Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

INNING ONE

Present Day:

Adolin Kholin and Kaladin Stormblessed at the two best pitchers on the Kholinar Blades and the team has a real change to make the championship this season.

A late-season distraction threatens to derail that pursuit.

Flashback:

Spring training

Chapter Text

Adolin awoke to a persistent buzzing from his phone. He groaned, rolling away from the warm body beside him to look at the screen. He had a few missed calls and a text message from his Father. He dismissed the calls and opened the message. It simply said “Explain” and had a link attached from an online news site. He clicked it. 

“Fuck,” he hissed as he read the headline. Kissing Klubhouse? - Are the Blades’ star pitchers starstruck for each other? He scrolled. Below the headline was a photo of him and Kaladin, sitting on the edge of a pool, hands entwined and heads close as they spoke. He zoomed in - it was their pool. “Fuck!” 

He could feel his heartbeat quickening, and his hand began to shake. He set the phone down, trying not to let the panic he felt coming on rush over him. His breathing was accelerating now and he felt like his body was buzzing. 

“Adolin?” He felt Kaladin’s hand on his back. As soon as the other man realized he was beginning to have an attack, the hand began to rub in a circle. “Breathe Adolin. Come on. Breathe with me.” In through his nose. Out through his mouth. Adolin knew what to do. Kaladin coached him along, rubbing his back the whole time. “When you’re ready, can you tell me what’s going on?”

Adolin continued to breathe. He wasn’t ready to talk yet. Kaladin understood and didn’t press. He simply continued to rub soothing circles on his back, speaking soothing words, his forehead pressed against Adolin’s shoulderblade so he knew he wasn’t alone. 

“Someone took a picture,” he finally said. But he didn’t have the strength for more, so he just handed his phone to the other man over his shoulder. Kaladin took it, and he heard him suck in a breath as he took in the story. 

“Adolin, that’s from inside our yard,” Kaladin murmured and Adolin rolled over, looking at him. 

“I know,” he whispered. He looked into Kaladin’s eyes. “My father sent it to me.” 

“Oh.” Kaladin swallowed and handed him back his phone. “Shit.” 

“I need to know who took this,” Adolin growled. “We have the fence. And the hedges. I did all of that when someone took photos of Shallan sunbathing topless. It had to have been someone we allowed on the property. And of course there’s not a damn camera looking at the pool.” 

Adolin looked at the picture again, zooming in and moving around the screen, trying to get some idea of when the photo had been taken. They were still in-season, closing in on the final stretch before the playoffs, and didn’t need these sorts of distractions. 

And then there was Dalinar. 

Fuck. 

“I’ll call Sigzil,” Kaladin said. Adolin simply nodded. Sigzil represented both of them, and he’d be able to do damage control and get someone on the task of finding out where this rag had gotten the photo from. Adolin ran his hands through his hair and watched Kaladin leave the room, phone pressed against his ear. 

Storms but he was beautiful. Adolin couldn’t get enough of looking at him, whether he was naked in his bed or in uniform on the mound. There was something about Kaladin that called to him like a siren’s song. 

They’d been so careful . The number of people who knew about their relationship could be counted on a single hand. None of them would betray them like this. Would they? His phone buzzed again. Adolin looked over and saw it was his father, again. He ignored it. Dalinar didn’t leave a message but he sent another message. Adolin looked at it. “I can see that you read the message. Call me.” 

Adolin ignored it. He wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever but he didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with him right now.

Kaladin came back into the room, hanging up his own phone as he did. “Sigzil is on it. The publication is taking it down for now, they want proof it was taken from on the property or they’ll repost.” He dropped his phone beside Adolin’s on the stand and climbed back onto the bed. “Sig is filing for the name of the individual who supplied the photo.” 

Adolin pulled Kaladin towards him, and the other man came willingly, draping his legs on either side of Adolin’s waist and pressing their chests together. “Thank you for calling him,” Adolin whispered, touching his forehead to Kaladin’s. 

“Of course,” Kaladin responded. His deep brown eyes gazed into Adolin’s own, full of concern and affection. Adolin shifted and touched his lips to Kaladin’s, gentle and without intent for more. They had a game tonight and Adolin was scheduled to start so there would be no morning sex for them. Not that Adolin would really have felt up to it anyway, after all that had already happened that morning. 

“Do you want to go for a run?” Adolin asked him and Kaladin nodded. 

“I think we could both use it,” he agreed. All athletes had their own personal routines and for Adolin a morning run was pretty essential to getting a day off on the right foot. Although today wasn’t off to a promising start, maybe a run could help settle his nerves and clear his head. He had to be in the right mindset if he was going to throw a good game tonight. Why had this cropped up on a day he was on rotation? 

“Run, shower, clubhouse?” Adolin said and Kaladin nodded. 

They changed into their running gear and headed out into the cool Kholinar morning. This late in the season, the day would likely start off chilly, get hot for a few hours and cool right back off again in time for the game. Perfect baseball weather, in Adolin’s opinion. 

He looked over at Kaladin, who was keeping pace with him easily. Apparently he’d done cross country in the baseball off-season at school and he ran a steady pace that was both challenging but not overwhelming. He was one of those annoying people who looked good while he was running, his hair up in a bun, his face not flushed although he would start to sweat soon. Adolin could never manage it, although he loved running and he was an objectively extremely good looking man. He grinned, shaking his head as he looked back at the sidewalk in front of him. He didn’t know how Kaladin managed to be so damn perfect at everything without even trying but he was. 

They ran their typical morning five miles - not enough to overdo it, but enough to get some good cardio in to start the day. By the time they got back to the house, Adolin’s mind was clearer and he felt better about having to pitch that night. The playoff race between them and the Bells was tight and although whichever team didn’t take the division was almost sure to get in via wildcard, they wanted the division. At the start of the season a game here or there was unlikely to make much of a difference but this time of the year every win mattered.

He moved to the kitchen and threw the ingredients for a shake into his blender, and watched as Kaladin went to start the shower in his bathroom. Although the other man had started living with him as a roommate and he technically had his own room and bathroom, these days he basically shared with Adolin. They’d been comfortable with each other from the start and Adolin would never admit how much he loved knowing he’d have Kaladin in his bed each night when they were on a home stand. It’s what he’d wanted with Shallan… no, he wasn’t going to let his mind go there. If things had turned out how he’d planned, he wouldn’t have Kaladin, not in this way. And he thought that perhaps this was always meant to be. 

“You’re a driveling, romantic idiot, Kholin,” he huffed to himself. Their relationship was only two months old at this point, far too early to be thinking things like that . Especially when he was afraid to tell anyone in his family about it except for his brother, Renarin. Hell, they hadn’t even said “I love you” yet. And things had fallen apart with Shallan after three years - two months wasn’t nearly long enough to determine anything about the longevity of a relationship. 

He shut off the blender and poured out two shakes, taking the glasses with him as he made his way to the bedroom. Kaladin had the shower running already and came out to take his own shake from Adolin. 

“Thanks,” Kal said. Adolin let his gaze drift over the other man’s now-naked body and felt warmth flood his chest. Romantic idiot, maybe, but he could admit he had it bad for Kaladin. 

“Always a pleasure, bridgeboy,” he responded, taking a drink of his own shake to cover the flush on his cheeks. They each drank in silence for a few minutes and then Adolin set his glass down on the dresser, making a mental note to be sure to grab it when he was out of the shower, and headed in to wash. 

As Adolin showered, he went through the batting lineup for tonight’s game. He always memorized the hitters he was likely to face, breaking down their tendencies and going through them in his head while he showered on gameday. Tonight they were playing the Narak Chasmfiends and they had a couple of powerful hitters that had gotten the better of Adolin in the past. He was determined not to let either of them get a hit against him tonight. 

Kaladin finally stepped into the shower, and they maneuvered easily around one another in the huge space to each take the time to let the hot water soothe the muscles in their legs and core and also wash. Adolin loved to watch Kaladin in the shower - the way the water flowed over the long, lean panes of his body and plastered his glorious hair down between his shoulder blades. 

“Staring is rude,” Kaladin told him, noticing his gaze and Adolin laughed. That was the thing about his relationship with Kal - it was easy . In the past, his relationships had always seemed like something that required constant time and attention. Him and Kaladin? It just worked. 

Kaladin looked out the window of Adolin’s truck as they maneuvered through Kholinar’s morning traffic towards Stormlight Bank Field. His mind kept drifting back to the photo. It couldn’t have been taken from anywhere else but on the property, based on the angle, and it was taken in such a way as to show their interlocked fingers, their thighs pressed together, their affectionate expressions as they spoke to one another. It was taken explicitly to show that they were more than just good friends and housemates. 

It was a complete violation of privacy. 

Kaladin knew that, as a famous athlete - and he was famous now he had to admit - he couldn’t expect complete and total privacy. Especially not when he lived with Adolin, who was even more famous as well as being the son of Kholinar’s brightest star, Dalinar Kholin. But Adolin had done what he could to try to ensure he could relax on his own property. That was the only reason they dared be in any way intimate outside of the house. 

He sighed. 

“Clearmark for your thoughts?” Adolin asked, looking over at him. 

“That’s all I’m worth, huh? A clearmark?” Kaladin responded and Adolin laughed. “I just feel bad - this is going to cause friction between you and your dad.” 

“Listen, Kal. I’m not looking forward to speaking with him, but there’s always friction between us. He’s been controlling my life, or trying to, since I was in Little League. If he had his way he’d be my agent.” Adolin frowned. “I’m actually more concerned about you. He’s gonna push to get you traded if he’s really pissed.” 

Kaladin didn’t respond. He couldn’t imagine playing for anyone else, even though this was his first season with the Blades, and not just because of Adolin. He was fond of his teammates, had grown to respect the coaching and training staff, and he’d been a fan of the team since his youth. But he didn’t need to worry about that, not right now. It was well past the trade deadline and he had that trade clause in his contract on top of it. If Dalinar really wanted him gone, he was going to have to convince the team to take a massive leap that could result in serious legal and financial consequences. Thank the Almighty for Sigzil’s foresight. 

They pulled up to the clubhouse at around 11 a.m. The game was scheduled for a 7:10 start time but like most baseball players they wanted to get to the field as early as possible to prepare. And today, Kaladin assumed, he and Adolin would need to have a discussion with May Aladar, the team’s head of PR and Communications. He was relieved to see there were no reporters outside, and supposed maybe their quick response had prevented the story from leaking too far. It would get out, regardless of being taken down, but they had a moment’s reprieve. 

They weren’t the first ones in - Teft, Szeth, and Rlain’s cars were all in the lot already. That was unsurprising. Adolin swung into his normal spot and they grabbed their bags to head inside. 

May was waiting at the door. 

“Morning, May,” Adolin greeted and the short, dark-haired woman smiled at him. 

“I suppose you expected to see me today?” She said. 

“We did,” Adolin replied. “How long have you been standing there, though?” 

“I asked the parking attendant to let me know when you came in,” she shrugged and Adolin nodded. 

“Well, let’s get this over with,” Adolin’s tone was resigned. He and Kaladin dropped their bags near the door and followed May upstairs to the executive offices. 

Kaladin wasn’t surprised to see Teft in May’s office, as well as the Blades’ owner, Elhokar King. 

“Have a seat boys,” May said as she walked behind her desk to sit down herself. Kaladin’s nerves were kicking up and he worried about Adolin, but he’d seemed better since his attack this morning. “I’m sure you know what this is about.” 

“The piece STARZZ published, I assume,” Adolin said and May nodded. 

“I understand that Sigzil has already taken action on the matter and the article has been temporarily pulled, but we can’t assume no other outlets saw it, or have the photo. The team has to be prepared to respond to questions, should they arise.” May sat forward, one hand fiddling with a pen as she looked at them. 

“We understand,” Kaladin said. “What do you need from us?” 

“The truth, for starters,” Teft was the one who spoke this time from where he was seated on the couch by the office wall. “Is there anything to this rumor of an intimate relationship between the two of you?” 

Kaladin looked over at Adolin, who swallowed hard and then did something unexpected. He reached across the distance between their two chairs and took Kaladin’s hand in his own. Kaladin felt a shock run through him and then his heart felt like it was swelling to an uncomfortable level. 

