A/N

Misawa angst is good angst, and I am not sorry ;u;

Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond

Miyusawa: Glimmer

The sun- it was scorching, burning, lighting him up in flames. It was hot.

There was no doubt that summer time in Tokyo was as hot as they say, but actually experiencing it was another story, one that an individual- who has never stepped foot in this capital would over exaggerate and say that it was like stepping into Hell's gates. But who were to blame them? Once you get used to this kind of weather, it would be the cold that you were to fear once winter blows in.

But for now, the summer rays were enough- enough to savor this everlasting moment that would change his life forever… If only that were the case.

Everywhere around him, he heard the chirping cicadas fall into a dead silent, the cheering crowds from the bleachers beginning to slowly diminish. The cries from his teammates suddenly burst into his ears, calling his name, frantically asking him if he was alright. Thundering footsteps from multiple people were closing in on his fallen body, shaking the weeping ground at this situation.

Sawamura Eijun only stared up at the scorching sun, its rays were beating down on his sweaty face as if it were mocking him, jeering at him that this was the end of line for his high school journey. If only he had reacted fast enough, if only he had held his mitt out a tad bit further to catch that incoming ball straight towards him, if only he had listened to Miyuki's signs to throw a different pitch. If only he hadn't been smashed with the very same baseball he had pitched, then perhaps the sun wouldn't be laughing at him in this very moment.

After throwing that dead ball, he had lost focus on his pitching, the pressure he already have obtained was getting stronger but the coach had surprisingly kept him on the mound. Perhaps he was expecting more of him and was seeing if he had the strength to get back on his feet.

But alas, it wasn't so.

It had happened simultaneously that just thinking about it made his head spin: reaching out to grab the ball, his teammates running towards the mound, his catcher pulling off his mask and crying out his name frantically as if he knew what were to come next.

The ball smashed into his wrist, it vibrated his bones and the sudden impact made him see stars and jerked him back before he crumbled to the ground in utter surprisement.

And now here he was; the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and one runner on third base, a point difference only separated the two teams from moving on to nationals, and Sawamura managed to worm himself into the most unpredictable predicament yet.

"Hey! Sawamura!" It was Miyuki's voice who called out to him.

The pitcher grimaced, his eyes were lidded and the noises around him were buzzing annoyingly in his ears. At first he couldn't comprehend what was going on, one minute he was standing tall and strong on the mound, and the next, he was covered in dirt as his body was laid on the hot sand. He felt a hand on his shoulder, raising him to sit up. His eye twitched as he met Miyuki's intense gaze in front of him, his brows were furrowed and his lips were in a tight line.

He raised his right hand to reach out to him on a whim when a shock coursed through his arm and he jerked it back involuntarily. The pain stung even more.

"O-ouch!" Sawamura gritted his teeth and held his arm gingerly in his other hand. A thought came over his mind as his eyes widened and he began to slowly shake his head. "No… no- no- no-!" The final pitch to nationals… I've-!

Sudden tears welled up in his eyes, he blew it, he fucking blew it.

Miyuki frowned and tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder, lowering his gaze, he spoke to him in a soft tone, "Sawamura, you did your best. A catcher like me couldn't ask for anything more than this." He tried to keep his voice composed, but even the infamous Miyuki Kazuya was internally upset and mentally shocked that his pitcher had taken a fall.

His teammates crowded over the fallen pitcher as his big tears rolled down his cheeks, his chest was heaving heavily and the wound he had received from the ball was bleeding. It was his first national level game in high school, he wanted to experience the heartwarming joy, and adrenaline from receiving the winner's place. But this… In his current situation, it was just a complete shock to him that he had to let loose that his teammates had trusted him to bring them there, but he had failed them.

He cried as Coach Kataoka called out for the medic, who immediately rushed on to the playing field and shooed his teammates away. Sawamura shook his head frantically and backed away from the uniformed adults, "N-no! I can still play!" The desperation in his voice was forced out as the medics held expressions of sympathy and pity.

They said nothing as Sawamura got up to his feet and was ushered away from the mound, the grim looks on his teammates- his friend's faces made his heart ache, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from theirs as he continued to let those heavy teardrops fall.

