AT ANOTHER PLACE IN TIME (YOU WERE INFINITELY MINE) ~ r e d d i e

chapter one • I

chapter one

the sun beat down on the field. the air was stuffy and dust stirred making it hard to breathe but not stoping them from practice. the bleachers were empty and so was the dug out. most students surrendered to their dorms after classes.

eddie slid into home base, sweat dripping down his temple and curling his blonde hair. he breathed heavily and glanced up at stan who hadn't moved even when eddie almost slid into him.

"24.2"

eddie smacked the ground and cursed under his breath. bill reached his hand out and eddie took it, standing up and uselessly dusting the redish dirt off his white baseball pants.

"you were close though" stan shrugged and reset the stopwatch.

"yeah, not close enough" eddie clenched his jaw and took a swig from the water bottle bill offered him

"d-don't be so hard on yourself," bill clapped his back, "your the fastest o-on the team"

eddie knew that was true. not to toot his own horn but there's a reason he's been the teams first batter every game since he was a freshmen. he ran fast and put his all into each step and slide.

"wanna go for another run?" stan asked as the timer in his hand beeped. stan was sweating just standing there from the harsh sun. it was nice out though, blue sky and chirping birds.

eddie looked up at the sky, shading his eyes and sighing heavily. "no, i really should be doing homework."

he heard bill huff, "it's s-saturday eddie. why don't you just chill?"

eddie adjusted his baseball cap and rolled his eyes, "because some of us actually care about graduating college billy."

"i care," bill disagreed, watching stan from the corner of his eyes putting his bat in his duffle, "i just know how to have fun."

eddie snorted and began packing his own bag, "im fun."

"oh, you sure are." stan said sarcastically getting a snicker out of bill.

"thank you stanny" eddie said not noticing the sarcasm

"no problem. studying alone in your dorm room is so fun." stan rolled his eyes with a faint smile and eddie crossed his arms.

"like you have room to talk! bird boy." eddie teased slinging his bag over his shoulder as they took their routine walk to the locker room.

eddie hates public showers. the fact that nothing but a thin moist curtain is stoping someone from walking in and seeing... everything. it was unsettling. he did use the provided locker though to store his uniform and and extra pair of clothes incase of emergency. he stripped his practice uniform off and folded it in his locker, putting on clean shorts and a t-shirt.

he waited for bill and stan to get out of the shower. he listened to the water run and tapped his foot impatiently. he hated being sticky with sweat for any longer than necessary. you would think he hates being in a sport because all of it is a dirty mess. but being in the game, adrenaline pumping and muscles aching, he couldn't be bothered by the dirt under his finger nails or sweat dripping down his neck. but now it was clinging to him uncomfortably.

stan came out first in fresh clothes, his fawn curls damp and tight. stan was beautiful to eddie. sharp features and warm yet strict eyes. eddie didn't find stan appealing in the romantic way. he had met him through baseball and they quickly became friends bonding over their OCD for cleanliness and organization. that and their dedication to the game.