[Fic] Second Base
Jun. 27th, 2009 08:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coley_merrinTitle: Second Base - Baseball AU part 2
Author: Coley Merrin
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kibum/Donghae
Genre: AU, baseball
Summary: On the field, they were a team... Off the field, it's anyone's game.
Fic Archive
***
Part One ** Part Two ** Part Three
***
Baseball players didn’t just show up before a game and play. There was more to the game than that. Drills, exercises, keeping mind and body as sharp as could be every single game. Batting practice, of course. But that was left till last, to where the mind was attuned to the bat, and the rhythm of it.
At least until a pitcher came up and made the rhythm explode. But that was baseball.
The park they were playing at that night was open roofed, and the weather was pleasant. Sun was beating down but it wasn’t so hot that it was intolerable as they worked on the infield. Donghae was to Kibum’s right as usual, all but bending backwards to get a few kinks out. Their replacement first baseman further to his left, a kid who seemed younger than the grass under their feet.
In a few hours, as the sun went down, the shadows would begin to stretch over the grass and dirt and make things just a little bit interesting. Everything made baseball a little more interesting, whether the wind or the sun. It was a fact of life.
“You hear since Zhou Mi’s been hurt that he actually gets to spend some time up in the owner’s box some of the games?” Donghae asked, appearing at Kibum’s elbow.
“Yeah, I heard about that. How’d that happen?”
“Special assignment,” Donghae said, waggling his brows.
It didn’t take more than a second before Donghae’s implications sank through.
“The owner is twice all of our ages. I don’t think so.”
“Yeah,” Donghae said, pausing significantly. “But his son isn’t.”
“He has a son?” Kibum asked, dropping down to stretch.
“You were at the fundraiser start of the season. All the women who didn’t have any interest in baseball sure found some the second he walked in.” Donghae dropped down beside him on the pretense of stretching as well. “But you know, I heard something kind of interesting. The staff upstairs talk to the clubhouse staff and whatever.”
“Yeah?” Kibum asked warily. He knew Donghae would tell him anyway, but showing untoward enthusiasm, when Donghae had an ear for gossip wider than any elephant’s, was only encouraging him. In their enclosed little world, there was plenty of it.
Donghae’s voice dropped almost to a whisper so Kibum had to lean and strain to hear. “I heard the son...doesn’t like baseball.” Then Donghae laughed, loud and amused. “I mean, really, can you imagine? I don’t know if it’s true. I’ll have to pump Zhou Mi for information.”
“Not everyone likes it. Hopefully Zhou Mi’s enjoying the time up there, though. Sucks to be him.”
“Yeah.” They had a moment of silence contemplating their injured friend, knowing no matter how much Zhou Mi might enjoy the luxury he would still rather be on the field playing. Donghae’s eyes brightened. “So we haven’t been to this city in ages. Did you want to check out the bar scene for a while tonight? Night game tomorrow so we can swing it.”
Bars weren’t really his thing, but he had had more than one sort of nightmare imagining Donghae going off on his own. Their routine was have a beer, maybe two, and Kibum watching Donghae hit on and and be hit on by anything with two legs. Sure he got a few flirty girls at his elbow, too, but he was too busy keeping tabs on someone else to really care. He wasn’t Donghae’s babysitter, and gracious knew he wasn’t anything more, but they were friends and partners and he considered it his civic duty to protect Donghae from any hidden scum. Donghae would’ve done the same for him.
So he said yes, and promptly wondered which of the days he would learn to regret it.
***
“Hey! Look who it is!” Donghae shouted, waving as he balanced half off his chair with his hand heavy on Kibum’s shoulder.
The bar they had come to was packed to the gills and beyond.
Henry, the first baseman called up from the minors, waved cheerfully and wound toward them.
“Is he old enough to drink?” Kibum wondered, and Donghae patted his head absently.
Henry, according to Donghae, was cuter than buttons. Not cute as buttons, but cuter than. So cute that the entire team doted on him as though he were some kind of mascot. Kibum liked the kid. He really, truly did. He just didn’t see why Donghae had to make such a big deal over...
He took a swig of beer instead of following that illogical thought.
“Hey guys,” Henry said breathlessly. “Wow, it’s really hopping in here!”
Just the way Donghae liked it, and the way that made Kibum squirm.
Henry and Donghae had barely finished exchanging who came with who and how they got there when a girl, decently dressed for the atmosphere, showed up at Henry’s elbow with a wide smile.
Henry stood, flashing his sweet little smile, and disappearing onto the dance floor.
