Work Text:
It was like a nightmare coming to life.
Kazuya would never be able to forget that moment, even if he would live for a hundred more years. It was supposed to be a regular practice match; when the worst that could happen was that someone trips and falls on their way to the first base.
It wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to be like that.
And yet he couldn’t bring himself not to think about those long, eternally long seconds when Sawamura was up to bat. He had been pitching his best during all the previous innings, giving no chance for the opposite team to score.
Everyone laughed as he walked out to bat with his head protector lazily put on. His cheerful mood was infectious and even Kazuya found himself smiling as he watched that idiot missing the first ball as ungraciously as ever. It even put away some stress from the shoulder of the rest of the team; there was no way that anyone would be worse than him.
And until he pitched the way he did, well, Kazuya didn’t care.
The pitcher of the opponent team resembled a lot to Furuya with his style; all force and speed. When Kazuya was up to bat for the first time he almost jumped away when that impressive fastball went incourse, missing his chest by merely a few inches.
It was terrifying, but not as terrifying as watching Sawamura getting hit on his head with that same terrifying speed. His headgear fell off as if in slow motion, and Sawamura fell with it. For a few seconds nobody moved. Then the umpire called for a break and after he saw that Sawamura wasn’t reacting he called an ambulance.
Kazuya didn’t move from his spot, not even when the rest of the team rushed out to ask how Sawamura was. He didn’t move, but not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t.
--
As the team captain he was one of the first people who could’ve visited him. Fortunately Sawamura’s headgear protected his skull just like it was supposed to, and while he stood outside next to Kuramochi, waiting for the doctor to finish checking on Sawamura, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief when he heard Sawamura’s ever energetic voice, even though he didn’t catch what he said.
Kuramochi had been circling inside the hall but upon hearing that he finally stopped.
“I swear I’m so going to kill him—“
“Kuramochi.”
“—how dare he gets hurt when—“
“Kuramochi!”
“—it’s only – what?!”
Kazuya raised his eyebrows and pointed at the room from which the doctor just stepped out. He glanced around and when Kazuya asked whether everything was alright with Sawamura he quickly gave them an explanation.
“He got a mild concussion but he’ll be alright in a few days. However, I’m afraid that he has temporary amnesia, which isn’t uncommon in this situation, but I can’t tell when exactly he’ll regain his memories.”
“You mean,” Kuramochi began saying quietly, “that he doesn’t remember… what? Anything?”
“More or less, but if you’re asking whether he has any memories of the two of you then my answer is… most likely no.”
When Kazuya heard that he would be alright soon he had to lean against the wall for support. He still couldn’t get that image out of his head, the way Sawamura fell back towards the ground…
He spared a glance at Kuramochi. Temporary amnesia?
“Can we go see him?” Kuramochi asked and the doctor nodded a bit hesitantly.
“Of course, but I have to warn you. In most cases the family members or the friends of the patient feel depressed after a conversation where their loved ones can’t remember them. Don’t blame him for that.”
“We won’t.” Kazuya reassured him before Kuramochi leaned closer to him and whispered “it’s gonna be fan-freakin-tastic”. Kazuya’s lips twitched at that.
When they stepped inside he found Sawamura sitting on his bed with his head leaning back against a giant pillow. He didn’t look any different than usual – that was until he turned his head to look at the newcomers. The lack of reaction from him disappointed Kazuya a bit even though the doctor warned them previously.
“Yo, Mura.” Kuramochi dropped down on the seat by his bed as lazily as ever. Kazuya did the same but on the other side of it.
“Mura?” Sawamura frowned at Kuramochi. “Are you referring to me?”
“Hell yeah I am. How’re you feeling?”
Sawamura was clearly suspicious about Kuramochi and Kazuya couldn’t blame him for that. He expected the same reaction when he turned to look at Kazuya but something completely else happened instead; his eyes widened a little and his lips parted in a way that Kazuya never saw from him before.
He almost looked like he just saw something astonishing.
“I’m… I’m fine.” He mumbled once he looked away from Kazuya. “Who are you by the way?”
“You really don’t remember me?” Kuramochi asked dramatically and he even put his hand over his heart. Kazuya couldn’t resist rolling his eyes. “You’re breaking my heart, man!”
“I’m, umm, I’m sorry?”
“I’m your brother!”
Kazuya turned to look at Kuramochi with a glare that clearly said What the hell are you doing?!, but it turned out to be quite ineffective on him.