“Yes,” Adolin said, voice steady. Kaladin knew this was incredibly difficult for him. “We’ve been keeping it secret so it wouldn’t become a distraction for the team, especially just before the postseason. Unfortunately someone thought they knew better.” 

He wasn’t telling the entire truth. Although they did keep it discreet for the sake of not being a distraction, they also wanted to keep it from getting to Dalinar and the rest of the Kholin family before Adolin was ready to come out to them. He needed to come to terms with his own sexuality before he tried to talk to them, and after years of religious belief being shoved down his throat, two months certainly wasn’t enough time for Adolin to fully process things. Kaladin’s heart broke at the thought that this was being forced on him and he squeezed Adolin’s hand. 

“Well, there really isn’t any precedent for this in the team code of conduct…” May’s voice was thoughtful. “I guess no one ever really saw the potential need for it. How long has this been going on?” 

“A couple of months,” Kaladin replied. “Since the All Star break, give or take.” 

He knew the exact date - how could he ever forget? - but he wanted to keep things vague. 

“And it hasn’t been a distraction?” It was Elhokar who asked this, looking over at Teft, who shook his head. 

“Never noticed anything different,” he answered. “And I’m not a fool, I usually catch on to things pretty quickly. I’m pretty sure that’s why you keep me around.” 

Elhokar hummed and nodded, not saying anything more. Teft looked at May, who shrugged. 

“Honestly, the team doesn’t have any standing to tell you you can’t be together,” she said. “I checked things with HR before you got here. And the league doesn’t prohibit it. You’ve kept things private - this photo was obviously taken and shared without your knowledge. How do you want the team to respond?” 

“You’re the PR pro,” Adolin told her. “We just want to emphasize that this was an invasion of privacy and that legal action will be taken. We really want to avoid discussion of our relationship if at all possible…” 

“You gonna be ok to throw tonight?” Teft inquired. 

“Yeah,” Adolin said. “As long as I don’t have to speak with Dalinar before the game I’ll be fine. If we can maybe keep him out of the clubhouse today?” He looked over at Elhokar, who was the one who had granted full access to the team to Dalinar in the first place. 

“We can’t have you in your head,” Elhokar stated simply. “I’ll pass the word along not to allow him access to the players today.” 

“I take it your father doesn’t know?” Teft asked, and Adolin shook his head. 

“Well, he didn’t,” Adolin corrected. “He’s the one who sent me the article. He must have a damn alert set up on his phone for articles mentioning the team, or me. Almighty only knows how he even managed that.” Dalinar was famously technologically challenged and Kaladin figured Renarin must have helped him with it.

“Ok. We’re going to put together a press release - we won’t send it unless someone reaches out to us. I’m going to give everyone instructions on how to deal with the press, too. I’ll call a general meeting with players and coaches around 1? Does that work?” May looked at Teft again and he nodded. 

“Everyone should be here by then,” he agreed. 

“Can we let the guys know before then?” Adolin asked the manager, and Teft nodded again. “Thanks. Probably better coming from us directly for those who haven’t already seen a screenshot of the article or something.” 

Kaladin knew Adolin was worried about how Helaran was going to react. He had been unhappy when Adolin and Shallan had broken up, even though it had been Shallan’s decision. He’d probably assume Kaladin had something to do with it. He sighed, rubbing his free hand through his hair. 

“Ok boys, I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” May said, and the two of them, plus Teft, stood up to leave. 

“What are you going to do about dinner?” Kaladin asked as they walked out of the office. Adolin tensed visibly and sighed. Apparently he hadn’t even considered his traditional post-game dinner with Dalinar. 

“I truly don’t know,” he replied as they made their way back down the stairs to grab their bags and head to the locker room. “I don’t want to have this conversation with him in public. I don’t want to have this conversation with him at all . I’m not fucking ready.” Adolin grabbed his duffle and stormed down the hallway towards the locker room. Teft stepped up beside Kaladin and put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Sorry about all this, son.” The manager said. “It sucks to have you going through something like this as a rookie.” 

“Honestly? I’m not concerned about me. I really don’t keep my sexuality a secret,” Kaladin shrugged as he picked up his bag. “It’s Adolin… he’s being forcefully outed and that’s not fair to anyone.” He watched his boyfriend angrily moving down the hall and frowned. “Plus, I have a feeling Helaran is going to be a problem.” 

“Shallan?” Teft inquired and Kaladin gave a quick nod. 

“He seems to think she was wronged in some way. No amount of Adolin or her telling him otherwise has helped.” 

“Well, I’m here for you boys if you need me,” Teft said simply, and followed Adolin’s retreating form down the hallway. Kaladin sighed. 

Things had been going really well up until now. He should have expected they would fall apart at some point. He was truthfully concerned that all of this would push Adolin away from him, and he didn’t know if he could handle that. The two months they’d been together had been the best of his life, and not only because he was killing it on the mound. He really, really wanted things to last this time, unlike all of his other tried and failed relationships. 

He made his way slowly to the locker room. A few other members of the team had wandered in while they were upstairs and they all greeted him cheerfully. Actually, most of the roster was present, with just a handful of players missing. Lopen was always one of the last in, and it irked Teft to no end, Kaladin knew. Wit was the same way and not yet present. It was a running team joke to bet on which of the two would make it in first. Salinor wasn’t there either but he wasn’t behind the plate tonight so that made sense. 

“When do you want to speak with the guys?” Kal asked Adolin as he moved up beside him. “I’m not even sure what to say.” 

“I’ll handle it,” Adolin grunted. Kaladin frowned. 

“Hey… I’m here. Let me help.” He touched Adolin’s shoulder and felt the tension there. “We need to get this out of the way so you can get in the right headspace for the game.” Adolin’s entire energy was off and Kaladin didn’t like it. 

“Come on,” Adolin tugged his arm and they walked towards the gym where they could talk alone. “I’m sorry, thinking about talking to my dad really set me off. I’m really not ready for it, Kal. I am fine with talking to the guys… but,” he looked away and Kaladin saw his jaw clench. “I can’t do it. I can’t talk to him.” When he returned his gaze to Kaladin, there were tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m ashamed of you, of us. I chose you - I chose this.”  

“I don’t think that,” Kaladin whispered. “You shouldn’t have to do any of this yet. Just… don’t push me out, ok? I’m here for you. And you don’t have to talk to him yet if you aren’t ready. Just because he’s your father doesn’t mean you have to tell him anything you don’t want to.” 

“You ready to get this out of the way?” Adolin asked, and Kaladin nodded. 

“I’m with you.” 

They walked back into the locker room, and Adolin jumped up onto one of the benches, pulling Kaladin up beside him and getting everyone’s attention with a piercing whistle. The three stragglers had found their way in over the past few minutes.

“Listen up!” Adolin yelled. There was shuffling as the guys turned around and moved closer to hear him. “You’re all going to get called to a meeting with May up in PR around one, just before we go out for practice.” There was a collective murmur and Adolin raised his hands for quiet. “She’s gonna give you a refresher on how to respond to media questions related to personal player issues. But before she does that, Kal and I wanted you to hear from us that we are in a relationship. We have been for about two months, and we didn’t intend to make it public in any way until after the season at least - our focus is on winning the Series. Unfortunately someone violated our privacy and leaked a photo to the paparazzi so that timetable got moved up a bit.”

The murmuring picked up again. And then the shout came that Kaladin had expected. 

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Helaran shouted. “You dumped my sister for him? ” 

“For the last storming time, Shallan dumped me!” Adolin yelled back. “I wanted to marry her! I bought a ring and everything. She said no.” 

Helaran scoffed. 

“Ok.” He said dismissively. Adolin prepared to say something else but Kal touched his arm gently and shook his head.

The rest of the team was chatting amongst themselves, and then Lopen shouted out “so you guys are pitchers and catchers?” Kaladin thought Adolin was going to burst a blood vessel, he turned so red, and figured he should probably handle this. 

“That joke is so old , Lopen,” he retorted. “Pretty sure I heard it the first time in, what? My second semester of college?” 

“Eh, who cares. Maybe this is a good thing - you’ve both been throwing lights out for weeks now,” it was their first baseman, Gezamal Kushkam. “Keep winning us games like you have been, Kholin, and you could be in a relationship with both Kaladin and Shallan - I wouldn’t bat an eye.”

Helaran made a choked sound at that but the declaration seemed to snap the others out of their musings and they all began to agree and congratulate them before moving on to their game day routines. Kaladin hopped off the bench and Adolin followed.

“I wish Helaran would get over this belief that I did something to Shallan,” Adolin whispered. “It’s been months now. I get that she’s his baby sister and he’s protective but it’s getting a little ridiculous.”

“Give him time,” Kaladin replied. “C’mon, let’s do something productive.” 

The hours before and after team warmups in the early afternoon were theirs to use as they wanted. Some of the guys played video or board games, some listened to music or watched tv. 

“Help me go over the batting lineup for the Chasmfiends?” Adolin asked, and Kaladin nodded. 

“Of course,” he said, grabbing one of the team’s tablets so the two of them could sit together and scroll through the information. 

May came to the locker room at 1 p.m. as scheduled. Adolin didn’t feel much anxiety about the meeting - the men all already knew why it was being held - but he couldn’t help glancing over at Helaran as the head of PR spoke with them. 

Helaran had been one of his best friends - before Kaladin had come along, Helaran and Relis had been his two best friends on the team. He’d lost Relis to his injury, but he would be back in the clubhouse next season while he rehabbed in AAA. Adolin didn’t know if things with Helaran could be salvaged and it hurt, mostly because it wasn’t Adolin’s fault. Shallan had driven their breakup but Helaran treated him like he’d done something wrong. And now he was almost certain he’d start treating Kaladin like he’d been the cause. 

Helaran must have felt his gaze because he turned his head and met Adolin’s eyes, scowling as he did so. Adolin refused to avert his gaze first and so Helaran simply turned his attention back to May, who was instructing them in how to answer potential questions they may get from the media. Adolin sighed. He wasn’t going to dwell on it - he needed to focus on the game. But sometimes he really missed having Helaran to talk to. 

As soon as May wrapped up the meeting, Zahel called the pitchers out for stretches and Adolin fell easily into the familiar rhythm of gameday routine, pushing thoughts of paparazzi, Dalinar, Helaran, and Shallan out of his mind. 

Pitching stretches were always followed by batting practice and Adolin thoroughly enjoyed the chance to get to play a little defense. Most people saw pitchers as lesser athletes, and he resented that opinion. So, whenever he had the chance to make a flashy play during BP, he was happy to do it. Today that meant a great diving catch off the bat of the team’s center fielder, Halam Khal. Zahel gave him a look that said “stop asking for an injury you idiot” and Adolin merely grinned at him. 

“You’re a storming fool, Kholin,” the pitching coach scolded and Adolin laughed and shrugged. 

“Guilty as charged I guess,” he replied, and then he ran back out to catch more balls, leaving the older man shaking his head in his wake. Adolin knew he’d rather have him with the other pitchers throwing in the bullpen, but since he was on the mound tonight, they wouldn’t risk overtaxing his arm. He’d throw some warmup pitches with Szeth tonight before the game, but for now he could have fun catching balls with the rest of his teammates. 

When they wrapped up around 4 p.m., everyone went to grab some food and hang out in the clubhouse again. Adolin had a pretty set pre-game routine for the time prior to gametime warmups. He grabbed his normal meal of a grilled chicken breast and vegetables and plopped down beside Kaladin, Rock, Lopen, and Wit. 

“Hey goncho,” Lopen greeted. “Saw that catch you made during BP - you shoulda been an outfielder.” 

“Please, do not inflate his already over-large ego any more,” Wit quipped. 

“ My ego?” Adolin scoffed. “Who has a license plate that says #1 Closer?” 

“Just stating facts my friend,” Wit responded and the guys laughed. 

After eating, the players killed time as they saw fit. Adolin’s tradition was first to call his brother Renarin and then to play a game of towers with Rlain and the team’s backup center fielder, Yanagawn Gawx. 

“Renarin!” He greeted as the younger man’s face appeared on his screen. Renarin didn’t look much like him - he was bookish, more slender and with more black in his hair than blonde. He was attending university and studying philosophy, much to their father’s chagrin. 

“Hey! I’m on my way to class so I can’t talk long but I know you have a ritual to keep,” Renarin was obviously walking outside. 

