Chapter Text
The sun beats down on the field, hovering high in the noontime sky.
The repetitive sound of a ball hitting a glove with a resounding thwack seems to echo all around as a team in green uniforms warms up before their first game of the season, the baseballs flying between them a distraction from their nerves.
Jeno crouches behind the plate, maintaining steady eye contact with Mark as he winds up and throws a perfect pitch right into the center of his glove, stirring up some dust from the leather as it hits. He grins at the pitcher, throwing him a thumbs up- we’ve still got it, he’s saying- and tosses the ball back to him to do it all over again.
“Oh, shit! ” Yukhei’s apologetic shout carries across the field. “Sorry!” Jeno glances over to find Donghyuck rolling his eyes from where he stands by first base, and Yukhei looking sheepish at third. Their third baseman has a habit of underestimating his strength and height and sending the ball soaring over poor Donghyuck’s head; at least Sungchan gets a workout retrieving all of the stray balls that make it into right field as a result, right?
Mark shrugs at Jeno and sends another perfect curveball flying into his glove, and Jeno decides he wouldn’t have things any other way.
Their coach waves them in for a final team huddle before the game officially starts, and Jeno pulls off his helmet to run up to him with the rest of the team. Coach Lee is young- he went to school with Yangyang’s older brother- but Jeno knows that he was a star player back in his days on the team.
“Okay, Neos,” he says, “remember what we went over at practice. Yukhei, please try to keep your throws to first under control-”
“I’ll try my best, Coach.”
“-on that note, Sungchan, always be on the lookout for wild throws, will you?”
“Always am, Coach.” Sungchan salutes him solemnly.
“Donghyuck, just. . . try your best to catch them. Jump, if you really need to.”
“Like a kangaroo,” Donghyuck assures him.
“Yangyang and Jisung, try not to let the nerves get to you. You’re freshmen, but you’re decent players, do not crack under the pressure.”
“Very reassuring,” Jisung mumbles under his breath, exchanging a terrified look with Yangyang.
“And Mark, you and Jeno have everything covered, right? I trust you two will work together well.”
Jeno and Mark perform a complicated handshake that ends in a high-five as if to show just how well they work together.
“Anything else to add,” Coach Lee puts a hand on Mark’s shoulder, “captain?” Mark’s eyes widen, not used to being put on the spot like that. A series of whoops and cheers for their newly elected captain rise from the huddle, and Yukhei claps Mark on the back so hard he almost falls over.
“Uh,” Mark says, “well, we-”
“ WOO !”
“ Good speech, Captain! ” Yukhei jumps on Mark’s shoulders, and then sends him plummeting to the ground because Yukhei is like half a foot taller than Mark.
“Wait,” Mark wheezes, “I wasn’t done- ”
Coach Lee grimaces like he’s not entirely sure why he’s still here, and then gently sends them off to take up their positions in the field. Before he pulls his mask back on, Jeno pulls Mark aside.
“How nervous are you, man?”
“Oh,” Mark laughs a high, stressed-out laugh, “oh, extremely. Why did you guys let me be captain again?”
“Because everybody on the team looks up to you, dumbass,” Jeno tells him seriously, “ and you’re the best pitcher this team has seen for years.”
“That’s not true, Donghyuck-”
“-Is our first baseman before our pitcher for a reason,” Jeno reminds him gently. “You were throwing perfect pitches in warmups, just. . . do the same thing again!” Mark gives Jeno an uncertain look, playing with the stitches on his glove like he does when he’s nervous. “All you have to focus on is getting the ball to me,” Jeno reminds him, “that’s it.”
“How can you be so calm? ” Mark stares at Jeno incredulously.
“Because I trust you,” Jeno grins at Mark, “ captain. ”
Mark lets out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “You’re right,” he says, awkwardly patting Jeno on the shoulder as he makes his way to the mound in the center of the field, “thanks, dude.”
“Anytime.”
