Practice went as usual; everyone was in good spirits, since they had won the game the previous day. They went all out, knowing that later in the week they would have to slow down in anticipation of the games this weekend.
After warming up, Kazuya and Eijun walked into the bullpen together. Kazuya was slated to work with Eijun, and Kariba was catching for Nori.
"Do you think I should try those different grips, Miyuki? They might come in handy this weekend." Eijun asked.
Kazuya shook his head. "I think that we should perfect the two that you have, those are enough of a variety for now. After the season we can work on the other ones, test them out and figure out which are likely to be useful. We should probably not expend our energy on that right now."
Eijun nodded, grinned. "Whatever you say, captain-senpai! You tell me what to pitch, and I'll pitch it!"
"Captain-senpai?" Kazuya choked back a laugh. "Really?" Rolling his eyes, he moved to the catcher's box. "Come on, Sawamura; let's burn off some of that energy."
Eijun's smile turned feral, and his eyes gleamed. "Whatever you say, Miyuki-senpai. By all means, let's burn off some energy." Miyuki gazed at his pitcher, eyes wide and just a bit glazed. He blinked and glared, his face clearing.
"Oi, Sawamura! If you don't want to pitch, just say so. I'm sure Furuya would be happy to have me catch for him." Kazuya smirked.
Eijun glowered. "Miyuki Kazuya! Don't you dare!" Kazuya's grin widened.
"Are you sure? We can do this another time, if you'd rather use the net." Eijun started to sputter as Kazuya walked towards him, slinging his arm around his neck. He muttered, "Idiot, don't do that to me. We're supposed to be avoiding these situations, not making them worse."
Eijun looked slightly abashed. "I'm sorry; I just kinda walked right through the door you opened. I wasn't thinking."
"It's fine, let's practice, shall we?" Miyuki patted him on his back, walked to his position, and pulled down his mask, ready to catch.
They worked together on his pitches, running through each and honing them for future use. Practice ended early so that the team could review the data on Seikou, the team they were playing next. Although they had all been at the stadium watching, Nabe was analyzing the information and wanted to speak to the team about what he'd found. They were a really physical team and their batting lineup was pretty much Eijun's worst nightmare; they tended to power through the pitches, forcing the ball to do what they wanted rather than hitting easy outs because the ball moved at the last second, like Eijun's pitches did.
After the meeting Eijun was sitting at the table, talking to the others, when he was called in to see Couch Kataoka. He looked at Kazuya who shrugged, clearly clueless.
"I wonder if it's because I was sleeping in class? That's the only thing I can think of…" He queried, getting up to go to the staff room.
Voices followed him out of the room. "How much does he sleep in class, really?" "All the time, don't you see him running at midnight?"
He walked into the office to meet with the coaching staff. Rei smiled as she asked him, "How are you feeling? Are you tired after pitching all nine innings yesterday?"
"No, I'm fine." Eijun replied, "My grandfather always says that the only thing I have going for me is a strong body."
The coach asked him a few questions about how he felt and about his performance, praising him for his low pitch count and lack of both four-ball walks; after the first inning, he had allowed no runs and few on-base hits.
Coach Kataoka went on to tell him, "You're on your way, you're gaining power as a pitcher, but you're not there yet; you need to be careful to keep your feet on the ground."
"I know, Boss." Eijun replied, "What you're saying to me is that yesterday could have been a fluke, only time will tell, so I shouldn't get a big head about it, right?" the coach nodded.
"I agree. I did consider trying to learn all of those change up grips, but we decided I need to polish the ones that I know will be useful before I stretch for more." Eijun felt his grin spread. "And you too, Boss, you need to prepare yourself. We only have two games until we make it to Spring Koshien, and then you will have to stick around, you cannot possibly leave the team that worked so hard to get there. That is why we've been striving for this, and we won't let you down." Bowing, he left the staff room. Oh my god, what did I just say…Kazuya is going to kill me…
Stepping out of the room, he paused when he saw Kazuya waiting for him in the hallway. Eijun walked over to him, thinking furiously.