“No worries - how have you settled in this semester?” 

“Pretty good,” Renarin’s glasses were dark from the sun and Adolin wished he could see them. They were his brother’s most expressive feature. “Hey, have you talked to dad?” 

Adolin’s stomach dropped and he shook his head. 

“No - I’m avoiding him at all costs,” he admitted. Renarin nodded. 

“Understandable. He called me, I played dumb the best I can but he’s pretty irked that you haven’t responded to him.” 

“I am not surprised,” Adolin replied. “Don’t let him distract you from school - this is not your issue.” 

“I know. Just know that I love you and I support you no matter what,” Renarin said. Adolin smiled. 

“I know. And same. Have a great day!” 

“Good luck tonight,” Renarin replied and then he hung up. 

One game of towers and two hours later, it was time to get ready for the actual game. Adolin completed his pre-game ritual by putting on his mother’s necklace and saying a short prayer, and he and Kal gripped hands, squeezing tightly once before letting go and heading out for warmups.

Chapter Text

Kaladin was more than ready to get off the bus when it finally stopped in Shulin several hours after they had departed Kholinar. He shrugged his backpack on and stretched as he reached the bottom and stepped onto the curb. Apparently, he took a beat too long to resume moving and someone thudded into his back. 

“Oh shit, sorry!” Kaladin turned as he stumbled and saw a sharp-featured man with black and brown hair catching himself after their collision. 

“It’s fine,” the other man regained his balance and shrugged off Kaladin’s attempt to help him. “Just keep moving next time.” 

Kaladin frowned and followed the man at a distance, since they were both headed to the side of the bus to collect their luggage. He didn’t recognize him, meaning he was likely a fellow rookie. Kaladin knew every player on the roster and he wasn’t one of him. It was pitchers and catchers only for this week, which meant the man played one of the two positions. Kaladin hoped he wasn’t a fellow pitcher - he had made a terrible first impression. 

Kal grabbed his bag and headed into the spring training clubhouse. He still couldn’t believe he was here - spring training with the Kholinar Blades. He knew the odds were stacked against him, the team was loaded with excellent pitchers, but he also knew he had what it took to make an impression. He was going to ensure he made one. 

He stepped to the side of the hallway to let the people behind him pass, pretending to adjust the straps on his backpack. At the end of the corridor stood the man who had made him fall in love with baseball - Dalinar Kholin, the most famous designated hitter the Blades ever fielded and one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. He was speaking with a man slightly shorter than him but just as recognizable to Kaladin - that was Adolin Kholin, his son and the team’s ace pitcher. He watched them for a moment before he gathered up his courage and continued down towards the meeting room. He couldn’t let himself become star-struck. He was here to work hard, show his skills, and hopefully find a spot on the 26 - or at the very least on the 40. That would mean interaction with both of the Kholin men, so he told himself to pull it together.

He found a seat and realized the guy who had bumped into him was seated next to him. He almost got up and moved but he decided it was better just to stay put instead of being awkward and conspicuous. 

“You again,” the man said, looking over at Kal with eyes as deep brown as Kaladin’s own. 

“The name is Kaladin Stormblessed,” Kaladin said to him, reaching his hand out to shake. The hawk-featured man looked at it and grunted. Kal rolled his eyes and dropped his hand. So much for being friendly. He pulled out his phone instead to text his mom and let her know he’d arrived safely at the facility. Then one of the men standing up front began speaking. 

“Alright boys, listen up!” A man at the front of the room shouted. “For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Zahel Vasher and I’m the pitching coach around here. This here with me is, of course, the Blades’ manager Teft Sergeant - I’m sure you all recognize him.” There was a general murmur of assent from those assembled. “And for you lads behind the dish, your coach, Rine Hatham.” A man leaning on the wall by the door waved. 

“Today is just for getting settled in. Those of you who have been through this before know what to do. If you haven’t found accommodations for the duration of your stay, please see me after the meeting and we’ll assign you a room at the hotel down the block - we have a couple of floors set aside. A lot of what we do during these two weeks before everyone else gets here is bonding so be prepared to see a lot of each other. We want you to be comfortable with one another on the field and off - the best tool a team can have is synchronicity between its pitchers and catchers.” 

Zahel looked around the room and then nodded. “Pitchers, we all know competition is going to be fierce this year. But one or two of you could find yourselves optioned to the Bridgemen if you show me you’ve got what it takes. Work hard and be willing to take criticism and advice when we give it to you.” 

Kaladin listened intently. He had worked hard to get to this point and he wasn’t about to let his opportunity slip away. Both his parents worked in medicine - his father as a surgeon, his mother an ER nurse. When Kal had shown aptitude for science, they had hoped he would follow them into the field. Instead, he’d taken his knowledge of physics and used it to make himself a star baseball player. In the summer he attended baseball camps. He played for his school, in travel leagues, and routinely could be found in the batting cages at the local sports complex. Baseball was all Kaladin needed. 

When Zahel was finished talking, everyone headed towards the locker room to situate their belongings and prepare for a casual run through. Kaladin looked for his name and found it between Rlain Singer and the catcher Szeth Vallano. He noticed that the hawk-faced man was just a couple of lockers down and glanced up at his name - Moash Vyre. At least he had a name to put with the face of the other man now. Adolin didn’t particularly care if the man ever saw him as a friend, but he didn’t care for people thinking badly of him. 

Zahel walked through the room, instructing the pitchers to meet him out on the mound, and Kaladin immediately turned to follow him out, grabbing his mit out of the locker as he did so. 

Adolin loved spring training. It was always a blast getting to know the new guys, and spending time with the ones he already knew and loved. He looked over the new faces in the room and leaned towards his father. 

“Which ones are you pushing for this year?” He asked. Each season Dalinar had a favorite or two among the new crop of players that he took a special interest in. Dalinar nodded towards a young man with long, waving dark hair, a bold nose and chin that should have been too sharp to be attractive but taken as a whole with the rest of his face were surprisingly beautiful. He was looking at Zahel, listening intently. 

“That’s the one from Tomat University - the one who threw two no-hitters in his senior year. Stormblessed is his name, Kaladin Stormblessed.” Dalinar told him. “I don’t think we’ll have room in the opening day lineup but he should be optioned to AAA without issue.” 

“Is he the one with the killer curve?” Adolin inquired and Dalinar nodded. 

“Good four-seamer too, he managed to bring his speed up on it throughout college and he’s averaging 97 or 98 these days.” His father added. 

“Right hander?” Adolin looked at the way the other man held his phone in that hand as he listened to the pitching coach speak. 

“Yes,” Dalinar confirmed. Adolin hummed and nodded. He made a mental note to do some research on the other man’s game that evening. Zahel wrapped up his speech and the group moved en-masse towards the locker room. Adolin joined them, catching up with Relis as he did and wrapping an arm about his shoulders. 

“You ready to win it all this season?” He asked, and Relis laughed. 

“You say that every season,” the flat-faced young pitcher said. 

“Ahhh, but that’s the beauty of it - one of these years it’s going to be right ,” Adolin pointed out, grinning and patting Relis on the back as he entered the locker room. Adolin could feel that the team was close - they’d made it to the league championship round the previous season but lost in five games. They just needed a couple more pieces and they’d be hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. The Blades hadn’t won it all since his father was on the team and Adolin really wanted to bring a championship back to Kholinar. 

He greeted Wit and Helaran, whose lockers were side-by-side, and made his way to his own space. The spring training clubhouse was nice enough but nothing compared to their own space in Kholinar. Now that was a clubhouse - a massaging chair at each locker, on-site massage, cryo therapy, cafeteria facilities, even a sports drink bar. But there was something special about the simplicity here at the spring training site. It reminded him of playing before he was in the majors and why he loved the game. 

Baseball had always been something he could share with his father. Dalinar was not an easy man and he’d gone through a particularly rough period when Adolin’s mother had passed in an accident Dalinar blamed himself for. Adolin was much more like late mother, Evi, than he ever had been like Dalinar and the two butted heads routinely. But when it came to baseball, they could put aside those differences and enjoy the sport together. 

“You buy any new cars since last season, Wit?” He heard someone ask, and the older man laughed. 

“As a matter of fact, I did!” Wit seemed thrilled that someone had asked and Adolin rolled his eyes. Wit was the oldest pitcher on the team. This would be his 15th season but he was still considered to be one of the best closing pitchers in the game. He was a habitual bachelor, and used much of his money on a fleet of exotic cars that he was extremely proud of. Adolin didn’t begrudge him that, but Wit also tended to be a joker and it was hard to tell if he was taking anything seriously, which Adolin did dislike. “I finally snagged myself a Bugatti.” 

Adolin shook his head. He liked cars but did one man really need a dozen of them? Now horses - those were something worth spending money on. Currently, Adolin’s white Arabian stallion Sureblood lived at the stables on the Kholin family compound, Urithiru, but someday he’d have land and a barn of his own. He could afford it now, but he liked living close to the stadium and didn’t want to worry about two homes, so he would wait until he retired. 

“Pitchers, form up around the mound when you’re ready!” Zahel yelled as he walked through the room. It was time to work. Adolin’s blood thrummed inside of him as he, Helaran, and Jakamov headed toward the diamond. 

“Man, it feels good to be back!” Helaran said, stretching his arms above his head as he walked. He looked like he’d put on some extra muscle over the off season and Adolin wondered what that would do to his mechanics. Well, that’s what spring training was for - figuring those sorts of things out. 

Adolin was surprised to see that someone had beat them out to the mound, other than Zahel. It was the rookie his father had pointed out, Kaladin Stormblessed. Well, that was a good sign as far as his dedication was concerned, but that should hardly surprise Adolin. Dalinar always favored prospects with work ethic, saying it was something that couldn’t be taught no matter how talented a player. 

“Hey,” he said, jogging up beside the other man. “I’m Adolin Kholin,” he offered his hand and the other man took it. 

“Kaladin Stormblessed,” he said. Up close, Adolin could see he had deep, brown eyes and some sort of tattoo on his right shoulder and bicep. 

“These are Helaran Davar and Jakamov Roion,” Adolin added, indicating the other two men, who each offered their hands in greeting. “You’re from up near the border, right?”

“Yeah, town called Hearthstone,” Kaladin replied and Adolin nodded. 

“Well, welcome aboard,” Helaran said. Relis, Wit, and Rlain were walking up and more introductions were made. After that, all the others made their way out and soon they were standing on the bump, looking at the group of pitchers that had assembled behind home plate. It was a casual run through so no one was throwing hard or showing off, just tossing some balls and learning about one another. 

Adolin knew most of the men well already, but besides Kaladin, there was another rookie, Joret Skybreaker, and the team had just brought in two new relievers, Felt Scadrian and Nacomb Gaval. He also felt the absence of Rillar Roshone, a fellow starter who had been packaged in a trade that that brought the catcher Szeth Vallano to the team. Rillar had been with the Blades since Adolin had been in the rotation and his leadership would be missed. But Adolin supposed it was time for someone else to step up, and he was prepared to do so. 

Once Zahel wrapped things up, he called the group together. 

“Pitchers, I want you here earlier than Zahel said tomorrow. He said 7, so I want you here at 6:30,” Adolin told them. “I want to make it a tradition to have a pitchers meeting before practice. We used to do it in college and I think it was helpful.” He looked at all of the men around him, who were nodding. “Tonight is your own night - do what you want, get settled into your spaces, get some rest. Tomorrow the real fun begins.” 

Kaladin had opted to simply stay at the hotel for spring training. It felt silly to spend his money on anything more extravagant and he liked being so close to the facility. He almost regretted his decision when he discovered that the room next to his had been assigned to Moash but he put it out of his head, sighing and stepping into the space that would be his home for the next month and a half. 

He hadn’t even been in the room for five minutes when there was a knock at his door. 

“Hello?” He greeted, voice uncertain, as he saw Moash standing outside of his room. 

“Hey,” Moash said. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. You were trying to offer me an olive branch and I should’ve accepted it instead of still being pissed about the bus. It was rude of me not to return your introduction.” 

Kaladin considered the other man for a long moment and decided he seemed to be earnest in his apology. He shrugged. “Let’s start over, then.” He held out his hand. “Kaladin Stormblessed.” 