Jeno takes up his place behind the plate once more, feeling the adrenaline rush through him as the first member of the opposing team steps up to bat. If he could hear Yangyang right now, who’s waiting anxiously in left field, he’d probably be complaining about how the Tigers’ orange uniforms do not match their green ones at all. Of course it’s their luck that they’d have to play against such a formidable opponent in their first game, since the Tigers are known throughout the league to be a tough team to beat, but Jeno thinks they can do it.
The Tiger in front of him taps the plate once with his bat, and Jeno can see Mark’s lips moving as he silently mutters some kind of prayer before winding up for his first pitch.
The batter swings, and the pitch whistles by just below his bat.
“ Strike! ”
Jeno throws the ball back to Mark, who shakes out his throwing arm in an attempt to rid himself of his nerves.
Mark pitches again.
“ Strike! ”
Jeno mouths a ‘ one more’ to him as he returns the ball this time. Mark gives him a minuscule nod, the corners of his lips quirking up, and a Jeno knows he feels the adrenaline too, because for all his pre-game anxiety, Mark loves to play just as much as Jeno, maybe more.
He winds up again, throwing a pitch that curves slightly into Jeno’s glove. The batter swings and misses for a third time.
“ Out! ”
The Tiger grumbles something to himself as he retreats back to his team’s dugout, and another player steps up to bat.
This time, when Mark throws, the bat hits the ball with a resounding clang.
Jisung darts out, nimbly scooping up the ball and tossing it to Donghyuck just as the Tiger’s foot touches first base. Everybody looks to the umpire anxiously.
“ Safe! ”
Donghyuck looks like he could argue, but Coach Lee makes an aggressive zip it motion from where he’s standing by their dugout.
Jeno knows the drill by now, knows when to check on the player at first, knows when to threaten to throw the ball to Jisung at second in case he tries to steal it. It’s kind of a lot of things to think about, all while catching Mark’s pitches and silently signaling him to change it up when he needs to, but that’s sort of why he likes being catcher, anyways. Like Coach Lee had told him after dumping all the gear and padding into his hands when he was a freshman, he has some semblance of control over the whole game, and that’s pretty cool.
The next batter hits the ball into the outfield, Yangyang missing catching it by a hair’s breadth, and they manage to score one run.
When their team finally retreats to their dugout to take their turn at bat, there’s a commotion as everybody tosses their gloves haphazardly on the bench and Coach Lee posts the batting order. Sure enough, Yangyang is animatedly telling Jisung about how orange and neon green don’t go together at all, while Yukhei and Donghyuck are bickering over whether folding your pizza when you eat it makes it a taco (don’t ask). Jeno, already sweating, pulls off his padding and runs a hand through his hair, unable to hold back his smile as he listens to the team’s chatter.
It feels like home.
“Hey,” Jeno says as he sits down next to Sungchan, who hums a greeting.
“Feels good to be back,” Sungchan admits, his dimples showing. “I’m. . . glad I came back, actually. I almost joined the basketball team this year instead.” He grimaces.
“I mean, you have the height for it,” Jeno offers, “but I like seeing you in right field. Who else would put up with how many overthrows you get?”
Sungchan laughs. “True.”
Jeno watches Donghyuck step up to the plate first, flaunting his usual relaxed swagger, swinging his bat in circles before holding it at the ready. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mark scoff, muttering something that sounds like ‘ typical ’.
The Tigers’ pitcher is good, but not as precise as Mark. When Donghyuck swings he hits the ball hard onto the ground, rocketing through their infield. Donghyuck takes off, touching first base and running to second even when Coach Lee bellows for him to go back. He makes it anyways, if by a narrow margin.
Yukhei bats next and hits a pop fly that the Tigers’ shortstop catches easily.
“Sorry,” he mumbles bashfully when he returns.
Before they all know it, they’ve won, and Yukhei is tackling Mark in a massive hug again, and Jaemin and Jisung are chanting an off-key rendition of All Star, and Coach Lee somehow looks amused and displeased and proud all at the same time.
“See?” Jeno mutters to Mark as he helps him up from the ground (Yukhei continues to refuse to acknowledge just how big he is). “You’re a good captain.”
“Our favorite captain,” Jaemin adds, throwing an arm around Mark’s shoulders, “ever. In the whole wide world. And do you know what the best captain would do for us?” Jaemin wiggles his eyebrows, and Mark sighs as all eyes land on him.