“MY BROTHER?!” Sawamura asked as excitedly as if someone just handed him a box full of puppies. “That’s so cool! I mean, you’re so cool!”
“Kyahaha, did you hear that, Miyuki?”
“I wish I hadn’t.” Kazuya said. Of course, it was funny to make fun of his current state but… but he really couldn’t get that horrifying image out of his head. All he wanted and all he needed was for Sawamura to get better as soon as possible.
“I’m so sorry for not remembering you!” Sawamura said and Kazuya couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt upon seeing his tearful expression. “I bet we have so many amazing memories!”
“That’s right! You’re absolutely right!” Kuramochi looked like he was having the time of his life. “I’m your big bro!”
“Woaah, I’m so lucky… and you?” He looked at Kazuya who suddenly noticed that the younger boy’s cheeks had picked up a rosy shade. Maybe he got that excited for finding out his new relative? Oh, if only he knew what kind of person Kuramochi was…
Wait. He just asked something…
“Sorry?”
“Are you my brother too?” Sawamura asked quietly. Kazuya smiled and shook his head a little.
“No, I’m not.”
There was really no point in teasing him when he couldn’t bring the usual loud reaction out of him. They really should be going soon… Everything seemed to be fine with him – besides his temporary state of course – and he only needed some time to rest, which he absolutely couldn’t do if Kuramochi was there, too.
“Then who are you?” He asked in a much quieter tone than before. Kazuya was just about to open his mouth and say just a teammate when Kuramochi interrupted him.
“He’s your boyfriend, actually.”
Kazuya turned to glare so threateningly at Kuramochi that it was a wonder how he didn’t flee immediately from the room. He even snapped his hand to his mouth to forestall his laughter. Kazuya was so going to kill him once they’d get out of that room…
He slowly looked back at Sawamura, hoping that somehow he misheard Kuramochi. He looked like he was deep in thoughts and then he suddenly burst out laughing.
“My—what? Him? No way.” He looked like he just heard the greatest joke in his life and Kazuya didn’t like it.
Kuramochi leaned closer to his bed.
“Believe it or not, that’s a fact! Your big bro is saying that!”
He was so dead… Kazuya was going to give him hell for the next few weeks, he was sure of it…
Sawamura simply shook his head and kept on chuckling.
“That’s not possible… I mean look at him! He’s waaaaay out of my league!”
Sawamura’s chuckle was the only thing that could be heard from that room. Kazuya even stopped breathing and for a second Kuramochi looked just as shocked as he felt. That was only for a few seconds though, when he placed his hands on Sawamura’s bed and leaned even closer to him.
“Can you repeat that?”
Sawamura seemed to be a bit confused but being the simple-minded idiot he was he only shrugged it off.
“He can’t be my boyfriend.”
“Why?!”
“That’s… I’m sorry, random stranger,” Sawamura smiled at Kazuya who was still having troubles with breathing, “but you’re hot. There’s no way that you wouldn’t know that though.”
“Oh my god…” Kuramochi whispered before he cleared his throat. “Mura, don’t call your boyfriend a ‘random stranger’! You won’t make your big bro proud with this.”
“But—but…” He blinked up at Kazuya. “Are you… really…”
Kazuya spared a glance at Kuramochi but that moron was only encouraging him to say yes. It was too much. Kazuya knew that they would overstep a line with that but…
He nodded a little, much to Kuramochi’s joy.
Sawamura’s eyes turned impossible huge and his mouth fell open. Kazuya couldn’t bear his glare any longer and he had to turn his head away.
“Wow. That’s… Am I really that good of a person to deserve someone like you?” Sawamura whispered. Kuramochi was grinning so widely that Kazuya decided to speak up first before he could’ve make that situation any worse than it already was.
“Umm, yeah, you are. We should head back soon.”
“Nooo no, we still have some more time left!” Kuramochi exclaimed so loudly that it startled Sawamura, who seemed to be unable to take his eyes off of Kazuya. “Tell me, Mura, what do you think about him?”
Kazuya was thinking about the cruelest ways to deal with Kuramochi later when Sawamura frowned.
“Well, I don’t remember you… But besides your looks you have a really nice tone. I bet your smile would be pretty, too.”
“Oh, it is!” Kuramochi shouted. “Show him, Miyuki!”
“Miyuki?” Sawamura asked back. “It has a nice ring to it. Miyuki… How long have we been… umm… together?”
“For almost a year now!” Kuramochi said before Kazuya had any chance to escape. “I was the one who set you two up kyahahaha!”
