JC: So here's my second Miyusawa fic! Got into the writing mood ago when ANON-san from tumblr gave me an idea about confessions, shoujo and stuff. I'm still pretty new to writing BL, but I'm getting the hang of it. AND I'M REALLY DEEP IN HELL WITH THIS SHIP! I CAN'T HELP IT! XD I also included other characters this time. Let's get started, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Ace of Diamond or any of its characters.

Impasse

"Oh, esteemed senpai-tachi! I'm in love with someone and I'm in dire need of your sagely guidance!"

These were the things Eijun Sawamura blurted out the moment he walked into the cafeteria that morning. Only a few seniors were there, namely the captain and the two vice captains. And instead of getting annoyed by their underclassman's loud voice, all of them looked at him as if he had just grown another head. Sawamura was an oddball for sure and had the habit of speaking in formal language, but it wasn't every day they would get to hear him say that he was in love with someone. Heck, they didn't even think it was possible since Sawamura usually had baseball in his head.

Kazuya Miyuki, particularly, seemed really stunned that he dropped his tray of breakfast. He'd normally be the one to tease Sawamura first.

"Ah! What the hell are you doing, Miyuki Kazuya?!" Sawamura pointed out, his forehead scrunching up at the mess. "It's not good to waste food!"

Miyuki looked a bit lost and his brown eyes were dull and blank behind those black frames.

Youichi Kuramochi quickly cleared his throat before Miyuki could open his mouth to say something. He was already seated at the table, with Kenta Maezono by his side. Norifumi Kawakami and Hisashi Watanabe were seated right across him.

"You're asking us for love advice?" Watanabe, also known as Nabe, asked just to clarify, and Sawamura eagerly nodded his head. Nabe wasn't a member of the first string. Nevertheless, he was one of the managers of the team and had been entrusted with collecting data of their opponents.

"Whoa! Seriously?!" Maezono exclaimed, looking ecstatic. "Our Sawamura is growing up!"

"Is it your childhood friend?" Kawakami asked, "The one you exchange mails with? I believe her name's…"

"Wakana!" Kuramochi butted in, narrowing his eyes at Sawamura. "Is it Wakana?!"

Sawamura shook his head. "No, no, no! Wakana's like a sister to me, so it's not her. Anyway…I'm a bit lost on what to do. I don't have experience in this area… and I know I shouldn't just rely on shoujo manga…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He knew his cheeks were turning red. "That's why I wanted to ask senpai-tachi about this…"

Everyone could see that he was telling the truth, that he was pretty serious with his feelings. Eijun Sawamura was the bright shining sun of their baseball team where he played as pitcher, and they knew that one day, if he wanted to, he'd take the world of professional baseball by storm. He had come a long, long way from humble beginnings in the country, and they knew just how much his success and progress meant to him. Their underclassman had approached them for advice and they should very well live up to his expectation. After giving each other a meaningful look, they turned to Sawamura, who was anxiously waiting for them to speak.

"So…What do you want to do, Sawamura?" Miyuki was the first to talk. He had finally snapped from his stupor and a cunning smile had crossed his face. "Date that person, I presume?"

"Of course!" Sawamura replied energetically.

Kuramochi gave Miyuki a brief glance before turning his attention to Sawamura. "Is it someone from your class?"

"A year older than me to be exact!"

"Why not just confess?" Maezono suggested, smiling like a proud dad. "Shouldn't you be straightforward when it comes to these things?"

Kawakami looked thoughtful. "Well, you can always take it nice and easy. Try getting to know each other first, get close and hang out together."

Nabe nodded. "I agree with him."

"Aren't you pretty natural with girls?" Maezono asked. "Kominato said that girls always talk to you in class." Some of the guys in their team actually envy Sawamura's social skills.

"Yeah…mostly about manga and stuff, but…" Sawamura blushed shyly. "This is different…And I've been in love with this person for a long time."

The seniors couldn't believe their eyes. Sawamura had always been the exuberant and overzealous type. He was never the one to shy away from his problems. To see him act so timidly and bashfully was something very, very rare.

"Always be true to yourself, Sawamura," Nabe added. "Truly, the more that person gets to know you, the more special you'll become."

"You love that person," Kawakami continued further, "and given the slightest encouragement, that person will love you too."

