Curveball [BL] COMPLETED

13

Juda comes back an hour later looking a lot less drunk than before. Carmen can't say the same.

Carmen feels light as he and Nico lean back against his bed, flinging crinkled paper at their ceiling. They're trying to get the wad of paper that's been stuck there for two years down. Though, they're not trying hard. It almost feels like a crime to take down after all this time.

It's just as much of a roommate as they are to each other. Just.. smaller.

"What did Coach want?"

Juda shrugs and goes to take off his shirt. Carmen's head tilts toward him, watching his back ripple with subtle muscle. "Just wanted to talk about training the other catchers. He wants to move one of the first years to first string."

Nico hums with interest. "That's too bad."

"Too bad?"

"He's just gonna sit on the bench all season. Might as well stay on second string where he'll get to play." With Juda as their starting catcher and main battery with Nico, Carmen can't help but agree.

Juda doesn't respond as he finishes changing. Carmen watches him for a while. The tan of his skin, freckles dusting his broad shoulders, and his hands that know how to grip Carmen's hips perfectly. His fingers, even better.

Carmen wonders what're theyre going to do with these three days off. While he knows they're probably still going to hit the gym and batting cages, he secretly hopes for more. More time inside their room rather than outside, the blinds pulled shut, and the door locked behind them.

A movie would be nice. Popcorn, that new British candy that Nico likes, and all the diet soda they can drink.

But a movie and s*x would be even nicer.

Juda's staring into his dresser, shirtless. "Let's take a trip." He says. His hands grip the drawer and push it closed, foregoing putting a clean shirt on as he sits on the edge of his bed, staring at them.

"What? A trip?"

"California." Juda nods. Carmen thinks he's joking, but no, he's completely serious. "We said we'd take a trip there one day. We can leave tonight."

"Tonight?" Nico sits up with his eyebrows furrowed. "Juda, what the f**k? It's 11 o'clock. And California? We don't know anybody in California. We can't just leave in an hour with no plan."

Carmen nods quickly, because Juda's already up again. He opens the same dresser and starts pulling out clothes, tossing them onto his bed. "We only have three days. There's no point waiting until tomorrow. This is the longest time we'll get off until Christmas break."

"But.." Carmen's words lodge in his throat, because he doesn't know what to f*****g say. There's no real reason they shouldn't go. And they did agree they'd go one day, but Carmen thought he meant in a couple years, maybe next summer. Not right f*****g now. "Why? Why right now and not next summer? Or even winter break."

"Winter in California doesn't sound fun, and next summer's an entire year away. These three day, they're the perfect time to go."

"We should," Nico agrees. He looked shocked at first but Carmen can tell the thought excites him.

Oh my God, Carmen stares at both of them, doubt lacing his features. "Say we go now. How will we get there? Where will we stay? What will we do?"

"I'll worry about all that," Juda says, "Just come. You don't need to do anything. Just- come."

Carmen's not sure if the thought of going on a real trip with them for the first persuades him to agree, or how quietly Juda trailed off, but either way, he agrees. Carmen releases a breath and offers a small smile. "We can use my car."

Nico peeks around him, ducking his head to stare at Carmen. There's such a boyish grin on his face, Carmen can't help but feel fond. "When's the last time you drove, huh? You sure we'll be safe?"

Carmen shrugs, smile growing, "I can't promise I won't push the speed limit, but other than that you're perfectly safe."

California's an eight hour trip from where they are, and that's if Carmen speeds. He thinks Juda might be right about leaving tonight. "How fast can you guys pack?"

"Well? Ten minutes." Juda offers his hands out as take it or leave it. "With an eighty percent chance I forget something, five."

"I'll take the risk. Make it five while I go try and remember where the f**k my car's parked. Pack my bag too, if you can. I don't care what you pick out."

Juda and Nico share a look, already looking up to no good. "Make it wearable." Carmen pleads, grabbing his keys off the dresser top. "And don't forget boxers."

"Sure, yeah." Nico's already digging through Carmen's side of the dresser, holding up different shirts for Juda to approve or dismiss. Carmen bristles when Juda waves off his favorite hoodie.

"It's summer," Juda reasons, shooing him off. "You don't need a hoodie. And if you really do, I'll buy you one, okay? Now, don't get lost and call us if someone tries to jump you."

"Oh yeah." Carmen rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. "I'll be sure to ask them to hold off while I make a call."

"Tell them Nico packs a nasty punch."

Nico grunts in agreement, uppercutting the air.

Idiots, Carmen breathes out a quiet laugh and heads off to search for his car. If he's lucky, he'll remember the color on the way.

⚾️

California is warm and a little wet from the rain but Carmen immediately falls in love. It's big. Buildings so tall Carmen has to crane his neck up to see. He feels a little dizzy seeing all of it, feeling cramped and free all at once.

"We look like tourists," Nico mumbles, shrugging his jacket off.

"We are tourists."

Carmen's thumb tap against his steering wheel, still taking it all in. This- all of this has always been Nico's dream. Nico wants to live in LA one day. Nico wants to play for the Los Angeles Angels. Nico wants to make it big and settle here for the rest of his life.

It's always been Nico's plan, and Carmen's always been a little taken with him, so sure, Carmen made it his plan too.

But Carmen feels it for the first time. This is something he wants. Nico's dreams bleed into his. He wants to live here. He wants to play for the Los Angeles Angels. He can picture himself saying goodbye to his family and moving here.

All at once, it's suddenly his dream. Carmen's.

