Chapter Text
Retiring early is supposed to be a dream come true. For some it’s a curse in disguise. Choi Minho loved his team and his sport. He was a star that shined brightly among his peers. But all stars burn out at some point. Some quicker than others.
His marriage was supposed to stay away from his career. While he had no shame in his husband, he knew the publicity it would bring to them both. Kim Kibum’s modeling career as “Key” would manage to stay mostly unscathed. Minho’s reputation as a starting hitter for the New York Yankees would not.
Of course, neither of them had any say when the relationship was outed. Neither of them even knew who leaked the information. The only thing they could do was minimize the fallout to the best of their abilities. Key stepped away from the spotlight for several months and was able to return without much controversy. Minho, on the other hand, faced more direct scrutiny for his marriage.
His “early retirement” wasn’t necessarily a mutual agreement. He wanted to keep playing with the team he had loved for years. The league he had spent years working with did not see the vision he had of embracing his identity and his profession. When forced to choose between the man he loved and the game he loved, the decision came easily.
Now separate from his long standing career, Minho didn’t quite know what to do with himself. There were other sports he could try that he did well in. He focused more on his family life after retirement, but that could only get him so far. His husband returned to work and left him bored in their home. What could he do to pass the time? How could he move on from losing such a key part of himself? Luckily, the answer for him came in the form of his husband’s persistent cousin.
“I have an idea!” Minho looked up from his desk to see a face that was starting to become familiar in his house.
“How did you get in this time?” He asked with an exasperated fondness. Hongjoong has taken up a lot of Minho’s time recently. He doesn’t necessarily mind seeing more of his family, but it has gotten to be a frequent occurrence. Especially when said family did not actually have a key and always managed to get in through…unique methods.
The orange haired boy grinned maniacally as he ignored the question and shared his idea. It was no secret that he had an interest in coaching. He’d always played the sport well and had a natural talent for leadership. Really his proposal shouldn’t have come as any surprise for Minho. Still, it shocked him how well thought out the idea was.
“When can we start?”
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Receiving a random link from an old friend is always a little scary. Especially when that friend is Kim Hongjoong. Yunho tried to ignore his phone in order to focus on his ranked match, but Hongjoong had other ideas.
He knew the calls he was getting were not work related, so he ignored them as best as he could. After hearing his phone ring for the fifth time in a row, Yunho finally answered.
“Check your phone,” is the first thing he heard from his friend. He laughed at Hongjoong’s short temper.
“Hello to you too, did somebody die?” The shorter man wasn’t amused by Yunho’s antics.
“You’re signing up for baseball tryouts,” there was a pause. Both men knew that Yunho had never played the game before in his life. While he respected his friends’ interest in the sport, he had never felt the urge to play it. He had been focused on his other hobbies, like gaming, and his new dance business.
“Why am I signing up for that?” Hongjoong could have asked anyone else in his life to do this. Knowing his friend, there was a specific reason why he was being asked directly.
“We need someone like you, Yunho. I don’t fully trust anybody else that would be signing up. I know you would do well and that you would fight like hell to make sure we win every game. I have faith in you.” The two of them allowed the silence to swallow them once again.
Jeong Yunho is nothing if not a competitive man. He loves winning, and he loves the fight that comes before reaching that end goal. Typically he gets this feeling from his games, but maybe this could give him a slightly healthier alternative. It could help him get into better shape for dance. Besides, with so many of his friends involved with the sport, it would take no time for him to really learn it.
Maybe this is the chance that he needs to really push himself. Besides, how hard could baseball really be if so many people do it with ease? With this final thought, Yunho decided to trust his friend’s judgment.
“I’ll do it, hyung.” He could practically hear the way Hongjoong was smiling when he gave his answer.
“Thank you,” was the final message before the call ended. With those words left ringing in his head, he saw his monitor change. He had been kicked from the match for being inactive. He was banned from matchmaking for the next 15 minutes.
“Dammit Hongjoong,”
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His daily run was supposed to be calming. It was supposed to be something to ease his anxiety. Starting a business with his best friend was the direct opposite of calming. If anything, it was the reason why Mingi had to do these runs.
He loves Yunho and the chance to start something new based on their artistic interests was amazing. But the undeniable truth is that starting a dance company has put a lot of stress on his plate. The business has mostly settled down now, but the looming anxiety still lingers. What if everything goes wrong? Yunho has tried to ease this anxiety, but his unwavering positivity did not mix well with Mingi’s confidence.
With all his focus put on making sure their business succeeds, Mingi has barely had time to do things he enjoys. Yunho had no problem multi-tasking and was able to continue living his life normally. Mingi felt like he was stuck behind him. He didn’t have anything to do other than work and his runs. What was the point of this life if he couldn’t even enjoy himself outside of work?