Sawamura crossed his arms and thought in silence. Everyone gave such good suggestions. He was glad that the seniors took him seriously, but he still couldn't decide on what to do.

Miyuki snickered like a sly fox. "Hey, now, don't overthink so much, Sawamura." He draped an arm around Sawamura's shoulders and pulled him against him. "You might strain something."

"Don't make fun of me, Miyuki Kazuya!" Sawamura exclaimed with a growl.

"Don't use my full name. I'm still your senpai, you know." Miyuki let out a sigh. "And if you're that serious with your feelings, then just go with your gut," he said with a grin. "I'm sure you'll know what to do when the time comes."

Kuramochi's brow twitched in annoyance.

"I see…" Sawamura brought his gaze down to the floor and shifted uncomfortably in place. "I guess you're right." He then pulled away from Miyuki, straightened up, and bowed deeply to the seniors. "Thank you very much for your time, senpai-tachi!" And with that said, he dashed out of the cafeteria.

"So it's someone from our year," Maezono said, folding his arms in front of his chest. He was honestly surprised when Sawamura told them about being in love with someone. Nevertheless, he'd definitely support his underclassman. "Hmm…Any idea who?"

"It could be one of our managers," Nabe stated, trying to narrow down the potential girls in their year level.

"Kuramochi, you're his roommate. Don't you know anything?" Maezono pointed out.

Kuramochi sighed in frustration. "How should I know?" Actually he did know something. He had known something was up with Sawamura for a long time now, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then suddenly, with a feeling of dismay, he wondered if Sawamura might do something crazy and embarrassing. Aside from his roommate, there was one other person he was mildly curious about. He had this nagging feeling to know.

"Hey, dumbass, are you just going to stand by and do nothing?" Kuramochi questioned Miyuki during lunch break in the classroom.

Miyuki blinked curiously at that clenched, chiseled jaw. He was sure Kuramochi was going to make a fuss, but how big a fuss, and how serious would he be, he couldn't tell. "What are you talking about?" he responded in a light tone, feigning innocence.

Kuramochi's frown deepened. Miyuki looked all right to him, but he knew better than to trust that shit-eating-grin of his. There was more to him than just that cunning, manipulative, deceptive mask. "Don't play dumb with me, shitty four-eyes."

Miyuki chuckled. "You're starting to scare me, Kuramochi-kun. But really… I have no—" He stopped when he saw the look in Kuramochi's eyes and felt a chill ran down his spine. "Ah…So you knew…As expected of Kuramochi…" He released a sigh and leaned back in his seat. The shortstop had always been highly perceptive, so it was pointless to hide it from him any longer.

"You put up a good act, but you don't fool me, Miyuki. And you sure made a mess back at the cafeteria."

"I cleaned up, didn't I? And I'm guessing that you want me to fess up?"

"It's better than chickening out and wallowing in a pool of regret later."

"I never planned on confessing. Besides, he's in love with somebody else." Miyuki pretended to smile even though it hurt inside. Truth be known, he'd been drawn to Sawamura like a magnet since they met. The guy was loud and obnoxious, but he was kind, hardworking, and high-spirited. He was interesting and never-boring, and there were no other pitchers as attractive and unpredictable as he was. Miyuki was touched to his very soul whenever he'd catch for him, whenever Sawamura would gaze at him from the mound, and he'd get goosebumps every time they executed fine plays on the field. But he was more than just a pitcher to him. More than anything, Sawamura was someone special to him. "I don't want to force anything."

Kuramochi raised a brow. "So what? It's not like he's going out with that person already. He might get rejected, you know."

"I didn't know you care so much about me," Miyuki said, grinning teasingly, which earned him a spiteful look from his teammate.

"I'm this close to punching your face in," Kuramochi grumbled, lightly pounding the desk with a fist, and Miyuki simply chuckled awkwardly. With a sigh of frustration, he lowered his fist and turned to the view outside the window. "Look…It's not like I don't get why you don't want to confess. I know it's not that simple. But there are times that you have to be completely honest with yourself for once."

