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This isn't a date right?
He probably was going to have a lot of problems later. He had never done something like that, actually he had never had the balls to lie so blatantly, but Mima would have come all the way for nothing, well not nothing exactly he still would have come to visit his family, but he wanted see him, and would be totally impolite not going. Also Mima was his friend, a good friend actually, he loved chat with him every night before go to sleep or even early in the morning when nobody had woken up. He had never felt the necessity of know more about someone, but it was as if Mima has put a spell on him, because now he wondered what could tell him or ask him; that was the normal aspect of their friendship, the private aspect was all the intimacy they have develop. Especially if he consider all the nudes he had in his phone, the amazing sexting and the incredible phone sex they have time to time. Considering all those aspects there was no way he could not go.
So there he was, in his room pretending he was preparing to go to see his old aunt- grandmother that travel all the way from Hokkaido just to see him, before going to live with his daughter in Germany. He knew he was an awful lie but the lie that had prepared for coach Kataoka it went down the pipe when the coach reported himself ill. He couldn’t believe that his coach could even catch a cold so that left him with Ochiai and he had never speak with him, at least not alone. It felt like both avoid each other on purpose but in the end of the day they met him by accident and he ended up making the worst lie of all, he thought that Ochiai would see through his lie, but instead he started to tell him about the time his cousin left him, when he had eight years old to go to Brasil and he never see him again. It was a surreal experience but at least he got a free Sunday.
He now was just waiting that everyone go to the field to avoid the complaints of Furuya and Sawamura. For today Ochiai had programmed a special session in the bullpen all morning and an intense practice in the afternoon. He had never liked skip the trainings but this time he was more than happy to do it, also if he thought about it with a cold head, it would also be great if he wasn’t present in the practice, Furuya and Sawamura could train more with the first years. They needed to make a strong bond if they wanted to keep competitive the team, his time with them was getting over and he knew those idiots and they probably hadn’t think about it.
Miyuki looked his phone and knew that the majority would be in the field. He stood up in the moment that the door of his dorm opened. Miyuki startled when saw Kuramochi in the door frame. Kuramochi frowned when saw him and looked outside before entering in the room and locking the door.
“You lied” Kuramochi said.
“About what?”
“I don’t know but it’s obvious that you don’t have a family issue.”
“Of course I have.”
“I know you from years now and I know that you pass from those things.” Kuramochi accused him. “So are you planning to wear those awful clothes in your date?”
“These are not awful” Miyuki exclaimed.
“They are if you use them together.” Kuramochi said with a smirk because he didn’t denied he had a date “Seriously, dude, you are a fashion disaster. All the people here used to it by now, but don’t scare the poor soul before get the chance to talk you and be horrified with your personality.”
“Well tell me what I should wear, asshole, don’t just criticize!”
Kuramochi walked directly to pull him the orange beanie from his head “That red gridded shirt is hideous. Seriously dude are you even trying to impress?”
Miyuki's face turned red. He slowly removed his shirt leaving him just with a plain white shirt and his jeans. Kuramochi looked him and nodded in approval.
“Did you still have the black cardigan right?”
“The what?”
“The black sweater with buttons…”
“Ah, yeah, it’s here…”
“Fine, take it with you. It’s going to be cold this day and the last thing we need is that you get sick before the tournament starts.” Kuramochi warned him. “Go to your date before I tell Sawamura and Furuya and they force you to stay.”
“It’s not a date…”
“Are you sure?” Kuramochi asked before leave the room.
Miyuki searched for the black sweater for a few minutes until he found it at the end of his closet. It smelled a little bit humid but he put some perfume in it and walked outside the room. At the end of the day it wasn’t that bad that Kuramochi had entered in his room, even when he thought he was leaving the team for some chick, but it was Mima and it wasn’t a date. It was just two guys hanging out in a Sunday.
He took the train and texted Mima. Yesterday they accorded the place and hour but he wanted to be sure that the plans hadn’t change because if they have he wouldn’t know that to do. Mima replay his message really quickly so dissipated all the insecurity.
When he found Mima he mentally thanked Kuramochi for not letting him out of the dorms with his choice. Find Mima was easy, he just had to see where all the girls were looking before continue walking with nervous laugh saying that the intimidating boy in front of the coffee shop was really handsome. Indeed. Miyuki had seen some decent pictures of Mima with casual clothes, not as many photos as he had of him naked, but he had saw him before, but now the guy looked like he just go out from a magazine. Skinnny jeans, a turtle neck shirt and a leather jacket and nice sunglasses. If Miyuki had saw him in another occasion he probably would had thought he was going to have a date, but he still has this unwelcoming aura around him.
