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Sitting in this stuffy ass classroom, gazing longingly out the window on a late summer afternoon, early June, Kazuya thinks of summers past. It feels like so long ago, lunch meant playing outside in an open field. Running around, playing catch or being hauled into another game of make believe in the woods. Before he had to move away from all of that. Miles away, trading lush greenery for grey concrete.
Lately lunch up until recently meant more time indoors, nose pressed to the book, studying his ass off to make sure he gets some kind of scholarship to be able to go to college when he came to terms with the fact that a sports scholarship was off the table. They don't wanna pay his way if he can't play. There's still hope for him of course, that he doesn't have to kiss baseball away for good entirely. It's just going to take him a while to climb back out of this hole.
Maybe in college after he finishes up his physical therapy for his torn rotator cuff, he can get back up on the horse again. Feels foolish in hindsight, how he pushed through what felt like the beginnings of some inflammation to try and keep himself together to pull his team to victory. At least it doesn’t look like he’ll need surgery, as long as his body responds well to PT, so there's that.
But it seems watching what Chris went through with his shoulder injury back in Kazuya's first year here at Seido taught him nothing. Or maybe he thought he was immune. That something like that wouldn't happen to him. But now it feels like it wasn't even worth it, playing through the pain since Seido didn't even make it to Koshien. So much for a long summer his third year.
Though now that he's made it through college entrance exams and landed himself a partial scholarship to Meiji University, he can somewhat relax again. Isn't confined to a desk 24/7. Can go on a walk or run to take his mind off things. Things he shouldn't still be thinking about.
Things like bright honey brown eyes, loud uninhibited laughter, and shared ice cream pops that were entirely too sweet. Even though it's been five years now, almost six, he hasn't been able to quite forget about his first ever friend. And first and only bit of unfortunate heartache that still clings to him like the seed heads of all those spent flowers in the meadows they used to run through together when they were little on their way home from school. Peals of laughter slipping out of them freely, uncaring of anything other than the chase, seeing who can get home the fastest.
Before he found himself here in Tokyo again, Kazuya had lived out in Nagano for several years. For a good chunk of his childhood. He doesn't even remember Tokyo much before then, even though he'd been originally born here. After he'd turned five and his mother's health started to decline, it became harder for her to care for him, so they moved in with his mother's parents out in the countryside.
Until slowly she began to fade away entirely and his father took Kazuya with him back to Tokyo to work and try and raise Kazuya as a single parent.
Kazuya still wonders if maybe he should've just stayed out there with his grandparents instead of moving back here with his dad. Perhaps if he'd known that his father would turn into a different man entirely, almost a stranger, he'd have stayed. At least he wouldn't have had to leave his one and only friend and have to start fresh. At an age where the kids seemed especially unkind. Starting at a new school a year later than everyone else.
Kazuya had the fortune and misfortune to live down the street from the most ridiculous and obnoxious person he'd ever met at the age of five. Sawamura Eijun was loud, brash, chaotic, and so full of light that he was the perfect distraction and presence to have in his life as the life and light started to leave his mother.
Anytime things felt too scary and too much, Sawamura would pull him out of the house to go play outside for hours at a time. Playing catch or going for a swim. Til the sun faded and the moon started to rise and take its place. Sawamura's smile and spirit making Kazuya forget all about the hushed, worried murmurings of his grandparents and his mother's dry feeble cough that seemed to only be getting worse instead of better.
It was Sawamura who uncharacteristically quietly sat by his side, holding his hand tightly as fat tears rolled down his cheeks when he had to come to terms with the fact that his mother wasn't coming back from where the illness took her.
And maybe it's because the place holds too many upsetting memories for either himself or his father, but he hasn't been back to Nagano since she passed. Hasn't seen Sawamura since he moved. Though Sawamura did send letters occasionally, which Kazuya read immediately whenever they came in the mail, they started to peter off after a while when Kazuya responded less and less.
Wrapped up in life and baseball here, becoming further and further removed from the countryside.
Well, and also maybe because of a bit of his own deliberate design. When it became apparent that the way in which he missed Sawamura was not the norm. That the ache he felt in Sawamura's absence was a bit more than just missing his childhood best friend.
Especially when he could not relate whatsoever to what some of his classmates and teammates were going on about as he got older and hit puberty. Asking each other stupid questions like how big they thought so and so's boobs were and if they were still a virgin. Or bragging on and on about getting hot and heavy with the “hottest” girl in class, while his teammates hung onto some their every word, teeming with jealousy.
Kazuya figured he wasn't on the same page when he felt completely disinterested in any of this. But quickly understood he was on a completely different page entirely when instead of picturing some random girl in all these scenarios, his mind would unhelpfully supply Sawamura's face and body instead. For some dumb reason.
Then the dreams he used to have of Sawamura started shifting. Originally his mind would create dreamlike scenarios of them spending time together again like they used to, subconsciously trying to self soothe the ache Sawamura left in his absence. As if missing his mother wasn't enough, his brain decided he needed to equally mourn the loss of Sawamura too.
But instead of conjuring up memories of summers long gone, his dreams began to bleed into something else. A mixture of the two. Past and present. All the gossip of his classmates during the day somehow slipping into his sleeping mind, causing him to wake each time covered in sweat, his boxers uncomfortably wet and sticky.
It happened enough times that it became too hard to ignore what his feelings actually were towards Sawamura, even if he didn't want them to be so. So rather than keep up this long distance friendship of which he somehow ended up longing for something else along the way as he'd gotten older, he let it fizzle away. Hoping that maybe Sawamura would just forget about him. So Kazuya could break his own heart, rather than having Sawamura do so instead.
“What're you brooding over here about now?”
Kazuya's broken out of his slightly despondent reverie by the obnoxious griping of his only friend that he's managed to make here since moving back. Well, the only person that if someone held a knife to his throat would admit to being friends with.
“Hm?” Kazuya pulls his eyes away from the window now to look up into Kuramochi Youichi’s disgruntled face. Looming over him as his head still rests in his palm, propping his chin up, looking disinterested in life.
“Come on! It's almost summer! And we don't have to study anymore shit! So stop sitting over here lookin like that already.”
True, Kuramochi made it into Meiji as well. Though his scholarship is a sports scholarship. Kuramochi made it onto Meiji's team as shortstop. While Kazuya's been relegated to cheerleader in the stands rather than catcher, cleanup, and captain. His previous roles.
“Well, what else is it you wanted to do today? Don't you have practice?” Kazuya replies, dismissively.
“Oi, don't be like that. Come on, let's go watch Maezono make a fool out of himself again. I think he's gonna try and ask Ruka-chan out for the fifth time, hyahaha!”
Kazuya sighs and gets up, shoving his left hand into his pocket as he scoops up his worn blue math notebook from the desk with his right. Pen tucked into the coiled springs poking out along the spine. Having not even realized the bell tune sang and class finished up. His somber daydreams thick and cloudy obscuring the outside world.
Kazuya can admit that it is a little funny spying around the corner watching Maezono get shamelessly turned down again while Kuramochi tries to unsuccessfully hold in his cackling next to him. He wonders how Maezono keeps making up believable excuses each time to lure their classmate out to ask time and time again.
Maybe Riruka finds this equally funny, watching this pathetic dude profess his undying love over and over. Kazuya's almost sure of it as she turns away cackling while Maezono cries at another failed attempt.
They're not quick enough when Maezono shakes himself out of it and goes to run after Riruka, only to find the two of them watching the whole thing unfold.
“Wha–?! The hell are you two doing here?!” Maezono yells.
“Uh we were just uh–” Kuramochi starts while Kazuya starts laughing, unable to help himself, clutching his stomach.
“Have you no shame!?!” Maezono cries out before remembering why he was running in this direction in the first place, “Wait! Ruka-chan!!”
Kuramochi exhales in relief once Maezono’s out of sight.
“How did you know he was going to fruitlessly attempt again anyway?” Kazuya asks once his snickering dies down.
“Ah, Haruichi told me,” Kuramochi stuffs his hands into his pockets as he starts walking away from campus, probably towards their dorms.
“Kominato eh?” Kazuya huffs a laugh. Not expecting that. Guess nothing’s sacred with the quiet pink haired second baseman. “How come he didn't come watch as well?”
“Eh he's probably going to have to hear about it later anyway. Spare Zono some dignity. Or at least the guise of it anyway..”
“I see,” Kazuya hums as he falls into step next to Kuramochi.
They walk in comfortable silence back to their respective dorm rooms.
“You got PT again today?” Kuramochi asks gruffly, rubbing his nose, trying to be casual about it.
Kazuya already received the tongue lashing of the century when Kuramochi found out he'd pushed himself too far. Well, more like witnessed Kazuya crumpling behind home plate after trying to tag out a runner attempting to steal second last month, and then learned that Kazuya had been playing through pain and discomfort leading up to it.
“Yup,” Kazuya exhales parting ways with Kuramochi as he heads towards his room to grab his bag.
“Alright. I'll come bother you when you get back then! Hyaha!” Kuramochi bids before heading into his room. Probably to change into his gear and out of his school uniform. Keeping up with his own practice and training to stay fit and ready for college ball in a few weeks.
“Sure sure,” Kazuya waves him off without turning around.
-
A couple weeks later after graduation finds them moved into their shared dorm in Chiyoda on campus. A short walk away from most buildings where their classes are held. A small two bedroom with a shared living area and working kitchen. Kazuya wishes the kitchen were a bit bigger, but it's good enough for now.
His schedule is relatively flexible. Enough classes to keep him occupied with papers and shit, but not necessarily enough time eaten up to take away from the hard to ignore feeling of wishing he was also going to practice each day after the last class lets out with Kuramochi rather than heading to PT three times a week.
But such is life and the choices he made, so all he can do is stick it out and keep trucking along if he wants to get back out there. To feel the grip of his cleats in the dirt, the quiet ache in his thighs crouched behind the plate, the good kind of burn and buzz up his arm into his shoulder after receiving pitch after pitch to the deep pocket of his waiting mitt from whomever’s on the mound. The resounding satisfying clang and reverberations in his body as a solid hit makes it out of the stands with the subsequent roar of the crowd.
He'd love to work with some of Meiji's pitchers. See what they're made of. What this caliber of baseball's like. If they hold any ounce of the same spark of a pitcher he once caught for before things held any weight. When ball was played simply for just the fun of it, nothing high stakes. Without things like victory and championship titles and trophies on the line.
Seido’s pitchers definitely gave Kazuya a run for his money. Furuya's ridiculous fastballs and Nori's steady reliable control and fork, Toujou’s calm presence and quiet determination. They were great to work with, even though trying at times. It's hard to beat the lasting impression of firsts though. Of his first unofficial battery partner that fit him like a well worn loved glove. Like his first ever catcher's mitt.