Miyuki was smiling sadly to himself realizing that he was already being contrite. But this was for the best. He liked Sawamura for a long time, but he really did not think much about it since they were so involved with baseball. He wanted to tell him everything, but he couldn't do it. He had buried too much deeply inside him. And Sawamura was an unattainable guy anyway. He was too bright, too mesmerizing, and he deserved a sweet girl more than an unbearable asshole who'd teased him every chance he'd get.

And he didn't want to burden Sawamura with his own feelings. It wouldn't be fair to him.

The day flew by in a flurry, interspersed with classes and baseball practices. Miyuki had acted the same around Sawamura. He had teased him, commented and complimented on his performances. He was very careful almost all the time, but there had been moments when he'd just touch him. He'd pat his head, brush his fingers against his whenever he'd give him the ball, and sling an arm around his shoulders. The gestures were subtle, hardly sensual, but it had filled his heart with more longing.

"Is everything all right, senpai?"

Miyuki turned and looked at his pink-haired teammate, Haruichi Kominato. They were at the dugout, currently resting from a round of batting practice. "Yeah, sure! I'm all right! Why do you ask?" he said with a grin.

"Well…" Haruichi hesitated and looked around to see if any of their teammates were nearby. "You seem distracted," he observed.

Miyuki raised his brows. "Distracted?"

"Does this have anything to do with Eijun-kun?"

Miyuki fought the need to make up an excuse, get up and move. Or was it get up and run? He thought he'd been hiding his emotions quite successfully. Obviously Haruichi was more observant than most. Haruichi always did possess the uncanny ability to see through people. He was a sweet and mild-mannered lad, with a small yet sturdy built, and yet he can be quite intimidating.

Miyuki's face might have given something away because Haruichi immediately gave him a warm smile and said, "I knew it. You always put up a front, senpai, but you've got that look in your eye whenever you see Eijun-kun. That same look has been there for a long while now."

There was brief silence between them before Miyuki let out a laugh, but it did nothing to ease the tension inside him. "You and Kuramochi sure aren't given me a break from this. Okay, I admit that I like your loudmouth friend, but things could get awkward if I suddenly blurted out my feelings for him. To make things worse, we're both guys." He purposely kept his tone light and casual. "I don't want him to end up hating me."

"Senpai, I'm not going to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with, and I understand this is a difficult situation to be in. Just know this—Eijun-kun is not the type of person who will judge you for that. Even though you make it a point to tease and annoy him mercilessly every chance you get to the point it drives him insane…" Haruichi's eyes narrowed, his face becoming set as he peered at him intently.

Miyuki suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. The Kominato gene sure was scary.

"But I don't think it's possible for him to hate you. If anything, he's…" Smiling, Haruichi finished silently as the words trailed off.

And it was a while before Miyuki could even speak. He'd been so struck, so taken aback by Haruichi's words that he started to reconsider his decision.

That night, despite his better judgment, he agreed to catch his pitches. Sawamura still carried the same vigor he had shown during practice. Miyuki never hated the noise he brings. His optimistic and cheerful personality always had a positive influence on the team and on him.

"Nice ball!" Miyuki announced as he caught the ball in his mitt. Sawamura had just thrown one of his best changeups. "Let's try an outside pitch next!" He was about to throw back the ball when he saw Sawamura looking down on the ground, his expression unreadable for some reason. "Hey, now, is there something wrong?"

"Miyuki-senpai…" Sawamura shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, his bangs shadowing his eyes. "Is it really okay for me to confess?"

"Huh? Are you seriously asking me that?" Miyuki nearly choked on the last word, but managed to compose himself.

"Just answer the question," Sawamura said with a pout.

Miyuki chortled. "Well, why not? Wait… Don't tell me you're backing out? That isn't very Sawamura-like." He lobbed the ball into the air, and Sawamura caught it easily in his mitt. "You love that person, right?" He walked over to Sawamura and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not that simple, but you have to be honest. If you see a chance, you have to go for it, so later you have no regrets." He wasn't the one to talk! He was going to regret this, just like Kuramochi said he would, and he felt rather miserable inside.

"Wow… To think even you can give a decent love advice," Sawamura said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm still your senpai."

Sawamura rolled his eyes. "A crappy one at times."

