Chapter Text
“You know that stuff will kill ya,” Leon said.
“Just chew your bubble gum, Kennedy, and lay off my habits,” Chris said and pocketed his can of chewing tobacco.
“Whatever you say, captain.” Leon followed Chris to the dugout and dropped his bag on the bench. He couldn’t stop moving around. He wanted to go out on the field and still felt the sting of the coach not picking him as the opener for the game.
“They’ll put you in,” Chris said as if he’d read his mind.
“They better. I want to show them the cutter we’ve been working on,” Leon said. An evil grin spread over Chris’s face. They’d worked on it all winter break. Now, in the spring, they could put it to good use.
“And now to start off this anticipated game! Please welcome to the field members of our very own orchestra!” The announcer’s voice bounced across the field from the speakers.
“We can’t bring it out right away,” Chris said. Leon leaned on the barrier as the members walked out onto the field with their instruments. The organizers had set up an area for them to sit and play.
“Of course we can’t. It’s not a secret weapon if the weapon isn’t secret,” Leon replied. There were five musicians that stepped out onto the field. Each of them held a type of string instrument in their hands. One of them was a pretty petite woman with a short black bob. Her massive instrument was practically the same size as her body, but she carried it with ease.
The guy in front of her turned with a grin on his face and said something to her. Her little nose scrunched in reaction. The guy was taller than her and walked backwards making hand movements as he spoke, his smaller instrument waving in the air. His long wavy brown hair tied back in a low ponytail bounced with each peppy step.
Then, she laughed. It wasn’t a throw your head back kind of laugh, but softer and subtle. For a moment, he wished he’d heard it.
“Are you listening to me?” Chris asked.
“Captain!” The newest member of the team ran into the dugout, his face flushed from his trek down to them.
“What is it Nivans?” Chris leaned back from the barrier. “I’ll talk to you later, Kennedy.” He pointed to Leon and stepped away to follow Piers.
Leon turned his attention back to the musicians on the field. He folded his arms over the barrier and leaned his chin against his arms. He’d already warmed up and had made it there before the other guys, who now filed into the dugout. Their lively chatter was like background sound to him.
The little musician had sat on one of the chairs with her music propped up on a stand. She opened her legs and straddled the instrument between her knees. Her little body wrapped around it with her fingers poised over the strings. From this angle he made out the soft shape of her face and the way her lips lightly parted when she concentrated on the sheet music.
The musicians peered over their stand at each other and nodded to a beat before they lifted their bows and began to play. The sound reverberated across the field and into the dugout. He lifted his head away from his arms and practically leaned outside of the barrier.
The song began softly then grew louder and anthemic. The little musician lightly swayed as they went on. Even the goofy guy had a stern expression and moved with the music. They appeared very good at what they did, and it impressed him.
But he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She practically shined behind her massive instrument. Curiosity hit him with the need to know her name. She went to school there, but was music her major? Was she dating that goofball? Was she dating anyone? He didn’t really date as much after his most disastrous relationship in freshman year. Baseball had taken over his life anyway. But this woman had him enthralled.
“What did I miss?” Chris slid in next to him. Piers passed behind him to sit with a group of the other guys and joined the chatter. Leon kept his eyes on the little musician as he spoke.
“Do you know who that is?” Leon asked.
“Who?”
“The little one,” he said.
“Uh, the one with the bob? No. Why?” Chris said. There was no surprise that he didn’t know her, yet Leon felt the prickle of disappointment.
“I want to talk to her after they’re done playing. Do you think I have enough time?”
“What?” Chris glanced around the dugout as if to see if anyone else was listening to Leon’s nonsense. “I guess.”
The group finished their song and most of them stood to leave. The little musician and the goofball remained in their seats. A tall woman with blonde hair marched up to a mic set up for her next to them.
“Everyone please rise for the national anthem,” the announcer said through the speakers. Everyone in the dugout stood and took off their hats. The musicians lifted their bows and began to play in a duet. The woman sang the anthem along with the music. As soon as the song ended, Leon moved to the opening of the dugout.
“Where are you going, Kennedy?” Carlos asked behind him.
“Gunna go ask her for her name,” Leon said. This sparked Carlos’s interest, and he stood next to him to see who had stolen his attention.
“Didn’t know you were into blondes,” he said.
“No, the little one,” Leon replied.
“Good luck, man.” Carlos pushed him out of the dugout when it looked like a good opening for him to sprint toward the stands where the two headed. Leon’s heart raced in his throat as he approached them. It was the goofball that noticed him first.
