A Silent Cry

A/N: I'd been inspired ever since I got wind of Miyuki's injury - in a very miserable manner, stumbling upon it when I was searching for tumblr posts on Miyuki. I cried so pathetically for him. (sobs) I haven't fully forgotten it yet..

NOTE: Eijun is in Inashiro Industrial, and of course, Miyuki's in Seidou. (where else would he be?) They meet coincidentally when they were doing their runs, and proceeded doing it - just joking. (I wish, you wish - okay, everyone wishes for it.) I do know the injury did not happen this early in canon, by the way.

This was quite difficult for me to write, but I persevered because it kept bugging me. So here it is. BIOTR will be updated after my major exams - I know it doesn't make sense, but... Sorry for the mistakes in advance, I am supposed to be studying right now. I will be editing this when I have time!

Disclaimer: I would make Eijun and Miyuki have a passionate make-out session (preferably on a muddy field with their clothes drenched) on the field. Um, if DoA was mine.

Eijun slumped down against the bench he had taken a liking to a few weeks ago after starting his new training regime, pulling his towel off from around his neck and wiped the sheen of sweat off his forehead. Cracking open the can of sports drink he held in his other hand, he took a hasty gulp, then slammed it down beside him with a satisfied sigh.

Damn, the liquid tasted like heaven after his morning run, especially the way the cool liquid ran down his throat – he made another grab for the sports drink again.

Following the schedule Harada had prepared for him was harder than he thought; other than the twenty-five rounds around the field outside the stadium he had to do on the odd numbers of the week – which included Sunday – he had to alternate between the two training menus he was given, both of which were no joke, either. Of course, these all paled in comparison when he thought of the skill he would be able to learn after.

\\\\\+\\\\\

"Seriously? You will really teach me the change-up?" Eijun asked again, hands clenched into fists in front of him as he resisted the urge to shake Mei by the collar in his excitement.

Mei threw him an amused glance before he turned back to watch the players on the field. "Hn. Sure, why not? If you can complete the captain's training, that is."

"Yes! I will, senpai! I really will!" He yelled, leaping up from his seat and bowing to him over and over again. "Thank you so much for giving me this chance! Thank you, senpai! You're the best!"

"Oi! Tell that first-year idiot to shut up!" Carlos yelled from his batting position, making Eijun avert his attention to him and shout an apology to him.

Carlos glared. "Do you even know what quiet means?"

Mei chuckled and stood from his seat, pulling the mitt on. "That doesn't mean you'll be the ace. Y'know, even if I do teach you, it doesn't mean that you'll be able to do it."

There was silence as Mei got ready to get on the field, and for a moment he thought the persistent junior was already discouraged – he turned and his eyes widened by a fraction: Eijun's eyes had flashed, and for a moment, it was as if he was a different person.

His hands clenched by his sides, and his voice was a low whisper as he stared at the ace pitcher with a look that he had not seen for a long time – the intense hunger and the determination to stand on the mound as someone in the ascendant. "I will learn it, and I will become the ace, senpai!"

Mei's lips tugged to a smirk. "Very well, we'll see – " He jogged out to the field, then threw his towel back to the spluttering junior, "But while I'm here," he adjusted his cap and grinned at Eijun, "the ace position is mine."

\\\\\+\\\\\

Mei's skills were amazing; the speed and accuracy, the way he led the field as the ace when he was on it – Eijun looked up to him as a role model, and he was only a second year. A grin stretched on his lips – but he was not going to relinquish the ace position just because of that! He sprung from the bench, about to leave and do another extra five rounds at that train of thought, reaching for the can to finish his drink when his ears perked up to a deafening cry:

"Sensei! We're gonna win this!"

"No, we are going to win today, as usual!"

He directed his attention back to the field and to his amazement, about twenty kids – they couldn't be over ten or eleven – clad in white jerseys, were dashing into the open field, the group holding a mixture of mitts and bats. Some were squealing and yelling words of absolute victory; others were laughing and pushing each other through the opened gate playfully while the rest followed quietly behind.

"Oh!" Eijun ran to the wired fence and dug his fingers through it, eyes sparkling with fascination. Kids playing baseball? He never witnessed that before!

A male adult - probably their coach - settled them down to a group and lined them up. Eijun returned to his seat on his bench, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he swung his legs gaily, obviously excited by the prospect of watching them in action – honestly, he had never been to a baseball game before – but well, they would be his first!