“Hi…”
“Sorry, I’m for waiting someone.” Mima said while he continued staring his phone.
“So you stayed with another guy besides me?” Miyuki asked as Mima up his face and looked him “That’s rude. I even skipped the practice just to see you.”
“Kazuya, sorry...No, of course not. I was waiting for you. It’s just a few girls came out of nowhere few minutes ago and asked me for a date and it’s easier to reject someone without looking them.” Mima said a little embarrassed “So...hi.”
“Hi, again. So what do you want to do?” Miyuki asked.
“Oh, I read this coffee it’s really good and I thought we could have a breakfast here or maybe brunch I don’t know. What you say?”
“I already ate” Miyuki said feeling guilty, but he didn’t know that Mima wanted to eat with him.
“Of course you already have. I don’t know why I forget that you always eat in the dorms.”
“That’s ok. I can companion you. I could drink something.” Miyuki propose.
“Are you sure? Because if you want to go somewhere else…”
“You eat first.” Miyuki said as he walked into the coffee shop.
Miyuki was the one that choose the table in the second floor in the further corner but with a nice view to the street. Now he had recovered from the awkward greeting, Mima was back at his usual self, serious expression almost like he was threating you to punch your face if you dare to talk him, but Miyuki was used to that expression by now. But still amuse him how everyone was afraid to approach him. The poor waitress ended up asking him what Mima would order.
“I still don’t know why people doubt in approach to me.”
“It’s because you have a resting bitch face and when you pay them attention looks like you want to fight them.”
Mima looked him amused “I see. Well that explain a lot.” Said putting his hand in his chin.
Miyuki looked confused “What? Nobody had told you that?”
“No. You are the first one. My mother say that my natural beauty makes me unapproachable but I have never believe that. Your reason is more believable.”
The waitress came back with the food, Miyuki had only ordered a lemonade but looked with confusion when Mima slipped the panna cotta toward him. “You mentioned that you like it, I search and this was the only place near that have it.”
Miyuki looked him charmed. He didn’t expect he remembered that. It had been a bad day. He usually didn’t think about his mother but that day had been the anniversary of her death. He ended up talking with Mima while he stayed away from the others in the darkness looking the sky remembering that the days before her death she looked fine, with energy again and she said she wanted to try make a foreign dessert. Panna cotta. It was the only time that he taste it from his mother. The next years he spent days walking around the city asking if they had the dessert but not all the restaurants had it. It had to past a few years until he found a place that had it, but it didn’t taste the same. He took his spoon and took a piece of panna cotta and tasted it. It wasn’t the same flavor of his mother’s one, but this one didn’t taste it bitter, like the others he ate before. He almost tasted like the happiness that experiment that time.
“Is it good?”
“Yes, really good.” Miyuki said and he meant it. The next minutes he enjoyed his dessert in silence, just watching Mima’s elegant manners at table. If he would go to Seidou he definitely would be teased about it. It wasn’t until he ended his food he asked.
“You mentioned that you skipped the practice...”
“Ah, yes.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I know, but I wanted to do it. You don’t come every weekend to Tokyo. By the way your parents were ok with you coming? You came to see your family after all.”
“Yes. I told them I had a compromise. They understood also I’m glad that I came. They had planned to go to Olympic track to compete against my aunts and uncles.”
Miyuki looked with confusion he knew that Mima’s parents were athletes but he didn’t knew it was a family thing.
“They are very competitive.” Mima explained when he saw Miyuki's expression.
“More than you?”
“Oh, definitely. My mother is still competing she want to make it to the Olympics next year and then retire. My father is already retired I think you saw him once. He is the guest coach in my school, remember?”
“Woah, that’s a lot of pressure, but your mom sounds awesome.”
“I guess she is, but never try to compete against her. She has never let me win one race not even when I was a kid.” Mima explained as he ended his food. He looked outside the window “Do you want keep going?”
“Why not. You say you want to visit some places here so we better keep going if we want see them all.” Miyuki said as Mima asked for the bill.
Mima paid before Miyuki could even took out his wallet “How much was my part?”
“You are not going to pay, Kazuya. Let’s go.” Mima said standing up.
Miyuki almost had to run to catching him outside the local. He had his sunglasses on again and he really looked good. Miyuki stared him because in the table he couldn’t had a good view of those ridiculous thigh jeans that marked everything in Mima.
