Author Notes: Here's chapter 8! Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story. I really appreciate it.
I hope y'all enjoy it!
Chapter 8: A Clear Sunny Day
Kazuya was so bored.
His teammates had celebrated their victory late into the night (even though they knew they had school the next day). To his amusement, the third years were the most enthusiastic out of all of them, and whenever someone brought up studying, one of them (mainly just Jun-san) would scold them, saying that this was more important at the moment.
Sawamura, he couldn't help but notice, was quiet after a while.
Sawamura was his loud self at first (and even joined the third years when they asked Kantoku to come out of his room and join them much to his amusement), but the later it got, the quieter Sawamura became.
But he didn't think too much about it.
Maybe Sawamura was tired?
Or maybe he was imagining things?
The sensei at the hospital did give him some pain medicine to take.
Maybe imagining things was a side effect?
(He would need to reread the label again to make sure, though.)
Whatever it was, he knew Sawamura would be back to normal the next day.
But he hadn't counted on how… boring it was without practice.
They still had school, which helped a little.
He took great pleasure in messing with Kuramochi, and when he wasn't teasing him, he studied the fall tournament finals scorebook.
Kantoku gave the first string the day off from practice, but everyone still ended up practicing on their own.
Not for too long, though.
No one wanted Kantoku to scold them for overworking themselves, especially when it was supposed to be their day off from practice.
They weren't idiots.
Speaking of idiots…
He wasn't allowed to practice because of his injury (much to his irritation), so he had to settle for watching everyone else practice without him.
Because he had pitched yesterday, he knew Sawamura wouldn't be pitching today.
A part of him had hoped that he could sit near where Sawamura was practicing his practice swings and critique him on his form, and maybe if Sawamura asked really nicely, he would give him some tips.
(Or as much as he could give while sitting down anyway. He wasn't allowed to practice his practice swings (and although it irritated him, he was well aware why he wasn't allowed to, remembering what happened during their game whenever he had to bat), so he wouldn't be able to show Sawamura what he was talking about until he recovered.)
But to his surprise, Sawamura only ran some laps (with his trusty tire, of course) before declaring that he would do some of the exercises Chris-senpai instructed him to do.
It didn't take long for him to finish the exercises, and to everyone's disbelief, they watched as Sawamura began stretching.
Sawamura was done practicing?
Already?
They couldn't believe it, exchanging wide-eyed looks with each other as they looked at Sawamura.
But sure enough, once he was done with his stretches, Sawamura bowed to everyone still on the field, explaining in that flowery formal language of his that he was done for the day and excused himself, dashing away from the field, as if someone was chasing him.
This was the first time Sawamura had left practice this early. Usually, whenever Kantoku gave them the day off, Sawamura would practice much longer than he was supposed to.
(That idiot didn't seem to understand the importance of resting and not overworking himself. Not that he was surprised. Sawamura was an idiot after all.)
But now he was leaving early, rushing off, as if he had somewhere he needed to go to.
Like an appointment.
Or… a date.
He couldn't help but scowl as he watched Sawamura run away from the field.
Sawamura hadn't told him how his meeting with Mei went, but he didn't need to. He already knew how his meeting went.
Because Sawamura had looked so disgustingly happy when he got back from his meeting.
(And he didn't even come back from meeting with Mei until the next morning, annoying him even more. Kuramochi had mentioned how Sawamura stayed the night somewhere else, but when Sawamura returned in time for morning practice, looking happy and acting like his normal idiotic self, Kuramochi didn't say anything else about it, almost looking relieved. Later, Kuramochi wondered out loud if Sawamura stayed the night at his mysterious significant other's place.)
And although he felt… relieved that Sawamura obviously managed to get some sleep and was much happier, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Because that was all thanks to Mei.
Sawamura obviously forgave Mei and was still together with him.
(Which made him furious for some reason. He refused to dwell on why it made him furious for too long, as he knew it would only confuse him.)
Did that mean Mei apologized to him?
And while the thought still seemed impossible, he was starting to think that maybe that was what happened.
But he didn't buy it.
There had to be some other reason as to why Sawamura was this happy, and it obviously had something to do with Mei, but he didn't know what else could've happened.
He felt tempted to follow Sawamura and ask what happened or what he even saw in Mei.
But with the team watching him closely, he couldn't move.
He technically wasn't captain because he was injured, but everyone still seemed to keep an eye on him and listened to him whenever he spoke up.
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he felt almost… touched by their concern. Maybe even appreciative.
… Not anymore, though.
They were watching him as if they thought he would injure himself further when they weren't looking.
It was very annoying, but what was more annoying was how he couldn't even scold them for it.
Kuramochi shot him a few strange looks when he thought he wasn't looking, causing him to belatedly realize that he was still scowling.
He reluctantly looked away from Sawamura, shooting one last look in his direction when Kuramochi wasn't looking.
What was he thinking, letting Kuramochi see him like that?
Kuramochi would probably start thinking things that weren't true.
Things such as him liking Sawamura.
Which was impossible and ridiculous.
There was no way he liked Sawamura.
(The thought of liking Sawamura made him want to laugh until his sides hurt. Because him liking Sawamura? That was such a funny joke.)
He was only interested in his relationship with Mei because Sawamura liked Mei (of all people).