“Whoa there, Sancho. Can I help you?” he asked. Leon didn’t think about what he would say when he got there. He had only thought about getting her name.
“Uh, I’m Leon,” he said.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Luis and this is Ada,” he gestured to the woman beside him. She’d stopped in order to listen to them with an unreadable expression. From this close, he noticed the little studs that went up her ear to a tiny hoop. He felt as though he had to remember details about her as if she’d disappear if he didn’t. Though he didn’t know where that feeling came from.
“You sounded really great.” He kicked himself for not having anything good to say. “Are you sticking around for the game?” He spoke directly to Ada.
“They gave us tickets,” she said. Her voice was low and pleasing. He wanted to hear more.
“Yeah, we’ll be right up front. Good luck on your game,” Luis said.
“Kennedy!” Chris called from behind him.
“Nice to meet you, Ada.” Leon hoped she stayed for the whole game so he could try to talk to her after. “And you, Luis,” he added. He turned and went back toward the team. Carlos clapped him on the back.
“Sorry, man, looks like your dude there blocked ya,” he laughed.
“Did you at least get her name?” Chris asked.
“Her name is Ada.” He liked saying her name. She hadn’t shown much interest, but maybe if he played well, he’d be able to catch her attention.
“Looks like someone’s got a crush on you,” Luis said beside Ada in the stands. The players spread out across the field, and the one she’d talked to glanced up at them before he dashed into the dugout, or at least she thought they called it a dugout. Luis had filled her in a little on baseball, though he said he didn’t know much.
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“He wasn’t trying to talk to me.” Luis leaned back in his seat and pushed his hands into his pockets.
“Looking for something?” she asked.
“Shit. I left them in the car.”
“You can’t smoke here, Luis.” Ada leaned on the seat in front of her. The game had started. She really had no interest in sports, but Luis had convinced her that she needed some time out of the practice room. If she got back to the dorms with enough time, she’d be able to grab her sheet music and get some preparation in.
“You’re still worried?” he asked. “You’ve been practicing all week. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She wanted to believe him. The competition was fierce this year and her piece had given her trouble. Chopin was no joke. She enjoyed Sonata in G minor opus 65, asked for it specifically by name.
“I heard you playing it yesterday. You have it in the bag, querida.” He started shaking his leg the way he did when he was restless.
“Go get them.”
“What?”
“I know you want to smoke. Not like you can in the stands anyway,” she said and motioned to the exit. Luis smiled at her.
“Then, I’ll be back.” He stood up right away with a happy pep in his step.
“Oh and, Luis,” she said. He stopped and listened to her. “Don’t call me that again.” He winked at her on his way to his precious smokes.
Ada had nothing better to do than watch the game. Her eyes strayed to the dugout where her blond leaned out of the box anxiously. He’d so happily wandered over to them and breathlessly asked if they were staying. Even if she wanted to leave now, she somehow felt she owed him to be there.
He practically bounced on his feet when a runner moved over the bases. The crowd was standing up with some waving their arms in the air. They weren’t happy. Leon’s shoulders fell and his face gave away every emotion. He was cute. She watched him react to the next play and inwardly laughed when he clearly cursed. This game meant a lot to him. Even though she didn’t really know what was going on.
When Luis returned, she’d be sure to ask him questions about the game. Leon leaned out of the dugout and hollered something to one of his teammates on the field. Was he just as nervous to play as she was for her competition? At least he had a team. But something told her that there was still pressure on them to individually perform. For once, she wished Luis would hurry up with his smoke.
Leon couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Maybe Piers needed to warm up to the field a little more. Maybe the coach should have put him in first instead. No. He had to trust that his coach knew what he was doing. Chris vouched for Piers’s abilities, and Leon trusted his captain.
Sure enough, the young pitcher started catching the momentum. Leon knew the mental gymnastics the pitcher went through while on the mound. Your mind starts to play tricks on you. He was cheering by the time the team moved back toward the dugout.
“Way to go, Nivans!” Leon said when he stepped in. The younger man’s scowl relaxed and he gave Leon a genuine smile.
“Thanks, man,” Piers said.
“Just keep your eyes on me next time when you’re getting overwhelmed,” Chris said with his usual tough love.
“He did fine,” Leon said, though he agreed with Chris’s advice. He already pulled on his pads to prepare for batting. Even if he couldn’t pitch right away, he could at least show off a little as a batter. Soon, his turn came, and Chris handed him his helmet.