"Hey, Eijun. Are you ok? What did the coach want?" Kazuya inquired.
Eijun rubbed the back of his head and shifted his feet. "He just wanted to talk to me about the game yesterday. My pitch count was pretty low, and they didn't score after the first inning. He seemed pleased."
"That's good, idiot. Why do you look so upset then?" Is Ochiai in there? Did he say something?
Eijun hung his head even further. "You're going to be so mad at me. I didn't mean to! I didn't realize I was doing it until it was too late!"
"What did you do, Eijun?" Now Kazuya was starting to get worried.
"IkindatoldthecoachthatweweretryingtogotoKoshiensohecouldn'tleave." Eijun rattled out, turning around, away from Kazuya.
Fortunately for Kazuya's sanity he was able to speak Eijun pretty fluently, so he understood what he was saying. Oh? Ohhh. Ohhhh!
He walked over to his boy and laid his hand on his shoulder. "Eijun. It's ok, I'm not mad." Eijun looked up, hopefully.
"Really, I'm not. I'm surprised we've kept it secret for as long as we have, to tell you the truth, since so many of us knew." He pulled Eijun into a quick hug, mindful of where they were. "We'll talk about it more later, but I'm really fine with it, ok? We have to talk to Rei still, remember? Let's just wait here for her."
They waited together in silence, holding hands, until Rei came out of the staff room and motioned for them to follow her.
Kazuya and Eijun approached Rei's office with trepidation. She could be intimidating; having dealt with teenage boys for years, there wasn't much that got by her. Both Eijun and Kazuya adored her, she was the one who had recruited them, and they were always going to be grateful to her for that. None of which made her any less frightening.
She opened the door to her office and stepped back, allowing them in.
"Sit down on the couch, boys, and let's talk." They walked into the room, and moved over to the couch against the wall. She had a seating area to one side, with a couch and chairs arranged around a table. It was much more informal than the chairs in front of the desk, but they were still apprehensive. They sat on the couch next to each other, while Rei sat in one of the armchairs.
"Now, we need to discuss a few things. First off, Sawamura-kun, I spoke to your mother earlier, and she has confirmed everything that Miyuki-kun told me this morning. I am glad that we were able to verify your story. I didn't think you were lying, Miyuki-kun, I just had to double check." Kazuya nodded, and grinned.
"I expected you to check. I wouldn't have told you about it otherwise." Rei shot him an annoyed glare.
"Sawamura-kun, I need to ask you a few questions. Miyuki-kun told me his side of the story, but I want to hear from you what's going on with you two."
Eijun started at the beginning, at the park where he first met Kazuya, and told his story. Rei listened attentively. When he was done, she commented. "That sounds like the plot of a really cliché manga. However, it seems to be true enough, so we will run with it.
"Anyway, you boys do need to be careful. There are people who would not only look down on you, but that would give you a hard time. Not everyone at this school is progressive, so please be aware of where you are. I know you think you are being discreet, but you really are not. I heard from several people that they thought you boys might be together before I found you. In fact, how do you think I even knew to look for you?
"Pay more attention. Please. I do not want you to suffer any prejudice, nor do I want to have to deal with distraught staff members. Try to stay out of the janitor's closet; in fact, try to keep your physical contact to a minimum when you are in the Education section of the school. I know you will not drop this completely, but be careful. Could you imagine what would happen if Coach Oota walked in on you two? Or Ochiai?" They looked at each other and shuddered. They had to be more careful, they really did.
"We will, Rei-chan. We were not trying that hard to hide it, we were just trying to not broadcast it to the world." Kazuya explained.
Rei laughed. "Well, that option's gone. There are plenty who don't know, but most will know soon or will figure it out. I am sure the gossipers have already grabbed the story; some of them saw me pull you two out of that closet. I thought you, Kazuya-kun, would be able to pull it off but if you're not even trying, your secret will be out before the weekend."
