Chapter Text
"Well, somehow, I survived."
Miyuki Kazuya, main catcher for the Tokyo baseball team set his backpack down on the platform of Akagi station, letting out his breath in a sigh of relief. At his expression, his companion, Chiba pitcher Sawamura Eijun cast him a glare, leaning over to elbow him pointedly in the ribs.
"That's no way to talk about a weekend with my family!" he scolded. "Maybe I should be saying they survived spending time with you!"
"I did warn you, didn't I?" Miyuki offered his companion a resigned grin. "I'm not really made for huggy, friendly family occasions. Maybe they didn't hate me before I came to Akagi, but goodness only knows what they think about me now."
It was two days after the new year holiday and the two baseball players were heading back towards Tokyo after spending the break with Eijun's parents in Akagi. It was only nine months since their relationship had been outed in the national press, but at last the public scrutiny into where they went and what they did had abated enough for them to have spent a private few days in the country, a factor for which Eijun was more than a little grateful. The previous year had been difficult, he reflected now, sneaking a sidelong glance at his partner when he knew the catcher wasn't looking. Miyuki was anything but shy on the baseball field, but in other settings, he was very easy to rattle, and at times he had been pushed to the limits by the intrusions of the press and public.
But I still feel like we made some major progress, last year.
A faint smile twitched at Eijun's lips, and he leaned up against the platform barrier, contemplating how much his hard work had finally paid off.
We're a proper couple now. We went on holiday together to Australia and stayed in a hotel like any other couple, and it was great. You even let me give you a ring, which was a leap of faith that came good more easily than I expected.
He glanced at his left hand, taking in the gold band on the fourth finger. Miyuki didn't wear his as openly as this, not even in the off-season, but Eijun knew that it hung on a chain beneath his partner's clothing. At the thought of how close to Miyuki's heart the gold band lay, the pitcher felt a sense of warmth swell up inside of his body.
We spent the holidays with my family, and did all those New Year things, like making mochi, and staying up to see the sun rise, and going to the shrine to wish for new year luck. And now we're here, on the station, where anyone can see us - but nobody is looking our way. We've had a manic few months, but it's as though we're copletely normalised, now. Even if I kissed you, right here on Akagi station, nobody would care. Although I won't do it, because you might have a spasm and fall on the railway line, and that would be a mess.
"You're quiet, all of a sudden," Miyuki's voice jerked the pitcher back to the present, and he started, then shot his companion a rueful look.
"I was just reflecting on the new year, and everything we've been through to get to this point," he admitted.
"Yeah, let's not relive all of those things, huh?" Miyuki grimaced. "Some have been more problematic than others."
"But we're in a good place, now," Eijun pointed out. "And as for my folks? They really wanted you here and they were happy that you came. I don't think that they're that easily scared, to be honest," he added pensively.
"They did raise you, I suppose," Miyuki teased playfully, and Eijun grinned, nodding his head.
"Exactly," he said proudly. "And they did such a good job of it you couldn't help but fall for me. Which of course means that my people are going to fall for you. How could they not? I'm teasing you, but you didn't do anything to offend them. You ate nicely, and said please and thank you, and even offered to cook one night, which probably scored you brownie points. True, you probably shouldn't ever be allowed unsupervised on a farm..."
He paused, and Miyuki smirked, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm a city kid," he said honestly. "I've never really spent time in the country. Not at all, honestly. I never thought about why you lock gates...there's nothing there to be stolen, right? It's not like in Tokyo - you were the one who said everyone knows everyone else. And I've never got properly lost before...but all the roads round here look really similar to one another. I don't know how you get about, with all the green and stuff..." he sighed, scratching his head. "How do you tell one field from another when it's winter and they all look the same? It's a bit like landing on an alien planet."
"Well, it's the planet I came from, and the one I want us to retire to in the future, so bear it in mind," Eijun said firmly. "If you're not used to it, you'll just have to come again. Fortunately I noticed you didn't lock that gate by the chicken coop, so we didn't have to spend the whole night rounding up Grandpa's chickens. And as for getting lost..." he rolled his eyes expressively. "You were only going to the local store. How you ended up at the other end of town is anyone's guess. You never get lost in the capital - how on earth can Akagi be harder to find your way around? I don't get it."
He eyed his companion for a moment, then grinned. "But I am glad you came. Seriously, all other things aside, I think my folks were happy, too. You joke about surviving, but I don't think it was really like that. True, you may not be at home in the country, and there's probably a ton of other things you still don't know yet - I mean, this was the winter, and it's not like you had any chores to do because you were a guest and it was New Year. But I think my Mum's getting pretty fond of you. She did hug you goodbye, remember? That's a good sign."