Okay, Miyuki admitted that his own personality wasn't all that great. He was a cheeky bastard who tends to speak out his mind a lot. Teasing was like second nature to him. Nonetheless, for Miyuki, teasing Sawamura was a sign of affection and fondness. Sawamura was like a little boy, and yet very much a man. And despite his being on the same team, Sawamura was nothing like any of his teammates or any guy he'd met so far. Sawamura was strong, so outspoken, and yet at the same time, he could be vulnerable. He was a remarkable guy, and apparently an impulsive one, but Miyuki was very much bowled over by him.

"Such an ungrateful kouhai," Miyuki said lightheartedly, ruffling Sawamura's mop of brown hair. There was no doubt in his mind that Sawamura would treat the person he liked with so much care. Whoever she was, she was very lucky. "Just hang in there, Sawamura. You can do it."

"You can be so irritating, Miyuki Kazuya, but…" A small, warm smile crossed Sawamura's features. "There are times when I think you're cool, especially during games. And just now…when you told me to go for it…it made me realize that you're pretty reliable outside of baseball too."

Miyuki scoffed. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."

"It was a compliment!" Sawamura exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

"Yes, yes, fine, got it," Miyuki replied, giving Sawamura's shoulder a pat before turning away. "It's getting late. You better head back now unless you want Kuramochi to grapple you."

"Yikes! You're right!" Sawamura visibly blanched a bit. "See you tomorrow, Miyuki-senpai, and oh, I'll make sure to confess properly soon!" And with that said he quickly ran off.

Miyuki sighed for the umpteenth time that day, a frown greasing his lips. Though he knew there could never be anything serious between them, the mere thought of Sawamura confessing to someone else deepened the hole in his heart.

Miyuki continued to pretend there was nothing wrong the next day, and assured Kuramochi once again that there was no need for him to confess. Kuramochi said somewhat unhappily and angrily that Miyuki was just being a big coward. Haruichi, on the other hand, just gave him a knowing look. There had been a round of teasing and questions for Sawamura over at breakfast that morning, before they left for school. Sawamura had been a huffing, pouting, blushing mess, but there was no doubt in everyone's mind that he was in love, much to Miyuki's discomfort.

Predictably, as if the universe was conspiring against him, the day couldn't get any worse for Miyuki.

After having lunch that day, as he was walking down the hall with Kuramochi, he spotted two familiar freshmen standing by the window. They were Okumura Koushuu and Seto Takuma, a catcher and 2nd baseman respectively, and they were peering down at something below.

"It's the captain and Kuramochi-senpai," Seto said as he saw them. "Good afternoon." He gave a short, polite bow.

Okumura did the same, although more curtly.

"So it's true that Sawamura-senpai has someone he likes, right?" Seto quickly asked, an excited smirk curving his lips.

Kuramochi raised a brow. "Yeah, so?"

Okumura simply turned his attention to what he was looking at a while ago. Kuramochi and Miyuki then followed his line of vision, and there they saw a rather interesting scene, which seemed to be a love confession. And the two people involved in that particular scene were Sawamura and a girl.

"He's going to confess, right?" Seto said with a giggle. "Good for him! And the girl's pretty cute too. Sawamura-senpai's been getting really popular. A lot of girls will probably be sad if he finally gets a girlfriend."

Sawamura had a boyish charm that made him look appealing. His face was a little tan, his features endearing, and had a smile that could rival the sun. But his eyes seemed to be the most attractive part about him. They were like pools of pure, fiery gold. Although he wasn't academically inclined, his prowess in baseball had always exceeded everyone's expectations. His cheerful personality also meant that he had little trouble attracting many friends. Miyuki was no exception. But Sawamura's stubbornness and unyielding tenacity on the mound were the things that attracted Miyuki to him in the first place.

Lately, there had been a boom of girls around Sawamura. And more than once, Miyuki couldn't help feeling green whenever he'd see girls vying for Sawamura's attention. The girl with Sawamura right now was very cute. She looked like a doll, with elegant features, and had lovely jet-black long hair. She seemed so delicate and sweet.

Consuming, relentless, devoid of all control, the bitter feeling that he must never reveal, for Miyuki knew how far it will go. He knew it was growing inside of him, waiting to burst out, that little green-eyed monster. Everyone can relate to this at some point in life, he thought ruefully as he silently clenched his hands, the jealousy of watching your loved one with another. His eyes were a dangerous steel brown, narrowed with distaste, and he felt like he was grinding his teeth into powder.

