when he signed her up for a marathon, but she hadn't expected a Mud Run of all things.

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A nervous thrum of energy filled the air, the anxious anticipation as a group of runners stood in the open space. Clothes rustled as people shifted from one foot to the other. Barely audible, soft mutters as lips formed prayers or some other version of good luck. The sun beating on her neck. These were all things Ingrid expected at the start of a marathon. What she didn't expect was the banner straight ahead of her, the words Mud Run emblazoned in dark brown against a white backdrop.

She gritted her teeth as she stared. Mud Run, because this wasn't a marathon, no, it was just 10k.

"Looking good, Ingrid!" cheered the voice she wanted to hear the least right now.

Ingrid pivoted on her heel and searched for her moron of a boyfriend. Just where—she stopped stock-still when she spotted his red hair amongst the throngs of spectators. Sylvain wore a bright smile as he waved. Of course he was happy. He was an idiot who didn't realize his time on this earth was limited.

"Get a little muddy, okay? The sexy kind!" He winked and she had been wrong. Sylvain did realize his impending death, he just wanted a parting gift before he left.

She glared in response. When Sylvain had mentioned a new marathon she might be interested in, Ingrid hadn't hesitated before asking him to sign her up. Money went to a charity, she didn't have any other events in August anyways, and she loved running. Felix had given her a doubtful look but she'd ignored it. What was the worst that could happen?

Gods, she should have listened to him. It was too late now. Felix stood next to Sylvain, the barest flicker of sympathy on his expression. If she was looking for a comforting hug, she wasn't going to find it in him. Still, at the very least Sylvain's destruction was assured one way or another. If she got mud in Felix's car because of this, then she'd have one boyfriend instead of two.

"Are you ready?"

The announcement grabbed her attention. Stretching her arms, she faced the front once more. It was too late for regrets now. Ingrid bounced on her heels, keeping her breathing steady as she waited for the signal. At least it was just 10k. She could do that easy.

"You can do this!" Sylvain yelled again.

It felt mildly comforting. She tried not to smile. From the corner of her eye, she saw Felix give her a thumbs up. A loud bang and Ingrid took off.

-x-

The run took place at a conservation park. Ingrid kept her pace steady as she ran through the muddy forest trails. Now that she was further into trail, the trees blocked the sun, their cool shade giving her relief from the heat. It was crowded on the narrow path, the pack still holding together as the minutes wore on.

Ingrid wiped her forward. If only she had water; before she'd started, she'd been warned to bring nothing if she could. The only thing she had of value on her were her running shoes. A quick glance down and she winced; the bright white running shoes were now a dark brown, mud spotting even her legs. Sylvain would clean them when they go home and if she didn't see white again, he was going to buy her new shoes. Felix would back her up on this, she was certain.

Still, this wasn't too bad. If the only mud she faced were slippery paths, then she could handle it. As far as routes went, the only tiring part was running uphill, with the—

"FINALLY!" Someone yelled from ahead. His voice was followed by a series of cheers and a single groan.

Ingrid poked her head around the runner in front of her, but it was impossible to see anything. The only thing she knew was that the pace had slowed, the pack now barely walking. Why? Just what could have done that? There was a sloppy noise ahead and suddenly, no one was running in front of her.

No, they were trudging through waist deep mud. Ingrid halted at the edge of the ditch, staring in horror at the long muddy trough in front of her.

Her shoes were fucked.

So were her shorts and Felix's car.

-x-

Generally, by the third kilometer, the edges of runner's high would hit. Ingrid would hit her stride, there'd be a sense of calm, and her mind would be as blank as a sheet of paper. Not so much this time. Oh sure, her heartbeat roared in her ears and her lungs burned still, but those were the only similarities to her usual run. Her mind ran a mile a minute as she ran from obstacle to obstacle, barely having the time to appreciate the natural beauty around her before being utterly dumbfounded by the sight before her.

There was the mudslide that ended in a tub of cold, muddy, water, as though she hadn't gotten enough mud on her. A large rope net to climb up and over, her frozen hands stiff as she tried to keep her grip. Tall wooden walls to boost herself over. Monkey bars over even more cold mud-water. The hot sun was a small mercy now.

By the time Ingrid reached the crawling portion of the race, she wanted to sleep for a week.

-x-

"YESSSS!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

"JUST A LITTLE FURTHER!"

Ingrid lifted her head slightly as the sound of cheering increased. After the quiet of the forest, where even the most enthusiastic of runners had started to groan, she'd almost forgotten how loud the spectators were. Around her, exhausted runners stumbled toward the end, mud-covered blobs. A few strong souls continued running hard. She was somewhere in-between, lurching forward like one of those zombie movies that Dimitri liked to watch.

"Do you see her?"

"Stop pushing, idiot."

Those voices…Ingrid shook her heavy, matted hair out of her face. That had been Sylvain, right? Wearily, she wiped her eyes, not sure if she removed more mud than she added. The final 500 meters was a narrow path, hemmed in by wooden posts. She couldn't see the cheering audience, only hear them.

"You brought a change of clothes, right?"

"I don't forget things like you."

In the back of her head, Ingrid was excited to hear them, to recognize Felix's grumpy timbres and Sylvain's indignant tone. They were her boys and she'd be done soon and they were just ahead! However, they had revealed something far more important: Felix had known about the mud. He had known about this and hadn't bothered to tell her and something akin to fury rose in her.

Sylvain's part she could chalk up to his usual idiocy, but this…this merited revenge. Adrenaline burst in her and she forced her legs into a run. Ignoring the burning in her lungs, the ache in her side, the way her feet slipped and slid, she sprinted the last few meters, bursting out into the cooldown area. Panting, she looked around for Sylvain and Felix.

She didn't have to wait long. Sylvain was already approaching her, a towel in hand. "You did great!"

Ingrid pounced, knocking him backwards into Felix. They landed in a messy pile on the ground, all arms and legs.

"Nice to see you too, Ingrid?" Sylvain laughed awkwardly. "If I knew you'd be so happy, I'd have—"

She gave him a sloppy kiss.

Immediately, he gagged. "IS THAT MUD?"

Before Felix could roll away, she kissed him too. And if she made their clothes messy by blinding groping, well, she could claim it was out of affection and not because they'd have to spend the next two hours caked in mud.

Ingrid wasn't petty, after all.