Kazuya's in the middle of trying to coerce his tired brain and body after PT into taking in differential equations at the low table in the small shared living room area when he hears a sound outside his shared dormitory door with Kuramochi that pulls his mind away from his studies entirely.
Eyes going slightly wider as he freezes the fiddling of his pencil against his notebook. His heartbeat going haywire in his chest threatening to burst out of his ribcage the closer the voice gets to their place.
He knows that voice, or rather, he can pick out that obnoxious laughter anywhere, even after all this time. But that can't be who he thinks it is, can it? Maybe he fell asleep while studying again.
Kazuya hears the jangle of keys then as Kuramochi unlocks the door to get into the place with none other than Sawamura Eijun in tow behind him.
Kazuya openly gapes at Sawamura as Sawamura freezes and does the same once his eyes land on Kazuya at the center of the room, whatever he'd been rambling on about with Kuramochi before stepping into the place dying on his tongue.
“Eijun?” Kazuya hesitantly asks. Wondering if he's really lost it. All his dumb longing and periodic dreams manifesting the man of his mental hour into the waking world. Tightly gripping his left thigh beneath the table, fingers digging into the fabric of his sweats almost painfully. Ah, not a dream then.
“M-M-Miyuki Kazuya?! Is that really–what're you–you're‐you're here!!” a jumble of words rush out of Sawamura all tangled up in his excitement as he kicks out of his shoes to rush into the place and grip Kazuya's shoulders, which Kazuya tries not to wince at, Sawamura's shock making way for excitement and joy as the biggest smile stretches to take up his whole face. One of Kazuya's favorite kinds of Sawamura smiles.
Examining Kazuya every which way like he can't believe it either. Kazuya catches Sawamura muttering under his breath, "You've gotten so big," but pretends like he doesn't, trying not to flush.
“Yes, I live here. Well, and go to school here. Better question is what're you doing here?” Kazuya finally gets out after collecting himself, looking up into Sawamura's glistening honey golden eyes. Rolling his shoulder out of Sawamura's grip as his fingers dig into the tender flesh still a little sore from today's PT exercises.
“Ah! I go to school here too!! I was hoping maybe I'd be able to find you somehow–when you-”
“Find me?” Kazuya's heart skips a beat before he smirks to hide the amalgamation of emotions rolling around in his gut, “Are you stalking me now, Sawamura Eijun?”
“W-wha–?! N-no!! Of course not! I mean, I thought maybe I'd find you some way or another..if I came to school in Tokyo but–”
“Ah so you are stalking me then,” Kazuya teases, lips curling into a deeper grin.
“No I'm–!” Sawamura starts winding up again until Kuramochi cuts in.
“Wait, you two know each other?” Kuramochi steps further into the room then, looking confused at the scene unfolding before him.
“Yeah!!” Sawamura beams and shouts happily in contrast to Kazuya's much quieter, less enthused begrudging admittance. Putting his arm around Kazuya's shoulders pulling him closer, almost knocking their heads together, earlier ire forgotten.
“How??” Kuramochi looks between the two of them, bewildered.
“Miyuki Kazuya used to live down the street from me!” Sawamura supplies.
“Wait, like in Nagano??” Kuramochi looks even more confused.
“Yup!” Sawamura nods enthusiastically.
“Since when did you live in Nagano?” Kuramochi turns towards Kazuya in question, “I never knew that.”
Kazuya exhales. He was trying to keep it that way. So that everything those years held would be kept in a neat box tucked aside deep in storage. Only to be pulled out and dusted off on quiet rainy days when no one else was around to open it up and poke around in.
“Yeah. When I was five, mom and I moved to Nagano to live with my grandparents for a bit before I moved back here with my dad.”
“Oh,” Kuramochi blinks. Clearly trying to put some pieces together. “Huh.”
“And then Miyuki Kazuya stopped responding to my letters!”
“Letters? Oh man! You guys were pen pals?? Hyahaha!” Kuramochi cackles like this is the funniest shit he's ever heard.
Kazuya tries not to flush as he crosses his arms defensively, and looks away, “I got busy.”
“Lies!” Sawamura points rudely, after releasing him, “You could've if you really wanted to!”
“I kind of had my hands full, you know. No time for things like that outside of baseball,” Kazuya throws out another excuse dismissively.
“Oh. Wait! You play?! Like for real?! But then–” Sawamura's eyebrows furrow, “Why aren't you…”
“This dumbass injured himself two months ago during the tournament leading into Koshien,” Kuramochi answers, much to Kazuya's disgruntlement. Sawamura doesn't need to know this. “So he's not able to join us yet.”
“Join us..?” Kazuya questions looking between the two of them.
“Yes!! I'm on Meiji's team, first string!! I made it here on a full sports scholarship,” Sawamura puffs up proudly, looking smug.
“Huh,” Kazuya studies Sawamura, “How about that.”
“So when will you be able to catch for me again?! I've gotten so much better! Since you last saw me!” Sawamura grips him again, before remembering himself and pulling away, now aware that Kazuya’s holding some kind of injury somewhere, but not knowing where.
“Oh you have, have you?” Kazuya smiles something sharp, eyes glinting.
“Wait, you guys played together too??” Kuramochi looks between the two of them, hands at his hips, “Unbelievable! Hyahaha!”
“Only for fun. We weren't on an actual team or anything,” Kazuya answers.
“Hey, we were most definitely a team!”
“We barely had nine players Eijun..”
“Better than nothing! And we were the best battery in town!”
“Yeah with a population of about 3,000 people. The majority of which are the elderly,” Kazuya mutters.
“Hyahaha oh man! I can't believe this!”
“Me neither! This is the best day ever!” Sawamura smiles over at him again, something bright that slowly softens, along with his voice, “I really missed you, you know.”
Kazuya swallows and looks away, “Is that so.”
“Have you eaten yet? What'd you make us for dinner?” Kuramochi barrels on.
Kazuya latches onto that rather than pick up whatever Sawamura's laying down between them, “What am I, your home chef?”
“Hyaha yep!” Kuramochi pulls out some leftovers out of the fridge and starts making himself a bowl, “You hungry?” Pulling out another bowl for Sawamura.
“Yeah! Miyuki Kazuya can cook?” Sawamura looks back towards Kazuya from the small kitchen as he heads over towards Kuramochi, with intrigue and wonder.
“Yup! This bastard somehow managed to be good at something else outside of baseball, hyaha!”
“Oi,” Kazuya scowls.
“Hey Miyuki Kazuya's really good at plenty of things outside of catching my pitches! He's really smart and still holds the record for biggest iwana ever caught in Togakushi!”
Kazuya flushes and looks away. Feeling pleased yet embarrassed at Sawamura immediately coming to his defense but sharing more incriminating things about him that he hasn't shared with anybody here.
“Oh man, you even know how to fish?” Kuramochi cackles, “Who even are you dude? I wanna know more about this country bumpkin Miyuki hyahaha!”
Kazuya scowls, “I'm the same old me.” Kuramochi's getting entirely too much enjoyment out of this.
“What's next, you're gonna tell me he also holds the record for growing the biggest squash or some shit?” Kuramochi gets out around a bite of curry.
“Well actually–” Sawamura starts.
“Eijun,” Kazuya cuts in, hissing. Wanting this all to stop.
“The title belongs to my gramps!”
Kazuya exhales. Glad some other sordid detail about his childhood hasn't been brought out to the light. Too many things are happening in rapid succession out of his control. It's making his head spin.
“Mmmmm Miyuki Kazuya!! This is so good! How'd you learn to cook?!”
Kazuya flushes, averting his eyes, “I just taught myself.”
Sawamura's tone then shifts, eyes dimming slightly, nodding “Ah. That makes sense,” mumbling around a mouthful. Somehow managing to put pieces together without Kazuya even saying anything. Seeming to still have the knack for it even after all this time apart.
“I need to see photographic evidence of this shit. Please tell me there's photos,” Kuramochi grins evilly as he settles down at the table in the living room across from Kazuya while Sawamura plops down next to him.
“Yes!! I've got pictures!!” Sawamura gets out excitedly before deflating somewhat, “Oh but they're all back at home…Mm next break I'll bring some back!” Sawamura nods to himself as if it's settled.
Kazuya tries not to wither at the idea next to Sawamura. Though at the same time, feels warm at the fact that Sawamura has documentation he's kept of the two of them.
And also uncomfortably warm with how much Sawamura's just uncaringly invading his space. Much like he used to. As if Kazuya'd never left and five years hadn't gone by in the blink of an eye.
“Wanna play some Smash?” Kuramochi offers after polishing off his meal.
“Yeah!! I love Super Smash Bros!!” Sawamura agrees happily before throwing his arm around Kazuya again, so overly familiar, “This Sawamura Eijun will never turn down an opportunity to hand Miyuki Kazuya's ass to him!”
“Oi,” Kazuya grumbles, shrugging Sawamura's arm off. Even though he quite likes the warm weight around him. A grounding touch he's missed a ridiculously stupid amount, the depth of it kind of smacking him in the face now that he has it again.
“Hyahaha! Oh hell yeah! I can never get this asshole to play cause he's so shit at it hyaha!”
“Glad my pain and suffering is so amusing to you both,” Kazuya mutters. Very much not appreciating two people now ganging up on him.
Though at the same time, something feels so incredibly right in a way that it hasn't in quite some time. Having Sawamura here at his side, like he's supposed to be yet hasn't, somehow blending seamlessly here with Kazuya's world here in Tokyo as if he'd been here this whole time.
-
It becomes somewhat of a regular thing after that first fateful night early July. Sawamura coming over for dinner after practice and matches with Kuramochi to hang and play video games or watch movies.
Kazuya still doesn't quite know what to make of this turn of events. On the one hand, it's the best fucking thing ever to have his childhood best bud back in his life, yet on the other hand having his gay awakening that he's tried very hard to keep tucked away and forgotten right here at his side bringing back all those feelings to the surface is some kind of divine torture.
Turns out he was doing a piss poor job at getting rid of them. His feelings. They're still very much there if not worse now that he's seen the man Sawamura's grown into.
The once gangly kid, all filled out with solid muscle. Tall and broad. His round babyfat cute cheeks having melted away to reveal a strong jawline that somehow yet still holds that charmingly boyish disarming smile that never ceases to make Kazuya's stomach do funny things. And don't even get Kazuya started on Sawamura's eyes.
Some of the most beautiful expressionate radiant things that makes Sawamura's smile all the more deadly, as they shine just as much as Sawamura's grin in his joy. Or worse (better) whenever they land on Kazuya.
It's all a bit much. Kazuya's excited yet a bit terrified what it's going to be like once he's on the team. When he's able to catch again full time. And then he really won't be able to escape Sawamura's entire.
