Title: Untitled Celebration That Has Something To Do With Abe
Characters/Pairings: Abe/Miha, Nishiura people
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: Abe knows something's going on, he just can't figure out what.
"Do you think he knows?"
"Nah, look—he's all oblivious over there! Heh... I can't wait to see the look on his face."
Abe didn't know whether to turn and growl at them or continue pretending that he was "oblivious." Maybe if he looked like he was ignoring them, they'd accidentally slip up and let loose on the details. It would be a chance to finally see their surprised and guilty faces.
"I planned everything, so it should go off without a hitch. Mihashi told me he even cleaned up his room!"
Even Shinooka was in on it. Whatever it was. For the life of him, Abe couldn't figure out what all the secrecy was about… which was sad in his opinion, as none of them were all that secretive. Except Mihashi, that is.
"A-Abe-kun! Good—" Fleeting look to the left, frightened look to the right, "good to s-see, uhm! …I've g-got to—uhh… I think I hear Izumi calling me… Or Tajima—no, Hama-chan! T-there he is! Right ther—no, over there—um… bye!"
Okay, so not all that secretive either, but much more efficient at hiding things than the others were.
"When is it again?"
"You know when it is!"
Abe didn't know when it was, damn it! He could feel a tic coming on…
It got even worse during practice.
"Oh, Abe-kun, I hear there's a—"
"No—don't say it, Momokan!" Abe felt sure that if there wasn't immediate death lurking right around the corner, the whole team would have tackled the busty coach to the ground. It was a very brave Shinooka that ended up climbing Momokan's back and clamping a small hand over her mouth in desperation.
"Uhh, Abe-kun," she said from atop Momokan's shoulders, "I think Shiga-sensei needs to speak with you in the locker room office!"
As he found out, Shiga-sensei did not need to speak with him in the locker room office—though he did end up keeping Abe there for well over two hours to talk more in-depth about their daily meditation and how to build a stronger battery with Mihashi. By the time Abe left, practice was almost over, and the whole team—including a widely grinning Momokan—avoided opening their mouths anywhere near him.
Abe wasn't sure he could survive much more of this without exploding in someone's face. It had been a full week of furtive glances (to check and see if he was still clueless, Abe was sure), whispered conversations behind his back (most were not-so-whispered conversations), and—worst of all—Mihashi skirting around not talking to him at all.
Once, during their one-on-one pitching practice, Mihashi had actually jumped back in terror when Abe stood to speak with him about adjusting one of their signs. Terror! Abe was so annoyed with the situation. He turned to go cool off and grab a bottle of water, and there they were—Hanai, Tajima and Oki—staring at him and Mihashi from the bullpen. As soon as they saw him looking (wide-eyed—because, Jesus, they were a scary), they turned lightning fast towards each other and picked up a conversation that could easily be heard from the field.
"So, how about this weather?" said Tajima.
"Y-yeah! It's nice and… cold…" Abe was glad at least Oki seemed uncomfortable with his Glare of Death™.
"Think it might snow tomorrow?" Hanai actually looked quite curious. He pushed back his cap and gazed imploringly at the white clouds above.
"Snow? I call all the snow that falls on the pitch! I'm gunna make me a snowwoman with triple D's!"
"What! You—!" Abe retired early that day.
The next morning wasn't any better. It did snow, and Tajima did claim all the fresh snow on the pitch—though he generously gave Mihashi a 2x2-meter patch to stand in. His snowwoman ended up with double G's that—by the time afternoon practice rolled around—became B's and sagged quite alarmingly.
The team was attempting not to stare at the snowwoman when Momokan called them all over to the side benches.
"Practice is cancelled! Have a nice day."
"What?" said Abe, but everyone else was already walking back to the locker room, "Wait—what do you mean practice is cancelled? Tajima already cleared away the snow!"
Momokan ignored him but he knew she could hear him; she had a devilish sort of grin plastered all over her face. Shinooka stood beside her with a watery smile.
"Maybe you could… go with Mihashi somewhere and—and practice together?" The temptation to slap a hand over his face was almost too great to overcome. Instead, he turned around and came face to face with (of all people) Mihashi.
This whole operation they were running must not have taken that much thought if this was the best diversion they could come up with.
Abe growled for Mihashi to wait for him and went to change.
It was too cold to practice on their own (what had Shinooka been thinking?), so they ended up going to a local café full of shivering young high school girls in their way-too-short-for-snow skirts.
"What do you want to drink?" Mihashi was so cold, his teeth were chattering.
"J-j-j-j—" The girls behind them giggled behind their warm scarves, "Just-t s-some h—"
"Hot chocolate?" Abe softened at the look of obvious relief on Mihashi's face as he nodded (two too many times; the gathering of girls tittered at that). With a light push against Mihashi's shoulder, Abe sent him to go find them both a seat while he got their order. A fresh wave of giggles sounded when Mihashi stumbled over his own feet and all of Abe's pent-up anger and frustration swelled to the surface.
