"So when are you going to tell him how you feel?" asked Miyuki slyly as he sidled up next to Chris. They were both watching the first years run around the field as a warm up for their fielding practice.

"What are you talking about?" replied Chris as nonchalantly as he could while he made himself look away from the southpaw pitcher and focus on his clipboard instead.

Miyuki wasn't convinced.

"If you don't hurry someone else might snatch him up," teased the other catcher as his grin grew. Chris' hold on his pen got tighter then he let out a deep sigh as he looked at Sawamura Eijun again.

"Someone else might be more deserving," Chris said self-depreciatively.

That was not what Miyuki expected and he thinks he may have just created a problem.

"Chris-senpai, can you catch for me after dinner!?" yelled out Sawamura as soon he noticed the third-year enter the dining hall. Miyuki was sitting a few seats down from Sawamura.

"Wow, you didn't even ask me to catch for you and I've been here for way longer," drawled out Miyuki, careful to pay extra attention to this interaction.

"I didn't ask you because I wanted to ask Chris-senpai," hissed out Sawamura, almost knocking over his miso soup in his haste to lean over the table and glare at Miyuki. Haruichi moved the food tray subtly away from danger.

"We'll see," was Chris' soft reply as he ignored the southpaw to go and get his dinner. Sawamura abandoned his seat and rushed over to Chris, somehow already having having a full bowl of rice in hand.

"Here you go, Chris-senpai," said Sawamura with a large smile.

"I thought we were done with you trying to feed me," Chris admonished gently.

Sawamura stared at him intently - it was actually quite unnerving - but he nodded his head silently and headed back to his seat. Everyone stared at the interaction in confusion, wondering what had just happened since Sawamura was back to eating his food normally without a care in the world. Chris just shook his head and brought his dinner over to the table with Jun, Tetsu, and Tanba.

The next day Chris decided to meet with Sawamura in order to hand him his next workout scroll. It had been a while since he had made a new training regime since they had started to work on the southpaw's pitching more, but it was important for Sawamura to maintain his strength and flexibility training too.

The idea of visiting Sawamura at his class with scroll in hand brought a wave of nostalgia. He remembered when he and Sawamura were at odds with one another and the pitcher had barged onto the third-years floor, noisy and determined, his golden eyes radiating a challenge.

As Chris turned the corner in the hallway he came across a view he was unprepared for.

It was a bit odd, but it seemed everyone else was at lunch because the hallway before him was empty except for Sawamura and a girl and it seemed like with Chris' bad luck he had also stumbled across a confession. The girl was bent at the waist as she handed Sawamura an envelope. Chris didn't stick around to hear it play out.

The atmosphere at the bullpen was odd. Miyuki couldn't place it, but he was pretty sure that something happened between Chris and Sawamura. Unfortunately he had no idea what it was otherwise he would have attempted to fix it by now.

Unless it was entertaining.

Chris was unbearably silent that even Sawamura began to notice and because of that his concentration was shot. Sawamura had to stop himself from pitching before he messed up his form or missed and got someone hurt.

Chris came out of his catcher crouch as if in a daze.

"Are you done?" he asked Sawamura. Sawamura stared at him, worried.

"I should be asking Senpai that," replied Sawamura.

"If you're not going to pitch then I'm leaving," said Chris, already starting to remove his protective gear.

Sawamura looked as if his heart was broken. That was just what Chris used to tell him back when they had just formed their battery and they were at odds. He was sure they had moved on from that, but the words cut deep as memories from that bleak time came back.

In the end Sawamura was unable to say anything as Chris took off all his gear and walked out of the bullpen.

"You know that as battery partners you have to work together, right?" rhetorically asked Miyuki as Sawamura pitched to the net in the gym.

"I am! I just don't know why he got cold all of a sudden," softly said Sawamura as he continued to pitch into the net. "And you're not helping!" he shouted at Miyuki, needing an outlet for his churning emotions.

"You're sure you didn't do anything? I haven't seen Chris like this in a long time," confessed Miyuki.

