Archive of Our Own ^beta

The sun shone high in the sky, its warmth pressing hotly on Eijun's neck, sending a trickle of sweat down his back. He inhaled deeply, timing his breathing with the beat of his heart, feeling each thump strong in his chest. Gathering all his patience, Eijun slowly tuned out the loud cheers surrounding him, dulling the cheers and encouragement that came from the opposing team’s bench. His own team looked much the same, their smiles filled with the expectations they held of him but tried to shield. Impressive cheers came from the audience; it was a relatively large crowd for a Sunday practice game, even more so for an away game. Eijun took another deep breath, pushing away all thoughts except for what mattered.

A runner on third, in a position to score. One more out, one more batter. The batter wasn't anything impressive – his helmet sat too big on his head and his feet nervously shifted around home base, lightly kicking up the dirt around his feet. He tightened his grip around the bat, exhaling loudly before focusing on Eijun, his eyes resilient and strong. Both batter and pitcher knew this was it. It was the last inning, the last out, the last pitch. Eijun focused on the people around him, his attention only sparing enough room for the teammates behind him, screaming his name and lifting his spirits. The rest of him honed on his captain, confidently locking eyes with Eijun, his fingers twitting an impatient rhythm as he waited for the pitcher to finish readying himself. Eijun could see the smirk from the mound, the corners of Kazuya's lips lifting slyly, his dark eyes bright with adrenaline and maybe even excitement.

Bouncing the resin bag in his palm, Eijun returned the smile, his chest filling with anticipation as Kazuya widened his arms gratuitously, motioning for Eijun to pitch his best, whatever he wanted. His arrogance was unnerving but Eijun couldn't find it in himself to disagree with him, glancing once more at the score board. It might have been a practice game but they were dominating, shutting out the opposing team without any mercy. There was a runner on base due to a fielding error, one that Kanemaru had taken earful from Kuramochi for.

Eijun didn't mind. He was calm, he was relaxed, and he was ready to give Kazuya his best pitch, the best pitch he would throw this entire game.

Tossing the resin bag to the ground, Eijun returned Kazuya's gaze with glass eyed determination and puffed his cheeks out in concentration. Kazuya mouthed focus on the batter and Eijun nearly laughed at the irony of it – he was grateful Kazuya's position was behind the home plate, misleading enough for anyone to ever doubt that Eijun's eyes could possibly be anywhere else.

Focus he says, and Kazuya's brows rose expectantly, his fist pounding into the mitt loudly in mocking imitation of the sharp, resounding smack that would soon fill Eijun's ears. Lifting his leg high and above his waist, Eijun spared the batter one last glance before he drove all his might into getting the ball right where it belonged. The batter's eyes widened in wonder at Eijun's form, the surprise in the tilt of his mouth a mix of irritation and scorn; it was an expression that Eijun had grown to expect from most players and he'd be lying if he said he didn't look forward to it with every at bat. He flung his arm out at the last possible second, maintaining his form just long enough to let the ball fly from his fingers, his leg lifting backwards into the air.

Kazuya's gaze widened imperceptibly and Eijun was careful to notice that the catcher didn't have to move an inch, the control he had been training relentlessly to achieve visible in this one throw. The batter took one step backwards, quickly changing his grip on the bat to that of a bunt and for a moment Eijun ran cold, the heat on his skin gone as the ball careened towards Kazuya. The batter shifted a moment too late though, the timing of Eijun’s pitch throwing him off like it did most players – the sound of the ball landing harshly in Kazuya's mitt was deafening in Eijun's ears and all too soon was blocked out by the whoops and cheers of those behind him.

"Game set!"

Within moments the team had gathered around Eijun, thumping his back in unison. He could easily make out the differentiation of touches; Haruichi softly grabbed his elbow, smiling up at him in relief, his eyes hidden behind his cap and hair. Kuramochi kicked him in the knee, laughing manically when Eijun had to cling to Furuya for support, while the ace just nodded curtly at him, his eyes somehow both appreciative and envious. Toujou clapped him on the shoulder and Kanemaru glared at him shiftily, muttering under his breath about luck and coincidences, but Eijun knew better.

Eijun hungrily scanned the crowd of players around him, briefly sparing a glance at the opposing team, their remorse tangible. A twinge of guilt clenched at his chest, but he shook it off and smiled broadly at the teammates around him. Somebody had to lose, but sometimes Eijun had to remind himself to be grateful it wasn’t his team. The umpire called for them to line up and Eijun whipped his head around, searching for a crooked grin and troublesome eyes. Shoulders bumped into his roughly and Eijun jerked his head at the touch, his scowl quickly shifting into a grin when he realized that Kazuya had squeezed in next to him, deftly avoiding a glare from Kuramochi.

"You took your time up there," he muttered playfully, jostling shoulders with Eijun once more.

"Yeah, well, I was trying to be careful! You know, control the ball? Something a certain nasty catcher has been telling me forever to work on??"

Kazuya sniggered and ducked his head, placing a firm hand to Eijun's shoulders and squeezing tightly.

"I might be nasty, but you can't say I'm not efficient."

"Did you come over here to brag? I pitched that, you know! That was me with the final throw!!"

"Relax. You did well. I couldn't have asked for a better pitch."

Heat gathered around Eijun's neck at the compliment; he quickly averted his gaze, staring embarrassingly into his hands. The palm on his shoulder suddenly felt heavy and too warm, as if it was pressing more than approval into him.

"T-thanks, Miyuki."

"Of course," he says effortlessly, letting his hand fall from Eijun's shoulder. Eijun couldn't ever recall being so grateful when the umpire yelled, "Bow!"

∞

"Eijun-kun, are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Leaning carefully out of the window of the bus, Haruichi shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand and eyed Eijun worriedly. "We don't mind at all." Furuya nodded from behind, moving to get up from his seat to join Eijun. The southpaw just waived his hand in the air, reassuring them with one last glance.

"Nah! I'm okay, really! I just gotta take a quick leak and I'll be back, don't worry! Don't let Miyuki give my seat away!"

Haruichi nodded and returned to his seat, cautiously checking his watch for the time before resuming his conversation with Furuya.

It would be just like Kazuya to offer up a seat next to him on the bus ride home only to then force Eijun to sit next to Kuramochi when he came back from the restroom. He cringed, trying to shake the image of Kuramochi strangling him while Kazuya just laughed from the other side of the chair, offering nothing but a shit eating grin.

Eijun walked quickly to the restrooms, weaving in and out of the small crowd that had gathered in the courtyard of their opponent’s school. The pitcher couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful it felt up on the mound today. Everything seemed so perfect, so in place. His battery with Kazuya was the best it had ever been and Eijun felt nothing but support from the teammates who stood behind him. It seemed like everyone was finally starting acknowledge him; his teammates, the coach, and finally Kazuya. His entire reason for choosing to attend Seido had been the genius catcher who was supposed to help take Seido to Koshien and this year it seemed like Eijun would be able to help him and Seido as well. Koshien appeared to truly be within their reach.

Wrapping up his business, Eijun washed his hands and then glanced at his cellphone, shrieking when he realized he had been away from the bus for nearly ten minutes. Quickening his pace, Eijun jogged lightly across the parking lot but stopped abruptly when he saw Kazuya standing a few feet away, staring intently above him.

That was weird. Kazuya had said he was going to look for Nabe when Eijun tried to lecture him about messing around before the bus left. Not that he was one to talk, but he also wasn’t about to let Kazuya get away with anything he couldn’t. 

It was odd how he kept staring at the sky, his gaze occupied with something in the clouds, and stranger still that it appeared that Kazuya had changed his clothes as well. How did he have time to change? Eijun hadn't been away for more than a few minutes. Bewildered, Eijun shrugged and tapped Kazuya on the shoulder, quickly preparing a scowl and smart remark. 

"What kind of impression are you setting for the rest of the team, Captain? You can't be the last person on the bus! Why, if I was captain, I'd be the first person on every time, never mind – eeek!"

To Eijun's deep embarrassment and surprise, the person he had presumed was Kazuya was not actually him at all. They did look strikingly similar, however, so much so that Eijun had to do a double take to be sure of his own eyes. The hair and eyes were about right, but this guy was definitely older and taller, and Eijun would eat his own shoe the day he saw Kazuya genuinely smile like this man was doing right now.

"S-sorry! My mistake! I thought you were someone else –"

"Eijun? Is it really you? I forgot – this is insane – I forgot how small you were!"

What???

Before EIjun could even process the words that were leaving the man's mouth, the other grabbed him by the shoulders, pressing him tightly against his chest and whispering warmly into his ear.

"Eijun, it's – god, it's so good to see you – this is absolutely –"

SLAP

∞

At a first glance, Sawamura Eijun at 21 years old did not look much different than the Sawamura Kazuya knew now. His eyes still shone golden when he got excited about something, he still talked himself in circles when he got confused, and Kazuya was inclined to believe that the occasional oshi oshi oshi was still an active part of his vocabulary. He was taller, that much was clear, and had filled out his once scrawny, gangly body with taunt, lean muscles that seem to be made for the casual t shirt he was sporting. He still had the habit of scratching his cheek when he was nervous, which he did at least three times in the past ten minutes, trying to awkwardly explain why and what he was doing here, five years into the past.

Kazuya nervously glanced around him, checking for any teammates or someone that would recognize him. He had only been away from the team to seek out Nabe, who had taken a second bus with the rest of baseball club and had promised to have notes for Kazuya to overlook. Kazuya had just been about to turn back when he had heard his name being hollered, slandered with a few choice curse words. Sawamura was standing just south of the parking lot, confused and pulling his hair out, grumbling ‘that bastard’ and ‘I can’t believe he just wandered off like that’. Kazuya might have inquired as to who he was talking about and why he was yelling his name, but understandably he was a little shocked to discover that this was not the same Sawamura he knew.

