AT&T Park was alive with spirit and looked very, well, orange.
If Abe had to be honest, he didn't mind all the orange and black scattered everywhere that made it seem like it was Halloween in June. There was also the occasional navy blue and grey that was thrown in, but not as noticeable. The game was supposed to be a good one, especially with all the good sportsman rivalry.
Abe grabbed Mihashi's hand so he didn't loose him in the large crowd rushing to get in. The two were trying to see everything the park had to offer them.
The usually fidgety stuttering blonde was practically vibrating with excitement, his hand was so extremely warm. His head was swiveling every direction to attempt to take in all the sights of the ballpark at once.
"T-Takaya!" he squeaked loudly. He pointed ahead of them, "Look!"
Ahead of them was a giant statue (no pun intended) of a man who appeared to have just swung the bat and was watching his ball fly.
Abe smiled, unable to contain his own excitement. He squeezed Mihashi's hand, "Ren, that's Willie Mays."
They walked forward carefully, as if the statue was going to take off running like the player captured in that moment so obviously wanted to. The two young men gazed at the statue a few seconds longer before Abe tugged on Mihashi's hand and tugging him towards the entrance of the ballpark.
San Francisco was really nice in the summer. The sky was a brilliant blue and the clouds were nowhere to be seen. And, though the sun was bright, there was a constant breeze that made it feel cool.
"Ready to go in Ren?"
Mihashi nodded his head enthusiastically, one of his beautiful, rare smiles gracing his features.
Abe felt himself blush, but returned Mihashi's smile nonetheless and walked into the ballpark with him.
It was a huge chaotic mess inside. Clumps of people were everywhere, trying to buy food or other things, causing Abe to weave through them with his grip tight on Mihashi's hand. There were vendors scattered selling food or jerseys or mementoes or panda hats.
Abe, on seeing Mihashi eyeing the hats, dragged him to one of the stands and, after fumbling with his money, purchased one of them for Mihashi.
Abe turned to Mihashi, his face red, "Uh, here you go Ren."
Mihashi smiled brightly at Abe, "T-thank you, Takaya!" He shoved the hat on his head and it fell over his eyes and pushed his hair in his face. Abe laughed and helped him fix the hat on his head, moving Mihashi's blonde hair out of his eyes. Mihashi blushed. Cute.
After grabbing some food (hot dogs, soft drinks, and pretzels), they decided to look for their seats while trying to get through the huge crowd of Giants and Yankee fans. Mihashi was looking at everything with wonder and excitement, the panda hat sitting on his head making him look absolutely adorable.
Abe walked into someone, knocking him back a bit. Ah, I've got to stop staring. Pay attention!
But, Abe couldn't help it. His eyes kept finding Mihashi's excited face, and his heart fluttered every time those shinning hazel eyes found his own grey ones.
Today, Abe told himself, today I'm going to ask him.
Ever since they first played ball together their first year of high school, Abe fell for the small, timid ace. He had never thought he could care about someone so much, but he did, and it was Ren. Steadily through their high school years, the battery became more and more comfortable around each other, which made Abe happy in a way no one would understand.
When college recruiting came around, by some unbelievable miracle, the pair was scouted by the same baseball program. Now in between their second and third years of college, Abe had suggested they study abroad and maybe go touring in America.
Mihashi, of course, was all too eager to go with Abe. Which made everything easier for Abe to plan.
"We should go look at the glove behind centerfield later. I heard that it was made of real leather," Abe told Mihashi.
Mihashi nodded in agreement. He turned his attention back to the field, watching the players doing their warm-ups, when he began jumping in his seat excitedly, "T-Takaya! Lincecum is pitching!"
They were sitting in the stands behind left field, away from the bay, and could indeed see Tim Lincecum warming up.
Well, it seems they came on the right day.
"Do you think Sandoval or Posey will hit a homerun, Takaya?"
Abe smiled at the stutter-free sentence that Mihashi uttered. Those instances were becoming more and more recurring between the two and he absolutely love it.
He nervously rested his arm on the back of Mihashi's chair as the first pitch was thrown. Mihashi stiffened for a second before relaxing in his seat, smiling at Abe.
"Well," Abe started, "Sandoval has been on a hot streak lately." He gently tugged on one of the hanging poms from Mihashi's hat causing Mihashi to giggle a bit. The blonde turned his attention back to the game as Brett Gardner fouled off a ball to load his count. "Let's just hope Gardner or Jeter don't hit a home run."