Donghae drained his glass and turned to Kibum. “Hey, let’s get out there for a while, yeah? Check out some other place after.”
He didn’t really give Kibum a choice in the matter, hauling him up by his elbow and dragging him into the crowd.
“Hey!” a girl shouted loudly from beside them, sidling up along Donghae’s side. “You’re cute!”
Donghae patted the girl’s cheek and pushed Kibum back a few feet until the crowd closed back around them.
“She was hot,” Kibum said loudly into Donghae’s ear.
“Don’t want to dance,” Donghae replied, shrugging.
Then what did he think he was doing right now? Kibum wondered.
“It doesn’t count when it’s you,” Donghae said, cheek brushing innocently past Kibum’s.
He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or relieved. He still hadn’t figured it out when someone moved behind Donghae, bumping him forward and grinding their bodies together, their hips, in a way that had him twitching in interest and Kibum swore under his breath. That wasn’t happening. Not with Donghae, not in this lifetime, not ever.
“Sorry,” Donghae sang into his ear.
He’d have said Donghae was slightly drunk, but the beer they’d consumed before standing up was probably the smallest amount ever imbibed. Still, he knew what kind of a high Donghae got from being out and in a crowd, being anonymous. So it didn’t count when it was Kibum because they knew each other. And that was why, it seemed, that Donghae had no compunction against brushing up against him, hand steadying himself on Kibum’s shoulder, and dark eyes smiling as his eyes met Kibum’s in the color-swirled darkness. Not that Kibum was staring, watching the flow of Donghae’s hips, or the way his hair fell against his cheek as he tossed his head. It was as if Donghae felt a part of the people around them. Kibum saw only Donghae.
“Come on!” Donghae said, sidling closer and trying to lever Kibum’s arm around him. “Loosen up, you’re stiff as a board. I know you’re not going to dance with anyone else, so wrap those sexy arms around me and have fun! Girls’ll be jealous!”
Loosen up in all the right places, his mind reminded him. And Donghae with his meaningless compliments. What he needed was an excuse to get away from this. Any excuse.
“All the better to throw you out at first,” Kibum said, flexing the arm that Donghae was holding and getting a laugh for his effort. “I gotta piss.”
“Kibum,” Donghae nearly whined. They’d been out dancing for less than ten minutes.
“Stay here and find someone else.”
But as he turned, he felt Donghae’s fingers thread into his belt loop, using Kibum’s body as a shield as they wound through the crowd.
“Look, I think I’m going to head back to the motel,” Kibum said when they were free and didn’t have to shout quite as loud to be heard. “I’m not really feeling it tonight, and we have practice tomorrow.”
“That’s cool,” Donghae said. “I’ll come with you.”
“What about Henry?”
“There are a couple of others here, and I think he came with them. He’s a big boy.”
They piled into a taxi, sprawled in their respective corners. Kibum kept his eyes fixed on the window, having too many images of Donghae’s slender body to begin with.
“So goodnight,” he said as he got his his motel room door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight,” Donghae replied, sliding his arms around Kibum’s waist and just holding, pressed against his back.
“You’re not coming in,” Kibum told him. Sometimes Donghae got a little...maudlin after drinking. Usually after having drank a little more than they had tonight. And that also meant that, though Donghae had a perfectly good room of his own, he stayed in Kibum’s. Donghae didn’t like being alone. And even though they sometimes went out in larger groups, Kibum had never heard of Donghae sleeping in anyone else’s room. He wasn’t really sure why that made him pleased. But he certainly did his best to keep from wondering why it was him Donghae chose.
“Please?”
The plea was almost sotto voce, a soft puff of air against Kibum’s shoulder.
With a sigh he pushed open the door. Anything to get them out of the hallway. But he pushed into the bathroom first, wanting to be done with it. He changed as Donghae changed places with him.
The room was dark when Donghae exited, feeling his way to the empty bed across from Kibum’s.
“Good night, Kibum,” Donghae said softly. “Thanks.”
“‘Night,” he muttered into his pillow.
He thought he dreamed that in the middle of the night Donghae had slipped into the bed with him, wrapping his arm around Kibum’s waist and sleeping pressed against him. Strangely, he could almost smell Donghae’s hair on the pillow.
When he woke, Donghae was gone.
***
If he had to admit it, he dreamed of Donghae. Not often, but just enough to make things difficult for him. It was hard to deny when you were waking up and struggling out of a dream were there was that much sex and so little inhibition. He’d rolled over Donghae on the practice field often enough to know what it felt like to squash Donghae flat with his body. It wasn’t such a hard leap for his brain to make.
Hard leap. Ha. Ha.
