"Shit, Ren... This is not how baseball is supposed to be played."

°o°o°o°o°o°

Mihashi simply stood as Abe beat himself up. The catcher didn't lose it, but he was having a hard time staying in control.

Something that Abe never had problems with.

Slightly nervous about the rest of the team, but more concerned about Abe's well-being, Mihashi took a step forward and rested his hand on his catcher's shoulder.

"Abe."

The boy looked up, angrily. He felt mentally slapped when Mihashi spoke to him formally. "Ren..."

"Here." Mihashi handed Abe his catcher's mitt, which he had brought with him from the dugout. Abe tightly clutched it. "I..." Mihashi's mouth hung open. He had no idea what to say to Takaya. Except... "Let's go to practice." If anything, baseball was still baseball. That fact hadn't changed.

As Mihashi turned to leave, Abe reached out. He wanted to Ren to say he loved him and that everything would be alright.

His hand dropped to his side. His boyfriend's back was the last thing Abe saw before he disappeared around the corner. Mihashi had grown over the last year, mentally and physically. Taller, broader, and more confident then ever, he looked like an ace.

And Abe was a vice-captain. He needed to lead guys like Tajima. He had to start acting like it.

His security vanished however when he saw him. The relief hitter stared at him coldly before he turned back to the conversation he was having with Sakeguchi and Oki. Not knowing about what just happened, they said good morning to the Abe as they walked past to the dugout where Mihashi was. A game of Catch began since Momokan hadn't arrived yet. Shinooka joined the game, even though she wasn't a player and Suyama lent her his glove. It was far too big for her and swallowed her hand, which made all of them laugh. Moments later, Mizutani arrived and abandoned his bike (in a similar fashion as Mihashi), shouting something along the lines of "Oh, Catch! I wanna play!" Soon the entire team was playing- missing, catching, throwing, and laughing. They were playing the simplest of games, but that didn't matter. Baseball was baseball. And they had each other to enjoy it with.

That is, except Abe and Mihashi. As he watched, Mihashi heard a strangled whisper next to him. His head turned and he asked, "Abe?"

In a voice that Mihashi could barely understand, he heard. "Give me your hand."

Without question, Mihashi touched his palm to Abe's. He gasped. It was so damp and chilled. He met Abe's eyes and frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I... yeah." was Abe's weak response. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he wanted to have Mihashi kiss him. Why am I so pathetic and girly all of sudden? I'm tougher then this! Mihashi's hand was still touching his gently.

The ace of Nishiura's baseball team sighed. This was really bothering Abe and he understood why. He was wanted to comfort him for a second, give him a kiss, or even a simple hug, but he couldn't! This was Japan! Homosexuality was frowned upon and even though Mihashi and Abe were a couple, they could do nothing to express it.

Suddenly Mihashi understood. It was so clear as he stood staring into Abe's dark, depressed eyes. Abe was being torn in half. He was being torn by Mihashi and their team, or more specifically, everyone that Abe respected that didn't know their secret. Mihashi could tell Abe was trying hard to be someone worthy of him, but at the same time he desperately wanted to be your average, normal guy. iWait./i Mihashi thought. iThat isn't it... Takaya isn't normal at all. He's amazing! There's no way he wants to stay in the shadows./i Then it hit him. iTakaya wants to be respected./i Someone players like Tajima-kun could look up to and his parents could be proud of, Mihashi realized. More then anything, he wanted to make those he cared about proud of him. That meant there was no way he could fully accomplish that when he was...

Gay. Mihashi's head lowered. Of course. It was so obvious. Takaya really did love him, but what was the point? If Takaya isn't happy then maybe we should break up? That horrifying thought shot through Mihashi's mind and he froze. Suddenly, Momokan's loud whistle brought him out of his thoughts.

"All right guys! Cool to see you all playing together before practice! But now you have laps."

"Aw, what for, Coach?" Abe jumped, hearing the clean-up batter's voice. His hand left Mihashi's.

Momokan grinned ear to ear. "What do you mean 'what for', Tajima? I don't need a reason to give you laps!" Setting the bag down that she had been carrying over her shoulder, she reached in and took out an orange. She took a breath and then the orange exploded, pulp spraying on his still-smiling face.

As if from an anime, where Tajima had stood, a cloud of dust settled. A similar trail of dust followed him as he flew to the outside of the field. The rest of the team's faces paled before they starting scrambling over each of other to get past their coach.

The battery were hastily following the group before Momokan spoke. "Abe. Mihashi." Both looked up. "Come with me."

They glanced at other before they joined her. She waited until the last the team had cleared the outskirts of the field. "Hey guys. I'm not very good with dragging things out, so I'll just ask. Is there something going on between you two?"

Mihashi flinched and Abe bit his lip.

"Uh-huh. Thought so. So what's really going on with you two? I'm sure Tajima already had a word with you about it, right?"

Both looked stared at her, shocked. "H-how did you know?" Mihashi asked, his old stutter resurfacing.

