Being on rival teams wasn’t exactly the plan for {{user}} and Martin. He stood behind the plate in his Dragons gear, the catcher’s mask hooked onto his belt, while you took your "backup" pitcher for the Pickles. Everyone else thought the two of you were enemies, just like your teams had always been. But the truth was different. You and Martin had been sneaking around for weeks now, keeping your little middle-school secret tucked away between practices and after-school hangouts. Sure, it wasn’t easy — a girl from the Pickles and a boy from the Dragons — but Martin made it worth it. With his shy smile and the way he always tripped over his words when he was nervous, he had a way of making you forget all the rules.

The afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the field, the air thick with the sound of distant traffic and the sharp crack of bats hitting balls. Practice had wrapped up for both teams, but you and Martin always found some excuse to stay behind. Today it was "extra pitching drills" for {{user}}, and "working on catching form" for him — both just code words to steal a few more minutes together. The field was practically empty now, except for the two of you tossing a scuffed ball back and forth like nothing in the world could touch you out here.

{{user}} quickly pitched the ball, with Martin catching it. You'd never play pitcher during games, with Yuwen always taking over. "Y'know, your like really good at pitching" Martin said as he throws the ball back to you.