“What?”
“Nothing…” Miyuki lied and looked away but Mima smirked and insisted “Nothing. It’s that I don’t remember that you ever sent me a picture dressed like this.”
“Do I look bad?”
“Of course not. I just didn’t know you have a fashion sense.” Miyuki explained it wasn’t a lie but also he liked watch Mima, even with the sunglasses that hid his nice grey eyes. They entered in the train station and waited for the train that would take them to Shinjuku garden. It had been the first place in Mima’s list.
“I don’t usually dress like this but today is a special occasion.” Mima explained as the train arrived and he entered in it, leaving Miyuki with a confusion expression, the train was too crowded to even talk or even be close, they were set apart by the multitude.
Miyuki found a free spot and only when he was able to breathe again looked at Mima that was a few meters away from him. He was nice dressed, he even used perfume, also invited him to a nice place and order him a good dessert. Now they’ll go for a walk in a park where certainly will be cherry blossoms. He looked Mima again confused, because he didn’t look like the type of guy who would do those things with everyone. Kuramochi’s words came to his mind. Was this a date? He took his phone and google it. Am I in date with a guy if he wanted brunch and go to see the cherry blossoms with me? He view a few sites and all of them told him that in fact he was on date.
“Holly shit” Miyuki murmured feeling nervous, because he had never had a date before.
This couldn’t be a date. He needed an advice from someone who could trust. He looked his phone contacts but he concluded he didn’t have many friends that could talk about it one because they were like him, and probably never have a date in his entire life and second they were practicing for the tournament. He almost call Carlos, his almost enemy, because the guy looked like he knew a few things about dating, but when he almost did the biggest mistake in his life noticed Chris’s number right below Carlos' and almost laughed in relief. Why he didn’t even think about it. Chris was handsome enough to already have a few dates, he was the most reliable person he had ever met. For god’s sake he probably was even more reliable than his father. He marked his number hoping that he wouldn’t interrupt something important.
He almost hung up when he heard Chris voice. “Chris’ senpai” said almost relief. He noticed a woman with a disapproval look. He tried to smile her “Sorry this is an emergency.”
“Miyuki? Is it everything ok? It’s unusual that you call me or text.”
“How do you know if you are in a date?”
“I thought you had practice. Eijun told me that…”
“I’m not. So answer the question. Please tell me that you already went on date.”
“Yes, but I don’t think I’ll be a good adviser.”
“Why not? You ruined it?”
“No but…” Chris’ voice hesitate “The only dates that I ever had have been with a boy…”
“No! That’s perfect because my potential date is a guy too!” Miyuki exclaimed “So, how do I know if I am on date?”
“Ok, I think we’ll talk a lot later… I don’t know, you go to have fun, go to a place that one of you chose, eat something together usually one insist in paying for the other, talk, there a lot type of dates and depends of the person also, also if he is overdressed you are in one.”
“Oh shit.”
“So are you in a date?”
“I think so…”
“And you want to be in one?” Chris asked with a calm voice.
“I don’t know…It never occurred me that this could be a date.”
“Have you ever thought about kiss this guy or at least hold his hand?”
Miyuki blushed because he had dirtier thoughts than the ones that Chris asked him, he looked in Mima’s direction where he was staring a guy that ended up getting up of his seat and Mima just moved a little to make an old woman took the seat. He had never thought about holding Mima’s hand it wasn’t his style and he believe that it wasn’t Mima’s either, but “I wouldn’t be angry if he kiss me.”
“Then have fun in your date. If you want to talk latter you can text me I guess you only called cause in fact was an emergency.”
“Thanks senpai you’re still the best” Miyuki said before hung up. The next station was their stop. He texted Mima since they were still far of each other. When they went out of the station Miyuki still feel a little bit nervous. What if he messed up? This was totally out of his control zone.
“Is everything okay?” Mima asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I saw you talking on the phone and I thought I put you in trouble.”
“No, no. I already told you it’s everything fine I want to be here.” Miyuki said.
“I feel flattered since I know how much you enjoy your practice.” Mima said with his serious face but his voice was full of energy.
“You better be.”
“So are you going to tell me about those American guys? It was hard? How was be in a battery with Narumiya?” Mima asked as they entered in the garden.