After the whistle blew, a small boy who couldn't be over four feet tall clambered over the mound, and stood on it with a ball gripped tightly in his right hand. There was a concentrated frown etched between his brows as he took a deep breath and readied himself for his pitch. Eijun bounced up from his seat, swallowing hard as he watched the boy's right leg rose, the other leg wobbling slightly as he struggled to maintain balance - there was a yelp and the ball flew out of his grasp clumsily.

There was a loud guffaw from the batter and the boy huffed, cheeks red.

Eijun blinked. His form was…

"Rubbish."

He jolted in surprise, his head whipping to see a bespectacled boy next to him, a weary grin twisted on his face. He didn't even notice his presence.

"R – Rubbish?" Eijun couldn't help but echo, taken aback by his harsh phrasing.

He nodded, adjusting his cap to the side of his head as he turned to face him, "Yep. His form is an absolute mess."

"He's just a kid!" Eijun protested, shocked that someone could be so critical towards someone so young.

"Now, now," he said, shrugging, "sugar-coating is no good, you know."

He took a seat on the bench, eyes intent on the kids on the field. Eijun huffed in indignation as he stomped over to where the boy was sitting. "Kids shouldn't be treated that way."

"Oh?" He looked at him, the corner of his lips tilting up slightly, "then how should they be treated like?"

"Well," Eijun started, puffing his chest, "well, I – they should just be treated nicely!"

He chuckled. "Nice, huh."

"What's your problem?" Eijun demanded. He didn't like the look on the stranger's face one bit; it was as if he was mocking him.

"Nothing," he said, but the curve of his lips was more prominent now.

Eijun's vein throbbed on his forehead and he waved his finger just a few inches away from his face angrily, "You are laughing at me!"

"My," he commented almost absently, attention already back on the field. "You can't speak at a normal volume, can you?"

Eijun huffed, "Of course I can!"

The boy barked out laughter. "Right."

The pitcher growled and was about to point out his sarcasm when he noticed the almost gentle look in the stranger's eyes as he observed the players, contrasting his blunt comment a few minutes ago. Eijun got back on his seat, now silent, and took a sip of his sports drink. Well, perhaps he wasn't that mean, after all, he conceded in his head.

Eijun turned back to the field as he downed the remaining liquid and wiped the condensed water on his track pants. The home team was already down by two innings, and the bases were loaded.

"I've got this!" A boy yelled to his teammates, swinging his bat to and fro. "We can do this, guys!"

There was a chorus of agreement from behind him and Eijun's lips turned up to a fond smile; he loved the enthusiasm – man, they got his support. He leaped up from his seat, cupping his mouth and ready to cheer when a vibration in his pocket stopped him. He hurriedly pulled it out and flipped it open, pressing it against his ears; the call better be done quickly –

"Where are you?" The hiss jolted him back to attention and he almost dropped the phone in shock. Oh crap, Shirakawa didn't sound happy; not at all. He was a perfectionist and treated practice extremely seriously; being late for practice was absolutely unacceptable in his book. Eijun's skin prickled at the thought of facing his wrath as he jumped up from the bench, stiffly standing as if he was about the salute someone. The bespectacled boy's eyes darted to him for a moment, interest slightly peaked.

"Sorry, senpai!"

There was a growl on the other end of the line. "I can't believe I have to watch out for you, brat! You're supposed to be here half an hour ago!"

"Sorry, senpai, there was a game," he protested weakly, scratching the back of his head.

"If you don't reach here in fifteen minutes, you will have a real game to play." The crack of knuckles over the speaker alarmed him, and muttering a curse, he scrambled for the can he left on the bench and threw it into the bin nearby.

For a moment, he hesitated, then pushed away the fleeting thought of biding the rude boy farewell – he'd probably not see him again – and dashed off back to Inashiro Industrial, repeating his apologies over and over again to the irate senior on the phone.

Eijun panted as he finished his last round, pushing his aching legs on the flat ground. Mei-senpai will be teaching you once this is all over, Eijun! He repeated the thought like a mantra in his head, and perked himself up with a loud cheer, "Yosh! I can do this!"