“So, I mean, it’s kind of complicated, but we’re not here to cause any trouble, you know? I’m sure whatever the heck happened will only last a few days at the most and we’ll be back on our way, never to be seen again, hahaha! Except, when you’re actually our age and you see us again…”

Kazuya’s eyes caught something in the light and he stepped forward, interjecting Sawamura suddenly. “Is that a ring? So, you’re married?”  

Sawamura startled, quickly glancing at the ring on his finger then back at Kazuya in discomfort. His lips trembled for a brief moment and he forced out a nervous laugh, reaching to scratch his face for the umpteenth time.

"Well, not exactly..." his words drifted airily across the space between them, the hesitance in his voice ringing clearly in Kazuya's ears. He looked as if he wanted to say more, his lip quivering with each breath, but he clamped his mouth shut, choosing instead to clear his throat. "I have someone, though."

So Sawamura found someone like that...

Sawamura fumbled with the ring at his finger, loosely twisting it in circles, his eyes suddenly caught on something on the ground. He looked fleetingly at his ring, the gold shine of it reflecting off his eyes. Smiling softly, almost reluctantly, Sawamura glanced back at Kazuya, eyes full of tenderness, his grin widening further with each passing moment. His cheeks were dusted rosy with eyes crinkled at the corners, a small chuckle escaping him.

The affection in Sawamura's face was a countenance Kazuya had never seen before – it was discernibly clear that he was in love, no chagrin visible – Sawamura was proud of his love. He wore it so keenly, Kazuya nearly took a step back, feeling inexplicably pressured by the tone their conversation had taken. It was too heavy, heavy to him anyway, for it looked so natural on Sawamura's face it was unnerving.

He fumbled on his words for moment, his sentence getting caught somewhere between his tongue and his teeth and reached for the back of his neck, scratching at it merely for something to do.

"That's nice, Sawamura. I'm happy for you."

Kazuya was aware of the dejected tone of his retort, but swallowed it along with the last of the saliva in his mouth, the hollow interior of his cheeks going dry with anticipation of his next question.

"How long...?"

"Well, I'm twenty one right now, so about three years, give or take a few months."

Kazuya whistled despite himself, genuinely surprised by Sawamura's answer. Three years? He found his...wife? At eighteen years old none the less? The few girls he and Sawamura both knew flashed like trophies in his head. The first girl he thought of was Haruno, one of the mangers on the team. Supposing in some strange alternate reality Sawamura was capable of charming anyone, he included the other managers, minus Takako. There was no way, absolutely no way in hell. A light bulb went off in Kazuya's head and he tilted his head in question, finding comfort in the suspicion of Sawamura's gaze, his eyes narrowing at Kazuya.

"So you finally made Wakana your girlfriend?"

The grumbling and heavy footsteps Kazuya heard next were a welcome relief and noises that he recognized easily – Eijun turned the corner of the building, fuming and stomping his feet, face swollen in irritation and confusion falling off of him in waves. "For the last time, Miyuki Kazuya, she is not my girlfriend!"

The word girlfriend came out a garbled mess of sounds as Eijun's eyes finally landed on the future version of himself. He stuttered for a second or two, reaching to rub his eyes in disbelief but recovered easily, smiling and snickering appreciatively. "I got taller!"

Sawamura smiled broadly, lowering his hand just above Eijun's head. They were about four or five inches apart, Sawamura looming above him. "You're not as surprised as you could be. You ran into Miyuki, huh?"

No way, Kazuya thought to himself, disbelief widening his gaze. Sure enough, a twenty two year old Miyuki Kazuya strode in after Eijun, a shifty smirk at the slant of his lips and dark rimmed glasses perched on his face, probably the same pair Kazuya owned now.

“This is beyond weird,” Kazuya muttered, eyeing his future self suspiciously. Sawamura laughed loudly at his reaction, sliding up to him and slinging an arm around his shoulder. Kazuya flinched at the contact but didn’t push him away, too absorbed in the surprise that lit up in Eijun’s eyes across from him. His brows rose in confusion, but before Kazuya could put much thought into Eijun’s expression, Miyuki mimicked Sawamura’s actions, leaning heavily on Eijun’s shoulders.

Eijun reacted immediately, sputtering and shoving Miyuki off of him, screaming.

“Don’t touch me, you bastard!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Miyuki breathed in between laughs, not sounding sorry at all. “Please don’t hit me again, please!” he cried mockingly, raising his hands in defense and backing into a wall. It was then that Kazuya noticed a red and purplish swelling just underneath his cheek.

∞

“I can’t believe you actually hit me,” Kazuya recalled, clutching his chest dramatically. “What could I have done to deserve that?”

“Shut up! I already apologized! To both of you!!” Eijun cried, throwing his hands up in the air. “What was I supposed to do? You were – well he was – gaaah! This is confusing!”

Confusing was one way to put it. Ridiculous was another. Absolutely impossible was right on the money. Yet here they were, trying to wrap their heads around running into their future selves at a baseball game. Eijun and Kazuya had sat next to each other on the bus ride back, their minds spinning and eyes lit up in wonder. They were careful not to discuss anything while still surrounded by their teammates, but Kazuya could tell Eijun was about to burst and if Kazuya was being honest, so was he. What the hell was going on?

Sawamura and Miyuki had rushed them off, assuring them they would find their own way to Seido, but Kazuya couldn’t help but stare into the window, expecting to see their future selves somewhere behind them, perhaps following them to the school grounds?

I wonder how long they’ll be here, Kazuya contemplated, rounding a corner that lead to the dorm rooms. Eijun was still following him, babbling nonsense about science fiction films and still struggling with how to address them.

“I mean, it’s confusing right? Can I just call myself by name? It just sounds weird. OH and did I tell you? When I first ran into him, well, you I guess? He had called me by my first name! You actually called me Eijun. Do you think we’re close in the future? I mean obviously you’d want to remain friends with me, but I guess I am a little surprised –”

Kazuya cut him off abruptly, whipping an arm out in front of him and pushing Eijun behind him, hushing him with wide eyes and pressing a finger to his Eijun’s mouth. Eijun squawked loudly in an effort to dodge him, tripping over his feet and falling roughly against the wall. Kazuya peered around the corner of the wall carefully, ensuring Eijun’s loud wail hadn’t interrupted anything.

“Sssh,” he whispered, jerking his head in front of him. “Look.” He leaned back, allowing Eijun to check out the sight for himself.

“There they – we? – are!”

Their future selves were talking animatedly in the training room, pacing around the equipment and laughing. Miyuki pointed to the pitching net and smirked mischievously, muttering something in a soft tone that Kazuya couldn’t catch. Whatever he said must have been funny however, because he doubled up laughing as Sawamura flailed his arms around, yelling his full name indignantly while aiming a sharp kick at the net.

“You really haven’t changed much,” Kazuya teased, poking Eijun sharply in the ribs. “Way too loud.”

“Shut up, Miyuki! It’s clear to see that you’re the one who hasn’t changed!! Still making fun of me and what’s with that nasty personality? Are you ever going to change?”

“Come on, you don’t think I’m a little cool?”

Eijun’s only response was to roll his eyes and stick his tongue out. Kazuya ignored him, quickly rushing to hide behind a few stacks of crates, closer to where Miyuki and Sawamura were. Eijun cursed, shaking his head and looking behind him, obviously considering escaping what was bound to be a bad idea. Kazuya glanced back at him, beckoning towards him again. At the very least if they got caught he could always blame Eijun.

“This is so weird!!” Eijun whispered loudly, pulling roughly on Kazuya’s elbow. “We shouldn’t be watching them, what if they catch us?!”

Kazuya could feel the warmth of Eijun’s hands through the material of his shirt, gripping his forearm tightly. He was mere seconds from jumping Eijun, so determined he was to quiet the younger boy, when the sound of his voice rang out clearly throughout the room.

“You know we can’t say anything, Eijun.”

The tone in Miyuki’s voice was serious, but remained light and patient. It was strikingly similar to how he sounded when he was training with Eijun, while coaxing him into a new pitch or advising him to stay focused. He shivered inadvertently, glancing at Eijun, but he was staring straight ahead, his mouth rounded and eyes large, trying to be clear of what he was seeing.

“Kazuya, I literally hated you at this age. What’s the harm?” Sawamura held his hands on his hips, leaning forward in question. His expression was irritated and Kazuya recognized that face well, regardless of the age difference.

“The harm is,” Miyuki said quietly, reaching for Sawamura’s hand and pulling Sawamura closer to him. Kazuya could almost hear Eijun’s jaw drop and he might have commented on it if it weren’t for his own hands, knuckles white with fingers tightly laced between the holes of the crate.

Why I am holding Sawamura’s hand?

Why is Sawamura holding my hand? Isn’t he married?

Oh

“The harm,” Miyuki repeated, his eyes shining and his smirk softening, “Is that I kind of like the future we have.”

Oh no

Sawamura stepped forward, a wry smile that Kazuya wasn’t accustomed to branching across his lips. Pulling Miyuki’s arm around his waist he said, “Yeah, I guess it’s not so bad.”

Neither Kazuya nor Eijun were prepared for what came next, but the catcher supposed some part of him must have felt it coming because his tongue felt like lead in his mouth, weighing heavily against his teeth and taking up the space he needed to breathe.  He gripped the crates tighter, unable to pull his gaze away from his future self. Next to him, Eijun’s face contorted in confusion, his brows furrowed together tightly, breathing nearly nonexistent.

Miyuki leaned in towards Sawamura’s face, affectionately sliding a hand under the other’s jaw to cup his cheek, stroking the tanned skin under his fingertips. Sawamura moved forward an inch, softly pressing his mouth against Miyuki’s, grinning unabashedly into his lips. The kiss might have only lasted a few seconds, but for the two younger boys watching, it felt like time had ceased to exist, holding them to this intimate and very private moment. Kazuya tried to avert his eyes, determined to focus on anything but the heated affection in front of him, but he soon found that this was worse. He glanced over at Eijun and felt himself grow increasingly more uncomfortable watching the pitcher fluctuate through his emotions – at first his gaze broadened in bewilderment with his hands twitching at his side but quickly his eyes turned dark, almost angrily looking back at their future selves. A flash of what could be called understanding stretched across his features and Kazuya could practically hear the light bulb go off in Eijun’s mind.