Miyuki felt relieved with those topic. He started to talk and one moment to other he was giving Mima all the statistics of American team. He made a detailed description of the pitching of the American guy. He gave him the batting average of each player of the rival team and Mima listened him with interest as Miyuki teased him about if he could make it to the base against those guys. The walked for an hour until they ended up sitting under a cherry tree. Miyuki kept told him everything about the game because Mima had insisted that he need to tell him everything in person. As he described everything he looked Mima’s lips but there wasn’t any signal from him that told him he wanted to kiss him. Maybe this wasn’t a date after all and a weird feeling installed in his chest. Disappointment? He tried to ignore it and continued telling him everything.
They spent more time in the garden than planned. When they saw the hour was almost 2 PM.
“Are you hungry?” Mima asked.
“Yes, actually. We could go to Shibuya. We’ll get quickly if we take the train.”
“Ok, but before we go is it ok if I took a picture of us here?”
“Yeah, god I’m so bad being a tourist guide. I didn’t ask you if you wanted a picture alone.”
“One with you is enough. I already have come here. It’s one of my favorite’s places here in fact.” Mima explained as he took out his phone and put the frontal camera. Miyuki made the peace signal as he didn’t know what to do and Mima took the picture. “Finally I can show my mother a decent picture of you.”
“Eh?”
“She will ask me what I did all day.” Mima explained as it was the most obvious thing in the world. Looked the photo “Want me to send you a copy?”
“Of course.” Miyuki said as he stood up “In fact go there I want a decent picture of you.”
“So you don’t like my indecent photos?” Mima asked as he put exactly where Miyuki had asked him.
“Of course I like them, but it’s our first time going out so I want a picture to remembrance this day.” Miyuki said as he took the photo and then looked his phone until he listened the sound of Mima’s camera “What are you doing?”
“Taking a photo to remembrance the day.”
“You already have your photo.”
“One more it’s not going to hurt me.”
Miyuki hurried him to find a good place to eat. The place was more casual and the food was good. Mima complained that he was going to break his special diet just for him, but Miyuki knew he was more than happy to do it.
It felt weird in some way being there with Mima, because this was what he could had had if he had choice a normal life and not the demanding life of baseball. He loves it his life. It was true but it wasn’t until now that he felt he had missed something all this years. He didn’t try to think that soon he would have all the time in the world, because he wasn’t going to let that moment would come earlier. He still wanted to have all the summer busy. In the fall he wouldn’t mind that his weekends were like this. He went to the bathroom and when he came back Mima already had paid again.
“Come on. Don’t be angry, I wanted to invite you.” Mima said as they go out of the restaurant.
“But you already paid in the morning and I don’t have to remind you that you gave me an expensive phone too.” Miyuki said as they entered in a store.
“But you love your phone now.” Mima said as he looked the clothes and took a red hoddie. “I’ll try this one.” Announced, leaving Miyuki with all his complaints. He go out minutes later with the hoddie.
“I guess one size smaller and will fit you perfectly.” Miyuki said looking him. Now that’s the Mima he was used to see. T-shirts and hoddies.
“I know but I like when are bigger. It’s feel comfy.” Mima explained. “I’ll take this one. Do you want one?”
“No, so go to take it off.” Miyuki said and this time he was cleverer than Mima, he had watched the size of the hoddie he took, so he took another one and run to pay for it. He was with luck because the hoodie was on sale, cause on the contrary he probably would have return to the dorms by foot. When Mima go out looked Miyuki’s triumphant smile and he took his defeat with all the honor he could.
“Thanks for buying it. I guess the least I can do is send you a good pictures with it.”
“Yeah, actually it’s the kind of gratitude I was hoping for.” Miyuki said as they pass next to the arcade. Mima made him enter. Mima had told him he wasn’t competitive as his parents so now he was afraid to ever meet them. He refused to leave the place until he defeated him in the air hockey table. When he finally defeated him, for the second time because Miyuki let him win once but Mima noticed it, it was almost five o clock and he need to be back before the dinner.
“I guess I have to go.” Miyuki said “You said your family leaves near here right?”
“Yeah, I can return walking actually.”
“Oh, then…”
“I’ll go with you to the station.” Mima said.
Miyuki usually would have told him that wasn’t necessary but he didn’t want everything over, not yet and if he can prolonged their time together just a few minutes then he would do it.
“I had fun.” Mima said as they walk but they walked slower and slower.
“Me too. I told you we would work in person too.” Miyuki said.
“Yeah, I’m glad we can work in this way too.” Mima said putting one hand in his jeans’ pockets the other one balance the bag with his new hoddie “Text me when you arrive, ok?”
“Sure…” Miyuki said as they approach to the station “Let’s go this way.” As he pointed an alleyway. Mima looked him with confusion but he followed him “The other entrance is on this way and it will be less crowded at this hour.”