The boy's final gaze then laid itself on Miyuki, he had expected the catcher to glance back at him, to at least show him that he would be alright and that this unfortunate incident won't cost them the game. But his chest tighten even more when he saw that the catcher had his face turned away from his line of sight, his bangs fell over his goggles and Sawamura couldn't see what he was feeling.

Avoiding his gaze, when they were playing together only moments ago… The pain he felt from his wrist was nothing compared to this. It hurts.

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His treatment didn't take very long, after examination the doctor had told him that he had displaced his scaphoid bone in his wrist, the most vital part of your body if you're a pitcher, and he disruptured it. Although it would take time to heal, it's for certain that he could no longer play as he used to, fearing that the bone would pop back out of place again.

During this incident, Sawamura felt hurt, he was pained that he had fallen to a minor injury and could not have stood by his teammates side until the very end. He couldn't say a word while the doctors were treating him, he only responded with a small nod of the head.

While there, his team had sent over a messenger over to him, telling him some shocking news: the team had not won. After he had left the mound, his fellow pitcher Kawakami, had taken up the stand and had given up a home run after two outs, getting the third runner back home and with another point on the scoreboard, that ended the game with only a points loss.

But for some reason, this news wasn't that much of a shock to the boy, yes he was still extremely upset that his team had lost, he had shed a few more tears to add on to his ever growing river, but in reality, Sawamura was more hurt with himself that he was so irresponsible that he had to abandon his team like this. It destroyed his pride as a pitcher as well as his confidence, and he was beginning to shroud himself in doubt.

So now here he was, just only a few days after the game, and was lying on his back on his dorm room bed with the shutters closed and a solemn expression gazing at the bunk just above him. He was alone at the moment; Kuramochi was running a few errands at a nearby store and Masuko… Well, after the loss at the pre-national game, all of the third-year players had moved out of their respective dorms, their main intention was now graduation.

Living without the guidance of the third-year left an aching hole in his chest, it just didn't feel the same without now knowing that he had no one playing defense behind him.

His lips were in a tight line as a small rasp came from the door.

"... Hey Sawamura, are you up?" That voice... That quiet, yet gentle tone that he had grown to admire throughout these past few months, made him stiffen and slowly turned his body to face the wall.

He pulled the sheets up over his head in an attempt hide himself, "No I'm not." He called out stubbornly.

A sigh was heard from behind the door and the handle jiggled opened. Footsteps walked up to the side of his bed as he shuffled around under the covers and buried himself even more. His adam's apple bobbed slightly as he felt a dip in the bed as the person sat themselves on the side of his mattress.

"... Chris-senpai." he said in a barely audible tone. He hadn't seen his beloved senior catcher ever since he had landed himself in the hospital. So why was he here now?

"Sawamura, why are you still lying around in bed? It isn't like you to skip out on training." Chris started with a soft tone, and when his underclassmen didn't respond he hesitated before continuing, "I told you before didn't I? To not be like me."

The boy's frown deepened as he hugged his arms tighter and pulled his knees up. It was the same story as before, and it's now come in a complete circle: he had been told this by his beloved upperclassmen many times in the past, but now it's actually making its mark on him now. He was damaged, unable to play at his best just as Chris was, and now he's lost all hope.

He blamed himself for the loss of his team, the burden he started carrying weighed him down like a ton of stone walls and that was when he began to lose sight of the path in front of him.

As he thought this over, he felt something touch his head from above the sheets. He felt himself stiffen as Chris scooted over to him a tiny bit more.

"No one blames you for the loss, activities in sports are bound to lead to injuries: some luckier than others. I am not saying that it was inevitable for you to escape that path, but please consider not what you could've done, but you have done for the sake of the team." Chris glanced at him sorrowfully, retracting his hand in hopes that his words have reached him. He didn't like this side of the once boisterous pitcher, it seemed odd and unfamiliar, as if he was a completely different person.

Sawamura listened closely to his words and felt his chest tighten in pain. What he had done? Why does that even matter, the game had been done and they lost, nothing could ever change that. So why is Chris suggesting that he had done his best during the entirety of the game?

He shifted around the bed before finally pulling the covers over his head and sitting up, though still avoiding his upperclassman's gaze. "Chris-senpai, although I know you're trying to cheer me up, it doesn't change the fact that we lost the game, or that you and the other third-years had to retire out from the dorms. The responsibility I carried were your unbreakable souls, by standing on that mound, I held your three years of your high school life on that mound."