“What?”
“Buy us all dinner!” Jaemin announces happily, beaming at the team, “isn’t that right, guys?”
“THAT’S RIGHT!”
“Mark’s buying us dinner?”
“Oh God, marry me now, cap-”
Just as Mark is shoving his face in Jeno’s shoulder and groaning something about saving money for college tuition, Coach Lee cuts in, pain in his eyes.
“Let’s not bully Mark.” He sighs, running an exasperated hand down his face. “Dinner’s on me tonight, but for the rest of the season, you guys are on your own.”
“ Aw, Coach loves us! ” Yangyang exclaims, and he and Jisung wrap their arms around him on either side.
Coach Lee looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here, but begrudgingly begins to make his way to his car with Yangyang attached to his leg. Jeno knows that he does harbor some kind of affection for the team, maybe buried under a layer of gruffness, but there all the same.
Half of them pile into Coach’s car and half in Yukhei’s battered maroon minivan (named Cheryl), and they drive the short distance to the diner they usually eat at after games.
Jeno is shoved in between Jaemin and Yangyang in the back row of Coach’s pickup truck, watching the sun set outside and listening to some pop song playing softly over the radio. They’re all a little dusty, a little sweaty, but Coach Lee and his extremely tolerant husband have long since succumbed to the unending storm of dirt that never seems to leave their poor vehicle. They’re basically like Jeno’s second set of parents at this point.
Jaemin’s arm is wrapped lazily around Jeno’s and Yangyang’s shoulders, and Yangyang’s earlier energy is gone. Instead, his head is resting on Jeno’s shoulder, his eyes closed, content to nap there. Jeno exchanges a look with Jaemin.
“He kind of reminds me of a kitten,” Jaemin whispers, smiling at the freshman and patting him on the head gently.
“He’s so cute. ” Jeno agrees, holding back a laugh when Yangyang shifts on his shoulder and scrunches up his nose.
“M’ not cute.” he mumbles without opening his eyes.
“ Adorable.” Jaemin coos. “Our son is growing up so fast.”
“Fuck you.” Yangyang grumbles, but nuzzles further into Jeno’s shoulder anyways.
“ Language. ” Coach Lee reprimands from the driver’s seat.
“I like this one.” his husband mutters, elbowing him in the arm.
“Doyoung, we’re supposed to be good influences.” Coach hisses.
They park on the curb outside of the diner, filing out of the truck one by one. Jeno gently shakes Yangyang awake and pushes him out before him, leading him into the diner after Jaemin, their coach, and his husband. Yukhei’s van pulls up at the same time and out tumbles Jisung, Mark, Sungchan, and Donghyuck, half of them rowdy and excited by their win and the other half looking dead on their feet.
When they all make their way inside, the bell on the door ringing loudly, the man cleaning the counters looks up and sighs heavily. It’s empty inside save for him- the usual evening customers must have already come and left.
“Oh boy,” he groans, “it’s that time of year again, isn’t it?”
“You bet, Johnny!” Yukhei makes finger guns at the owner of the diner, flashing him a smile. “Didn’t you miss us?” The team piles into two booths, crawling over each other in vain attempts to get to sit by the window.
“Yes and no.” Johnny says, rolling his eyes as pulls a notepad out of his back pocket, “You’re great for business, but terrible for my sanity. By the look on your coach’s face, I assume he’s offered to pay?” Coach Lee grimaces in response.
“Coach Lee’s cool like that,” Jisung explains, making half of the team ( and Doyoung) burst into laughter.
“New additions?” Johnny points to Jisung and Yangyang.
“Yup, our youngest children.” Yukhei announces proudly.
“Cute.” Johnny says, ruffling Jisung’s hair, “Try not to corrupt them too badly.”
“No promises.” Jaemin beams at him.
“Anyways, I think we’re uh, just gonna get a bunch of fries,” Mark pipes up, “and milkshakes for everybody except Jaemin because he’s lactose intolerant, and a lot of burgers. I don’t know, you probably know our order better than us at this point.”