“Moash Vyre,” the other man said, clasping the proffered hand and shaking it. 

“Nice to meet you. Looks like we’re going to be neighbors for a bit,” Kaladin replied. 

“Apparently,” Moash looked around and then smiled. “The digs aren’t bad though.” 

Kaladin was surprised at how easily they fell into casual conversation after the negativity of their initial interactions. Moash was reserved at first, not unlike Kaladin himself, but he opened up as he talked and Kaladin found himself enjoying the other man’s company enough that they decided to head down to the hotel restaurant to grab dinner. He was shocked when he spotted Dalinar and Adolin doing the same, heads bent low in conversation. He wouldn’t have expected them to be at the hotel - he just assumed they owned a house or something nearby. He nodded at them in a friendly manner as he and Moash passed by, and then went to sit down. 

“Wonder why they’re here,” Kaladin murmured and Moash looked over at the Kholins and then back to him. 

“Didn’t you know? Dalinar owns the place,” Moash said. Kaladin blinked. He had no idea, but he supposed it made sense. This is where the team put up their players during Spring Training if they hadn’t done a short-term lease or some other housing arrangement for the duration. They would want it to be well-kept, with privacy for the players and quiet for them to rest. 

“How’d you know that?” Kaladin inquired. 

“Helaran and I were teammates for a year in college - we stayed in touch. He told me,” Moash replied. Kaladin hummed. 

“Where’d you go to college?” He finally asked. He knew Helaran was from Jah Keved, but didn’t know where he’d gone for university. 

“Oh, Vedenar State,” Moash shrugged. “No place in Alethkar offered me as good a scholarship so I went international.” 

“Where are you from originally?” 

“Actually, Kholinar,” Moash looked up and smiled. “My grandparents - they raised me, my parents died a long time ago - were thrilled when the Blades drafted me.” 

Their conversation was interrupted as a waitress came over to get their order. Once that was settled, they fell back into it like it hadn’t ended. 

“So will you be moving back in with them for the season?” Kaladin asked, taking a drink of the water the waitress had left on the table before departing. Moash huffed a laugh and shook his head. 

“Storms, no. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but they are not easy to share space with. I’ll find an apartment if I get optioned.” 

“And if you don’t?” Kaladin was curious what Moash’s plan was. 

“I’ll figure it out,” he shrugged. The thought made Kaladin nervous - he wasn’t the type of person who liked to just go with the flow. He liked to have a plan, a course of action, and a couple of backups in case that didn’t work out. 

“That’s terrifying,” Kaladin told him, and Moash gave him a confused look. “Not knowing what your next step will be.” 

“That’s how I’ve lived my life for years,” Moash looked over at where the Kholins were eating dinner and then back at him. “I’ve never had the luxury of knowing where I was going or what was coming next. Not until I got to Vedenar. My grandparents don’t have much, I had to work on top of school and baseball to make sure we got by.” 

“I can’t even imagine,” Kaladin told him honestly. And he couldn’t. He’d always had everything he needed and more. He didn’t have to get a part-time job, and he was able to focus on baseball over everything else. Academics came easily to him so it was never a struggle to balance his schoolwork and his pursuit of his craft. 

“How about you? Where do you come from?” Moash inquired. 

“Hearthstone. It’s a small town up towards the Herdazian border,” Kaladin told him. “Then Tomat University on a baseball scholarship.” 

“What’d you major in?” 

“Physics,” Kaladin told him, and Moash almost spit out the drink he had just taken. His face went red and his eyes wide as he coughed and then composed himself. 

“ Physics ?” 

“Yeah? What’s so shocking?” 

“That’s like… the hardest undergraduate degree ever and you chose that as a major while you were on an athletic scholarship?” Moash seemed aghast and Kaladin shrugged. 

“It’s actually really helpful, as a pitcher,” he said simply. 

“Ok, sure.” Moash snorted. 

“What was your major?” Kaladin was intrigued now - he hadn’t thought there was anything unusual about his choice of major, although now that he thought about it, he remembered his advisor being somewhat skeptical of his choice too. 

“Liberal arts,” Moash told him. “You know - something easy so I could focus on baseball. You know what they say - c’s get degrees.” 

“So do A’s,” Kaladin responded, tone serious. He had never gotten a C in his life. Moash laughed uproariously, causing not a few other patrons to look over at their table. 

“You really are something, Stormblessed.” The other man was smiling now, and it changed the look of him completely. Where he was sharp-featured, the smile seemed to soften those edges some. Kaladin’s mouth twisted up on one side, and he shrugged. 

“My parents wanted me to go into medicine, like them,” he explained. “Academic success was just as important to them as on-field wins.” 

“And what would you have done with that physics degree if you hadn’t gotten drafted?” 

“Pitching coach,” the words came easily to Kaladin’s lips. He’d considered all the alternatives of course. But nothing in the Cosmere interested him, not really. Teaching would be an acceptable alternative but would require him to get another degree at least. And research wasn’t for him - he couldn’t be cooped up in a building all day. Kaladin needed the sun, the open air, the freedom of the outdoors. “What about you?”

“Eh, my uncle works for a trucking company. Probably would have joined up with him.” Moash waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “He asked me straight out of high school but I wanted to try my luck with baseball first.” 

“A trucker with a liberal arts degree? Would you hang it up in the sleeper cabin?” Kaladin asked and Moash laughed again, not quite as loudly this time. 

“Damn right I would,” he said. It was Kaladin’s turn to laugh. 

“Fair enough. You did earn it.” 

“By the skin of my teeth,” Moash admitted. “But it’s the first college degree anyone in my family has ever received. So I’m pretty proud of it.”

The waitress brought their food and they tucked into it, both hungry from a long day of getting familiar with the ins and outs of their Spring Training facility and the way things were run. 

Kaladin let himself think that perhaps things weren’t going too badly when Adolin Kholin approached their table. He looked effortlessly put together even though Kaladin knew he hadn’t had time to do much more than change his clothes between when they’d wrapped up the first day at the clubhouse and now. 

“Hey Kaladin,” the other man greeted. Kaladin would never admit that the sound of his name on Adolin Kholin’s lips made his heart beat just a little faster. “How’s the hotel so far?” 

Kaladin, stupidly, couldn’t think of anything else to say other than “good.” Adolin gave him that disarming grin he was so famous for and then turned to introduce himself to Moash. Kaladin noticed it immediately - the shift in Moash’s body language, the tension in his shoulders as Adolin offered his hand, the tone of his voice when he responded to Adolin’s inquiries. He recalled their conversation a bit ago about how he’d not had an easy childhood and how he’d looked at Adolin and his father when he’d said it. 

What did Moash have against the Kholins? Thus far, Kaladin had found Adolin to be pleasant and welcoming. He hadn’t interacted with Dalinar but he didn’t expect Moash had, either. He narrowed his eyes at the other man and then returned his attention to Adolin as he bid them farewell and offered to walk with Kaladin to tomorrow’s pitchers meeting. Both he and Moash watched as Adolin walked away. 

Adolin looked over at where Kaladin and the catcher they’d drafted - Moash was his name - were talking as the catcher let out a loud burst of laughter. From what he’d seen of Kaladin thus far he hadn’t thought the man capable of making any sort of joke to elicit such a response. He seemed entirely serious, locked-in in a way Adolin had only ever seen from a couple of other players through the years. Dalinar followed his gaze. 

“I don’t know about that one,” he said and Adolin glanced at him. 

“Kaladin? I thought you liked him?” 

“No, the other one. Vyre. He’s a good catcher but he seems flighty.” Dalinar turned his attention back to Adolin. “A little bit too nonchalant about things. He’s good behind the dish, and he has an astounding batting average for a catcher which is why we drafted him. But I’m worried he might be a negative presence in the clubhouse. He’s better than what we currently have behind Vallano and Eved, that’s why he’s here. But we need to ensure he’s a good fit.” 

Adolin nodded, understanding. “I’ll keep an eye on him,” he said. “In fact, if we’re done with dinner, I’ll go say hi now. I met Kaladin earlier but didn’t really get any formal introduction to Moash besides a passing mention of his name.” 

“I’ll take care of the bill.” Dalinar nodded at him and Adolin pushed his chair back and stood, unconsciously running a hand through his mismatched blonde and black hair as he walked over to where the other two men were sitting. 

“Hey Kaladin,” he smiled as he reached the table. “How’s the hotel so far?” 

“Good,” Kaladin replied, seeming surprised that Adolin had approached. 

Adolin turned his smile on the other man and reached his hand out. “I don’t think we had a chance to be formally introduced. I’m Adolin Kholin.” 

Moash looked at his hand like it was some sort of venomous cremling and then up at Adolin’s face. “Oh, I know who you are,” he replied. 

“And you are..?” Adolin prompted. The other man reluctantly reached his hand out and shook it just once before pulling back. 

“Moash Vyre.” 

“Nice to meet you, Moash,” Adolin said. He didn’t really feel that way - in fact, the man put off a prickly, unwelcoming vibe that Adolin instantly distrusted - but he was going to ensure he did whatever was best for his team. If that meant attempting to befriend Moash then he would do it. “Kaladin, I’ll see you tomorrow for the morning pitcher’s meeting. Let me know if you want to meet up and walk together. Good to meet you again, Moash,” he turned and walked away. 

Dalinar was right - he did have the potential to be a negative presence in the locker room. Adolin would need to talk to Szeth and Salinor about him. He knew Salinor well, but Szeth was as new to him as Moash. Szeth, however, had come to the team from the Azimir Emperors, and was known to be a quiet, steady locker room presence despite his youth. It didn’t matter how well Moash could catch or hit if he was disruptive to overall team unity. 

He made his way up to his suite of rooms on the top floor, toying with his phone as he did so. As he keyed in the door, he hit the video call button for his girlfriend, Shallan. It took three rings but she picked up, looking tired and with a smudge of charcoal on her face. 

“Oh, shit - did I interrupt you while you were working?” He asked. Her hair was pulled to the side in a messy braid and her eyes were red-rimmed. She yawned. 

“Actually,” she finally managed to say. “I think you woke me up. I must have fallen asleep while working on this preliminary sketch.” 

“That would explain the charcoal on your forehead and cheek,” he pointed out and she laughed but didn’t attempt to wipe it away. Adolin loved that about her - she might be dating one of the most famous men in Alethkar, sister to yet another famous athlete, but she was still unabashedly Shallan. Desperate for knowledge, more concerned with drawing than with social expectations, Shallan was in her final semester at Kholinar University pursuing a dual major degree in visual arts and living science. 

“Sorry, I had a super early shift at the cafe this morning and these preliminaries are due next week for my final exhibition,” she apologized. “Guess I nodded off.” 

“It’s ok - do you want me to let you get some sleep?” He didn’t want to end the call - they so rarely got to talk these days. But he would never expect, or want, her to prioritize him over her academics. 

“No, actually, I’m glad you woke me up,” she told him, and he could see she was shuffling things in front of her and then she moved to her bed. “I would not want to sleep all night at my desk and Jasnah is away on a research trip so no one would have forced me to move.” 

Jasnah was Adolin’s cousin, and she’d been Shallan’s roommate since freshman year. It was actually through Jasnah that they had met, before Adolin had known Helaran at all. Helaran hadn’t been drafted by the Blades but wasn’t optioned by his original team and the Blades had picked him up, much to Shallan’s delight. 

“I’ll be back in Kholinar in a few weeks,” he told her and she nodded. 

“I know. The perks of being a baseball girlfriend who has her own obligations, I can’t just come along with you.” Shallan smiled. “It doesn’t mean I don’t wish you were here. I could use a… distraction … from all of this work.” Adolin felt a jolt of arousal low in his stomach and the expression on his face must have been memorable because Shallan laughed. “Why do you look so shocked? We’ve had sex, you know.” 

Adolin could feel himself flushing. “Of course I know that,” he managed to say. “It’s just… the way you said it - storms , Shallan, you can’t just say things like that.” 

“Why? Did I give you a boner?” She grinned wickedly and Adolin groaned. 

“Shallan!” The truth was, they hadn’t been intimate in a while. Adolin did not have the capacity to deal with her teasing right then. 

“You know, you can always let me help you take care of it,” she raised her eyebrows suggestively. 