Sawamura giggled childishly and Kazuya flinched inwardly at the noise; he was so perplexed that such a pleasant sounding laughter could even emit from the older pitcher, let alone that he himself, even five years older, could be the cause of such a light hearted sound.

They brought their lips together again and this time Eijun looked away, wringing his hands in his lap and staring hard at the ground, eyes closed in frustration. He pounded his fists against his lap silently, shaking his head as if to rid the vision from his mind.

How did I not pick up on this? Kazuya thought to himself, still watching Sawamura and Miyuki. The signs should have been obvious and yet the idea was so farfetched to both Eijun and Kazuya that they had overlooked it completely, partly because the presence of their future counter parts alone was enough to keep them distracted. Sawamura had looked pretty distraught when Kazuya had inquired about his wedding band but he was so preoccupied with the idea of Sawamura being married in the first place that he hadn’t taken much notice. Recalling Eijun’s description of his meeting with his older self, the puzzle pieces all just seemed to shift into place. Miyuki being so outwardly familiar and affectionate with Eijun – comfortable enough to grab him by the shoulders and address him by his first name – Eijun had been so shocked at the time that he hadn’t even put two and two together. Kazuya felt himself grow dizzy, the details regarding the scene in front of him becoming somewhat suffocating.

Details

There were so many details that were somehow colossally more intimate than the sight of them exchanging their affections, tightly wrapped in each other’s embrace. The way Miyuki would whisper something teasingly soft every time their lips parted, impossibly causing Sawamura’s grin to widen even farther before leaning in for another peck. Sawamura had his hands pressed against Miyuki’s abdomen, slyly slipping his fingers underneath the cotton of his shirt to graze his skin delicately, as if he hoped the other wouldn’t notice. Miyuki did notice, however and returned the gesture, gripping Sawamura by his waist and thumbing the curvature of hips, pulling him deeper into his mouth, his neck angling for what Kazuya could only assume was for better access…

“Oi, come on!” Kazuya whispered suddenly, decidedly finished with watching himself make out with Sawamura. He jerked Eijun roughly by the sleeve of his shirt and moved to grab his wrist, quickly pulling him from the ground. They got up silently, softly stepping towards the exit. Eijun risked a quick glance behind him, but their future selves were still distracted with one another and had never noticed the younger boys. As soon as their feet touched the ground outside Kazuya broke into a sprint, never once releasing his grip on the boy behind him. Eijun’s breathing was heavy and exerted next to him, the air leaving his lungs in shallow, stricken pants. Kazuya wasn’t in much better shape. The boys ran until they reached the bullpen, with Eijun panting and collapsing onto the ground in a flurry of dirt while Kazuya took a deep breath and leaned against the chain link fence that surrounded them. Kazuya’s lungs were devoid of any air and his heart was pounding irregularly in his chest for such a short sprint.  He glanced up at the sky and saw the moon, full and gleaming brightly in the night sky.

Kazuya could feel Eijun’s eyes on him and he looked up carefully, pushing his glasses further up his nose and clearing his throat awkwardly. He felt his face heat before the words even left his mouth. “So, that was…weird?”

 Eijun sputtered loudly, his face reddening deep from the shallow dip of his collar bones to the very edges of his face. He glared once at Kazuya, his lips wrenched into a tight grimace and fists clenched at the ready. “Miyuki Kazuya, why was I kissing you?!”

He was entirely overwhelmed with situation and Kazuya could spot the tell tail signs of Eijun coming undone – his shoulders were arched impressively into his neck and he shook with anxiety, his eyes glowing darkly, a visage of emotions flitting across his face.

“Sawamura, I’m not sure…” Kazuya began apprehensively, but Eijun cut him off, quickly slapping himself in the face with both hands and jumping to the air, the frustration in his expression replaced with complete bewilderment.

“I’M GOING TO BED I FORGOT I HAVE HOMEWORK THAT KURAMOCHI SENPAI WANTED ME TO HELP HIM WITH BYE.”

“Sawamura, wait!” yelled Kazuya, but it was useless for Eijun had broken into a run, colliding harshly with the gate to the bullpen and leaving Kazuya with nothing but the impatient fall of his footsteps on cement. Kazuya couldn’t find it within himself to blame him. He had half a mind to pick up a tire and run in the hopes of forgetting what he just saw.

What the hell did I just witness? Kazuya asked himself incredulously, sighing and running his fingers through his hair. Sawamura had said earlier that they were five years older than he was now, putting Sawamura at twenty one and his older self at twenty two.

When did they get together? What did this mean?

This means I like Sawamura…

Kazuya couldn’t help but let a delirious giggle slip through his lips. He bit his fist, completely astonished by the thought. How could he like Eijun? Sawamura Eijun who was an obnoxious, berating, rowdy and often stupid part of his life. Eijun who needed at least two upperclassmen to make sure he was out of bed for practice each morning but was somehow still the loudest person in the cafeteria come breakfast. The bunt master? Kuramochi’s wrestling victim? Kazuya had feelings for and ended up with that sixteen year old idiot?

This revelation was infinitely more ludicrous than the concept of their future selves showing up here to begin with. But the more Kazuya thought about Eijun, the less strange it sounded. It helped to have a suggestive image to accompany his thoughts and Kazuya was forced to admit that it wasn’t exactly awful. In fact, the more he mulled it over the more certain Kazuya became that he was actually quite interested in kissing Eijun for himself.

It seemed quite impossible to Kazuya though, who had now moved on from thinking about what Eijun’s lips tasted like and onto what Eijun’s face looked like while he had been watching himself kiss Miyuki. His features had held equal parts of confusion and shock, with just a hint of fear.

∞

“Hey! Do you know what time it is you idiot – wait, Sawamura what’s wrong?”

Eijun closed the door to room five quietly behind him, quickly tucking his face into his shoulder to hide what was probably tears mingled in with sweat running down his face. He hesitated for moment, considering grabbing his pillow and begging Kanemaru to let him sleep in Chris’s old bed. Kuramochi glanced at him wearily, pausing the game he was playing.

This isn’t something I can run from! He thought frantically, wiping the moisture from his eyes.

“Nothing is wrong Kuramochi-senpai, I’m really sorry for being late. I’m kind of tired though, so I think I’m just gonna go to bed.”

Kuramochi set down the controller in front of him, taken aback by Eijun’s respectful, yet somber reply and turned around, eyeing Eijun suspiciously. “What are you hiding, Bakamura?”

Fearing a wrestling match coming, Eijun sighed deeply, collapsing on his bed and feigning exhaustion. He found it wasn’t that hard – the baseball game, meeting his future self as well as catching himself making out with Miyuki – all of these things had drained him, taxing his mind and already sore body.

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just not feeling well is all. I’ll see you tomorrow, ‘kay?” Eijun didn’t wait for a reply and rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head and staring into the wall. Kuramochi wrapped up his game shortly after that and turned out the lights, bending over Eijun’s bunk one last time to inquire if he was alright. Eijun pretended to be asleep. He was having a hard time dealing with the influx of images and feelings rushing through his brain and finding the patience to placate Kuramochi did not rank high on his priorities.

I start dating…Miyuki?

No. Not dating.

I pretty much marry Miyuki?

That was definitely a wedding band on Sawamura’s finger. Eijun had noticed it when he first found Kazuya and Sawamura talking, when he had draped himself over Kazuya’s shoulders, but he had never in a million years thought that it would be Miyuki Kazuya that he was promised to. Eijun couldn’t stop his first rational thought from being, ’I will not take his last name!!’ but aside from that, Eijun could only identify utter shock at the revelation. Kazuya had looked pretty surprised as well, but somehow seemed more composed than Eijun felt – he had barely been able to think about anything except for the constriction of his chest and the warm feeling that had perpetuated itself at the pit of his stomach upon seeing himself kiss Miyuki.

His future self had appeared so pleased and entirely comfortable in Miyuki’s embrace – in fact the only time he had ever seen an expression quite like that was when he caught his parents in an endearing moment when they thought no one was looking.

That was it. He had looked like he was in love with Miyuki.

Eijun muffled a scream into his pillow, just barely restraining himself from kicking wildly at the foot of his bed.  How could they be so irresponsible? Just kissing where anyone could find them! What if someone else had seen them besides him and Kazuya? The potential ramifications were dangerous, and more so then that, what did seeing this now mean for the future?

Eijun did not have any idea of how he was supposed to feel at this moment and with the very real future telling him how he was going to feel in just a matter of time breathing hotly down his neck, he didn’t think he ever would.

∞

Sleep did not come easy that night for Eijun and all too soon the sun rose announcing the start of a new day. Kuramochi was tossing pillows at him and shouting for him to get up, all from the comfortability of his own bed. Eijun grumbled but complied, quickly slipping on a pair of sweats and grabbing his toiletries to head to the bathroom. Stepping outside, he brought a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the brightness of the morning sun. It was going to be a very long day.

I wonder where they are? he mused to himself quietly, yawning loudly and clasping his arms together to stretch behind his neck. Furuya and Haruichi came up behind him, joining him in his walk to the bathroom. Eijun greeted them and smiled broadly, enjoying the sense of normalcy their presence brought him.

“Eijun-kun, were you in the training room with Miyuki-senpai last night?” Haruichi asked suddenly, tilting his head up to get a better look at Eijun. The pitcher blanched, jaw agape and drooping, his eyes round with surprise. “I swore I heard your voices pretty late in the evening.”