“This is very true,” Johnny agrees, spinning his pen between his fingers, “okay, I’ll be back. Don’t burn the place down.”
“Again, no promises-” Jaemin stands up, and Sungchan reaches up a hand and shoves him back into his seat.
“You guys are so embarrassing,” Sungchan says, smiling anyways, “maybe I should have joined basketball.”
“Hey, respect your elders.” Donghyuck warns him.
“Basketball is a game for tall people.” Jaemin says, flicking a hand dismissively as though basketball has wronged him in some terribly personal way. “Baseball is a game for the intelligent .”
“Then why are you here?”
“Lee Jeno the audacity-” Jeno yelps when Jaemin lunges across the table in an attempt to smack him, knocking over the salt shaker in the process and sending the entire table into a downward spiral of chaos.
It only ends when Johnny returns with their food, placing the plates on the table, and if anything can shut eight loud teenage boys up, it’s food.
Jeno has to admit that he’s starving ; squatting for two hours straight tires you out fast, though it’s great for the thighs and ass, as Jaemin would put it. The conversation quiets down as the team digs in, and as the sun sets outside and the diner falls into a sort of sleepy lull, Jeno does too.
Johnny’s has been the place that the team has gone to after every game since Jeno was a freshman. Jeno knows the place like the back of his hand; the faded leather seats of the booths, the paintings hung up on the walls, the battered menus that have doodles in the margins, and so the feeling of being squished into his seat with teammates on either side with the satisfaction of a victory hanging over them is familiar and welcome.
They eat in relative silence until Mark sets down his glass a little too hard.
“Dude,” Yukhei says, throwing an arm around his best friend, “are you crying? ”
“ No ,” Mark protests, but sniffles and wipes his eyes anyways. “Okay, maybe. I just- I just wanna thank you guys,” he continues, Yukhei patting him gently on the shoulder, “I still dunno why you voted me captain, but it. . . it means a lot, I guess.”
“Why does he seem drunk?” Yangyang says in a stage whisper, glancing furtively at the captain, “All he’s had is a milkshake.”
“No, he’s just emotional,” Jeno stage-whispers back, “he’d probably drown in his own tears if he was drunk, though.”
“No, no I mean it,” Mark continues, sniffling more aggressively this time, “it's my last year here- Yukhei’s too- and I, we want to make you all proud. Because, because even though I don’t act like it all the time, I really love you guys, okay?”
“Aw,” Jaemin says, shaking Jeno’s shoulder, “this is so sweet, when did Mark get so sweet? ”
“Are we like, positive nobody spiked his milkshake, though.”
“Shut up Yangyang, don’t ruin the moment.”
Mark blinks furiously. “I want to work extra hard this year,” he continues, his eyes shining, “if you guys wanted me to be captain, then I want to make it worth your while, so we’re going to win the league championships this year.”
“THAT’S RIGHT!” Yukhei screeches, shaking Mark with fervor, “MARKIE AND I ARE GOING OUT WITH A BANG! ”
“ DAMN STRAIGHT!” Jaemin bellows, smacking the table heartily.
“No yelling in my diner! ” Johnny reminds them, angrily pointing to the sign on the wall that states exactly that. “My poor, poor neighbors.” He sighs, running an exasperated hand through his hair.
“ We’re gonna win it! ” Jeno whisper-screams.
“ We’re gonna go undefeated ! ” Sungchan punches the air.
“Okay, don’t get too excited there,” Coach Lee reminds them, grinning fondly down at the team and blocking Sungchan’s punches before they actually hit Donghyuck in the face. “I think we have the ability to win, sure. It won’t be easy, but with hard work and practice, I think we can pull it off.”
“Really?” Jisung blinks up at him, starry-eyed.
“Really, kiddo.” Coach Lee ruffles his hair- people really seem to like doing that to Jisung for some reason, but Jeno doesn’t blame them- and Jisung doesn’t seem to mind it too much either.
Mark dries off his tears on Yukhei’s jersey, and when he picks his head back up he’s smiling one of those smiles where his eyes and nose scrunch up, which Jeno has come to understand means that he’s really happy.
