Author Notes: Here it is! A fic I've been wanting to write for the longest time! I had a lot of fun writing it!

This is set during Act II. This takes place the day before the Seidou and Sankou semifinal game. Y'all might see some spoilers if you squint.

This is part of my That Sky series, but you don't need to read the other parts to read this part.

I hope y'all enjoy it!

That Bold Summer Sky

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Eijun rushed around Mei's dorm room, getting dressed as fast as possible. His voice was soft, as he didn't want to wake up Mei (or Mei's teammates).

Sleeping with Mei and waking up to feeling Mei's arms and warmth around him…

He had felt so warm and safe.

It had been a couple of weeks since Eijun last stayed the night, and while he knew he shouldn't, as he had morning practice, he had slept in that morning, not wanting to move away from Mei.

Not ready to leave him yet.

He didn't regret doing it, but…

Now he was late.

(He still had some time, and he would probably get to morning practice on time. He wouldn't have any time to stop by his room before practice, though.)

He had to wear the same practice uniform from yesterday, and while he knew he shouldn't, he didn't have any other clothes with him.

Thankfully, his practice uniform wasn't dirty.

(He should probably wash it after practice, though.)

From what he remembered, today was supposed to be another hot day.

Instead of wearing his long sleeve compression shirt, he put on his tank top, glancing around for his practice uniform shirt.

Come to think of it…

He had hung up his practice uniform shirt outside of Mei's closet, right?

Squinting in the darkness of the room and managing to spot the shirt, he grabbed it and put it on, frowning at feeling buttons.

… He didn't wear his practice uniform jersey yesterday, did he?

He paled at noticing the time on his phone.

He didn't have time for this!

After buttoning the jersey, he grabbed his bag, using his cell phone's flashlight to grab his leather bracelet.

His eyes softened as he looked down at it.

Mei…

He wanted to kiss him goodbye, but he didn't want to wake him up.

Sighing, he kissed the leather bracelet before opening one of the side pockets of his bag. The side pocket only had a soft cloth in it, and he gently placed the leather bracelet on top of the cloth before covering it with the rest of the cloth.

After double checking he closed the side pocket, he glanced at the time on his phone one more time before pocketing it.

Eijun jumped at feeling arms wrap around his waist from behind.

Mei hummed, tightening his grip around him briefly. "Morning."

"Good morning." Eijun smiled at his touch, leaning back against him before frowning, realizing something. He turned his head to look at him. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Mei gave him a tired grin, causing Eijun's heart to flutter. "Nah, I woke up because I couldn't find you."

Mei's hair stood up all over the place. A dark, possessive part of Eijun felt smug at seeing the hickeys on Mei's neck and left shoulder. His blue eyes looked dark blue in the darkness of Mei's room, those dark waves engulfing him and pulling him out to sea.

Mei had just gotten up, and yet…

He looked so handsome.

(Seriously, it was so unfair how good-looking Mei was. Eijun didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at him.)

"Sorry, Mei." Eijun turned around in his embrace, kissing his cheek. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Mei scoffed, although it somehow seemed softer than usual in the privacy of Mei's dorm room. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm used to it." His eyes softened. "Besides… I'm glad I get to see you before you leave."

Eijun flushed. "Yeah, I'm glad I get to see you, too."

Several moments passed in silence before Mei sighed, causing Eijun to furrow his eyebrows.

"You should get going." Mei squeezed his waist before letting go of him.

Eijun knew he shouldn't, as he was already pressed for time.

Seeing Mei's disappointed expression, though…

He reached out, pulling him closer, his lips twitching at Mei's surprised sound. Once Mei was close enough, he wrapped his arms around his back, kissing him.

Mei kissed him back, wrapping his arms around his waist, letting out a pleased sound as Eijun ran his fingers through his soft hair.

When Eijun pulled away a few moments later, Mei pulled him back in, kissing him again, Eijun smiling into the kiss despite himself.

Mei pulled away a few moments later, letting go of his waist with one arm and cupping his cheek, his eyes soft when Eijun leaned into the touch. "See you later, Eijun."

Eijun shivered, pressing closer to Mei despite himself. "See you later, Mei."

"Be careful going back to Seidou." Mei let go of him, his eyes still soft. "Text me once you get there."

Eijun tightened his grip on the strap of his bag to stop himself from reaching out and touching him again. "I will. I promise."

(He wanted to kiss Mei again, but unfortunately, he didn't have time.)

After giving him another soft look, Eijun crossed the short distance to Mei's dorm room door, opening it.

"Eijun."

He shivered, looking back at him, his eyebrows furrowing at Mei's smirk. "Mei?"

What was that smirk for?

Maybe because he shivered?

Mei looked him up and down, his smirk widening for some reason. "Have a good day at practice. I'll see you later."

… Huh?

What did that mean?

Normally, he and Mei said that to each other whenever he left to go back to Seidou.

It shouldn't surprise him.

Mei didn't normally smirk at him like that, though.

Plus, the way he had said it…

It was as if… Mei knew they would see each other later.

… Which was weird, as they hadn't planned an evening date.

(He would've remembered if they had planned an evening date, as he always looked forward to his dates with Mei.)

Eijun frowned deeply. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

After giving him a suspicious look, he left Mei's dorm room, not looking behind him.

Was Mei planning something?

He smiled a soft smile despite himself.

Today's practice would be shorter than usual, as their semifinal game was tomorrow.

They would have enough time for an evening date.

He couldn't wait to see Mei again.

ZZZ

Kuramochi clicked his tongue, causing Miyuki to look at him. "That idiot… What is he thinking?"

Miyuki frowned before following Kuramochi's gaze, his eyes darkening at noticing Sawamura's jersey. "He's an idiot. What do you expect?"

"You'd think he'd be smart enough not to wear that, though." Kuramochi frowned before looking at Miyuki. "What should we do?"

Miyuki shrugged, not looking away from Sawamura. "I don't think we should do anything." He frowned deeply despite himself. "He clearly doesn't care if people see him wearing that."

"Knowing Sawamura, though, he probably doesn't even realize he's wearing it."

Miyuki looked away from Sawamura, clicking his tongue. "That sounds like him."

They weren't the only ones who noticed what Sawamura wore, a lot of their teammates' eyes widening.

Taku's jaw dropped.

What… was Sawamura-senpai wearing?

He frowned, looking over at Koushuu.

Come to think of it…

Koushuu had told him he wanted to talk to him after exam week was over, but Taku had thought he had forgotten, especially with the summer tournament going on.

When he brought it up to him, though, Koushuu had frowned for some reason before apologizing, telling him he couldn't tell him.

(He trusted Koushuu, of course, and he knew Koushuu didn't tell him for a reason.)

Was this why Koushuu didn't say anything?

(… Well, that and Koushuu respected Sawamura-senpai.)

He didn't want to assume things, though.

The same couldn't be said about the rest of his teammates.

Some of his teammates talked in hushed voices, glancing at Sawamura-senpai with wide eyes.

Others talked at their normal volume, as if they didn't care if Sawamura-senpai heard them.

"Is that…?"

"Wow. That's bold."

"Well, this is Sawamura we're talking about."

"What do you think their relationship is?"

Those who knew Sawamura well knew he probably didn't mean to wear that jersey.

As for their relationship…

Maybe they were friends?

That didn't make any sense, though.

Would friends do… that?

Those who didn't know him well, especially the first years, couldn't believe their eyes.

Sawamura-senpai was supposed to be their ace.

Why did he wear that jersey?

What was their relationship?

Even though no one dared speak it out loud, everyone had the same thought at one point.

What would Kantoku think?

Kanemaru groaned, resisting the urge to hit himself.

Sawamura probably didn't even realize what he wore.

He walked over to him with Toujou and Kominato.

"Oi, Sawamura!"

Eijun looked over, smiling at them. "Good morning!"

"What the hell are you wearing?"

Eijun blinked a few times. "My practice uniform?"

He wore his practice jersey and not the t-shirt the first string sometimes wore during practice, but it was still his practice uniform.

He didn't understand Kanemaru's reaction.

(Did Kanemaru not get enough sleep?)

Haruichi furrowed his eyebrows. "Where's your t-shirt, Eijun-kun?"