He took in a trembling breath and then tucked in his arms, readying himself for a sprint. His soles pressed down on the concrete and sprung to a leap as he pushed off to a strong start, widening his strides as the surroundings around him dissolved to a green blur, ignoring the sharp pain that shot up from his calves. He hissed as his speed dropped slightly but he forced himself forward - a hundred meters more - his breath came out in choppy intervals as he let out a guttural groan of relief at finishing his final lap, allowing his legs to buckle under him.

He flipped himself over to face the sky and grinned. The sky was a light shade of blue, and the clouds looked like fluffy cotton wools as they drifted lazily along with the wind. For a moment, Eijun lied there, catching his breath as he admired the view.

"Yosh!" He exclaimed and leaped up from his position to get his usual sports drink from the vending machine before slumping down on the same wooden bench to rest for a while.

A fizzling sound filled the air after he pulled the metal ring open, and he brought the metal can to his lips, taking a huge, thirsty gulp. Wiping the trails of the liquid that were on his lips away, he observed the empty field: it didn't seem like the kids will come today. Maybe it was a one-time thing, he speculated as he took another sip; it disappointed him slightly, though - he had wanted to watch the entire game today.

"Morning."

His eyes widened at the sudden greeting and as his mouth opened, forgetting that he was still in mid-swallow, he felt the liquid go down the wrong pipe in alarm and his shoulders hunched over instinctively. Coughing in rapid succession to get it out of the airway, he covered his mouth with one hand as the other pressed down on his chest.

It was Rude Glasses - he had mentally dubbed him a few days ago - and he could hear his deep, braying laughter as his hand started clapping his back to help. It worked after a few moments, and Eijun took a deep breath with immense relief, face still red what with all the coughing he had done previously.

"Thanks," he mumbled, slightly embarrassed at the spectacle he managed to make out of himself a few minutes ago.

The amusement on the other's face didn't fade and he chuckled again, "I didn't know my greeting was that surprising."

"I was drinking," Eijun said, eyes hard on the field and refusing to make eye contact. "And why are you here?"

He could feel the back of the bench weighing down slightly with a small creak as Rude Glasses leaned back. "Running," he answered simply. "You?"

"The same."

He nodded like it was no surprise, and for a moment he was quiet. Eijun shifted in his seat, a little uncomfortable with the silence, wondering if he should start a conversation or just go with the flow. Rude Glasses solved the dilemma for him, however, when he hummed conversationally, "Aren't you missing something?"

Huh? "What?"

Rude Glasses seemed to enjoy his look of confusion, and he grinned gleefully. "Why don't you check?"

Eijun eyed him suspiciously; he didn't trust him, that was for sure. Had he taken anything from him while he was still in a coughing fit? No, that wouldn't be possible. Or was he just tricking him? Oh, no, what had he done? Or maybe he was going to check -

"It's painful watching you think." He either didn't care about the death glares Eijun were shooting at him, or he was too oblivious to notice, because he broke into another fit of chuckles. Honestly, it seemed more of the former.

Warily, the pitcher reached into his pockets, then patted the back of his track pants. No, there didn't seem to be anything he lost…

"I didn't…"

"Haha! An idiot and an airhead!"

Eijun leaped up from the bench, swinging his fist – what the hell? "Shut up! I'm not!"

"Sawamura Eijun, first year from Inashiro Industrial, baseball team." Rude Glasses tapped his chin as if in deep thought. "Ah, right! If found, please return it to the owner, thank you very much!"

Eijun's mouth fell open and he gaped at him. "How do you know what I wrote on my towel?"

"It's the first time I saw an introduction written on a towel," he said, smirk tugging on his face as he pulled out the towel from his pockets and swung it mockingly in front of the pitcher's enraged face. He made a frantic grab for it back. "Work on your kanji, Sawamura-kun, it's wrong there."

Eijun's cheeks heated up in mortification and snatched it away from the laughing boy. "I know!" He stuffed the towel into his pocket. "You're a real asshole, you know."

"Haha, thank you!"

This person was definitely not normal. "It wasn't a compliment!"

Despite himself though, Eijun could feel a reluctant grin stretching his lips.

Afternoon practice that day was uneventful, Eijun only managed to get forty pitches with Itsuki. Other than that, he was doing drills and Jobe's*, focusing on improving his control and arm strength. He was impatient watching the seniors on the field, though he made it to the regulars recently, he felt that he wasn't improving enough. They all were formidable opponents on the field, especially the ace pitcher whose skill level was what he hoped to achieve and surpass, though his attitude for practicing was another matter altogether.