At least for now, he only has to be subjected to Sawamura's presence in the evenings occasionally since Meiji's practice and game schedule is pretty rigorous. Eating up most of Kuramochi and Sawamura's time during the season.
-
By the time his birthday rolls around mid November, he's finally been making some major progress in PT. Most recently he's finally been allowed to do some light catching and batting practice. Very minimal, but something at least.
Once Sawamura catches wind of this, he immediately drags Kazuya to Meiji's practice grounds to play a bit of catch. Chomping at the bit to have Kazuya catch for him again after so long. Having been equally invested in Kazuya's recovery. Dragging Kazuya along for his runs at all hours of the day when time allowed in encouragement and solidarity.
Sawamura's practically vibrating out of his skin by the time they make it to Meiji's practice field. Flood lights still on for stragglers still training, even though it's technically now the off-season. They settle into one of the bullpen areas since that's better lit than the field at this time of night. As much as Kazuya would love to see Sawamura up in that raised bit of dirt 18.44 meters away.
Kazuya moves through his stretches and band work before slipping into his protective gear while Sawamura gets warmed up. Once he's ready to go, he walks over to the opposite side of the bullpen and crouches down into position.
“Alright, you've got 30 pitches to show me what you've got!” Kazuya calls across the divide. We'll see how he's feeling after thirty. Maybe he can squeeze in an extra ten..
“Only 30?!” Sawamura turns to face him, balking, arms coming out wide.
Kazuya huffs a laugh, “You heard me! I'm still a recovering man, am I not?”
“Well yeah…but–!”
“Come on,” Kazuya punches his mitt, before placing it dead center, “What can you pitch now?” his lips curling into a teasing smirk to throw out an old phrase familiar to them both, “Still only fastballs for life?”
“O-oi!” Sawamura flushes, “I know so many more pitches now! Just-just shut up and watch me,” Sawamura grumbles, rotating the ball in his grip. Eyes beginning to lock onto Kazuya's mitt instead of Kazuya's challenging gaze.
Kazuya's heartbeat instantly picks up in pace in anticipation before the breath catches in his chest. Watching Sawamura's full beautiful windup unfold before his eyes. Polished and tight, and so much more fluid and powerful than before as Sawamura's right leg lifts impossibly high, hips twisting after planting that right foot firmly in the dirt. Rotating across his body with that whip-like action in his left arm and delayed release.
Kazuya moves his mitt at the last second out of reflex and instinct to catch the fastball that drops hot and sharp into his mitt. Feeling winded now for a different reason with just one pitch because holy shit was that split finger nasty.
He squeezes the ball tighter in his mitt as he looks up into Sawamura's triumphant, rakish smile as he rights himself on both legs once more.
“Whatdya think of that?! Pretty amazing eh? Wahaha!” Sawamura boasts, hands at his hips. Glove smooshing against his side.
Kazuya swallows, playing it cool, “Not bad. What else you got for me?” Throwing the ball back up to Sawamura's waiting glove.
Sawamura smirks, mouth twisting in a way very familiar to Kazuya, seeing as it's an expression he wears quite often, “Wanna see my changeup?”
“Oh? You've got a changeup now too?” Kazuya smirks back, mirroring Sawamura's challenging one.
“That's right!” Sawamura stretches his arms above his head before he repositions his grip around the ball in his glove once more.
Kazuya watches without blinking and barely veiled excitement as Sawamura begins his full beautiful windup once more. To deliver the sweetest, most delicious, slow arching ball, dropping snuggly right dead center in the pocket of Kazuya's waiting mitt. Hot damn.
Kazuya grins something sharp with all teeth and satisfaction as he tosses the ball back up to Sawamura, old nickname slipping out without thought, “Alright, nice ball Ei!”
Sawamura mirrors that smile, setting Kazuya's gut on fire further as he calls back out, “Thanks Kaz!!” Transferring the ball to his left hand, all the while keeping his eyes still locked on Kazuya.
Ok, maybe he can go for forty or so today.
They finish their session though at a reasonable hour after Kazuya starts to feel that familiar ache in his right shoulder. Figuring he's done for today. A little annoyed he can't last longer. But he's just being unfair to himself and can't help but get carried away even though this is literally his first time back out like this since May.
Kazuya couldn't ask for a better birthday present if he tried, really. Though somehow, Sawamura has another ace up his sleeve when they get back to Kazuya and Kuramochi's dorm. Really exceeding Kazuya's birthday expectations, that he long since abandoned for his day each year.
Shouldn't be surprising though, Sawamura's always been full of surprises in the time Kazuya's known him. Now shouldn't be any different he supposes.
“I know you don't like sweet things…so I called in a favor from back home for something special!” Sawamura comes in from the kitchen, having cooked or warmed up something while Kazuya was in the shower, by the smell of things.
He pads into the kitchen, still towel drying his hair as Sawamura plates what looks to be an array of oyaki.
“Oyaki? How did you even–” Kazuya takes the plate of misshapen stuffed buckwheat dumplings.
“I remember you used to love ma's…so I tried making them!! I hope they're good! I had ma walk me through everything over the phone! It took a couple tries...but I think this is my best batch,” Sawamura nods and hmphs, hands at his hips.
“Gee Sawamura, when's the wedding? Hyahaha!” Kuramochi teases, laughing.
“O-oi! I-I'm allowed to cook for my b-best friend on his special day, aren't I?!” Sawamura gets out, instantly red and cat eyed.
“Yeah maybe a box cake or somethin, nothing like that!”
“Well Kazuya doesn't like sweets! And this is way better! One of his favorite foods made with l–m-made from scratch!”
Not even registering any of their back ‘n forth, Kazuya’s still in his own world, feeling floored at Sawamura not only remembering, but also going through the trouble of making them, Kazuya can only get a quiet stilted thanks out as he heads into the living room to plop down and try one. Kuramochi's laughter still ringing out on his way into the bathroom to shower next.
All it takes is one bite to transport him to a much kinder, happier, carefree time in life. Idle chatter from family members, Sawamura's and his, gathered together round a long table, enveloping him in warmth. Sawamura a happy, loud presence next to him as he woofs down freshly fried oyaki one after the other, burning his mouth in the process. While Kazuya chastises him, exasperated yet fond. Even at that age.
“So?! They any good??” Sawamura presses, leaning over the table, looking like he's struggling to contain himself.
Kazuya clears his throat, trying to dislodge the lump that's settled in there, pretending the tingling behind his eyes doesn't exist, “Yeah. Uh, not bad.”
“Ooshhii!!” Sawamura cheers, pumping his fist, eyes closing in delight.
Sense memory through taste is nothing to scoff at, so it seems.
If that wasn't enough, Sawamura then eventually gets up to pad over to his bag by the door for something else. After watching Kazuya clean his plate.
“And one more thing! That I made, um, for you,” Sawamura holds out a card with both hands to Kazuya.
Kazuya accepts the card, looking at the scrawled ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!’ in Sawamura's overzealous chicken scratch, that he can tell what exuberant mood Sawamura was feeling when he wrote it just based on the sharp messy lines of his kanji, blunt tome and sweeping hane, alone.
He opens the card then with careful hands. Taking in the scene Sawamura drew of what looks to be them playing outside together somewhere, as Kuramochi walks into the room from the bathroom, having finished with his shower.
Trying not to flush as he reads Sawamura's letter waxing poetic about the merits of friendship and how happy he is to have Kazuya in his life. He looks at the drawing again and a light bulb goes off in his brain.
“Oh. This is the creek that–” Kazuya swallows looking up into Sawamura's hopeful, anticipatory gaze.
“Yes!! I was hoping you'd remember! And recognize it! I tried very hard to capture its splendor!”
“I–yeah it's,” Kazuya clears his throat and tries again, “It's great Ei. Thank you.” Old nickname rolling off the tongue for the second time today without second thought. Feeling soft and nostalgic gazing down at the picture once more. Mouth softer with the lingering taste of oyaki on his tongue.
“You're so very welcome!” Sawamura smiles big and bright.
Kuramochi looks between the two of them looking like he's missing something, or trying to piece something together. “Lemme see,” Kuramochi holds out his hand for the hand written card.
Kazuya almost hesitates giving it to him. Not wanting to part with it. It also feels really personal for some reason. To share this with anybody else but Sawamura.
“It's uh, the creek we used to play in a lot growing up,” Kazuya explains, rubbing the back of his neck, averting his eyes.
The place they'd go whenever things felt like too much for Kazuya and Sawamura was none too subtly trying his best to distract him. Quite successfully. That creek holds some of his best memories with Sawamura.
Exploring upstream and downstream together, marveling at whatever they'd find. Be it a cool rock or some fish that Sawamura would try all day to catch with his hands to present to Kazuya. Pretending they were on some sort of expedition mapping the area out of all flora and fauna til they were experts. Making up names for shit. And on especially exceptionally rambunctious days, slinging mud and water at one another in all out war (previously an ongoing battle that Kazuya would almost always win).
The only word to wrap all of that up into a neat package is precious. Priceless and irreplaceable.
“Huh. Not bad Bakamura! Who knew you could draw hyaha!”
“This Sawamura Eijun is a man of many talents!” Sawamura points to himself with his thumb, puffing up proudly.
Kazuya tries not to feel overly emotional about something as simple as this heartfelt card and is failing miserably at it from all the memories and feelings it conjures up, punching him in the heart, gut and brain, with the lingering taste of oyaki on his tongue. As he stares up into Sawamura's warm chocolate brown eyes gazing down at him with what can only be described as fondness after his smugness subsides. Like Kazuya's his favorite thing in the room.
If Kazuya lets Sawamura sit a little closer to him than usual on the couch later during a movie, arm slung over the back of the couch behind Kazuya, no one has to know.
-
By the time the holidays roll around, Sawamura tries his absolute hardest to try and convince Kazuya to go home with him back to Nagano to no avail.
Kazuya maybe should have anticipated this, but alas, he was wholly unprepared for the insistence Sawamura would come at him with about this. Still unbelievably stubborn to a fault, trying to strong arm whomever into getting what he wants with his pleading eyes and unwieldy force of will. Some things don't change.
“Come on Miyuki Kazuya, please? Pretty please? My parents would love to see you! It's been so long!”
Kazuya sighs, tossing out the same excuses for the umpteenth time the closer they get to Christmas, “I already told you. I'm just spending it with my dad like usual again this year. I don't want to go anywhere else. I've got–studying to catch up on.”
“We can go after! And you can bring your books!” Sawamura argues.
Kazuya exhales roughly looking over at Sawamura's pleading expression. Which almost makes him buckle. This one the most pitiful to date. He decides though that the only way he's probably going to get Sawamura off his back is if he's honest about his reluctance to go.
“Look Eijun. I'm–I'm just not ready. To go back yet.”
“You're not rea–?”
