"Here, let me." her hands gently moved him away from the tie he had been trying to put together for the last ten minutes. With a soft, sweet smile she seamlessly tied it together and secured it around his neck, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose. "You'll be fine," she reassured, resting the palm of her hand against his cheek, which was smooth as can be. "You've been playing since before you could walk. Brought your team to state, college superstar. You'll get in."

Albert only sighed. Summer had finally rolled around, which meant that it was time for the baseball draft. Ok fine. He was half worried he wasn't going to get picked. The part he was worried about was getting picked by a team that wasn't on the north east side. Brooklyn. That would be his only thought from the time he leaves for training camp until the end of the season. As if reading his mind Brooklyn leaned up on her toes and kissed him. "We'll make it work," she whispered. "You sure you don't want to eat anything?" she asked. "Just a small bite of something?"

Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her closer. She looked pretty in the black skirt and navy blue top. Hair down in soft waves with a little bow in the back of her head. The sweet smell of vanilla, cinnamon and everything fall and cozy was the only thing keeping his insides intact. "I'll eat once it's over," he replied, voice low.

"You have an amazing record. The bad boy of baseball," she laughed. Brooklyn remembered how stupid the nickname was back in high school. She had a small idea on how it came about but regardless, it was something she couldn't take seriously. Sure, he's rough around the edges and can be Mr. Cold and Standoffish, but the truth is, he's secretly a giant teddy bear. "The league has had their eye on you for your whole career…you'll be playing with the big boys super star."

"Always lookin' for the positives in life."

"But that's why you love me," she beamed with that sweeter than sugar smile he loves so much. "Sunshine to your grumpy storm."

"Yeah yeah, you and your book tropes. You don't even like grumpy sunshine."

"That's because it has to be done the right way," Brooklyn pointed out. "And while I love book talk, we should probably get going now." she softly smiled as she played with the tie. She could feel how nervous he was. His heart was beating quicker and he was much hotter than he normally would be. Hot as in the temperature, not looks. Though she has to admit he does look good all dressed up. Yet, it was an unusual sight. Albert lived in nothing but t-shirts, jeans, and his uniform all topped off with a backwards cap. She remembered one time he said that a part of the reason why he likes caps so much is because it hides his hair. It had been sometime after a game when he was tired and had approximately two drinks and was seconds away from passing out. As in she couldn't reply how she liked his hair very much before he started snoring.

Who knows someone who walked with such confidence in his stride could feel insecure. Brooklyn knows the feeling, it visits her everyday. But today she needed to be the strong one. To be the first one he hugs to celebrate, or to comfort. Which of the two will happen was approaching quickly. Granted she had her own worries about the possibility of him leaving New York for a good chunk of the year and only coming back for three days. Maybe a few weeks within the north east area if the team hit the road. But even then it'd be hard for her to trail behind just to spend time with him. First thing in the morning he'd have to go warm up, then it was the game and it wouldn't matter if it was a win or a loss, he'd still be tired and all they'd do would fall asleep in a tiny hotel room.

Well ok fine. That prospect is still the same even if he did stay in New York, but at least he'd be able to come back home after a long flight. He'd still be tired and sore but at least they'd get a few more days together out of it. Not that they're living together. He's still rooming with Race for the meantime and she's still with a happily married Mush and Feister, and the third wheel Kid Blink. Technically that makes her the fourth wheel, but they're still in school and since Albert's not that doubles the struggles. The season starts in April, aka finals time. She had to mentally take a deep breath, they'd figure it out. And yet….there was something else she was worried about….

Nodding, Albert leaned down and kissed her lips with a sigh. This year the draft was being held in New York. There wasn't anything to worry about, he's well aware that the major league has shown interest in him. His high school and college coach both said he has a promising future if he keeps up the hard work. Now look. He's about to head to the MLB draft. Something he never saw himself doing until his late teens. At first baseball was just something his mom signed him up for. Both his brothers did it so why not keep that going.

Ok maybe he was more nervous than he was letting himself be. Usually once a player turns twenty-one or has finished his third year of college he's eligible. Albert had decided to get his degree as a backup in case something happened. Maybe it lessened his chance or maybe it didn't. At least Brooklyn would be there for moral support. That's all that mattered. He thought about bringing along some of the other boys but decided that she'd be the best option. If he got picked she'd celebrate and if he didn't then she wouldn't dwell on the subject. Not that would happen. This is the first round, he's made it into the top players in the country. What he's nervous about is playing for the west coast or even down south if it comes to that. Not to mention months of training camp and everything else that comes along with it.

"Yeah, ok." With one last kiss Albert took her hand and led her out the door. After ordering an uber they sat in silence on the ride there. The only thing that was keeping his mind calm was tracing a finger over Brooklyn's leg. The mixture of her perfume and soft skin was oddly therapeutic.

But it was when she leaned her head against his shoulder did he really feel his body relax. Her hand rested on top of his and she gave it a soft squeeze. A silent reassurance that everything will be alright. Now, Albert's never been optimistic, but there's something about Brooklyn that makes him believe in the positives in life, when really, after what happened to her, you'd think she wouldn't see the world through rose colored glass. Perhaps, it's all the romance books she reads where the main characters always get their happy ending. This girl. His girl. Hopeless, romantic and sweeter than sugar. A rare soul to find nowadays. Someone he probably doesn't deserve.