Eijun rubbed the back of his head. "I overslept this morning and didn't have time to find it." He flushed at their pointed looks. "What? It's been a while."

"We're not talking about that, Sawamura." Toujou's lips twitched as Eijun tilted his head.

Kanemaru made a face. "Trust me. I don't want any details." He pointed at Eijun's jersey. "The more important thing is what you're wearing."

Eijun blinked a few more times before frowning.

That was the second time Kanemaru had mentioned his practice uniform.

Maybe it was dirty?

He could always change into his t-shirt for afternoon practice.

Curious despite himself, he looked down at his jersey, wondering what was so bad about it.

He froze.

No way.

Mei's jersey…

Not only was it Mei's jersey, but it was Mei's game jersey.

The one that had dark red Inashiro lettering on the chest.

Come to think of it…

He had been so worried about leaving on time that he didn't even double check his appearance.

He flushed, remembering how he grabbed what he thought was his practice jersey.

Oh.

That was why Mei smirked at him earlier!

Cocky jerk.

Looking back up, he paled at his teammates' pointed looks. "I… I can explain! This… This isn't mine!"

Kanemaru clicked his tongue. "We already know that, Sawamura. What we don't understand is why you're wearing it."

Eijun rubbed the back of his head again. "I already told you. I overslept this morning, and I thought I grabbed the right shirt. I know this looks bad, but I—"

"What are all of you doing?"

Eijun and the rest of his teammates froze at the familiar voice.

Great. Now Boss will see it.

As Kataoka walked closer, the Seidou players moved aside, a lot of them looking nervous.

Used to this reaction, Kataoka continued walking, looking around for Miyuki.

He knew he was late, but he had told Miyuki to start morning practice without him.

Tomorrow was their semifinal game against Ichidai Sankou, and while he wouldn't let them practice long today, he had expected them to already be practicing.

About to scold them, he froze despite himself as Sawamura turned to face him.

What… was he wearing?

Sawamura wore an Inashiro game jersey.

Not only that, but he had seen the ace number on Sawamura's back.

He didn't even know Sawamura and Narumiya were that close.

… No, wait.

This was none of his business.

It didn't matter if Sawamura and Narumiya were close or even dating.

If it didn't affect Sawamura's health, school, or baseball, he didn't need to get involved.

Sawamura paled before saluting him. "Boss, I can explain! I'm not betraying Seidou, I swear!"

He hadn't thought that in the first place.

What to do about this situation, though?

Sawamura stood in front of him wearing Narumiya's game jersey.

The rest of his players hung around them, watching the show, as if this situation was more important than their practice.

"Sawamura, what you do and who you hang out with during your free time is none of my business."

Sawamura froze, his cheeks turning red.

"As long as it doesn't affect school or baseball."

Sawamura's eyes widened before giving him a determined look. "It's not, sir! If it did, we would work on it! Together!"

Together…

Were they…?

… No, wait.

Sawamura's personal life was none of his business.

(Even if he might be dating Inashiro's ace.)

"I don't know what your relationship with him is, but I expect you to come dressed correctly for practice."

Sawamura's flush darkened. He bowed deeply. "Yes sir! I deeply apologize! This won't happen again!"

Kataoka frowned deeply. "Run until practice ends."

"Eh?" Sawamura looked up from his bow, furrowing his eyebrows. "But this jersey…"

Kataoka looked serious. "I expect you to be dressed correctly for afternoon practice, Sawamura, as you're the ace."

"Y-Yes sir!" Sawamura bowed even deeper, his ears red. "I promise I'll change after morning practice! I'm very sorry!"

Kataoka looked at the rest of his players. "Well? Get back to practice."

Almost everyone scrambled away, some players tripping over themselves in their haste to listen to him.

Ochiai couldn't believe his eyes.

He never thought he would see Sawamura wearing Narumiya's game jersey.

What was their relationship?

They weren't dating… right?

Sawamura had improved a lot since last year, but he was nowhere close to Narumiya's level.

Narumiya wouldn't date someone like Sawamura.

… Not that their relationship was any of his business.

Like Kataoka-kantoku said, if it didn't affect baseball or school, it was none of their business.

Rei didn't make any effort to hide her amused smile.

While she didn't know how close Sawamura-kun was with Narumiya-kun, they had to be close if Sawamura-kun wore Narumiya-kun's game jersey to practice.

Knowing Sawamura-kun as well as she did, she knew Sawamura-kun probably didn't mean to.

Still…

That was one way to tell the team about their relationship.

(It was none of her business, of course, but were they… dating? Did Narumiya-kun give Sawamura-kun those hickeys?)

Morning practice was… tense.

The first string practiced as usual, everyone concentrating on their practice.

Their reactions made the rest of the team wonder if they had known about Sawamura's relationship with Inashiro's ace.

(It was either that or they were all great actors.)

… That made sense.

The first string practiced together and hung out together after dinner some nights.

It would've been more surprising if they hadn't known about it.

Many of the Seidou players glanced over at their ace running around the field, their ace's Inashiro jersey standing out among the Seidou jerseys.

… Was it an accident?

It had to be an accident.

Sawamura wasn't that stupid.

He wouldn't intentionally wear an Inashiro jersey to practice.

No matter how close he might be with Inashiro's ace.

The finals against Inashiro (because no one had any doubt who would win the other semifinal game) would take place in three days.

It was too early to think about the finals, of course, as they needed to concentrate on the semifinal game first.

Their relationship, though…

Would… it change things?

Sawamura was their ace.

They needed him.

Doubt began growing in those unable to fully trust Sawamura.

What would Sawamura do?

They hoped Sawamura wouldn't… hold back against Inashiro.

They wouldn't…

… No, they couldn't win against Inashiro if Sawamura decided to hold back against them.

If Sawamura did that, he would be a failure of an ace.

A failure of a teammate.

They didn't know how close Sawamura was with Narumiya.

Many of them thought about asking a member of the first string (or Sawamura himself), but they quickly decided against it, although whether it was out of respect or fear, they didn't know.

Was Sawamura… dating Narumiya?

… He couldn't be, right?

While a lot of the first years didn't know about the rumors surrounding Narumiya, the rest of the team knew about them.

Sawamura wouldn't date a guy like that.

What if he was, though?

That possibility frightened them.

Then again, maybe they were worrying about nothing.

Maybe Sawamura wasn't even dating Narumiya.

(The first string concentrated on practice and didn't make any mistakes, yet they all noticed the way some of the first string kept glancing at Sawamura. Not that that meant anything, of course. Those disapproving looks caused them to worry, though.)

If Kantoku noticed the way almost everyone looked at Sawamura at some point during morning practice, he didn't say anything.

… Maybe he didn't say anything because everyone concentrated on practice?

Eijun wasn't stupid nor blind.

He noticed the way almost everyone glanced at him.

It didn't surprise him.

His teammates probably didn't know what to think, and most, if not all, of them probably wondered what kind of relationship he had with Mei.

Part of him didn't care what they thought, as he didn't plan on breaking up with Mei.

A large part of him, though, felt worried about what they thought.

The rest of his teammates probably wouldn't go as far as the first string, but…

What if they… started doubting him?

(Or started doubting him more than they did already? He wasn't stupid. He knew Boss, the rest of the coaching staff, and a lot of his teammates still doubted him even after he became the ace.)

Eijun would never hold back against Mei or Inashiro.

A lot of his teammates, though, especially the ones who didn't know him that well, might think differently.

… He couldn't blame them for thinking that.

While many of them didn't know him that well, they knew what kind of pitcher he was.

They probably thought his relationship with Mei would affect his pitching.

It didn't affect his pitching last year.

(Of course, the only person who knew about his relationship with Mei back then was Miyuki-senpai.)

He refused to let it affect his pitching this year.

Not only did he want to show them they had nothing to worry about, but he had promised Mei.

Besides, pitching against Mei (and Inashiro) wouldn't be as exciting if he held back.

(Just like how Mei knew he would never forgive him if he held back (not that Mei ever would), Mei would never forgive him if he held back.)

His lips twitched as he caught one of his teammates' baffled looks.

Honestly?

Everyone's reactions almost made him laugh.

(Was it that surprising? Seidou didn't have any rules regarding befriending or dating people from other teams.)