“How did you go from dead asleep to horny in like 30 seconds?” He asked her, ignoring her pointed suggestion. 

“I mean, generally if I’m not dead asleep, I am horny,” she was still grinning and Adolin shook his head. 

“You are the worst,” he told her. “And you know I’m not having phone sex with you. You always try and I always say no.” 

“So prudish of you,” she shook her head, tone disapproving. 

“Whatever,” he didn’t feel like a drawn-out session of Shallan’s very particular style of teasing. It would inevitably end up with him being extremely uncomfortable and her laughing like she’d won some sort of prize. “Hel told me to let you know he’s here and that if Jasnah changes her mind to let him know.” 

“Jasnah is never going to go on a date with him,” Shallan said and Adolin shrugged. 

“Just passing on the message. How are classes going?” Shallan gestured to her forehead and cheek and he laughed. “That good huh? Well, just think - a few more months and it’s over, forever.” Adolin was looking forward to Shallan’s graduation. He hoped she’d finally agree to move in with him so they could see one another regularly and maybe even talk about getting married. But anytime he brought it up, she reminded him that she wasn’t done with school yet and said they’d talk about it closer to graduation. So he didn’t mention it. He loved her and he understood that education was her priority right now. He didn’t begrudge her that, although he did wish they saw more of each other. 

“Meet anyone fun and new?” She asked him, and he told her about Moash’s odd behavior when he’d introduced himself. They talked for a little while longer before Adolin could see that she was drooping again. 

“Go to bed,” he told her. “You look like you’re about to fall asleep sitting up.” 

“Are you sure? It’s so rare that we get to talk with any semblance of privacy,” she said, and he nodded. 

“Yes. You need to get some sleep. I love you - I’ll call you when I can,” he said. 

“Love you too,” she replied, and then the screen went black. Adolin sighed and flopped back against his pillows, staring at the ceiling and thinking about what things could be like when Shallan was finally done with school. He was always jealous of the guys who brought their families along for Spring Training. Rock’s family always came, and their third baseman Lopen seemed to have a constant array of cousins around. Dalinar used to bring him and Renarin along, as well as Evi, before she’d died. He had fond memories of growing up around the team and wanted to share that with his own children. But before he could even think about kids he had to get Shallan to consider moving in and marrying him. He ran a hand down his face and then yawned. It was getting later than he’d thought and he decided he should probably take his own advice and get some sleep.

Chapter Text

INNING TWO

Present Day:

Kaladin and Adolin take significant steps forward in their relationship.

They finally talk with Dalinar.

Flashback:

Spring training continues and Adolin tries to bond with his new teammates, with mixed results.

Chapter Text

Adolin Kholin was an ace pitcher - he had a four-pitch arsenal that could make any batter go down swinging and a decently low walk rate. But tonight, Adolin felt like he was on fire - batter after batter went down swinging and before he knew it he had a chance to throw a no-hitter in the ninth inning. 

Three batters stood between him and the best game of his career. He looked at Szeth as the first - Thude Bila - stepped up to the batter’s box. He was a right hander, and he liked to swing high. If Adolin could get his two-seamer to drop quickly enough he could get him to chase. Szeth signaled exactly that and he nodded. He gripped the ball and took a deep breath, then began his motion. He knew as soon as it left his hand that it was a perfect throw and Thude swung and missed. 

Szeth signaled another two-seamer but Adolin shook his head. A traditional four-seamer. That wasn’t what he’d originally anticipated but Adolin agreed. This time Thude made contact but he pulled it foul into the stands. Adolin released a breath and swallowed. One more. Then six more. Szeth signaled another two seamer and Adolin shook it off. He shook off the second suggestion and then took the third. Another swing and miss - out one was in the books. 

Lezian Nexim was a batter who had normally had Adolin’s number. Tonight, however, he hadn’t gotten a hit on him and apparently he was frustrated. He swung at the first pitch he was offered, fouled it up and Szeth nabbed it for out number two. Three more. 

El Braize was left-handed, the Chasmfiends’ designated hitter. He was good, but tonight he’d fouled off every ball he made contact with, and struck out each at-bat. Szeth signaled - a four-seam fastball - and Adolin agreed. But as the ball left his grip he felt it slip just a little and it dropped low for a ball. “Fuck,” Adolin growled. He made a lap around the rubber and then looked back at El. The fastball was still a good option. This time it hit the zone and was called a strike. 

Two more.

Szeth signaled another fastball and Adolin decided to give it a shot. He pushed it just slightly left in the zone, towards El’s body, causing the batter to swing and clip the ball foul. 

One more.

Adolin waved off the first two of Szeth’s suggestions and took the third. He breathed deeply, whispered a prayer to the Almighty, and let go. The sinker found the drop he was looking for, in and towards the left, and El swung and missed. 

Done.

The team erupted out of the dugout as El struck out, screaming with excitement, waving around the sword that the players brandished in celebration of home run hits, and trying to spray him with water. Adolin was swept up by the mob and let himself be drawn into the emotion of the moment, screaming and throwing his arms up in victory after swiping the home run sword from Lopen to hold above his head. 

“That was fucking spectacular!” Kaladin shouted and Adolin turned his brilliant smile on the other man and laughed. He felt amazing, like everything was right with his world - especially when he had Kaladin grinning at him as their teammates embraced and jumped around like fools. After the shitty way the day had started, Adolin thought the universe owed him this moment. 

Adolin was grabbed by the team’s sideline reporter for an interview - one he knew wouldn’t be about anything other than baseball - and then he jogged into the locker room, more than ready for a shower. 

The guys were still raucous in the locker room but Adolin made his way past them, high-fiving and waving as he headed towards the showers. It wasn’t until he was under the hot water that everything that had happened that day hit him. 

He’d been holding it all back - the fear, the anxiety, the anger - to get through the game. He’d imagined it all, put it into a box, and shut the lid for nine innings. Now that the game was over, those stashed-away emotions crashed down on him like a boulder. He began to shake, and sat down on the seat in the shower, breathing heavily as sobs overtook him. He’d just had the single best game of his career and he couldn’t even enjoy it. He dropped his face into his hands and let himself fall apart. 

Adolin had been expected to be perfect his entire life. Dalinar was demanding, and became more so after his mother had died. As he lost himself in alcohol, Dalinar pushed Adolin harder and harder. As he’d told Kaladin earlier in the day, Dalinar had tried to control every aspect of his life. Up until recently Adolin had toed the line and he was exhausted. 

He’d finally let himself have something in his relationship with Kaladin that Dalinar didn’t know about or control and he’d wanted more time to dwell in it, just them and the few people who knew, before he had to confront his father. He wished his mother was still alive. Evi had been a grounding presence for Dalinar, and had been the more emotionally open parent in Adolin’s life. Evi would have loved Kaladin. Evi loved everyone, saw the good in each person and treated them with respect. Damn but he missed her. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there when a knock came on the door. “Adolin?” It was Kaladin’s voice. “Everything ok? You’ve been in there a while.” 

“I’ll be out in a minute,” he called back, trying not to let his voice waver. He could talk to Kal about this later but he wasn’t going to do it here. First he had to figure out how to get home without being accosted by Dalinar. Home where he could let himself sink into Kaladin’s embrace and try to forget the rest of the world existed if only for the night.

He stood, shutting off the water and resolving to take an actual shower with soap when he wasn’t feeling like he was going to shatter into pieces. He dried off and threw the towel around his waist, and found Kaladin still hovering outside the door when he opened it. 

“Hey,” Kaladin’s voice was soft. 

“Hey,” Adolin echoed. He knew Kaladin could see his red eyes and probably could tell he’d been crying, but he didn’t say anything. Kaladin could always read him, and he would ask about it later, he was sure. But right now he was a silent, grounding presence beside him as he threw on a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt. 

“Do you think Dalinar is waiting for you?” Kaladin asked. Adolin handed him his phone.

“Not sure - I haven’t checked. Honestly… I’m afraid to,” he said, slumping down into the chair beside his locker. Kaladin opened the phone, clicking in his passcode with the ease of familiarity, and scrolled through the screen. 

“He said that ‘in light of my banishment from the clubhouse today, I don’t anticipate you being at dinner tonight. We’ll talk.’” Kaladin handed him back the phone. “You got a bunch of congratulations too - Renarin, Shallan, Relis…” 

“I’ll reply to them tomorrow. Maybe. I don’t know. Let’s go home?” He tipped his head back and looked up at Kaladin, who gave him a soft smile and nodded. 

“Sure.” 

Once at home, both men made their way to Adolin’s bedroom, undressing and crawling under the covers together without a word. Kaladin pulled Adolin against his chest and held him tightly. The rush of the game had long-since faded into the exhaustion of the day. Without speaking, he’d known that Adolin needed his presence and so he gave it to him, holding him close and whispering affectionate affirmations into his hair. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened in the shower?” He finally asked, pressing a kiss against Adolin’s mismatched hair. 

“It wasn’t really anything new,” he admitted. “I just spent all day pushing everything back, focusing on the game… once I came down from the adrenalin it all came rushing back. I just needed a good cry, I guess.” 

Kaladin hummed and they sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the quiet hum of the fan, both lost in their own thoughts for a long time. 

“You know,” Adolin eventually whispered from where he was tucked against Kaladin so firmly he might have been trying to crawl inside of him. “I never thought I’d throw my first professional no-hitter after all the shit that happened today.” 

“You’ve been throwing better than ever since the break,” Kaladin replied. “It was bound to happen eventually.” 

“I’ve been throwing so well because I’m happy,” Adolin moved back enough that he could look into Kaladin’s eyes. “The beginning of the season, things were weird - not having Relis around, Shallan and I breaking up…” He reached a hand up to brush his fingers down Kaladin’s face in a tender manner. Kaladin’s breath hitched at the touch. There were a lot of factors that could impact a pitcher’s success and Adolin wasn’t lying when he implied emotional state was one. But so were mechanics, overall fitness level, heck, even the weather conditions on any given game day. Some days you had it, some days you didn’t, regardless of how good you were. 

“It’s always been there. You just finally found it,” Kaladin objected and Adolin gave a gentle smile that made its way to his brilliant blue eyes.

“ You’re it.” He said. “I found you .” 

“Adolin,” Kal whispered. His heart was racing and he felt like his skin was too tight all of a sudden. The way Adolin was looking at him was overwhelming, like he was something perfect and precious. He swallowed. 

“I know it’s only been a couple of months,” Adolin admitted. “But storms, Kal - I love you.” 

Kaladin’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t deny he felt the same way but it had only been such a short amount of time. Adolin had been with Shallan for years, and had only just become willing to accept the part of him that was attracted to men as well as women. He didn’t want Adolin to suddenly realize his feelings for Kaladin weren’t as strong as he’d thought down the road, that they were just overwhelming now because of the newness of it all.

“You’re thinking too much,” Adolin said. “If you aren’t ready to say it back, that’s ok. I just need you to know how I feel, before everyone starts coming at us. We can’t avoid Dalinar or the press forever and I might revert to… what was it you called me that one time? A spoiled jock asshole who had everything handed to him?” Kaladin snorted and didn’t inform him that it had in fact been Moash who'd called him that. “I know it hasn’t been long but I know how love feels, Kal. And this? It’s so much more intense than I’ve ever experienced before. Like I never truly felt it until now.” 

“I…” Kaladin looked away and stopped speaking, trying to collect his thoughts. He did love Adolin, but he was scared of getting his heart broken. Adolin was perfection made manifest and Kaladin was what, some kid from a small town who happened to work his way up to the big leagues? But he did love him and he had to take a leap if he wanted to keep him. He looked back at Adolin. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he murmured. “But I love you, too.” 

Adolin surged forward to kiss him then and all of the tension left Kaladin’s body as warm lips met his own, pressing and urging until he opened up to Adolin’s questing tongue. Kaladin let himself be pushed downward into the mattress as Adolin’s mouth consumed him. They weren’t always intimate, despite sleeping naked each night, but Kaladin could tell from the zing of desire up his spine that they would be tonight. 

Adolin pulled back and looked down at him, lips swollen and face flushed. He looked beautiful like this. “Kal, I want to…” He licked his lips and then bit the lower one, looking down at Kaladin with a meaningful expression. 

“Are you sure?” Kaladin ran a hand down the other man’s back, drawing a line of goosebumps along with his fingers. “I thought we agreed to wait until after the season.” 