And that was it.
Yeah, maybe he wasn't the best senpai.
But he really did care about Sawamura and didn't want to see him get hurt.
He was looking out for him, and there was nothing wrong with that.
And yet, why did he feel irritated at the thought of Sawamura dating someone who wasn't him?
It didn't make any sense.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away.
Speaking of Mei, though…
He had thought a lot about how Mei still owed him for talking to Sawamura.
(And Sawamura didn't even thank him for it. Ungrateful brat. That was the last time he helped him with his relationship with Mei.)
And while he had a few ideas, he had decided to wait before cashing in his favor.
After all, he could only ask Mei to do something for him once.
He wanted to use it on something important. Something that he knew would make him happy.
And if it somehow managed to make Mei suffer more than he already was, that would make it even more satisfying.
Sawamura was too nice (and liked Mei too much, something he still couldn't believe after all this time) to get revenge, so he'll gladly do it for him.
He just hoped that when it finally came time for him to cash in his favor, he wouldn't make a mistake.
If there was anything he was worried about, it would be that.
… Okay, maybe he was a little worried about how Sawamura would react once he found out. As much as he wanted to think optimistically, he knew Sawamura wouldn't be pleased and would probably yell at him once he found out. And while he wasn't looking forward to his reaction, it wasn't enough to stop him or cause him to have doubts.
Mei deserved to suffer after how he hurt Sawamura.
And yet, why did it feel like he was making a mistake?
Or was about to?
ZZZ
Mei grinned as he walked with his teammates after practice. His grin was so smug that it was making a lot of his teammates' eyes twitch.
He had bragged to anyone who would listen that he had a date with Eijun after practice. He even went through a variety of choices that they could do together.
"Ah… It's Eijun."
Mei's eyes lit up as he noticed his boyfriend sitting under a nearby tree next to one of the Inashiro practice fields, presumably waiting for him. His boyfriend even had some manga volume next to him, causing him to wonder when he had arrived.
He couldn't help but stare at him.
Eijun looked so… cute.
So attractive.
He wore a black buttoned up cardigan over a tomato red shirt with black pants and red and white tennis shoes. He laughed softly, causing his heart to flutter.
Eijun looked so happy and ready for their date.
He almost couldn't believe his luck.
Last night, he got to see Eijun in Inashiro colors.
Now he wore Inashiro colors for their date?
He couldn't stop grinning. He probably looked silly, knowing some of his teammates will roll their eyes at him.
But he didn't care.
Especially when the thought of Eijun dressing that way just for him crossed his mind.
He was about to call out to him, wanting those brown eyes to focus their attention on him.
But his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of an Inashiro player standing… a little too close to his boyfriend.
He hadn't noticed him, thinking Eijun was talking on his phone.
He growled, missing the way some of his nearby teammates inched away from him, looking frightened.
(He didn't recognize the Inashiro player or know his name, so he knew they weren't important. Who did this nobody think they were, flirting with his boyfriend like that?)
The Inashiro player bent down, picking a leaf out of Eijun's hair and saying something he couldn't pick up.
Eijun rubbed the back of his head, looking embarrassed. He gave the player next to him a bright smile, probably thanking him.
The Inashiro player reached out, as if about to touch him again.
But Mei had enough.
He took a few strides forward, glowering in the Inashiro player's direction. "Eijun!"
Eijun immediately looked in his direction, his already bright eyes and smile lighting up even more (if possible). "Mei!" He got up, promptly ignoring the frozen Inashiro player next to him and dashed over to him, causing him to smirk.
The Inashiro player looked pale, nervously looking around, as if he finally realized he had been flirting with his ace's boyfriend.
After shooting him another glower, he turned his attention to Eijun, opening his arms and smiling as he jumped into them.
Eijun laughed, nuzzling his neck before leaning in to kiss him, seemingly uncaring of his teammates watching them.
(Not that he cared about them watching. As far as he was concerned, he felt very pleased Eijun kissed him in front of his team, as it only gave him another opportunity to show his teammates that Eijun belonged to him.)
He wrapped his arms around him, tightening his grip possessively as he responded to the kiss.
The kiss didn't last long (much to his disappointment), Eijun pulling away several moments later. But what made him happy (and so smug) was how Eijun didn't pull away too far, keeping his arms around him.
"You're early. I haven't even changed yet," he said, amused.
Eijun shrugged, giving him his smile and making his chest feel warm. "I wanted to see you as soon as possible. I didn't mind waiting." He grinned, looking pleased. "I came prepared with books and everything."
He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Well, I'm glad you came. And I'm glad you're looking forward to our date," he teased, almost laughing again as Eijun flushed.
"Shut up! I know you're looking forward to it just as much as I am!"
He gave him a cheeky grin. "You know me so well." He snickered as Eijun huffed. He leaned in, kissing his cheek. "Just wait a little longer, okay? I'll take a quick bath and get changed."
To his surprise, Eijun frowned. "What about icing your shoulder? Or your massage?"
He couldn't help but blink at that. "… I suppose I could," he said slowly. "But it'll mean you'll have to wait longer."
Eijun huffed again. "I don't mind waiting, especially if it's because you're taking care of your shoulder."
He had such a considerate boyfriend.
