wonderwall ♔ k. bryant

five

Kyle got hurt in the next game. He got hurt really bad. He collided with Dexter while trying to catch the ball and Theo told me the morning after it happened that he tore some ligaments in his knee. He's missing the rest of the season. It's pretty sad, really. Three games into the regular season and you suddenly lose one of the best players on the team. The team's crushed about it, but there's nothing for us to do.

We're back in Chicago now for the home opener. I haven't been in Chicago since February and God, I've missed it. Not the cold ass weather, obviously, but you get the point.

I showed up at Lauren's apartment when we got back to Chicago. Lauren's been my best friend since I met her in college and honestly, she's been the only one there for me lately, with losing both my mom and two of my siblings, all within the span of a year.

She answers the door with a big smile on her face. "Mallory!" she engulfs me in a hug and lets me inside. Her dog, Gatsby, runs into the room and jumps up on me as he sees me. This dog might love me more than he loves Lauren, but I'm not going to tell her that.

"How was Arizona?" she asks me as I walk into her kitchen.

"I mean, it was work. I didn't get to do a whole lot down there," I answer and she shrugs.

"Well, I'm glad you're back. Because I'm making pizza and I'm not eating all of it by myself," she laughs and I sit down at the counter.

She turned on her TV to an old episode of The Office when the pizza was finished and sat down on her couch next to me.

"Alright, Mallory," she turns to me, "Kris Bryant. Tell me everything."

Kris is Lauren's favorite player. When I told her I was going to be working for the Cubs, she told me two things- 1. "Congratulations!" and 2. "Get Kris Bryant's number for me." The last part was intended to be a joke, but she probably means it deep down inside of her.

"He's an asshole," I groan and her eyes widen.

"You're kidding. He seems like an angel."

"Yeah, well, he's not," I state and she frowns.

"Well, that's disappointing..."
***
I woke up that next morning at 7:30 to go on my morning run. It's something I started doing before I left for Arizona. I have my own established route in Chicago and I eventually had one in Arizona, but I didn't really run that much while I was gone.

I throw on one of my Nike hoodies and a pair of yoga pants. I throw my hair up into a ponytail, which looks like a mess because it's 7:30 but it's whatever, and slide on my Nikes. I grab my phone off the charger and my earbuds and I head out the door.

I start playing my running playlist on Spotify, which mainly consists of Fall Out Boy and The Beatles, and start taking the usual route that I always do. It's still kind of cold in Chicago, but it's only the beginning of April.

As I'm jogging back to my apartment building, I bump into the one and only, Kris Bryant.

"Mallory, I'm starting to think you follow me everywhere," he smirks and I roll my eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself," I remark and he chuckles.

"I'm going to Starbucks. Care to grace me with your presence for an extra twenty minutes and come with me?" he asks and I raise my eyebrows.

"You want me... To go with you to Starbucks?"

"...Yes."

"When did you stop being such an ass?"

"I didn't. But answer the question and maybe I'll stop."

I shrug my shoulders. "I guess?" I answer reluctantly and we start walking to the nearest Starbucks.

He orders both of us a peppermint mocha latte and he walks me back to my apartment after paying.

"Hold on," I tell him when we're at my door, "Let me give you money for this."

"Don't."

"Kris, I'm paying you back."

"Don't give me money, Mallory. Take this as one of the times I'll be nice to you," he smiles and dear God, his smile seriously makes me heart melt.

"But-"

"Mallory. Stop." The argument seems to stop there and we're both standing awkwardly outside my apartment. His 6'5" frame is towering over me who stands at 5'4". He's staring down at me and I'm staring up into his icy blue eyes.

"Well," I say eventually, breaking the silence, "I'm going to just... Go inside. Thanks for the coffee... I'll see you tonight," I open up my door and walk inside.

Tonight should be fun.

A/N
heyy !!

i'm going to end up doing a face reveal for mallory but honestly i have nO IDEAS on who i could use so ideas and suggestions would be vvv much appreciated:))))

do you guys like frequent updates? there's things going on in my life rn and writing is an outlet for me, so i just end up starting another chapter and i never have things just sit in my drafts if they're completed so if i write something, it's being published as soon as possible lmao. but i'll chill on the updates if you guys need me to! just let me know

vote, comment, do whatever