The First Rule

Chapter 18: Dodgers' Kiss

October 2022

The baseball field bathed in the glow of twilight as a group of players gathered in the dugout. A tall boy leaned against the railing, while others sat on the bench, taking a break from practice. Two blonde boys stood casually against the fence near the dugout—one with a cigarette glowing softly in the dim light, the other with his Coca Cola pod.

"So.. does she like me?"

The blonde haired boy with dark blue eyes took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke swirled around him despite his direct question to the black haired boy who had been tossing a ball back and forth. The pitcher didn't respond, fully absorbed in practicing his throws—not like he hadn't already been a potential MLB superstar. The gray eyed one squinted through the dissipating haze as he tilted his head, attempting to discern his friend's expression from his back.

The pitcher threw and threw. What the blonde didn't know.. is the way he clenches the ball harder. The lines on his forehead deepened, eyes narrowed. His jaw tensed, a mix of emotions he tried to contain stirred beneath. It was clear. The question hadn't been well received.

"Serious question, Toretto," the guy who had been doodling around with a torn piece of paper spoke without diverting his attention from his note, joking, "Winters? Are you sure? See that pitbull front of you?"

Everyone laughed as they all knew who he was referring to—directing their attention towards the pitcher. Despite their amusement, the pitcher continued with his throws, unfazed. The tall boy stepped forward, proposing to take over pitching duties so the pitcher could step up to bat. Amidst the playful banter, the wavy blonde exhaled a ring of smoke before speaking up,

"Still gotta make sure the rule's off though, Dom. You know how strict they are with their rules."

Shrugging a shoulder, Hunt still gazed at the back of the batter—still remained unbothered. Starting to get irritated—especially due to his bro's continuous disregard of him for the past few weeks, Hunt sighed in frustration. Out of honest interest, the big boy sitting beside the doodler chimed in,

"Hold on, let me get this straight—are you really planning to date her, or are you just—you know."

The question reverberated through the whole group, as everyone was also curious, especially knowing his renowned reputation. His bro that's been supporting this situationship even paused, immediately adopting a serious expression as he turned to Hunt. The towering pitcher shrugged casually, almost letting the ball fly, not giving a damn.

Yet, he paused mid motion, retracting his arms as he caught sight of the batter's expression. Gripping his wood bat tightly, the pitcher slammed its end onto the base with force—to slightly glance to the side, awaiting Hunt's answer. Dominic noticed the shift in amusement before catering back to his Q&A session.

"I guess we'll see for now. Just making sure I come off well in front of her.. and if it turns out I'm not into her, well.." keeping his eyes fixed on the back of the batter's head, he smirked, "I'll go find another girl."

The others teased him, calling him hopeless—only the boy beside him felt uneasy about his answer. Everything seemed to pause—until the pitcher's voice echoed from afar, calling out a name. The gray eyed blonde quickly went on guard—but it was too late.

The figure was already striding over—and in a flash of lighting, he had already clenching Dom's shirt—slammed him against the fence and bashed his wooden bat beside his head with a resounding clang!