"Well, in that case, I'll do it. Especially since I know you care about my shoulder," he teased, his chest feeling warm at his concern.
Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You should've just said that in the first place," he muttered.
He leaned back in, giving him one more kiss, unable to help it when he could feel his teammates watching them.
When he pulled away several moments later, he could almost feel his teammates glaring at him, causing him to smirk.
He walked with Eijun back to the Inashiro dorm, keeping a possessive arm around him so that no one got any ideas.
Eijun didn't seem to mind his touch, even throwing an arm around him to keep him close.
The only time he let go was when they stopped by the tree so that Eijun could grab his manga volume and white drawstring bag.
Like what happened last night, he ordered Eijun to sit on their red loveseat and wait for him to get back. But instead of listening to him, Eijun scowled, telling him not to give him orders (much to his relief). He argued with him for a few moments before reluctantly agreeing to sit down and wait for him. Eijun yelled at him for looking smug, and while his ears hurt a little, it wasn't enough to wipe the smug smirk off his face as he exited the room.
It took much longer than he wanted, but after finally getting ready, he picked Eijun up from the larger common room, giving his fuming teammates a cheeky wave as they left hand in hand.
(Eijun and his teammates were in the middle of a conversation when he entered the room. Eijun (much to his amusement) perked up immediately, giving his teammates a quick apology and a promise to finish the conversation later as he got up and quickly joined him. Eijun beamed at him, his breath taken away by how bright it was, before reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. He grinned at him, giving him a squeeze back, his grin widening as Eijun eagerly asked if he was ready.)
He ended up taking him to the café they had visited many times before on their dates, looking smug at his happy smile.
What was curious was how Eijun kept glancing at him. And at first, he couldn't put his finger on why.
Until they sat down at a table across from each other, Eijun's eyes darting down to look at his chest.
Ah. I understand now.
He gave him a smug smirk, reaching out and holding his hand. "See something you like?"
Eijun narrowed his eyes, pursing his lips. Just as he was starting to think he wouldn't get an answer, Eijun nodded. "You…" He cleared his throat, flushing. "You look handsome tonight."
Wasn't that sweet?
"Thank you! I knew you would like this outfit!" He laughed, gesturing to his outfit, smirking as Eijun's eyes looked down at it again.
He wore an ocean blue buttoned up cardigan over a white t-shirt with white pants and black and white tennis shoes.
He had specifically picked it out to match his boyfriend's outfit, so he felt pleased (and pretty smug) Eijun seemed to like it so much.
He grinned at him, giving his hand a squeeze. "You look very handsome tonight." He almost laughed as Eijun's cheeks turned as red as his shirt. "I especially like how it's Inashiro colors." His eyes gleamed mischievously. "Are you trying to tell me something, Ei-jun?"
Eijun spluttered, shooting him a glare even as he noticeably shivered. "That's not… I wasn't… That's just a coincidence!"
"So you didn't pick it out just for me?"
Eijun huffed, looking away from him and squeezing his hand back. "Of course not!"
Liar.
"That's too bad," he said, pouting. "I picked this outfit out just for you, you know."
Eijun looked back at him, eyes wide. "What are you…?"
He snickered, tugging at his hand a little. "Don't you see?" He grinned proudly, puffing his chest out. "We match! And it's all thanks to me!"
Eijun muttered something so low he couldn't catch what he said, which surprised him because he didn't even know he could speak that low.
He raised an eyebrow as Eijun looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows, as if he wanted to ask something. "Go ahead. You know you can ask me anything."
Eijun gave him a soft smile before clearing his throat, looking embarrassed for some reason. "I just realized… I never asked you how you got Cap to help you when we had our fight."
He frowned at Kazuya's nickname, frowning deeper at the mention of their fight. "Ah, right. I suppose I never did tell you, did I?" Eijun shook his head, looking intrigued but also a little wary. "I gave him something he wanted."
"Which is?"
He gave him a smug smirk. "I told him that I would owe him."
Eijun's jaw dropped, making him snicker. "You… You… What were you thinking?" He groaned, shaking his head. "This is Cap we're talking about! Why would you do that?"
He huffed, frowning at his reaction. "I had to. It was the only way I could convince him to help me."
"But there were other ways you could've convinced him!"
He raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that so? And do you know something that would convince him to help me?" He nodded as Eijun pursed his lips, not answering. "See? With that guy, that was the only way."
Eijun frowned, opening his mouth. But then he closed it a few moments later, as if deciding against it. "I guess that makes sense," he muttered, still looking unhappy.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Eijun bit his lower lip, causing his eyes to dart down and look at it. "He seems to really dislike that we're together. Even though I proved that I was serious about baseball."
He bit back his normal response, not wanting to upset him. "If he dislikes our relationship, it's not your fault." He almost scowled as Eijun looked worried. "He dislikes me. Not you."
(Stupid Kazuya. He hated that the other boy was upsetting Eijun when they were supposed to be on a date.)
"But…"
He pulled him in closer, kissing his forehead. "I know you want us to get along. But as long as he dislikes me, I really don't see that happening anytime soon," he said softly but firmly.
Eijun didn't need to know about how he really felt about Kazuya. Or that he thought Kazuya disliking their relationship had more to it than it seemed.
