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It was Japan’s All Star Series games and Eiko was invited to perform the starting pitch. It had already been discussed amongst the coordinators and association ever since she'd been offered to represent the national women’s team. Since it was the first All Star game, it seemed apt to have her do the honors and bring hype and renewed awareness for the women’s team.
As any other lucky person, Eiko jumped at the chance as soon as she was invited and immediately began to come up with ideas on how she was gonna do it –
“You don't need to do anything fancy or stupid,” Miyuki told her with a snicker after her half-hour tirade of dressing up as her team’s mascot. “Besides, you're not pitching for the team. You're pitching for yourself.”
She rolled her eyes, restraining the urge to take him by the shoulders and shake him. “But there has to be a gimmick! Remember Sadako?”
“You mean that time when you swore off going to the stadium in fear of her vengeful spirit haunting the place?” He teased, earning a glare which he laughed off.
“You’re lucky I like your face,” she sneered at him and settled with a light punch to his shoulder.
“Hmm. I like your face, too.” He teased and pulled her close so that they were lying down on the sofa. He had his arms loose around her while angling their bodies so that neither of them would fall off. “Don't do any gimmicks – just go there and be yourself.”
“But – but that would be boring!” She whined, twisting her body so that she could look up at him. “It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't mess it up!”
“Oi, aren't you forgetting that you always pitch on the mound anyways?”
“But it's the All Stars! It's the most viewed game of the season because everyone's favorites is in it!”
“Stop hanging out with Mei, his thirst for drama is rubbing off on you.”
“That's beside the point. I don't want to look…boring! It's one pitch and I need to be flashy to – to bring more sponsors for the national team!”
“If you go overboard they'll think you're a joke, too.” He told her seriously while placing a hand on top of her head, gently brushing his fingers through her locks. “It's a baseball game, if you want to impress them, do it with your pitching. It's never failed you before.”
“Well…” She poured, knowing that Miyuki had a point but she didn't want to let go of the idea of doing a triple back flip while in costume before jumping out of said costume like a fountain and do the windup midair.
“Just imagine it,” he said, voice sweet and enticing. “The whole Tokyo Dome filled with people, everyone shouting and cheering for their teams then – you windup, pitch to my glove and everyone goes quiet, all eyes on you on the mound.”
Sawamura inhaled deeply, the imagination playing in her head felt all too real and nostalgic. They haven't formed an official battery in ages even though they did play during the off season. It would be different performing their battery in an official game, in a stadium with all of Japan watching them – and hearing the beautiful sound of her pitch hitting Miyuki’s glove. It was enough to make her shiver in anticipation.
She grinned at him, “and the sound of the ball hitting your glove! It'll be the only thing everyone will be hearing!”
“I don't know about everyone, but I'll be hearing it loud and clear,” he chuckled. “So, what do you say? Does that sound better than your back flips and midair windup?”
“It sounds less flashy but I'm not Mei,” she laughed. “I’ll do it – but we've got to practice!”
He quickly brought his hand over to her face to pinch her nose playfully. “Yeah right, you just want to pitch.”
She grinned, unashamed without any denial. She reached over to drape her arms over his shoulders and brought their faces close, “so…will you catch my pitches?”
“May be –” he chuckled when she frowned, “if you kiss me.”
“Oh. That's not hard.” She pressed a quick kiss on his lips immediately. “Catch my pitches?”
“I dunno…I think I need more kisses.”
She rolled her eyes, “how about depending on how many pitches you catch, I’ll give you as many kisses? Deal?”
Miyuki seemed to be contemplating on it before kissing her quickly. He grinned at her, “all right, sunshine. Let's go play catch.”
The All Star Series was one of the most anticipated games during the season, popular players from both leagues got to play against each other and teams fans could only dream of were made. Tokyo Dome was filled with people, fans waving their flags and cheering loudly as the team mascots were introduced and began to entertain the crowd with their usual antics. There were cameras every where making sure nothing would be missed, every detail being properly broadcasted all over the nation. Even fans had their phones and cameras out, no doubt live streaming everything or to share their experience later.
Amongst the mess of sounds and people, Miyuki stood in the dugout. He looked at the stands, taking in the blurred faces and the incoherent noise that was almost static to his ears. He'd been in many games, he'd seen crowds and heard noises so loud, he was used to this. But this was different, it was going to be different and he wasn't about to lose face, not when he came this far.