Mei had tried to sneak away during practice again, and the captain caught him just as he was exiting the field - he sucked at being subtle. Eijun grinned at that thought. The captain was strict when it came to these things, though his face looked otherwise with the seemingly kind eyes and gentile features. Eijun shivered at his initial misjudgment – one really couldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Ne, Eijun, look," Itsuki nudged him as he prepared for a bath after the sweaty drills. Eijun saw a baseball cover of the magazine he was holding and immediately slammed his locker shut before scrambling to seat himself beside him.

"Ooh, what's that?"

"You don't know?" Itsuki turned the cover page over for him to have a better look, "it lists the teams that will be playing for the fall tournament."

Eijun gave a loud cheer, just as the door opened with Shirakawa toweling his hair dry carelessly. "I can hear you from outside, Sawamura."

"Ne, senpai! Look!" He jabbed his thumb excitedly to the book Itsuki was holding, and the latter kept his eyes on the article as Shirakawa glanced in his direction. "Itsuki's real smart! He found the magazine where it lists the opponents that will be playing for the fall tournament!"

Itsuki tugged at the pitcher's hem. "We can get it from the store nearby, Eijun."

"Ah! That noisy brat again!" Carlos burst into the room and Shirakawa sighed as he dodged his sudden entrance swiftly. "Yo, Yuki!"

"Don't call me Yuki," Shirakawa said as he settled down beside Itsuki to have a better look. Eijun skimmed over the pages with barely-contained fascination as he "ooo"-ed and "wow"-ed at almost every section – then he felt his heart stutter at a picture of a smirking catcher, mitt in hand.

"Wait, Itsuki," he stopped the first-year catcher, who was about to flip, "that – that person there –" His voice was quivering slightly and Carlos eyed him for a moment. The person on the page looked awfully familiar.

"Ah, Miyuki Kazuya? He's a genius catcher. He recently got the title of the captain; the matches with Seidou would be something to look forward to."

Shirakawa snorted. "Hmph, who cares. He's not even on our team."

Eijun felt his hands shaking as he pulled back from the pages, and his hands clenched on his lap. He wouldn't deceive himself. He really wanted to see Ru – Miyuki catch.

He wanted Miyuki to catch for him.

"That was long," Eijun commented when Miyuki came jogging up to the bench. The catcher arched a brow at him questioningly.

"We were meeting?"

Eijun dismissed his comment, though it made his cheeks burn. He didn't mean to sound like he was waiting for him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You're in Seidou?"

He shrugged, and Eijun took it as a 'yes', since it was more of a confirmation question than anything else.

"Why didn't you say so?"

Miyuki tilted his head to study Eijun, a smirk playing on his lips. The pitcher shrunk back from his assessing stare, self-conscious as his heart started beating a little faster. Miyuki leaned back again, then shrugged, "Well, now, it doesn't make much of a difference, does it?"

"I can't believe someone like you is a captain."

Miyuki was silent for a moment, almost uncharacteristically - and Eijun thought he had struck a chord.

Then, "Eh," he dragged the syllable out, suddenly slinging an arm around his shoulders and pulling the flustered pitcher close to him. "I didn't know you were so interested in me. You could've asked, Sawamura-kun."

Scratch that, this sick catcher would never be hurt. "I wasn't! And when were we so close? Let go!"

Miyuki let out his signature laughter, eyes glinting with mischief, instead holding onto him tighter. "Hmm? We weren't?"

He finally got himself out of his hold, glaring at him as he scrambled to make at least a few inches between them. "No, we never are!"

"We can always rectify that," Miyuki said, making Eijun move even further away, till he was on the edge of the bench. The confidence he projected, how blunt he was… He felt something clench inside him. He wanted to see him catch – he wanted to how he played. And most importantly, he wanted to see what forming a battery with him would be like.

Miyuki snapped his fingers in front of a slightly spaced-out Eijun to get his attention. "Hello?"

The pitcher's eyes widen, suddenly realizing the close proximity and his heart skipped a beat. Why was he even thinking about forming a battery with him? "Yah, don't get so close to me!"

Miyuki threw his head back, barking out a laugh. "Haha!"

On Friday, Eijun stared at the field, void of players and sighed. Miyuki didn't turn up, and he supposed he couldn't always assume that he'd be there…

His eyes widened as realization hit him.