Miyuki watched the girl nervously trying to talk to Sawamura. She was so mesmerized by Sawamura's handsome smiling face that she absentmindedly fiddled with the ends of her skirt.

"Miyuki-senpai, is there something wrong?" Okumura asked, his voice sounding flat and emotionless.

Miyuki snapped back to his senses and immediately offered a shrewd smile. "No, not really," he simply replied gaily. The wall he had set up around him was slowly diminishing. What he felt was like a stab in the belly. He craved for what was unattainable and quietly he resented himself.

"Hyahaha! He's probably just jealous!" Kuramochi said with a chuckle, drawing his hand back and slapping Miyuki's back as hard as he could. He recognized the captain's burning jealousy and chose to relieve the tension rather than aggravate it. Miyuki was struggling to appear strong and unaffected in front of everyone, but he was hurting inside.

Miyuki stumbled and almost fell. "Hey, now! That hurts."

Seto chuckled. "What's this? The captain's jealous that his pitcher is getting a girlfriend before him?"

Kuramochi stifled a laugh. "Yeah, sure… Let's go with that."

Miyuki almost swallowed hard. "Um…I didn't really…" But it was true that he was jealous, and Kuramochi wasn't going to give him an easy time.

"Is that really the case?" Okumura's lackluster green eyes gave him an expression of guarded moroseness, but he was quite a perceptive individual. "Miyuki-senpai was making a scary expression a while ago."

Miyuki laughed aloud, dismissing the sudden tension that quickly filled the air between him and Okumura. "Nah…It's just your imagination!"

Kuramochi snorted, rolled his eyes, and grumbled under his breath, "Yeah, right…"

Realizing there was no way he was going to get a good night sleep, Miyuki went for a walk that night to clear his head. He was uneasy in his bones. He couldn't shake the horrible feeling in his chest. Walking at night was almost refreshing. The city kept lights on all night, which gave just enough illumination to see by but not enough to ruin the beauty and serenity of the dark. He deeply took in the cool night air, allowing it to fill up his lungs. His walk eventually led him to one of Seido's baseball fields. He walked completely around the diamond and then stopped at home base.

He gazed at the mound, envisioning Sawamura's unorthodox yet beautiful pitching form. He didn't expect such a crazy form from anyone but Sawamura. With a flexible shoulder and elbow, and an arm supple like a whip, Sawamura can naturally put a lot of spin on the ball at the point of release. In addition to that, he possessed a strong lower half and monstrous stamina. Sawamura was an indispensable member to the team, a prized pitcher worth watching, and Miyuki felt so blessed for being his catcher.

Miyuki's pulse pounded, and the wind whistled by his ears. The more he gazed at the mound, and the more he imagined him, the more he longed for him.

"Ah! It really is Miyuki-senpai!"

Miyuki's eyes grew wide in surprise and his throat almost clogged up. He'd recognized that loud voice anywhere. Feigning a smile, he turned to see the younger lad approaching him with a big grin on his face. "Yo, Sawamura! Don't tell me you were out running again? Just where do you get all the energy?" His voice was conversational, just as calm as if someone had asked him what he had for breakfast.

"I was born with it!" Sawamura laughed out proudly.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but don't overwork yourself."

Sawamura pouted. "You don't have to tell me that! Besides…I wasn't exactly running." He felt heat creep into his cheeks, and he had to shift his gaze away. "I was just taking a walk…Figured that I needed to clear my head."

Miyuki was out there on the field for the very same reason, yet the walk did nothing to help lessen his troubles. Now that Sawamura was there he couldn't help recalling Kuramochi's and Haruichi's words to him. He was always the confident captain of the team, the tenacious cleanup batter, a brilliant catcher, but outside of baseball he was none of those things. He had constantly been socially inept, so distant, with walls built around him that made it impossible for others to penetrate. He wasn't good at dealing with emotions, especially about love, and he was at lost with what to do with his feelings for Sawamura. He had told Kuramochi that he had no intention of confessing. Haruichi, however, had made him realize that he had wanted to tell him all along.