“You did? Wow, thanks, man. You’re really the coolest brother I could ever dream of.”
“Don’t cry now, Mura! Save your tears for later!” Kuramochi said and Kazuya immediately knew what he was referring to; once Sawamura finds out what kind of cruel joke they made with him…
“O-okay!” Sawamura said happily. “But I still owe you with my life for making this possible. It feels like my wildest dream has just come true.”
That was it. Kazuya got up and stared down at Kuramochi as intently as if he wanted to light him on fire.
“I’m going back.” He said coldly. “Don’t come with me.”
He almost reached the door when he heard his name.
“Miyuki?” Sawamura called out to him as quietly as never before. Kazuya couldn’t resist turning around and he felt his chest tightening a little upon seeing his sad puppy expression. Sawamura couldn’t bring himself to look at him in the eyes and he was innocently fidgeting with his hands on his lap.
Kazuya took a step back to him.
“Did I… did I do something?” Sawamura asked. For a moment Kazuya even forgot that Kuramochi was still there and that he should be angry at him. “I know that I didn’t want to make you mad, I don’t need any memories for that.”
Kazuya stayed quiet. He should’ve just told him the truth…
“I didn’t want to make you worry.” Sawamura continued and he still refused to look up. “I’m sorry… for that.”
“You didn’t do anything.” Kazuya sighed and was relieved when Sawamura finally met his gaze. “But we really should go back now.”
“So… you’re not mad at me?”
“I’m not.” Kazuya said with a small smile. “Just get well soon, okay?”
“Thanks… Miyuki. I promise I will.”
Sawamura’s goofy grin caused a funny feeling in Kazuya that he couldn’t quite name. It was Kuramochi’s extremely loud yawn that put an end to it.
“Aah, I’m starting to feel like a third wheel here…”
“I’M SO SORRY!” Sawamura cried out while Kazuya only rolled his eyes. “I just… I was—I am really happy.” He smiled up to Kazuya once more. “I just wish that I would get my memories back soon…”
“Oh, you really don’t want that.” Kazuya muttered under his breath.
He almost managed to escape from the room when Kuramochi said something that he really shouldn’t have.
“And where’s the goodbye kiss? Or the I’m-happy-that-you’re-well kiss?”
“Enough, Kuramochi.”
“Not even a get-well-soon kiss?”
“I said—“
One glance at Sawamura was enough to make him speechless and unable to finish his sentence. He didn’t just look like as if he were on the verge of crying; he looked almost heartbroken. Kazuya hated seeing him like that, but he hated more the fact that he was the one responsible for it.
Sawamura’s lips curled up to a fake, a so, so fake smile that left his eyes sad.
“It’s fine,” he said. “I bet I did something stupid. You can go,” he added and nodded a little before he averted Kazuya’s gaze once again.
It wasn’t fine. Kazuya wasn’t a warmhearted person in the slightest but even he couldn’t leave him like that.
He sighed and walked back to him, ignoring Kuramochi’s curious gaze that followed his every movement. Once he reached his bed he put his hand on the younger boy’s cheek and kissed him on his forehead. His ridiculously goofy smile and his blush that reached his ears told him that he would be fine.
“Just as I thought,” he said, still grinning like the idiot he was. “Your lips are just as soft as they look like.”
“Okay, that’s it.” Kazuya couldn’t keep a straight face any longer; he chuckled a little and ruffled Sawamura’s hair. “See you later.”
“Thanks for visiting me, Miyuki! And you too, big bro!”
“I wish I had my phone with me to record this…” Kuramochi muttered as he stood up. “I’ll just have to make do with this splendid memory.”
“You’re cruel.” Kazuya commented but somehow he wasn’t mad at him anymore.
“Bye, Mura! Make sure not to think too much about that guy or else you’ll hurt your head even more.”
“I wouldn’t mind.” He said and smiled up at Kazuya in a coyly way that Kazuya had never seen from him before. “If it’s him then I wouldn’t mind.”
Kuramochi’s laughter might’ve easily been heard even from the room next to theirs, and even Kazuya found himself smiling back. The ever energetic, obnoxious, loud and so annoying Sawamura was somehow cute like that. Kazuya turned to use that chance as an escape.
“Bye-bye!”
“Bye, Mura!”
“See you guys! I’ll text you once I’ll get my memories back!”
Kazuya hid his evil grin behind his hand. Ooh, he was so waiting for that text…
--
(Received 9.23) WHAT THE HELL MIYUKI KAZUYA?!?!?!
(Delivered 9.25) <3