The ringing of his phone interrupted his run and his spiraling thoughts. He took a seat underneath a nearby tree as he answered his best friend.
“What’s up-“ Mingi was cut off by his excited friend.
“I’m gonna send you something, I promise it’s not a scam!” Yunho always had an odd way of trying to ease Mingi’s anxiety before it even formed. He appreciated the effort, but sometimes his friend just led to more stress.
“…What are you sending me? Keep in mind I’m in a public setting and I think there are kids around,” Mingi looked around to double check, “There are definitely kids around so if it’s anything weird just send it later.”
Yunho just responded with laughter. Now he really wishes Yunho would send the weird stuff later so he can continue his run.
“It’s a link to sign up for baseball tryouts. I know the guy running it so it’s an actual team. They need more people, and I need someone to teach me how to play,” Mingi immediately brightened as he heard this information. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had the chance to play the game, let alone play on an actual team. Plus the idea of teaching his best friend how to play so they can be on the same team was almost enough for him to sign up on the spot. Almost.
“Wait, would we have enough time to focus on dance?” Mingi couldn’t allow himself to step away from the studio if it would cause any trouble. He didn’t want that failure to be his fault because he wanted to play baseball for the first time in years. Yunho was already prepared for his friend’s way of thinking.
“The guy knows about our responsibilities. If we need to take a step back we can. I think this would be good for you, Mingi. You need to start going back to normal. Plus, we have hired people to manage things for a reason. I trust them to take care of things while we have some fun,” his logic did little to ease Mingi’s anxiety. But the idea of this was still exciting for him.
Should he take this risk? What if everything goes wrong and they have to leave, which makes their team and their employees hate them? But then again, the idea of having one of his hobbies back is enticing. Yunho would be there for him and he would be able to share his love of the sport with his best friend. It would be like the time Yunho tried to show Mingi how to play Valorant. Hopefully this idea would go slightly better, but the concept was still the same.
“I can hear you thinking,” Yunho said with a slight exasperation. He knows how much this would help Mingi, so he’s hoping that his friend would take the chance. Luckily for him, Mingi was ready to start living for more than just work.
“I’ll do it.”
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Doom scrolling was a bad habit. Seonghwa knew this, and yet here he was. Sitting on his couch and wasting his day away. He used to have more passions in life. He used to have a goal. That was before the reality of who he was settled. He thought he was able to ignore it for the sake of the sport. Unfortunately for him, that was easier said than done. Dwelling on it would only get him so far. But then again, dwelling might be better than just doom scrolling.
He puts his phone down on the coffee table. He can find something else to do. Animal Crossing was always an option. Rewatching Star Wars. Taking apart and rebuilding one of his Lego sets. The sky was the limit. Yet, he finds himself going to the same place as always. The bathroom.
More specifically, his bathroom mirror. He analyzes his face and body. Is his outfit too feminine? Would people be able to tell what he is because of it? Should he try putting on the makeup he had bought several years ago? He’s never even touched it. He had just left his team when he first got it.
Seonghwa thought he was going to be more expressive in who he was after leaving baseball behind. He was wrong. If anything he’s become more repressed than before. He should feel free to try out the makeup he had bought. He should be comfortable with dressing the way he wants to while in his own apartment. But the words of former teammates still linger in his brain.
With one final look at himself, he leaves the bathroom. Going in there was a mistake, but it’s one that he continues to make. He should just get back to doom scrolling at this point. At least then he doesn’t have to acknowledge what he looks like.
When he reaches the couch again, he immediately reaches for his phone and opens Instagram. Shockingly, he doesn’t move after opening the app. He stays in place and stares at the post on his home page.
Choi Minho is creating a team.
Seonghwa reads the post over and over again for about five minutes. There was a link to sign up for tryouts in the man’s bio. He goes to his main account to find more information on the team. There, he finds several posts dedicated to the man’s husband. Seonghwa pauses and stares at the screen for another five minutes.
The news of his early retirement was shocking to most fans. Seonghwa felt bad for the man. He had left his team willingly and without anyone knowing the truth of why he took a step back. Minho had no choice in the matter. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why he had retired. Seonghwa couldn’t even imagine how it felt to have had that part of him exposed to the entire world without his permission. The thought of something like that happening to him brought a shiver down his spine.
Still, the retirement allowed Minho to embrace his family more openly. Nearly all of the posts on his page were dedicated to his husband in one way or another. His husband, who had a full face of makeup and beautiful clothing in most of the photos. Seonghwa took a breath as he contemplated clicking the link.