“I – er, why would I – I mean – “

“Bakamura, you’re not usually this slow in the morning!” Kazuya rounded the corner in front of him, stopping just a few inches short of Eijun’s next step. Eijun looked up at him in alarm, his tongue stuck somewhere on the last word he tried to utter. Kazuya spared him a small look of pity and said, “Sorry if we bothered you, Kominato. This idiot had to have 20 more pitches before we went to bed last night. It’s entirely his fault.”

The look of contempt he shot Kazuya rivaled that of Ryosuke but Eijun bit his tongue, unable to come up with another excuse as to why he and Kazuya could be heard up so late.

“Yeah, I’m really sorry Haruichi. If Miyuki-senpai would catch for me during practice I wouldn’t have to go to extreme measures to get some extra pitching done. It won’t happen again!”

Haruichi just nodded, waving his hand in front of his face nonchalantly as if it was no bother at all. Furuya had become bored with the conversation and began to snore – a classic sign that it was time to move on. Haruichi snapped his fingers softly in front the pitcher, bringing the boy back to life with gross pop of the snot bubble that had formed at his nose. Kazuya smirked and pulled some change out of his pocket, taking a few steps backwards to reach the vending machines.

Eijun waved at Haruichi and Furuya, pulling some coins out of his own pants to join Kazuya at the vending machine. He had one arm leaning against the cool exterior and another at his hip, his eyes scanning across the drink options.

“Look, about last night,” Eijun began hesitantly, moving to scratch the back of his neck nervously. Kazuya slipped a few coins into the machine but didn’t acknowledge him, instead bending down to grab his beverage from the dispenser. “Um, we should, probably talk about it.”

“Talk about what?” he replied callously. He turned to Eijun and popped open what could now be seen as coffee, tossing back a swig and wiping the foam from his lips. It was clear that he was avoiding eye contact – his dark eyes were drawn to everything but Eijun, from scanning the label of his coffee to picking lint from his shirt. Eijun scrunched up his face, disgruntled, and waved his hands awkwardly in front of him, as if he could brush away the weird air of tension between them.

“Uh – last night? Us kissing? I-I mean, um, them kissing? Older us?”

Kazuya didn’t look up at him as he said, “I’m not really worried about it, Sawamura. Come on or you’re gonna be late for breakfast.”

Eijun watched him walk away and slumped his body against the vending machine, smacking his head on it a few times. He suddenly felt oddly alone in all of this. Kazuya’s absence left him feeling cold and unsettled.

How are you not worried about this?

∞

They cannot be serious

Eijun scanned the crowd of onlookers that packed into the bleachers for Seidou’s afternoon practice. After a pointed cough and an irritated look from Kazuya, Eijun was made aware of their future selves settling among the occasional news reporter and alumni that came to today’s practice. Both were donned in baseball caps and sunglasses and had introduced themselves as cousins of him and Kazuya. Sawamura and Miyuki were talking animatedly, gesturing and pointing at nearly everything around them. Eijun nearly yelled when he watched Miyuki physically have to hold back Sawamura from picking up Haruichi and squeezing him. Thankfully the boy paid him no mind, too engrossed in his batting practice to notice.

“Do they really think anybody is going to buy that those are actually relatives of ours?” Eijun hissed furiously at Kazuya, turning his back to Sawamura who was waving obnoxiously from the stands. He leaned in closer, trying to whisper into the catcher’s ear. It would only make things more complicated if someone overheard him and Eijun was not known for being quiet. “I mean, they’re a little bit bigger, but they’re still us?”

Inching away from Eijun, Kazuya pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. “What can we really do? I mean it’s not like they have anything to do, except get back to where they’re supposed to be.”

Wherever that is, Eijun thought, scrunching his nose in irritation. “Whatever. Come on, catch for me.”

“Can’t. I’m with Furuya all week.”

Eijun expected the reply but stomped off anyway, frustrated. He was a little more bothered by the answer this time around and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

Practice was a disaster for Eijun. What little control the pitcher had over his throws was completely lost that evening; he was throwing wild balls left and right and had even managed to hit Ono, who wasn’t even catching for him. Nori looked up at him worriedly, his eyes dark with concern, but Eijun shook it off, bowing and apologizing profusely to everyone in the vicinity.

He didn’t mean to be so distracted, but he was having a very hard time not looking at Kazuya in the corner of the bullpen, kneeling down and yelling out words of encouragement and praise for Furuya at nearly every pitch. Eijun was clearly envious, but he chalked it up to jealously of Furuya.

Mostly Furuya, anyway.

It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t get that stupid kiss out of his head. Well, it sort of was, since Sawamura was him and he was Sawamura but that just made things even more confusing so it definitely wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing Miyuki Kazuya for himself.

“Sawamura!!” came a cry from across the bullpen and Eijun looked up just in time to see Kariba flail his arms up and down in warning as a baseball collided harshly with his head.

“Ow,” he muttered softly, rubbing his temple. He glanced over at Kariba, intending to apologize again, for it his fault he missed the tossed ball back to begin with, but suddenly his sight was compromised by a very worried looking Miyuki Kazuya grabbing him by the shoulders and staring intently at what was bound to be a bruise forming at the side of his head.

“You idiot,” he said darkly, scowling vehemently. “Are you okay?”

Eijun was suddenly very aware of Kazuya’s proximity; one hand was gripping his shoulder and the other held his chin firmly, pointed away from his face so he could inspect Eijun’s face further. His expression was perplexed but controlled and Eijun couldn’t even begin to guess what he could possibly be thinking. To be fair, he was having a hard time thinking himself – the skin on Kazuya’s neck was damp with perspiration and he held his bottom lip between his teeth, concentrating deeply. They were close enough for Eijun to see the slight indentations his teeth were making on the mound of his lips. Kazuya took a deep breath and sighed, clearly exasperated with Eijun, and his breath fanned across his face, warming his already hot cheeks.

“Ah, Miyuki, you’re too close,” he whimpered softly, pulling his face out of Kazuya’s hand. Loathing how weak he sounded Eijun stepped back a few paces, out of Kazuya’s reach. “I’m fine.”

Kazuya frowned slightly, his hand lingering in the air for a moment before falling to his side. Carefully gathering his features, he smirked broadly and returned to his post, thumping Furuya once on the back.

“Come on Furuya, let’s call it a day. I’ll run a bit with you and then we can hit the baths.”

“Wait, I always run with Furuya! Furuya, don’t ignore me! And don’t touch my tire!!”

Furuya nearly glowed from the attention from his upperclassmen and ignored Eijun, following closely behind Kazuya.

What the hell is his problem?

What the hell is my problem??

He had most certainly been thinking about kissing Miyuki Kazuya that time.

”Pssssst,” came a loud whisper from behind him. Eijun jerked around quickly to find Sawamura and Miyuki spying at him from behind the chain linked fence, their sunglasses still on and a goofy grin on each of their faces. Miyuki’s still held his characteristic grin, but it was somehow softer than the smirk he was used to. Eijun looked over at Kariba who was already removing his gear, having given up on him, and grumbled loudly, stomping his way over to the fence. Glancing quickly around the bullpen, he realized he was the only one left. Kazuya must have called it a day; Eijun couldn’t hear anyone else around. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon, the last of its light painting deep pink and blue streaks across the sky.

“Who do you guys think you’re fooling?” he muttered angrily, checking again to make sure no one was in earshot. “Sunglasses and baseball caps? Really?”

“Relax,” Miyuki said playfully, reaching through the fence to flick him in the nose. “Everything’s fine. With us anyway.”

“Yeah, what’s going on between you and little Miyuki? You guys looked a little weird today.”

It was completely bizarre how in sync the two of them were, laughing and playfully mocking Eijun, looking entirely comfortable with each other. It was nothing like how he and Kazuya were now – the two of them seemed drawn to each other, two opposing forces that were somehow attracted. Now that Eijun had a good idea of their relationship, he could easily spot how relaxed they were with around other. Their movements were effortless and yet somehow calculated, with Sawamura’s hips brushing gently against Miyuki, the contact natural and forthcoming while Miyuki had his fingers laced through the fence above Sawamura’s head, his hair grazing the underside of Miyuki’s arm. Once again, memories of yesterday’s incident came rushing back to his to head and Eijun just barely managed to restrain himself from looking behind him, too earnest to see if Kazuya was looking back at him.

“Don’t touch me, Miyuki Kazuya! And what do you mean weird? This whole thing is weird!” Eijun wacked Miyuki’s fingers out of his face, nearly growling when the elder just laughed, sharing a knowing look with Sawamura. His older self just rolled his eyes, elbowing Miyuki in the stomach sharply when he bent down to laugh harder.

“Don’t pay any attention to that jerk, Eijun. Is everything okay?”

Nothing is okay right now!

“You guys are children! I’m more mature than both of you combined right now!” Sawamura’s face dropped slightly, something registering briefly across his eyes but before he could say anything, Eijun turned on his foot and booked it for the bathrooms, kicking and yelling about how important it is to be responsible.

Miyuki finally caught his breath and stood straight, resting his chin on Sawamura’s shoulders. “This is too easy. I forgot how much fun it was to rile you up. How come you don’t huff and puff for me like that anymore?”

“Let’s just say I traded it in for some other skills.” Sawamura murmured, stretching his head to watch Eijun walk into the baths. He made an indignant noise under his breath before engaging Miyuki.

“They did seem a little off today, right? It wasn’t just me?”

“It wasn’t just you. Maybe they’re not as dumb as we remembered being.”

∞

Kazuya heard Eijun before he saw him, the harsh bray of his yelling clashing obnoxiously against the quiet tone of the evening. He watched as Eijun stormed off, his hand twitching irritably. Furuya was stretching lazily beside him, glancing up every so often in between reaches to look up at the sky, his face devoid of any emotion aside from exhaustion.

Maybe I didn’t handle this right

Except, what was the right way to handle this? Thinking back once again to the unfortunate scene he and Eijun had stumbled upon last night, Kazuya tried to pick apart the situation, forcing himself to see past the kiss and into what this really meant – that at some point in the very near future, he was going to begin a relationship with Eijun.