“We did… but I just threw nine innings. We have a day off before the final series and I won’t be in the rotation at all.” He pressed a kiss to Kaladin’s lips again. “I want to feel you, to be as close as we can be.” 

Kaladin looked into his boyfriend’s blue eyes, which were dark with desire and filled with anticipation. This was a big step - perhaps as big as their recently exchanged “I love yous”. Kaladin could see the want on Adolin’s face, feel his desire pressed against his own thigh. 

“Ok,” he agreed, pulling Adolin down to capture his mouth again. He admitted to himself that he didn't really know if this was the right time, after what had happened that morning, but he wanted Adolin in every possible way and he was right. He wouldn’t be expected to pitch for a bit, more than enough time for him to recover from this. To recover from his first time having actual sex with another man. 

Deep inside, there was a piece of Kaladin that hoped he would be the only man Adolin was ever with, that this thing they had would last and he’d be allowed to keep this happiness. He could feel Adolin’s breath coming hot and uneven against his mouth and pressed him harder against himself, tilting his head to deepen the kiss even further. Adolin rolled his hips against Kaladin’s thigh and choked off a moan. 

Kaladin rolled them over, positioning himself overtop of Adolin as he continued to kiss him. He moved his mouth down now, feeling the rapid beat of the other man’s desire in his pulse on his neck, nipping gently at his collarbone. His own desire was making him a bit lightheaded, and he grounded himself by gripping Adolin’s hip bones as he continued to kiss down his torso. He wanted to take things slowly, ensure the other man’s complete enjoyment of the experience, so he had to get himself under control. 

Adolin was watching him with intent blue eyes, one hand reaching down to run through Kaladin’s hair as he traced the outlines of his abdominals with his tongue. “Storms, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered. Kaladin felt his skin prickle as he flushed under the compliment. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.” 

“I’m the lucky one,” Kaladin murmured, kissing the skin just above the start of the trail of blonde and black hairs that led to his groin. Adolin shifted as Kaladin moved his own body lower, situating himself between the other man’s thighs. Kaladin gently reached under Adolin’s knees and lifted them up so his feet were flat on the bed, then pressed his legs open just slightly. “Please let me know if anything feels uncomfortable or hurts,” he instructed, kissing the other man’s inner thigh. Adolin nodded. 

Kaladin leaned to the nightstand on the side of the bed he normally occupied and pulled out the bottle of lube that they kept there. He set it nearby, within easy reach, but turned his attention to Adolin’s leaking erection. He skimmed his fingers up the smooth skin of Adolin’s powerful thighs and then wrapped one hand around his cock. He stroked, slow and deliberate and Adolin’s hips rose to meet him as he moaned from the touch. Kaladin took him into his mouth then, continuing his measured pace. 

Adolin’s hand made its way back into the mass of his dark curls, not demanding or guiding, just a gentle touch as Kaladin’s lips and mouth and tongue worked his very hard cock. Kaladin could feel him tensing, trying not to thrust up into Kaladin’s mouth. Without stopping his mouth, he reached for the bottle of lube and clicked open the top, one-handedly squeezing some onto his fingers and rubbing them together to warm the slick gel. 

Adolin’s breath caught has he felt Kaladin’s questing fingers probe at him, and Kaladin ran his free hand up and down his leg, soothing, as he pressed in slowly. He lifted his head, looking up at Adolin and meeting his eyes. “Breathe,” he said. “Just try to relax and breathe.” He saw Adolin follow his instructions, his abdomen rising as he took a deep breath and tried to relax his muscles. When he had had a moment to steady himself, Kaladin pushed in further. Adolin’s eyes fluttered closed for a second and Kaladin returned his mouth to its task of worshipping the other man’s dick as his finger began the slow process of opening Adolin up for him. 

When Adolin began to murmur “more, Kal, I can take more,” Kaladin followed that first finger with a second. This time, he crooked his fingers, searching as he moved them, and he knew immediately when he’d brushed Adolin’s prostate gland. The other man practically vibrated and let out a surprised noise that was half gasp, half moan. Kaladin scissored his fingers then, pressing them as wide open as possible, deliberately pressing against the sensitive nub with every second or third motion. He stopped sucking Adolin’s dick, but was still caressing it gently with his other hand, eyes focused on the other man to assess his body language. Finally, when Adolin was begging, he added a third finger. 

“You’re almost there,” Kaladin whispered and Adolin whimpered. He looked so beautiful, body flushed with desire, hair a mess. Kaladin pulled his fingers out, and moved up to kiss Adolin deeply. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes, please Kal, yes,” Adolin begged, voice breaking. Kaladin kissed him once more, and then took a long moment to rub the excess lubricant on his own aching cock. Adolin watched him, chest heaving, and Kaladin steadied himself as he lined up to replace his fingers in Adolin’s ass. 

He went slowly, giving Adolin time to adjust as he breached him, stopping when he saw discomfort on the other man’s face, moving again once he settled. Soon, he was fully settled and he stopped once again. 

“You ok?” He ran a hand up the other man’s torso soothingly and Adolin nodded. With that, Kaladin began to move, slowly, gently. He took Adolin’s erection in his hand and stroked in time with his own movement, and he watched with something like awe as Adolin fell apart beneath him. 

Adolin’s eyes fluttered closed and his head tipped back as he moaned, baring the expanse of his long, pale throat. Kaladin leaned over him and kissed the hollow where neck met collarbones. Adolin shuddered, and Kaladin smiled against his skin as he picked up the pace of his thrusting and the hand on the other man’s cock just a bit. Adolin became more vocal at that - moaning and chanting Kaladin’s name like an affirmation. 

Adolin reached up and tangled his hand in Kaladin’s hair, pulling him down for a kiss and beginning to meet his thrusts with movement of his own. Kaladin gasped the first time he felt it and then they found a rhythm that had them both careening towards climax. Kaladin nipped at Adolin’s lower lip and Adolin tugged his hair lightly in response. Then, Kaladin increased the pressure of his hand, twisting as he reached the head of Adolin’s very hard penis, and the other man let out a strangled cry, coming between them across his stomach and chest. The waves of clenching sensation on Kaladin’s own dick had him coming soon after, pressed firmly against Adolin’s ass, head thrown back and eyes closed as waves of pleasure crested over him. 

Breathing heavily, not yet quite ready to pull out, he opened his eyes and looked down at Adolin. He was looking at him with tears in his bright blue eyes, a beatific smile on his face. 

“Damnation, I love you,” Adolin said, voice soft, and Kal felt tears prick in the corners of his own eyes.

Adolin felt heavy, sated and satisfied in a way he’d never known before. He listened to the steady beat of Kaladin’s heart beneath his head, feeling the other man’s fingertips drag along the skin of his back so gently the touch was barely there. He wanted to stay in this space, in this moment, for the rest of his life - nestled in Kaladin’s arms, the scent of their shared pleasure surrounding them, the feel of their skin pressing together. 

“Sometimes I still can’t believe this is real,” Kaladin admitted, voice soft in the quiet of the night. “That you want me. That we’re together.” 

Adolin hummed and turned his head to press a kiss to Kaladin’s chest. “Believe it. I love you. You’re stuck with me.” 

Kaladin laughed, and then pressed his lips to the top of Adolin’s head. “There’s no one else I’d rather be stuck with,” he said honestly. 

Adolin’s chest felt tight with the intensity of his happiness. He knew that when the morning came, he’d have to leave the safety and warmth of their shared bed and face the world. But he could do it as long as Kaladin was beside him. His father would try to talk to him alone, to separate them and break him by isolating him and then overpowering him by his sheer force of presence. No, if they were going to talk to him, it had to be on their terms. 

“I think we should invite Dalinar over for dinner,” he said after a moment. “Tomorrow.” He shifted so that he was sitting up beside Kaladin. The other man still looked wrecked, curling hair disheveled, lips swollen. Adolin reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. “I think it’s best if we do it soon, and if we do it here, we’re in control. He can’t split us up if we don’t want to, he can’t control the environment.” 

“Are you ready for that?” Kaladin asked softly and Adolin shook his head. 

“Fuck no. I wanted at least a couple more months. But it’s already out there, Kal. The longer we wait the more angry he’ll be and honestly I just want him to know the truth, not some nonsense from the paparazzi.” 

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Kaladin told him. “You know that.”

“Something else I do want,” Adolin looked deeply into Kaladin’s brown eyes, “is for you to officially move all of your stuff out of the spare room and in here.” 

“There’s no room in here!” Kaladin laughed and Adolin leaned in and kissed him quickly. 

“I’ll make room. I want you in here with me.” 

Kaladin smiled. “You must really love me if you’re going to make room in that over-stuffed closet of yours.” 

“I said I did, didn’t I?” Adolin smiled back at him. “I want this to be our room.” He saw the way Kaladin’s breath caught at the words and felt his smile stretch even wider. “I mean it, Kal. I want everything with you.” 

The other man didn’t respond with words, but Adolin saw the wetness in his eyes and the way his smile quavered just a bit. And then Kaladin pulled him in and kissed him senseless. Adolin melted into the kiss, and felt his body responding to the other man’s touch like they hadn’t just had an amazing round of sex. He scooted himself over and straddled Kaladin’s hips, pushing him up against the headboard of their bed to continue the intense, all-consuming kiss. 

“How are you already ready to go again?” Kaladin gasped when he finally pulled back. 

“Don’t tell me you aren’t,” Adolin teased. “You can’t lie to me while I’m sitting in your damn lap.” 

“Shut up,” Kaladin replied and he grabbed Adolin and rolled his hips so that he was now draped overtop of him, long, curling hair surrounding their faces like a canopy. Adolin reached up and ran his fingers through the locks, thinking about all the fans who would literally pay money for a chance to do just that. Aside from his curveball, Kaladin’s hair was what he was known for among baseball fans across Roshar. Their lips found one another again and Kaladin pressed their hips together in a delicious manner. 

Adolin knew he couldn’t do much - he was sore from their earlier activities, but languorous kissing and roving hands? That he could do. He ran his hands down Kaladin’s sides, feeling his ribcage, enjoying the smooth expanse of him. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” He whispered.

“Me? What about you?” Kaladin countered and Adolin laughed. 

“Oh, I know exactly how gorgeous I am.” He reached the other man’s lower back and moved his hand further down to grasp one of Kaladin’s firm glutes “But you - you’ve always been so hyper-focused on baseball you’ve never let yourself realize how attractive you are. Between your hair, the intensity of your eyes, the lean beauty of your muscles… you’re beautiful, Kaladin Stormblessed. Both physically, and as a person. I’ve never met someone more selfless and hard-working than you. You’ve changed my life. Made me a better man.” 

Kaladin shut him up with another intense kiss and Adolin let himself sink into the feeling of it. 

There was a phrase that was sometimes said - “don’t meet your heroes”. 

For Kaladin, the problem wasn’t the initial meeting. It was the whole falling in love with his hero’s son, while his hero just happened to be a raging homophobe that was the issue. 

But here he was, sitting at a table with Adolin, Dalinar, and Navani - the wife of the late Gavilar King, owner of the Blades, and mother to its current owner, Elhokar. Adolin had explained that he and Renarin had grown up calling her their aunt and they considered Elhokar and his sister Jasnah to be their cousins, but in truth there was no blood relation. Gavilar had simply been Dalinar’s closest friend and now he was dating the man’s widow. There was some sort of history there but Adolin didn’t know all of the details and Kaladin could live his life happily without knowing them. 

“Son, that was a brilliant game you pitched last night,” Dalinar said by way of making conversation. 

“Thank you, sir. I was so locked in I didn’t even realize I was pitching a no-hitter until we got to the ninth and Wit wasn’t warming up.” Adolin was absently pushing some vegetables around on his plate, but he looked at his father when he responded, and gave him a genuine smile. “I was just happy to finally get the better of the Chasmfiends. Seems like they always have my number.” 

“Sometimes that happens,” Dalinar agreed. “For me, it was always the Vedenar Flames. Damnation, I’m pretty sure every game I played with zero hits was against them.” 

Kaladin looked over at Adolin and raised his eyebrows. He knew he and Dalinar were both tiptoeing around the real reason the man had been invited for dinner. Adolin sighed, and sat back in his chair. “Father, I’m sure you know the real reason Kal and I asked you over.” 