Maybe it was because of the rumors surrounding Mei?

A lot of the first years might not know about them, but he knew the third years and most, if not all, of the second years knew about them.

Wearing Mei's game jersey had been an accident.

He didn't plan on telling his teammates about his relationship with Mei this way or this soon.

This… felt nice, though.

He felt… relieved.

(A part of him still felt embarrassed, especially whenever he remembered Boss scolding him. The embarrassment didn't last long, though.)

Everyone now knew about his relationship with Mei.

(Of course, they probably didn't know for sure about the nature of their relationship.)

He and Mei didn't need to hide from them anymore.

Speaking of Mei…

That cocky jerk didn't even warn him.

(To be fair, if Mei had warned him, Eijun would've changed into his practice t-shirt.)

… Not that he was surprised.

Mei wanted this to happen.

He wanted the rest of his teammates to know about their relationship.

Eijun rolled his eyes as he remembered Mei smirking at him.

Cocky possessive jerk.

Most, if not all, of his teammates knew about his relationship status. After seeing him wear Mei's game jersey, they would probably assume they were dating.

… Not that he minded.

As it meant everyone now knew about his relationship with Mei.

(It made him happy (and a little smug. He would never be as smug as Mei, but a part of him liked letting everyone know Mei liked him).)

Mei would probably tell his teammates about what happened.

… No, not probably.

Mei definitely told his teammates about what happened.

Eijun could easily imagine it.

Mei wouldn't be Mei if he didn't brag about his relationship to his teammates.

When morning practice ended, everyone except Eijun walked to the cafeteria.

Eijun walked back to his room, changing out of Mei's game jersey and the tank top and putting on one of his Seidou practice t-shirts.

His eyes softened as he looked down at the Inashiro jersey.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to seeing Mei again.

Lunch and afternoon practice came first, though.

After Yoshikawa unstitched the ace number, he threw the jersey into the washing machine, wanting to wash it before giving it back to Mei.

Remembering what happened yesterday, he approached Miyuki-senpai after lunch.

"Miyuki-senpai, I need to talk to you."

Miyuki-senpai probably knew he wanted to talk to him, as he didn't look surprised and immediately gestured for him to follow him.

Once they were alone, Miyuki-senpai furrowed his eyebrows. "Is this about yesterday?"

"I know I already thanked you, but I wanted to do it again." Eijun bowed briefly. "Thank you very much."

Miyuki-senpai blinked a few times for some reason before shaking his head. "I didn't do much. I'm glad you're feeling better, Sawamura."

Eijun frowned. "That's not true. I probably would've continued panicking if you weren't there. Not only that, but…"

"Sawamura?"

Eijun resisted the urge to take a deep breath. "What you said… I appreciate it."

Miyuki-senpai frowned deeply. "You really think I would judge you for having a panic attack?"

"No, that's not what I meant." Eijun rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I was… surprised."

Miyuki-senpai raised an eyebrow. "What, surprised I care? You didn't notice that until now?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Eijun glared at his teasing grin. "You know what!" He let out a frustrated sound. "Forget it!"

He was so frustrating sometimes.

Miyuki-senpai's teasing grin remained on his face. "Keep going, Sawamura. I want to know what you meant."

Eijun flushed, shooting him a dirty look. "You already know what I meant," he muttered.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

Eijun gasped, remembering something else. "Oh, right! I wanted to ask about what happened after I left!"

A part of him felt surprised Miyuki-senpai didn't tease him some more, but he decided not to say anything.

"We continued practice without you?" Miyuki-senpai grinned at his dirty look. "What? It's the truth."

Ass.

Eijun huffed. "Not that. Did everyone ask you about what happened?" When Miyuki-senpai nodded, he furrowed his eyebrows. "Did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them why you left practice, but I told them about your panic attack." At his worried look, Miyuki-senpai gave him a serious look. "I made sure to let everyone know what would happen if they made a comment about it."

Did…

Did Miyuki-senpai… threaten them?

(He had thought that Miyuki-senpai might say something to the rest of the team, but he never thought Miyuki-senpai would threaten them.)

Eijun frowned deeply, his chest feeling warm. "You didn't have to go that far."

"What are you talking about? Panic attacks are serious things, Sawamura."

Eijun continued frowning. "I know, but…" He blinked, belatedly remembering something. "Wait… You told them about my panic attack, but you didn't tell them why I left practice?"

Miyuki-senpai grinned, looking amused. "Isn't that what I just said?"

"I know, but…"

Miyuki-senpai furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you'd be happy I didn't tell them about your relationship."

"I am." Eijun frowned. "I'm just confused."

Miyuki-senpai's teasing grin returned to his face. "That's not a surprise."

Ass.

Eijun glared at him, hating the way Miyuki-senpai looked amused. "Just tell me! What did you tell the rest of the team!"

"I told them someone important to you had an emergency." At his surprised look, Miyuki-senpai shrugged. "What? It's the truth, isn't it?"

Of course it was the truth, but…

Eijun smiled despite himself. "I think that's the first time you acknowledged my relationship with him."

Of everything Miyuki-senpai could've come up with, he had never thought Miyuki-senpai would say something like that.

(He had even thought Miyuki-senpai would lie about what happened.)

Miyuki-senpai hated his relationship with Mei and still disapproved of it.

Whenever he (or someone else) mentioned it, Miyuki-senpai always looked unhappy or angry for some reason.

(Mei kept thinking Miyuki-senpai was jealous, but Eijun knew that wasn't it. Contrary to what Mei thought, Miyuki-senpai didn't like him romantically.)

It might take a while before Miyuki-senpai approved of his relationship with Mei, but…

Maybe he was… starting to acknowledge it?

(Maybe one day, Miyuki-senpai would even… approve of it?)

"How do you know I was talking about him?" Miyuki-senpai raised an eyebrow. "I could've been talking about one of your family members."

While that was true…

Eijun shook his head, giving him a bright grin. "You left it vague on purpose so that they wouldn't know who you meant."

"Of course I did." Miyuki-senpai frowned. "I wasn't going to tell them the truth."

Eijun's bright grin brightened (if it was possible). "Thank you very much, Miyuki-senpai."

Miyuki-senpai made a face before walking around him. "I don't know why you're thanking me." He gestured to the cafeteria. "Come on. Everyone's probably wondering where we are."

… Was it his imagination, or were Miyuki-senpai's cheeks… pink?

"I'm coming." Eijun followed him, deciding to drop the subject. He glanced at Miyuki-senpai's cheeks as they entered the cafeteria, furrowing his eyebrows at his normal skin color.

… It was probably just his imagination.

(Miyuki-senpai didn't blush as easily as him, and he wouldn't blush because Eijun thanked him or smiled at him. Mei didn't know what he was talking about.)

Leader, Tanba-san, and some other alumni visited them after lunch, which was a nice surprise.

If Leader, Tanba-san, and the rest of the alumni had heard about what happened during morning practice, none of them mentioned it or let it show on their faces.

(Eijun didn't know when he would tell them about his relationship with Mei, and while he knew he didn't have to tell them, he wanted to, especially since Chris-senpai and Onii-san already knew about it.)

Unfortunately, Eijun ended up canceling his evening date with Mei, mentioning how he wanted to eat dinner with his teammates and watch the Sankou game recording one more time.

Mei had complained, probably feeling disappointed, but he had understood, warning him not to watch it too many times.

Eijun had thought about mentioning the real reason why he canceled their date, but he decided against it.

Mei didn't need to know about what happened to Nori-san.

Eijun still needed to give Mei's game jersey back to him, so they agreed on meeting up outside of the Seidou dormitory after dinner.

His eyes lit up at spotting Mei waiting for him at their normal spot.

"Mei!"

Mei, who was frowning down at his cell phone for some reason, looked up, smirking.

Rolling his eyes, Eijun hugged him, pulling him close and letting out a happy sound despite himself as Mei hugged him back.

Mei tightened his grip around him briefly. "Is everything alright?"

Eijun blinked, pulling away to look him in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You canceled our date." Mei frowned deeply. "I thought you were looking forward to it."

Eijun gave him a reassuring smile. "I was."

"Then why?"

Eijun debated with himself for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Mei. I didn't want to cancel our date, but I needed to stay with my teammates."