Was how he felt now a reflection of what he knew was bound to happen?

No, he told himself confidently, quickly ascertaining that when he thought of Eijun, it wasn’t the Eijun he was going to be. It wasn’t the Eijun that had kissed his future self so easily, or who had touched him so affectionately. It wasn’t even the Eijun who had gazed at his wedding ring with such love, his eyes reverent of the promise that it meant for him.

No, what Kazuya thought of was the loud, brash boy who had stumbled into his life with big words of what it meant to be a team, eyes copper and resilient, shining with the strength he didn’t even know he would bring to this team. He thought of the Eijun who overcame his struggles, rooted for his friends and fought with everything he had to be someone of importance, someone who would one day be worthy of the title ace.

Earlier though, when Eijun let himself get hit by Kariba’s throw back. When Kazuya tossed his self-control aside to touch Eijun, even if half of the reason was because he could have been hurt – the other half, well even he wasn’t sure about the other half just yet – that might have had something to do with the presence of Eijun’s future self. Though a part of him was reluctant to admit it, Kazuya was curious about this Eijun. There was a persistent scratching coming from his chest, something that was desperate to unfurl, and Kazuya wasn’t sure he would be able to ignore it for much longer.

Kazuya wanted to see to see the kind of face Eijun would make if he kissed him; he wanted to know if Eijun would be quiet, or if like everything else he did, loud and demanding. Would Eijun kiss him back? Or would he be still and flush red, eyes narrowed and wielding his name like a threat?

There was really only one way to find out.

∞

Nothing like a bath to clear my head!

Feeling much better after a shower and a soak, Eijun headed towards the Spirit dorm, feeling somewhat better than he had earlier. There was still a nagging feeling at the back of his mind – even after a thorough scrub and a few well worded questions directed at Haruichi, Eijun still couldn’t wrap his head around Kazuya’s behavior earlier in the bullpen. It was aggravating him more than he’d like to admit. While things weren’t exactly normal (time travel? He still didn’t get it) right now, he couldn’t shake the irritation he felt at the feeling that he and Kazuya weren’t okay. It was unbearably frustrating to try and read into Kazuya’s behavior and no matter how many times Eijun ran the past twenty four hours in his head, he couldn’t come up with a solution to bridge the distance that was quickly permeating between him and his battery partner.

On a deeper level, Eijun knew he was part to blame for the tension between them. He just wasn’t emotionally mature enough to pretend he wasn’t wrecked with conflict every time he locked eyes with Kazuya. It might have been more so that he wasn’t wired that way, but regardless, useless stammering and heated glances seemed to be the most Eijun was capable of these days.

Eijun shook his head, determined to stop overthinking things he couldn’t understand just yet. Droplets of water fell from his hair, splashing gently at his neck. The wind picked up around him and Eijun shivered, feeling his clothes rustle along his skin. Thinking it was best to get inside before he caught a cold, Eijun quickened his pace and turned a corner to the dorms, but a familiar laugh drew his attention before he could reach the rooms. Glancing out towards the field, Eijun stiffened. Miyuki and Sawamura were speaking in quiet overtures, the latter scolding Miyuki before quickly leaning into his space, kissing him, and walking away. Eijun waited until Sawamura was out of sight and then nervously crossed the pavement separating them before tentatively calling out to him. "M-Miyuki? What are you doing out here?"

Miyuki whipped his head around at the sound of Eijun's voice, relaxing when he realized it wasn't anyone else – God only knew what trouble they'd be in if someone other than Eijun had come across him. He had abandoned his 'disguise' and settled for a dark pullover and jeans, hair tousled from the wind and resting messily on his head. Sighing, he offered Eijun a small smile, leaning across a set of railings that lead into the stands. Miyuki returned his gaze to the field, scooting over a few inches to make room for Eijun. 

Eijun hesitated, stopping just a few feet short of Miyuki. Their gazes locked and Miyuki arched a brow at him, the corners of his mouth lifted teasingly, a laugh on his lips before the sound could be heard.

"This place is exactly the same as I remembered. Kind of eerie." 

Snorting, Eijun took his place next to Miyuki and eyed him incredulously. Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. 

"This whole thing is eerie! And of course it would be the same! You're in the past remember?" 

"I see you think you're an expert on this," Miyuki chortled, quickly turning around and jabbing Eijun in the ribs. Not enough to hurt, but definitely enough to get a rise out of him. Miyuki's hands found their way to Eijun's waist and he inhaled sharply, the press of his fingers cold against his skin. Recovering, Eijun smacked at his hands and laughed, pushing Miyuki aside and eyeing him warily. The older let out a breath of air and smirked at him, resuming his position against the railing and gazing out at the field, the smile at his lips full of nostalgia. Eijun was curious but abated, choosing instead to stare out at the field with him.

The field was pitch black, only illuminated by the soft glow of the moon, the light casting a hazy fade across the diamond. It was getting late, but the company was something Eijun found himself wanting to hold on to. He sneaked a peak up at Miyuki who remained focused ahead of him, his eyes just as unreadable as Eijun thought them today. 

Eijun traced a path through the bases with his mind, thinking briefly of yesterday's game. Yesterday seemed very far away to him – so much had happened since then that Eijun found it hard to believe only a measly 24 hours had passed. Kazuya was barely talking to him and things felt so strained between them since last night. He supposed he didn't blame him; it was only natural that they both be confused about what happened, but the longer Eijun spent comfortably standing next to this Miyuki, the less confused he was about everything. This was a friendship he wanted – he didn't know much about kissing or marriage or whatever they had going on in the future – but Eijun knew he that wanted the same connection he had witnessed yesterday.

The endless banter, laughter falling effortlessly from Miyuki, the patience that Sawamura had held for him – he wanted all of that.

What he didn't want was whatever was going on now. Heavy, uncomfortable stares, vague phrases, and thoughts of kisses and touches that just made him feel guilty when Kazuya could barely look at him.

Sighing loudly, Eijun dropped his head in hands, fisting at his hair and tugging it roughly between his fingers. When Miyuki let out a cackle, Eijun bumped into him roughly, glaring from the corner of his eye.

"Why are you such an insufferable bastard?" he demanded loudly, shaking a fist at Miyuki. "Right now, anyway," he added as an afterthought, the affronted look he held causing Eijun to recant.

"You never truly get tired of calling me that, do you?" he retorted, shaking his head.

Frustrated, Eijun ducked his head, resting his chin against his arms.

We kiss...but I still call him a bastard? Maybe I don't change that much

Eijun sighed again, haughtily prepared to tell Miyuki off when he noticed the moon’s glow reflecting off of Miyuki’s face. It gleamed white against his glasses and Eijun could now see the mark he’d left on him yesterday, so panicked by the other’s appearance and familiarity that the only thing Eijun thought appropriate to do was smack him.

The bruise highlighting the skin of Miyuki's cheek was edged in yellow while the center held a cluster of red and purple swelling. Without really thinking about it, Eijun reached forward, delicately palming Miyuki's face and running his thumb lightly across the bruise. Miyuki winced slightly and Eijun felt his stomach turn to knots, guilt overcoming him again. 

"Does it hurt?" he asked tentatively, searching Miyuki’s eyes; the light from the sky dimly reflected off of his glasses once more, making him impossible to read.

“You’re so cute,” Miyuki muttered, pressing his face deeper into Eijun’s touch, his breath warm on Eijun’s hand. Feeling himself grow hot, Eijun tried to yank his hand back but Miyuki swiftly caught him by the wrist, quickly pressing his smirking lips to Eijun’s palm and kissing it softly, his eyes dark and teasing.

“H-hey! What are you doing??” Eijun screeched, pulling back on his arm as hard as he could. He nearly fell, tripping over his own feet to put some space between them, but he caught himself at the last second, regaining his balance on the railing before scowling vehemently at Miyuki.

After a beat, Miyuki raised a hand to the back of his neck, stretching and staring off into the sky. “Hmm, I wonder that myself. What am I doing?”

“Bastard,” Eijun grumbled under his breath, loathing the heat that had blossomed across his cheeks. His stomach twisted again, forcing him to retract his previous train of thought. This Miyuki wasn’t easier to deal with at all.

“Hey, Eijun,” Miyuki started, leaning awfully close into Eijun’s space. “How do you feel about me?”

Half of Eijun had already expected the question, his thoughts regressing back to the scene from yesterday. The way his future self had so casually touched Miyuki, hands exploring everything in reach, lips and heated gazes telling a story that their voices could not.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered, his body stiffening. Miyuki from the future was really keen on being in Eijun’s personal space. He reached over and traced light circles onto Eijun’s arm, tilting his head, probing Eijun’s eyes. The pitcher turned his head away from him stubbornly, refusing to engage Miyuki, but the sly bastard used it to his advantage, breathing hotly into his ear.

“Really? Okay. Here’s an easier one – have you had your first kiss yet?”

This time Eijun really did fall, but Miyuki caught him effortlessly, his toned arms wrapping strongly around Eijun’s waist, pulling their hips together. Eijun struggled in his embrace, awkwardly walking in reverse, trying to push Miyuki off him without falling.

“H-hey,” he stammered, fumbling on his words. Miyuki was too close – far too close for any level of comfort. His breath spread warmly across Eijun’s face, making it impossible for him breathe anything that wasn’t Miyuki, a clean smell that filled the air around him with spice, pressing itself heavily against him. He lost track of how many steps he took backwards to get away from the other and each time he managed to escape Miyuki’s clutches, the bastard took one larger step forward and caught him again. Eijun’s back collided roughly with something behind him; the glow from the vending machines shining brightly against Miyuki’s face, giving his already deceptive smile a dangerous intensity.

“Ah, of course,” Miyuki breathed, resting his head on Eijun’s chest. Eijun’s heart hammered uselessly in his chest and he found himself frozen, unable or unwilling to find the strength to push Miyuki off him. He was never one to be dishonest, but it was difficult admit that he was curious about this side of Miyuki.