When had he gotten so used to his presence?

Eijun leaned back on the bench, the damp towel covering his eyes as he exhaled. One more month till the training ended. He would learn the change-up from Mei-senpai, and he would have another skill at his disposal. He didn't want to be left behind by any of his teammates, be it the senpais or the people who were of the same year. Itsuki, though introverted, had a great potential as a catcher. However, one of his main weakness was his uncertainty and his lack of confidence to make calls; if he could overcome that, he was sure he would prove his full ability on the field.

For a while, he breathed in and out evenly while he paid some attention to the disagreements occurring on the field. He felt cotton brushed his bare arm. Someone had settled next to him on the bench. Miyuki. He knew without taking the cloth off his eyes. He was different the way he moved and carried himself; the way he smelled was distinctively him. It was a refreshing, calming - he felt himself reddening in embarrassment. He sounded like a pervert.

"They're playing today, aren't they?"

Eijun had seen the kids getting split into their respective teams, but there seemed to be a commotion down there earlier on and the starting game got delayed. He sat up and the damp cloth fell on his lap.

"Yeah, I think so."

Miyuki's observed the group for a moment, then commented, "There's a lack of players today."

"Hm? There is?" Eijun exclaimed, running to the wired fence to have a better look. He could hear the catcher's exasperated sigh from behind him as he followed.

"You are just too much of an idiot to notice," he said. Eijun glared at him, but he merely returned it with a grin. Returning his attention back to the field, there was clearly a disagreement happening there. The coach was desperately trying to placate them with his wild gestures, but the kids present there were looking dissatisfied and upset.

"Why, Coach? We can still play!"

"Yeah! We will just make do with what we have!"

"The pitcher's not here, boys," the coach looked uncomfortable as he sighed, "there's nothing we can do about it."

… the pitcher? He wasn't present? Not that he wanted to be biased because it was his position, but not having a pitcher – actually having any one of the players missing would make a huge difference. Moreover, the defensive plays generally revolved around one.. it would be difficult to win a game.

There was another argument rising. "But isn't pitching just throwing a ball?"

The coach shook his head. "No, Tori-chan, it's not that – "

"No!" Before Eijun realized what he had done, he had already caught the attention of everyone on the field. "It's more than just throwing a ball! You're underestimating us pitchers!"

Miyuki sniggered beside him. "Oi, idiot, you must understand what you're saying here."

"I know!" The first-year spun around. "How can he think it's just throwing a ball?"

"Isn't he just a kid?" Miyuki's lips were tugging upwards again, and Eijun got reminded of how he had criticized him for his harsh assessment. Cheeks burning with embarrassment,

"It's not the same!"

"Well, it got the coach walking over."

Eijun whipped his head back, and sure enough, he was making his way towards them, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry about that; they are still young so they don't know much about baseball yet."

Eijun scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Maa, it's fine, it's fine! I didn't know the complete baseball rules till I was halfway through first year in high school!"

The coach blinked at him, astonished, and Miyuki let out another snicker. "That's nothing to be proud about, idiot."

"Shut up!"

"Um," he started again, though this time more hesitantly, "I was wondering if any of you can fill in as the pitcher?"

"Sure!" Eijun agreed almost immediately. "I pitch in my school team too!"

The coach looked relieved, finally having solving the pressing issue. "What about you? Would you like to play too?"

Miyuki stiffened visibly and Eijun eyed him for a moment - what was wrong? Did he not want to catch for him? He felt his chest tighten at that thought. "A few pitches would be fine, right?" He asked quietly. He couldn't claim that he knew him very well, but he acknowledged that at the very least, he had the passion for baseball; anyone who had the love for a sport would never want to sit out on it, given the chance.

"Yeah."

Eijun resisted the little fist pump he wanted very much to do. He couldn't ever let Miyuki know how much he wanted him to catch for him.

The coach beamed. "What position?"

"Catcher."

The teams were finally assembled and though the other team complained and whined about the unfairness of having two older teens playing for one, one of the boys argued that they didn't even know how good they were yet. For now, the complaints had been temporarily subdued, but Miyuki was sure it wouldn't be the end.

After putting on the protective gear, he settled to his position outside the batter's box and he watched as Eijun ran up to the mound. He tugged on the cap, casting a shadow over his eyes and when he looked up to search the field, Miyuki could see his almost glowing amber eyes.

