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- he’s a professional baseball player scouted right out of high school. your dad works as one of their coaches, so you’ve crossed paths with him and the other players before
- you’re not really interested in talking to any of them, though. despite your dad’s attempts at drawing you into the sport, it never stuck - you find it boring
- doesn’t mean you can’t rattle off facts and figures in your sleep. it comes with being half-raised in the stadiums
- someone once heard you mention baseball and challenged you to name the starting rotation of the pledis team, not knowing who your dad is. gatekeeping jerk. without blinking, you list all the players and members of the staff because you can
- they gape at you, finally making the connection between your last name and your dad’s. needless to say, they don’t bother you again, except to ask for season’s tickets like a leech
- the first time you have an actual conversation with joshua is pretty tragic, actually. your dad was supposed to drive you home after practice, but the players are staying so long that you decide to catch a cab instead. you have a big test tomorrow, and a noisy batting range is not the ideal environment for flash cards
- out of the corner of your eye, you see joshua step out of the gym, wiping sweat from his hair with the towel around his neck, but,,,someone didn’t clean up after themself,,,
- before you could warn him, he trips with a loud crash and a pained groan
- ok ok ok no big deal. you’ll call for a ride after you check on him. he’s probably alright, if not a little embarrassed
- but he’s not getting up. he’s laying there, clutching at his leg, which is a really bad sign
- “the infirmary isn’t far,” you say, easing him into a sitting position. “do you want to go there? can you walk? or I can run to get someone, if you want?”
- “no, I can - walk.” he lets you help him up. sucks in a breath when he tries stepping on his injured leg. you throw one of his arms around your shoulders, curl an arm around his waist, and guide him to the infirmary down the hall
- just your luck, though. the medic isn’t in. he sits on one of the examination beds as you pillage through the cabinets. you’ve seen your fair share of injuries
- “the best I can do for now is get you some ice to numb the pain. the medic will be better at figuring out what you need after.” you toss him the ice pack. “I’ll text my dad to let him know you’re here.”
- he nods his thanks, expecting you to leave. so when you settle into one of the chairs and pull out a stack of index cards, his eyebrows rise to his hairline
- “you’re staying?”
- “well…yeah. I’m not leaving you here alone. who knows, you might slip on a band-aid or something.” a half-smile to take the bite out of your words.
- oh, so you got jokes, huh?
- he holds out a hand. “pass ‘em over.”
- “huh? these?”
- “since I got you stuck here, I might as well return the favor by testing you. as long as it’s not a foreign language or something.”
- “but your leg-”
- “is fine if I don’t move it.” he wiggles his fingers. “my phone’s going to die and you’re going to make me wait in silence until someone comes?”
- good point
- thing is, joshua’s voice isn’t very loud, so you keep scooting your chair closer. and closer. and closer before deciding to just sit next to him
- that’s how your dad finds you, side by side and looking way more comfortable with one of his players than he wants. took him long enough to check his phone - he always gets too absorbed in training to answer texts
- joshua’s injury ends up not being too serious, but he definitely needs to sit out for a few weeks to recover. and wow, since you’re a sUpER heLPfUl person, you come to the stadium more often to keep him company, sitting on the bench as everyone else practices on the field
- it sucks because his first game was coming up, but now his debut’s pushed back
- “what, nothing to study for today?” he asks the first time you sit down next to him
- “no, but I brought cards if you get bored of watching the others.”
- he turns to face you fully. “I’ll play if you don’t mind losing. I’m pretty good at card games.”
- “oh yeah? you’ve never played against me before.”
- you visit often, and your dad is so conflicted because part of him loves that you’re spending more time at his home away from home. but can you also pay attention to the sport and not just the cute boy :’((( pls,,,,,and JOSH, can you pls stop flirting with his baby,,,,,
- time passes, and josh is finally getting back into training for his debut. asks you to attend his first game
- you do, of course. your dad has a seat saved for you at the home stadium, but he always has to beg you to come. your parents’ reaction when you show up in the family area without giving them a heads up??? you wish you had a camera to capture their faces
- you settle into the chair like it’s nothing out of the ordinary
- aw crap i forgot to mention what position josh plays uhhhhh let’s say pitcher for now??
- anyway, he gets up on the mound and the game isn’t starting yet, but before he winds up
- he points to you with a boyish grin, hair ruffled beneath his cap, and yells: “remember your promise!”
- your mom turns to you, like, promise???? what?? but you’re not listening. you’re watching pledis’s newest star shake out his nerves. other than a win for the team, there’s something else on the line
- one. the crowd claps and whistles
- two. the bleachers shudder under everyone’s stomping
- three. the cheers of the stadium echo in your ears
- joshua hong, making his pitching debut on this fine spring day, managed to get a strikeout on his first try…and a date with you