Mei blinked a few times before furrowing his eyebrows. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

Mei hummed, kissing his forehead. "I see. In that case, I understand."

"Thank you, Mei." Eijun nuzzled his neck, his chest warm at Mei's understanding and respect.

Earlier in their relationship, Mei would've ordered him to tell him what was going on.

Even if it had something to do with his teammates.

Kami-sama, he liked Mei so much.

Mei smirked. "You know, I was starting to feel worried." His smirk widened at his confused look. "You remember I have a game tomorrow, right?"

"Shut up." Eijun flushed, shooting him a dirty look. "I would've given your jersey back to you before then."

Mei snorted. "What, you mean in the middle of the night?" He smirked again. "Or the morning of the game?"

"I mean now, you idiot." Eijun huffed. "If you didn't come to Seidou, I would've gone to Inashiro."

Mei's smirk widened. "So how was practice?"

Eijun rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips twitching despite himself. "It was pretty uneventful."

"Is that so? Your coach didn't scold you?"

Eijun huffed. "You're such an ass. You could've warned me."

"But then you would've changed." Mei gave him a cheeky grin.

Eijun snorted. "Of course I would've changed. I don't attend Inashiro."

"But then they wouldn't get to see you wearing it!" Mei pouted.

Eijun tightened his grip around him briefly to stop himself from kissing him. "Well, maybe I didn't want to tell them about our relationship like that."

Mei gave him a knowing look before looking regretful. "They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

"They didn't." Eijun hummed, remembering what happened. "Surprisingly, none of my teammates talked to me about it. Boss scolded me in front of the whole team, though."

Mei winced. "Sorry, Eijun."

Eijun shivered, glaring at him. "You don't sound sorry."

"I am." Mei gave him a serious look. "It's true I wanted your teammates to see you wearing my jersey, but I also feel bad for getting you in trouble."

So unfair.

How was he supposed to stay angry with him after he said something like that?

Eijun made a face, not missing Mei's smug look. "Well, it was partly my fault for not double checking my outfit before leaving your room this morning."

Cocky jerk.

Mei hummed, looking him up and down, causing Eijun to stand up straight. "You looked really hot in my jersey." He winked. "Like you do now."

Eijun flushed, unable to stop himself from looking down at his outfit. He wore a black t-shirt with the words Ace Rocker on it and gray sweatpants. He looked at Mei, almost rolling his eyes at his smug look. "You think so?"

Mei smirked, rubbing his lips with his thumb. "I told you before, didn't I? You look good in black."

"But that's not the only reason, right?" Eijun grinned devilishly.

Mei's smirk widened. He drew a line under the word Ace, as if pretending to underline it. "Well, of course I like this part of your shirt. It's a fitting word."

"That's why I wore it." Eijun's grin widened. He blinked a few times as Mei frowned. "Mei?"

Mei glanced at the Seidou dormitory for some reason. "About yesterday… Your teammates didn't give you a hard time today, right?"

Eijun gave him a reassuring smile. "They didn't." His smile brightened. "Miyuki-senpai spoke to them after I left."

"Kazuya did?" Mei frowned. "What did he say?"

Eijun furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know what he said, but I know he threatened them."

Mei's eyes widened. "Eh! Kazuya threatened your teammates?"

"Yeah, he said something about how everyone would know what would happen if they made a comment." Eijun frowned deeply. "I thought he might say something, but I didn't think he'd go that far."

Mei scowled. "That sounds like something he'd do."

"You're only saying that because you know him well."

Mei tightened his grip around him briefly. "Unfortunately." When Eijun tilted his head, he shook his head. "Forget it. I don't want to talk about him anymore."

… Unfortunately?

What did Mei mean by that?

(Besides the obvious, of course.)

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Eijun's lips twitched.

Mei grinned cheekily. "I'd rather kiss you than talk to you." He gave him a pointed look. "You still haven't greeted me yet."

Eijun huffed. "That's because I don't want to lose to you!"

"Is it really a loss when you enjoy our kisses?" Mei's grin widened.

Eijun frowned, almost pouting. "It's still a loss. You always look so smug whenever I give in."

Mei tugged him close, their lips a few centimeters away from each other, smirking as Eijun's breathing hitched. "What happened to not letting your pride get in the way?"

"This…" Eijun tried to yell, but to his embarrassment, his voice sounded breathless. "This is different, and you know it."

Being this close to Mei and his good looks…

(Mei looked so handsome in his light blue t-shirt and white sweatpants. It was so unfair how Mei looked good in anything.)

He fought the temptation to lean in and kiss him.

Mei's smirk widened. "Is it?" He hummed. "Well, fortunately for you, I'm becoming impatient." His smirk returned. "And while I'd love to do this in front of your teammates, I'll settle for kissing you out here."

Eijun's lips twitched despite himself. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get another opportunity to kiss me in front of them eventually."

"I'm looking forward to it." Mei kissed the corner of his mouth, his smirk widening at Eijun's whine. He leaned in the rest of the way, kissing him, wrapping his free arm around his waist.

Eijun kissed him back, almost smiling into the kiss.

Mei was so impatient sometimes.

Eijun let out a happy sound as Mei ran his fingers through his hair.

Usually, it was the other way around, as Eijun loved touching Mei's hair.

(Normally, Mei only ran his fingers through his hair whenever he cried or looked upset, so Mei had surprised him.)

Mei's touch felt nice, though.

He should do this more often.

Maybe he would do it if Eijun asked him to?

"Eijun?"

He shivered, belatedly realizing Mei had pulled away from the kiss… and his hair, causing him to frown. "Why did you pull away? That felt good!"

Mei blinked a few times. "Eh? You…" He stared at him for a few moments, causing him to tilt his head. "… Oh, I see."

"What do you mean by that?" Eijun narrowed his eyes, not liking Mei's scrutinizing look.

It couldn't be…

Did Mei figure it out?

… No, wait.

He had already told Mei it felt good.

Mei glanced at his hand before glancing at his hair. "I thought something was wrong since you stopped kissing me." He hummed, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I never thought it'd be because I touched your hair."

… Huh?

Stopped kissing him?

… Come to think of it, Mei's touch had felt so good that it made him relax.

"No, I…" Eijun flushed, although he couldn't tell whether it was because Mei's touch made him forget about the kiss or because he forgot about the kiss. Or both. "You're misunderstanding something."

Mei smirked, running his fingers through Eijun's hair, his smirk widening when Eijun closed his eyes briefly. "I thought you liked all my touches."

"I… No, that's not what I…" Eijun's flush darkened. He tightened his grip around him briefly, narrowing his eyes at Mei's attractive smirk. "Kiss me again!"

Mei raised an eyebrow. "What's this all of a sudden?"

"Kiss me again!" Eijun demanded. "I'll show you that I can kiss you back while you touch my hair!"

He didn't like losing to Mei or inflating his already massive ego, yet he managed to do both when he pulled away from Mei's kiss.

So annoying.

Mei hummed, leaning in close, their lips a few centimeters away from each other. "It bothers you that much?"

Eijun almost closed the gap, wanting to kiss him, but he managed to stop himself. "Of course it does! I can't keep losing to you!"

It wouldn't mean anything if he kissed Mei.

Mei had to kiss him.

"Losing, huh?" Mei grinned cheekily, those blue mischievous eyes causing Eijun to feel wary. "In that case…" He leaned in closer before kissing… the corner of his mouth, causing Eijun's jaw to drop. "You lose. Again." He winked before pulling away.

Eijun's mouth opened and closed several times. He wanted to yell at Mei, but his tongue refused to work. "You…!" he managed to splutter a few moments later. "You…!"

Mei smirked, rubbing his lips with his thumb. "Now, now. You know me better than that, Eijun." His smirk widened as Eijun shivered. "You really thought I would listen to you?"

"It was worth a try," Eijun muttered, flushing. "You never know what will happen with our… competitions."

Mei loved kissing him.

Eijun had been counting on that, but unfortunately, he lost to Mei's self-control.

Damn it.

(He knew he couldn't trust those mischievous blue eyes!)

Mei hummed. "I've come to expect the unexpected when it comes to you."

Eijun's flush darkened.