… Not that he had any proof. It was just a feeling.
(Sure, it could also be his jealousy and possessiveness flaring up, not wanting Kazuya or anyone else to steal his boyfriend. But he was entitled to some selfishness as far as that was concerned. So he didn't think that was the only reason why.)
Eijun still looked unhappy when he pulled away, but he reluctantly nodded, clearly deciding to listen to him. "Did he know you were going to apologize?"
He huffed, tempted to pull his hand away and cross his arms. "I didn't tell him anything, but he probably guessed it."
"… Sorry."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you apologizing?"
"I just remembered that I might have… let slip that I was waiting for you to apologize," Eijun said, embarrassed. "We got into an argument over you, and it slipped out."
Oh?
Eijun got into an argument with Kazuya? Over him?
Interesting.
He leaned in closer, tightening his grip on his hand. "Do you two often argue over me?"
"Don't misunderstand," Eijun said, narrowing his eyes. "We don't do it all the time."
He waved his free hand dismissively. "I know. I know. That's not why I'm asking." He almost smirked at his suspicious look. "What I'm asking is do you two argue every time our relationship is brought up?"
"… Yeah, it seems like ever since he found out, we've been arguing about it," Eijun said after a few moments, frowning deeply.
Now that was interesting.
It wasn't actual proof. And it could just mean Kazuya was fond of Eijun enough to get protective of him.
But maybe he was right to feel suspicious of Kazuya and his feelings for Eijun.
He would need to keep a closer eye on both him and Eijun from now on.
(Because even though Eijun wasn't oblivious about his own feelings for him or his feelings for him, he could still be amazingly oblivious at times, especially when it came to other people's feelings about him.)
Not that he was worried.
He trusted Eijun. Knew that he wouldn't leave him.
It was obvious whenever Eijun looked at him with those soft eyes and that special smile reserved for him.
He shrugged. "Maybe he just needs to get used to it." He snorted at his confused look. "He still thinks I'm trying to hurt you. He's so overprotective."
Eijun gave him a skeptical look. "That Cap being overprotective?" He thought for a few moments before shaking his head. "I can't imagine it."
He wasn't surprised Eijun thought that way.
Kazuya could be extremely hard to read at times, especially if someone didn't know him that well.
He huffed, relaxing his grip and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "He just needs to realize that we're not breaking up. No matter what."
Eijun gave him that special smile reserved for him, squeezing his hand back. "No matter what," he agreed without hesitation, causing him to give him a soft smile of his own.
He suddenly remembered the Inashiro player Eijun was talking to earlier. "Who was that guy from earlier?"
Eijun blinked, confused. "Which guy?"
"The Inashiro player you were talking to before you greeted me," he said, rolling his eyes.
Much to his irritation, Eijun smiled at the mention of that guy. "Oh, you mean Nishihiro?" He blinked a few times before furrowing his eyebrows. "You don't know him? He's one of your teammates."
He waved his free hand dismissively. "I don't have the time to remember all my teammates' names. If they were important enough, I would remember them."
"But you're the ace! Aren't you like a leader for the team?" Eijun shot an accusing look at him.
He resisted the urge to scowl. "That still doesn't mean I have to remember all my teammates' names. The only ones important enough to remember are on the first string."
"But everyone looks up to you! You carry all their hopes and expectations on your shoulders!"
This time, he couldn't stop himself from scowling. "Don't lecture me on being the ace. You're not even the ace." He almost felt bad as Eijun winced, glowering at him. "You honestly expect me to believe that you remember all your teammates' names?"
"I'm sure I remember a lot more than you do!" Eijun retorted.
He resisted the urge to clench his fists. "Why do you even care? Is that guy one of your friends or something?"
"He could be! He could be if you didn't interrupt all my conversations with your teammates!"
He scoffed, almost rolling his eyes again. "I don't interrupt all your conversations with my teammates. You talk to Itsuki, don't you?"
Eijun huffed, his free hand forming a fist. "But he's the only one! And I always got the sense that if you had your way, I wouldn't even be friends with him!"
His eyes narrowed. "What are you implying?"
What the hell?
Why was Eijun arguing with him over this? Did he really like that guy enough to defend him?
(… What was he thinking? Of course Eijun would defend him. As much as it irritated him at times, that was the kind of guy Eijun was.)
"It's like…" Eijun frowned, looking down at the table. "It's like you're…" He looked up, biting his lower lip.
He was getting tired of Eijun biting his lower lip, tempted to lean in and kiss him.
But he managed to resist the urge, raising an eyebrow. "I'm what?"
"… Jealous." Eijun met his eyes, tightening his grip on his hand. "It's like you're jealous," he said in a louder voice.
He scowled, looking away from him. "So what if I am?"
"Mei."
He couldn't stop himself from looking back at him at Eijun saying his name in that soft voice of his.
"We've been over this before. I'm not going to leave you for one of your teammates." Eijun's eyes appeared golden in the light of the café, his serious look taking his breath away. "I like you. Not any of them."
And then, as if wanting to prove it somehow, Eijun lifted their joined hands, kissing the back of his hand.
Belatedly, he realized he had been holding Eijun's hand with his left hand.
… Which meant Eijun just kissed his pitching hand.