"No! Nothing too unusual has happened this week," said Sawamura. "I mean, the only thing that was different was that girl who wanted me to give Furuya a letter from her. And why does Furuya have secret admirers?! He's always asleep in class, when do these girls even have time to talk to him, huh?!" shouted Sawamura into the ceiling. "Well, it's not like I want any of them to give me a letter," he continued on to say, completely flustered.

"A girl?" cut in Miyuki.

"Yeah, she's from another class and asked me to deliver a letter to Furuya since she was too shy to do it herself. That's the only different thing that has happened this week."

Miyuki looked highly amused and Sawmura hated that damn tanuki-face.

"What?" he asked defensively. Miyuki laughed.

"Ah nothing at all. Anyway, I'll look at your form for ten more pitches. Cool off and clean up after that."

Sawamura looked at Miyuki in confusion but ignored him and did as prompted.

"Are you worried now that Sawamura has a secret admirer?" teased Miyuki the next time there was fielding practice. Chris was in the dugout taking notes for the coach on the various players.

Chris' hold on his pen tightened as he tried to ignore the words coming from Miyuki.

"Don't you have batting practice?" he asked a bit snidely.

Miyuki let out a small laugh.

"Just talk to Sawamura, okay? You'll be surprised," said Miyuki as he walked off, bat in hand.

"Sawamura," began Chris as he approached the teen as he was running around the field. It was late at night and they were the only ones outside. The rest of the first and second string were in the indoor gym or in the bath.

"Chris-senpai!" yelled out Sawamura in both surprise and fear. He didn't want to face Chris so soon after the words he had said at the bullpen. What if he said the wrong thing and Chris never wanted to catch for him anymore?

"I think I owe you an apology," began Chris, trying to get his words to come out right. He wasn't always the best at expressing himself and he usually never did much wrong so he had no real reason to know what a proper apology sounded like. The only other time he could think of emulating an apology was when Sawamura himself went into deep dogza style and begged his forgiveness. Chris wondered if he would have to resort to such measures if Sawamura couldn't accept his more mundane apology.

"What? No, no, Chris-senpai didn't do anything wrong!" chimed up Sawamura as he excessively shook his head in the negative.

"While your belief in me to be infallible is admirable, Sawamura, I do indeed owe you an apology. I forget that people have lives outside of baseball and sometimes that life has more weight than the friends and...and lovers than those in the baseball club." A small blush marred Chris' face but he had to look Sawamura in the eyes and let the other teen know that he was okay with Sawamura's new girlfriend.

Sawamura was just confused. What was Chris going on about? And lovers… - was Chris trying to tell him that the third year was in love with someone else? It hurt Sawamura's heart to know that since he's had a crush on Chris since forever, but to have Chris blatantly tell him about his new love hurt worse.

"I hope you're happy together then," sullenly said Sawamura as he plastered on the fakest smile in his life. "Um, I'm not sure why you're telling me this," he continued on to say.

Oh no, what if Chris found out I have a crush on him and this is his way of letting me down...curse this fate!

Chris looked flabbergasted. Him? Dating someone? Preposterous.

"I meant you and your new girlfriend," said Chris softly.

"Whhaaat!? Have you been talking to Kuramochi-senpai! I keep telling him that Wakana and I are just friends! Just because I don't want to give him her email doesn't mean we're dating!" shouted Sawamura, exasperated from the emotional whiplash.

Chris felt something shift within his mind, but he couldn't place it in time.

"No, I mean your classmate from the other day. She confessed to you, didn't she?" he asked. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. It had been a while since something caused such an emotional response from him.

"Ah, you mean Mio-chan? I didn't know you saw that, Chris-senpai," replied Sawamura nonchalantly.

Chris dug his nails into his closed fist. "I was on my way to deliver you a new workout scroll…"

"Really?!" Sawamura brightened. "Where is it? Can I have it? I knew I was ready to move forward. I think I got a pretty good core. I feel more balanced too. It's all thanks to Chris-senpai!" Sawamura rushed out to say. Chris was at a loss for words.

"Erm, it's back in my room."