I like that look.

He was admittedly interested in his pitching style and had tried to visualize his form before, but failed to. The inconsistencies of his character made it difficult to gauge, but he had faith that he would see it in the tournaments, anyway, so there was no point. Well, he guessed he could see it today, though.

"Balls will come flying, so I'm counting on everyone!" He yelled, bowing to all the players on the field. The kids were quiet for a moment, then they burst out laughing and the atmosphere of the team became light and rowdy as they cheered and told him to aim for consecutive strikes. Miyuki hid a smile behind his mitt as Eijun stood on the mound and composed himself. He was probably unconsciously providing them with the assurance they need, and treating them as equals by trusting them that way. Hn, he did have the qualities of an ace, after all.

Miyuki was about contemplating whether he should mess with the batter, considering he was so small, it'd be an easy task. But when he saw the batter beam, seemingly back at the pitcher, he looked up and felt his breath catch in his throat. A slow smirk crept onto his face. Man, he sure was full of surprises.

Eijun was completely focused, his eyes almost glowing with intensity as he clenched the ball in his hand. He was treating the kids seriously. It seemed as if the noisy and airheaded idiot was gone when he stood on the mound. Now, it'd be interesting to see how his performance was as a pitcher.

They didn't go for a warm-up in the bullpen so he didn't know what kind of pitches he had, so he should go safe for this one first. Shifting his mitt, he signaled for a fastball to the outside corner. Honestly, he wouldn't go seriously on them since it was just all for fun, but he wanted to see Eijun's potential and sate his curiosity. The flash of acknowledgement across the pitcher's face told him that he understood, and when his left hand swung backwards and his leg raised up – Miyuki's eyes widened – he's a southpaw– Idiot, you're pulling back too much –

His previously-pivoted foot slammed down on the mound and the ball was already out of his hand. He couldn't see the angle the ball was approaching at since his hand was too far back and his form was different from what he was used to: but he loved surprises like this. This form could only be achieved by people with very flexible joints. His eyes narrowed then; the ball looked like it was going out of the strike zone – no, wait, it was changing direction – he can pitch curveballs?

A moving fastball, eh. He raised his mitt a little higher and the ball slammed into it, sending a jolt of pain through his shoulder and he managed a weak grin as he concealed the wince skillfully (he was used to it anyway); though not as powerful or fast as Tanba's or Furuya's pitch, he could tell he had potential. He could do work with his control, though... If Mei would take him under his wing… it'd be interesting.

A first-year southpaw, huh? He grinned behind his mitt; he reckoned that he'd be seeing Eijun as an ace if he continued training hard. Maybe next year before he graduated, even, during an official match... The throb at his shoulder reminded him that it would probably be as a member of the audience.

"Strike!"

The batter whined, "What the hell!"

Miyuki laughed, albeit a little bitterly as he rotated his shoulders a bit to attempt to lessen the pain. "Cursing isn't for kids."

"What?" The batter exclaimed, eyes flashing as the plump cheeks reddened even more, with the combination of anger and the heat of the late morning sun. "I'll get the next one, you meanie!"

"Yah, Miyuki! Stop bullying the kid!"

He turned back and threw the ball back to Eijun who caught it, albeit with a little fumble. "Sawamura, aim for my mitt next time, would you? That was dangerous."

Usually he wouldn't be so forward in front of his opponents, but well. He felt the corner of his lips curl up to a grin when Eijun's eyes flashed with irritation and he started yelling back at him, swinging his arms wildly and looking like an absolute idiot.

Well, well, he sure was interesting, wasn't he?

An inside corner, next - let's see if he can.

He adjusted his stance, moving a little closer to the batter. Eijun's arm swung back again, and this time Miyuki could admire the rarity of his form. It looked quite beautiful, really.

Yes, it's heading in the right direction this time.

The batter hadn't even finished his swing when the ball slammed into his mitt. While the batter cursed, Miyuki hissed - it felt as if something was ripping apart inside his joints, and the ball almost fell from his hand. Oops. That was close. Perhaps it wasn't the right choice for him to play, after all.

Ha, but who's he lying to? He doesn't regret catching for Sawamura.

A drop of sweat formed on his forehead as he took a deep breath, and exhaled. Calm down, Kazuya. He could always be back in the dugout after an inning, they had enough catchers, after all.

