Why Don't We One Shots

Going...Going...Gone - Janiel

"All I'm saying is that I don't get the appeal of cracker jacks. Peanuts for life!" Corbyn and Jack shuffle through the crowds of people, Corbyn ranting on and on about "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

Jack laughs and rolls his eyes, sweeping his hair off his forehead. "Corbs, relax, it's just a song."

"Peanuts forever man." Corbyn shrugs. "That's all I'm saying."

Jack laughs again, popping a chip into his mouth as the next batter takes his stance next to the plate.

"Next up for your California Blues," the announcer says, introducing him, "the blue-eyed second baseman himself, number 2, Daniel Seavey!"

Corbyn raises a brow as Jack lets out a woop. Daniel Seavey was his favorite baseball player of all time. It also was a major pro that his favorite player was extremely good-looking.

The pitcher from the visiting team, the Denver Sparks, threw a slider, and Daniel swung. Strike. The next pitch nearly knocked his tooth gap out, a ball. Daniel swung, missing a strike that was a little higher than normal, giving him a count of 2-1. One more strike and he was out.

"Come on Seavey," Jack says under his breath, eyeing the scoreboard. If Daniel could hit a home run here, the three-run hit would put them in a winning position for the game. And with Jonah Marais on third and Zach Herron on second, it was the dream situation.

Daniel blows a bubble in his pink gum, stepping out of the box to take another practice swing. He locks eyes with the pitcher as he steps back in, holding his hand up to signal the umpire that he wasn't ready. He dropped his hand, putting it on the bat, chin down. He was ready to swing.

The next pitch seemed to come in slow motion. The perfect pitch, a little higher that hip height, down the middle - no tricks. Daniel swung, cracking his wooden bat perfectly in half, and sprinted down the line to first.

"It's going....it's going....and it's gone!" The announcer cheers. "A beautiful way to end a game, a perfect hit by Seavey to win it all!"

Not so beautiful or perfect for Jack. See, he saw that ball coming, in slow motion like the whole play. It smacked him in the eye, leaving it bloody and purple.

"Jack? Jack, can you hear me? Jack!" Corbyn faded into blurriness, and Jack fell asleep with the home run ball in his hand.

When Jack finally woke up, he wasn't at the stadium anymore. He was in a hospital room, beeping machines all around him. His brain felt numb. Corbyn was waiting there, and, as soon as Jack tried to shift, he scrambled out of the chair beside him.

"What happened?" Jack croaks out, reaching for the glass of water on the bed tray.

"That Daniel Seavey character had you seeing stars," Corbyn chuckles lightly. "Just not the way you wish."

Jack rolls his eyes. His friend could be so inappropriate at times. He reaches up to feel his eye, and Corbyn hands him his phone to look at it in the camera. "Oof. I look like I got socked by a cinderblock."

"Just a baseball," Corbyn says. "Don't worry, I'm not going to let any cement give you a beating."

A knock at the door silenced them both. "Mr. Avery, someone is here to see you."

Corbyn and Jack look at each other. "Who?" Jack asks.

And then, in walks Daniel Seavey, cuter than ever in a button-up and jeans, the backwards Blues cap on his head matching perfectly with his eyes. "Just me, the one who hit you with a baseball. Sorry about that, by the way."

"I'll wait outside," Corbyn says, looking back and forth between them. Daniel takes Corbyn's spot, and, with his back turned to Corbyn, Corbyn takes the opportunity to mouth to Jack, Get his number, he's cute! and flashes a double thumbs-up.

"How are you feeling?" Daniel asks.

"I'm okay," Jack says. "It was a nice home run. If it was anyone but you, well, then I'd be pissed."

Daniel laughs and Jack smiles. "You know, you look really familiar. What was your name again?"

"Jack," Jack responds. "Jack Avery."

"I think I've seen you somewhere," Daniel says, squinting at Jack. "Do you sing?"

Jack blushes. "I have a few covers out."

Daniel's eyes brighten. He was a huge fan of Jack's. "Dude, you're that Jack Avery! Your voice is way cool!"

"Thanks," Jack says, playing with his ringed fingers, trying not to freak out about the fact that the most gorgeous human on the planet knew who he was and liked his singing. "It was cool getting to see you play today."

Daniel boldly takes Jack's hand. "It was cool getting to see you today. Come sing for me sometime?"

"Like, the National Anthem at the park?" Jack asks, a little confused. Daniel laughs, thinking it adorable that Jack doesn't quite understand what Daniel is implying.

"Not exactly," Daniel says, snagging a Sharpie from behind his ear and swiping the cap off his head. He writes something on it, then places it on Jack's head, covering his eyes. When Jack lifts it, all he sees is Daniel, inches away. "Just me and you," he breathes.

Jack's breath catches, finally understanding what Daniel was saying. Daniel gives him a slow kiss, pulling back and biting his lip to keep from smiling too hard. That failed, and the smile on his face showed off the tiniest tooth gap, one of the things Jack loved most about him.

"Yo, Seavey, we gotta go!" A boy's voice yells. Jonah Marais and Zach Herron poke their heads into Jack's room. "You coming?"

"Be right there," Daniel answers.

Jonah nods. "Feel better dude," he says to Jack, and Zach salutes as they walk away.

As soon as they're gone, Daniel turns back to Jack. "Me and you. We'll go somewhere nice. I'd love to hear you sing, in person this time." Daniel stands, blushing more than he ever had in his life until that moment. "See you soon Jack."

Jack watched him go, still in awe over what happened.

A date, with the most gorgeous boy on earth, plus he's my favorite baseball player and a fan of my singing?

Smiling, he pulls the cap off his head. On it is Daniel's phone number, complete with a little heart at the end. He smiles, not being able to wait until tomorrow.

And as Daniel walks out of the building with Jonah and Zach, he's thinking the exact same thing.

~