Chapter Text
It starts with a curse.
Not many things in baseball tend to, but the Mondstadt Knights are just that unique.
Somewhere way in the past, there was a guy with a goat and Kaeya doesn’t really like to get into it. He thinks about it a lot in the dugout, just who put him in this situation and why, but he’s always wanted to play baseball, and dreamed of being the Mondstadt Knights’ star hitter. The one that one day takes them to the World Series, but what Kaeya now knows is it takes a fully functional team to get that far. A team with Albedo on it, who has never caught a ball in his life and continues to vex Kaeya as to just how he managed to join the team, does not qualify.
Sometimes they even lean into the curse angle, too. One time, a seelie floated over Kaeya’s hat for almost the entire game. One of the knights called it a good luck charm, and the team built hype around it. They were even winning that game, too.
Only for it to fly off to the other team’s dugout, and shortly thereafter, they pulled a home run out of their pockets and won. Kaeya still feels bitter about that seelie.
Today he’s brushing his teeth and staring into his bathroom mirror, wondering if being the star player of the Mondstadt Knights means being actually good or just decent. It’s a question he asks himself ritually, and while he knows it’s a fundamentally rude question— they are his teammates and his friends, after all— after a whole year of straight losses, Kaeya is finally moody enough to ask the question to himself outright.
If only he played for the Harbingers. Then he might know the answer to that question for sure. Yet, Kaeya feels a sense of loyalty to his home team. Wondering if he performs exceptionally, he can carry them at least part of the way.
But big dreams fill up like lead balloons, and eventually become weights one drags behind them rather than lets carry them. Kaeya isn’t any closer to his dream as he was a year ago, after a disastrous season.
He sighs, tying a towel around his waist as he steps out into his cold, empty bedroom. It’s still before the preseason, which means Kaeya has a few more weeks off before he has to see everyone at spring training. He might as well enjoy rest and relaxation while he still has it, but Kaeya does get restless when there’s not much to do. The holidays are always stressful in that way; dealing with questions he fields from his family about his sports career.
His father is plainly supportive and shows up to every single game if he can make it. Diluc, a former player, wonders if Kaeya’s really happy doing what he does— and he is, don’t get him wrong, but winning would sweeten his career, at least if it happened every now and then.
Getting dressed, Kaeya runs a comb through his hair and thinks about grabbing a coffee before starting his day. He might as well indulge in his hometown’s food before he’s shipped all over Teyvat and will yearn for it in-between games. He puts on his coat and pockets his keys before leaving the apartment.
Maybe he’ll feel better with a stomach full of food and caffeine. He usually does, after all.
Only, there’s a familiar face at the coffee shop.
Kaeya opens the door, the bell ringing above his head when he hears a man talking excitedly about his win streak with a young fan. Only in Mondstadt will the Fatui Harbingers have fans because people are fond of rooting for a winning team— and it’s just Kaeya’s luck that he stares down Ajax Lisitsyn in his favorite cafe.
“So it’s the bottom of the ninth, right?” Kaeya overhears him talk eagerly to the young fan, who’s listening with such devout attention that his eyes are wide as saucers, “And we’re up against the Liyue Millelith. They’re not to be underestimated, mind you— they’ve got some great players on that team. Finally, the score is close. If we score a home run, we win.”
“What happened then?” The little fan excitedly asks.
“Well…” Ajax says with a playful smile, taking off his baseball cap and putting it on the kid’s head. “Let’s just say we walked away from that one with a win in our pockets and our way to the World Series secured. Ah, I gotta go, kid. Be good for your parents, yeah…?”
Kaeya knows why Ajax is interrupting his own grand story; he’s spotted Kaeya and wants to talk to him before Kaeya excuses himself from the cafe without his notice.
Their relationship is…
… well, a rivalry, first and foremost, with Kaeya as the designated loser. Yet, Ajax clearly and openly wishes it were something more. Something more… romantic, but the rivalry is still there, which means they can never quite bridge that gap. Kaeya’s pride is too much, and Ajax sorely wishes it weren’t.
Ah, but he loves indulging that pride. Teasing and bullying it just a bit, so Kaeya soars to new levels… even if they’re just new levels of petty for now. Someday, though, Ajax is sure their rivalry will be the fuel to Kaeya’s flames. He already plays hard to get, it’d be nice to see him finally take things seriously on the battleground.
“Well, well, Alberich.”
“…” Kaeya huffs a little as he gets out his credit card to get his usual, a coffee and a breakfast sandwich. “What brings you to my home city, Ajax?”
“Just a few things, here and there… was hoping I’d run into you, but we’ve never exchanged phone numbers.”
Hint, hint. Kaeya laughs dryly, he knows exactly what Ajax wants from him and like the drama queen he can be, he wants to make Ajax earn it first.
“Wow, so bold. I didn’t know you wanted my number that badly, Ajax.” Kaeya will take his coffee as it’s handed to him, and sip on it like it isn’t scalding hot.