He had taken so many risks in baseball, so many dares, and yet he couldn't even risk telling Sawamura. He almost wanted to laugh at himself for being so pathetic. He wanted to express the desire deep inside him. He wanted Sawamura with an urgency that he couldn't describe. He longed to say those three words to him, but he was too scared of his reaction, scared of how it might affect their partnership. Terrified like a child, he became paralyzed, so he hid everything underneath a mask, underneath all the teasing and sarcasm. Nevertheless, all the camouflaged emotions led to silent cries and pain.

Securing his mask once more, Miyuki smirked at Sawamura and said, "Obviously this is about that girl."

"Huh?" Sawamura blinked and looked at him. "About who?"

Miyuki snickered, then he teased, "You were with a girl earlier. Smooth move, Sawamura."

Sawamura blushed like a rose. "W-Wha…? Y-You saw that?!" He grabbed his head and shook furiously. "Nooo! You weren't supposed to see that! Damn it!" He then pointed a finger accusingly at Miyuki. "Why you of all people?! And didn't anyone tell you that it's wrong to spy on people?!"

"Oh, come on. I was just curious." Miyuki laughed once again. "It went well, didn't it? Man, all the girls fussing over you are gonna be sad. Some guys on the team will probably get jealous too."

Sawamura raised a brow. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"They're gonna be jealous that you finally nabbed yourself a girl before them." Miyuki ruffled Sawamura's hair and kept pretending, even though his heart was wailing. His throat closed up with thirst for Sawamura's affection. "But I'm really happy for you, Sawamura. I was rooting for you all this time." LIAR! It was all lies. All pretending—pretending he was a supportive senior and friend.

Eyes down, Sawamura gritted his teeth in silence for a moment. "Don't go assuming things right off the bat," he muttered out. He grimaced, looked up and caught Miyuki's eye. "Just so you know I didn't get a girlfriend!" He spoke in a loud voice this time to prove his point. "I rejected her, got that?!"

Miyuki looked surprised by the sudden revelation. "You rejected her? So wait…She's the one who confessed to you?"

Sawamura huffed and nodded his head, with an expression that was both irritated and embarrassed.

"Hey, now…I really thought she was the one you liked," Miyuki said with a sigh. Although he was a little elated by that fact, it still couldn't lessen the pain he felt in his heart. "But you're still going for it, right? Confessing to that special person?"

Sawamura puffed his chest out with a grin. "That's the plan!"

Wearing another fake smile, Miyuki said, "Well, she's gonna have her hands full keeping a noisy guy like you in line. But since it's you…I'm sure that person will be happy to have you around." He placed both hands on his hips and kept his eyes trained on the mound. It wasn't good. He was fully aware that jealousy was an ugly trait, but he couldn't help himself. And it was going to hurt to see Sawamura happily with person he loved. He didn't even want to imagine Sawamura and that girl with hands intertwined, walking together, while he was left alone. Despite the pain, he continually pretended to be the good and supportive senior. "When are you planning on confessing anyway?"

"Right now…"

Miyuki blinked in surprise and jerked his head toward Sawamura, who was flushing like a school girl now. "Right now? What are you—"

"I love you, Miyuki Kazuya," Sawamura breathed out, looking at him earnestly.

Miyuki stared at Sawamura wide eyed for a long moment, then he suddenly burst out laughing, holding his sides. "Man, that's rich! I didn't know you could joke like that!"

Sawamura grounded his teeth and clenched his hands. "You're always like this…always making fun of me…" he grumbled under his breath. "You're such an asshole sometimes and I don't even know why I even bother, but…" Stepping forward, he grabbed Miyuki by the collar and lifted him up. "I'M DEAD SERIOUS HERE!"

Miyuki saw that it was true. He saw the shouldering, golden intensity, the look of love and care in Sawamura's expression.

"I know this sounds crazy, and we're both guys, but…" Sawamura spoke mildly this time as he lowered his gaze. His hands shook as he continued to hold him. "I love you, Miyuki Kazuya," he said, finally releasing Miyuki from his clasps. Everything he felt for him seemed to pour through him.

"Sawamura, you…" Miyuki stopped as Sawamura took his hand gently. Golden eyes gazed into his, and he felt his heart flutter.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Sawamura was flushed red, looking terribly embarrassed and a little nervous. "I love you."