"Stri-!"

"Stop the game!" Eijun's urgent cry rang out in the field, cutting off the coach's declaration. Within moments, hands were gripping his shoulders and Eijun's face appeared right before him. He couldn't hold back his hiss when the pitcher accidentally dug into his injury - fuck, that hurt - in his panic, and Eijun immediately dropped his hands.

"Oh, God," Eijun sounded terrified, "you're injured." He was pulling at his hair, looking absolutely at a loss and desperate. "You're injured," he repeated, "why didn't you say so? You shouldn't have played!"

Miyuki laughed, "Haha, idiot, you're - "

"Shut up! You're the idiot here!" Eijun yelled, pulling him up from his position forcefully. The coach was there by then and he looked at the both of them questioningly.

"Sorry, Coach! We can't play anymore, this idiot is injured," Eijun snarled, "we'll be leaving."

Bowing to the coach and the shocked players on the field, Miyuki could only follow Eijun with an unknown feeling gripping his gut. He didn't know Eijun had this side to him, after all.

"Here's a pack of ice," Eijun said, running back from the vendor nearby and peeling off his gear. Shit, why didn't he say anything? He didn't know how he knew, but when he saw the catcher slightly sway beside the batter as he caught his ball, he looked almost unsteady. The way he held the ball afterwards was unlike what he had expected and he could sense something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Admittedly, he guessed he wouldn't have noticed if he didn't watch the videos of the past matches where Miyuki played after discovering that he was a catcher. He had a reluctant admiration building up for him as he played one after another: the calm calculations, the calls he made, the way he motivated his team made them played the best. He took into consideration the style of pitching each pitcher had; it was obvious with the fluctuations in calls he made with varying pitchers on the mound - a truly genius catcher.

He pressed the ice pack against the swollen bruise, hands trembling slightly. "What were you doing?" His voice came out sounded nothing like his own, it was harsh and cold, but he decided that Miyuki deserved it.

"It's not that bad," Miyuki said quietly.

"Hold this damned thing yourself!" Eijun snapped, making him press the ice pack on his own.

Miyuki snickered. "And you say I'm a jerk."

Eijun ignored that. "This has gone on for some time, hasn't it?"

The surprise flashing across his face told Eijun that he was right and he felt something boiling inside of him, but managed to reined his anger in. Deep breaths, Eijun, deep breaths.

"You're pretty perceptive, aren't you?"

Eijun stared at him, then looked away. "You should tell your team."

The grin fell from his face. "No."

"Why - "

Miyuki's tone had now became icy. "Don't overstep your boundaries, Sawamura."

The lack of suffix told him that Miyuki was angry, but he didn't care. "Yeah, Miyuki, I really shouldn't."

"...I'm the captain."

The statement fueled his frustration even more. "That isn't an answer. Are you trying to say you're doing this for the team? The way I see it, you're not going to help them. This injury would worsen if you continue, idiot!"

Miyuki remained silent and as he hunched over, eyes clenched shut, Eijun could tell that his hand was shaking as he held the ice pack in place. His own hand reached to push his away gently, and Miyuki hesitated for a moment, before letting his arm fall back to his side.

Suddenly, he looked awfully tired. The rude, blunt, smartass Rude Glasses looked almost fragile. Eijun didn't understand why he suddenly want to wrap his arms around this exhausted teenager, all traces of the seemingly ubiquitous mischief gone from his face. All that left was a shell who looked too tired to function.

Oh, God, Miyuki - how long have you been enduring this? Ever since the first time they met? Or was it from the day when he failed to turn up here? Since when?

He badly wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth clamped shut. Because he knew that this was probably what he needed the most right now; not the reminder of the position of the captain, not the expectations of a genius catcher nor the boy that was meant to bring the team's potential to the fullest. And so he ignored the vibrating phone in his pocket, ignored the strange, deep ache to hold him, and watched as the catcher's shoulders shook silently, drops of liquid splattering onto the concrete floor.

A/N: Um, apparently, I kinda got carried away - a clap from me since you managed to read till here, haha. Do leave me a review to tell me your thoughts!

*Jobe's: Quite popular among most baseball players, this exercise focuses on the shoulder, especially the rotator cuff, to build strength and prevent injury. For every rotator cuff exercise, 5 pound dumbbells are usually used.

-mysticflakes