“Do you know,” he whispered and Eijun’s pulse responded to the desperate crawl of his voice, the sound of it slipping into him, sending shivers down his spine. “Do you know that this is where I had my first kiss?”

Miyuki lifted his head from Eijun’s chest and he momentarily felt relief, the pressure escaping him mentally just as it did it physically. His reprieve was short-lived however, because in the next moment Miyuki was kissing him, roughly pressing his lips to Eijun’s, sliding his hands up his chest to cup Eijun’s face and grip him close, Miyuki’s fingers trailing through Eijun’s hair and lingering at the nape of his neck.

Eijun whimpered defiantly, weakly pushing against him, but his sounds were devoured by Miyuki, his hunger prevalent with every flick of his tongue, licking the bow of Eijun’s lip, silently encouraging him. Every last ounce of provocation was stolen from Eijun when Miyuki lifted a hand under his shirt, seductively thumbing the band of Eijun’s sweats. He moaned into Miyuki’s mouth and Eijun hated that he could feel the smile on Miyuki’s face as his tongue swept over Eijun’s, deftly exploring the interior of his mouth. Eijun felt himself slipping, his eyes drooping heavily and control taken from him. His hands wandered aimlessly at Miyuki’s back, settling for clutching at his shoulders, both his hands and mind unsure of whether he was going to push him off or pull him in further.

“MIYUKI KAZUYA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!”

Miyuki laughed into Eijun’s mouth, the sound resonating throughout his chest. Eijun opened his eyes wearily, for once in his life annoyed at the sound of his own voice. Sawamura stood glaring at Miyuki accusingly, angrily pointing in their direction.

“I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE WEREN’T GOING TO DO ANYTHING.”

“Ease up, Sawamura. Do you blame me? Look at you, I mean, come on.” Miyuki didn’t move, instead choosing to glance back at Eijun, winking slyly as Eijun just stared, all of a sudden feeling overwhelmed and oddly guilty.

“You bastard, I can’t believe you! You’re ruining things!” Sawamura stalked over to them, enraged, and grabbed Miyuki by the collar, not even sparing Eijun a second glance before he started hollering again, releasing him only long enough for the man to turn around before he grabbed him again, shouting into his face.

“Hey, calm down! I was just trying to – well – okay, I got nothing, I just wanted to kiss you.”

Sawamura looked absolutely exasperated with Miyuki, his expression growing more frustrated by the moment, while Miyuki’s grin just widened, not a trace of regret in his face. Eijun looked back forth between the two desperately, hoping to find some kind of sense lodged between them, but before he could process anything, someone grabbed him roughly by the hand, anxiously dragging him away from the vending machine.

“H-hey!” he yelled for hundredth time that night, surprise quickly turning into shock when he realized it was Kazuya, his Kazuya, trying to pull him away from the scene.

“Hey yourself,” he muttered angrily, stubbornly tugging Eijun’s wrist, his eyes boring holes into the ground.

“What’s the big deal?” came a laugh from across the hall. Miyuki had finally freed himself from Sawamura’s grip and was leaning against the vending machines, an amusing smirk at his lips.

Kazuya’s grip around his wrist tightened and Eijun looked up at him cautiously, feeling his anger before the words even left his mouth.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Eijun cringed at the tone in Kazuya’s voice, his words strangled and low. Eijun closed his eyes and tested Kazuya’s grip on his wrist, pulling at it slightly, but Kazuya didn’t budge, his gaze locked on his future self.

Miyuki just shrugged, smirking wildly at the scene displayed in front of him. “Don’t worry about it, everything will work out. I just gave you a helping a hand.”

“I didn’t ask for your help,” Kazuya growled, ignoring Eijun’s small pleas behind him. Eijun tugged on his shirt roughly, trying to grab the other’s attention but Kazuya just glared Miyuki, oblivious to Eijun’s gestures.

“I cannot believe I’m watching you argue with yourself right now. Maybe you should listen to him, Miyuki, you were a little wiser back then.” Sawamura laughed loudly, glancing back and forth between Miyuki and Kazuya in disbelief.

“Miyuki, come on, let’s just go,” Eijun whispered loudly, forcefully pulling Kazuya towards him. “Come on.”

Kazuya wrenched his eyes away from Miyuki to stare back at Eijun, his mouth trembling and hand shaking. “Yeah, okay.”

He allowed Eijun to drag him away, the sounds of Sawamura and Miyuki bantering following them all the way to the halls. Stopping at the foot of stairs that lead to Kazuya’s room, Eijun reluctantly pulled his wrist away from Kazuya’s fingers, turning to face with him with as much humility as he could muster.

“So,” he said softly, clutching the thin material of his shirt at his chest. “How much of that did you see?”

A snort escaped Kazuya’s mouth and he sighed deeply, lowering his head and running a hand through his hair. “Most of it.”

“I-I don’t really know what that was,” Eijun stuttered, glancing down at the floor. “We were talking and then – you just – well he just kissed me, a-and it just started because I was asking him why you were such a bastard! I just wanted to – I just wanted to know why you were being so strange.”

Jerking his head up quickly, Kazuya glowered at Eijun, his eyes narrowing. “So this is my fault? It’s my fault you kissed me?”

“I didn’t kiss you! I kissed, no – he kissed me, the other you kissed me!”

“Why didn’t you just ask me what was wrong?”

“How could I? You’ve been weird since this morning! And it’s not like I knew that was going to happen!”

Eijun hated this. He hated that it felt like no matter what he said, Kazuya wasn’t going to understand how he felt. He wasn’t even sure he understood how he felt, how was he supposed to make someone else understand? Kazuya backed up a step, placing a foot on the stairs behind him. Eijun knew he was losing this battle. In just another moment Kazuya would stun him with a cold remark and be on his way, once again leaving Eijun alone to deal with cluttered thoughts and a conflicted heart. What could he do to make him listen? To make him understand?

Oh

“Hey, Miyuki,” he stated softly, his voice shaking. “You weren’t jealous, were you?”

Kazuya scoffed so hard Eijun almost lost all of his will power right then and there. The catcher doubled forward, clutching his stomach and shaking, his breaths coming out in short, dramatic wheezes.

“What would I be jealous of Sawamura?”

He’s gonna make me say it, the bastard, Eijun thought furiously, clenching his fists and taking a step forward. Kazuya stood straight, the foot on the stairs falling back to even ground, eyes widening at Eijun’s proximity. A nervous smile flitted across his lips and Eijun was thrilled to see that his trademark smirk was nowhere to be found, his expression replaced with anticipation. He eyed Eijun suspiciously, but didn’t move away at all, only tilting his head in curiosity.

Licking his lips, Eijun leaned forward into Kazuya’s space, marveling that he could smell the exact same way Miyuki did just a few moments ago. Eijun was close enough to see Kazuya’s chest rise and fall with each breath, close enough to see the skin peeling from his chapped lips, just near enough to hear Kazuya’s breath catch in his chest when Eijun rubbed their noses together, grazing his cheeks and pausing to nuzzle his sideburns. They were softer than Eijun had expected.

“Maybe you wanted to kiss me first?”

Maybe

Hopefully was more like it, because Eijun was throwing everything out the window in this one move. The future was pretty much useless to Eijun, even with the added bonus of their time traveling counterparts. It wasn’t as if he knew how they got together or what happened in the past that melded their futures as one. The only thing that the older Sawamura and Miyuki had brought him was a chance. There was a chance that Kazuya felt the same way about him and it was a chance that Eijun was willing to take.

“You’re awfully forward tonight,” Kazuya stated coyly, the drawl of his voice low and tantalizing. Kazuya’s hair tickled the outer shell of Eijun’s ear and he shivered in response, melting when he felt a hand on his hip, gripping his waist and warming Eijun to the bone. “It’s almost as if you’ve done this before.”

Eijun jerked away immediately, fearing the worst. Kazuya was toying with him and his chance was lost. In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea to approach Kazuya like this right after the catcher had witnessed Eijun making out with Miyuki, but the damage was done and Eijun was suddenly in a hurry to get back to his room and lick his wounds.

Sputtering, Eijun tried to pull away but Kazuya just laughed and held on to him tighter, his other hand catching Eijun’s face easily. He pressed his full weight against Eijun, pushing him into a pillar behind him.

Thinking that this situation was awfully familiar, Eijun tried to think of a way to get the upper hand back but he made the mistake of looking at Kazuya’s eyes.

Hot

There was no other word for it. Kazuya’s gaze was dripping with yearning, the center of his eyes darker than the rest, pupils molten with something that Eijun wasn’t even sure he knew the word for.

“H-hey, what are you doing? I was trying to kiss you, bastard!”

“Excuse me, could you not interrupt? I was trying to have my first kiss and I’m fairly sure you’ve already had yours tonight?”

Eijun couldn’t recall a time when his thought process had left him so quickly. Kazuya allowed a gentle smile to cross his mouth before he pressed his lips to Eijun’s, the smirk still palpable even as they kissed.

In many ways, Eijun thought this kiss was very similar to the last one. His senses were flooded with everything that was Kazuya; his bangs tickled Eijun’s forehead in a manner that made his eyes flutter, while traces of coffee on his lips made Eijun want to give the beverage one last try, if only to be reminded of the bitter and yet somehow very sweet taste Kazuya left in his mouth.

The similarities ended there. Kazuya kissed him with a fervent interest that demanded Eijun respond and he did so thoroughly, finding his courage and darting his tongue in between Kazuya’s lips, easily sliding his tongue into the catcher’s mouth, curiously exploring the wetness inside. Kazuya inhaled sharply and pulled back, but Eijun kept a tight hold on him, clenching the boy’s shirt in his fists and pulling him back to his chest, forcing Kazuya to kiss him again with a sharp nibble of his teeth.