“No. I still haven't even spoken to my grandparents since I moved,” Kazuya folds his arms across his chest defensively, looking away.
“Oh. But they'd–I could come with you! If you're nervous or something! I know they'd–” Sawamura looks confused before offering.
“I said no Eijun,” Kazuya repeats firmly, looking back over at Sawamura, brows set, causing Sawamura to whither like spent lilies at the end of spring.
“Ok,” Sawamura murmurs, sounding and looking dejected.
Kazuya sighs, eyes rolling skyward before unfurling his arms and stepping closer. Feeling bad he made Sawamura look like that, “Maybe next time, alright?”
Sawamura perks up a little at that, “Mm ok! I'm holding you to it then!”
-
After the holidays, spring semester is upon them before they know it. Slow to start, but quick to bury them in work. Kazuya's very much not looking forward to the mountain of papers he's going to have to write and books to read that he has no interest in whatsoever for his required literature course.
But he can at least focus on the fact that he's almost ready to join the team this spring. As the backup catcher at the very least. He still has to try out and show that he's worth his grain of salt and that all his high school accomplishments aren't a thing of the past.
With the help and support of his friends though, he's not worried. They've already been vouching for him and acting like he's already part of the team. So he doesn't feel completely a year behind in comparison to his cohorts.
He's admittedly a little rusty, but not as much as he could've been if not for him and Sawamura's late night catching sessions. That Kazuya has come to cherish as much as life itself, even if he'll never say so.
Kazuya's loved baseball for quite some time, but somehow he'd forgotten what baseball and Sawamura were like. Now that he's invested more time in the sport separate from his best pal, it hits different having Sawamura pitch across the divide to his waiting mitt.
Sparks a different kind of fire in his belly, that somehow has strengthened in Sawamura's absence. Probably because their skill sets have only advanced and matured, much like themselves. Making everything all the more satisfying to come together again, feeling the same connection yet different. Better. Stronger. Sharper.
Kazuya can't wait to actually partner up with Sawamura in real game time action. If just playing catch ball with one another late into the eve feels this good and positively exhilarating, being behind the dish with actual batters and victory on the line will undoubtedly be amazing.
-
Come June, the first hints of true summer start to bleed into their day to day. The air a little more thick and humid. The breeze losing some of its chill in the evenings. Sweat making uniforms cling to their skin more so beneath the harsh sun during practice. The high pitched thrumming sound of cicadas picking up in fits and starts more frequently.
Kazuya's officially on the team now, and has been brought into the fold of grueling evening practice day in and day out after the spring tournament season came to a close. A good kind of tired settling into his bones. Much more welcome than that of PT or from falling asleep at the living room table drooling onto his laptop.
The air is brighter and fresher in his lungs, even despite the heat. Being able to do what he loves again, and with Sawamura to boot.
They've yet to play together in an official match. Only having done so during practice and drills. Intrasquad matches and what not. But even that has been thrilling. Testing out Sawamura's arsenal against actual batters. Trying out new things together before the real deal. Pitches they've been working on together before Kazuya was totally up to snuff and an official Meiji baseball team member in fine working condition.
Kazuya anticipates that after the annual summer training camp concludes next week, he may finally make it into the starting lineup in time for the fall tournament in September.
Fall really can't come fast enough. But he'll settle for appreciating the season of long days spent outside doing what he loves most in the meantime.
He's been quietly excited yet dreading this training camp that he's heard horror stories about from the upperclassmen. On the one hand, getting the opportunity to visit someplace outside the city he hasn't been to before will be kind of nice. But on the other, a week of pushing his body past its limits sounds less than ideal. If this training camp is anything like the hellish ramp up training Coach Kataoka put them through while at Seido.
He's both thrilled yet also feeling some type of way about spending a full week in Sawamura's presence without reprieve, but that's neither here nor there. He may be dreading that even more than the idea of lactic acid tearing through his overworked muscles.
Seeing as his dumb useless feelings have only gotten steadily worse and harder to keep shoved down and away over the past year with Sawamura back in his life. He had deluded himself for a little while into thinking that maybe he could just focus on how great it is to have his best friend back. And that maybe all that other longing was just misplaced in Sawamura's absence, growing into something else that maybe it wasn't.
But that was very short lived. There's no mistaking it at this point. The fact that he's very much in love with his dummy of a best friend.
It's just a fact. The same as his height being about 183 cm and his vision poor. His propensity for memorizing stats off the back of his hand and various batting lineup tendencies quite high yet incapacity for remembering the name of most of his classmates that he sits next to each day who try to engage him in idle conversation quite considerable. It doesn't need to be this life altering all encompassing thing that debilitates him on any given day.
So he tells himself. To cope.
But he supposes there are worse things. Like never having Sawamura back in his life again. Though he wonders if that was ever truly an option. Fate does indeed work in mysterious ways. He was probably always bound to cross paths again with Sawamura, whether he wanted to or not. Especially if he ever built up the courage to just bite the bullet and pay his grandparents a visit.
-
The two and a half hour bus ride out west to Yamanashi to the sports complex where they'll be staying at outside of Kofu for a week is a rowdy one. One would think that at the hour they were supposed to report to head out here, everyone would still be sleepy. But no such luck.
Kazuya hasn't been able to catch any shut eye sitting next to Kuramochi. Music blasting out of his earphones loud enough for Kazuya to know which band Kuramochi's listening to. And Sawamura chattering away nonstop behind him to his newfound friend in Kominato Haruichi, now that Kazuya’s former kohai has joined their ranks this year, just in time for the training camp. Getting an early jump start into training with the team.
He should've thought to bring earplugs. Or at the very least his own earbuds to listen to something of his own choosing. Maybe he'll buy a cheap pair when they get in just to have for the week ahead. Who knows what sleeping arrangements will be like. In times like these Kazuya curses his light sleeper tendencies.
When they get to the place, everybody all but rushes off the bus to check the place out. Older team members already familiar with the drill, heading towards the dorms to find the room assignments.
Kazuya wonders who he has to thank or curse (probably a well meaning Tetsu) when he sees the list printed out for room 203 occupants. Himself, Kuramochi, Kominato, and Sawamura. Leaning towards cursing when he sees how small the space is and the shared sleeping room with four futons already laid out in a row for them.
He picks one corner to drop his things down and tries not to react in the slightest when Sawamura plops his stuff down in the space right next to Kazuya's bed roll. Haruichi then next to Sawamura and Kuramochi on the other side at the other end of the room.
Well, at least it's not like it's just him and Sawamura. It'll be fine. Probably.
“Let's go explore!! Kazuya lets go check out the bullpen! The bullpen!!” Sawamura grabs a hold of Kazuya's forearm, all but dragging him out the room.
“Eijun, we still have to report to the main building before 11,” Kazuya argues, exasperated, yet still lets himself get dragged to wherever it is Sawamura wants to go. The sensation a very familiar one.
He hears Kuramochi's laughter as he leaves their shared room, but doesn't catch whatever he's saying to Haruichi.
After checking out the layout of the sports complex, Kuramochi and Haruichi eventually catch up with them before they meet at the field for the run down of this week's schedule with the rest of the team. A full menu from sun up to sun down.
Everybody congregates in the mess hall after being dismissed, where a group of ladies seemed to have volunteered to feed them for the week. Some of which seem to be some of his teammates’ mothers or aunts, much to their embarrassment when called out to and fussed over.
Kazuya settles down at one of the tables with Kuramochi, Sawamura, Haruichi and Shirasu. Sawamura plopping down right next to him on the other side, Kuramochi at his left.
Without words or preamble Sawamura grabs the pudding off his tray and swaps it with some of his tsukemono. Giving Kazuya extra pickled goods in trade for his dessert.
“Oi,” Kazuya frowns slightly over at Sawamura for just doing as he pleases, even though it's exactly what Kazuya wanted anyway.
His eyes move over to Haruichi then at the sound of his quiet laughter, “You guys seem pretty close.”
“That's cause Kaz and I grew up together!” Sawamura throws an arm around Kazuya then.
Kazuya flushes at the old nickname used freely in front of everyone paired with Sawamura squeezing him tighter to his side, so overly familiar. Along with Sawamura's propensity for telling everyone and their brother about their long held friendship.
“Oh. That's nice. Out in Nagano?” Haruichi asks.
“Yup!” Sawamura beams after releasing Kazuya.
“I see,” Haruichi hums, studying them both.
“I never knew you lived out in Nagano, Miyuki,” Shirasu comments.
Kazuya doesn't like the way Kominato's looking at them with an assessing sort of air. “Yeah, just for a couple years.”
“More than a couple! Eight!” Sawamura adds.
“Ok ok, must you tell everyone everything all the time?” Kazuya irritatedly asks.
“Why not? It's the truth! Where's the harm in that?” Sawamura looks at Kazuya confused.
“Hyahaha nothing's sacred with Bakamura!” Kuramochi cackles at Kazuya's expense.
Kazuya just sighs and brings his attention back to his lunch. Ignoring however Haruichi's looking at them now as he chuckles a little softly.
He manages to make it through the rest of lunch mostly unscathed. Only to be subjected to a different sort of torture once they all get to the practice field.
By the time dinner rolls around, he feels dead on his feet. Half asleep after his shower and subsequent soak. He eats with his eyes half open as Kuramochi and Sawamura laugh at him. He pays them no mind, eyes on the prize of his futon waiting for him back in their shared room.
Kazuya's out almost as soon as his head hits the pillow, eye mask roughly pulled over his eyes. One of the pairs he has that's got open eyes on the front (that Sawamura got him). He's awoken with a start sometime later though, much too soon, to Sawamura shouting some sort of nonsense in his sleep.
Kazuya lifts his eye mask up wondering what the fuck is going on and can it please stop to see Sawamura pointing with his eyes still shut.
“There's nothing wrong with those aliens!! They're people too!”
Kuramochi throws something in Sawamura's direction, missing him entirely and almost smacking Kazuya, “Shuddup already!”
Sawamura flops back onto his futon unceremoniously, unphased whatsoever, still asleep. As if none of that just happened.
Kazuya rolls onto his back and all but groans internally. How the fuck had he completely forgotten about Sawamura's horrible sleeping habits? By the time he was ten he ixnayed any more sleepovers because of this kind of nonsense right here. Kazuya just hopes maybe Sawamura's fits are less frequent now that Sawamura's older.
They're not. It's just as bad. By day three he buys earplugs at the conbini nearby. Kuramochi must just put music on or something. Kazuya knows he's a heavy sleeper, but he can't be that much of one. Haruichi threatens to smother Sawamura in his sleep in a way so scarily similar to his older brother Kazuya'd think they switched places momentarily.
It doesn't work though of course, since it's not like Sawamura can control it. So Haruichi gives up and goes to sleep in Shirasu's dorm room with some of their senpai.