“Kal and I, is it?” Dalinar cocked his head and narrowed his eyes just a bit. Kaladin swallowed under that intense blue gaze but didn’t flinch. Adolin nodded. 

“Yes, it is. We’ve been together since the All-Star Break,” Adolin said. 

“Adolin, you can’t be in a relationship with another man,” Dalinar started, but Adolin cut him off. 

“Since I am , I think you are wrong on that point.” Adolin reached across the table and took Kaladin’s hand in his own. Kaladin squeezed it gently. He knew how hard this was for Adolin. Dalinar frowned. 

“Surely this is just a… reaction… to Shallan’s rejection,” he countered. “You were broken-hearted and latched onto the nearest person you could find.” Adolin shook his head. 

“No,” he responded simply. “It’s not.” 

Dalinar turned his attention to Kaladin, who steadied himself with a breath but didn’t look away as his blue eyes met his own deep brown ones. He refused to show any discomfort in front of him. “What do you have to say in all this?” 

“I never intended to be anything more than your son’s friend and roommate, sir. But sometimes life brings you places you never expected.” He responded. “Adolin is a good man - kind, loyal, dedicated. I am honored to be a part of his life.” 

“And you expect me to believe that my son, who has never shown any attraction towards other men, suddenly developed feelings for you?” 

“That is a discussion I think you need to have with Adolin,” Kaladin said. 

“Father, I have always been attracted to other men,” Adolin’s voice was soft. “I just hid it. I didn’t want you to know. I thought it was wrong.” 

“It is wrong,” Dalinar sputtered. Navani reached over and laid a hand on his arm, a soothing gesture that Kaladin recognized, and Adolin shook his head. 

“No.” Adolin’s voice was firm, steady, and surprisingly calm. “Nothing about this relationship is wrong. I love him.” Adolin was looking directly into his father’s eyes now, and Kaladin could hear the sincerity in every word he spoke. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve this, to deserve Adolin, but he knew he was going to fight to keep it. 

“Adolin, dear,” Navani spoke up now. “You’ve only been with him for two months. You were with Shallan for years. How do you know you actually love him, that you’re not compensating for what you lost?” 

“Because Shallan and I weren’t right for a long time,” Adolin responded. “Our relationship was struggling for months before the end. From the very beginning it felt like without constant effort  she and I would fall apart.” He looked at his father, and then Navani. “It’s not like that with Kal. It’s easy . It feels right .” 

Dalinar rubbed his temples with one broad hand. 

“What about the church?” He finally said, dropping his hand back to the table. “You know they don’t approve of such things.”

“I think the Almighty has more important things to worry about than who loves whom,” Adolin told him, and Kaladin was proud of him for speaking the words he'd taken so long to discover he believed. “And if I am doomed to damnation for loving someone who truly and openly loves me back,” Adolin shrugged, “Kaladin is worth it.” 

Kaladin felt a lump in his throat at those words, and he looked over at Adolin, heart feeling too full, almost uncomfortable. He never thought he would ever find someone who made him feel this way, who would upend his own life to fight for their relationship. Yet there he was, blonde and black hair artfully mussed, blue eyes shining with emotion, hand still clasped in Kaladin’s own. 

“I know you don’t approve either, father.” Adolin wasn’t asking, simply stating a fact. “I know that’s why you sent the article to me, and why you asked Renarin about it.” 

“Son, you know that I just want what is best for you.” 

“Then let me be happy. Let us be happy.” Adolin looked over at Kaladin then, and the tenderness on his face was overwhelming. 

Dalinar looked at them both for a long time, saying nothing. Navani was looking at them as well and Kaladin tried not to show how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. Dalinar’s opinion meant a lot to him on the diamond, and even though he didn’t want it to, the older man’s opinion of their relationship was important to him too. 

“You know I can’t support this,” Dalinar finally said. Kaladin’s stomach dropped. “You’re both adults and you can do as you wish but I am not ready to accept it.” Kaladin felt Adolin’s hand tighten in his own and he knew the words had struck him hard. Adolin merely nodded and looked away from his father. Kaladin could see his throat work as he swallowed hard and composed himself the best he was able before turning back to Dalinar.

“I had hoped you’d see it differently but I expected nothing less,” he replied. “But, like you said, Kal and I are adults. I don’t intend to break things off with him just because you disapprove.” 

There was an awkward silence. Navani was looking studiously down at her plate, although she wasn’t eating. Dalinar and Adolin were glaring at one another. Kaladin felt awkward in the tension. It wasn’t like they hadn’t anticipated this reaction, but it was hard to see the way it affected Adolin. Kaladin could see it in the tension of his shoulders, the way he narrowed his eyes as he looked at his father, the subtle shift in the pressure on his own hand. Dalinar’s own eyes were hard, but there was something else there too - disappointment, perhaps. 

“Perhaps we should finish our meal?” Navani suggested, looking around at the three of them. “We wouldn’t want it to go to waste.” 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Kaladin chimed in, and the other two men finally looked away from one another and returned to the food in front of them, falling into a tense silence as they ate.

Chapter Text

Starting pitchers didn’t throw for many innings in spring training - their arms needed to be saved for when wins really mattered. But Adolin savored every moment he got to stand on the mound, meaningful game or not. It was where he felt the most free and yet the most in control all at once. 

Playing starters during training was really all about developing their confidence, identifying areas where they could improve, and building their relationships with the team’s catchers. The Blades catching roster only retained one person Adolin already knew, so it was important for him to get in time with the others. 

Unfortunately, the one his father had asked him to keep an eye on - Moash - seemed inclined to be less than receptive to his attempts to get to know him, or even to talk baseball with him teammate to teammate. 

“Is he like that with you guys?” He asked the other pitchers after a practice one day in which Moash had rebuffed another attempt to speak with him - an attempt to simply compliment him on how well his pitch framing was coming along. 

“Nah,” Relis said, pulling his shirt off and tossing it on the floor after sniffing it and making a face. “He’s not generally the most outgoing, except with Stormblessed, but he’ll talk to me.” He shrugged and Adolin frowned. Kaladin seemed to be the only person Moash was truly friendly with. He didn’t even spend a lot of time with the other catchers - a usually very close-knit position group. Adolin wasn’t used to people not instantly taking a liking to him. He frowned and sat down on the bench in front of the lockers. 

“How am I supposed to build rapport with a catcher who won’t talk to me? The closest we’ve ever gotten to a full conversation is when he signals pitches,” Adolin grumbled. 

“At least he will do that much,” Helaran pointed out. 

“He’s an asshole,” Wit said in passing and Helaran laughed. 

“Takes one to know one,” he called after the other man. Wit simply raised a middle finger over his head as he continued on by, completely naked, headed to the showers. 

“Can’t he ever wear a towel?” Relis commented, making a face similar to the one he’d made when he’d sniffed his own sweat-soaked shirt. 

Adolin didn’t mind the nudity. It was normal in a locker room and he thought it was admirable that someone of Wit’s age - comparatively much older than most of the team - was still so confident. He leaned back into the locker, looking across the room at Kaladin Stormblessed. It seemed that if he wanted to make any sort of impression on Moash, he had to do it through Kaladin. Thankfully he already liked the other pitcher - he was quiet but friendly and very dedicated to his craft - so spending time with him wouldn’t be an imposition. Perhaps he could get one of the other catchers to come along too - he already knew Salinor, so Szeth would be the better choice from a relationship building viewpoint. If all else failed, he knew Relis or Helaran would always be up for a night of bonding. 

He stood, still wearing his clothes from the day’s exertions, and walked over to Kaladin, who was running fingers through his mass of curly hair to work out the snarls before throwing it back up. 

“Hey, Kal,” Adolin greeted. Kaladin looked at him from beneath his unruly bangs and said hi, attention focused on working out a particularly tight knot from the bun he’d been wearing during practice. “So I’ve noticed you might be the only person on this team that Moash is actually friends with,” Kaladin grunted, “and I really want to work on getting to know him so we can be more in-sync on gameday. Do you think the two of you might want to join me and maybe Szeth or Helaran for some mini-golf?” 

No one disliked putt-putt. It seemed like a safe option. 

Kaladin had a hair tie in his mouth and didn’t speak until he’d finished twirling it around his hair. “I can ask Moash,” he replied. “I think it’d be good for him to get out and do something, honestly.” 

“I’ll ask Szeth if he’s up for it. If not, Helaran never lets me down,” Adolin grinned and pulled out his phone. “I know tonight we have those fan signings and stuff but that only goes til 7 - want to do it after?” 

“Works for me,” Kaladin replied. “You’ll have to drive though, I don’t think any of the three of us has a car.” 

“I’ve got you,” Adolin assured him, and Kaladin actually smiled at him. He wondered why the other man didn’t smile more often - it looked good on him. But Kaladin was perpetually serious and single minded. Maybe tonight would be good for him too - Moash needed to bond with his teammates, but Kaladin needed to blow off some steam. And Adolin couldn’t wait to kick all of their asses at the course.

Szeth ended up agreeing to join them, and 7:30 found the four of them in Adolin’s Jeep, headed to a nearby “golf park” that offered putt putt, a driving range, a golf simulator and some other attractions. Kaladin told him that Moash had grumbled about the outing but ultimately agreed to come along. Szeth had been unexpectedly excited to be included.

They parked and piled out of the vehicle, trying not to draw attention. The other three men were unlikely to be recognized but Adolin was unfortunately a very visible person and he didn’t want to draw a crowd. He was here to bond with his team mates, not to do more fan meet-and-greets. He was wearing a Blades ball cap and a hoodie so hopefully he would be indistinguishable from all the other people dressed similarly. 

Szeth looked like an excited kid, smiling widely and walking at a pace just slightly faster than the rest of them. Moash was, as expected, bringing up the rear, hands shoved in his pockets and looking for all the world like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. Kaladin looked like he always did. 

“Can you tell your little stormcloud to lighten up a bit?” He whispered, nudging Kaladin and motioning with his head towards Moash. “This is supposed to be fun.” 

“He’s not my anything,” Kaladin replied and Adolin rolled his eyes. 

“You know what I mean - you’re the only person he seems to like.” 

“I’ll tell him to chill out but I don’t know how much good it’ll do,” Kaladin told him. 

“Well, try. Please?” Adolin gave him his most pleading expression.

“If it will get you to stop giving me that dumb look, fine,” Kaladin agreed.

Kaladin would never admit to anyone the way Adolin’s badgering made his stomach flip and flutter. He was good at hiding those sorts of reactions around teammates - he wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality, but it wasn’t exactly a good idea to go around professing crushes on the men he played with on a daily basis. Plus, Adolin knew he was sexy. Kaladin didn’t need to confirm that for him. 

He dropped back to fall into step with Moash. “Hey,” he said. Moash looked over at him. “Are you going to be gloomy all night? We’re supposed to be unwinding a little.”

“What, did he have something to say about it?” Moash’s eyes flicked to Adolin and Kal sighed. 

“He just wants you to loosen up and have a good time.” 

“I’m here for you, Kal. You asked me to come and so I came. I don’t want to be pals with Kholin.” Moash spit to the side. They were at the doors to the complex and Kaladin stopped them before they entered.

“C’mon Moash. The rest of the team is uncomfortable with you. This could help.” Kaladin looked into his friend’s eyes and raised his eyebrows and Moash just shook his head.

“I’ll try , ok?” He finally said.

“That’s all I’m asking,” Kal replied, and they entered the lobby to get their wrist bands from Adolin and collect their putters and balls.

“I have never played putt putt,” Szeth admitted. He sounded happier than Kaladin had ever heard him - usually the Shin man was very reserved. His excitement was contagious and Kaladin found himself looking forward to the casual competition. 

“Don’t worry,” Adolin put his arm about Szeth’s shoulders. “I will show you how it’s done.”

They made their way out to the course. It was outdoors but well illuminated and the night was pleasantly balmy. “Youth before beauty,” Kaladin declared, snatching the score card from Adolin’s hand and writing their names: 1) Kaladin; 2) Moash; 3) Szeth; 4) Adolin.

“Whatever. Saving the best for last anyway,” Adolin teased and Kaladin gave him a smirk.

