Chapter Text
Louis couldn’t contain his smirk as Clem and Vi entered the field. A precarious balance between happy and mischievous. Playful teasing was inevitable.
“Don’t,” Violet warned, glaring at him when they were close enough.
“Don’t what?”
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by his innocent act. “You know what.”
He blinked, trying and failing to hide his smile. “Do I?”
“Yes. Looking so damn smug. Worse than usual. Didn’t think that was possible, but here we are.”
“What? Can’t I be happy that my friends finally listened to my amazing advice?” Louis asked, pouting at her resistance.
She opened her mouth to protest, then sighed heavily, defeated. “Whatever.”
Accepting this as a win, Louis let loose an unapologetic grin. He passed Clem an exaggerated wink, which made her shake her head. Their friendship really was… something.
“Hey, sweet pea. Enjoy the game?”
She turned to face Lee, who smiled at her warmly. Not just with his mouth, but his whole face. There was a knowing glint in his eyes, accompanying the usual unconditional love. He must’ve seen what happened with Vi.
Everyone would have.
“It was… great,” she replied sheepishly.
Nobody needed to know she was distracted for the entire game. If Lee’s expression was anything to go by, he already suspected that much. She didn’t need to confirm it, though.
Eager to shift the attention off herself and genuinely curious, Clem gently ruffled AJ’s hair. “What did you think of the game, Goofball?”
“Cleeeeem, I told you. I’m too old for that.” He whined, swatting her hand away. “It was loud. I didn’t understand everything, but it was fun.”
Lee watched them, chuckling at their play fighting. “We’ll try come here more often.”
“Javi can get you guys all the tickets,” Gabe stated, adjusting his beanie.
Mari nodded eagerly. “Yeah! It’d be so cool.”
“I can pull a few strings, sure.” A confident smirk tugged at Javi's lips. “They ain’t gonna say no to their star cleanup hitter.”
Louis stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe we’ll swing by again.”
Violet simply rolled her eyes at him.
“The more the merrier.” Javi hoisted his trusty bat over his shoulder. “So, anyone wanna get some free lessons from a pro?”
“Guess you’ve got them hiding somewhere, waiting to take over.”
They all turned at the new voice. David, Javier’s brother.
“Ha, funny. If you think you’re such a hotshot, maybe you should take first swing.” Javi thrust the bat in his direction, as if challenging him to a duel.
David grabbed it, heading over to the batter’s box. “Alright, step aside so you can see how the true pros do it. Not like this loudmouth pendejo.”
“Ah, you wound me, brother.” Javi put a hand to his chest, acting hurt as he waltzed over to the pitcher’s mound. “Try not to embarrass yourself. Too much, anyway. Some things are unavoidable.”
Lining up his shot, David scoffed. “Yeah, like me wiping that smug smirk off your face.”
Shaking her head, Kate joined the others. “Here we go.”
“Dad’s gonna lose. He always does,” Mari revealed to the others. “Doesn’t stop him from trying.”
Gabe shrugged. “Maybe he won’t this time.”
“You really believe that?” When he nodded, she offered a mischievous smile and held out her hand. “Bet you a candy bar.”
“Okay, you’re on.” Gabe shook her hand, sealing the deal.
When David and Javi’s parents arrived, they assessed the situation and muttered to one another. Eager to join in, Gabe grabbed a catcher’s mitt and crouched behind the home plate. The others stood close by, waiting to see how this all played out.
Rolling his shoulders, Javi threw the ball as quickly as he could. It surprised David, who managed to swerve out of the way last second.
“The hell, Javi?”
“Oh, not ready?” he asked, pleased to have knocked his brother’s ego down a couple notches.
Frowning, David planted his feet firmly on the ground. Gabe threw the ball back to Javi, who tossed it between his hands. When David nodded, Javi sent it flying. It hit the bat at an awkward angle, curving backwards over his head. Gabe caught it easily, sending it to his uncle.
“Striiiike two!” Javi called out.
Clearly frustrated now, David’s fists clenched. “You always do this.”
“Well, maybe if you played like a pro, I wouldn’t have to.”
Focusing up, Javi launched the ball as hard as he possibly could. It smacked his brother across the stomach after a wild swing. He doubled over, taking deep breaths.
