"You're drunk."

"You think?" She's laughing. That horsey laugh he came to love.

"You're waaay too drunk," he continues guiding her towards his hotel room. He doesn't know which one is hers or where the heck her key card is. He saw where she kept her phone so he's not so quite thrilled to find out where she keeps the piece of plastic allowing her access to her room. Or not thrilled till they are still teammates and under surveillance.

"It's not my fault" she tries to argue but starts laughing again. His face doesn't look so convinced and his eyebrows are scrunched in that funny way. Yep, it's definitely not her fault… at least for laughing at him. Mike just makes funny faces; or maybe she's drunk and everything seems funny.

"Then whose fault is it, Rookie?" he's smiling now.

"Your assistant's." she says honestly.

"My what now?!"

"Yep," Ginny says again popping the last letter. "Apparently her alcohol tolerance is way and I mean waaaaay better than mine," another laugh.

"Oh."

"Mhm, Old man. She literally drank me under the table; and not just me, like she out drank Livan, Sal, Voorhees and me. Like come on, Old man, she's a girl."

"You're a girl, Rook." He's trying so hard to keep the fond smile out of his face while trying to unlock his door. Fond smiles and heart eyes are only for behind closed doors; that's what Evelyn and Nora both said. Yep, he's personal whatever was quick to pick up on his feelings for Ginny and hasn't shut up since. He was starting to get tired from young 20something girls messing up with his life but… he actually wasn't. He loves Ginny, he's like 120% sure of that and is somewhat fond of Nora. She's loyal, annoying and super shameless but she likes him so yep, he got fond of her too. Way to go, Lawson. The people closest to you could easily be…

"Yeah, but I'm one of the guys when it comes to…"

"To baseball; and from what I've heard from her- she's one of the guys when it comes to drinking. Her alcohol tolerance is just creepy. I agree with you on that."

"But she's fun, I like her."

"Yeah, I like her too."

"She says you like me too." She giggles and buries her face into his chest.

"Yeah, I do." His voice is soft as he's closing the door behind them.

"Do you know…" Ginny says; but her growling stomach quickly interrupts her train of thoughts.

"Do I know what, Rookie? That you're hungry? Yeah, apparently." Mike laughs before he guides her towards the bed. "Want something to eat?"

"Can I get an avocado wrap, please? From that taco place next to the stadium?" Ginny looks at him so hopeful, her eyes big and shiny, that he feels like his bones are made of mush.

"I'm not quite sure the taco place is open though.."

"But Nora said.."

"She said wh.." he doesn't have the chance to finish as there is a soft knock on his door.

"Open up, Lawson. It's me." The voice of his personal whatever comes from the other side.

He opens the door, positioning himself in a way that will hide Ginny from prying eyes.

"What do you want, Nora?!"

"I brought the avocado wrap and bannofee crepes." She says as she hands him the paper bag. He looks at her funnily and doesn't move an inch. It's not possible for her to know that Ginny…

"How-what-do you read minds now?!" he ends up saying.

"I don't know if you remember but I was the one who called you to pick her up and left as soon as I saw you, no?!"

"Yeah but.."

"She said she was craving avocado wrap. I know you love the crepes, so brought them for you."

"The taco place is closed though."

"Yeah, don't worry about that. Just take the food and go inside, Lawson. I know you think you're a catch but don't make her waiting."

"Don't.."

"My lips are sealed; the security staff signed NDAs and they deleted the footage from the elevator and your floor. It cost you 500 bucks and me being flirty but you're all set." She smiles and his hands finally catch up with what's she's saying taking the bags from her.

"Okay. Thanks I guess?"

"Yeah, just get your head out of your ass and save us all from this misery as a thank you, please." She's walking backwards not waiting around for a response.

Mike closes the door mumbling something.

"Who was it, Old man? Is that food? OMG, it's food, no?" Ginny looks at the paper bag in his hands, as it is the Holy fucking Grail. "Oh, Old man, you brought me food."

"Actually," he begins but Ginny's arms are around his neck in a millisecond and the selfish part of him just decides to take the credit.