“God, you look like you're going to throw up!” There was a loud cackle beside him and he didn't need to turn to know it was Kuramochi. Surprisingly their friendship survived over the years and he'd been the first one Miyuki went to about his delicate situation.
Miyuki didn't even bother to hide his scowl from Kuramochi which spoke volumes about how much he trusted his friend. “It's not a situation I can approach with a wide grin on my face!”
“Please,” Kuramochi snorted and leaned his elbow on Miyuki’s shoulder. “You managed to survive seven years, that's proof enough!”
“It’s not an assurance,” Miyuki countered bitterly.
“How you managed to survive seven years while still being a giant idiot is beyond me,” Kuramochi rolled his eyes. “Even Narumiya isn't as dumb as you are and he's so full of himself.”
Miyuki grunted, shaking his head lightly.
It was now or never – well, not really. He could always do it privately, when they were alone and not under the scrutiny and audience of the whole nation. He could barely talk his feelings out with others and now he had the most brilliant idea of risking everything in national television. He planned everything as meticulous as he did with his plays and calls, there was so much to lose and he could only do so much to not bend over and kneel under pressure.
“You say it isn't your style,” Kuramochi said with his voice steady and assuring. “But it's the sort of straightforward and aggressive play you have on the field. It's totally your style to shut this crowd up just because you feel like it.”
“Why, I didn't think you were capable of giving me an honest compliment, Mochi!”
He was slapped at the back of his head, “I was only trying to help, you bastard! I hope you miss and fall over yourself!”
Miyuki laughed as Kuramochi went over to bother their other teammates. Though what his friend said stayed with him, giving him the push he needed. He looked back to the crowd, letting their voices sink in him and he closed his eyes imagining how empowering it would be to shut them all up. A mischievous grin spread over his lips, it would be the best feeling ever.
“Kazuya!” He opened his eyes and turned, seeing Sawamura beaming brightly with a mitt on one hand and a ball on the other. “We’re going to shut them up!”
He laughed and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and rubbed her hair messy. “It's all on you, sunshine.”
“You two are disgusting,” came a sarcastic comment from Narumiya, who stopped to look at them and share his head. “This throwback eye fucking you two have better not take my sunshine. I am the star today and don't forget it!”
Sawamura grinned at him and patted her hand on her hips. “Don't worry, we’ll try to keep our pants on.”
Narumiya glared at them, but mostly on Miyuki whom he blamed for ‘corrupting’ Sawamura. Miyuki grinned before pressing another kiss on Sawamura’s cheek just to piss Narumiya off. It worked and the pitcher was stomping over the other side of the dugout to rant. As soon as they were left alone however, one of the field staff approached them.
“Sawamura-san, Miyuki-san, are you both ready? We’ll begin after the mascots finish their performance.”
“Osh! Bring it!” Sawamura cheered with a fist pump. She quickly jumped out of the dugout, eyeing the field as if it were a game she was fully part of.
Behind her, Miyuki inhaled deeply and placed on his head gear. It was now or never, if he couldn't do this much then he wasn’t the guy Sawamura admired and loved. He will do this.
“Ready, partner?” He asked, stepping beside her with a grin she immediately returned with the familiar fire in her eyes that he fell in love with.
“Osh!”
After getting the go signal from the field staff and seeing the mascots leave the field to stand by the sidelines, both Miyuki and Sawamura made their way towards their positions. They parted halfway as Sawamura made her way to the mound, her introduction echoing loudly around the stadium over the loud cheers that erupted from the audience.
Miyuki was crouched down as he watched Sawamura make herself comfortable on the mound, preparing for her windup. He couldn't help but mirror the almost feral grin she wore when she looked at him, their eyes meeting in understanding and heat. The mound was where their relationship started and it was where he felt most nostalgic, remembering their youthful days when they formed an excellent battery and crushed their way through Koshien the summer of his last year.
He gave her the sign and positioned his glove, taking this pitch as seriously as any pitch he'd catch in an official game. He watched the fire in her eyes grow stronger and nearly lost himself as she moved her body for the windup and form they'd worked on honing and perfecting together over the years. She was still as breathtaking as the first time she'd pitched to him, so rough and full with so much potential. The ball was released from the tip of her fingers, not taking long to hit his glove with the pleasant sound of nostalgia and connection. It was one sound he'd never grow tired of.
