A Slide Into First ➵ narry

Chapter 10

“Oh, is there a next one?”

“If you want, yeah. And if I have time, obviously,”

“Well, let’s just say that if you sang I’d be really happy. But I’ll take anything I get from you. I treasure all your little gifts,”

“What do you want to hear?”

“A surprise,”

**

The next night Harry stayed up late in anticipation for his video, and around two in the morning it finally came through.

“Missin you” was all the email said. This time Niall was seated in what looked like a conference room of a standard hotel, already showered and rested from the game.

He recognized the beginning notes immediately. Niall knew that he liked this band a lot, and there was a tattoo to prove it. Harry liked this song even more with Niall singing though, and he couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Niall had listened to him.

Lying back on his bed, Harry just took in the words as they washed over him. Wishing Niall was there.

**

When another one of Harry’s days off came around, he hardly had to think about where he was going to spend it. Niall would appreciate him being there at the game, and Harry wanted nothing more. He had considered coming to the game early and talking with Liam and Caroline at the concession stand, but then he thought of how nice it would feel to sleep in and he took that route. His sister dropped him off at the stadium a bit before the game started, where he was supposed to meet Zayn. As he dropped into his seat a text message came in.

“Z: It’s Perrie’s last night so do you mind if I bail aha !! :D”

Harry sighed and replied back: “Guess so. Enjoy yourselves jeez,” He didn’t really feel like sitting by himself for the entirety of the game, but he also didn’t feel like having Zayn and Perrie sitting next to him and making out either.

With only a few minutes left until the game started, Harry busied himself with texting Niall. He had, of course, already shut his phone away so he could focus, but Harry was telling Niall how he felt like a trophy… boyfriend? Sitting on the sidelines with a spiked coke in his hand, screaming his head off for #1 with pride beaming out of him. He really liked doing this, seeing what Niall did best while looking hot in his uniform, even if it was pushing 90 outside.

Finally, the Wrenches ran their way out onto the field and the stadium erupted into cheers. Harry joined in and was able to catch Niall’s attention with a barrage of whoops and waving arms that made him look like an ass, but he wasn’t alone. Half the stadium seemed to yell for Niall. Harry thought back to the first time he had seen Niall play, a little over two months before. Since then, a lot had changed. They had gone from an ‘accidental’ kiss to making out in storage closets. From awkward silences to comfortable gaps in conversation that didn’t need to be filled. Now, when he yelled out towards the field showing his admiration for the blond kid on first, he knew that the love was reciprocated. He had the hickeys and bruises adorning his chest to prove it.

**

“Oh, excuse me. Do you mind if we sit next to you?” a pretty woman asked, carrying a small child who couldn’t have been a year old with a 4-year-old hanging onto her dress.

“No, not at all!” Harry replied, moving down so that they could sit by the aisle.

It was the seventh inning already and Niall was up at bat again. Harry sat on the edge of his seat in anticipation, hoping that he would do well. He did, of course, with a very respectable single that brought the man on third home. Harry yelped with delight, standing and cupping his hand to his mouth in the hopes that Niall could hear. He couldn’t, of course, but he looked over in that direction with a smug smile across his face that Harry just wanted to kiss off.