"There is the avocado wrap and some crepes." Her hair muffs Mike's words; but he doesn't care at all. He's hugging her and that's the most important thing in the whole damn world and he decides his absolute favourite!

"Thank you." Her voice is chipper as she takes the bag from his hands and walks towards the bed.

"You know you're my favourite, right?" Ginny asks him unwrapping her food.

"Yeah, I know." Mike smiles at her.

"No. Like seriously, you are my absolute favourite," she says in between her bites.

"I can see it, Rook. After all I brought you your favourite food."

"Yeah, I know Nora brought it so don't give yourself that much of a credit." She brings him back to earth and he looks at her warily.

"But.."
"You're still my favourite, though" she continues sounding way more sober than it should have.

"Maybe we need to talk.."

"We will definitely talk about it in the morning but just some food for thought- you are my favourite, Mike!" she says honestly; and completely sober. Her eyes speak volumes but he's just standing there- deer in headlights- not knowing how to answer. "I know you; so I'll give you time. Let's pretend I'm still drunk and…"

"You're definitely drunk." He says unsure of what else he could..

"Sure, yeah. Let's go with that." She shoots back playfully.

"We will go with that. That's the truth." He finds himself saying; and the whole conversation mirrors the one they had not so long ago in that godforsaken bar.

"Okay.."

"Just keep eating your food, Rook." Mike mumbles.

"That's what I'm doing, Old man." She replies going through the crepes without paying much attention to him. "BTW, I'm not going back to my room. Nora confiscated my card a while ago saying something about me trying to sneak up a guy and then something about too many cameras. I wasn't paying attention."

"What you trying to say?"

"That you'll need to accommodate me for the night, Lawson."

"That I can do, Baker, after all I'm your favourite, no?" he smiles at her trying to appear cool but his brain is on high alert dissecting all of her words for the past ten fucking months; and especially the whole favourite thing from tonight. Maybe he'll get an aneurysm trying to catch up with her and that will end his misery of not reading correctly between the lines. Sometimes it really sucks to be in his head. Now is one of those times.

"Get your head out of your ass." Nora's words pop up in his mind and his eyes become fucking unreadable while he's drinking Ginny up.

"Cool. You ready to have the conversation?"

Ginny feels him waking her up. It's early, she can tell. She eyes the alarm clock and the illuminating numbers don't fail to disappoint- it's 6 fucking 30am.

"Go away, Lawson. I'm tired." Her voice is huskier than usual, heavy with sleep.

"Cool. You can sleep while I'm talking." She can feel him vibrating with anticipation next to her.

"Did you sleep at all, Old man?" her eyes continue to be closed but she sounds more awake now.

"Not really. This 'food for thought'," he makes air quotes, "was a lot to process, so I couldn't quite fall asleep."

"I can tell" she smiles and her dimples pop out making her look like a fucking mirage.

"So this is what I have decided. Wanna hear it?"

"Keep talking, Old man…" She kinda knows what he is about to say but just to be on the safe side she keeps her eyes shut. If she's wrong- and she sure as hell hopes she's not- she won't be able to look him in the eyes. It's safer if she's not looking. It will hurt less if he's about to break her heart.

Mike takes a deep breath and sits close to her legs giving her space to either come closer or leave easily once he's done talking.

"Cool.. So, when I'm with you the line between 'friends' and 'lovers' blurs and I don't care which side I end up on as long as you'll have me. Simple as that."

She takes her time though before she smiles.

"Simple as that, you say?" Ginny opens her eyes now.

"Simple as that." Mike confirms and she nods with him before getting up and closer to him.

"You're such a sap, Old man."

"I may be a sap, Rook, but as I recall I am you favourite sap." He rests his forehead against hers. It's up to her- he makes the calls but she's the one that decides whether to go with it or not.

"Here, here.." she smiles next to his lips before she kisses him.

Yeah.. As long as she'll have him he'll be right there, in her orbit. There is life after baseball, no?

And what is better than life with Ginny Baker after baseball.

As long as she'll have him.