Mihashi stared with wide eyes as Lincecum struck out Gardner and Jeter walked up to the plate. "I, uh, wouldn't mind if th-the Captain hit one. It may be c-cool to see."
Abe laughed, "No doubt about that, but I'm hoping for a Giants win, aren't you?"
Mihashi stiffened, and his mouth flapped open a bit, "O-of course!"
Abe gave him another gentle smile and placed his arm on Mihashi's stiff shoulder, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on the small man's shoulder, "I was kidding Ren, I know how much you like the Giants."
Mihashi just nodded before turning his attention back to the game.
Abe didn't remove his arm though, he didn't want to. Mihashi hadn't told him anything either so he left it there.
In the seventh inning, the stretch, that's when I'll ask him. Abe would ask him now, but he wanted Mihashi to enjoy the game. Abe has planned this since they both got into the same university, and Mihashi accepted his invite to be his roommate. The interleague game just happened to fall on the time they could join the study abroad program in San Francisco and be in America. Abe saved as much as he could to be able to purchase the tickets and have a little extra to buy food and maybe some souvenirs.
Mihashi's expression when Abe told him about the plan to attend the game was definitely worth two years of saving every yen he received and learning English.
The game continued scoreless for the first four innings, which was expected with Tanaka on the mound for the Yankees. It seemed like the game would be a pitcher's battle.
This was actually a good experience for Mihashi to see. Abe could see the amazement in his eyes as he watched the pitchers battle it off.
At the bottom of the fifth, something finally happened.
Pablo "Panda" Sandoval came up to bat. Mihashi was again vibrating with excitement, clapping along with the rest of the crowd, and Abe smiled, his arm still around the small man's shoulders.
The sound of the bat hitting the ball on point echoed throughout the entire ballpark.
Abe looked forward and saw the Panda running and then he looked up and saw a small white missile heading straight for him.
"O-Oh!"
Abe reacted to Mihashi's gasp of surprise. He stood up and reached for the ball without a second thought. Of course, instincts from years of catching took over and he caught the homerun in his bare hands. Applause rang out for the Panda and Abe's nice grab.
When he sat down smiling at Mihashi and saw his look of surprise and worry, he realized his hands were stinging quite a bit actually.
"Ah," was really all he could say.
Mihashi gently placed the baseball in Abe's lap and grabbed his wrists, bringing them up to his face for inspection, "Is Takaya okay?"
Abe blushed slightly. Mihashi's calloused fingers were gentle as he ran them over Abe's reddening hands. "Er…I, well, I'm alright I- uh-"
Mihashi leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on each palm.
Abe's face flushed red and he gaped at Mihashi.
Mihashi gave him a timid smile. Abe grabbed the ball in his lap and handed it to him, "I- uh, I caught this for you."
Mihashi took the ball from him and gave him a wide smile, "Takaya is so cool! Thank you." He took Abe's hand gently in his own, careful not to squeeze too much, and then turned his attention back to the game.
Seventh inning, almost there.
Abe was glad that there was heat rushing to his hands because of his catch, otherwise he was sure that Mihashi would feel how cold his hands were getting.
After the big homerun, the other three outs were taken really easily. In the top of the sixth, the top of the lineup for the Yankees gave the Giants a bit of a scare, but Lincecum, with a good play from Pagan in the outfield, turned it around and they were out of it.
Abe and Mihashi, hands still intertwined, watched the jumbo screen in centerfield as they played a few highlights from the other games that were going on. The Angels seemed to be on an awesome hot streak. "Are you enjoying the game, Ren?"
Mihashi looked over at Abe and gave him a small nod, "Very much, Takaya! Thank you for bringing me here."
Abe smiled as the bottom of the sixth came and went quickly also. This was turning out to be a one run game. At the top of the seventh, people around them laughed and giggled while making comments of "aww" or "how cute" to their neighbors.
Abe and Mihashi turned and looked at the giant screen and noticed the kiss cam scouting random couples out in the ballpark. Abe and Mihashi laughed along with the crowd at the funny and awkward kisses.
He then noticed a couple of familiar guys on the screen, one with raven-hair and the other had a panda hat on his blonde hair.
There was a sudden burst of noise around them as Abe realized that it was…
Oh my god! That's me and Mihashi!