“Hey now, I’m just saying it’d be a convenient thing to share, is all.” He’d whistle innocently, like a cartoon character, if he could.
“How’d you know this was my breakfast haunt?” Kaeya will lean against the counter, and Ajax laughs.
“You recommended it to me, remember?” Ajax shakes his head, getting in line behind Kaeya because it is now a given that they eat breakfast together. Apparently Ajax takes his coffee black and likes his breakfast sandwiches with double bacon. He suppose the bacon fat has to go somewhere, Kaeya thinks as he looks down behind Ajax… yup. There’s a reason online fan sites call him ‘caked up so thick you could bounce a mora off ‘that thing’.’ He very clearly works out for fun and profit.
He quickly glances away before Ajax can notice Kaeya’s stare. As they head to an empty table, Kaeya sips his mocha catastrophe (not its name, it’s just what Kaeya calls the hyper-specific order he places) and sits down, unwrapping his sandwich from greasy brown paper and sinking a bite into it. He pretends not to see Ajax admiring his pearly whites as they bite into something Ajax likely wishes were his own skin.
“You know, a guy like you could play for any team,” Ajax says, unwrapping his own sandwich as Kaeya laughs.
“No one is going to trade for a player on a cursed team.”
“Hypothetically… if I could get you a spot on our roster—”
“No. That’s just make me the weakest Harbinger.”
“No it wouldn’t…!” Ajax huffs. “You really underestimate yourself, you know? You carried your team last season—”
“To failure.”
“You won more games than the Mondstadt Knights have won in years—” Ajax huffs. “All because you know how to bat. We could use a guy like you.”
“Well, the Knights could use me more.”
“Don’t I know it— no offense…”
“None taken.” Kaeya watches as Ajax absolutely demolishes his bacon-bacon-egg sandwich. “So you really want my phone number, huh?”
“Yeah, so I—”
“Earn it.”
Ajax blinks.
“How so…?” Not ‘that was a really insane thing to say, Kaeya’, but immediately, ‘how do I do that?’
Kaeya thinks it over…
“Impress me.”
“… how so?”
“I don’t know. Just do it.” Kaeya laughs, and he can tell that Ajax is plainly so frustrated with that answer that it’s cute. But Kaeya can’t give a readily planned answer to a question like that, he’ll just know it when he sees it. Ajax thinks it over… then nods.
“Alright,” Ajax agrees. “I’ll impress you.”
Maybe giving his hat to that fan would have impressed Kaeya— but he knows there’s a difference between how you treat fans of different ages. Kids, you always make their day a bit more magical, no exceptions, so Ajax is really going to have to pull out something that’d have Kaeya slipping him his number— it just won’t be yet.
Spring training is upon them, and their coach, Jean, has them on the field at 7 AM.
She’s being reassuring, saying that this is a new year for them and they’re going to do better than last year— which, honestly, is a tall order and also not asking much of them at all at the same time. It’s a bit demoralizing, in all fairness, when Kaeya shows up first and the rest of the team isn’t there yet—
But Amber comes in next, giving Kaeya a high five as she passes him into the locker room, followed by Eula, then Albedo, then Lisa, then a few more… Mika comes in last, after Noelle and Sucrose come in. Kaeya’s mind briefly flits to when Mika actively ran from the ball and it still hit him—
But Jean gathers them up once they’re all in uniform, and really, Kaeya thinks that he might disparage his team a little too much— Amber is a great runner, Eula can throw like no one’s business, Noelle is a tank to get past… it’s just that the other teams are much more well put together. He suspects it has something to do with the size of Mondstadt and the amount of players that actually qualify.
“Alright,” She begins, looking at all of them, “As you know, the team owner isn’t going to be here for a while… but he passed on a message for me to give to all of you.”
Varka was a legendary player for the Knights, gone from player to owner after his retirement. He almost got them to the World Series numerous times… and Kaeya frankly wishes he were still on the team.
“What is it?” Amber asks.
“Do your best and work hard— that this will finally be our year, he just knows it.” Jean says with a tired smile. “I know I’m asking a lot, but… I hope this year, we can bring home some victories we can be proud of.”
It’s probably the most disparaging pep talk one can be given. ‘Do your best’ is little league talk. But they are that level of bad. The kind where ‘bring home some victories’ means ‘please please please just win once’. They’re the only team without a private jet, the only team without the kind of sponsorship deals the other teams get. They practically don’t even feel like a Major League team, their one claim to fame being their stadium, built with red brick.
Kaeya nods, knowing that Jean means every word.
“We’ll bring home something, Coach, I promise.”
Jean smiles a little at that.
“Alright, get out there, all of you.”
It’s frosty and cold out on the grounds today, the grass slicked with frost that is melting in the sunlight. Kaeya practices his pitching with absolute focus, knowing damn well he needs to perfect it before their first game. He knows he has talent when it comes to this, it’s just… hard. When you’re up against unfathomable talent like Ajax and his Harbingers, or the Millelith, or the Inazuma Shoguns— hell, even the Akademiyans put up a great fight. Who knew nerds could hit that well?