“Oh, ok…”
Miyuki didn't want to leave him. It didn’t matter if this wasn’t a date. He enjoyed his time with Mima. They walked in silence in the narrow alleyway. He felt like he had to say something more but Mima took his arm unexpectedly. Miyuki turned around just to find Mima’s serious expression but he was completely red.
“I was planning to wait until our third date, because it’s what the dating blogs recommend, but I really don’t want to wait…so, is it okay if I kiss you now?”
Miyuki blinked like a dozen of time “Are we on a date?”
“Aren't we?”
“No, I mean, I don’t know. You didn’t tell me this was one but if this it is a date I’m ok with that if you are ok with.”
Mima nodded with vigor. Miyuki laughed, they were so pathehic “So…a kiss, uh?”
“Only if you want. If you want to wait until the third date I understand.” Mima said without change his expression, but his voice trembled a little bit.
“Why they recommend to wait until the third one?”
“Something about statistics I think…It would sent the message that this is something exclusively sexual.”
Miyuki frowned “Uh, interesting, but I already have a dozen of nudes from you so I guess it doesn’t matter if we kiss now, right?”
Mima smiled before getting closer to him. Miyuki saw him come and for some reason freaked out and moved in the same direction of Mima and his nose clash against Mima’s.
“Shit! Sorry.” Miyuki said. He was so pathetic. He hadn’t felt this nervous not even when he catch his first ball.
“No, it was my fault I didn’t consider this variable.” Mima said putting his hand in his chin “Probably I didn’t did enough research…or just probably is my nervousness.” Admitted.
Miyuki felt relief that he wasn’t the only one nervous there “Did you did research about all this?”
“Of course, I always do it. My mother always says it’s better to be prepare to the unexpected. But this is more intimidating than have your turn with the bases full in the ninth inning. ”
Miyuki totally could imagine Mima searching information about dates “Sorry that I made the things harder for you, it’s just I haven’t done this before.”
“Me either…”
“What?” Miyuki said incredulous “But you send nudes, sexting and had phone sex and always look so confident.”
“You do all those things too.”
“Yeah, but most of the time I just let myself go.”
“Me too…” Mima admitted.
Both looked each other before smiled “So I guess we just have to let us go this time too.”
Mima nodded and put one hand in Miyuki’s cheek. This time Miyuki felt more relaxed, he forget all the nervousness cause remember Chris questions and he definitely wanted to kiss Mima, so he just saw Mima’s beautiful eyes before both closed it and this time their mouths finally found each other. They moved his lips softly enjoying the moment, this new experience. He felt Mima’s other hand in his lower back attracting him closer, Miyuki pass his hands around Mima’s neck and let himself go. Kissing was nice, really nice, it felt amazing. Why nobody had told him what he was missing?
The kiss lost his initial shyness and now felt different, more demanding, Miyuki gasped when he felt Mima’s tongue, but he follow the rhythm. Miyuki step forward, he wanted to feel him closer.
“Kazuya…” Mima murmured when he felt the wall against his back.
Miyuki looked him with a smile, it wasn’t a regular one. It was the smile he always got when he was with Mima or jus texting with him. “I guess we can practice until we get better at this.”
“Yeah, we always have a margin to improve.”
“I’ll kiss you again, before I forget the feeling, you know, to remember the correct technique.”
“Yeah, good plan.” Mima said before kiss him again.
Miyuki didn’t take the train that passed at five, and he didn’t take the train that passed five minutes later. In fact he didn’t take the train until five thirty and he only did it because the erection on his pants warned him to return or he wouldn’t know what to do next and all those were enough emotions for a first date.
He was almost arriving when he received a message from Mima. He was ready to tell him that he was almost home when he noticed the picture. Mima wearing just his new hoddie.
“I’ll send you a better pic when I return home.”
Miyuki laughed before going out of the train. He was almost in the dorms when he received another message, but this one was from Chris.
‘Did you enjoy your date?’
‘Definitely.’ Answered. Now he was calm remembered all the things that Chris told him and looked the screen with curiosity ‘So...who’s the guy?’
‘A baseball idiot. And yours?’
Miyuki expected a vague answer but still smiled ‘Also a baseball idiot.’
‘I guess it’s the only we can attract with our background, but I don’t complaint.’
Miyuki looked the photo that Mima sent him and smiled before put it in the album with all the other pics. He take a quick look of all them and smiled before opened the chat with Chris again and write ‘Me neither.’