Curveball [BL] COMPLETED

14

Juda and Nico clean up real nice when they're actually trying. They shaved in the mirror together, laughing and nudging each other like a bunch of school boys before dressing up for their night out. Carmen watched them fondly, completely unhurried.

They go out for tacos and margaritas, an addictive combination. Juda doesn't drink, whereas Carmen and Nico share an enormous glass the size of their heads. They barely manage to finish it before they're piling into the car and headed for the beach.

Too much giggling, too much touching, but they're not drunk - tipsy at best. They're just having fun, a whole f*****g ton of it.

Carmen doesn't worry about the two days they have left, the eight hour drive home, nor how much he doesn't want to leave. They've barely been here a day and he's already had more fun than he has in months. Baseball's his whole f*****g life, and Carmen wouldn't trade it for anything, but he doesn't realize how much of his life he truly dedicates to it until now.

He has friends outside of Juda and Nico, but he never sees them. They're slowly fading into school friends, and it's hard to stomach sometimes. He wants a life outside of baseball. He wants to have enough energy after school and practice to be able to have genuine fun, but that's hardly the case.

He never wanted to date before, never even thought about it, but he thinks it's something he wants now. As they stumble out of Juda's poor parking job and run out to the beach, Carmen really thinks it's something he wants now.

He still doesn't have the time or all the energy he'd like to have to date someone, but he thinks if someone were to understand, it would be Nico and Juda. They live his life just as much as he does, and he knows they would understand they couldn't have frequent dates like other couples, an open relationship like other couples, privacy that other couples have.

Baseball is everything to him, but for him, they're baseball.

Carmen pauses at the end of the shore, bare feet meeting the wet sand. Nico's still running, yelling in fear as Juda shucks off his shoes and chases him into the water. They're idiots, soaking their clothes like this, but as Carmen watches them from a short distance, he knows they're his idiots.

He's not stupid enough to run after them, but he can sit down and watch them, so he does. He watches Juda catch up with Nico, grabbing him by the waist and hoisting him in the air. He listens to their laughter carry to his ears, Nico's suddenly cutting off when Juda drops him under water. He feels the sand between his toes as he leans over his knees and just watches.

This could be his life.

This. Them. It could be his life. He's sure of it.

They're both soaking wet as their laughter dies down. Carmen watches Nico swim closer to Juda, and Juda's right there to reach out and grab him. It's an embrace instead of their previous wrestling. Softer, more intimate. They float in the water and talk quietly, matching grins still wide on their faces.

They look a lot like how Carmen feels.

Stupidly in love.

It's the first time he's admitted it to himself. He's in love. He's in love with a pair of idiots and he's not sure how to feel about it. Happy, he thinks. A little breathless, and a little fond.

It's weird being in love, he finds out. He's torn between joining them or watching their intimate display. Where does he fit in, in there? Does he? Would they make room? No, he thinks right after. He knows there's already room there.

He knows he's right when they separate and there's similar mischievous smiles on their faces as they advance toward him.

Carmen's immediately up, backing away. "No-" he tries reasoning, but it's fruitless. He barely has enough time to throw his phone and wallet before he's over Juda's shoulder, world suddenly upside down. "Juda~" he complains, but he's laughing. Smiling wide under the moon's light.

"I gotta, Car. The whole tourist shebang, remember?" Juda reaches up and smacks his ass, so Carmen does the same exact thing.

"I don't remember this being on the list."

"Saw it in some romance movie once. You could say I was inspired."

Carmen holds his breath when Juda drops him in the ocean. The water's salty as it engulfs his body, way saltier than he thought it would be. It's not that warm either, edging on cool - curtesy of the dark night and moon.

He breaks the surface and wipes the salty water from his face. "You suck," he complains, but it's hardly convincible with such a smile.