The Natlan Warriors and the Fontaine Otters are no joke, either…
Kaeya will pitch until the sun goes down, until sweat soaks his uniform despite the cold. He makes sure everyone’s batting is up to scuff— even Mika’s, who manages to hit a viable run today. As everyone works together, Kaeya is both motivated and a little demoralized— he hopes this will be enough. That they can manage to win a game this season, and proudly say they don’t suck.
Ah, but that’d be asking for a miracle, at this point.
Kaeya brings home his duffel bag full of gross uniform and gear and shuts the door behind him.
Maybe he should have given Ajax his number… it would be nice to bully him a little between games, but Ajax’s training likely doesn’t end at training, he probably hits the gym soon after, too. He probably works until his bones can’t anymore and he loves how the pain feels. Kaeya could never.
… though it does make him into eye candy. Kaeya, despite his pride, thinks Ajax is quite the catch. Maybe Ajax will give up on him soon, though… date someone else, or something like that. Though he did seem excited to earn his number…
Turning on the television, Kaeya goes to throw his uniform into the washer and sighs. He’s on a sports channel, so of course, the announcers are talking about Spring Training.
‘The Harbingers are shaping up to look like the team to root for this season, wouldn’t you say?’
‘They always are. Meanwhile, the Mondstadt Knights started spring training today, and…’
Kaeya quickly hurries to the TV to turn it off, but he misplaced the remote, so it continues to play while he hurries to shut it off.
‘… and, well, you gotta give them credit after that horrible last season, that they even showed up.’
‘A paycheck is a paycheck, Jim! Even losers gotta eat.’
Click.
Kaeya turns off the TV with a soft groan and sinks his weight into the sofa. He’ll be playing against Ajax soon enough, their first game for the season. And it’s going to suck. Their first loss will be against him.
Kaeya, chewing his lower lip, glances to his phone and picks it up. He’ll open up the text messages to his family group chat. His father and Diluc both sent good luck messages for the opening season, and also reminded him to come home sometime. He knows neither of them would disparage him for quitting and returning to work on the family winery, but Kaeya also…
He wants to succeed. He wants to make his family proud for something other than wine, for once.
Just once in his career, he’d like to win. To bring home a trophy they can be proud of. And he’d carry his whole team on his back in order to do it.
He starts up typing in the group chat, deleting, then typing again.
🦚: Spring training started today!
🦅: So proud of you. You’ll do great this season, I know it.
🦉: do they need me to sub in yet?
🦚: No, no injuries yet. I’ll keep you posted, Diluc.
🦉: ok.
🦉: better than last year, when mika got smacked with the ball
Ah, if Diluc was on their team, they might actually have a chance…
He used to play for the knights, but left around the same time that Kaeya joined. He looked forward to playing with him… just like they did when they were kids, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Kaeya will scroll his phone for a little while longer, avoiding the news section to check up on something he’s been peeking at in his spare time; Ajax’s twitter feed. The guy mostly posts memes and occasionally talks with fans in a way that implies he doesn’t really take social media seriously at all; he’s blown up a few times for a few out of pocket tweets. The guy could really benefit from a social media manager.
His top message catches his eye.
‘Guys how do you deal with a pathetic meow meow crush bc im about to lose it’
… ah, posting like a teenager. Kaeya clicks the tweet and sees a message from Alhaitham, the Akademiyan’s first baseman telling him to ‘Think before you open your app and type words’. Other top comments include other players bullying him for using the app this way, and a few people giving advice…
— wait, is Kaeya the pathetic meow meow in this instance, or is Ajax? … He wishes he could text him and ask him, but Kaeya just had to be stubborn about giving him his number.
Oh well. Their first game together, Kaeya can give it to him properly.
… if… he impresses him. A big if. Kaeya is good for his word, after all, and won’t accept anything less.
Getting up to go wash his dishes, Kaeya thinks back on the day. If he’ll be able to help support his team, or if he’s getting worse as the years go on, and not better. It’s something most people in any talent or hobby worry about, after all— the idea that you’re not improving, but regressing. He’ll just have to train harder. Work harder than he ever has before, and pray that Varka actually makes it to a game this time. It’d be nice if he brought back the players he took on sabbatical too.
It’d be especially nice if he brought them back and they were actually good now, too.
… no, Kaeya, that’s one too many bitter thoughts for the day.
Sighing, Kaeya will finish with his chores for the night, and get out a glass and a bottle of wine. He told himself he wouldn’t drink anymore to stay healthy, but an occasional glass of red wine never hurt anyone.
He swirls it in his glass, noting how lonely his apartment feels.
“… well,” He says, tipping back the glass and drinking deep from it. “… Let’s hope I win something this year.”