Abe stared at their intertwined hands, unable to look Mihashi in the eye. No, no, no! I was going to ask him the next break. We were getting comfortable and I caught that homerun ball for him. This is going to ruin it. He can't kiss me, he won't, I know he won't. He's probably stiffening up right now while everyone-
A hand touched his cheek, turning Abe's face toward Mihashi. "Wha-?"
A soft pair of lips pressed against his own. For a second, Abe's brain short-circuited. He didn't react for the small space of a second, which seemed way too long, but then he closed his eyes and reacted.
And it was perfect and beautiful in its own way. Yes, it was a little awkward and timid, but the fact that Mihashi initiated it and, well the fact that it was Mihashi made Abe's heart race like he was running a mile.
Mihashi pulled away from Abe, a blush painting his cheeks as he nervously tugged on one of the poms of his hat, refusing to meet Abe's eyes but also not releasing his hand.
Abe subconsciously heard the applause around them, and a couple of people whistling, but all that mattered was that Mihashi, scared and timid and freaking adorable Mihashi, had just kissed him in front of thousands of people at a baseball game.
Abe smiled down at the blonde as they watched the kiss cam show two more couples and then show Hunter Pence and Sandoval, getting the entire stadium to laugh as they bumped fists.
Mihashi turned his head toward the field, but Abe could tell that he was glancing out of the corner of his eye, too shy to look at Abe directly. Abe grinned, his hand going underneath Mihashi's chin to get the pitcher to look up at him with those wide hazel eyes.
Abe brushed his thumb over Mihashi's bottom lip, "Can we try that again without thousands of people watching us?"
Mihashi gave a small, timid nod and Abe leaned in for the second time.
Abe practically felt his heart explode from the small contact. His hand slid around Mihashi's neck to the back of his head, gently stroking the small hairs there. Abe held back his groan as he felt Mihashi's free hand tangle in his hair and tug on it. Their intertwined hands were pressed between their chests.
He pulled away from Mihashi, before they went a little too far in front of these people, and the battery smiled at each other.
"I was, uh, waiting for the seventh inning stretch, but this is as good a time as any, right?"
Mihashi cocked his head to the side, obviously confused, "For what?"
Abe bit his lip, his eyes looking in every direction except Mihashi's. He could hear the stands belting the old baseball jingle:
Take me out to the ballgame,
Take me out to the crowd.
Abe took a deep breath and looked at Mihashi, who was still staring up at Abe with wide eyes. "I want to ask you out," Abe said quietly.
If it were possible, Mihashi's eyes actually grew wider. His jaw dropped and his shoulders stiffened a little.
For a second, Abe felt his heart sink in his chest. Then Mihashi spoke. "Y-you mean, like…like a- uh," he stuttered.
Abe nodded, "Yeah." He could still feel the warmth of Mihashi's hand, so maybe… He scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Will you be my boyfriend, Ren?"
Abe expected the timid, stuttered response Mihashi always gave him in situations like this. Because that's just who Mihashi is. What he didn't expect was the response he actually got.
Mihashi launched himself at Abe, who caught him around the waist, wrapping his arms around Abe's neck. He was just about to freak out about how Mihashi could have hurt himself and to never do that again, but it died on his tongue.
He heard wonderful, beautiful laughter in his ear, "Yes, Takaya! Of course I will be your boyfriend!"
Abe laughed along with him, squeezing him lightly.
Mihashi let go of him to sit back in his own seat as the eighth inning began, giving Abe a huge dazzling smile. Abe's heart fluttered but he tried to look at him with a mock stern expression, "Well, as your boyfriend and catcher, don't do that again. You could've hurt yourself."
Mihashi shook his head and smile never faltered, "I knew Takaya would catch me. I trust you."
Abe felt his own lips tug up into a smile. He grabbed Mihashi's hand and settled back into his chair, Mihashi leaning his panda-clad head on Abe's shoulder as his free hand traced the stitches of the ball, focusing on the last two innings of play.
Hey! So this is just an answer to what someone would want to read that I saw on tumblr. But I have such bad writer's block (and this is my new obsession) so I wanted to write this. (And I'm really sorry, but I got a little lazy and instead of researching teams from Japan, I just went with my two favorite baseball teams from America.) I hope you like this little fluff of a thing.
Happy readings!