Miyuki's heart skipped a beat, hearing the way he said those three beautiful words. It was too good to be true, all of it, from the time he'd developed feelings for him but had kept up a charade to hide his emotions, to that one morning when Sawamura declared he was going to confess to someone, and all this time he was the special person Sawamura wanted to confess to. And he couldn't believe that Sawamura told him he loved him thrice. He should have picked up on hints or any kind of sign about Sawamura's feelings, considering the fact the guy was like an open book and they've been a battery for so long. Either Sawamura was actually good at hiding romantic feelings or Miyuki was just oblivious when it came to a guy liking him. Red bloomed on Miyuki's cheeks as his heart kept throbbing. He felt his legs turning to jelly.

Nothing could have ever prepared him for such a moment. The pitcher had always been unpredictable. It may not have been the perfect time or place to say it, but he did so. As tension hung on the air between them, silence echoed in sudden stillness. Miyuki had tortured himself long enough. He had promised himself that he wouldn't take a gamble on their relationship, but he realized again what he really felt for Sawamura.

A smile grew upon his face. And this time, the smile was no longer sham. He felt as if the chains that bound his heart had loosened. His emotions washed over him in a great wave, and he pulled Sawamura into his arms. "You really are the best, Sawamura," he spoke tenderly, snuggling against the crook of his neck, as he closed his eyes.

At first Sawamura stiffened, but only for a moment, and then melted into his warmth. As he embraced Miyuki, he felt more than heard him whisper in his ear.

"Sawamura…" Miyuki pulled back and gazed at him, his eyes soft with love and longing, his cheeks flushed from all the emotions swirling inside of him. They drew closer. Miyuki let his eyes fall closed again, and with an almost audible sigh he pressed his lips against Sawamura's. He could feel the slimmest trembling in Sawamura's hands as he held him. Miyuki cared for him so much. The love he had for him was so great that Miyuki thought his heart might burst. The feelings that words could never convey were understood deeply through that kiss. What Miyuki felt for Sawamura, he felt for him.

After a while they broke the kiss. Their eyes locked and they just stared deeply in each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. They both felt butterflies in their stomach.

"So…" Sawamura was the first to break the silence. He fidgeted looking away to avoid Miyuki's stare, then said, "You really had no idea, huh? You were even rooting for me."

"Cut me some slack…I've been agonizing over this, you know," Miyuki said with a sigh. "And how was I supposed to know? I mean…You never looked at me that way."

"It's not like I can just flat out say it! I was really confused at first! The truth is that I didn't even know why I love you…" Sawamura still couldn't look at him in the eye. "But now…I just know that I love you a lot." He frowned and scrunched up his face. "Geh! That sounded so cheesy right now."

"Says the guy who likes reading shoujo manga," Miyuki baited, chuckling, as he ruffled his hair. "Don't tell me you just got that from one of your manga?"

Sawamura shot him a glare and yelled out, "Can't you be more considerate of the mood, you jerk?!"

Miyuki simply laughed good-naturedly. "I guess this is the end result of my agony," he muttered, stroking his cheek, then running his fingers along the smooth skin of his collarbone. He kept gazing at the pitcher, smiling a crazy beautiful smile that made him blush. "All this time I've been hesitating…" He cradled his cheek in his palm.

"Senpai…" Sawamura leaned into the gesture, igniting a wildfire in his heart.

Miyuki leaned in slowly, cautiously, pressing his temple against Sawamura's. His heart began beating so fast he was sure Sawamura could hear it, but he didn't care about that. All he wanted to do now was to let him know how much he wanted him. "Let's face this head on…partner." He leaned in until their lips touched. Their tongues began a slow dance, exploring and probing, very much unlike the kiss they shared a while ago.

It was getting really late, but neither of them seemed to care, as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate.

"Kuramochi's gonna be looking for you," Miyuki whispered with a grin.

"I think it's worth getting man-handled," Sawamura responded with a big, goofy smile on his face.

Miyuki laughed. "What a cheeky kouhai." He kissed him long and hard, feeling his heart next to his, with a single heartbeat.

JC: That's the end of that! But seriously I'd like to write an omake or a sequel to this. More Miyusawa dating, more big bro/best senpai Mochi, and supportive Haruichi…. I already have some ideas brewing in my head. I'll see if I can make those ideas work. Sawamura and Miyuki are just too cute together, and I gush over them so badly.