”Wearing your glasses today, huh?” Donghae asked, coming closer than was required to confirm that fact or wait for an answer.
“Yeah,” he said. “I enjoy being able to see. Why?”
“It just makes it impossible for me to not do this,” Donghae complained.
And then his lap was invaded, Donghae’s body all over his, his hands in Kibum’s hair as they kissed, and damn...damn, Donghae could kiss. Sweet nibbles that sent heat raging through him, begging him to take and feast. Both his hands were on Donghae’s as, and their mouths opened wetly together as...
His alarm went off loudly in his ear and he shot upright, hands still flexing in the empty air.
He sent a quick prayer of thanks he hadn’t had that dream when Donghae had been sleeping in the same room with him.
It meant absolutely nothing when he tossed his glasses case into his practice bag before swinging it over his shoulder and locking his door behind him.
***
Author: Coley Merrin
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Kibum/Donghae
Genre: AU, baseball
Summary: On the field, they were a team... Off the field, it's anyone's game.
Fic Archive
***
Part One ** Part Two ** Part Three
***
Baseball players didn’t just show up before a game and play. There was more to the game than that. Drills, exercises, keeping mind and body as sharp as could be every single game. Batting practice, of course. But that was left till last, to where the mind was attuned to the bat, and the rhythm of it.
At least until a pitcher came up and made the rhythm explode. But that was baseball.
The park they were playing at that night was open roofed, and the weather was pleasant. Sun was beating down but it wasn’t so hot that it was intolerable as they worked on the infield. Donghae was to Kibum’s right as usual, all but bending backwards to get a few kinks out. Their replacement first baseman further to his left, a kid who seemed younger than the grass under their feet.
In a few hours, as the sun went down, the shadows would begin to stretch over the grass and dirt and make things just a little bit interesting. Everything made baseball a little more interesting, whether the wind or the sun. It was a fact of life.
“You hear since Zhou Mi’s been hurt that he actually gets to spend some time up in the owner’s box some of the games?” Donghae asked, appearing at Kibum’s elbow.
“Yeah, I heard about that. How’d that happen?”
“Special assignment,” Donghae said, waggling his brows.
It didn’t take more than a second before Donghae’s implications sank through.
“The owner is twice all of our ages. I don’t think so.”
“Yeah,” Donghae said, pausing significantly. “But his son isn’t.”
“He has a son?” Kibum asked, dropping down to stretch.
“You were at the fundraiser start of the season. All the women who didn’t have any interest in baseball sure found some the second he walked in.” Donghae dropped down beside him on the pretense of stretching as well. “But you know, I heard something kind of interesting. The staff upstairs talk to the clubhouse staff and whatever.”
“Yeah?” Kibum asked warily. He knew Donghae would tell him anyway, but showing untoward enthusiasm, when Donghae had an ear for gossip wider than any elephant’s, was only encouraging him. In their enclosed little world, there was plenty of it.
Donghae’s voice dropped almost to a whisper so Kibum had to lean and strain to hear. “I heard the son...doesn’t like baseball.” Then Donghae laughed, loud and amused. “I mean, really, can you imagine? I don’t know if it’s true. I’ll have to pump Zhou Mi for information.”
“Not everyone likes it. Hopefully Zhou Mi’s enjoying the time up there, though. Sucks to be him.”
“Yeah.” They had a moment of silence contemplating their injured friend, knowing no matter how much Zhou Mi might enjoy the luxury he would still rather be on the field playing. Donghae’s eyes brightened. “So we haven’t been to this city in ages. Did you want to check out the bar scene for a while tonight? Night game tomorrow so we can swing it.”
Bars weren’t really his thing, but he had had more than one sort of nightmare imagining Donghae going off on his own. Their routine was have a beer, maybe two, and Kibum watching Donghae hit on and and be hit on by anything with two legs. Sure he got a few flirty girls at his elbow, too, but he was too busy keeping tabs on someone else to really care. He wasn’t Donghae’s babysitter, and gracious knew he wasn’t anything more, but they were friends and partners and he considered it his civic duty to protect Donghae from any hidden scum. Donghae would’ve done the same for him.
So he said yes, and promptly wondered which of the days he would learn to regret it.
***
“Hey! Look who it is!” Donghae shouted, waving as he balanced half off his chair with his hand heavy on Kibum’s shoulder.
The bar they had come to was packed to the gills and beyond.
Henry, the first baseman called up from the minors, waved cheerfully and wound toward them.
“Is he old enough to drink?” Kibum wondered, and Donghae patted his head absently.