The earplugs kind of work at least so Kazuya's more functional towards the end of the week. There's nothing worse than running your body ragged and then not being able to replenish it with sleep.
At least it's relatively been the good kind of tired he's been feeling, Sawamura's sleep disruptions aside. He hasn't had the pleasure of devoting this amount of time consecutively on training and ball in what feels like forever. To hear the clang of bats again at all hours. The familiar ache in his knees and thighs. The soreness in his palms and fingers from reestablishing calluses gone soft. Finally getting to see what the rest of Meiji's pitchers are made of.
By the sixth day, Kazuya hits his groove. Things are clicking, muscle memory waking up from its deep slumber. And he feels good. Like the earth has finally righted itself on its axis. Having been so very slightly off since the day he had to step off the field. Well, carried off it.
So it's with actual disappointment that they find out scheduled practice is canceled for the afternoon due to an impending storm, even though it doesn't necessarily look like it's going to rain just yet. The only instructions for today being to take advantage of the indoor facilities for individual training.
Sawamura though seems to have other ideas. Surprisingly. Kazuya'd thought maybe he'd just be a fixture in the bullpen for a large chunk of the day.
“But it's still so nice out!” Sawamura looks disappointed after receiving the news of the change in plan after lunch, “Ooooh I know!! Let's all go for a swim! We haven't had a chance yet to go see the trails and stuff nearby!”
“I was actually hoping to take advantage of the batting cages here,” Haruichi says.
"Me too," Shirasu agrees.
“Yeah, and I'd like to give my legs the gift of a break! Hyaha!” Kuramochi adds.
Sawamura then looks to Kazuya with those lethal watery puppy dog eyes that ensnare Kazuya time and time again to no avail.
He's already saying yes before he says it because he doesn't have a good enough excuse ready he knows will be convincing enough to deter Sawamura. Plus, he'd be lying if the idea of wandering out in nature with Sawamura like old times wasn't alluring.
So even though it's a resounding yes, he still puts the airs on of his undue suffering as he sighs, looking like he's agreeing against his will, “Fine. Let me just get changed and we can go.”
“Oooshhii!! It's going to be so much fun Miyuki Kazuya!! You won't regret it!!” Sawamura smiles so big and bright and happy, Kazuya has to look away so as not to be blinded by it. His lunch gurgling a little in his belly as the sight does funny things to Kazuya's gut.
“Yes, yes,” Kazuya waves Sawamura off, averting his eyes as he hopes what feels like a blush isn't dusting his cheeks from his best bud's excitement affecting him more strongly than he'd like.
Changed into a different type of athleisure for the occasion they head out shortly thereafter, parting ways with the gang. Kazuya begrudgingly put on contacts since swimming with glasses on is never ideal. Even though wearing contacts is never comfortable for extended periods of time.
When he joins back up with Sawamura, Sawamura does a double take and all out stares at him for a good chunk of silence.
“What,” Kazuya mutters, averting his eyes. Flushing despite himself at the attention. Why's Sawamura being weird?
“Oh I uh–I haven't seen you without your glasses like this! In a really long time!” Sawamura looks away then, brushing the back of his head awkwardly. Tips of his ears red.
Kazuya clears his throat to dispel whatever's happening here, and quiet his traitorous heartbeat, “Right..Well, do you even know where we're going?” he asks, even though he has a hunch what the answer may be already.
“Mmm kinda! There's supposed to be a nice lake nearby..” Sawamura pulls out his phone to look, “Oh but let's get some snacks first!”
“Snacks? Didn't we just eat?”
“Well yeah, but we're gonna be hungry again later! We'll need to refuel!” Sawamura argues.
“How long are you planning on us being out there??” Kazuya asks, dubious.
“I dunno! A couple hours?” Sawamura taps his chin in thought, “It's better to be over prepared than under!” Sawamura elbows him lightly then, “Remember?”
“Yeah yeah, I remember,” Kazuya exhales. Remembering that exact phrase he used to tell Sawamura time and time again. In case they ever got lost on their adventures (after the first, and second time they got lost).
When they stop by the Lawson on the other side of the sports complex, Sawamura beelines at record speed to the freezers.
“Miyuki Kazuya!! They have Neapolitan GariGarikun!!” Sawamura squeals in delight.
“No,” Kazuya declines, before Sawamura can even ask, because he knows what the follow up is. Sawamura's going to want him to eat one.
And he is not going to eat a spaghetti flavored popsicle ever again, even for nostalgia's sake. Once was enough.
“Please? Here wait, what about soda or white sour? You gotta have at least one!”
Kazuya sighs, as he heads over to the refrigerated drinks section to grab a can of Boss coffee, “Fine, grab me a white sour then.”
“Yoshi!” Sawamura grabs the frozen goods then heads over to grab a couple onigiri, knowing to get one stuffed with unagi and another with umeboshi and shiso for Kazuya without asking.
After checking out, Sawamura promptly hands Kazuya his popsicle to eat outside the store before they continue onwards. Leaning against the wall outside underneath the shade of the blue awning.
“Cheers!” Sawamura taps his GariGarikun to Kazuya's before taking a massive first bite.
Kazuya grimaces slightly, knowing what it tastes like and at the sight of the frozen tomato jelly chunks exposed in the middle.
He switches his focus back to his own popsicle, taking a small nibble out of the corner like a normal person. Preparing his tongue for the onslaught of cold and sickly sweet. At least with white sour it's got a bit of both sour and sweet, which Kazuya will bend for since the sour can sometimes outcompete the sweet as the louder flavor note.
“Just as good as I remember! Wahaha!” Sawamura laughs in delight once he polishes off his frozen treat. “Ok! Onwards we go!”
“Oi, I'm not finished yet,” Kazuya says, with half his popsicle still remaining.
“Just take it with us! Come on, I wanna get to swim before this storm hits!”
Ah right, the storm. Kazuya had forgotten all about it.
“Ok, ok, fine,” Kazuya peels himself off the wall to follow after Sawamura, finishing the rest of his popsicle as quickly as he can now that they're directly beneath the sun. Trying to keep the sticky sweetness from melting and dripping onto his fingers.
After about a twenty minute walk or so, heading somewhat back in the direction they came, they take the bend around Hosenji Temple to get to one of the trails leading up to Mount Hosenji.
It's a short but steep hike with an instant view payoff once they get to the top of the ridge line. Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park cascading mountains to the northeast and Mount Fuji to the south.
“Wooah!! Would you look at that!! Miyuki Kazuya look! Fuji-san in all its splendor!!”
“I see, I see,” Kazuya smiles, taking in the rolling mountains around them and the city below before his eyes land where Sawamura’s eagerly pointing towards Mount Fuji. The sky clear enough across today to get an unobscured view.
“Can we take a picture??” Sawamura bounces from foot to foot.
“Sure,” Kazuya agrees easily.
“Yoshi!” Sawamura shuffles over closer to him then to line up the shot to take a selfie, throwing his arm around Kazuya, “Ok, let's take one from this side then the other!”
"Alright," Kazuya complies, smiling for both shots, something small and content. Looking entirely too soft.
“Mountains are the best!!” Sawamura crows happily, squeezing Kazuya once more before releasing him, “It's been so long since we've hiked together!”
“Indeed,” Kazuya agrees, soft smile still in place.
They quickly move onward then to get to their final destination of Chiyoda Lake in a somewhat timely manner, not pausing much more along the ridge line back down into the forest. Since it's quite the hike just by foot.
It most definitely would have been faster to hop on the bus in town, Kazuya bets. Now that he knows where they're going. But he wasn't going to say no to an excuse to spend more time going on a hike with just Sawamura. Something they haven't done together in years. Even though it used to be a regular pastime growing up.
When they finally get to the lake, clothes clinging to them damply with sweat from their brisk hike beneath the bright afternoon June sun, Kazuya finds that they've got the whole place to themselves somehow, not a soul in sight out on the water. Maybe folks were worried about the weather today.
“Last one in is a rotten egg!! Wahahaha!” Sawamura yells as he rips off his clothes unceremoniously save for his boxers as he runs into the lake full stop, laughing boisterously.
"Oi," Kazuya tsks under his breath, mouth twisting to the side unwillingly in a smile at Sawamura's ridiculousness. Full of fondness.
He gathers up Sawamura's clothes and lays them on a nearby rock before he peels out of his own. Trying not to think too deeply about the fact that they'll both essentially be almost naked, playing together in the water. Like they used to when they were kids. Feels a bit different now, when his eyes want to linger on and catalog all the ways Sawamura's changed physically since then.
But this is a thing people do at all ages, totally normal. Hell, sometimes they were even naked half the time they went swimming together when they were little, so no need to be weird about it now. Stay cool. Stay casual. Even if he doesn't feel that way.
Any thoughts he has left on the matter swirling in his mind abruptly come to a halt as soon as his foot steps into the water. It's fucking cold.
He supposes maybe it's kind of refreshing with how hot and humid it is out, but it still doesn't change the fact that the water is frigid. This type of swim is usually better in August or early September, Kazuya is remembering. Because the deeper water needs more time to heat up.
“What're you waiting for!? Just get in already!!” Sawamura calls out, several meters away, where he's treading water.
Kazuya scowls, “I'm getting there already!”
“It's better all at once!” Sawamura yells, “Just do it already you big baby! It's really nice!!”
“I'm not a–!” Kazuya almost falls into their well worn back and forth trap. Which seems so childish, so he doesn't even complete his rebuttal, sealing his lips together tight, tucked between his teeth. Looking like he ate something even more sour than his GariGarikun earlier.
Kazuya tries not to make a pathetic sound as he pushes himself forward then to just get it over with, shallowly diving in head first. He resurfaces quickly, shaking the hair out of his eyes and smoothing the errant strands with his hand to the sounds of Sawamura's excited pleased peals of laughter.
He can't help but grin in response as he wades over to Sawamura.
“Alright, I'm here,” Kazuya murmurs, “Happy?”
“Yes!!” Sawamura flaps his arms at the surface of the water to emphasize his point, “Wanna race?!”
Kazuya huffs a laugh, “Really? You don't want to just, I don't know, leisurely float for a bit?” A silly ask that he knows is a lost cause. Sawamura Eijun, staying idle for a stretch of time?
“Nope! Come on, let's race! Let's race! I bet I can beat you now,” Sawamura starts getting this challenging look in his eyes that fires Kazuya up against his will, “I bet you're rusty as hell! Wahaha!”
“Oi,” Kazuya splashes Sawamura in retaliation. “Alright, fine. To the dock?” Kazuya nods his head in the direction of a dock about forty meters away.
“Oooshi! You're on!” Sawamura grins evilly, “On the count of three! One–two–Hey!!”