His past experience in playing the game wasn’t horrible. He was never called anything derogatory, but then again, his team never knew what he was. Never even knew who he was. To them, he was just a good second baseman. He offered nothing else to the table personality wise. The idea of openly being himself terrified Seonghwa, so he never let himself get close to that.
Maybe he wouldn’t have to hide as much if he were on this team. His sexuality definitely wouldn’t be a problem considering who the manager would be. The protection would absolutely be there, so maybe he could allow himself to be more open.
He keeps tabs on both Choi Minho and Kim Kibum for separate reasons. Minho is a baseball icon, while Key is a personal icon for Seonghwa. Considering Key’s fashion sense and profession, Seonghwa might not have to fear wearing makeup with this team. He might have protection from all sides this time around.
He can only hope that’s the truth as he clicks the link to sign up for tryouts.
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Baseball was supposed to be a safe space for Yeosang. He knows the game like it’s part of himself. He invests everything he has into the game. His love of the game rarely feels reciprocated.
It’s not his fault. He doesn’t try to act the way he does. There isn’t anything he can do to stop it. If there was, he would be normal already. His team fails to understand that. Half the time he’s being mocked or shoved in a manner that clearly isn’t some form of camaraderie. Anyone paying attention could tell they all hated him. Well, not everyone on his team hated him. He had some friends in this fucking hellscape.
“I seriously don’t understand how our manager doesn’t notice the shit they pull. They treat you like dirt and I’m the one who gets extra laps for calling it out,” Wooyoung rants aggressively. The cherry red hair was almost representative of his rage at the moment.
Yeosang knows he’s treated poorly, but doing something about it is difficult. Speaking in general is difficult, but speaking up for himself is a whole other ballpark. Luckily for him, speaking is where Wooyoung shines. He’s never been afraid to speak up for himself or for Yeosang. Since the first moment Wooyoung defended him, Yeosang has known he could trust the shorter man.
“You got extra laps for biting someone, that’s different than just talking shit,” Yeosang interrupts the rant with a deadpan expression. Wooyoung tries, and fails, to hold back his menacing smile.
“And I’d do it again. The special treatment those fuckers get is insane, they shove you around all the time and they never get laps. But no, the one time I fight back, I get the laps. It’s such bullshit, Yeosang,” the younger man shoves his glove into his bag aggressively as he speaks. Yeosang knows it’s not really the laps he’s upset about. Still, it’s fun to comment on his friend’s unfortunate situation. It helps to distract himself from acknowledging how the mistreatment really affects him.
Wooyoung continues to rant about their teammates. The only two unscathed are Changbin and Seungmin. While they don’t react as intensely as Wooyoung, they still do their best to keep Yeosang safe. He appreciates the two of them deeply for it, especially considering their own situations. After the recent Yankees scandal, it’s no surprise that they would want to keep their relationship under wraps.
Despite that, they all stand up for him in their own ways. It makes him feel somewhat guilty for wanting to leave. He knows they would understand why he has to find another team. They have all seen how he’s treated here. They’ve been the only ones to do anything about it. Yet he still feels as if he’s abandoning them. They’ve been nothing but kind to him, and Yeosang returns that kindness with a goodbye.
“Yeosang,” he looks up to see Wooyoung looking at him with concern. Shit, did he do something? Did he miss another question? Wooyoung definitely doesn’t deserve to be ignored considering all he’s done for him. In his panic about not listening, he had missed Wooyoung sitting next to him on the bench.
“What?” He feels bad for this endless cycle. He’s always had a tendency to get distracted easily, and now he can’t even hold a conversation with his closest friend. Wooyoung gives him a sympathetic smile and grabs his hand.
“I’ve got your back, no matter what. I don’t care what happens or what you think you do wrong. It’s all bullshit anyways. You’re stuck with me now, so don’t even try to get away because I will follow you,” he got oddly serious on that last statement. Does he know about the tryouts he had signed up for? Does he know that Yeosang is leaving him behind?
Before he can even respond, several of their teammates enter the locker room. They give the two of them a look before their comments start. Yeosang isn’t even bothered to think of a response. He’s learned how to numb himself to their treatment of him. Wooyoung, on the other hand, has not.
By the time they’re done, Wooyoung has been assigned 5 extra laps for their next practice.
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Choi Jongho was supposed to be a star. He should be at Fenway Park by now, playing with men like Trevor Story or Ceddane Rafaela. He should be playing against the Yankees and kicking their asses. Instead, he’s going back and forth between physical therapy and watching San’s cats.
He doesn’t mind watching the cats, they are nice, and he loves San. He’s always easy to bother but never gets tired of having Jongho around. As much as he doesn’t mind, he would much rather be where he was supposed to be right now.