Was that a… compliment?

"Not that it matters. I'm the king." Mei smirked, causing Eijun to roll his eyes. "I always win."

Eijun huffed. "Not always! I've won a few times!"

"I've still won a lot more times than you." Mei's smirk widened. "And I'll get another win in three days."

Three days…

The day… of the finals.

Eijun glared, tempted to point at him. "We're not going to lose! This time, we're going to win!"

Mei grinned cheekily, causing him to glower at him. "Speaking of winning—"

"Don't ignore me, you bastard!"

Mei's grin widened. "I can't win, let alone play in tomorrow's game if someone doesn't give back my game jersey."

Ass.

Eijun huffed, pulling away from him roughly, ignoring Mei's pout. "You want your damn jersey? Fine!" He picked up the bag from the ground and thrust it into Mei's hands. "Take it!"

Mei pouted at him again before looking into the bag. He blinked a few times before taking out the game jersey. "You…" He glanced at the clean jersey, Eijun's lips twitching as he took a long look at the ace number on the back of the jersey. "You… washed it?"

"That's the polite thing to do, isn't it?" Eijun furrowed his eyebrows.

Did Mei forget he wore his game jersey?

Mei glanced at his clean jersey again before placing it back into the bag. "I suppose, but I didn't think you'd do it."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

Mei snickered. "I know you can be forgetful." His grin widened at his dirty look. "Well, I guess I'll thank you for returning my jersey." He frowned, looking disappointed. "I wish you didn't wash it, though."

… Huh?

Eijun blinked a few times. "What do you mean by that?" He frowned. "I had to wash it, especially after Boss made me run during morning practice."

Didn't Mei realize his jersey had been sweaty?

"It doesn't smell like you anymore."

Eijun flushed, belatedly realizing what Mei meant. "You can't… smell my detergent?"

Mei pouted, stepping closer. "That's not the same, and you know it."

… Yeah.

Of course he did.

Eijun waited until Mei stepped close enough before grabbing his free hand. "Do you want to stop by my room?" His flush darkened at Mei's confused look. "I promised you one of my shirts, remember?"

Mei's eyes widened before lighting up. "That's right! You of all people wouldn't break your promise to me!" He smirked, leaning in close. "You should feel honored I'm willing to grace you with my presence."

"I feel so honored the king is going to visit my dorm room." Eijun bowed mockingly, his lips twitching at Mei's dirty look. "Come on." He turned around, tugging Mei forward.

Mei huffed, hitting his arm, causing Eijun to wince. "You're such a rude brat."

As they walked inside the Seidou dormitory, Eijun smiled a bright smile, especially whenever he noticed his teammates' surprised looks.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Eijun blinked at the poke to his arm, turning his head to look at Mei. "Eh?"

"You love showing your teammates I belong to you," Mei teased. "It's written all over your face."

Eijun gasped, touching his face with his free hand. "It's that obvious?"

Mei snickered. "You were almost smirking at one point."

"I was not!"

Mei laughed, tugging him closer, causing his breathing to hitch despite himself. "You totally were!" He grinned, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "And you call me possessive!"

Eijun huffed. "I'm not being possessive!"

"Then what would you call this?"

Eijun hummed before smiling a soft smile. "Isn't it normal for me to want to show off my boyfriend to my teammates?" He squeezed his hand, his soft smile still on his face. "We don't have to hide from them anymore."

Mei stared at him for a few moments before his eyes softened. "You're right." He grinned cheekily, knocking his shoulder into his own. "Feel free to show me off as long as you like." He winked. "Like you said… We don't have to hide from them anymore."

"You're just enjoying the attention."

Mei's grin widened. "Was it that obvious?"

"You have such a massive ego." Eijun rolled his eyes.

Mei hummed. "I won't deny that all the attention feels nice, but if I'm honest…" He smiled a soft smile, causing Eijun's heart to flutter. "Walking with you like this… Knowing we don't have to hide anymore… That's the part I'm enjoying the most."

"You…" Eijun flushed, looking away. "You're so unfair."

Mei laughed his genuine laugh, causing Eijun to look back at him. "Why? Because you were thinking the same thing and wanted to say it first?" he teased.

How did he…?

"Shut up!"

Mei laughed harder, causing him to frown.

They teased each other on the way to Eijun's dorm room, Eijun feeling smug whenever he managed to catch Mei off guard.

(Mei flushing was the best part. He didn't flush as often as Eijun did, so he always made sure to drink in the rare sight.)

Eijun opened the door to his dorm room a few minutes later. "This is my room. Hurry up and come in."

"Your roommates will be surprised to see me." Mei snickered, walking into his room.

Eijun waited until Mei entered before entering and closing the door behind him. He blinked a few times at seeing the empty room. "Ah… It looks like they're not back yet."

"Huh~ That's too bad."

After taking his shoes off, Eijun gestured for Mei to follow him. "You wanted to see them? That doesn't sound like you."

Mei looked around his dorm room, the corners of his lips twitching. "What? I thought if they were here, I could kiss you in front of them."

"Now that sounds like you." Eijun walked over to his dresser, digging through it.

Mei laughed behind him. "You know me well. I feel so loved."

Eijun flushed, holding up a dark red t-shirt. "W-What do you think about this one?"

(He wished he didn't blush easily. Mei might see his flushed cheeks and misunderstand.)

"Definitely not." When Eijun furrowed his eyebrows, Mei scoffed, pointing at the t-shirt. "Are you blind? That's Inashiro red. I want you to keep it so that you can wear it for me."

Eijun's flush darkened, but he smiled a bright smile. "You love it whenever I wear Inashiro red." He turned back to his dresser, placing the shirt back into its drawer. "Probably because it's the closest I'll get to wearing the Inashiro uniform." He hummed, picking out a blue t-shirt. "How about—"

"Are you kidding?"

Eijun jumped at feeling Mei's cool breath on the back of his neck. He blinked a few times as Mei wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, his eyes softening a few moments later.

"Sure, that color would look good on me, but…" Mei hummed, scrutinizing the t-shirt for a few moments before looking at him. "It would look much better on you."

Eijun snorted, leaning into the touch and touching Mei's hands briefly. "You're so possessive."

Mei's eyes widened, giving him a mock innocent look. "Possessive? What are you talking about?" His eyes gleamed mischievously. "I was giving you a compliment. You should be happy."

"A compliment from the king?" Eijun grinned devilishly. "I can die happy now."

Mei rolled his eyes, pinching his arm lightly, causing him to wince. "You're not allowed to die yet. That's an order."

"I wouldn't listen even if you allowed me to die." Eijun's grin widened at his dirty look. He turned back to his dresser, placing the blue t-shirt back. "Now let's see… I'm sure we can find something that will suit the king's picky tastes."

Mei didn't have to say it.

Eijun already knew Mei liked it whenever he wore blue.

(Whenever he wore blue (or Inashiro red), Mei always looked surprised before smiling a soft smile, causing Eijun's heart to flutter. Of course, the soft smile never lasted long, Mei's smile turning into his smirk as he teased him about his outfit. All the teasing was worth it, though.)

Mei snorted. "Nothing wrong with being picky. I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

"I'm pretty sure clothes have nothing to do with your reputation." Eijun's lips twitched. "You're not a model."

Mei snickered. "I might as well be according to my fans and some of the gossip magazines."

Cocky jerk.

Eijun rolled his eyes, taking out another shirt. "So that's why you're so obsessed with your appearance." He grinned devilishly at him. "You wouldn't want your fans or some reporter to see you looking like a slob."

To his surprise, Mei smirked, grabbing his chin and pulling his face close. "You realize that's your fault, right?" His smirk widened as Eijun flushed. "Not that I mind. You can mess up my appearance whenever you want."

"You…" Eijun's eyes widened at what he implied. "What are you saying?"

Mei frowned at him for some reason, letting go of his chin. "I told you before, right?" His eyes looked serious. "I want to tell everyone about our relationship. I'm not ashamed of it or you."

Eijun knew that, of course, and he felt the same.

Whenever Mei said those words, though, it always made his chest feel warm.

(Some part of him felt smug at the thought of everyone knowing about their relationship.)

He didn't know what Mei thought about their relationship.

Was this relationship… temporary?

