Hanai's eyes fluttered open as he heard the birds chirping away outside. He was about to move when he realized he couldn't. He glanced down to find a small freckled boy resting in his arms. Hanai froze with eyes wide.

Shit. He thought to himself. Hanai sighed and titled his head up. He felt the person in his arms move. The boy yawned and stared up at his team's caption.

"Morning Hanai." he smiled.

"Morning." Hanai looked down at the grinning boy. Tajima curled back up into a ball and closed his eyes.

"Hey dude, you can't go back to sleep!" Hanai said quickly getting out of his bed.

"Why not?" Tajima rolled onto his stomach and watched as his crush walked across the room picking things up and putting them away. They both glanced at the clock to see that it was near noon.

"Man, it's too early." Tajima rubbed his eyes.

"Early? What time do you usually wake up?" Hanai asked. Tajima just stared. "Huh?" Hanai raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"Nothing." Tajima smiled. He's thinking about last night. Hanai thought.

"Listen Tajima, about last night…" Hanai began to say.

"I'm hungry!" Tajima rose from the bed and began to run out the room when he was stopped.

"Tajima." Hanai said. He gripped Tajima's shirt firmly. Tajima tried pulling away but the caption wouldn't let his best player get away, just yet.

"I-I don't want things to get awkward between us Hanai." Tajima stated.

"Things won't-"Hanai replied.

"You say that now, but what about tomorrow?" Tajima asked. Hanai had let go of the boy's shirt, as he turned around to meet his face.

When did he get so serious? Hanai thought to himself. He stared down at the little Tajima that stood before him. Hanai took a deep breath. Wait… Hanai paused in his thoughts. What would I think tomorrow? What am I thinking now? Am I going crazy? I never had feelings for a boy. Yet, when I met Tajima…no no no, this can't be happening. It possibly cannot be happening. I couldn't possibly have feelings for him. It was just hormones acting in…

Hanai nervously looked into the warm brown eyes of Tajima, who was respectfully waiting for an answer. Hanai examined the face that was right before him. A cluster of freckles on his nose, and that for some strange reason Hanai couldn't resist to stare at for he thought how cute it looked, along with the grin Tajima had always given Hanai after they scored in a game.

Hanai then focused on Tajima's brown eyes that were full of mixed feelings at that moment in time.

"I think I'm just gonna go on home." Tajima said beginning to walk towards his bag he brought last night. He began to tidy up his bag, and strip to change clothes.

All Hanai could do was stand in there, as if his feet were glued to the hard wooden floor.

"I'll see you at practice eh?" Tajima waved off to Hanai, not even wanting to look at him. Hanai watched as his fellow friend exited his own house, and Hanai did not move at all until he was sure he heard the door being slammed from downstairs.

It was a few days later in which people on the team were beginning to notice the awkwardness between their caption and cleanup hitter. People began asking questions which lead into rumors which lead into an extremely annoyed Hanai.

"Just let them be." Tajima had said to him one day during batting practice. Hanai had thrown his bat over his right shoulder and was resting all his weight on his left leg with the opposite arm on his hip. Typical batters pose for Hanai. He watched as Tajima took each swing, using all muscles and soul. For a while it seemed that Hanai was lost in Tajima's rhythmic swings, until their coach had called it a day.

Tajima threw his bat down and headed towards the lockers. Not saying a word. Nothing. Hanai followed the rest of the team to the locker room but to see Tajima standing outside the door already dresses. Arms folded, and no smile.

"Hanai." he called tilting his head to the side.

"Uh, yeah." Hanai stopped in front of Tajima.

"Can I spend the night at your house?" he asked quickly, causing the words to become one. Hanai blinked a few times to register what Tajima had said.

"Yeah, but why?" he asked.

"I had a fight with my family." Tajima mumbled.

"But I thought you were cool with your mom and stuff?" Hanai asked.

"Not last night." Tajima muttered.

"Is that why you were so out of it today?" asked Hanai. Tajima nodded.

"Thanks." he said.

"No problem." Hanai replied patting his teammate on the shoulder. "Let me go get changed." Hanai jogged into the locker room and over to his locker. He opened the rusty metal door and pulled out his school uniform.

Wait…Tajima is coming over…again. Hanai couldn't help but go back to that one particular night. In the dark, kissing…Hanai had to admit that Tajima was one hell of a kisser.

No, I shouldn't be thinking of this! I'm not- Hanai shut his locker door closed to realize he was the last one in there.

"Haannaaaaaiii!" Tajima stretched out Hanai's name as he called into the locker room. "You're the last one!"

"Yeah yeah." Hanai grabbed his duffel bag and headed out. The two began walking down the sidewalk leading to where Hanai lives. It was silent.

"Why did you ask me?" Hanai asked.

"Hm?" Tajima glanced to look at Hanai. Hanai's face was replaced with the colors of pink and red.

"N-Nothing." he said.

"It's not that hard to figure it out." said Tajima. He stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Really?" Hanai asked.

"I knew you would let me stay." Tajima said.

"Oh." Hanai sighed.

"Also, I knew that if I went over to anyone else's house, I would explode my brains out." Tajima stated.

"Eh?" Hanai could only speak one word at a time.

"I like spending time with you Hanai. You keep me from blowing my brains out whenever I get mad. That's why I'm so happy all the time, because you're here." Tajima held a thumbs up. "No wonder I fell for you!" he grinned. Hanai lost his breath for a moment, as the two reached the front of his house.

Before Hanai could open his mouth, the door flew open to reveal Hanai's mother.