Kazuya sniggered but complied, relinquishing the stiffness that he held Eijun with before. Eijun found stability in the way he held Kazuya to him, one hand to his shirt, ensuring he stay put and the other at the back of his neck, fingers clutching at his hair. Their lips molded together easily and Eijun lost of track of time, unsure if they had been at this for a mere moment or an entire hour. It was impossible to determine who had finally ended the kiss, for when they both pulled apart they were short of breath and panting lightly. When Eijun had finally caught his breath, he smiled broadly, unable to hide the grin that spread across his face.

“Not bad for a first kiss, huh? Of course, it helped that I had a little more experience than you, but don’t worry Miyuki-senpai, you’ll get the hang of it eventually!”

Kazuya must have still been out of breath, for his only response was to smile in return, his eyes glistening with excitement. The smile at corner of his lips had no other implications except for maybe of what was to come.

∞

Kazuya was only mildly irritated that sleep escaped him that night. Every time he closed his eyes, visions of Eijun took over his thoughts, chasing away his weariness and giving way to images of that evening. It was almost ironic that seeing himself kiss Sawamura last night gave him such anxiety, filled him with such worry and trepidation, only now to be replaced with his own kiss with the boy and eliciting quite a different response.

Recalling the feel of Eijun's lips against his, Kazuya shivered, nearly laughing at his own recklessness. He hadn't expected Eijun to care for him for romantically, to even be aware of what was probably mutual affections towards the catcher. The last thing he had expected was for Eijun to come on to him and while he was still pretty infuriated by his older counterpart's actions, he suppose he did have him to thank for giving Eijun the courage to be honest.

That brat, Kazuya mused, smiling ruefully under his blankets. Eijun had glowered, his boyish charm seeping through his attempt at a first move, golden eyes gleaming under the dim lights of the hall. Kazuya had been close enough to see every jarring feeling that crossed the boy's heart, so clearly displayed on his face that his previous anger had practically dissipated.

If he was being honest with himself, Kazuya could admit that he wasn't completely sure what any of this meant. It probably meant that Eijun liked him, liked him enough to kiss him anyway, and it definitely meant that Kazuya cared for Eijun in a similar way. There was a conversation to be had, one that included feelings and confessions and honesty – none of which Kazuya was particularly skilled at – but he supposed for Eijun he would give it a shot.

The catcher tossed and turned most of the night, hardly able to stow his excitement over the most recent turn events for longer than a few minutes at a time. At sunrise, he gave up and got out of bed, pulling on a pair of blue sweatpants and a Seidou practice shirt. He wasn't normally one for running before practice – that was more Eijun's style – but Kazuya was burning with so much energy, despite his lack of sleep. A few laps around the field would do him some good. If anything it would help clear his mind; he still had the team to worry about and on top of that he and Eijun's future counterparts were still wandering around somewhere, probably scheming how to mess with them next.

Kazuya silently locked the door behind him, opting to head to the last practice field instead of the main field to run. He couldn't trust himself to act normal around Eijun and he most certainly couldn't rely on Eijun to stay focused. Better to wait until Kazuya had run a few laps and found some coffee before that encounter.

Reaching the practice grounds, Kazuya stopped to stretch, carefully elongating his arms over his head and turning at the waist. A lone figure caught his eyes and he cursed fate that Eijun had decided to pick this field this morning. He jogged lightly up to the pitcher with a careful smile on his face but quickly realized that it wasn't his Eijun running but Sawamura.

Sawamura jogged at an even pace, rounding the corner of the dugout with a soft smile at his face. He looked so content and tranquil that Kazuya hardly wanted to interrupt the older man, but soon Sawamura's eyes crossed the dirt and met Kazuya's, his smile widening at the sight of him.

"I don't remember you being much of an early runner, Miyuki," he laughed, stopping in front of him to catch his breath. Sweat gleamed from his forehead and Kazuya wondered just how long he had been out here.

"I guess I needed to clear my head," Kazuya muttered, embarrassed, referring to his own encounter with Eijun last night, but it was clear when Sawamura flinched that he had assumed he was talking of Miyuki's kiss with Eijun.

Laughing awkwardly, Sawamura raised a hand to the back his neck, shaking his head slightly.

"I can tell you from experience that I have just as hard a time figuring you out now as I did back then," he said fondly. Kazuya's didn’t miss that he glanced at his ring while he spoke. "I mean, he never does anything without good reason. That's something that definitely won't change about you."

Feeling brave, Kazuya reached out to Sawamura, daring to brush his hands against the others, taking care to touch his ring. Sawamura didn't even startle and Kazuya was amazed once again that he hadn't been able to conclude that it was he who would be Eijun's partner in the future.

"Sawamura, who exactly are you married to?"

He jerked his hand away suddenly, bottom lip caught in his teeth, chewing it nervously. The move was so Sawamura that Kazuya couldn’t help but smirk. Something in his expression must have given him away, because Sawamura shot him a glare, his fists clenched at his sides. By the time Kazuya could finally gather his features into a more neutral look, it was already too late. Rolling his eyes, Sawamura took Kazuya's hand in his, lightly thumbing his ring finger and smirking reluctantly.

Goosebumps raised on his knuckles and he shivered, but Kazuya chalked it up to being perturbed by Sawamura’s hands – they were much larger than his own, his fingers long and slender, but still familiar; calloused at the crown of his palm, rough and worn towards the bottom. Kazuya was happy to surmise that Eijun was still pitching. Wondering what kind of pitches Sawamura held in his arsenal gave Kazuya a different kind of feeling.

"It's almost ironic how you left your wedding band on the kitchen sink before dinner. If you hadn't, I'm sure you and Eijun would have figured it out sooner."

Kazuya did not miss that Sawamura spoke with the same patient, loving tone he held for his older counterpart yesterday. He had known that he and Eijun were together in the future for over 24 hours now, but somehow, having it finally confirmed out loud struck a chord deep within Kazuya, the effects of it resonating clearly within him.

So we are married

True to his nature, Sawamura interjected his thoughts quickly, pulling on his hand and clenching it tightly. "How freaked out are you?"

"Not as much as I should be." 

Sawamura eyed him curiously, his brows knit in confusion. "We didn't get together until my third year. You should definitely be a little more surprised than this, unless –" Sawamura's gaze widened in understanding and a goofy grin spread across his face. He clutched Kazuya's hand to his chest and laughed obnoxiously, pulling the catcher closer to him and pressing his forehead against Kazuya's. Kazuya froze, but couldn’t bring himself to step away, too enthralled by the lilt in Sawamura’s tone and the cool press of his skin.

"Something else happened, didn't it?" he inquired, murmuring into Kazuya's skin. His lips felt soft to the touch and Kazuya was overcome with the same adrenaline that coursed through him last night, though with this Eijun he felt far less confident. His chest constricted tightly and he was suddenly made aware of the height between them. Sawamura towered over him easily. As if to solidify the point, the elder perched his head on top of his, pausing for a moment to nuzzle his hair, before resting his chin and sighing deeply.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Kazuya replied, feeling Sawamura smile.

"I know this is probably really confusing, but I can promise you this is going to work out."

Feeling pressure he didn't even know he was carrying dissolve, Kazuya moved from underneath Sawamura, glancing up to see tears in the man's eyes. Feeling responsible, he reached up and brushed the wetness from his face, resting his hand at the line of his jaw. Sawamura closed his eyes, the ghost of a smirk at his lips.

“You’re still such a cry baby,”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Miyuki Kazuya!”

Laughing soundlessly, Kazuya pulled his hand back, awkwardly stuffing it into his pocket. Sawamura was still scowling, but the fondness in his voice was unmistakable.

"I don't even blame him," he sighed wistfully, raising a hand to his eyes, rubbing at them until they were pink and puffy.

"Blame who for what?"

Sawamura just shook his head, brilliant gold eyes opening to regard him carefully. The pitcher took a step forward, swiftly moving to cradle Kazuya's face in his hands. They were surprisingly cold to the touch, but the heat in Sawamura’s gaze and the tendrils of red surfacing on his cheeks had the same effect as warm hands. Sawamura held his face the same way Eijun had held onto Kazuya last night; a desperate adherence that anchored Kazuya in place, leaving his body with too many desires. Running his thumb gently across the bow of his lip, Sawamura murmured, "I hope you don't blame me."

There were lips pressed to the corner of his mouth before Kazuya could even close his eyes; feathered eyelashes curled against his cheek, fluttering softly, and Kazuya felt his heart beat loudly in his chest, drowning out all other sounds. Suddenly he could no longer hear the chirping of birds, or the sprinklers from another field. He couldn’t hear the wind whipping around the thin fabric of his windbreaker, or the whistle it left in his ear.

All that was present was his own weak, feeble heart and the overwhelming sensation that he could spend countless hours listening to Sawamura breathe.

For a moment, the smallest of moments, Kazuya could easily see his the rest of his future intertwined with Eijun's – early mornings in the kitchen, racing to have a meal prepared before Eijun returned from his run, lazy afternoons at the park with nothing but a baseball and a couple of mitts, quiet evenings that had only the soft drone of the television to accompany them.

There was so much he didn't know and understand about Eijun. Did he brush his teeth first thing in the morning, or did he wait until after breakfast? Did he like to keep an assortment of pillows on his bed, or like Kazuya, did he prefer one? What did he like to do without baseball to keep him busy? Did he only read shoujo manga or was there another genre he liked? It wasn't that he couldn't imagine these things, but rather, his own ideals weren't enough. He wanted to know firsthand.

What kind of face did he make while he slept? How many different times could Kazuya pick at him, rile him up, set him off on a tantrum only to silence him with a kiss?

The uneasiness that had wormed its way into Kazuya’s chest was slowly coming undone, the knots in his stomach unraveling and being replaced with a need much more carnal, something that he had felt very few times before. It left his mouth watering and fingers trembling in anticipation.

It was silly, he decided, finally shutting his eyes to take in his surroundings. Future Sawamura or not, having an Eijun in front of him that was willingly staying still was rare enough for him to want to savor it.