Nerves and excitement filled his body and now he was regretting not putting something in his stomach. How long could this possibly be anyways? Not more than a few hours, right? Feeling his palms were starting to get sweaty he proceeded to wipe them on his pants. Before he could do that he felt a lump in his pocket that wasn't there before. Reaching in he pulled out a homemade granola bar with a sticky note attached.

In case you get hungry. Dry mouth? Other pocket You've got this superstar!

Love, Brooklyn

"What would I do without you sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. With a quick glance and a wink from Brooklyn he resisted the urge to kiss her. Making sure no one was watching, he ate half in one bite then saved the other half for later. There were only a handful of familiar faces. Some from his college team, others from the opposing side. Names and faces all blurred together and the only thing he could hear was the heavy beating of his heart. Was the A/C even on?

Soon, a man with gray hair wearing a nice suit stepped up onto the stage, an upper of the league or something like that. Albert couldn't remember titles right now. The man in question welcomed everyone, went on with some formal speech and it felt like another ten minutes before the drafting actually began. Just because you're a good player doesn't guarantee you'll be on one of the top teams. But some pretty good teams have shown interest in him so there was some hope. Though, at the end of the day, he just wanted to stay within the east coast. Preferably the north. Yes, sadly that includes Boston but that's technically the closest city to Manhattan so….would he survive there? He'd feel like a trader who couldn't come back if that happened. Is the weather in Maryland good? He'd assume it was roughly the same with it being on the north east, but more tolerable in the winter? He had no idea.

Feeling a dryness creep into his mouth he discreetly popped a mint and sucked. But he started chewing before the mint had gone soft. A nervous habit perhaps. Or Albert really needed to chew something and sadly there wasn't a gum stick in sight. He could really go for wintergreen or cinnamon right now. His go to flavor during a high stakes game when the bases are loaded and the opposing team is hungry for the win on enemy grounds. At least then, he could smack the rush of adrenaline with a bat as hard as he could and run any other feeling out of his body and collapse at home plate.

"A hitter from NYU, Albert Dasilva!"

Did he hear that right? Maybe there's some other dude with the same name. Yeah, that makes sense. Like that annoying song goes, it's a small world.

"Albert!" Brooklyn said, shaking him back to reality. "They called you! Get up there big guy!"

"I did it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you did." there was noise all around him but the only thing he could see was Brooklyn's beaming face. His heart swelled and he debated if it would be ok to kiss her now. But one hard shove from this tiny girl was all it took for him to head towards the stage. All he could remember was shaking hands with the man, then the owner of his new team. When he made it backstage he was whisked away to go sign the contract. If he chooses to accept of course. Grant, his manager, was talking a mile a minute changing from "you've made it kid" to whatever business managers do.

It was only when he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his neck and the sweet smell of fall did he finally feel himself relax. "See? I told you everything would be alright."

"So, does this mean you'll drop your hockey boys?"

"Sorry Albie, but baseball doesn't have the same cocky smugness hockey players do," Brooklyn giggled. Every bookworm knows that hockey and football carry the fictional sports world. Specifically college. She's dabbled in the professional world but it wasn't as appealing as the school setting. Don't fix something if it isn't broke and all that. "Oh and by the way, your phone's going to explode. I think the group chat is on fire right now. Oh, and Liam sent a sweet message. Cade gave a thumbs up, smiley face and a baseball emoji."

"They were watching?" Albert asked in shock at the mention of his brothers. Liam, the oldest who went into the marines, had settled in the south with his wife. Cade, the former troubled child, is still driving trucks across the US. The three Dasilva boys haven't been in the same room, much less the same area since their mother died but who knows, that might change.

"And why wouldn't they?" Brooklyn asked. "Oh and Race said that he's gonna root for Boston now."

"Well you can tell blondie locks that's the wrong rivalry."

Brooklyn only shrugged. She didn't know the logistics of sports and why New York and Boston have it out for each other. Something to do with the curse of the bambino or whatever. Well to that she says it was dumb luck on their neighbors down south.

"You say dumb luck I say HA!" Albert replied. She's so easy to read, it's kind of cute. A wide open picture book this girl is. His girl.

Instead of saying anything, Brooklyn leaned up on her toes to give him the quickest kiss. She vividly remembered the times he'd stumble to her place after an away game smelling like hotel soap and so tired he looked like a giant toddler that's struggling to stay awake. It didn't matter if it was a win or a loss, he was seconds away from passing out. If it was a home game then he'd hang out with the team for a victory get together, but even after then he'd come over and crash the minute his head hit the pillow.

Now that was going to be ten times worse…she didn't want to think about just how exhausted he was going to get. He'd be asleep before his head hit the pillow. That much she was sure on. Nevertheless, Brooklyn also had this feeling that they were going to make it work. That's what he always said. When they first started dating, to their college days together, and probably for the rest of their life. Yet. That thought alone put something else into her mind. She's been worried about it for years and now that he's in the pros it scares her more than ever.