His left hand suddenly went to touch his right hand gingerly, tracing small circles in the palm as he stared at it longfully. "Sorry, Chris-senpai, that I wasn't a worthy enough pitcher to carry on your wills." His brown eyes flashed with hurt as he brushed over his injury.

"That is where you're wrong."

The boy's eyes widened as he turned to look at the catcher incredulously. His face was taught and unmoving as he stood up and walked towards the door. "Miyuki was asking for you earlier, he said he needed to have a talk with you. And if you know what's best for you, Sawamura, then you should hear him out."

Chris looked over his shoulder with warm eyes as his complexion softened and pushed the door open. "If I recall, he's still in his room." With his last words, he quietly left the boy's room and slowly closed the door.

Sawamura frowned as he furrowed his brows and stared at his hand. He didn't want to admit it, but it seemed as though his words had hurt Chris, he had never given up this easily with him. After Sawamura had recovered the passion he had for baseball, he started watching out for the young first-year and made it his top priority to do so.

Did he perhaps tore something within his upperclassman?

"Damn…" He swore and tore the sheets from his legs as he got off his bed and walked out of his room. He'll have to confront Chris later about it, he didn't want his beloved manager to have some sort of grudge with him right before graduation.

But first he had to go see what Miyuki wanted. Coming from him, it's probably something that Sawamura wouldn't like, especially in his state of mind.

He softly closed the door behind him and made his way to the other brunette's room, which wasn't that very far from his own.

After the short walk, he went up to the door and, before knocking, hesitated as he clenched his fist by his side. Honestly, why was he now getting scared of this cheeky bastard? It was really frustrating how his emotions worked with his battery partner, especially when he had only recently discovered that he had feelings for the infuriating specs-wearing boy. Romantically? He didn't know, and it wasn't until an unfortunate bath house incident before the final game where Miyuki had had his naked chest pressed against his bare back that had made his manhood rather confused.

His face had gotten really flushed after Miyuki had backed away and the catcher had to stop and ask him if he was reaching a fever. It was rather embarrassing.

He exhaled as he raised his hand and knocked on the door uncertainly. Sawamura had to quickly brush that thought aside or else he'd lose it in there, and knowing Miyuki that guy would never let him hear the end of it!

"Come in, it's open." Came a curt reply from behind the door.

Sawamura grasped on to the handle and pushed it open, muttering a quiet "Excuse my intrusion", under his breath.

He saw the catcher sitting on his bed with his arms resting on his knees, he was staring at the ground in front of him as if he were expecting Sawamura to arrive here early. That assumption made it even more nerve wrecking for the pitcher.

Shutting the door behind him, Sawamura stood awkwardly beside the entrance and fidgeted. He hadn't talked to Miyuki at all after the incident, and now suddenly being by his presence was making him want to up and disappear.

"Well, don't just stand there," Sawamura looked up at the other boy and saw him patting the spot beside him on the bed, indicating that he should come over.

He hesitated for a bit before stealing up his confidence and walked haughtily over to the other boy and plopped his bottom just a few inches away from him. Miyuki glanced at him curiously but said nothing at his strange behavior.

"You haven't been going to practice." Was all he stated a matter of factly.

Sawamura knew that this would come up, after all, Chris had said the same thing to him just moments ago. He frowned and pursed his lips together as he said nothing.

Miyuki narrowed his eyes at the boy and continued, "Look, I get that you're still upset over the loss, everyone is, it's just not you. But that doesn't excuse you from just shutting yourself out and think that this one loss is enough to bring you down and skip out from training." The catcher hesitated from saying anything else as he suddenly noticed Sawamura starting to tremble.

The pitcher gritted his teeth and stared at the ground in frustration and anger, "You know… it's not just that- Miyuki-senpai." He held up his right hand slowly and the other boy's frown deepened as he saw Sawamura shake his head. "I'm useless now. Without this hand, I won't be able to play at one-hundred ten percent, the wall that I'd created using my right hand has now crumbled."

"You're a bigger idiot than I thought you were." Miyuki's brows furrowed, taking in the boy's miserable sight and feeling his own emotions starting to boil as Sawamura continued shaming himself. It was completely wrong, he felt like he was trapped within the boy's own nightmare.