“¡Vete a freír espárragos, Javi!”
David threw the bat on the ground, a dusty plume of infield sand shooting up into the air. They watched him storm off, muttering under his breath.
Looking over at his sister, Gabe muttered under his breath, “Great...”
“I expect my payment later,” Mari demanded with a broad grin, which faltered as David disappeared. “Should we follow him?”
“Nah. He’ll get over his hurt ego,” Javi reassured. “Just gotta give him some time.”
Kate sighed deeply. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to deal with said battered and bruised ego.”
“Hey, could be worse.” Javi shrugged, then turned to the rest of the group. “So, who’s next?”
“Step aside.” Louis strolled up, taking the bat off the ground and holding it up like a triumphant battle hero.
“Another confident challenger, huh.” Javi smiled as he stepped up to the box.
Louis’ eyes narrowed as he raised the bat with melodramatic flair. “Bring it.”
Javi threw the ball, not as fast or hard as he had with David. Louis took the swing, managing to clip it.
It sped towards Javi, who caught it with ease. “At least you hit it with the bat, not your face or body.”
“Hooomerun,” Violet mimicked his earlier playful mockery.
Louis turned to her, hand on hip. “First of all, that was a B minus imitation of me. Not nearly enough enthusiasm or charm. Second, I’d like to see you do better.”
“Alright.” She walked up and held her hand out.
Shaking his head, he gave her the bat. “Pride before a fall.”
Clearly sensing that Violet wasn’t here to mess around, Javi didn’t even try trash talking her as she stepped up to the home plate. It felt like an old western film standoff, pistol duelers waiting for their opponent to twitch. After unspoken confirmation, he threw the ball. She didn’t even flinch until it was within hitting distance. Swinging the bat, she sent it flying over Javi’s head. It hit the ground with a thud, rolling a couple feet.
He watched it fly overhead, whistling. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
Violet shrugged, laying the bat down on the ground again. “I used to play with my dad. Been a while, though.” She shot a sly glance at Louis, jabbing her thumb his way. “Imagining it was his head helped with my aim.”
“Um, rude.”
“Maybe if you imagined the ball was a cantaloupe, you’d actually hit it.”
Jaw dropping, Louis gasped melodramatically. “How dare you use the c-word in my presence?!”
“Oh my god. Grow up.”
Smiling, Clementine approached Violet and hesitantly gathered up her hands. “You kicked ass, Vi. A plus.”
Forgetting her fight with Louis almost instantly, she looked down at their linked hands then smiled back shyly. “Thanks, Clem.”
“Wish I’d bet a candy bar on you guys instead,” Gabe mumbled.
“Well, you didn’t,” Mari pointed out with no remorse. “Maybe next time you’ll be smarter when placing bets.”
Kate laughed at her ruthless mindset. “Somehow, I don’t think Mari would ever bet on something she isn’t at least ninety percent confident in.”
“You catch on quick.”
“Shame it doesn’t run in the family.”
Javi winced at the comment. “Ouch, low blow.”
“Both you and David take stupid bets,” Kate declared confidently, putting a hand on her hip. “You can’t deny it.”
“Can’t I?”
Lee glanced down at AJ, noticing how quiet he’d been. “You okay, AJ?”
“I want to try,” he announced, his expression determined. “Hitting the ball.”
“How about we try together?” Clem suggested, reluctantly letting go of Vi’s hands.
There would be plenty of time for that later.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
They walked up to the home plate. AJ took the bat with her help, Clementine making slight adjustments to his posture and grip.
“You got this, AJ,” Lee encouraged from the sidelines.
“Okay, batter up.” Javi threw the ball, much slower than he had for anyone else.
When the ball was in striking distance, Clem prompted and helped AJ swing the bat. It bounced off to the left with a solid smack, rolling a short way.
“I did it!” he exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement.
“Yes, you did it.” She crouched down to give him a big hug.
Lee smiled at his celebration. “Maybe I should sign him up for more lessons.”
“I can stay a little longer and practice with everyone,” Javi offered, rolling his shoulders. “And if you can pin me down some other time, I’m always happy to share my mad skills.”