“It’s about time we get going,” Coach Lee admits standing from his seat and pulling his husband up by the hand.
“Understandably,” Jaemin nods sagely, “you have adult-y things to do.”
“And three cats to feed.” Coach Lee rolls his eyes. “Do any of you need a ride home?” They all shake their heads, a chorus of “No thanks, Coach!” rising up from the pack of boys. “Well, see you all at practice tomorrow morning, then.”
“Goodnight Coach and Coach’s Husband!”
“You can just call me Doyoung, you know.”
“Yes, but that sounds so informal, and you deserve the utmost respect, sir,” Yangyang explains, giving him a sharp salute. Doyoung’s eyebrows hit his hairline, and he grabs Coach Lee’s sleeve.
“Hey, Taeyong, I know we weren’t thinking about adopting, but I’d make an exception for-”
“Yangyang already has a perfectly decent family,” Coach Lee says, exasperatedly tugging his husband out of the diner, “it’s been a day and this kid’s already seducing my husband. . .” He’s cut off as the door swings shut, and the entire team bursts out into raucous laughter.
“You know,” Yangyang says thoughtfully once they all quiet down, “I think I’d prefer living with them over living with Ten. ”
As if he were summoned from whatever art student hell he resides in by the mere mention of his name, Yangyang’s older brother bursts into the diner, the bell announcing his arrival loudly. Curiously, Johnny has evaporated, disappearing from sight, though judging by the furious look on Ten’s face it’s probably for the better.
“Uh oh,” Yangyang mutters.
“ Liu Yangyang, ” Ten snarls, and then starts berating his younger brother in rapidfire Mandarin that nobody can understand save for Yukhei, and even then he can only pick out a few phrases here and there.
Ten is a few years older than the entire team, but most of them know him fairly well due to him being a constant hovering presence at Johnny’s, and now because Yangyang is a part of the team. Jeno thinks he’s pretty cool- he has blond highlights in his hair, and he’s really good at pulling off winged eyeliner, and his fashion sense is impeccable- but it’s at times like this when he remembers that an angry Ten is a force to be reckoned with, and ideally avoided at all costs.
“I think he just called him an ‘irresponsible little rat,’ whatever that means,” Yukhei translates under his breath, earning a few snickers from the rest of the team, “oh, and now he’s telling him that he’s an idiot in about fifteen different ways. And- okay, I’m not translating that one.” He grimaces.
Ten finishes his tirade with an exasperated huff, and then turns to the rest of the team. “Oh, hey guys,” he smiles brightly at them, “congrats on your win!” Jeno is getting whiplash from this sudden change in mood. He turns back to Yangyang, the fire in his eyes reigniting. “ Maybe I would’ve come to watch, if I’d known that you had a game .”
Yangyang shrugs sheepishly.
“I might have forgotten to tell. . . everybody in my family about it. So nobody knew where I was all afternoon long.”
“Our moms nearly called the police, ” Ten explains, evidently somewhat exasperated.
“That would uh,” Mark nods, fear in his eyes, “that would do it.”
“Yeah, I’ll just,” Yangyang stands from the booth, “I’ll just be going now.”
“Damn right you will,” Ten grumbles, lifting him up by the back of his jersey and dragging him out of the diner.
The rest of the team are soon to follow, exchanging goodbyes and walking their respective ways home. Even though it’s early spring, the nighttimes are still cold, and Jeno wishes he’d brought a coat with him when he starts to shiver. The streetlamps lining the sidewalk illuminate the road with soft light as he walks home next to Jaemin, their breath puffing out in pale clouds as they talk quietly.
They’ve been neighbors and inseparable since they were in kindergarten, a dynamic duo, a two-in-one package, a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Lee Jeno is not Lee Jeno without a certain Na Jaemin close by, and vice versa, and that’s simply the way of the world.
Jeno’s mind wanders as they walk, thinking about the upcoming season, the prospect of maybe actually winning the playoffs this year, of sending Mark and Yukhei off the college with a victory like that, of making Coach Lee proud.
They can do it, he decides with startling sureness.
He knows they can.