"Useless, you say? An injury like this is nothing, do you really think that a hinderance like this is enough to keep you tied down to the ground? You've still got your main pitching hand, and after a couple more months, your wrist will heal and it'll be okay!" He reassured him, staring intently at his face for a reaction of some sort. But he got nothing but an indifferent expression.

Sawamura lowered his hand, still refusing to look at his upperclassman. "You don't understand, an injury like this will never be fully healed. It's true that after a while I can play a bit better than right now, but it'll still be troublesome. And besides that," He tilted his head up to look at the catcher with lifeless eyes, "The coach will never assign a cripple like me as the ace."

Miyuki's eyes widened in astonishment at his last words. A human of his caliber… always loud, obnoxious, and as bright as the sun, would never say something as absurd as this! Something suddenly snapped within the catcher as his hand shot out and grabbed Sawamura by the collar of his shirt, pulling him forward.

His eyes glared intensely at the boy as the latter only gaped at him in awe. "Y-you… You fucking brat, are you telling me that that's the problem with you? You're upset- just because you assume that the coach won't choose you as the new ace? Is that what you're telling me?" Miyuki gritted his teeth as Sawamura avoided his gaze. That irked him to the point of using his free hand and grabbing the boy's chin to face him again, they were only mere inches apart.

"I know that being the ace is something that you dream of becoming a reality. You came to Seido because of that, right? Well, can you tell me what the "ace" does on this team?"

Sawamura frowned as he let his arms fall slack, and looked up calmly at his catcher, "... What an ace does-… They are the one who brings the team to victory-"

"Wrong." Miyuki frowned and tightened his grip, "You said it so yourself, or have you forgotten already? An ace keeps the players morales up, they turn the game around when the team is in a pinch, and most importantly, they never even once doubt themselves on their own abilities." He glared at Sawamura, "If you keep continuing this stupid act, then you have no right to play as the ace, or on this team."

His words reached the brunette, making his lips quiver as he felt his eyes tearing up and he raised his hand up to latch them on to the catcher's arm. "L-let go of me-!" He gritted his teeth and tried in vain to push Miyuki away, but his struggling only made the second-year more determined and angry.

"So are you just going to give up now?! Quit the team?" Miyuki raised his voice. Sawamura was on the verge of tears, and seeing this only made the catcher more and more heartbroken. He hadn't intended on his talk with the first-year to become this heated up, but it had unfortunately come to this.

Miyuki scrunched up his brows as he suddenly released his hands on Sawamura's collar and wrapped his arms around his trembling waist. The sudden movement caught the boy off guard as he gasped and felt his body being pulled in towards Miyuki.

"... Well are you?" Miyuki said in a soft tone, the breath of his voice tickled Sawamura's ears as he felt his heart beginning to ache and cry out for help. The pitcher's breath hitched as he felt the tears overflow and glistened down his cheeks, he let his arms fall to his side and placed his head on the catcher's shoulder.

"I… I don't know- My injury-" He managed to choke out.

Miyuki cut him off, "Means nothing. Did you see Chris-senpai quit being a catcher and moping around about it? He worked the hardest out of everyone to heal and get better so that he can be on the field with the rest us again. You had said that you looked up to him, so why can't you remember what he told you?"

"Sawamura, don't end up like me."

Sawamura pursed his lips, recalling way earlier then, when he was yet a novice pitcher who was assigned to Chris as his new battery partner. They had such a hard time trying to cooperate with each other and always came to the conclusion that the other was a nuisance. But after Sawamura had found out about Chris's well kept injury, he had felt a new surge of emotions for the former catcher, and that alone made him respect his beloved upperclassman.

How could he have forgotten?

The pitcher blinked, feeling more tears glide down his pink cheeks, "Miyuki-senpai- do you… do you think I can get back on to my feet, to play like my usual self again? I hate feeling like this, it's like it's not in my control." He swallowed a lump in his throat as he felt his heart beat quicken.

Miyuki let out a low chuckle and patted his back comfortingly, "Sawamura, that's surprising coming from you, idiot. But I believe you can overcome that, just like you've overcome every other situation from before this point on. Your unweilding spirit is what will carve a path towards becoming the ace." Miyuki pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, a smile forming on his lips. "I know you can do it."

The catcher reached forward and wiped the tears away from his cheeks, earning a slight flinch from the boy.