"Can we go get it? Come on," said Sawamura, grabbing Chris' wrist and pulling the third year along without realizing his actions. He just really wanted to look at the scroll Chris put together for him. He knew he could trust Chris to help him, not only with his pitching, but by building up his body and fixing his training regime to produce the most long-term results. No other person ever put that much time, care, and attention into him and his baseball and it made Sawamura all warm inside.

Without realizing what had happened Chris found himself back to his room. Both his roommates were still out, no doubt practicing somewhere. Chris went immediately to his desk and pulled out the scroll from one of the drawers. Sawamura seemed to have made a home for himself as the southpaw perched on Chris' bed. The very sight sent a thrill through Chris that he tried and failed to squash. Sawamura was dating Mio-chan - he needed to get this ridiculous infatuation over with.

"Here it is," he said as he sat down right next to Sawamura on the bed, unable to help himself.

Sawamura unfurled it, ready to take in all the knowledge Chris-senpai shared with him.

Chris looked on as Sawamura read, unable to get that love confession out of his head. He wondered if he would have had a chance if he had confessed first. He still didn't really think he deserved Sawamura, but it was worse and painful to see him with someone else. Chris wasn't inclined to share and could be a very selfish individual.

"You know you won't have time to go on many dates. Seido practice is both strenuous and time-consuming," commented Chris, unable to take the silence in the room and the maelstrom of thoughts in his head.

"Huh? Um, I guess…" trailed off Sawamura as he tried to connect the conversation with his training regime. "I would be busy with the bullpen, fielding, and now this," he said as he indicated the scroll. "I'll be spending all my time with you, Chris-senpai."

Chris felt himself flush. What was he doing here?

"I wonder if Furuya said yes. It'll be hard for him to date too. Miyuki is a slave-driver," continued on Sawamura.

"Furuya?" questioned Chris, not following the conversation. It felt like he and Sawamura were talking about two different things.

"Yeah! The love letter that Mio-chan wanted me to give to Furuya. I honestly don't think he read it, the bastard," groused Sawamura.

Chris felt like an utter fool.

Although it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that someone would confess to Sawamura, it seemed as if he had jumped to conclusions. Miyuki must be laughing about this somewhere.

Chris couldn't help himself. He laughed too. It started out self-depreciatively but soon genuine mirth followed.

"Uh, yeah I guess Furuya dating would be funny," said Sawamura as he forced a chuckle through his lips. "He'd probably only want to play catch the whole time."

"Not Furuya, but me," Chris managed to get out.

Sawamura tilted his head in confusion.

"Stop me if you don't want this," said Chris as he mustered all his courage. There was no way he was giving anyone else an opportunity to have Sawamura. He had to try himself first. He leaned forward, one palm gently holding Sawamura's cheek and the other grasping the southpaw's limp hand as he slowly brought their faces together, their eyes never once leaving one another.

Sawamura's face grew red and Chris knew his wasn't much better. Sawamura could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he swallowed deeply.

Chris is going to kiss me! he inwardly cheered as he closed his eyes and leaned forward, closing the distance between them and kissing Chris soundly. There was no way he was going to make Chris think he didn't want him.

Chris could feel relief flow through him. He could still have this.

They kissed for a while, the training scroll forgotten on the bed as the held onto one another, taking the time to explore the other.

"You really couldn't just tell me?" asked Chris as he and Miyuki were once again in the dugout overlooking practice.

"And ruin all the fun?" rhetorically replied Miyuki.

"I can see why Eijun calls you a 'tanuki'," replied Chris warmly. If it hadn't been for Miyuki's interference he probably would have missed out on being with Eijun.

"Oh ho~ It's 'Eijun' now," teased Miyuki. Chris felt a small blush from on his cheeks.

"It is," he confirmed, "Now get back to practice before I tell the coach you were slacking off," chided Chris lightly.

"Yes yes, I'm going," said Miyuki as he turned toward the field, "I am happy for you two though, even if Sawamura is being disgustingly cheerful about it."

Chris chuckled lightly and turned to look at Eijun who was busy gushing about something with Kominato-kun. The southpaw must have felt Chris' stare since he looked up and locked eyes with Chris, giving him the biggest smile.

Chris felt like he fell in love all over again.

End.