"As I was driving, I saw him talking to Abe and I wouldn't have thought anything of it; but that was before he looked like he going to explode." She turned to Abe. "What did he say, Abe?"

"Nothing much. Just wants to know what you do too. I..." Abe paused and collected his thoughts before continuing. "I think he's jealous. Mihashi and I have been getting closer lately and we haven't been hanging out with the team- well, more specifically Mihashi hasn't been hanging out with Tajima as much lately." Abe shrugged his shoulders. "I think he just misses his friend-"

"That's not it, Abe-kun." Abe's eyes widened in surprise as Mihashi interrupted him. "I-I think Tajima-kun just wants things to be normal. Us getting closer... is messing with that." He turned to Momokan. "R-right?"

She smiled inwardly. Well said, Mihashi. "Tajima is your typical boy. He loves sports, getting dirty, and hanging out with his friends. He's also a high school student so I'm guessing he's also making deeper friendships then he's used to. He's also a pervert, but that's besides the point." She cleared her throat and Mihashi coughed. "I think Mihashi had a valid point." Turning to the boy in question, she said. "Mihashi, you're Tajima's best friend. Just let him know everything will be okay. Alright?"

Wow. Abe thought, a little touched. Momokan actually cares about us. His hair stood on end however when he heard the sudden dark change in the woman's voice. "Because of either of you two are responsible for putting even so much as a mental crack in our invincible team..." for once Mihashi wasn't the only one flailing around like a fish "there will be. Hell. To. Pay ." The battery nodded their heads vigorously as they backed away in terror before fleeing. As they ran, they heard Momokan yelling at them. "But make sure to have fun guys! This is baseball!"

°o°o°o°o°o°

Later, after practice, both were utterly exhausted. "T-Takaya..."

He still hasn't lost that stutter. "Yeah, Ren?"

"I'm going to go over to Tajima-kun's house, okay?"

Abe's shoulders tightened at the mention of Tajima, but he forced himself to relax. Tajima wasn't a threat. He was a teammate, Mihashi's best friend, and his friend as well. "I suppose. I'll see you later." As Abe wearily climbed onto his bike, he thought to himself. I really hope Mihashi does okay alone with Tajima. Guy is scary as hell when he's upset! He pedaled, the exercise setting him at ease as he pumped his wheels. It reminded him of their race earlier that day and that made him smile.

Ren would be fine. The only thing he prayed was that he would be able to work out things on his own.

Unfortunately for Abe, Mihashi wasn't known for being smooth.

"You WHAT?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Mihashi repeated over and over again. Abe paced Mihashi's small bedroom like a trapped fox. And that's what he felt... TRAPPED.

"Tajima! Of all people!"

"T-Takaya!"

"Why would you? HOW could you?"

"T-Takaya, calm down!" Mihashi shouted as he shook from head to toe.

But Abe couldn't be soothed. He was past his limit. "How can I be calm? This is Tajima! He knows, Ren! He fucking KNOWS!"

Mihashi winced, because only when Abe was seriously pissed off, he swore. Now was one of those times. Mihashi remembered what happened at Tajima's...

°o°o°o°o°o°

It had started out simple enough. Mihashi had arrived at Tajima's house, only to hugged/raped from behind.

"Mi. Ha. SHI!" Mihashi gasped as Tajima wrapped him in a giant hug as he was setting his shoes on the floor. "Hey, I thought I would never see you again!"

When Mihashi would have once literally shaken out of the hug, he embraced it warmly. He hadn't realized how much he missed Tajima until now. They just clicked. The other boy had been so friendly when Mihashi had first started. That was when he was still uncomfortable around the team (especially Abe) and constantly worried they would hate him. Tajima had thrown all those worries away and encouraged him the most next to Abe. Mihashi and Tajima had a special bond right away, while it taken a long time for Nishiura battery to have a conversation without Mihashi exploding into tears if Abe so much looked at him funny.

They certainly had come a long way...

Mihashi grinned at the thought as Tajima quickly rattled off one of countless jokes between them. Mihashi guffawed, Tajima made a face, and the wall between them instantly vanished. It continued that way for awhile; each taking turns telling horrible jokes or outrageous stories; they devoured the mount of food Tajima had stashed in his "Secret Hiding Cove of Deliciousness (and Porn)". Since most of Tajima's huge family was in the family room watching a movie, they pretty much had the kitchen to themselves. However, from time to time they would venture into the kitchen where two friends were.

Someone Mihashi especially liked Tajima's next-to-oldest sister, Risa. She was a thin girl about Tajima's height who carried Tajima family's dark hazel eye and dark hair physical traits. In fact, she reminded the golden-eyed pitcher a lot her brother, except she was anything BUT a pervert and she wasn't very good at sports. Instead, Risa loved theatre and acting, and Mihashi had seen her perform in a skit from the school festival earlier that year. He didn't remember what it was about, but he did know he liked her performance.

She always seemed to be performing. Hilariously.

As Tajima stood up to grab yet another handful of cookies, he loudly heard. "Nii-chan, you're gonna get fat."