Jongho was a great baseball player. No, he was a fucking amazing baseball player. He was ready to make it to the major leagues. He had been playing for the Worcester Red Sox for months and almost got the call to join the Boston Red Sox. All of that was taken away because of his knee. His fucking knee. One bad game, one bad slide, and all his dreams turned to dust.
He could’ve stayed with the Triple A team, but his manager insisted that he take a break to fully recover. A year later and he’s still on that break. He hadn’t played the game he’s loved since elementary school in a year. He was going to go insane. Scratch that, he already has gone insane. Because only insane people talk to cats like San does. Unfortunately for Jongho, the cats only listen when he talks to them like that.
The second San opened his door, the cats ran to greet him. He welcomed them with his own cat-like grin while Jongho got off the floor. He brought some of the cat toys with him to greet his friend.
“Can I have my money now?” San laughed at his youngest friend’s antics and pulled out his phone.
“I think I have something better than money,” Jongho pulled a face at that comment.
“Nothing is better than money,” Jongho just wants to get paid and go home. He has his last appointment with his physical therapist today, so he’s hoping to get that over with quickly. She’s very kind, but he just wants to finally be okay again.
San has other plans for Jongho. He had seen the tryout information and knew he had to convince Jongho to give it a try. It would go against everything he stood for, but it would be a great opportunity for him to come back to the baseball scene.
“Not even a chance to play for a former MLB star?” San smiled when he saw Jongho’s face. There was an inkling of suspicion, but mainly he looked interested in the idea. It was the sort of thing he needed to prop himself back into the major leagues.
“Which player?” Jongho figured there was some sort of catch to San’s offer. San took a breath and braced himself for the inevitable argument.
“…Choi Minho,”
“No thanks,” the rejection was immediate. Jongho made a motion asking for his money and was ready to leave the apartment. San wasn’t done with him yet.
“It would be great for you! I already signed up-“
“I would be betraying my morals if I were to sign up. You are already a traitor for signing up,” San gave an exasperated laugh as Jongho pointed at him with a cat toy. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.
“Are you honestly willing to throw away your shot at playing again because of some stupid rivalry? This could put you on the map again! You already have some offers ready but you aren’t able to take them for another couple of months. Why not use this chance to practice so you can be prepared for the next season?” The look Jongho gave him made him fear for his safety.
“I would be willing to learn from any other player in the league,”
“Even Aaron Judge?” San felt proud of himself for catching the hole in his argument. Jongho gave San the same violent look.
“Stop being a smart ass, you know what I meant. I’m not playing for him,” Jongho was ready to leave without even getting his money. He’s had enough of San trying to get him to betray one of the things he holds closest to his heart. Baseball is everything to him, but so is this rivalry. It felt like asking him to choose between his parents or his child.
“Wouldn’t it be good to get behind enemy lines though? What better way to play against the Yankees than to know how they function. Get comfortable with the game again, then use everything you’ve learned from him against his own team,” This was San’s last hope at getting his friend to sign up. He knows this would be a good thing for Jongho, even if he wasn’t willing to see it. Honestly if this doesn’t work, San might just sign him up for tryouts himself.
Jongho paused to think about San’s idea. It makes sense. He’s been out of practice for a while, so realistically he does need this. Plus he could use whatever Minho teaches him against the Yankees when he plays against them in the future. He would just have to prove himself worthy of being on that level of the game. Keeping his friends close and his enemies closer might be what he needs to get there again.
There was a long silence as Jongho fully contemplated joining this team. Would it be against his morals if he uses the opportunity to play against the rival team? Would he be a traitor like San if he were to sign up? Either way, he would be launching himself back into a career that has been long dead for him. He gave San a hesitant look as he finally came to a decision.
“Fine. Can I have my money now?”
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Tryouts took place two months after Hongjoong’s idea to create a team. There were quite a few players who signed up, but there were only so many that Minho and Hongjoong could take. They had few resources considering how Minho’s reputation in the league took a dive. Still, they made do with what they had.
“I think these are our best bets,” Hongjoong had taken his role in the team very seriously. It was his idea after all, and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Minho agreed with the prospects that Hongjoong had selected. There was a good mix of players and hopefully all of them would get along well.
“I’ll contact them soon to give them the news,” Minho was proud to see Hongjoong taking such interest in this. He had always assumed that he would fall more into the fashion industry with Key, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. The love of fashion was still there, but the need for leadership overpowered it.
Still, the odd combination of Key and Minho that was Kim Hongjoong was eager to get this team started. He could only hope that his players would live up to his expectations.