Sawamura, his body pressed close to his, lips still held to the slant of his mouth, chapped and somehow still soft.  The air crisp around him, the small space between their chests warm, warm and comforting and still so new, but something that he could get used to, come to love, something that Kazuya could foresee himself coming to need.

If Sawamura was his future, then Kazuya had no complaints. The loud, impatient boy he knew had grown into a compassionate, resilient man that radiated comfort, and while there was much he didn't understand, he was now confident that it didn't matter.

They would figure the rest out as it came. That's all anyone can ever do anyway, and with his future crying gently into his cheek, he was sure that they would figure things out.

∞

"Miyuki Kazuya! I have been looking for you all day! Have you been avoiding me?"

Cringing, Kazuya turned around, hastily moving to fasten his towel. Eijun was standing stark naked in front him, hands on his hips, his mouth pulled into an accusatory grimace.

He had been hoping to hit the baths late enough to avoid the first years, specifically Eijun, but it appeared that Eijun had caught on to him.

It wasn't as if Kazuya was avoiding him for any good reason – he just wasn't sure how to explain that Sawamura had kissed him this morning. It didn't help that every time the memory brushed his conscience, his guilt was accompanied by a jolting wave of electricity, one that started at his skin and seeped into his bones. It made it difficult to get through the day, and more difficult still that he could feel Eijun's eyes on him at every turn. 

Sawamura had kissed him and held him and when it was done, he blinded Kazuya with a smile that rivaled the sun, burning through the composure that Kazuya worked so hard to maintain. There weren't enough laps he could run to rid of himself of the swelling that had incurred within his chest when he saw Sawamura smile.

'I promise. Everything will be fine,' he had said, and Kazuya believed him. He knew it would be. As soon as he could figure out how necessary it really was to inform Eijun that he had kissed him not once, but twice.

"Sawamura," he hissed loudly, ducking behind a locker to check for other players. "I have not been avoiding you, but I might consider it since you think cornering me while naked is the best way to talk to me!"

As if suddenly realizing his state, Eijun scrambled to his locker, fumbling with the lock for a moment before yanking it open, only to find no towel inside. His face scrunched up in embarrassment and he gingerly glanced at Kazuya, awkwardly angling his body towards his locker. Kazuya howled with laughter, his shoulders shaking so hard he almost lost a hold on his own towel. Catching his breath, the catcher motioned lazily at Eijun, grabbing a spare towel from his locker and tossing it to the pitcher before heading to the baths.

It was weird, this new tension between him and Eijun. Not exactly unpleasant, but still strange. A distance that wasn't there before perpetuated between them, its presence tangible, but for Kazuya it made things all the more interesting. He didn't miss the way Eijun kept sneaking furtive glances his way, ears burnt red, with hands so nervous Kazuya was surprised the boy could even pitch today.

Eijun scooted past Kazuya, carefully avoiding his bare shoulder. He removed his towel, tossing it to the side before stepping into the bathtub and moving to the farthest corner of the tub.

Kazuya was oddly grateful for the distance. He was uncomfortable with the way he couldn't keep his gaze off of Eijun, uncomfortable that his mind chose now to see things about his body that he hadn't taken notice of before.

He had been naked with Eijun and a slew of other teammates hundreds of times before. This wasn’t that big of a deal, or so he tried to tell himself, but when Eijun reached over the side of the tub to grab a washcloth – his lower back exposed, revealing deep dimples and a sharp waist –  Kazuya quickly realized that this time could not be more different than all of those others baths. They were alone. Together. Naked. A week ago this would have meant nothing but an entertaining evening at Eijun’s expense, but now, having felt Eijun’s lips on his, at the angle of his jaw, the curve of his cheek, breath hot in his ear; now things weren’t so simple. Once again that annoying feeling of guilt and excitement coursed through his body, stopping somewhere below his hips.

Shit, he thought, quickly averting his eyes and getting into the bath. At this rate, Kazuya was going to need another shower and one of a much colder variety. As if some sixth sense had been triggered in Eijun, he glanced over at Kazuya with narrowed eyes, his brows knit in suspicion.

“Spill,” he demanded, folding the washcloth and placing it on his head. “You’ve definitely been avoiding me today! I thought – well, I thought we were okay. More than okay. What’s up?”

Sighing loudly, Kazuya removed his glasses and made his way over to Eijun, careful to keep a measurable amount of distance between him before saying, “I ran into Sawamura this morning on the practice field. Turns out you still run a lot when you get older.”

There wasn’t any point in being coy about the kiss. God forbid Miyuki said something to him later, and knowing himself like he did, it wasn’t something he would put past him.

Eijun’s head tilted in question and Kazuya continued. “I pretty much told him we already know about them – us – being together.”

“That’s so weird! I ran into future you this morning too. He apologized for kissing me last night, explaining that we were together, but the jokes on him ‘cause I already knew! Your face was kinda funny, Miyuki, you should have seen it.”

“Oh? Did he tell you anything else?”

“Just that they wanted us to meet them later tonight at the main field. What else would he have told me?”

Clearing his throat, Kazuya reached for the back of his neck, fervently hoping that no one was in the general vicinity to hear Eijun’s yells. “Well, you sort of kissed me this morning and I didn’t really do anything to stop it. I guess – I guess I was just really curious to see what it was like.”

Whatever Kazuya had expected Eijun to do, smirking at him was not one of them. He seemed calm and Kazuya was impressed; he had proved last night that he wasn’t capable of the same nature when the tables had been reversed. Eijun hardly looked irritated.

“Fine,” Eijun grumbled, inching closer to Kazuya until their thighs toughed. The water lapped at his chest, splashing small waves around them. “But now we’re even! No more kisses! Ever!”

“Ever?” Kazuya arched a brow, allowing himself to lean a little bit forward. Eijun’s nose was a beautiful flush of freckles and red, red cheeks.  “No more kisses ever, huh?”

Screw the distance. When they were this close, there was no distance, only the small space between their breaths and the hitched sound of Eijun’s breathing.

“I mean no more kissing them! Us! No more kissing each other – argh, you know what I mean!”

“Good,” Kazuya purred, more confidently than he felt. Eijun couldn’t seem to keep eye contact with him, eyes hungry and staring at his mouth. “Because I’m really interested in kissing you more, Sawamura.”

∞

“Any idea what they wanted to talk about?” Kazuya asked, scanning the field for either Sawamura or Miyuki. The sun was still out, its rays waning across the sky, painting the clouds varying colors of pink and gold.

“Nope. He just said to be here around sunset. Older me didn’t say anything to you?”

“Not a thing.”

Shrugging, Eijun smiled broadly, his eyes alight and excited. “We could always play catch to pass the time!” Before Kazuya could argue, Eijun ran up to mound, picking up an abandoned baseball a few feet away. He tossed it easily and Kazuya caught it, pausing to glare at Eijun.

“I don’t even have my glove! Let’s just wait for them.”

Pouting, Eijun nodded and dropped to the ground, bringing his knees up to his chest. Kazuya jogged over to him and sat down, twisting the baseball in both hands.

“Miyuki,” Eijun mumbled, deftly picking at a weed at his feet. “Do we need to talk about anything else? I mean, about us?”

Looking up the sky, Kazuya exhaled loudly, wondering if there was anything else to be said.

The day after Eijun and he had witnessed their future counterparts kissing, there was probably a lot to discuss. Kazuya had chosen not to talk about it, too absorbed with the conflict in his own mind to truly consider Eijun’s feelings in a manner that could be considered fair. He had avoided it, and sure, there was problem to be addressed there, but altogether things had worked out, hadn’t they?

“I’m not really worried about it, you know?”

As expected, Eijun huffed loudly and faced Kazuya, wrenching the baseball out of his hands. His skin was flushed, mouth pulled tight in anger. Kazuya had pinched his cheeks plenty of times but he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen them this red. “How are you not worried about this??”

“Calm down, Sawamura and think about it. What’s there to worry about? We’ve already seen our futures, sort of anyway, and everything seems okay there and everything feels okay between us, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.” He prodded Eijun in the chest, annunciating carefully. “Everything is fine.”

And everything would be fine – Kazuya was sure of that now. 

“You’re not worried about it?”

“I’m not worried about it.”

Eijun seemed to deflate for a moment, his shoulders relaxing and the crease in his brow already softened, but suddenly he pulled forward, grabbing Kazuya by the collar and shaking him furiously.

“Miyuki Kazuya! Don’t think that because I already know you’re going to basically marry me means I’m going to let you get out of it!”

Thoroughly confused, Kazuya threw Eijun a bewildered look. “Get out of what?”

Ducking his head and releasing Kazuya’s collar, Eijun mumbled into his shirt, clenching the baseball he was holding with tense fingers.

“Come again?”

“Confessing, you idiot. Telling me you like me. I still want to hear it.”

Feeling heat creep up on his neck, Kazuya looked away in embarrassment, out of habit really, because what did he know about confessing? He was dumb to think for even a moment that he would get out of it. After all, it was Eijun he was dealing with.

“Miyuki! Come on, don’t be a bastard!” he whined, shoving Kazuya with his shoulders. He had finally let go of the baseball and it rolled towards Kazuya. Eying it closely, he could just make out a scribbled set of characters in black ink, scrawled messily in what looked like his own handwriting. Ignoring the string of insults coming from Eijun, he picked it up, squinting at the writing. Eijun noticed and stopped whining, perching his chin on Kazuya’s shoulder and reading from behind him.

“Two and eighteen? Why are our jersey numbers on this baseball?”

“Hm, I don’t think that it’s supposed to be our jersey numbers. It’s a date.”

“A date? February 18^th? What’s that?”

“I wonder,” he mused, twisting the ball in his hands once more. Eijun simply shrugged again, continuing his tirade about what a sly bastard he was.

February 18^th, huh

Now that was something to look forward to.