"Ok, what's on your mind?" Albert asked when they got back to his place. The door was probably a quarter of the way closed when he asked that question. It was late into the afternoon, the golden glow poured into the common area and lit up her sandy brown hair while making her freckles pop out even more. "Don't try to deny it, gorgeous, I know when those gears are turnin'."

"The excitement of the day must be getting to me," Brooklyn replied as she peeled off her shoes and placed them neatly side by side on the mat by the door. The one that has various sneakers and a pair of snow boots even though it's well into July. It was a cluttered mess of shoes if she ever saw one but that wasn't even the worst part of the Dasilva, Higgins apartment. "Are you in the mood for a takeout to celebrate? Your choice. But not pizza, I had that two days in a row. I don't know how you think a small isn't enough of a serving by the way. It's plenty even without chips and-"

"Brooklyn, you're rambling," Albert cut off in a calm voice.

But that wasn't what she had picked up on. It was the fact he called her by her name instead of one out of the many nicknames he's given her. A sign that he was being serious. An odd look for the redhead to say the least.

"C'mon, spill it, you know I won't get mad or anythin'," he added as he approached her. "What's up."

"Nothing's wrong, we're supposed to be celebrating your lifelong dream."

"And I say we put a pause on that and you let whatever you're feeling go." it's the same old song and dance they go through whenever he knows for a fact that something's bothering her. Which is almost always the case when they have a talk like this because again, Brooklyn's easier to read than a children's book. That was one of the first things he noticed about her, how she's so expressive without realizing it. "You can tell me."

"You're a pro now." she began to fidget with the tip of her hair. "The good looking rookie who will take the league by storm….I can already see the interviews and the shirtless magazine covers and all the girls wanting to-"

"Is that what this is about?" he asked. "I've told ya before, you're the only one for me. First thought in my mind and the last fore I go to bed. You're it for -"

"Now you're taking inspiration from my favorite book," Brooklyn laughed lightly.

"Hey! The radio scene is my favorite too," Albert chuckled. "But seriously, there's nothin' to worry bout."

"Even if we…" she trailed off.

"Even if we what?" he asked with confusion on his face. Then, in a split of a second he realized what she was referring to. Honestly, for a girl who reads so many romance books one would think she'd be able to say certain things such as swearing. But no. She's so innocent that it's down right adorable. "You're talkin' bout s-"

"Albert!"

"What? You're the one who brought it up. And for your information, no, I do not care we haven't done that. We've had this talk before, I don't care how long it takes. If we're married or halfway through our honeymoon. It doesn't matter to me."

"Don't you, I mean I know it just randomly happens but…ya know."

"I can assure you I know how to take care of myself."

"Do you ever think about me while you're…"

"Brooklyn, if you knew half the thoughts that go through my mind, you'd be runnin' away right now. But, I promise ya I don't mean to think about you, it just happens. I don't know how else to explain it."

Her boyfriend wasn't a wordsmith, but whenever he reassures her in a comforting manner it's straight and to the point. The way his eyes zone in on her and how his body seems to heat up only confirms the fact that he means every word. And maybe she was a little curious about the scenarios he comes up with when they have alone time, but knew better than to ask because then she'd freak out and get worried she won't be able to live up to that. Oh, who was she kidding, she was already freaked out about living up to the whole baseball girlfriend status and fighting off all the cleat chasers. And yes, she did look up the meaning of that and didn't get it from one of her college sports romance books because that section in the book world seems to be reserved for hockey and football. In that order.

Maybe she could get Feister to lend some of that fiery spunk and no filter attitude when the time comes. Would dressing similar to her help with that as well? And how on earth would she manage to obviously board, blank expression with a mixture of "I'm so over this' ' rolled into one stare that gave off "don't mess with me' ' vibes.

"The gears are turnin', stop whatever it is you're thinking now."

Oh and there was also the fact that Albert had no idea what she was trying to do when she attempted those faces. He ended up asking if her stomach was acting up. Cue the sudden concern and asking if she had eaten anything out of the ordinary or if her gummy candy intake was more than she usually would have if the craving striked.

"We're gonna make it, right?"

"Yeah," Albert nodded as he pulled her in closer by the waist. "We'll make it."

Author's note

This has been in the making for a long time and I'm so glad I finally get to share it with you all. This book is for my buddies Pineapplesandpapes, and Nutcracker, for putting up with my rants and rambles when I was drafting this to everything else in between. Keep that in mind and ignore how I'm about to butcher all that is baseball. I know nothing outside the basics and it was hard enough trying to figure out how the draft works so bare with me even though I'm going to avoid as much technical talk as much as I can. Anyways, apologies for springing on the more mature talk towards the end, but I ask to keep two things in mind, these characters have grown and so have I, and it's all a part of Brooklyn's growth in a way since that lack of factor now that Albert will be traveling scares her. I promise everything else is still the same as it has been in the past. I swear nothing else has changed, it's just rated T for safety reasons and all that. As always I don't own newsies or anything else that may get mentioned throughout this book. Only OCs and plot. Updates are, you guessed it, Fridays. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and I'll see you next week.