Kazuya takes off, trying not to laugh and swallow water as he starts before Sawamura even makes it to three. He starts out strong, but ultimately Sawamura still beats him. His right shoulder seems to have a lot to say about competitive overhand swimming, unfortunately. Not used to moving in this way.
“Wahahaha!! Told you I'd win!” Sawamura boasts smugly. “Miyuki Kazuya's still no match for me!”
“Yeah yeah. You only won this time because my shoulder had other ideas.”
Sawamura's expression quickly shifts then, “Oh! Ah shit, I forgot! Sorry Kaz..I just got too excited! Having you with me in the water again.”
“Don't worry about it,” Kazuya brushes off. Looking away from the soft expression Sawamura's features melt into at the last statement. He clears his throat, wanting to dispel the moment that feels entirely too warm and honest, “Wanna see who has the biggest splash now?” smile twisting into something loose and silly.
Sawamura takes the bait easily, grin matching Kazuya's, “Yeah!! You're on!”
Sawamura crawls up onto the dock, then doubles back to get a running start before he leaps at the end of the dock and tucks his legs in tight, arms around them, “Jerrrrahnimooo! Ahahaha!!”
Kazuya laughs, watching Sawamura make a massive splash and subsequent ripples where he kerplunks in the water. Not bad.
When Sawamura resurfaces and shakes the water out of his eyes, he swims back over, “How was that?!”
“Mmm,” Kazuya puts on the airs of thinking, looking off to the side before looking back into Sawamura's expectant gaze, “I'd say 7/10.”
“7/10?! No no no, it was definitely at least a 9!”
“How would you know, you didn't see it,” Kazuya teases.
“Well, cause I–cause I–Just look at all the ripples!!” Sawamura motions over to his wake still dissipating.
“Fair,” Kazuya concedes somewhat.
“Mumumu ok now it's your turn! I'd like to see you do better!” Sawamura challenges.
“Alright then. Watch me,” Kazuya smiles something sharp, with all teeth.
He crawls up then onto the dock, favoring his left shoulder a bit in the lift to take some of the burden off his right. Walking back towards the shore to get a better running start.
As he starts running, he hears Sawamura's amused laughter, his lips stretching into an answering grin as he gets closer to the edge to jump off. Tucking his legs in like Sawamura, pushing the air out of his nose roughly in anticipation before he hits the surface to keep the water from flooding his nostrils.
The stretch of time between touching the dock and the water is just as exhilarating as he remembers it being. That little bit of airtime before you hit the water, that small rush of excitement.
When he resurfaces and makes his way over to Sawamura, smiling, pushing the hair out of his eyes, Sawamura's wearing a matching smile that makes his brain all but holler at him, wow I want to kiss him.
It takes every ounce of control not to as he gets closer. “So? How'd I do?”
Sawamura makes a show of thinking about it, much like Kazuya had earlier, “Mmm I'd say 7/10.” Parroting Kazuya's snarky reply from earlier, starting to laugh even as he finishes his sentence as Kazuya starts laughing and advances towards him, splashing Sawamura, “Why, you cheeky little–”
Which starts a splashing war that moves them all around the lake, swimming away from the other to gain enough ground to mount an attack.
Eventually Kazuya swims back to land to crawl out of the water and onto the grassy bank, bordering the lake a little further down from where they left their clothes. The grass a little taller here, left alone to grow wild and free without fear of a mower. Panting to catch his breath. Forgetting how much of a work out it is to keep yourself afloat for such a long stretch of time.
He watches as Sawamura makes his way over to him, swimming like a frog, looking right at home in the water. Happy and carefree, eyes locked on Kazuya as he swims towards him. Grin still fixed on his face that's taken up permanent residence since Kazuya got in the water earlier. Looking like there's no place he'd rather be.
"Ahhh," Sawamura sighs as he eventually flops back into the grass next to Kazuya after pulling himself out of the lake. Warming himself beneath the sun's rays, smiling contentedly. “This is really nice. I've missed this.”
“Yeah,” Kazuya agrees quietly, lips curving up in a small smile as he gazes down at Sawamura's sprawling form, “Me too.”
Trying not to linger on the water droplets clinging to Sawamura's bare skin, traveling across the hard planes of Sawamura's abdomen and chest. Along with the remaining dampness in Sawamura's eyelashes, clumping them together, making them look thicker, framing his eyes practically glowing, reflecting the light beneath the summer sky.
Sawamura gets up to go get their bag of goods and ambles back to Kazuya to plop down and unwrap an onigiri for himself.
After a bit of comfortable silence as Sawamura gazes at the sky, sprawled out in the grass and Kazuya at the serene lake, sitting with one knee propped up. Water still as glass after their swim. Snacking on some of their leftover goodies from the conbini. A slight breeze rustling the leaves of the forest around them and Kazuya's damp messy locks. Sawamura pipes back up, sounding reflective, after he polishes off onigiri number one, “You know I almost didn't recognize you last year?”
Kazuya turns to Sawamura in surprise, coffee in hand he just cracked open after fishing it out of the plastic Lawson bag, “Really now.” Lips curving into an amused smile.
Makes sense. He almost didn't recognize Sawamura either, if not for his eyes and unforgettable voice.
“Yeah! Who said you could grow up and get really hot on me anyway, huh?!” Sawamura tosses out there without preamble, looking up at Kazuya, suddenly affronted. Biting angrily into onigiri number two.
Kazuya almost snorts the coffee out his nose after his sip. Coughing, as his brain short circuits. He manages to somehow pull himself together though, fixing a smirk into place that he hopes is convincing.
“Oh? Sawamura Eijun thinks I'm hot?”
“Well yeah?! Obviously! Who doesn't?! I don't get how you don't even have a girlfriend yet! I know they've been asking you!” Sawamura spits out in quick succession, a bit of rice stuck to the corner of his lips.
Kazuya keeps that smirk firmly in place like protective gear, even if it feels flimsy, trying to gain footing even though he's feeling nervous as fuck because Sawamura's skirting too close to the reason he hasn't had any girlfriends nor dated anyone even though he's turning twenty this year.
“Been keeping tabs on me have you?”
Sawamura rolls over towards him, “N-no! I just hear rumors, that's all!”
“Uhuh sure~”
“Why haven't you said yes to any of them anyway?” Sawamura directly asks then, looking at him earnestly, munching on his last bite.
Kazuya thinks, but doesn't say, Because none of them are you.
None of them have big golden beautiful eyes, short messy brown hair, broad shoulders, a smile a mile wide, a heart just as big, and strong muscular shapely legs for days. Someone who looks and feels like summer itself.
“They're just not my type,” Kazuya answers simply instead, all nonchalance.
Sawamura presses forward then, rolling onto his belly and propping up his chin in his hands, swinging his legs behind him to tap his perky butt with the heels of his feet, “Well then, what is your type?”
Kazuya swallows, pulling his eyes away from Sawamura's ass and exhales, looking away entirely, not liking where this is going at all, "You're really full of questions today.”
“Well I wanna know more about the Miyuki Kazuya of now! Like I used to know the Miyuki Kazuya of before like the back of my hand! You don't tell me things anymore like you used to..” Sawamura then pouts, plucking at the grass beneath him.
“Like the back of your hand, huh?” Kazuya replies rather than pick up the other thing Sawamura placed down between them.
"Yeah!!"
"Well then, what about you? What's your type?" Kazuya deflects, flipping it around.
"Hey don't make this about me!" Sawamura's eyebrows bunch in annoyance.
"Why not, I want to learn more about this version of Eijun too~"
Sawamura scowls and rolls over to flop onto his back again, arms wide as he stares up into the open blue summer sky. A smattering of puffy clouds passing through, stretching out wide and changing shape.
"Ok fine! I like...people that are passionate! And aren't afraid of a little challenge in life! But also strong and kind hearted!"
Kazuya laughs a little, feeling amused and a little fond, "That's–incredibly vague." Yet also very Sawamura. "Don't you care what they look like?"
"Mmm," Sawamura hums, "Not really! I only care about the insides." Sawamura turns to him then.
Kazuya studies Sawamura, reading between the lines. Nowhere in there did Sawamura mention anything about gender. "I see."
And because he's curious and can't help but ask to confirm, "So you don't care then. Whether they're a woman or not."
"Nope!" Sawamura smiles at him. Eyes open and trusting. Like he didn't just drop something major in Kazuya's lap.
Kazuya exhales and turns his gaze away. So he doesn't do something stupid like lean down and into Sawamura's space more. To find out what the remnants of tuna mayo onigiri tastes like from Sawamura’s lips.
He looks up into the clouds. Watching what looks like something in the shape of a turtle stretch and expand slowly into something more like an airplane.
After a bit of loaded silence falls between them, Sawamura pipes back up again.
"You never said what yours was."
"What mine was?" Kazuya looks down into Sawamura's open expression. Firm yet curious.
"Your type!" Sawamura presses.
"Ah," Kazuya looks away again and exhales.
How much of his soft innards does he expose to Sawamura? It seems only fair since Sawamura just so casually easily came out to him to do the same. But he–can't. The words don't wanna pour out of him the same way. So freely. They stick to his teeth like the worst kind of candy that he used to eat with Sawamura when they were little.
"I like...someone who's also passionate. Bold and brash," Kazuya smirks til it turns into something soft like melting chocolate, "Maybe a little reckless, but true. Someone who's driven and takes what they want, no holds barred, as if nothing is outside of their reach."
He looks over then to see Sawamura slightly stunned, looking at him with his mouth parted slightly. When their eyes meet Sawamura's mouth clicks shut as he swallows.
"That sounds–very specific," Sawamura looks at him searchingly. "But–um what about–what about what they look like?" Sawamura suddenly sounds a little nervous.
Which makes Kazuya's skin buzz and breath still. Feeling like they're on the precipice of something. And he has to decide whether to throw himself off that cliff or not. If Sawamura's going to catch him or let him plummet.
Well, if Sawamura isn't actually onto him, then this is as good a test as any to still come out unscathed. Sawamura's always been a little obtuse.
Kazuya hums then, like he has to think about it. Trying not to describe the picture of the man before him so blatantly, "Someone who's taller than me. And perhaps doesn't care what they look like on any given day. Yet still looks effortlessly beautiful. No matter the time, place. Mood."
He dares to look over at Sawamura again, and sees that Sawamura looks even more stricken. Which–Kazuya doesn't know what to make of as he waits for something to come out of Sawamura's gaping, parted lips.
Sawamura sits up then, rasping, voice uneven, "What about–what about their eyes?"
"Their eyes?" Kazuya looks into Sawamura's eyes, the eyes in question.
Sawamura nods, scooting closer.
Kazuya clears his throat. Sawamura's coming closer after hearing all of this and not running for the hills. So he's either A. super invested in Kazuya's dream person, or B. starting to piece the puzzle together and really likes the picture that's coming into view.
