MLB Imagines

[...Jac Caglianone...] - The Dugout Secret

                                                               Jac Caglianone - "The Dugout Secret"

Y/N Massey knew sneaking around with Jac Caglianone was a terrible idea.

That's what made it impossible to stop.

It started innocently enough during spring training when her brother, Michael Massey, invited her down to Arizona for a few days before the season began. Y/N had always supported Michael's baseball career, attending games whenever she could, but she usually stayed far away from the clubhouse crowd and his teammates.

Especially the charming rookie everyone couldn't stop talking about.

Jac Caglianone.

The first time Y/N saw him in person, he was laughing with teammates near the batting cages, sunlight hitting his face while he adjusted his cap backward. She hated how instantly attractive she found him.

And somehow, Jac noticed her too.

When Michael introduced them quickly before practice, Jac's confident smile softened for just a second the moment their eyes met.

"So this is the famous sister?" he teased.

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Depends who you ask."

Jac laughed immediately, and the sound lingered in her head far longer than it should have.

Over the next few days, they kept accidentally crossing paths. At first it was small conversations near the dugout or quick jokes while Michael got distracted talking to coaches.

Then came the lingering looks.

The teasing.

The tension.

Y/N tried ignoring it because she already knew exactly how her brother would react. Michael was protective to an extreme, especially when it came to his younger sister.

Dating one of his teammates?

Absolutely not.

Which was why neither of them expected things to escalate the way they did.

One night after a game, Y/N received a notification while laying in bed at her hotel.

A follow request.

Jac.

Her stomach flipped instantly.

A few minutes later another notification appeared.

"You looked bored sitting with baseball wives tonight. I can promise I'm more entertaining."

Y/N laughed out loud before typing back.

"This already sounds like a bad decision."

"The fun ones usually are."

From there, everything snowballed.

Late-night FaceTimes turned into daily texting. Daily texting turned into sneaking away after games just to spend fifteen minutes together in parking garages or empty hallways beneath the stadium.

They kept telling themselves it was harmless.

Until it wasn't.

By midseason, Jac had completely fallen for her.

He looked for her in the stands during every home game. His face visibly lit up anytime she walked into a room. Teammates started catching onto the weird tension between them, especially because Jac suddenly volunteered for every appearance or dinner Michael mentioned Y/N might attend.

"You're acting suspicious," one teammate joked one afternoon.

Jac nearly choked on his water.

Meanwhile Y/N was struggling just as badly.

She'd never met someone who made her feel so seen. Jac wasn't just the confident baseball star everyone assumed he was. Around her, he became softer. Protective. Playful. Honest about his fears, his dreams, and the pressure he constantly felt trying to prove himself.

And the worst part?

She was deeply in love with him.

One humid Kansas City night after a Royals win, Jac texted her asking her to meet him at Kauffman Stadium long after everyone had left.

Y/N slipped inside through a side entrance he told her about, heart pounding the entire time.

She found him sitting alone in the dugout in a hoodie and backwards cap.

"You know this is insane, right?" she whispered while walking toward him.

"Probably," he admitted. "But I missed you."

That simple confession melted her instantly.

She sat beside him, their shoulders touching lightly as the empty stadium glowed beneath the lights.

"You ever think about telling him?" she asked quietly.

Jac sighed. "Every day."

"But?"

"He might actually kill me."

Y/N laughed softly before resting her head against his shoulder.

For a while they sat in silence, listening to the distant hum of the stadium.

Then Jac suddenly turned toward her, serious now.

"I need you to know something."

Her chest tightened immediately.

"I've dated people before," he said quietly. "But nobody's ever felt like this."

Y/N's breath caught.

Jac reached for her hand slowly.

"When you walk into a room, it's like everything settles for me. I don't care how bad a game was or how stressed I am. You make everything feel lighter."

She stared at him speechless.

"And honestly?" he added with a nervous laugh. "I think I fell for you way faster than I was supposed to."

The vulnerability in his voice shattered the last of her restraint.

"I love you too," she whispered.

Jac looked stunned for half a second before pulling her closer.

Their kiss was soft at first, almost hesitant, months of hidden feelings finally surfacing all at once. But the second Y/N kissed him back deeper, Jac's hand moved gently to her waist like he never wanted to let go.

The empty stadium disappeared around them.

It was just them.

Finally honest.

Finally real.

Eventually they pulled apart breathless, foreheads pressed together while both of them smiled uncontrollably.

"So..." Y/N whispered. "What happens when Michael finds out?"

Jac groaned dramatically, dropping his head back.

"Let me enjoy this for at least one more day before I die."

Created for:  bxbblyyy_