Maybe Mei only wanted a relationship during high school?

(Eijun never liked that thought. His heart always protested at the thought of Mei breaking up with him after he graduated. He didn't know why, though.)

Whenever Mei said something like that, though, it made Eijun hopeful that Mei wanted something more.

Something… serious.

"I…" Eijun cleared his throat. "You know I feel the same." He looked down at Mei's arms around his waist, touching his hands briefly before looking at him again. "Mei, I…"

Mei raised an eyebrow.

This was his chance.

They could finally talk about their future.

"… No, it's nothing." Eijun quickly looked away from those disapproving eyes, gesturing to the shirt in his hands. "Let's get back to this. We're going to take all night at this rate."

He was such a coward.

(He wished he could say he wasn't afraid of Mei's reaction, but he knew he would be lying. That fear was the reason why he hadn't brought up the topic before.)

Mei clicked his tongue, causing him to look back at him despite himself. He gave him another disapproving look for some reason before looking at the shirt in his hands. "I don't mind. It means I'll get more time with you."

What a smooth talker.

"I'm pretty sure my teammates will mind." Eijun's lips twitched at the thought of Kuramochi-senpai's reaction. "Besides… You remember we have a game tomorrow, right? We should probably get some sleep."

Mei made a face. "I hate it whenever you're right."

Eijun laughed softly. "There, there. You'll get over it." He grinned at Mei's dirty look, giving him an eager look a few moments later. "You're going to watch me pitch, right?"

"Well, I'll be there with my team since our semifinal game is after Seidou's. I'm not expecting a lot, but it will be interesting to see if Seidou can hit off Amahisa." Mei grinned cheekily at his glower.

Ass.

(If he didn't know any better, he might've assumed Mei didn't care about him or the outcome of the game.)

Eijun huffed, looking away from him and shoving the shirt back into the drawer when Mei shook his head. "I don't know why I expected anything different." He resisted the urge to stamp Mei's toes.

"Look at me, Eijun."

Eijun shivered, shooting him a dirty look at his smirk. "Stop that!"

Mei pouted, the corners of his lips twitching. "But you love it whenever I call you by your name."

"I already told you I…!" Eijun scowled as Mei smirked again. "Stop distracting me and tell me!"

It annoyed him how he always responded.

(Mei wanted him to respond. Not responding made things worse, though, as Mei always teased him about being speechless. Eijun couldn't win.)

Mei snickered before giving him a serious look, causing him to blink. "You know I—"

The door opened, Kuramochi-senpai's disgusted sound causing them to look over.

"What are you doing here?" Kuramochi-senpai narrowed his eyes. "You're not staying the night."

Mei rolled his eyes. "That's not why I'm here." He smirked, kissing Eijun's cheek. "Not that I need your permission if I was."

"This is my room, and you're the enemy!" Kuramochi-senpai huffed before stepping closer. "You've got your own bed back at Inashiro!"

Mei pouted, laying his chin on Eijun's shoulder. "But Eijun's not there!"

Eijun shivered, looking sheepish at Kuramochi-senpai's dirty look.

"Are you a child?" Kuramochi-senpai grumbled before pointing at Mei's arms around his waist. "Will you quit that!"

Mei blinked a few times, looking down at his arms before looking at Kuramochi-senpai. "Quit what?"

If Eijun didn't know Mei well, he might've believed that innocent look.

"Look… I know you guys are… together." Kuramochi-senpai made a face. "That doesn't mean you can touch Sawamura as much as you want."

Mei hummed. "That's where you're wrong." He tightened his grip around Eijun briefly. "We don't have to hide from you guys anymore." He smirked as Kuramochi-senpai glared at him. "Which means I can touch him as much as I want. You're just jealous."

Kuramochi-senpai clicked his tongue. "Jealous? I'm not jealous!"

Mei gave him a scrutinizing look before scoffing. "You're starting to sound like Kazuya."

"Sorry, Kuramochi-senpai." Eijun smiled apologetically. "We'll be done soon." He frowned at Mei's mock innocent look. "Mei, quit antagonizing him."

Mei pouted again. "You're ruining my fun!" He smirked at Kuramochi-senpai. "Besides… It's the truth."

Kuramochi-senpai glowered at Mei before walking over to his desk.

Eijun rolled his eyes, turning back to his dresser and forcing Mei to turn with him. "Come on. Let's find a shirt."

"… Fine," Mei muttered. "You have to make it up to me, though."

Eijun gave him a suggestive look. "I've got some ideas you might be interested in."

"Oh, really?" Mei purred, his eyes dark. "What do you have in mind?"

Kuramochi-senpai let out a disgusted sound behind them. "Oi, you guys aren't alone, you know! Quit talking about things like that in my room!"

"Ignore him," Mei murmured.

Eijun's lips twitched despite himself. He shot Asada an apologetic look before humming. "How about I tell you the next time we're alone?" He grinned devilishly at Mei's mock disappointed look. "Look at it this way. Next time, no one will interrupt us."

Mei snorted, nibbling his ear, causing him to gasp. "You wouldn't let that stop you. You always seem to forget where we are and who we are with whenever I kiss you."

Eijun flushed, looking away from that smug look. "A-Anyway… The shirt! Let's find a shirt!" He took out another shirt. "How about this one?"

"Why are you guys looking for a shirt?" Kuramochi-senpai sounded baffled (much to Eijun's amusement).

Mei made a face, although Eijun couldn't tell whether it was at his shirt or at Kuramochi-senpai. Or both. "Eijun promised me one of his shirts." He smirked as Eijun shivered. "So that I would always have his scent with me."

"That's disgusting." Kuramochi-senpai clicked his tongue. "I regret asking now."

Mei snickered, his smirk widening. "Curiosity killed the cat," he murmured, kissing the back of Eijun's left shoulder.

"What was that!"

Eijun's lips twitched. "Does it help if I tell you Mei promised me one of his shirts?"

"How's that supposed to help! Sawamura, if you don't hurry up, I swear I'll…!"

Eijun grinned as Mei winked at him. "I know, Kuramochi-senpai. We'll be done soon." He shot Mei a mock irritated look. "If Mei wouldn't stop being so damn picky, that is."

Mei gave him a mock innocent look. "Have you ever considered that your shirts might be the problem?" He hummed, looking through his dresser. "You know… You should really let me take you shopping one of these days. I'll even pick out an outfit for you."

"I'll think about it." Eijun smiled a soft smile at Mei's delighted look. "Why don't you pick one out? Maybe we'll get done quicker if you're the one choosing."

Mei huffed, the corners of his lips twitching. "You finally understand what the problem is. Congratulations."

Eijun pinched his hand, taking delight in the way Mei yelped. "Just choose a shirt, you ass."

"You're so mean."

Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Mei scrutinized another shirt, even sniffing it.

For the most part, Eijun allowed Mei to dig through his dresser and say what he wanted about his shirts.

A few times, though, Eijun teased him about having trouble deciding, feeling pleased whenever Mei shot him a dirty look.

Several minutes later, Eijun raised an eyebrow as Mei shook his head. "You're still not done?" He grinned devilishly. "We should forget about that shopping date. It will be a nightmare."

Kuramochi-senpai snickered behind him, causing his grin to widen.

"This is different from shopping, and you know it!" Mei complained.

Eijun snorted. "It really isn't."

"You don't mean that." Mei pouted at him, leaning in closer. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to go out on a shopping date with you."

Eijun furrowed his eyebrows. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Mei nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling.

(If Eijun was as bad as Miyuki-senpai or Mei himself, he might've teased him. Seeing Mei like that, though… He didn't have the heart to tease him.)

Eijun's lips twitched. "Then I suppose we can go. I probably need some new clothes anyway."

"Alright!" Mei peppered his face with soft kisses, causing him to laugh. "You won't regret it! I'll bring you to all the best places!"

So cute.

Eijun gave him a soft smile, touching his hands. "I'm looking forward to it, Mei."

"Sawamura, quit flirting with him! It's already bad enough that you're dating him!" Kuramochi-senpai sounded annoyed. "I don't want to watch or hear you guys flirt!"

Mei hummed. "He's almost as noisy as you." He grinned cheekily at his dirty look. "I know how to shut him up."