“Give’em hell, Kennedy,” his captain said. They announced his name over the speakers as he walked out onto the plate. Carlos gave Leon a little nod on second base, their other promising batter. It was a one-two punch. Oliviera then Kennedy. They used it so often that they had a nickname with the other guys, Carleon.
“Hey there, pretty boy. Got a swing worth anything?” the catcher asked. He could tell that the man smiled behind his padded catcher’s mask. He had heard it all before. “Pretty boy,” “blondie,” “baby girl.” The catcher didn’t elaborate when he noticed whatever expression Leon wore on his face.
The crowd cheered as Leon twirled the bat a few times before he stood in position on the plate. He made firm eye contact with the pitcher. The man faltered; it was so subtle that Leon was sure no one else would notice. He felt the pride swell in his chest and he thought of her. Was she in the stands still? Could Ada hear how they cheered?
The pitch came unexpectedly and landed in the catcher’s mitt with a loud smack. Shit. He took a breath.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? That one too fast for ya?” the catcher said behind him. What they didn’t know was Leon thrived on this kind of intimidation. He heard Chris give a knowing laugh all the way from the dugout.
The next pitch came. Time slowed down and the ball practically hovered in place. Got ya. Leon moved like a well-oiled machine. His body so tuned to the movement that it felt more natural than breathing. The ball hit the bat in such a way that he could barely feel the vibration of it before it lifted off high into the sky.
Leon didn’t waste time; he knew what that sound meant. He dropped his bat and took off toward the next base. The breeze whipped across his face as he ran. Carlos was already halfway to third with a massive shit-eating grin. He slid into first just as Carlos planted on third. Cheers rang out from the stands and made Leon restless to keep running. From where he stood, he could make out Ada’s little figure standing with everyone else. She really had stayed for the game.
While the next batter stepped up, Leon prepared to steal second. She hadn’t seen anything yet, and he was excited to show her more. The pitcher glared daggers at him and peered over at the next batter. Before he could turn again, Leon kicked off and ran for second before the pitch. He heard the ball hit the bat, and the cheers roared up from the stands. That ball was coming nowhere near him, and he knew it. His foot hit the second plate. A large cloud of dust masked home plate for a moment. Everyone held their breath before they called Carlos safe. The man kicked up off the ground with his hands raised above his head. Their team lost their minds in the dugout.
Leon practically felt the pitcher’s glare from where he stood. There was no stealing any more bases. It didn’t matter anyway. The pitcher started to fall apart on the mound with the next batter, his momentum shattered. The batter walked and allowed Leon to third. Even though they called the runner on second out, it wasn’t long before Leon found himself striding into home plate. Carlos met him halfway to the dugout and picked him up to twirl him around.
“That steal was golden!” Carlos said. Leon snuck a peak up at Ada. She leaned against the rail in front of her with her chin propped in her palm. When their eyes met, she gave him a little wave with her fingers. He enthusiastically waved back. Carlos followed his lead and waved happily to her and laughed all the way back to the dugout.
Ada hadn’t seen anything like it. Leon had completely changed on the field. His once demure expression darkened into a focused confidence that she found intriguing. Who was this man?
“What did I miss?” Luis handed her a bottle of water and moved to sit beside her.
“They already scored.” She gestured to the score board and opened her water bottle.
“How did our new friend do?” he asked, taking a bite of his nachos. Ada found Leon in his usual place in the dugout, leaning against the barrier. His expression reverted to the cute one she’d seen before.
“I think he did well,” she said. What else could she say? Luis leaned forward to block her line of sight with a smirk.
“Looks like someone else has a crush.”
“What are you talking about?” Ada concentrated on the field instead but could already feel herself pulled toward the sunshine boy below.
“Why is he in there and not out there with everyone else?” she asked.
“Looks like he’s a pitcher.” Luis munched on another chip; the cheese dripped into the basket.
“There’s more than one?” Ada felt like a complete novice, and while she wasn’t planning on becoming an expert, she wanted to know more about him.
“They usually have someone to take over when the other one gets tired.” Luis propped his feet up on the rail in front of them with his basket.
“How long do you think this will take?” She gestured to the field.
“The inning? You have some time, why?”
“Was thinking about paying our pitcher a visit.” Ada was already on her feet.
“Hey! Wait!” Luis balanced his nachos in his hands as he followed behind her.