Curveball [BL]

13 || Carmen

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 sex 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 fuck? 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."