Eijun blinked a few times. "How?"

Not that he needed to ask.

Mei winked, waiting for Eijun to turn around in his embrace before kissing him.

Eijun wrapped his arms around his back, letting out a happy sound as Mei ran his fingers through his hair.

He bit Mei's lower lip, Mei letting out a pleased sound.

Eijun pulled away from the kiss several moments later, his lips twitching as he looked over Mei's shoulder.

Kuramochi-senpai had his mouth open, his eyes wide.

Mei was right.

Mei raised an eyebrow at the amusement in his eyes, letting go of him to turn around and look at Kuramochi-senpai. He laughed at his reaction before looking at Eijun again. "See?" He winked again, looking proud of himself. "What'd I say?"

Eijun rolled his eyes, about to kiss him again to shut him up.

If it wasn't for Kuramochi-senpai glowering at them and demanding that Mei leave.

They left his room a few moments later hand in hand, Mei winking cheekily at Kuramochi-senpai before he closed the door.

Eijun snorted as they walked away from his room. "I think you just succeeded in making him dislike you even more."

"Oops?" Mei grinned cheekily. "Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?"

Eijun gave him a suspicious look. "I'm not that stupid."

"You know me well." Mei's grin widened. He held up a yellow t-shirt. "On the bright side, though, I found the perfect shirt."

Eijun furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the t-shirt for a few moments before looking at Mei. "I don't get it. You spent all that time looking, and you picked that one?" He frowned deeply. "How's that supposed to remind you of me?"

Mei hummed, looking at the shirt with soft eyes. "Trust me. It's perfect," he said in a soft voice. "I'll take good care of it."

They stopped under the tree outside the Seidou dormitory, Eijun turning to look at him.

"I still don't understand, but…" Eijun's eyes softened. "I'm glad you're happy. You know I—" He gasped, his eyes widening, causing Mei to blink. "Wait! You promised me one of your shirts!"

Mei smirked. "I did, didn't I?" He rolled his eyes at his suspicious look. "Relax. I'm not going to break my promise to you. In fact…" He held up a medium white bag, causing Eijun to blink. "Here."

… Was that there this whole time?

(He tried to remember if Mei had that bag with him this whole time, but to his embarrassment, he couldn't remember.)

Eijun let go of his hand to accept the bag, glancing at Mei before looking into the bag, his eyes widening. "My practice uniform shirt!" He pulled it out, looking it over.

"You forgot it this morning, so I thought I'd bring it with me."

Eijun looked at Mei, his eyes softening. "Thank you, Mei." He looked at the shirt again, blinking a few times as he realized something. "Wait… You washed it?"

Mei raised an eyebrow. "That's the polite thing to do, isn't it?" He smirked at his dirty look. "You should thank me. That shirt was dirty."

"It wasn't that dirty." Eijun frowned at him, giving him a suspicious look. "Did your teammates make you do this?"

Mei scoffed. "Why is that the first thing that popped into your head?" He pointed at himself. "I could've done this myself. You know I don't listen to my teammates."

True, but…

"It's not like you to do something this… polite," Eijun pointed out.

Mei huffed, his cheeks flushing. "Alright, alright! My teammates might've suggested I wash it after I wore it during morning practice!" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you happy now?"

"I knew it." Eijun shook his head, grinning despite himself. He blinked a few times as he belatedly registered what Mei said. "Wait…" His jaw dropped. "You wore it during morning practice?"

Mei wore a Seidou shirt to practice?

(He wished he could've seen that. Mei would look good in his practice uniform shirt. Or his uniform for that matter.)

Mei smirked, puffing out his chest. "You were wearing my game jersey, so I decided to wear your practice uniform shirt."

"Was it an accident?" Eijun furrowed his eyebrows. "Were you still sleepy?"

Mei clicked his tongue. "No, you idiot. I wore it on purpose."

"But…" Eijun glanced between his shirt and Mei. "But your teammates already know about our relationship."

Mei's smirk returned to his face. "Exactly."

Ah.

Now he understood.

Eijun's lips twitched despite himself. "Your teammates probably didn't like that."

"You should've seen the looks on their faces." Mei snickered.

Eijun grinned a devilish grin. "I wish I was there." He gave him a worried look a few moments later. "Did you get in trouble?"

"Kantoku wasn't amused." Mei frowned, almost pouting. "He made me run the whole time." He huffed. "Can you believe him? I'm the ace!"

Eijun snorted. "That's why he made you run, you idiot."

"But he's got a soft spot for you!" Mei whined, tugging at his shirt sleeve.

Eijun frowned. "He's just doing his job, Mei. That doesn't mean he likes me." He rolled his eyes. "Besides… You don't get special treatment because you're dating me."

"I'm still the ace," Mei muttered, tugging again.

Eijun's lips twitched despite himself. "And still childish. But that won't change even as you get older, huh?" he teased, reaching out with one hand and touching the hand on his sleeve.

Mei hummed, his eyes briefly lighting up as they held hands again. "Is that a bad thing? I'm being myself."

"Trust me. I'm glad you're being yourself." Eijun gave him a serious look. "And I know you're not childish all the time." He gave him a devilish grin. "Even though it seems like it."

Mei shot him a dirty look, causing his grin to widen. "Well, you don't know for sure, do you?"

… Huh?

What did that mean?

Was he…?

Was Mei talking about the… future?

Their future?

"Yeah, you're right," Eijun said in a quiet voice. "We don't know what the future has in store for us."

Mei raised an eyebrow, giving him an expectant look.

"I…" Eijun's heart raced at the thought of talking about the future. "I… My shirt!" He held up the white bag in a weak attempt to change the subject. "You promised me a shirt!"

Mei clicked his tongue, tightening his grip briefly. "That's your priority?"

… He knew.

"You realize we were talking about my shirt in the first place, right?" Eijun narrowed his eyes.

Mei scoffed. "I thought you wanted to talk about something else. Something more important." He gave him a disapproving look. "I guess I was wrong."

That little…

Sure, Eijun was a coward for not going through with the conversation, but…

What about Mei?

He didn't talk about their future either.

(Mei kept waiting for him to speak first. Was this a game to him? Another one of their competitions? Maybe it was as he feared.)

"I don't see you continuing the conversation." Eijun glowered at him. "If you want to talk about something, say it."

Mei gave him that scrutinizing look that almost made him squirm. "Why bother? It's obvious now isn't the time."

Seriously, Mei was just as bad as him, and he dared to—!

… Wait.

Eijun blinked a few times before furrowing his eyebrows. "What did you just say?"

"Now isn't the time." Mei gave him a serious look. "We can talk about it another time."

Eijun squeezed his hand, pulling him closer. "Another time… That means we'll talk about it, right?"

Mei hummed, glancing at their joined hands. "Let's focus on baseball. We're still in the middle of the summer tournament."

"Then…" Eijun kept a firm grip on Mei's hand. "After the tournament?"

Mei gave him a reassuring grin. "We can talk as much as we want after the tournament." He smirked. "I'll be preparing for Koushien after the tournament, but I'm sure Kantoku will give us a couple of days off to rest."

Eijun glared at him, his chest warm from the hope. "Quit acting like you've already won!"

"Because we have." Mei's smirk widened. "We're Inashiro. We don't lose."

Eijun tightened his grip briefly. "You will. Seidou will beat Inashiro."

Mei was so infuriating sometimes.

His words, though…

They would talk about the future.

Their future.

Sure, Mei could still decide to break up with him after he graduated, but…

They would talk about it.

Eijun wanted to remain as optimistic as possible.

He wanted to believe in Mei's feelings for him, but he also understood what dating after high school meant.

(He wasn't ready. He loved getting to see Mei like this. He loved visiting Mei at Inashiro. As much as he liked Itsuki (and the rest of Inashiro)… They weren't Mei. Would never be him.)

Did Mei believe in their relationship?

Maybe Eijun was an idiot and letting his feelings for Mei take over, but…

He believed in their relationship.

If anyone could do it, it would be them.

(… Didn't Mei reassure him with those same exact words a few months ago?)

Mei was right, though.

Eijun should focus on baseball.

They had promised each other not to let their relationship affect baseball.

Mei scoffed. "Seidou won't stand a chance against us." He lifted his chin condescendingly. "You realize I'll be pitching, right?"