He flushed, looking away for a few moments before looking back. "… I know," he muttered.
It wasn't as if he doubted Eijun's feelings for him.
He would never do that, as he knew how much Eijun liked him.
But even if he knew that Eijun liked him, it was… difficult to watch him interact with other people (especially his teammates. He knew how much his teammates liked him, and he wouldn't be surprised if some of them had crushes on Eijun).
He trusted Eijun.
He really did.
He just didn't trust the people who talked to Eijun.
What happened earlier with that Inashiro player was a good case in point.
And Eijun believed he didn't have anything to worry about?
Eijun probably didn't even realize that that nobody was flirting with him.
… Wait.
Why was he dwelling on this now?
They were on a date.
He nodded after a few moments, almost rolling his eyes at himself.
He had promised (at least to himself) that he would trust Eijun and that he would become a better boyfriend.
He obviously wasn't a very good one at the moment, but he wanted to become one.
He wanted to prove (to himself and Eijun) that Eijun didn't make a mistake when he forgave him and let him back into his life.
"Sorry."
Eijun blinked, tilting his head in confusion. "What for?"
He resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair. "I'm not being a very good boyfriend right now, am I?"
"Well, to be fair, you aren't a good boyfriend most of the time anyway," Eijun said, grinning devilishly. When he shot him a dirty look, Eijun only rolled his eyes. "I already told you that it's alright. The most important thing is that you're trying." He snorted. "It's not like you were going to suddenly become the best boyfriend in the world anyway."
His lips twitched despite himself. "That would be nice, though, wouldn't it?"
Eijun snorted again. "What, you becoming the best boyfriend without putting in any effort? Or you being the best boyfriend in the world?"
He gave him a small smile. "Both."
Eijun shook his head, but to his relief, he looked amused. "Well, if you want to become the best boyfriend in the world, you've got to work harder." He gave him another devilish grin. "I'm the only one who can put up with you for as long as I have anyway."
"Oi! What do you mean 'put up with'?" He shot him a betrayed look.
Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly, pulling him closer to kiss his forehead. "Relax, idiot. You know that I like you. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
His eyes widened, remembering Eijun's promise when they kissed and made up.
Back then, he had said almost the same thing.
And back then, he knew without a doubt that he could believe him.
Just like now.
He believed Eijun.
He felt like such an idiot.
What was he doing? They were on a date.
Before he could stop himself, he pulled Eijun closer, giving him a kiss. He pulled away several moments later, smiling softly at him. "I like you, too." He didn't give Eijun any time to answer, as he proceeded to kiss his forehead then both his hands.
He spent more time on his hands, cradling them carefully as he pressed gentle kisses to the (thankfully) unblemished skin, his boyfriend's bruises having long since faded (to his relief). He could've sworn he felt Eijun shiver as he continued kissing his hands, causing him to look up and notice his flushed face and wide eyes.
When he met his eyes, Eijun's flush darkened (to his amusement).
Instead of commenting, though, he turned his attention back to his hands, pressing a few more gentle kisses on Eijun's left hand before pulling away.
Eijun's mouth opened and closed a few times, resembling a goldfish. He looked at his hands, gaping for several moments before looking back at him.
He couldn't help but grin cheekily at the wonder in his eyes. "Enjoy that, did you?"
(He would need to remember that. He could definitely use this against him somehow.)
He raised an eyebrow, unable to stop the amused smirk as Eijun's whole face turned red.
"… Yeah."
He raised his eyebrows as Eijun nodded.
Wow, that was new.
Usually, Eijun would immediately lie and deny it.
Did he really make Eijun feel that good?
He gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and it seemed that was enough to snap Eijun out of whatever daze he was in, as he gasped and shot him a dirty look, almost causing him to snicker.
"Don't do that!"
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Don't…" Eijun huffed, gesturing to his hands and the space between them. "Don't… touch me like that."
He furrowed his eyebrows. He thought Eijun had enjoyed what he was doing. "You didn't like it?"
That didn't sound right, but if Eijun told him not to touch him like that again, he would listen to him.
"… It's not that," Eijun muttered, which confused him even more. Before he could ask him anything else, though, Eijun gestured to the café around them. "Don't touch me like that… here. In public."
Oh?
He gave him a cheeky grin. "Does that mean I can do it when we're alone?"
Eijun pursed his lips, not answering for several moments. He finally nodded, squeezing his hand gently. "As much as you want."
Was it his imagination, or were Eijun's golden eyes… darker than they were before?
He smirked, resisting the urge to take him back to Inashiro and show him how much he meant to him. "Then I'll hold you to that promise, Eijun." His smirk remained on his face as he saw Eijun shiver at the mention of his given name.
While waiting for their food to arrive, Eijun tugged him up, wanting to dance to the piano music playing softly throughout the café.
His lips twitched at his excitement, but he agreed, watching fondly as Eijun led them to the dance floor in front of the piano.
Once they got there, though, Eijun frowned, as if not knowing what to do.
He shook his head, eyes soft as he easily leaned in, wrapping his arms around him.
Eijun gasped, clearly taken off guard. His surprise didn't last long, though, as he grinned, wrapping his arms around him to keep him close as they started swaying back and forth from side to side.
They danced like that for the rest of the song, and when a new song started, they immediately let go of each other, mischievous gleams in their eyes.