"Eyes, hmm. I like–eyes that are warm. Big and expressionate. That absorb and reflect light like the deep ochre of the wildflowers in the sweeping, rolling meadows late summer. Like the ones in Nagano that we used to run through."
Sawamura's eyes glossen, voice a little shaky as he leans in closer, "And their hands? What about their hands?"
Kazuya looks down at Sawamura's hands, none too subtly, where they grip the grass tightly, "Callused yet soft. Fingers long and powerful, strong enough to bring down the biggest monsters yet gentle enough to provide comfort to those who need it most."
“Fuck, what the hell Kazuya," Sawamura gets out brokenly, emphatically, before shortening the gap between them and sealing their lips together roughly.
A surprised sound slips out of Kazuya before it shifts to something else that he'd most definitely find embarrassing on any given day but couldn't care less about at the moment, as his brain catches up to the sensations of his body. Registering that Sawamura is kissing him. Like actually, truly kissing him. Not in his dreams, in real life.
It's warm and it's sweet and electric all in one, as Kazuya's hand slides up to sweep over Sawamura's jaw to pull him closer. Disbelieving that this is actually happening. Fingers brushing up into the short messy locks still damp from their swim. Blunt fingernails scraping across Sawamura's scalp, causing Sawamura to release a soft sound, lips parting slightly, that makes it feel like warm caramel's swirling in his gut.
Kazuya can't help but push forward for more then, taking the opportunity to slot their lips together better, pressing Sawamura into the tall grass in his fervor, sliding on top of him, fitting a thigh between Sawamura's legs as Sawamura's hands slide up his back, following a path up his shoulders, leaving nothing but heat in their wake.
Sawamura equally ardently pressing up for more, not letting Kazuya get too far, kissing back just as eagerly. Like a dying man stranded in the desert finally getting his first sip of water. Like there's nothing he needs more right now than Kazuya.
He fits himself snug to Sawamura like he's thought about doing for so many years and sleepless nights. Slipping his tongue past Sawamura's lips to meld and brush against Sawamura's. Lighting up his brain even further, sparks jumping and skipping down his spine into his low belly the deeper he delves into Sawamura's mouth and Sawamura eagerly lets him.
He instantly feels hotter, skin practically feverish once he settles completely on top of Sawamura, warm damp skin to skin. Feeling the heat radiating off the hardened, hard earned planes of Sawamura's chest and abdomen directly against his own.
Sawamura moans roughly at Kazuya tangling them further, leg pressing and rubbing against Sawamura's very prominent, thick interest straining against the fly of his damp boxers from the swim. The thin fabric a barely there barrier as the material clings to him. Causing the breath in Kazuya's lungs to shudder as his own dick throbs and twitches against Sawamura's hip, equally hard.
“Fuck, Eijun,” Kazuya all but moans as he smears his lips across Sawamura's jaw, as Sawamura's hands slide down to Kazuya's ass and squeezes, shifting Kazuya's hips over to slot them together better.
Kazuya doesn't even register the first set of raindrops as they tap a staccato beat against his back until the beat becomes a steady rhythm and he realizes that it's raining and pulls back to look up into the sky before turning back to Sawamura. Confirming it's not a figment of his imagination that the weather decided to change course while they were wrapped up in one another.
Sawamura opens his eyes slowly then, pupils blown wide, taking in Kazuya's disheveled appearance above him. Looking somewhere between awed, yet still surprised, and like he's seeing Kazuya with a new set of eyes.
Sawamura licks his cherry red spit slick lips, eyes still locked onto Kazuya before the rain starts falling into his eyes now that Kazuya’s pulled away, the previous shelter he'd provided from the rain removed. Giving him no choice but to close them, blinking rapidly, brows bunching in annoyance as he looks towards the offending sky that so rudely interrupted them.
Until the sky suddenly completely opens up and it begins to pour.
"Ahh!! Miyuki Kazuya! Quick!!" Sawamura starts laughing, the sound pouring out of him uncontrollably to mix with the pounding rain against the ground.
Kazuya can't help but start laughing as well as they try to hurriedly get back to their clothes and gain cover from the storm. Clumsily clambering off of Sawamura to get to the rock holding up their now sopping wet clothes. Sawamura doubling back to grab the forgotten Lawson bag. Running back over to join Kazuya in peeling them off the rigid dripping surface. Looking like they wore them into the lake instead of laying them out to keep dry.
Kazuya's still catching his breath laughing, memories bubbling up of suspiciously similar scenarios of laughter mixed with rain shared with his most favorite person, when Sawamura gathers him up and pins him against the zelkova tree they took shelter under. Capturing Kazuya's lips once more.
"Mff," the air presses out of Kazuya in a slight surprised and pleased sound as he melts into it against the multicolored bark dyed shades of rust and gray browns from the rain.
A little scratchy and uncomfortable as it digs into Kazuya's back. But the sensation is quite muted in comparison to Sawamura's warm, wet and insistent mouth moving against his own once more. With even more fervor than before. That he openly welcomes, breathing in Sawamura and the damp sharply fresh bright scent of the foliage surrounding them, tilting up and fitting his hands along Sawamura's jaw to keep him close as Sawamura slides a leg between Kazuya's.
By the time they make it back to the sports complex, the sun has already sunk low beneath the trees and mountain ridges, their clothes still clinging cold and damp to their chilled skin without the sun's warmth. The last of the sun's fading rays peaking through the breaking storm clouds in a last hurrah before they turn in for the night to make way for the moon and stars.
"Where the hell were you guys?? We were about to send out a search party for your asses!" Kuramochi accosts them when they finally make it to their shared room. Haruichi and Shirasu in company.
"We got stuck in the rain!" Sawamura supplies vaguely.
“Thought we could wait it out. Unsuccessfully,” Kazuya adds.
He should probably look more disgruntled about it, but he hasn't been able to wipe the stupidly mooshy, happy grin that's taken residence on his face since earlier after the sky opened up as well as his heart.
“I see,” Kuramochi looks between the two of them suspiciously, “Well hurry up and shower or whatever, it's almost time for dinner.”
“Ok!!” Sawamura responds brightly, moving further into the room to grab his stuff before hitting the baths.
“See you in a bit,” Haruichi adds before heading out, most likely to get a jump start in line for dinner.
Kazuya's in the middle of grabbing his things, soft grin still resting at his lips when Kuramochi pads over to Kazuya's side of the room after Haruichi and Shirasu leave to head to the mess hall.
“So where were you two really?”
“Hm?” Kazuya turns to Kuramochi's searching gaze, then looks away, “We went for a swim, remember?”
“A swim. Riiight. Because you do that sort of thing,” Kuramochi says flatly.
“Yeah. I used to actually,” Kazuya answers honestly, standing up, “With Sawamura growin–”
“‘With Sawamura growing up’,” Kuramochi parrots, finishing for Kazuya like he's heard this a thousand times. Maybe he has by now. “What happened between then and now that sucked all the fun out of you, huh? You never would've gone out and done shit like this if I'd asked.”
Kazuya frowns at Kuramochi. Why does Kuramochi sound mad about it? Besides, Kuramochi should know the answer, “Oi, we asked if you wanted to come, you know. And you said no.”
Kuramochi's eyes roll skyward, “That's not the point!”
Kazuya's eyes narrow, “Well then what is the point, hm?”
“Nothing. Just forget it,” Kuramochi grumbles, shoving his hands roughly in his pockets as he starts heading towards the door, waving over his shoulder without turning around, “See ya at dinner.”
Kazuya stands still where Kuramochi left him for a bit, staring at his friend's retreating back beyond bewildered at what that was all about. Chewing over Kuramochi's words as he sighs and heads to go shower and soak in the baths. Work some warmth back into his limbs.
Despite it being summer, walking around in damp clothes for the past hour has made goosepimples erupt all down his arms in a chill. He was able to ignore it for the most part with Sawamura at his side, but now he just feels cold and uncomfortable. Especially after whatever that was.
-
Whatever foulness Kuramochi was feeling earlier seems to have left him by the time Kazuya heads down to dinner to settle into the table with Kuramochi, Shirasu, Haruichi and Sawamura. Kuramochi not breaking in conversation with Kominato as Kazuya settles in next to him across from Sawamura.
Sawamura smiles something small, private and pleased when their eyes meet across the table. Which Kazuya can't help but return with a small smile of his own before he tucks into dinner.
When they crawl into bed later, Kazuya lays awake for a while, replaying the events of the day over and over in his head as his eyes refuse to close beneath his eye mask. Still disbelieving that it wasn't another one of his mixed dreams of past and present. That Sawamura actually kissed him. And then some. Quite difficult not to think about with the man in question only a few foot steps away.
“Miyuki Kazuya,” Sawamura whispers, a lot closer than he was when Kazuya closed his eyes last and slipped his eye mask on, startling Kazuya slightly.
“Mm?” Kazuya hums in question, acknowledging that he's awake too. Despite them turning off the lights for bed over an hour ago.
“I can't sleep,” Sawamura whispers as he scoots closer, all but climbing beneath Kazuya's covers and onto his bed roll.
“I see that,” Kazuya murmurs quietly with amusement. Rather than say that he hasn't been able to sleep either. Pushing his eye mask up to look over at Sawamura's bed-rumpled countenance. Hair sticking up every which way. Entirely too cute.
Sawamura then crawls on top of him entirely to warmly exhale against the sensitive skin at the crook of his jaw, “I haven't been able to stop thinking about earlier.”
“Is that so,” Kazuya hums, sliding his hands across the hard planes of Sawamura's back. Appreciating the large expanse of warm bare skin.
He hasn't been able to either. Which is probably what's been undoubtedly keeping Sawamura awake as well. Replaying images of Sawamura beneath him. Flushed, damp, hard and wanting.
“Yeah,” Sawamura exhales as he starts to kiss along Kazuya's jaw and down his neck.
“Ei,” Kazuya breathes, fingers bunching the fabric of Sawamura's boxers as Sawamura starts to suck a hickey at the base of Kazuya's neck.
Sawamura kisses his way back up Kazuya's neck and jaw, reaching his final destination of Kazuya's lips. Kazuya's freshly callused palms slide up the broad expanse of Sawamura's warm back. Relishing in the strong sturdy muscles rippling beneath his hands. Biting and sucking at Sawamura's upper lip, that he's quickly becoming well acquainted with.
He stifles the gasp that slips out of him as Sawamura rolls his hips down against Kazuya's, a small sound of Sawamura's own felt against Kazuya's lips at the friction it grants. Sawamura then snakes his hand down between them to palm at Kazuya's hardened thickness.
Sawamura pulls back to lay a kiss at the corner of his mouth, looking into Kazuya's eyes as his hand smooths up the full length of him all the way up to the band of Kazuya's boxers. Down and back up again. Teasingly. Pausing at the top, dipping his fingers beneath the band. In question, in silent ask.