She grinned at him and he fell in love again.
There wasn't a never.
He stood up, throwing off his head gear in the process and jogged towards her. She brightened, yelling her signature chant as she met him halfway and threw herself in his arms. He held her embraced her tightly, burying his nose on his shoulder and inhaled her scent.
Now.
Miyuki knelt down on one knee, presenting the box he'd kept close to himself for the last several months. Nestled inside was a silver band chosen for its simplicity and the knowledge that Sawamura would rarely wear it on her finger.
“Will you let me catch your pitches until the end?”
The silence around the stadium was deafening, it seemed that everyone and everything came to a pause, waiting for Sawamura to speak or move. She stood in stunned silence as she looked down at him, face flushed as red as ever and eyes wide in disbelief. She gaped at him, looking utterly silly and adorable. She really did have the best reactions.
Once the shock passed over, Miyuki grinned to himself, the nerves he felt were quickly washed away when he saw the change in her eyes. She looked at him with love and excitement, it was something he was aware of because it was how he always felt around her.
“Kazu –” her voice hitched before the tears streamed down her eyes and she tackled him, toppling them both to lie on the ground. She held onto him tightly, conveying emotions she couldn't fully express over how fast and sudden everything was.
The stadium went wild with their cheers and balloons whizzing in the air, the brass bands were alive with the same tune. It was a mess, everything was happening all at once and Miyuki couldn't even hear his own thoughts in the thick of it all –
“O-Osh! Osh, osh, osh!”
Against the deafening volume of everyone, he heard her answer loud and clear. It was the best sound he'd heard all his life, better than the sound of her pitch hitting his glove (but he wouldn't tell her that).
Omake
Sawamura yawned as she stepped inside the living room, immediately finding Miyuki at his usual spot by the table with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. It's been their routine for so long but today it felt oddly domestic, like her eyes had just been opened and she was seeing everything fresh and bright again. It brought a weird feeling in her chest, a warm and jittery feeling she wasn't sure was a good thing or a great thing.
“Morning, sunshine.” He greeted her, looking up from the paper to look at her.
He was a pretty boy, she knew this for all the time she'd known him. But at that moment, she didn't realize how beautiful he was and how lucky she was all this time to have him. That she would have him for the rest of their days – and wow, that was both suffocating and exciting. She hoped it was a feeling she would soon get used to (manga heroines rarely did but she didn't know how she could ever pitch properly if her heart kept beating wildly when Miyuki looked at her like that).
“Morning, four eyes.” She returned and approached him, taking a seat beside him. She wasn't much of a coffee person and settled with leaning on his shoulder to peek at whatever he was reading, not that she was actually interested. If there was anything important, he would tell her.
“Hey – is that…Mei?” She frowned, squinting at the poor quality photo and gasped, “and Sanada? What – they're – what?”
Miyuki laughed, “we were stealing his spotlight.”
“Oh my god. They came out on national television because we stole their spotlight.” Sawamura shook her head at the absurdity then shot her fiancé a look. “No wonder you two are friends, you're both jerks.”
“You're stuck with this jerk from now on, sunshine.”
“I'm still mad you took away my midair windup so you could propose,” she rolled her eyes as she emphasized the word. “I don't see how we couldn't do both!”
He laughed, pulling her close and kissed her cheek.
“We've got the rest of our lives to do crazy things, Miyuki-san. There's no need to rush!” He teased, grin growing wider as Sawamura flushed to the tips of her ears. “Oho, that's cute. I hope you never get used to using my name.”
“You - you're such a jerk!” She glared and gave him a shove before standing up to get her phone from the bedroom.
“Where are you going, Miyuki-san?” He cooed. That bastard, making her chest so weird things.
“I’M GOING TO CALL MY MANAGER AND MAKE SURE MY JERSEY STAYS AS SAWAMURA, YOU SHITTY FOUR EYED PRETTY BOY!”
“I love you, too!” He replied sweetly before she slammed the door behind her. He cackled loudly before turning the page on the newspaper and smirked. He'd already seen this coming so he was changing his jersey to Sawamura soon – he couldn't wait to see her face when she would find out. His life was going to keep on staying interesting.