Nico drapes himself over Carmen's back, hooking his chin on his shoulder. He holds Carmen's close, using him as a makeshift floaty as the venture deeper into the water. It's a little scary, not being able to touch the ground especially with it so dark, so Carmen looks up and focuses on the moon.

It's full tonight. Not broken or sunken in the middle at all.

"How is it?" Carmen asks Nico. "This has always been your dream, right?" He feels Nico shrug, and it immediately peaks his interest. Nico's usually always ready to rant about his dreams of moving to California, but he's quiet instead.

"It's nice," he nods, "California, the beach, everything about tonight. It's just a little different from what I imagined."

"What were you imagining?"

Nico's arms tighten around his neck. "I don't know. I expected to wanna see the Angel's stadium right away. Visit the restaurants they like. Check out the different batting cages. Just- see how different everything is compared to back home." His breath tickles Carmen's neck. "I don't, though. I don't care about any of that stuff right now. I just.. like being here with you guys."

The water's scarily still. Carmen expected waves, but there's only gently ripples carrying across the water.

Juda watches them both, his gaze so unusually intense. "You like it here?"

"Love it." Nico nods. "Its better than I expected. We always joke about.. our dreams. My dream, but I can seriously picture it now. The three of us here in LA, playing baseball. Just.. living."

Carmen can picture it too. "I was never joking," he says. "I've always been serious about our plan. They might be unrealistic, but one day, right?" Whatever hurdles need to come before the Majors, Carmen's more than willing to experience them. He's never felt so sure about his future before.

Nico smiles, "One day."

Juda's watching them again. Same intense stare before he finally looks away and nods at the beach. "We should get out."

Soaking wet and dripping water, they crash onto the sand, laying down to stare up at the sky. The stars are a lot less easy to see out in California, all the lights making them appear dimmer, but they're there. Staring down at the three of them soaking in the sand.

Sand clings to Carmen's clothes and none of it's comfortable anymore, but he's never felt so relaxed and at ease before. Not even the thought of all the bugs surely crawling around in the sand could dampen his mood.

"I got an offer from the Major's," Juda says.

All at once, Carmen stops breathing, eyes freezing on a random star. His stomach drops for a moment, before he's forcing himself to relax. He's probably joking, he convinces himself.

Nico doesn't seem to think so. He sits up and stares down at Juda. "What?"

Juda sits up too, and it's just Carmen laying by himself, still convincing himself that this is all one big joke. Nico and him just poured out some heartfelt bullshit, and this is a joke. Juda wouldn't say that after everything they just said.

He realizes too late that Juda never agreed with them.

"Last night," Juda cups the side of his neck, "Coach talked to me about it. The guy who was injured in the Royals, he was their catcher. The public doesn't know yet, but he can't play anymore. Ever."

Carmen stares at nothing, gaze going unfocused.

"What the f**k? Why didn't you tell us as soon as you heard? That's a big deal, Juda. That's a huge deal." But Nico doesn't sound happy. He doesn't sound mad either. He sounds gutted. "You just.. were you not gonna tell us?"

"Of course I was." Juda's expression pinches. "I was, honestly. When we got back, I was gonna tell you both."

Carmen almost wants to laugh. So that's what this was. This whole f*****g trip, it wasn't to have fun, wasn't to see how they were gonna spend the rest of their lives, it wasn't some big confession to solidify their relationship. It was one big secretive goodbye. "That's why you were so hurried, huh?" Carmen muses. "This trip- it was so random."

Good job, Juda. That's amazing, Carmen meant to say. He meant to congratulate him, so why isn't he? Why is he upset?

"That's great," Nico says. "That's- It's the Majors, Juda. That's great." His voice betrays him. Nico's always been so honest about his feelings, he's no good at hiding them. "That's just.. wow."

Carmen can't tell what he's thinking, but he has a pretty good idea. He can't imagine how gutted Nico feels. Carmen feels it, but Juda wasn't Carmen's battery partner. Juda was Nico's. Juda was Nico's catcher.