"What a dork" One girl laughed. Mihashi was already far enough away to not hear but Abe turned on her so fast, his black scarf whipped across her face.
"Would you like to say that again?" She didn't, and neither did anyone else within the vicinity. Abe got their steaming drinks to-go and told Mihashi, who was still looking for a place to sit, that he would walk him home.
"R-really?" Mihashi looked happy at the thought of going home, but then he glanced outside where the snow fell in large clumps and then, strangely, his watch. "Can—can we stay here a little?"
"No." Mihashi's face fell but Abe wasn't going to give in.
When they got outside, Mihashi shed his gloves and cautiously tested the heat of the cup before wrapping both hands around it with a content hum. Abe had paused to watch but the snow was beginning to fall at a slant, so he nudged Mihashi into walking.
They stopped to toss their empty cups away, and Mihashi paused under the awning of someone's front gate.
"Uhm…" He made a large show of pulling his gloves out and slipping them on again, "Abe-kun… so, umm—what're you d-doing for… for Christmas Eve?"
That line had to have been practiced many times over. Around them, the snow was falling heavier; Abe watched as Mihashi shivered from head to toe, pressing his back against the wall.
"I don't know. I suppose…" Abe took a moment and almost laughed when Mihashi leaned forward, anxiously waiting for his answer. "Nothing." Yes, there it was. That had to have been the answer he was looking for; Mihashi's eyes brightened and he smiled nervously.
"W-would—! Uhm, that is—" Mihashi was so excited, he stepped right up next to Abe, "if—if you don't plan anything! Would you be, um, interested i-in—"
"Did you want to hang out together on Christmas Eve?" A nice, red flush spread across Mihashi's pink cheeks and he nodded (only once this time).
"Y-yeah… I'd like—" blush, "t-that…"
Abe turned back toward the sidewalk, but he was grinning so hard he was afraid someone might stop and ask if he'd split his face.
"All right." He reached back and took Mihashi's hand in his. "Let's get going—it's freezing out here."
Mihashi smiled and followed.
When they reached Mihashi's house, Abe was so eager to get out of the snow, he almost plowed Mihashi over when the blond suddenly paused in the doorway.
"Would—would you like to c-come in?" Abe swallowed down a sarcastic comment and, with clattering teeth, replied,
"If you don't mind."
A wide, ecstatic smile bloomed across Mihashi's face, and instantly felt instantly less annoyed. They removed their shoes upon entering and when Abe glanced up, he jumped a little at seeing Mihashi's mother standing right there.
"Ren! You're early aren't you?" Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her apron. "Abe-kun, so good to see you again." She looked around herself, as if unsure of what to do next. "You two—why don't you get comfortable in the living room, I just need to… oh, I'll be right back!"
And then she just disappeared up the stairs. Abe blinked at the spot she had previously been and looked to Mihashi for an explanation to the extra crazy today. Except Mihashi didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary; in fact, he was checking his watch—again.
"What's going o—" Thump.
They both startled at the noise; their eyes rolled up to stare at the ceiling but all was silent.
"Uhm… come—come in, Abe-kun." Mihashi walked past the stairs to the living room like nothing had happened but Abe stayed rooted.
"Mihashi." Mihashi stilled at his tone. "What's going on?"
"I-I can get you some—some tea and—"
"Ren!" That scary bird-like call from upstairs interrupted Mihashi's awkward speech.
"Y-Yeah?" He hollered back.
"Bring Abe-kun up to your room, we—I've got some tea and snacks already prepared!"
Abe absolutely knew something was going on, but as he climbed the steps behind Mihashi, he really couldn't find a reason for all the little things that had been occurring recently. His teammates whispering and planning behind his back, Mihashi not speaking to him before today and keeping watch of the time, and now Mihashi's mom was acting strange, too. Well… stranger than normal. There was something he was forgetting—something important—
Mihashi was already at his bedroom door, turning the knob, and Abe almost asked to have a few more minutes because he felt he almost understood. But the door was swinging open and he was at Mihashi's shoulder and—
"Surprise!" The flash of a camera—click, snap.
"Happy Birthday, Abe!"
"Look at his face" Loud, raucous laughter.
"Are you surprised? Are you? Are you?"
"Can you believe he fell for it?" Giggles all around.
"We've got pizza and soda and cake and—"
He was too stunned to move from the doorway. Everyone had piled into Mihashi's large room with gifts and food and games and—it was his birthday?
"H-happy Birthday, Abe-kun..." Abe took in the crazy atmosphere and Mihashi's pink cheeks, and he smiled.
"Thank you," he said for only Mihashi to hear. Abe wrapped his hand around Mihashi's and dragged them both into the utter chaos. He made a mental note to hunt down Mizutani and those negatives, but for now, he'd enjoy his birthday celebration.