The new song was more upbeat and energetic, as if the older guy playing the piano could sense they wanted to dance to some different music. The older guy's fingers moved with grace, his fingers almost gliding over the keys as he effortlessly played. And while the soft melody from before suited the café, the catchy and uplifting melody of the new song encouraged everyone to get up and move to the dance floor, causing everyone around them to dance like honeybees.
He laughed as Eijun bowed exaggeratedly before holding up his hand, watching him expectantly.
He stepped closer, making their hands touch, both moving in sync as soon as their hands touched.
They danced a similar dance to the one they did at the summer festival, but this dance was smaller compared to the one before.
Neither wanted to bump into other people or move too far away from each other, so they stuck close to each other even as they continued their improvised dance.
They did, he noted with amusement, have enough room to circle each other a few times. And during one of the turns, Eijun gave him a feral, almost predatory smile, eyes golden under the soft light. His intense gaze combined with that smile made his mouth dry up, feeling as if they were back at the summer tournament finals when Eijun pitched against him.
He managed not to show any reaction, though, giving him his competitive and condescending smile, amused as Eijun immediately huffed.
Eijun's smile quickly returned to his face as they continued the dance, laughing as he grabbed him by his hands and spun him around a little. Eijun reciprocated the favor, holding onto his hands as he spun him around.
Everyone stopped dancing as the song ended, the familiar dulcet tone of the jazz piano returning as the older guy played another soft melody.
They grinned at each other, laughing once before moving back to their seats. Eijun paused to bow his appreciation to the older guy playing the piano, causing the older guy to smile softly and nod at him even as he continued to play.
His chest felt warm, and it grew warmer as Eijun turned to face him, smiling that bright smile of his and grabbing his hand as they made their way back to their seats.
"Did Seidou have practice today?" Eijun tilted his head, confused. "You were at Inashiro a lot earlier than I thought you'd be."
Eijun shook his head. "Boss gave us the day off."
"So you didn't practice at all?"
That didn't sound like his boyfriend.
Eijun narrowed his eyes. "Who do you think I am? Of course I practiced some! I just didn't practice as long as I normally do!" He huffed. "I didn't pitch since I pitched yesterday, but I still ran some laps and did some exercises."
Now that sounded like his boyfriend.
"Come to think of it," he said, causing Eijun to give him a confused look. "I never congratulated you." He huffed, hating that his selfishness cost them their ticket to spring Koushien. "Congrats on winning."
Any of the lingering worry he felt from last night died down as Eijun smiled his special smile at him. "Thank you. It must have been tough for you to watch."
"It was," he admitted. "It was even harder knowing that if I hadn't been so selfish, Inashiro would've been the ones going to Koushien."
Eijun squawked, pointing at him. "We would still be going! Not Inashiro!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you think Seidou would've beat us if we had our rematch?"
"Of course!"
He laughed, shaking his head. Him and his confidence. "That would've never happened," he said, smirking as Eijun glared at him. "Especially with those batters you have."
"We have great batters!"
He pretended to think for a few moments, even tapping his chin. "I suppose you have some good batters, but the rest have a lot to work on."
Eijun huffed, but to his surprise, he didn't retort, causing him to wonder if Eijun already knew that. "Wait… You were there." He frowned, giving him a contemplative look. His eyes lit up as he leaned in eagerly. "What did you think of my pitching?"
Mei almost laughed. Of course Eijun would ask him that. "Much better than the last time I saw it." He snickered as Eijun huffed, almost looking disappointed. "It's frustrating to admit it, especially when you didn't tell me anything, but I liked seeing your changeups." He smirked.
Eijun flushed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You liked them?"
"It's a nice changeup." Eijun beamed at him. "Not as good as mine, though."
Eijun squawked once more, pointing at him. "You didn't need to add that last part!"
Mei snickered, giving his hand a squeeze. "It's true, though." He grinned cheekily at his huff.
"It's not like I'm trying to be you," Eijun muttered, looking away.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "But I am your inspiration." He smirked as Eijun gave him a dirty look. "And I remember you saying that I'm your goal."
Eijun flushed, no doubt remembering how he confessed to him all those months ago. "That doesn't mean… I'm not…" He groaned, hiding his face in his free arm on the table. "Forget I said that!"
"Never," he said seriously, giving his hand another squeeze.
Eijun jumped for some reason, looking up to give him a soft but embarrassed smile. It didn't take long for him to nod, squeezing his hand back.
Their food came not too long after, both digging in eagerly.
In between bites, they talked about their day, conversations flowing smoothly like always.
They even fed each other a bit of what they were having, and although Eijun flushed at first, he started responding to his flirty comments, even retaliating with his own and looking smug whenever he managed to catch him off guard.
They still had some time left before curfew, so he agreed to Eijun's suggestion of exploring the city until time was up.
He couldn't help but feel amused as Eijun pointed out random landmarks to him, proudly stating he hardly ever got lost anymore.
And even though Eijun tried to take all the credit, he still shot him a soft, grateful smile, causing his lips to twitch as he nodded.
He stared fondly at him as Eijun pointed out a building he claimed help him get to Inashiro, telling him all about the nice people who helped him when his head wanted to explode at all the different street names others told him.