Most of all, he pictures himself here with Nico and Juda. The three of them being - whatever they are. No, he thinks right after. More than whatever they are right now.

Juda watches him look around, parked on some unknown street Carmen doesn't know the name of. He only knows they're in LA after eight and a half hours of driving. "You like?" Juda asks.

Carmen smiles, small and soft. "I like."

"There's so many people," Nico mumbles in awe. It's barely past seven, and the sidewalks are crammed with people walking with a purpose. Carmen wonders where they're going, how easy it is to get lost in these streets shadowed with enormous skyscrapers, and if they love it here as much as he thinks he will.

He leans back in his seat and feels his head thump against the headrest. Nico's behind him, seated in the middle with his seatbelt off as he leans between their seats. "What do we do now?"

That's the thing - they don't have a plan.

Juda booked a hotel, sure, but where do they go? What do they see first? Three days suddenly feels so short. Nothing like the long vacation Carmen imagined it as.

"Sleep," Carmen says, rubbing at his eyes. "I'm fuckin' tired."

"I'll drive the rest of the way," Juda offers. "You can sleep until we get there."

Carmen, for once, agrees. Juda and him switch places, and within minutes of listening to the gentle vibrations of music coming from the speakers, he's out like a light.

He drifts in and out of consciousness for the next hour, catching glimpses of buildings he never thought could exist, questionable people doing questionable things at a questionable time of morning, all while hearing small fractions of Juda's and Nico's quiet chatter.

They're trying to be quiet for him, but it's clear they're excited about being here. And because it's a little cute to hear them fail so miserably at whispering when they see something that excites them, Carmen doesn't say anything.

He wakes up for the final time with a gentle shake on his shoulder. It's Nico. "Sorry," Nico frowns apologetically, "I know you're tired. Juda already checked in, though. So we can head straight up."

Carmen blinks slowly and eventually nods, clicking his seatbelt off. He turns to grab his bag from the back, but he notices they're all gone. Juda, his mind supplies, stepping out of the car.

His steps falter when Nico grabs his hand and threads their fingers together. When he looks at Nico, he's not looking back, too busy staring up at their hotel. "It's nice, right? I thought we'd get a motel or something cheaper."

Carmen forces himself to swallow and nod, hand suddenly feeling clammy. "Yeah."

Together, they walk inside. Shoulder to shoulder. Side by side. Hand in hand.

Carmen thinks he's still dreaming.

But no. His shoulder knocks back when a man checking in curses and storms off, the front desk woman looking equally annoyed. The man doesn't care enough to avoid running into Carmen, brushing shoulders and not bothering to stick behind for an apology.

Nico's hand tightens in his, pulling him closer. He looks past Carmen, toward the man who's currently storming out, and scoffs. "Asshole," he mumbles, continuing to pull Carmen to the elevator.

Carmen didn't really care enough to twist his head around and scowl, but Nico seems plenty annoyed for the both of them. And for some odd reason, Carmen likes that. Because in that split second when their shoulders brushed, Nico pulled him back in a protective stance. "It's cool," Carmen brushes off.

Nico grunts and presses their floor number. 9.

We're still holding hands. Carmen stares at them a moment before looking away. But it's not fast enough, Nico catches his stare. "Oh," Nico seems to realize too. "I- You seemed tired so I just.." His shrug looks forced as he lets go, dropping his hand to his side. "Sorry."

Carmen's not sorry. He's not sorry at all. He takes Nico's hand back in his, craning his neck up to stare at the mirror. "It's cool," he repeats. But it's not cool. His hand is clammy, he's afraid Nico can feel it, and he feels like a little kid again, experiencing his first kiss all over again. Except it's not his first kiss, it's something a lot more meaningful.

"You think anyone's had s*x in here?" Carmen asks.

"Oh of course. No way there hasn't."

"How does that even work? What if someone walks in?"

"They'd probably get off on it, right?" Nico laughs. "Maybe ask the new person to join. No sane person f***s in an elevator."

Carmen's into a lot of things. Things he wouldn't even dare say aloud, but elevator s*x isn't one of them.

Their room door unlocks with a buzz when Nico swipes the keycard, followed by it subtly opening. Nico was right when he told Carmen this place was nice. Carmen doesn't expect they'll spend much time here, but he appreciates the luxury all the same.

Juda's already inside sorting out their bags. The first thing he says, "There's no cameras. I checked."

"What the f**k?" A laugh bubbles up Carmen's throat as the door clocks shut. "You expected there to be cameras? Really?"

"You clearly don't have reddit."

Juda's right. He doesn't.

Nico spends little time looking around the hotel room. He kicks off his shorts, flops onto the bed, and clutches a pillow to his face. "Wake me up in, like, seven hours. Eight if you can." He rolls around on the only bed in the room.

The only bed that Carmen's just now noticing. He looks around as if some magical second bed will appear, but no, there's still only one bed smack dab in the middle of the room. "Only two people are staying here." Juda tells him, giving him the hush hush.

Carmen nods but feels somewhat out of place. They've shared a bed plenty of times, beds much smaller than this, but they're on vacation. It feels different.

He's too tired to shower off the eight hours spent in the car. Kicking his jeans off, he gets right in bed next to Nico and ties his hair back in a low bun. He doesn't hold his breath when Juda sheds down to nothing but his boxers and gets in bed next to him, and he doesn't wet his lips when Juda's arm brushes his. And he certainly doesn't scoot a little closer to feel more of that warmth.

He simply closes his eyes and wills himself to sleep.

⚾️