Henry, according to Donghae, was cuter than buttons. Not cute as buttons, but cuter than. So cute that the entire team doted on him as though he were some kind of mascot. Kibum liked the kid. He really, truly did. He just didn’t see why Donghae had to make such a big deal over...
He took a swig of beer instead of following that illogical thought.
“Hey guys,” Henry said breathlessly. “Wow, it’s really hopping in here!”
Just the way Donghae liked it, and the way that made Kibum squirm.
Henry and Donghae had barely finished exchanging who came with who and how they got there when a girl, decently dressed for the atmosphere, showed up at Henry’s elbow with a wide smile.
Henry stood, flashing his sweet little smile, and disappearing onto the dance floor.
Donghae drained his glass and turned to Kibum. “Hey, let’s get out there for a while, yeah? Check out some other place after.”
He didn’t really give Kibum a choice in the matter, hauling him up by his elbow and dragging him into the crowd.
“Hey!” a girl shouted loudly from beside them, sidling up along Donghae’s side. “You’re cute!”
Donghae patted the girl’s cheek and pushed Kibum back a few feet until the crowd closed back around them.
“She was hot,” Kibum said loudly into Donghae’s ear.
“Don’t want to dance,” Donghae replied, shrugging.
Then what did he think he was doing right now? Kibum wondered.
“It doesn’t count when it’s you,” Donghae said, cheek brushing innocently past Kibum’s.
He wasn’t sure if he should be offended or relieved. He still hadn’t figured it out when someone moved behind Donghae, bumping him forward and grinding their bodies together, their hips, in a way that had him twitching in interest and Kibum swore under his breath. That wasn’t happening. Not with Donghae, not in this lifetime, not ever.
“Sorry,” Donghae sang into his ear.
He’d have said Donghae was slightly drunk, but the beer they’d consumed before standing up was probably the smallest amount ever imbibed. Still, he knew what kind of a high Donghae got from being out and in a crowd, being anonymous. So it didn’t count when it was Kibum because they knew each other. And that was why, it seemed, that Donghae had no compunction against brushing up against him, hand steadying himself on Kibum’s shoulder, and dark eyes smiling as his eyes met Kibum’s in the color-swirled darkness. Not that Kibum was staring, watching the flow of Donghae’s hips, or the way his hair fell against his cheek as he tossed his head. It was as if Donghae felt a part of the people around them. Kibum saw only Donghae.
“Come on!” Donghae said, sidling closer and trying to lever Kibum’s arm around him. “Loosen up, you’re stiff as a board. I know you’re not going to dance with anyone else, so wrap those sexy arms around me and have fun! Girls’ll be jealous!”
Loosen up in all the right places, his mind reminded him. And Donghae with his meaningless compliments. What he needed was an excuse to get away from this. Any excuse.
“All the better to throw you out at first,” Kibum said, flexing the arm that Donghae was holding and getting a laugh for his effort. “I gotta piss.”
“Kibum,” Donghae nearly whined. They’d been out dancing for less than ten minutes.
“Stay here and find someone else.”
But as he turned, he felt Donghae’s fingers thread into his belt loop, using Kibum’s body as a shield as they wound through the crowd.
“Look, I think I’m going to head back to the motel,” Kibum said when they were free and didn’t have to shout quite as loud to be heard. “I’m not really feeling it tonight, and we have practice tomorrow.”
“That’s cool,” Donghae said. “I’ll come with you.”
“What about Henry?”
“There are a couple of others here, and I think he came with them. He’s a big boy.”
They piled into a taxi, sprawled in their respective corners. Kibum kept his eyes fixed on the window, having too many images of Donghae’s slender body to begin with.
“So goodnight,” he said as he got his his motel room door. “See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight,” Donghae replied, sliding his arms around Kibum’s waist and just holding, pressed against his back.
“You’re not coming in,” Kibum told him. Sometimes Donghae got a little...maudlin after drinking. Usually after having drank a little more than they had tonight. And that also meant that, though Donghae had a perfectly good room of his own, he stayed in Kibum’s. Donghae didn’t like being alone. And even though they sometimes went out in larger groups, Kibum had never heard of Donghae sleeping in anyone else’s room. He wasn’t really sure why that made him pleased. But he certainly did his best to keep from wondering why it was him Donghae chose.
“Please?”
The plea was almost sotto voce, a soft puff of air against Kibum’s shoulder.
With a sigh he pushed open the door. Anything to get them out of the hallway. But he pushed into the bathroom first, wanting to be done with it. He changed as Donghae changed places with him.
The room was dark when Donghae exited, feeling his way to the empty bed across from Kibum’s.