Sawamura felt his ears burn and he quickly looked away, sporting a pout he said, "O-of course I can-. I don't need you to tell me that, bastard…" He glanced at him from the corner of his eyes and started fidgeting with his hands, "... Thank you."

The other laughed and smiled cheekily at the nervous first-year, "You know, I never really thought I would say this but you're cute when you're blushing!" Miyuki felt his own heart warming up to the revived Sawamura, and that alone made him happy.

The brunette, however, fumed and glared at the catcher, "What was that?! C-c-cute?! Why I oughta-!" He threw a light punch at Miyuki's face, but was intercepted as the other caught the incoming fist with his hand, smirking as he did.

"Hmm? What was that again?" Miyuki let his fingers wrap themselves around Sawamura's palms as the boy jerked back slightly, his mouth agape. "Heh heh, you know something else? When you first showed me your power pitching, I had a hunch that this was the beginning of a new story for the ace."

"As long as I'm here, Sawamura," Miyuki relaxed his hold on the boy's fist as he held his hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the smooth skin, "I'll be the one to draw out your true potential, and create an ace."

Sawamura felt heat rushing up to his face as he brought his other hand up to his mouth and covered it with the back of his palm. What was this all of a sudden? He couldn't think right and all that bastard did was kiss his injured hand! His head was spinning and his heart quicken.

"D-don't say weird stuff! You bastard! I bet this was all a plan to make me feel better huh?!" Sawamura rambled.

Miyuki smirked and released his hand, "Is it really?"

Sawamura gritted his teeth and shook his head slightly before looking up shyly at the catcher's face. "Th-though, it wasn't a bad plan…" He had to admit it, but Miyuki took him by surprise, all that build up of a talk lead to this… Wait- did he know that Sawamura felt something towards him? Maybe, just maybe Miyuki had found out on that day in the bath, it was a possibility, but only a slim one.

Because let's face it, someone who had "unintentionally" had fallen on top of him could figure out that quickly that the boy felt some feelings stir up that day…

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"H-hey! Miyuki don't come any closer with that!"

"Heh heh, why not? I just wanna see if you can hold it while under water. Curiosity is a virtue you know."

"No, it's not, and seriously?! Who brings a medicine ball into the bath house?! Has the final match finally made you gone crazy- no wait scratch that- you're always like this!"

"Rude, I'm not like- woah! I slipped!"

"Gah! Miyuki don't fall in over here! And don't state the obvious."

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"Hey, Sawamura." Miyuki's voice snapped him back to the present day and the boy saw him stand by the doorway with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. "Come on, everyone's waiting at the practice field for you. You are coming, right?"

Sawamura breath hitched as he stared at Miyuki with uncertain eyes, he balled up his injured hand into a fist, could he do it? Could he actually play again and not worry about his injury preventing him from pitching ever again? Perhaps he could, after all-

The boy nodded his head and got up from the bed, walking over to where Miyuki was waiting for him. "Of course I am! What do you take me for?" He huffed and followed the catcher from the room.

-His journey was only beginning from there.

Omake:

"S-so, Miyuki-senpai," Sawamura glanced at him with lidded eyes as he pursed his lips and avoided the catcher's gaze all together. "Are we, ya know- a thing now?"

Miyuki raised a brow at him and smirked, throwing an arm over the boy's shoulder playfully and pulling him in closer. "Hmm? What do you mean by that? I don't understand?" He snickered as the pitcher's cheeks turned pink and he started yelling out incoherent words.

"What-?! You mean you don't- I can't even-! Miyuki you bastard, I'll never forgive you-!" Sawamura flapped his arms around and tried pulling away from the second-year who only moved in closer.

"Ha ha! You're too dumb to say it anyways!"

"No I'm not!" After fumbling around, Sawamura took in a deep breath before looking him in the eyes with a serious expression, "Miyuki, c-can I be your b-boyfriend…" His voice fell into a whisper as he got to the last word, he gazed at Miyuki's face for any signs of an expression.

… But the only thing he got from him was a laugh and a hard slap on the back. "We were already an item, Sawamura! It all started with that kiss on your hand remember?" He waggled his brows as the pitcher fumed and finally pushed him away.

"God, I hate you, Miyuki Kazuya!" But I love you anyways, jerk.