Kazuya leans up and kisses Sawamura, murmuring against Sawamura's lips as he nips them again, “Are you going to actually touch me already? Or just keep toying with–”
Kazuya's eyes slip shut on a shuddering warm exhale as Sawamura reaches into his boxers and wraps his hot callused fingers around his dick, stifling a moan, rolling his lips shut as Sawamura gives him a slow stroke, rolling his foreskin all the way down and back up to glide over his cockhead. Quickly shutting Kazuya up.
He opens his eyes to find Sawamura watching him with rapt attention, lips parted. He reaches over then to grip Sawamura's very thick interest only to elicit an entirely too loud groan. His hand flies up to cover Sawamura's mouth as he laughs a little, then pulls Sawamura closer to murmur.
“Shh, you have to keep quiet. Otherwise this isn't going to work,” Kazuya's eyes dart over to Kuramochi's sleeping form several meters away on the other side of the room.
“I can do that!” Sawamura whispers loudly, “I can definitely do that!”
Which only makes Kazuya shake with more quietly restrained laughter. Because that is not reassuring whatsoever. “Very convincing.”
Sawamura scowls slightly at him, dick still in hand. Before he releases Kazuya and starts slithering down Kazuya's body, underneath the covers.
“What're you–” Kazuya questions as Sawamura shimmies further down Kazuya's body, lifting the covers slightly to watch Sawamura then grab a hold of his cock once more and unceremoniously wrap his lips around the head.
Kazuya quickly shoves his forearm between his teeth to try and muffle the low guttural sound that rolls out of him as his eyes roll shut, releasing the blanket back over Sawamura's head. Immense pleasure like he's never experienced before exploding through him from the tip of his dick, melting his brain.
He tries to keep back the soft sounds pooling at the base of his throat as Sawamura licks and sucks at the head, biting harder into his arm as his other hand travels down under the comforter to tangle in Sawamura's short locks.
Tugging roughly on Sawamura's hair to pull him back up because there's no way in hell he's not going to blow his load immediately the longer Sawamura sucks and bobs and swallows around him. He's going to come embarrassingly fast any second. It's also surprisingly incredibly difficult to stay quiet when this feels so fucking good. His body wants to make so many noises he didn't even know he could make.
No matter how hard he tugs though, Sawamura doesn't budge, if not strengthens his grip on Kazuya's thighs instead as Kazuya can't seem to keep them still in his pleasure. Clearly on a mission.
Kazuya's grip tightens even further in Sawamura's hair, tangled into Sawamura's short locks twisting and pulling as he comes suddenly in Sawamura's mouth with a choked off muffled sound.
He all but sags against his futon once spent and Sawamura releases him, melting into the thin padding beneath him as he pants, coming down from the hardest orgasm of his life, Sawamura shimmying back up, wiping his mouth with a satisfied smile, catching his breath as well. Looking flushed and so happy, eyes glassy.
Sawamura captures Kazuya's lips then, murmuring against them, “I've been wanting to do that for so long.”
Kazuya huffs a laugh in between kisses as his hand snakes down to reach into Sawamura's damp boxers, whispering, “You couldn't wait two more days?” Til they were back in the comfort of Kazuya's room or something, completely alone. Where they wouldn't have to keep quiet and contained.
Sawamura whimpers as Kazuya wraps his hand around Sawamura's dick.
“Fuck, you're so wet,” Kazuya rasps lowly against Sawamura's lips, voice cracking.
Sawamura whines against Kazuya's lips, “I-I couldn't help it–nnn–felt so good sucking your–mff.”
Kazuya seals their lips together again hotly, squeezing Sawamura's cock tighter, trying to muffle more sounds that want to pour out of him at hearing how turned on Sawamura was just from blowing him.
Sawamura whimpers then and plunges his tongue deeper into Kazuya's mouth as his dick becomes even harder in Kazuya's grip before spilling hotly between them, dampening the fabric of Kazuya's shirt and dirtying his hand with Sawamura's thick, wet and sticky release. Kazuya can't help but release a low quiet sound from the back of his throat at the sensation and at Sawamura shuddering and quaking in pleasure against him. Wishing he could see it as well.
After Sawamura finishes completely, Kazuya releases him, wiping his hand on his thoroughly soiled shirt. Pulling it off himself to ball up and place somewhere behind his pillow to deal with in the morning. Sawamura settling back against him, warm skin to skin. Sticking close to languidly kiss in post orgasm sleepiness, rather than find his way back to his own bed.
Kazuya hums and cards his fingers through Sawamura's short soft fluffy locks, keeping him close. Feeling so warm and content. And so deeply satisfied down into his bones. Sawamura's warm weight on top of him making him all the more drowsy.
His eyes flutter open slowly as Sawamura pulls back eventually. To look adoringly down into Kazuya's eyes before pressing one more kiss at the corner of Kazuya's lips, nuzzling his jaw, and tucking into his side, to wrap around Kazuya like a koala a tree. Before they exhale in tandem, dropping off to sleep.
-
The next morning, Kazuya's awoken abruptly by a firm thwack to the face with a pillow, “You motherfuckers!! I knew something was up!!” then another thwack, attacking both him and Sawamura.
Ah, Sawamura, who's still wrapped around him beneath the covers. Whoops, must've fallen asleep like that…So much for discretion.
Oh no..how much did Kuramochi–
“You couldn't just fucking wait til we got home to do this shit?? The fuck's a matter with you!!” Kuramochi snarls, hitting them again.
“Ack! S-sorry Kuramochi! I wasn't thinking in my throws of passion!” Sawamura gets out, trying to block some of the blows now with his hands.
While Kazuya tries not to groan in embarrassment at ‘throws of passion’.
“Bastards! Goddammit! I guess congratulations or whatever,” Kuramochi scowls, throwing his pillow back on the ground.
Kuramochi leaves then to go to the bathroom. Stomping away to go brush his teeth and what not, his toiletry bag in hand.
Sawamura looks down at him and giggles then, “Good morning, Miyuki Kazuya.”
Kazuya smiles something soft, looking up into Sawamura's warm, honey brown eyes, “Morning.”
Sawamura's smile grows even further as he dips down to kiss Kazuya sweetly.
Kazuya can't resist leaning up for one more when Sawamura pulls away. Then another.
“Breakfast is probably rea–eugh,” Kuramochi starts making retching sounds as he steps back into the room, “Come on already! Jesus, this better not be a thing now or so help me–” Kuramochi threatens, rolling up his sleeve.
“Oohh breakfast! The most important meal of the day!” Sawamura springs off of Kazuya then, pulling the sheets with him.
Kazuya rolls onto his side, making displeased sounds at the sudden cold without Sawamura's warmth and the comforter blanketing them. Being stripped bare, only his boxers for a shred of warmth left.
Somehow he'd briefly forgotten how immediately awake Sawamura is first thing in the morning. He'd been lulled into a false sense of security moments ago by their soft moment. It's too early for all of this.
“Come on, Miyuki Kazuya! Up and at em! So you can have your coffee!”
Kazuya grumbles and makes a whole ordeal about getting up and ready for breakfast, complaining and whining about the ungodly hour until he has his first cup of coffee in him, settled in at the table with his tray of food, mollified.
“Y'all's nastiness earlier aside, I really am happy for you both dude,” Kuramochi gruffly mutters around a bite of baked salmon. “I know you guys like mean a lot to one another and shit.”
Kazuya takes another sip of his coffee, a small smile playing at his lips, “Thanks. Yeah.”
“I'm like cool with it too, you know,” Kuramochi adds, eyes sliding away.
“With?”
“You guys being…you know,” Kuramochi motions vaguely with his hands, looking constipated.
Kazuya's not going to make it easier for him, even though he knows what Kuramochi's getting at, “With us being…”
“Gay!” Kuramochi hisses, his eyes darting around.
Kazuya tries not to laugh at Kuramochi's ridiculous demeanor over this, but feels grateful his other bud's cool with his sexuality, and not being too too weird about it. Or worse, disgusted.
Which, he's sure some of his teammates may not be jazzed, but whatever. They can fuckin deal. None of this matters out on the diamond.
“Gee thanks,” Kazuya responds dryly.
“I mean I had no idea you were…” Kuramochi exhales and looks away, looking put out, “You never tell me anything. Not like you do with Sawamura..”
Kazuya's eyebrows raise into his hairline, before his lips slide into a smirk, understanding starting to hit, “Why Mochi-kun, is that jealousy I hear?”
“Shutup!” Kuramochi barks, turning pink, “I'm just saying you can tell me things too ya know! We're friends aren't we??”
“We are?” Kazuya teases, grinning wider.
“Yes you dumbass! Fuck you're so annoying,” Kuramochi grumbles around a bite of rice, looking away again.
“Mm?” Sawamura looks between the two of them as he settles across from them with his tray of breakfast. Wondering what the weird atmosphere is about.
Kazuya smiles over at Sawamura, “Kuramochi was just telling me all about how he was jealous of you~”
“Eh?!” Sawamura balks, eyes widening while Kuramochi spits out his miso soup.
“I'M NOT JEALOUS! You asshat!!” Kuramochi yells, face red, before gathering his stuff, “That's it. I'm leaving. See you jerkoffs later.” Kuramochi gets up then and leaves the mess hall entirely, probably to finish his meal outside. Turning heads in his wake.
Kazuya still shakes with laughter as Sawamura looks worried, between Kuramochi's retreating form and Kazuya's amused countenance.
“Is Mochi really ok?” Sawamura asks, warily, “He's not actually–”
“Yeah he's fine, Ei,” Kazuya assures with amusement, “Apparently he fully supports us.”
“Oh!” Sawamura immediately breaks out into a smile then, “That's great! I knew we could count on Kuramochi! He's a good man despite his yankee nature!”
Kazuya hums, lips curled up at the corners, “Indeed.”
-
The next day wraps up their week long training camp hell. Kazuya's grateful yet a little melancholy at the same time. His body aches in ways it hasn't in a while from rigorous ramp up calisthenics, but his mind has been at such peace in a way it hasn't been in quite some time. Maybe ever.
Whether that be because of his change in relationship with Sawamura, or being tucked away in the countryside where the air's cleaner, birds more sonorous and mountains cascading, he's not sure. Maybe it's been a combination of both.
And perhaps a sign that next break, maybe it might be good to go back with Sawamura to Nagano. Spend some time at their old haunts. Maybe even visit his grandparents. That he hasn't seen or spoken to since his mother passed.
Kazuya feels a lot less apprehensive about the idea than previously. A little more brave. Because no matter what awaits him on his return, whether that's unpleasant memories or unwelcoming family, he feels all the more ready to tackle it head on with Sawamura at his side. Solid and true.
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