"Oh Azusa!" his mother said. "Dinner's almost ready-oh, we have a visitor?" Mrs. Hanai looked at her son's 'friend'.

"Yeah mom, can Tajima spend the night?" Hanai asked pointing to the small male that stood at their front door.

"Oh, of course!" Mrs. Hanai said. "Come on in. Dinner should be done soon."

"Alright! I'm starving!" Tajima said pumping a fist into the air.

"Mom, where are the twins?" Hanai asked as he slipped his shoes off.

"They're at a friend's house. I don't know when they'll be back."

"That's right, you have sisters." Tajima said putting a finger to his chin.

"Hopefully you won't have to meet then." Hanai muttered. The two baseball players wandered around until Hanai's mother called them for dinner which of course Tajima was the first one at the table.

"I have to run a few errands, so please help yourself to seconds." Mrs. Hanai said and left with that.

Here we are, alone again. Hanai finished off his plate and dumped the remains into the garbage. Tajima followed. The two stood in the kitchen not knowing what to do. Hanai was uncomfortable in particular places, and he had no idea why. He had to keep on repeating to himself to stop staring at Tajima's freckles.

Hanai looked at his feet and traced the pattern of the floor with his eyes.

I don't have feelings for Tajima. I do NOT have feelings for this guy. Hanai repeated over and over again. Even though since the day we met I always get this weird feeling in my stomach whenever he comes nears, or my heart starts pounding extra hard, or, or other things happen. Or like that one night, my mind was racing and and-

Hanai lost his train of thought as he felt a pair of short warm arms wrap around his waist.

"T-Tajima?" Hanai asked not knowing what to do. Tajima squeezed, as tears began to soak Hanai's shirt. "Tajima." Hanai couldn't help but wrap his own arms around the smaller body. He had never seen Tajima like this, then again Hanai could only think of Tajima being happy and that was it. Hanai pressed his lips against the top of Tajima's head.

"My family-"Tajima mumbled. "Hates me for who I am. They hate that I'm in love with someone of the same sex. They think it's wrong and that I'll never live happy because of it."

The normal thing Hanai would have done right now was to pull away, but he didn't. Instead he squeezed even tighter.

"And now, I don't even know if it's right for me to like someone that I'm positive doesn't have the same feelings." Tajima said softly. He wiped his eyes with his arm. "I mean I guess I could still be just friends with him, lie to my family, and then everyone will be happy…" Tajima pulled away, but Hanai wouldn't let go.

"Hanai." he said.

Do I like him? He's suffering because of me. His whole family hates him for admitting that he's gay and that he loves me. But do I like him?

"Tajima." Hanai repeated his name. He pulled Tajima into a tight hug.

"Hanai."

Hanai placed both of his hands onto Tajima's shoulders and stared straight into his eyes.

"I-I lo-"

"I'm home!" Mrs. Hanai burst through the front door. She entered the kitchen to catch her son and her son's 'friend' face to face, only inches apart-

"Ohoho, sorry about that boys, I'll leave." Mrs. Hanai giggled.

"It's okay mom." Hanai said releasing his grip on Tajima. "We were going upstairs anyway."

"Yeah!" Tajima said. Hanai lead Tajima out of the kitchen and began walking up the stairs. Somewhere along the way Hanai had grabbed Tajima's hand and held it.

Once the two reached Hanai's room, and the door was closed, Hanai's head was rushing with thoughts.

"T-Tajima, I think I love you too!" Hanai said still holding onto Tajima's hand. Hanai could feel that his hand was sweating as Tajima grabbed the other hand.

"R-Really?" Tajima's whole face lit up.

"I think." Hanai replied. "I thought about it for a long time."

"Hanai!" Tajima threw his arms around Hanai's neck and hugged him. Hanai hugged back, making sure he was doing the right decision.

I do like him right?

Hanai looked at Tajima's face; he stared at his freckles then smiled. Yeah I'm pretty sure I'll be fine.

"Hanai, what about tomorrow?" Tajima asked.

"I'll still love you." said Hanai. The two were still in hugging position.

"I meant about the game you dumbass." Tajima laughed. "Do I have to give up my cleanup spot because of this?"

"I'll think about it." said Hanai. Tajima playfully slapped his brand new lover.

"Will you go out with me?" Tajima asked suddenly.

"Do you have to ask?" Hanai replied. Tajima didn't respond except for grinning. Hanai kissed his new boyfriend on the lips to hide that grin of his, for that grin was too much for Hanai's pants to handle.

"Big Brother!" the door swung open revealing to very young girls.

"Oh shi-"the couple turned their heads to the door. The twins stared.

Somehow the two got on the floor, and both shirts were loosely unbuttoned. Along with Tajima's zipper undone.

"MOM!" one of the twins called. "BIG BROTHER IS KILLING SOMEONE ON THE FLOOR." Hanai and Tajima quickly buttoned up their shirts and zip up their pants as they heard footsteps.

Tajima grabbed some random textbook while Hanai grabbed a notepad and pen.

"Now what are you two talking about?" Mrs. Hanai came up behind her two girls, to find Hanai and Tajima on the floor…reading.

"They're only studying girls." Mrs. Hanai rested a hand on each girl's shoulder.

"But big brother was on top of the other person."

"Now, now let's leave the boys to study." Mrs. Hanai closed the door and lead the young girls to their room.

Tajima set down the book and turned to Hanai.

The two fell backwards and rolled on the floor laughing before they both were tired of laughing and decided to just fall asleep right on the floor. In each other's arms.