"We don't mind if people know, really, Rei-san." Eijun piped up. "We just mainly don't want anyone to think it will affect how we play, the decisions we make on the field, or accuse Kazuya of favoritism."
"That may be a problem you'll have to face." Rei frowned, briefly. "I know that neither I nor the coach is worried about those things, so you can take that as some comfort. Anyone that goes to either of us about it will hear the same thing. Just play your game the best way you know how, and it will all work out. Do expect some resistance and gossip, though, at least at first.
"That was the fun part. Here comes the part you are both going to love.
"We need to talk about being safe and smart." Rei smirked, and the boys both paled.
"We're not doing anything! We are being safe, we know what to do!" Kazuya sputtered out.
Rei continued to smirk. "Would you rather hear this from Coach Kataoka? He asked me to speak to you, but I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you about it instead." This is what you get for making me drag you out of that closet, you shameless brats.
Rei didn't think it was possible, but both boys got even paler. "No, we're good? Ok. Back to what I was saying. I'm not going to hit you over the head with this stuff, I think you probably know the basics, but here goes…" She talked about everything, from frottage to proper prep to sex, demonstrating the proper use of a condom, talking about self-care and being ready for whatever it is you chose to do. Fortunately for the boys, who were dying of embarrassment, she kept it quite clinical, not getting flustered, just relaying information. They paid close attention, finding themselves less embarrassed the more she spoke.
She spoke about love, about lust, about finding a balance, about making things work. Communication, she said, was key. Being truthful was always important, and letting the other know what you were and were not comfortable doing. She told them that whatever they chose to do, however far they chose to go was their decision. Nothing about their choices was anyone else's business, nor was it wrong, as long as they were both in agreement.
Smart and Safe were her key words, and she drilled them into the pair. When she was done, she handed them each a bag. "Don't open them now, just take it with you."
"Do you have any questions?" She asked.
Kazuya spoke up, still dazed and slightly cowed. "Not really, that was pretty comprehensive. How do you know all of this?"
"There are one hundred boys on this team. In this all-boys dorm. Trust me, you two are not the first, nor will you be the last. So do not be surprised that we are not surprised. In addition, no one chooses to talk to the coach rather than me. Absolutely. No. One." Rei replied matter-of-factly.
"I guess we're done here. Remember what I said, and please be careful. You're young, take your time."
They thanked her, took their bags and left.
They didn't speak at all, walking side by side across the courtyard to the dorms, clutching their bags, still slightly stunned and overwhelmed.
As they passed near the vending machines, they heard someone laughing. Looking over, they saw it was Kuramochi sitting on the bench with Ryou, laughing as if he was going to die. He pointed at them, and laughed some more. "You look like you've been hit by a bus! Rei caught you, didn't she? BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Ryou patted his shoulder. "You need to stop. While it is amusing, we do not want to broadcast it to the world. Plus, as I recall, you looked more dazed when she was done with us than they do." He smiled blandly at his boyfriend who was desperately trying to stop choking.
Kuramochi shot him a look of betrayal. "Ryou! You weren't supposed to tell them!" He managed to get out.
"My apologies, then. Please forget I said anything about his abject embarrassment." Ryou smirked.
Kazuya just blinked at the exchange, but Eijun had recovered enough to be vastly amused, although he didn't dare show it. "Thank you, Onii-san-senpai. Have a good evening, we'll see you both in the morning."
He grabbed his boyfriend and dragged him to Kazuya's room. Closing the door behind them, Eijun collapsed on the bed. Kazuya collapsed beside him. They looked at each other and just laughed. They could not help it; the whole evening had been so strange.
"Did you see Mochi's face, Ei? He looked like he was choking on his tongue!"