(What did that even mean?)
He didn't know when his feelings for Eijun started.
Maybe it was even back when they first met on Seidou grounds?
All he had known when they met again was that something about the foolish Seidou player… drew him in.
So when Eijun was lost, he offered to help him, hoping he could find out what it was exactly.
(And maybe get some more information about Seidou. Unfortunately for him, Eijun had learned from his mistake, refusing to tell him anything important.)
He didn't think he would enjoy his time with him. Didn't even think that it would lead to them dating each other.
But now, he could honestly say that he felt glad he decided to date him. And decided to keep dating him even when he wasn't sure of his feelings.
Eijun was so interesting and fun to tease. But he also believed in him in a way no one ever had before. He still stayed with him even though he had given him plenty of reasons for him to leave and never look back. It hadn't taken long for Eijun to see through him, but even when he did, he never pushed him or tried to make him change.
He could be himself around Eijun, and Eijun… actually liked that.
Eijun liked him for who he was.
And now that Eijun wanted him around more than ever, he refused to leave.
Even if his teammates, Kazuya, and everyone else around them told them that they should break up and that he doesn't deserve Eijun.
He didn't care what they thought.
He liked Eijun, and no one could change his mind.
He wouldn't leave him no matter what.
"Mei?"
He blinked, Eijun's voice bringing him back to the present. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the park around them.
When did they get here?
Eijun tugged him down to sit next to him on their bench, giving him a concerned look. "Are you alright? You've been spacing out."
He chuckled, shaking his head at himself. "I'm alright. I was… lost in thought."
"You're not still tired from practice, are you?"
He narrowed his eyes as Eijun looked down, biting his lower lip. "Oi, this isn't your fault." When Eijun looked at him, his eyes softened. "I'm the one who wanted to take you out." He puffed his chest out. "And I happen to think the date is going well. Not that I'm surprised."
To his relief, Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly, no longer looking concerned. "And how is this date special compared to the ones we had before?" He tilted his head. "I thought you promised you'd do something special for me."
His eyes lit up, gleaming mischievously. "Oh, so you wanted me to do something special for you." He smirked as Eijun flushed, not saying anything. "We still have some time before curfew. Let me show you what I've got planned."
"And you got something planned in the time we have left?" Eijun gave him a skeptical look.
He pulled him closer, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Is that a challenge, Ei-jun?" His smirk remained on his face as he felt him shiver in his arms.
"And if it was?"
He pulled away to look him in the eyes. "Well, you know I'll never back down from a challenge. Especially from you."
"Then prove it. Show me what you've got planned." Eijun grinned devilishly.
This time, Eijun was the one who leaned in, kissing him and tightening his grip around him when he responded eagerly. He brushed his hands against his sides, grinning when Eijun shivered.
When they pulled away several moments later, he couldn't help but lean in, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Gladly," he said in a low voice.
But instead of getting up or even moving away from him, Eijun remained close, eyes closing as he leaned his head on his chest.
He nudged him, poking his cheek. "Oi, don't fall asleep on me. We've still got the rest of our date. And I refuse to lose."
Eijun laughed softly, shaking his head. "I'm not falling asleep on you. Just… Stay like this for a little bit."
He honestly did have more planned for their date, but if Eijun wanted to cuddle with him, who was he to refuse?
"Fine. Fine. I won't move," he said, huffing to give the impression that he was irritated. "So impertinent." But even as he said that, his arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer until nothing separated them.
Eijun pulled away enough to give him his soft smile, eyes lighting up as he leaned down to kiss him once more.
After cuddling on their bench for a little bit, he grabbed his hand, leading them out of the park and back onto the city streets.
Eijun looked around, eyebrows furrowing. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he said, winking at him.
Eijun huffed, but to his surprise, he didn't say anything else.
Several minutes later, he could tell Eijun was becoming confused and impatient.
So he squeezed his hand gently, and once he got his attention, he indicated the park in front of him with his head. "We're here."
Eijun's eyes lit up before looking at their destination. He furrowed his eyebrows at seeing another park, giving him a confused look. "Another park? What's so special about it?"
He grinned cheekily. "You'll see. Just be patient for a little longer."
Eijun only groaned in response, causing him to snicker.
He led them over to some nearby stairs, almost smirking as Eijun gasped once they climbed to the top.
Stars dotted the black sky, twinkling brightly. They couldn't see the moon, a shadowy circle in the sky indicating where it was.
They were still in the city, so the stars weren't as bright as they would be somewhere else (such as Nagano).
But this spot was one of the few spots in the city where the tall buildings and smoke didn't get in the way of looking at the sky.
He thought it would be perfect for someone like Eijun who lived in Nagano for most of his life.
And, he thought smugly, he was right.
Eijun looked at the sky above them in awe, as if he had never seen the night sky before.
He took them over to a nearby grassy hill, sitting down on the top of it and tugging Eijun down to sit next to him.
Eijun squeezed his hand gently, causing him to look at him.
"I can't believe we're still in the city. This place is great," Eijun said, smiling softly.
He gave his hand a squeeze back, nodding. "You're always saying the night sky here pales in comparison to the one in Nagano, so I thought this would be perfect for you."