“We’ll see,” he responded. He didn’t miss the small hitch in Adolin’s breath at the look. He ignored it in favor of lining up his ball and taking his shot. This was a simple hole. It took him two shots to get it in. Moash was the same. Szeth was overeager and took five tries. Adolin looked over his shoulder at them as he stepped up to the line. “Hole in one,” he declared. Kaladin pointedly did not stare at his ass as he bent over to place the ball. He simply snorted and shook his head.

Adolin tapped the ball, expertly ricocheting it off the wall and into the hole. 

“Lucky shot,” Moash challenged him. “Bet you don’t get another.”

“Want to place a bet?” Adolin offered.

“I don’t want anything from you, princeling,” Moash said coolly. Adolin shrugged.

“Suit yourself.”

They walked to the next hole, and the few after that, each man averaging right around the par count with the exception of Szeth, who seemed to be indifferent to his score for the sake of having fun. 

At hole nine, Kaladin managed a hole in one. “Oh, look at that,” he grinned at Adolin. Moash snorted a laugh and Adolin made a face.

“Now that was a lucky shot,” he said. 

“Nah, Kal has skill,” Moash protested. Szeth looked down at the score card he held in his hand and back up at the other three men. 

“Kaladin and Adolin are only a couple of points apart,” he noted. “Depending on what Adolin scores on this hole, it could be a tie game.” 

“Still up for a wager?” Kaladin asked Adolin, voice teasing. 

“Always,” Adolin countered. “Loser buys drinks after?” 

“You’re on,” Kaladin agreed, offering his hand for Adolin to shake. He took it firmly and squeezed, pulling Kaladin in to whisper in his ear. 

“I’m gonna beat your ass, and you are going to love it,” Adolin hissed. It took everything Kaladin had not to physically shiver at the words, which his mind had a very different connotation for, and he replied with a threat of his own. 

“Please, you’ll be begging me to stop,” he whispered back, and then he pulled his hand from Adolin’s grasp. Moash was looking at him strangely but Kaladin ignored it. “C’mon Moash, you’re up.”

Moash didn’t manage a hole in one. In fact he didn’t even make par, and Kaladin wondered what had distracted him so much. He was playing much worse than he had done just a few minutes ago. He actually got mad, picked up his ball, and punted it off the green with a curse. 

“Kal, your friend seems to be having an issue,” Adolin said, watching as Moash went to get the ball he had just kicked.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn!” Szeth chirped, and he lined up his ball to begin hitting, completely ignoring Moash’s tantrum.

Moash was stomping back now and Adolin tried to clap him on the shoulder. Moash jerked back as if he had touched a hot stove and snarled at Adolin not to touch him.

“What the hell?” Adolin backed up, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. “Sorry man.”

Kaladin gripped Moash’s arm and tugged him away from the others, lowering his voice so they wouldn’t overhear. “Moash, what the fuck was that? Why are you always such an asshole to him?” 

“Because,” he didn’t lower his voice. “I don’t want anything to do with that spoiled jock asshole who has had everything handed to him.” 

“Adolin is just trying to be friendly,” Kaladin countered and Moash sneered. 

“Isn’t that how it always is? They butter you up, make you think they’re your friend, and then what? Use you until they don’t need you anymore? All of those rich bastards are the same.” Moash thrust a finger into Kaladin’s chest. “He doesn’t want to be your friend, or mine. Not really.” 

“Moash…” Kaladin was exasperated. He pushed his hair back with one hand and looked up to the sky for a long moment. “I get that for some reason you dislike the Kholins, but if you’re going to have a chance in hell at making the starting roster you need to get along with Adolin. Dalinar has a lot of sway over who stays and who goes.” 

“Is that why you’re trying so hard to get all buddy-buddy with him?” Moash’s voice was mocking. 

“Why are you jealous? Almighty , I’m allowed to have friends other than you,” Kaladin snapped back. The two men glared at each other for a long moment and then Szeth broke the silence. 

“Hey! We’re moving on to ten!” 

They turned and looked at the bald young man and moved on, letting the conversation drop for the time being, catching up with Szeth and Adolin at the next hole. 

“Everything okay?” Adolin asked, and Kaladin shrugged. 

“Let’s just play. I can’t afford to buy us all drinks so I still need to win,” he answered.

Adolin watched Kaladin and Moash’s conversation, taking in their body language, replaying in his head what had precipitated Moash’s apparent anger and made a startling realization. 

Moash had the hots for Kaladin and he was jealous . 

Adolin didn’t know what there was to be jealous of. Kaladin was a handsome man, but Adolin wasn’t interested in men, and he was happy with Shallan. He wasn’t even sure if Kaladin realized that the other man was interested in him - he seemed like he might be a bit oblivious to his own attractiveness, let alone when someone wanted him in that way. 

He shook his head and took his own shot - made it in three, which put him 1 higher than Kaladin. He swore but shook it off and headed towards the next hole. He heard Szeth call the other men over and eventually the four of them were gathered again. Kaladin and Moash were definitely still tense but they managed to make it through the remaining 8 holes without major incident.

“Ok Szeth, who won?” Adolin asked after he managed a two shot final hole. He was feeling pretty good but he had to admit that Kaladin had skill and he couldn’t be sure he’d won. 

“Kaladin,” Szeth said simply after tallying up the score card. Adolin groaned and Kaladin laughed. 

“Have I mentioned that I majored in physics in college?” He grinned and Adolin looked offended. 

“Well that’s just not fair!” He declared and Kaladin laughed even harder. Moash was glowering off to the side but Szeth joined in the laughter. “Ok, ok - drinks are on me. Let’s go.” 

There was a bar within the complex and the four men found a table and ordered a round of beer. Adolin noticed how Moash put himself between Kaladin and him, but he didn’t say anything, simply congratulated Kaladin on his win. They steered the conversation towards a topic they could all relate to - baseball. Kaladin launched into a detailed and - although Adolin would never tell him - boring explanation of how his studies in physics help him on the mound. Szeth actually seemed interested, but Moash was looking down into the mug of beer. 

“So we have that free weekend coming up,” Adolin noted when Kaladin had finally ended his lecture. “Anyone got any big plans?” 

“Nothing for me,” Kal said. “My dad is a surgeon and my mom is an ER nurse, plus I have a toddler brother. They can’t make it in for such a short stay.”

“And no one special to invite in?” Adolin wiggled his eyebrows and Kaladin snorted. 

“Hardly.” 

“What about you, Moash?” He looked over at the other man, who shrugged. 

“Nothing.” He grunted. Adolin sighed. He was never going to get through to him, no matter what he did. He was officially going to throw in the towel. He turned to Szeth, who smiled before he spoke. 

“My girlfriend Masha is flying in,” he said and Adolin clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Thats great! Shallan is coming in too. Maybe we could do a double date or something.” If he couldn’t get anywhere with Moash, at least he could bond with Szeth. Szeth was more likely to make the starting roster anyway, since he had played for the Emperors and had been acquired in a trade. 

“I would like that,” Szeth responded. 

“I’ll probably just get some extra time in at the gym since it will be pretty empty,” Kaladin said thoughtfully. “I need to do some core work, I’ve been slacking the past week or so.” 

“Seriously? You’re in the gym all the time, you are hardly slacking in anything,” Adolin gave him an incredulous look and Kaladin shrugged. 

“The core is the most essential part of a pitcher’s motion.” He said it so simply, as if everything in his life was just some new way of being better at what he did. But Adolin had seen his core - it was like a statue of perfection, something you might see in a museum - and doubted a week of “slacking” had changed that at all. “It’s like legs for a catcher - that’s where everything begins and ends.” 

Adolin snorted, shaking his head and downing the rest of his beer. Szeth had nodded in agreement about the catcher comment. “A good catcher needs to rely on his legs without a second thought,” he agreed. 

"You both are a pair of nerds," Adolin told them, but his tone was fond and Kaladin and Szeth both grinned. Adolin pointedly did not look at Moash or attempt to engage him for the remainder of the night.

When they made it back to the hotel, they bid one another goodnight and Kal walked with Moash towards their own rooms. When they were away from the others, Kaladin stopped Moash, turning to look him directly in the eyes.

“Are you ever going to tell me what your problem is with the Kholins?” He asked. Moash frowned at him, eyes shadowed by his mop of dark hair, and then he shrugged.

“Not much to tell, other than they ruined my life. Well, Dalinar did. Killed my parents in the same accident that killed his wife.” Moash swallowed hard and Kaladin could see his nostrils flare. “He never made any effort to apologize to my family, to do anything to acknowledge his mistake. And we didn’t have the money to fight him in court, so my grandparents got burdened with me and Dalinar got a slap on the wrist. The world mourned the beautiful Evi Kholin, cried for her two young sons who were left motherless. They couldn’t care any less about me or the fact that I lost both of my parents.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Kaladin whispered. 

“Yeah, well, you’re probably the only one,” Moash hissed. 

“But Adolin didn’t do that - Dalinar did. Why are you so hostile towards him? He lost something in that accident too.”

“But he never wanted for anything in life, even after. My grandparents could barely afford to feed me sometimes. Adolin had everything handed to him.” They were at the doors to their rooms now, and Kaladin made a gesture inviting Moash to come into his to continue their conversation. He keyed them in and kicked off his shoes before he spoke again. 

“Adolin lost his mother. You don’t think that has an impact on a young boy? No amount of things can make up for a loss like that,” he said, and Moash shook his head. 

“Doesn’t make it any more fair,” he replied and Kaladin shook his head. 

“You can’t pin a father’s sins on his sons,” he told Moash. 

“Why do you care so much?” Moash grumbled and Kaladin shrugged. 

“You’re my friend. But so is Adolin, kind of. I just… want to be able to spend time with both of you without it causing problems. Plus, like I said, Dalinar’s opinion on who makes the roster and who doesn’t is no small thing.” 

“I know. I know , Kal. I wanted to be drafted by literally any other team but instead here I am, forced to look at the man who took my parents, to play nice with his son like it doesn’t impact me. And it does. It hurts, like ripping the wound open again and again.” Moash slumped down into the sofa. “I have a hard time believing someone like Adolin Kholin truly wants to be friends with any of us who had to claw and scratch our way up to where we are now. And I am not the type of person who trusts easily…” 

Kaladin sat down beside his friend, placing a comforting hand on the space between his shoulder blades as Moash hunched forward, elbows on his knees, looking at the floor. “I think if you gave Adolin a chance, you’d realize that he’s a much better person than you give him credit for,” he said. Moash snorted at that. 

“And you know him so well?” He countered. 

“Well, I know him better than you do, and not just because I’m willing to accept that he’s genuinely a nice guy. You know we walk together to the pitchers’ meetings and stuff,” Kaladin argued, voice still gentle. 

“It doesn’t hurt that he’s easy on the eyes, does it?” Moash’s tone was suddenly even darker and Kaladin sat back, flinching away from his friend and sucking in a breath. 

“What are you even talking about, Moash? Adolin is not only straight, but he has a long-term girlfriend whose brother we just happen to be on the same team with.” 

Moash sat back and looked at him. “You just don’t get it, do you?” 

“Get what?” Kaladin’s eyebrows furrowed and Moash laughed, harsh and bitter. 

“Don’t get how fucking sexy you are.” 

“I mean, I’ve been told that before,” Kaladin admitted. “But that has nothing to do with Adolin. He certainly hasn’t told me that.” 

“Maybe not, but he was eye fucking you all night. And I definitely saw you looking at him too.” Moash’s tone was bitter. 

“Stormfather. You aren’t jealous of me having friends, you’re jealous because I don’t want you like that.” Kaladin felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. “Sure, maybe I look - there’s no harm in that. But I don’t want Adolin that way either. I don’t have time for all of that.” 

“You won’t even give it a chance. Too busy chasing your dreams.” Moash seemed irritated but didn’t deny Kaladin’s accusation. “I could be good for you, Kal. Good to you. You get me in a way most people don’t.” 

“Moash…” Kaladin whispered and Moash shook his head, standing up with the ease of a long-practiced catcher.

“It’s fine. Now you know why I’ll never be able to fawn all over the little princeling like everyone else, and why I wish Dalinar Kholin would find himself locked in a cage with a hungry whitespine. I’m going to bed.” He turned then and left the room and Kaladin watched him go, expression sad.