"We'll hit off you." Eijun gave him a determined look. "I'm confident Miyuki-senpai and the rest of my teammates will hit off you."

Mei's eyes darkened at the mention of Miyuki-senpai, but to his credit, he only frowned deeply. "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" He smirked at his dirty look. "Seidou has to hit off Amahisa tomorrow to get to the finals."

"Stop acting like our game has nothing to do with you!" Eijun let out a frustrated sound. "Not only will I be pitching, but whoever wins will be Inashiro's opponent!"

Mei stared at him for a few moments before smirking again. "It's not that I don't care." His eyes gleamed competitively. "I'm confident Inashiro will win against Seidou or Sankou."

"You little—!"

Mei gave him a serious look, catching him off guard. "If we're talking about pitchers, though, I'd much rather have a pitching duel with you than with Amahisa."

Eijun blinked a few times, his mouth opening and closing, his chest warm from the acknowledgement. "You… Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"It wasn't on purpose if that's what you mean." Mei grinned. His grin widened at Eijun's suspicious look. "Alright, alright. I'll admit some of it was on purpose." He poked Eijun's cheek, grinning cheekily. "You know I enjoy teasing you."

Eijun huffed. "You tease me too much."

"I'm not worried, you know."

Eijun's breathing hitched at Mei's serious look.

Mei squeezed his hand gently. "I know you'll do great tomorrow."

He… believed in him?

"You're…" Eijun refused to look away from those serious blue eyes. "You're not joking, right?" His voice was soft.

Mei could probably feel his racing heartbeat through his hand.

Mei's expression didn't change. "I wouldn't joke about something like this. I'm looking forward to watching you pitch."

"Is that because you're my rival? Or my boyfriend?"

Mei smirked. "Both. You better not let me down."

Eijun stood up straight, puffing his chest out. "You'll see!" He bumped his chest with his fist. "I won't let Sankou hit off me!"

"That's impossible." Mei's smirk widened at his dirty look. "You're not me."

Eijun narrowed his eyes. "Don't ruin the moment, you ass."

"I don't want you to overstate your abilities." Mei winked. "I'm helping you."

Eijun snorted. "Some help you are. You ruined the moment," he muttered.

Mei laughed. "You don't need to act cool for me." He winked again. "You know I like your stupidly honest personality."

"Don't call me stupid!"

Mei laughed again, his eyes softening a few moments later. "Do you want to meet up tomorrow after your game?"

Eijun's eyes lit up. "Eh? We can?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Will you have enough time?"

"I'll make sure to stretch before I see you." Mei hummed. "I might be cutting it close, but I don't care."

Eijun smiled a bright smile, tugging him closer. "Let's do it! I want to see you after my game!" He grinned devilishly, pointing at him. "You better give me a congratulatory kiss."

"Trust me. I would've kissed you anyway, but…" Mei grinned cheekily. "If Seidou proves me wrong and ends up winning, I'll kiss you as many times as you want."

Eijun flushed at that image. "You… You know we'll be in public, right?" His breathing hitched as Mei pulled him close. "We can't kiss that much."

"Even if it's to celebrate your win?" Mei's grin widened. "Even if it's to reward you for your hard work?"

Eijun's flush darkened at his eager look. "I wish you'd think about your future more."

"Plus, your teammates will be there." Mei smirked, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'll get to kiss you in front of them again."

Eijun snorted. "You're so horrible."

Mei's smirk widened. "But you like me anyway."

"… I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to kissing you in front of them again," Eijun admitted, causing Mei's eyes to light up. He glanced at the white bag in his free hand. "Thank you for giving this back to me."

Mei's smirk returned to his face. "It would be great if that's all it was." At his baffled look, he gestured to the bag. "I promised you a shirt, remember?"

Eijun gasped, letting go of Mei's hand to dig through the bag. "Are you serious?" He pulled out a blue t-shirt, his breath catching as he realized that shade was the same color as Mei's eyes.

"It's perfect, right?"

Eijun sniffed the shirt, smelling Mei's familiar scent of sandalwood and lemons. "Yeah, it's perfect," he said without thinking. His eyes widened as he belatedly realized what he said. "You…!" He pointed at a smug Mei. "I wanted to choose!"

"I thought you'd be happy I remembered our promise." Mei pouted, the corners of his lips twitching.

Eijun frowned. "I would've waited if it meant I got to choose."

"You mean you're not happy?" Mei raised an eyebrow. "Alright, fine." He held one hand, causing him to blink. "I want my shirt back."

Eijun immediately shook his head, holding the shirt close to his chest. "Never! I'm keeping it!" He flushed at Mei's triumphant look. "I-I mean… Not never. I'll give it back to you one day."

"I don't mind if you keep it, you know." Mei winked, causing Eijun's flush to darken. His eyes softened a few moments later. "I know how much you care about me."

Eijun's eyes widened before softening. "Then I'll keep it." He grabbed Mei's hand, squeezing it. "I'm really happy you kept your promise to me."

Mei scoffed. "I wouldn't have cared if it was a promise to someone else. But you…" He gave his hand a squeeze, smiling a soft smile. "You're different."

That was so horrible, but…

"You're so sappy." Eijun grinned a devilish grin when Mei glared at him.

Mei huffed, his cheeks pink. "Now who's ruining the moment?"

"I like you, too, Mei." Eijun's grin widened at his dirty look. His eyes softened a few moments later. "You shouldn't worry. I chose you for a reason."

Mei's eyes widened before lighting up. "Oh, really?" he drawled. "What reason is that?"

Eijun snorted. "Like you don't already know."

"Yeah." Mei grinned cheekily. "You're so transparent."

Eijun hummed, glancing at their joined hands. "I've been transparent since we first met."

Mei cupped his cheek with his free hand, his eyes softening as Eijun leaned into the touch. "I've never thought of that as a bad thing."

"Well, of course you wouldn't." Eijun rolled his eyes, causing him to snicker. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't so transparent. Other times, though…" He smiled his soft smile. "I don't mind it that much, as it means you know how I feel about you."

Mei stared at him for a few moments before tugging him close, wrapping his arms around him, causing Eijun to let out a surprised sound.

"Mei?"

Mei tightened his grip around him briefly. "I know I'm not the best boyfriend, but I hope you know how I feel about you."

Idiot.

Eijun wrapped his arms around his back, his eyes soft. "I've known for a while."

Even when his teammates (read: Miyuki-senpai) thought Mei was acting…

Even when they argued over and over or Mei hurt him somehow…

He knew Mei cared deeply about him.

Mei's eyes widened before softening. "I should've expected that. You know me well."

"I know you the best." Eijun grinned proudly.

Mei snorted. "I wouldn't go that far."

"What did you say!"

Mei laughed his genuine laugh, nuzzling his neck, causing Eijun to smile despite himself.

He would think about their future together later.

Right now, though, he wanted to enjoy his time with Mei.

Tomorrow, he would focus on baseball.

(He already knew he would have to fight the urge to look up at the stands.)

He couldn't wait to pitch in front of Mei again.

Mei wouldn't regret believing in him.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Author Notes: I hope y'all enjoyed this fic.

Reviews/Favorites/Follows are appreciated. Constructive Criticism is also appreciated.

I'm sorry this took so long. Recently, I've been trying to find a part-time job and feeling stressed about my student loans. Thankfully, the government paused payments until the end of August, which gives me some breathing room. It would be great if I could get a job before then and save up some money before I have to start making payments again, though. Getting a job means less time for writing and less time for my That Sky series, but I need money to survive.

Anyway… Enough about me.

I had fun writing all the reactions to Eijun wearing Mei's jersey to practice. A lot of Eijun's teammates (and even the coaching staff) don't know for sure about the nature of Eijun and Mei's relationship. Most probably assume they're dating, but others don't want to assume that. They will find out in my next fic, though 😉😉😉

Speaking of future fics… I already know what my next fic will be about. My next fic will be about Eijun and Mei meeting up after the Seidou and Sankou semifinal game. Y'all will get to see Mei's reaction to Eijun's pitching and the retired third years' reaction to the Meisawa relationship. I already know how I want to write it, so hopefully, it won't take too long.

See y'all next time!