As the others set up a small makeshift practice game, Clem glanced around for Violet. She was nowhere to be found. She frowned, that girl really was a ninja.
“If you’re looking for Vi, she went thataway.” She jumped at the sound of Louis’ voice, swiveling around, then found where he was pointing. “My guess, to seek refuge in the bathroom. Today’s been… pretty intense for her.”
Intense didn’t really do it justice. Clementine’s shoulders slumped slightly. She didn’t want to push things too far. Violet needed her space.
“She probably wants to be left alone, right?”
Louis shook his head, hooking his thumb through a belt loop. “Nah. She wants to talk to you. You know, without everyone here.”
“Did she tell you that?”
“Nope. I just know.”
If anyone else tried to tell her that, she’d probably dismiss it. Louis was different, though. He’d been friends with Vi for so long. While they seemed worlds apart, there was an unspoken and honestly incredible degree of understanding between them.
“Won’t argue with your psychic knowledge.”
“Smart move.” He gently nudged her in the right direction. “Don’t worry. I’ll hold down the fort. And kick ass.”
“Thanks, Louis.”
Giving a deep bow, he approached the others. It felt really nice to know he had her back.
Taking his advice, she headed to the outskirts of the baseball diamond and then to the bathroom. Hesitantly, she pushed the door open. Violet stood by the sinks. She turned, assuming a defensive pose. When she realized it was Clementine, she relaxed a fraction.
“Oh, hey. Sorry for just... disappearing. I should’ve said something, but… well, I didn’t.”
“It’s okay.” Clem walked towards her, leaning against a nearby sink. “So long as you’re okay.”
“Yeah, no, I’m fine.” She sighed deeply, crossing her arms. “Just... a little overwhelmed, you know.”
Clem wanted to trust Louis’ judgment completely, but she had to make sure. Just in case. “Do you want to be alone?”
“No!”
Violet instinctively grabbed hold of her wrist, as if she expected Clementine to turn around and run out of the bathroom. Sheepishly, she let go and adopted an awkward stance.
“Sorry, I… this all seems too good to be true. Like, I’ll blink and realize it was a dream or a prank.” Tensing up, she caught Clementine’s eye. “It’s… not, right?”
“No, it’s not.” Clementine reached out for her, pulling her closer and lightly squeezing her hand for reassurance. “If it wasn’t already obvious, I like you, Vi. Or, as Louis would say, I like-like you.”
It took Violet a moment to fully process that, the cogs in her brain working overtime. Eventually, she settled on a smile. One so bright it could eclipse the sun.
“I… like-like you too, Clem. If it wasn’t already totally obvious, which I’m sure it was.” She laughed softly, likely at her own expense.
“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think we’ve really been subtle,” Clementine pointed out, wondering how they’d been so blind. “I guess it’s never obvious to the people involved. Like in literally every film.”
“I guess you’re right.” Violet sighed deeply with relief, tension leaving her body. “I just feel kinda stupid for worrying about it so much. Even after…” she paused, her truly dorky grin replacing every last sliver of doubt, “...what happened earlier.”
Smiling back, Clementine tucked a few strands of hair behind Violet’s ear, hand lingering on her cheek. “At least we don’t need to anymore, right?”
“Yeah, we don’t.” Violet took Clem’s hand, pressing a soft kiss to the back of her palm.
Their eyes met, completely forgetting where they were. Any lingering hesitation faded away. Right now, there was nobody around to interrupt. They melted into one another, sharing another kiss. Tender, filled with unspoken trust and love.
When they broke apart this time, Violet rested her head on Clementine’s shoulder and hugged her tight. “Real romantic setting for this, huh.”
“We’ll pick somewhere better next time.”
“That’d be… great.” Clem felt warm breath against her neck. “No, perfect, actually.”
They stood there for some time after, gently swaying on the spot. If only this moment could last forever. Not that it needed to. They had all the time in the world. Eventually, Violet broke the hug. She rubbed the back of her neck, unsure how to react to this new level of intimate vulnerability.
“We’d, uh, better get back. Wouldn’t want to miss Louis making a fool of himself, right?” She held out her hand, eyes soft and glistening.
No hesitation Clementine took it, offering the girl she had grown to love a warm smile.
“Not for the world.”