“Good night, Kibum,” Donghae said softly. “Thanks.”
“‘Night,” he muttered into his pillow.
He thought he dreamed that in the middle of the night Donghae had slipped into the bed with him, wrapping his arm around Kibum’s waist and sleeping pressed against him. Strangely, he could almost smell Donghae’s hair on the pillow.
When he woke, Donghae was gone.
***
If he had to admit it, he dreamed of Donghae. Not often, but just enough to make things difficult for him. It was hard to deny when you were waking up and struggling out of a dream were there was that much sex and so little inhibition. He’d rolled over Donghae on the practice field often enough to know what it felt like to squash Donghae flat with his body. It wasn’t such a hard leap for his brain to make.
Hard leap. Ha. Ha.
”Wearing your glasses today, huh?” Donghae asked, coming closer than was required to confirm that fact or wait for an answer.
“Yeah,” he said. “I enjoy being able to see. Why?”
“It just makes it impossible for me to not do this,” Donghae complained.
And then his lap was invaded, Donghae’s body all over his, his hands in Kibum’s hair as they kissed, and damn...damn, Donghae could kiss. Sweet nibbles that sent heat raging through him, begging him to take and feast. Both his hands were on Donghae’s as, and their mouths opened wetly together as...
His alarm went off loudly in his ear and he shot upright, hands still flexing in the empty air.
He sent a quick prayer of thanks he hadn’t had that dream when Donghae had been sleeping in the same room with him.
It meant absolutely nothing when he tossed his glasses case into his practice bag before swinging it over his shoulder and locking his door behind him.
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 05:58 am (UTC)Also eee Henry is truly adorable (cuter than buttons!) and I see your Qmi set up. :3 I can't wait for more!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 08:57 am (UTC)KyuMi setup, well spotted. XD *pinches Henry's cheeks for good measure*
Currently debating which animal to associate Donghae with for future ficcing purposes, haha. Quite a time. Got half an idea so we'll see. *_*
And thank you~! <3 <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 10:41 am (UTC)Hi I think I've fallen in love with your Kihae just after two parts lol. The fact that they're teammates and partners is just awesome *___*
Really cool AU :D Never read a baseball fic before keke.
I look forward to reading more! I spotted the Qmi setup too :P
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 03:54 am (UTC):D :D Yeah, I'm subtle with shoehorning in Mi And Kyu. XD;; Subtle~
Thanks so much! <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 02:28 pm (UTC)gawd, it's KIHAE. phew. and KIHAE WITH BASEBALL. hello can things get any better? OH yes, u add the cutest henry. and i see kyumi. im loving baseball already.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 04:07 am (UTC)...I would seriously keep Henry in a basket. XD Cute baby. Hurrah for baseball~ And Kihae. <3 And KyuMi! XD
Thanks so much! <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-28 02:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 04:34 am (UTC)Thanks so much! <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 04:46 am (UTC)Kibum saying "no no no" will only carry him so far, right? Donghae just needs keep sneaking in. XD *will keep working*
Thanks so much! <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 03:28 am (UTC)And owner's son = Kyuhyun. I see what YOU did thar!! XD ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 05:01 am (UTC)I apparently like my Kyu with daddy issues? _-_ Where did that come from? I'll have to do a fic where he's got a happy home life. XD Some day.
Thanks so much! <3
no subject
Date: 2009-06-29 05:34 pm (UTC)glasses fetish, I has. XDYou really do, but it makes for really good fic, boo. I don't mind either but I'd love you to write one where he's happy. Lol.
or switch it up, he's happy and MiMi's not?Anytime! ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 01:49 pm (UTC)Henry! cuter than buttons! ^^
no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 02:40 pm (UTC)second base >< lol why didnt i think of that >
no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 12:39 am (UTC)Yay for Henry as replacement first base~ I hope he doesn't get tossed aside once Zhoumi returns though. I'm sure Donghae would be more than disappointed to lose the only one that's potentially cuter than him. XD Cuter than buttons indeed!♥
It's interesting how Kibum is reading all the signals Donghae is sending him and feels all the desire that Donghae invokes in him, but still tries to keep their relationship...platonic. I wonder what will break Kibum's resolve...maybe if Donghae just decides to jump him while he's distracted trying not think of his attraction to Donghae. Donghae seems to know how to push all the right buttons anyway.♥ Oh and YES! for the sexy arms of Kibum. ♥.♥
Also, I spotted a small typo: out of a dream were there was I guess even for the writer this part is a bit...distracting.♥
no subject
Date: 2011-06-19 03:37 pm (UTC)