"Sometimes, I'll go outside at night and look at the sky," Eijun said, looking up at the sky. "There's this great spot near one of the baseball fields where if you sit there, you can look up and see a sight similar to this." He smiled nostalgically. "It's nothing like the one in Nagano, though."
His heart clenched at the almost wistful look on his face. "You'll have to show me sometime," he said without thinking. He belatedly realized what he said as he watched Eijun's eyes widen.
But before he could hit himself for the stupid comment, Eijun looked at him, giving him his smile. "I will. I'm sure that even you'll be surprised by how much you like it."
Somehow, he got the sense that Eijun was talking about more than just showing him a picture from back home.
Not that he was against what Eijun was implying.
He had to admit that he was curious about the place Eijun was born in and wanted to see it with his own eyes.
The longer he dated Eijun, he kept having thoughts of wanting to see what Nagano was like. And meeting his family.
… Not that he had said anything to Eijun about that yet, as he couldn't help but wonder if that was too soon.
They had only been together for a few months after all.
He cleared his throat, causing Eijun to give him a confused look. "You seem pretty confident that I'll like the night sky in Nagano." His eyes gleamed mischievously.
"I know you'll like it," Eijun said, grinning devilishly. "In fact, I can guarantee it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Want to bet? I'm confident that I'll win," Eijun said smugly, leaning in closer.
The strange thing was that… he believed him.
Somehow, he got the feeling that if he agreed to the bet, he would only end up losing.
He didn't want to agree to a bet when he knew he was already going to lose.
But knowing Eijun as well as he did, he knew Eijun wouldn't stop annoying him about it if he didn't agree.
(No doubt, he would even have the nerve to say that he was afraid of losing.)
Against his better judgment, he nodded, smirking. "I'll accept." He blinked a few times, belatedly realizing something. "What do I get if I win?"
Eijun snorted, pulling him closer so that their faces were only a few centimeters apart. "Already planning on winning, huh? You shouldn't underestimate the beauty of the Nagano night sky."
He let his eyes rest on his lips for a few moments before leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I always win. And this time won't be any different." He smirked as he pulled away, noticing his disappointed face.
"You're wrong. This time, you're going to lose," Eijun said, narrowing his eyes.
He leaned in, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away. "In case you forgot, I'm not you. I'm not the type to sit and admire the sights of nature."
Eijun pulled him back in, giving him a long and hard kiss before pulling away. "Even so, it's going to blow you away." He stopped a couple of centimeters away from his lips. "You'll like it, I promise."
"And you're the type of guy who keeps his promises, huh?" He almost leaned in to kiss him again, but he managed to stay where he was, almost snickering as Eijun frowned.
His boyfriend was so impatient at times.
And while he could understand, it was fun to mess with him sometimes.
Eijun squeezed his hand gently. "I try my best to keep all my promises."
"Then I'll hold you to that promise, Eijun." He smirked as he saw him shiver.
And then, both promptly forgot about the bet (at least for now), easily crossing the short distance that separated their lips.
Neither of them knew who pulled away first, only knowing that when one of them pulled away, the other followed, eagerly kissing him again.
Once they pulled away, Mei gave his hand a gentle squeeze, smiling softly as he received an immediate squeeze back.
And while he didn't know what awaited them in the future, he knew they could handle it.
(… Okay, that wasn't entirely true. He knew a few things that awaited them (such as the upcoming winter training camp, his birthday, the spring tournament, his final summer tournament, and… their visit to Nagano). But if he were honest, he was looking forward to most of those things.)
Because they would be together.
He couldn't help but grin.
Southpaw pitcher boyfriends taking on the world together.
(And maybe one day, them taking on the world together wouldn't just be a figure of speech. Eijun would have to get a lot better and a lot stronger first, but maybe one day, they could literally take on the world together.)
That sure had a nice ring to it.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Author Notes: I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter.
Reviews/favorites/follows are appreciated.
So this was meant to be a shorter chapter than normal. But of course I ended up writing a lot more than I planned to. Oops. Even though this ended up longer than I thought it would be, I hope this wrapped everything up nicely. Wanted to give a satisfying ending, as I still have a lot more fics in this series that I plan to write. And one of those fics will have Miyuki realizing his feelings for Eijun. Can't promise that it'll be done anytime soon, but I promise that I'll write it eventually.
After so many weeks of posting this story, it's finally here. This fic is finally over. I'm a little sad to see it go, but I'm also happy that I managed to write something this long and not give up on it. Thinking of everyone who was looking forward to reading this really helped me whenever I struggled with something.
Speaking of everyone… Thank you so much for all the love and the support! I can hardly believe how popular this fic has gotten. It really makes me happy, and my heart feels so warm that y'all enjoy my writing that much! When I first started this fic (and even this series), I had no idea that everyone would love it as much as they do now. I really appreciate all the reviews/favorites/follows I've gotten up to this point. Once again, thank you so much! I love y'all so much! Please be careful and take care of yourselves. And I hope you'll consider checking out the other stories in my Summer Sky series.
I already have a plot bunny for my next fic, and I recently thought of all the scenes I wanted to write. So I plan on starting it pretty soon. Can't promise that it'll be posted anytime soon (because I tend to write long fics), but I can promise that y'all won't be waiting too long.
See y'all next time!