"I know, and Ryou? He's evil, man, throwing his boyfriend under the bus like that!" Eijun chortled, getting a kick out of someone taking his roommate down a peg or two. "But he's going to be ruthless when I go back."
"Maybe I can talk to him?" Kazuya offered.
Eijun shrugged. "Maybe? If you want to. More importantly, what do you think is in these bags?"
"Wait." Kazuya said, putting his hand over Eijun's. "I think I know what's in there. You may want to open it later."
"Naw, I'll do it now, see what it is." Eijun gingerly unrolled the top of the bag and peeked in. His face turned red, but he didn't seem too distressed. "It's what I thought, condoms and lube. Not a big surprise, with what she was talking about." He closed up the bag and glanced at Kazuya. "You alright? I'm hungry; do you think we can bum some food off the cafeteria ladies? We didn't have supper."
Kazuya snorted. "You're unusually calm about this, Ei." He reached over and rubbed Eijun's head. "Why aren't you more flustered?"
Eijun grinned at him, grabbing his hand and threading their fingers together. "I've been out to my family for years, Kazu. You think that Rei was bad, imagine that talk from my grandfather. That was embarrassing and all kinds of wrong. Then when they found out I was coming here, and you were here already? Even more talking, and supplies. Kazu, whenever we do decide that we want to have sex, we have enough for a long, long time. And, I know they'll keep sending them, my parents are like that." Kazuya looked down at their joined hands thoughtfully.
"I'm not…I'm not sure how I feel about that, Ei. I guess it's maybe because my father has never cared about me enough to worry about stuff like that? I don't know. I mean, I am glad your parents are accepting, supportive. Maybe I'm a bit envious that I don't have that support system. I think, though, in the end, I'm happy that they're like that, that they're willing to give us a chance, that they do whatever it takes to make sure you're alright." He gazed at his boyfriend, a soft, sad smile on his face.
The smile gave way to a smirk as he continued. "I'm also very glad it was you on the receiving end of that lecture from your grandfather. That had to suck!"
"It did, Kazu, you have no idea. He had a book with pictures and a banana and everything. It was scary, almost put me off the idea forever." Eijun chuckled. "Oh! I'll bet he'll want to talk to you, too, when we go visit. I can ask him if you'd like." Kazuya blanched, Eijun roared.
"You're evil, brat. What happened to my nice, slightly stupid boyfriend?" Kazuya whined. "When did he morph into this twisted creature?"
"Thank you." Eijun wheezed out between guffaws.
Kazuya pouted and Eijun laughed even harder. Trying to get himself under control, he hugged Kazuya, who stiffened in his arms. He stopped laughing and sobering, leaned his forehead on his boyfriend's chest. "Don't be mad at me, Kazu." Eijun lifted his head to look his boy in the eyes, and laid a hand gently on his cheek, leaning in to kiss him, softly. Kazuya caved and leaned into the hug and the kiss, lifting his hand to comb through Eijun's hair. Pulling apart, they smiled at each other.
"Let's go find some food, you bottomless pit." Kazuya snarked, rubbing Eijun's head.
From: Me(catch4me .jp)
To: Zono-senpai(mazonok )
Zono-senpai-
Miyuki told me what happened with you two this morning, and I wanted to make sure that you know that I am all right, that I'm neither blind to his faults nor unaware of the risks.
You see, I've known him pretty much all of my life, I know what he is underneath the sarcasm and the sneer. I've always considered him my best friend, even when we weren't in contact. Maybe that is naïve of me, but that is the truth.
I've loved him since I was five. I believe he loves me as well.
If, however, I am mistaken, I will be ok. I won't be good, but I'll be ok. Eventually.
However, I'm sure I'm not mistaken. I don't think I've ever been so sure of something in my life.
Anyway, I wanted to reassure you, and to thank you for being worried about me. You're a great senpai, unlike certain tanuki bastards I could name.
If you have any questions, or feel like something is bothering you about this situation, please just ask.
-Eijun.