Tajima crammed the cookies in his mouth and chewed loudly, "Mat's wat masemall mor."

"Then what's this?" She jabbed his flat-iron stomach and Tajima doubled over, making a noise similar to the Pillsbury Doughboy's giggle.

Both of the teenagers laughed as Tajima choked before he managed to find the milk. After he caught his breath, he turned to grab Risa, but she was already gone.

She suddenly appeared, ninja-like, behind him. "Nii-channnn, why are you keeping Ren-kun all to yourself?" Risa asked as she dramatically looped her arms around her brother. Tajima struggled, but she kept a firm grip. He couldn't shake off his sister... who was a year under them.

"You little monkey." Risa's older brother couldn't help but laugh as she clung to his back. "I'll have you know you're being awfully familiar with Mihashi." Then after a pause, he said rather bluntly. "And because we were looking at porn before you got in here."

As Mihashi flailed, Risa ignored the last statement and released her brother to look at Mihashi. "Aw, but you don't mind, do you, Ren-kun?" She asked with large hazel eyes.

Very pretty eyes... Mihashi stopped himself from flailing and replied. "No, not really, Risa-chan."

"See?" The freshman declared to Tajima, who was currently wondering why his best friend was taking his younger sister's side. Did the Bro Code mean nothing to him?

Later, the three of them had migrated to Tajima's room (where thankfully he had hidden his real porn) and were simply talking, which was fine. During the night, Risa had seemingly gotten closer and closer to Mihashi without anyone really noticing until Mihashi was half-way through explaining Abe's position.

"...so Abe really had no idea he was being a jerk, I swear. You know what I mean? ...Uh, Risa?"

"Hm?"

"Well, um... ?" Mihashi looked down at Risa, her eyes were closed and her head was gently placed on his shoulder, her small pigtails flattened. Her right shoulder was pressed against his and she had a dreamlike expression on her face.

She eyes snapped open and the girl quickly scooted away from the confused pitcher. Risa looked frantically around the room, seemingly ianywhere/i, but Mihashi. "Uh, well, I was tired! And I didn't, uh, want to, like, lay on nii-chan's bed! I'm sorry!" Nearly tripping over Mihashi, Risa ran from the room.

"...Tajima-kun, did... I say something... bad?"

"You really don't know?" Mihashi looked at his best friend, who was staring calmly at the door his sister had just run through. "Risa? My sister...? She likes you, Mihashi."

"...Buh?"

"...You honestly didn't know?"

"N-no..." The atmosphere in the room changed while he fidgeted. "Why? Did she tell you or something?"

The clean-up hitter shrugged. "Not really. Risa may act really dramatic a lot of the time and is a great performer; but in truth, she's still my little sister and I can see right through her." He looked at his friend. "Like when she has a crush on someone."

i A crush... on me? /i Mihashi thought. Risa was a nice girl and cute now that he thought about it. Yet, even though she was younger then them she was really mature. So Mihashi liked Risa? There was so much to like as he thought about it... He always enjoyed seeing her whenever he came over to visit and certainly had fun with her. If Mihashi wasn't already taken, Tajima's sister would make a wonderful girlfriend.

Then... a thought came. A thought descended into Mihashi's mind. iIf Mihashi Ren dated Tajima Risa, he could her hand, kiss her in public, and let everyone know./i

I could be normal...

Mihashi flinched violently. He just felt he had somehow cheated on Abe. A tangy, bitter taste was left his mouth feeling sticky and cold. Abe was so good, why would Mihashi even think for a moment someone could replace him? Especially since Abe was irreplaceable. There was no one else like him and that's what Mihashi thought as he looked straight back at Tajima.

"Tajima-kun, I couldn't date Risa-chan."

The other boy placed his elbows on his knees and raised an eyebrow. What was with the serious tone? He grinned. "Of course you wouldn't, Mihashi. Risa is my sister after all. And that, my friend, is strictly a violation of the Bro Code." He winked and snapped his fist into a thumbs up.

"But I-I like Risa-chan, Tajima-kun." Mihashi continued, his eyes lowered. He gulped, clenched his fists, and dared himself to say the truth. What had been going on for the past five months. And what Mihashi was afraid would lose him the greatest friend he had ever had if he dare say it out out. He looked into those eyes now. The once terrified pitcher looked so deeply he could clearly see the vibrant color of his best friend's nearly red irises. "But I can't."

"Because... I'm already dating and am in love with Abe Takaya."

°o°o°o°o°o°

I'm sorry. I'm so evil, but isn't that a nice cliffhanger? :D It'll all become clear in Chapter 3!

I really struggled with the Risa scene, because I wasn't to sure of her personality and how to place her in the story. I wasn't sure what kind of siblings Tajima had and when I looked it up online I couldn't find anything on them; so I had to create an OC. I hope to use her more!

And... I love Tajima. 3 I really do. And I got to meet the wonderful Todd Haberkorn last weekend! I already loved Tajima's character, and that just reinforced it. :) See you next week!