"Is it?" Miyuki glanced down at himself pensively. "I'm not sure. I'm not used to being hugged by women. It's kind of a new experience."
"Mm...well, I guess it's not one you need a lot of practice dealing with," Eijun eyed his partner critically, then shrugged. "But Mum is different. She wanted to hug you when you arrived, but she held back, because she didn't want you to bolt back to the station. But she hugged you when you came back late...after you got lost. And she hugged you this morning as well, like you were one of the family. If it hadn't been that Grandpa had an appointment in town they would probably all have come to see us off," he added. "But I told them it would be okay, because I figured you'd probably reached your social max by that point."
"Yeah. If I didn't need therapy before I left, I will need it when I get back," Miyuki sighed heavily. "Though your family are good people, Eijun. I think that's part of why I find it difficult. I don't want to upset them or cause them any trouble. I already feel like...I dunno," he paused, gesturing with his hands as he tried to articulate his feelings. "Like maybe I'm not what they expected? Or something. So..."
"Are you still worried about them not liking you? Or us? Or being used to this being for keeps?" Eijun's expression softened, and he linked his arm in his companion's reassuringly. "Because it's fine, you know. They are all right with it. Mum and Dad both told me that it's not about their expectations and they didn't really have any, except that they wanted me to be happy and be myself. They said, after they first met you, that it's more important for me to be in a relationship with someone who loves and respects me. You are that person - and they know that. So you really are just being silly. They want you to be part of the family - it's you that's holding back."
"Maybe it is," Miyuki acknowledged. "But it's just not what I'm used to, that's all. Your family is entirely different from mine, and so is where you grew up. And I'm not as adaptable as I thought...apparently."
"Apparently not," Eijun looked amused. "But hey. If I have to come rescue you from a field in the middle of nowhere next time you come visit, I'll do it. Though I might activate the GPS on your phone next time you run an errand, in case you decide to walk all the way to Nagano by mistake."
"I only ended up at the high school," Miyuki objected, as the rattle of the local service train in the distance heralded the arrival of their transport. "It wasn't easy to read the signs, and I took a wrong turn, that's all. It wasn't like I ended up roaming the wilderness. I just wound up in a different part of town."
"It's not even like you went to my old school. If you had it would have been romantic - although my middle school shut down years ago now," Eijun sighed gustily. "Oh well. Back to the capital we go. At least you knew how to pray at the shrine for new year good luck. I mean, you were such a heathen about everything else that I really wasn't sure..."
"Oh, come on," Miyuki snorted. "That's pushing it a bit far. Of course I know how to pray at a shrine. Idiot. And what was that about we? You live in Chiba. I live in Tokyo. You need to change trains."
"I would, if I was going home, but I decided to come to Tokyo for a day or two to say hi to Kai," Eijun smiled sweetly. "You aren't going to turn me away, are you? We don't get to spend time together in the season, not really, and my place is a lot less prettified than yours right now. It will be ready, probably, by the end of the month - and then I'd like you to come stop at mine - but all this week I have painters and stuff in there doing all the decorating I want finished...so it's going to be all fumes and bleugh."
He pulled a face, and Miyuki sighed.
"Fine," he said resignedly, a the train pulled into the platform. "I suppose you booked that for this week so you had an excuse to come stop with me after we left your folks. You're such a stalker, you know that? Going to Australia together wasn't enough for you already?"
"It's never enough," Eijun said seriously, as the train jerked to a halt, and a red flush coloured Miyuki's cheeks at the intent in the pitcher's words. He leaned over to press the door button, reaching down to pick up his backpack.
"Idiot," he muttered, and Eijun grinned, lifting his own backpack and following his companion onto the train.
"But that's what you like about me, right?" he said cheerily. "So, Tokyo it is!"
-------
"Welcome back to the madness that is Tokyo!"
Kuramochi Youichi, Tokyo first team shortstop swung open the door of his apartment, lounging against the doorpost and casting his visitor a playful grin. "How was your family? Did you get the twenty questions from your Dad yet? Or did you chicken out of telling him that your Tokyo address comes with its own built in baseball diva?"
"Baseball diva is it, now?" Aotsuki Wakana burst out laughing, dumping her bag into the hallway of the apartment and kicking off her shoes before stepping up from the genkan and elbowing her companion playfully. "What happened to 'Happy New Year', Youichi-san? You haven't seen me since last year. Didn't you miss me? Maybe you're getting bored."
"Don't be stupid," Kuramochi snorted, responding to her jab by grabbing her loosely around the waist and pulling her closer to him. He planted a kiss on her forehead, then held her at arm's length, eying her critically. "You don't look a year older," he bantered. "I guess that means you didn't tell your Dad about this yet, huh? Good. That's probably for the best. I don't need a savage papa coming with his blade to avenge his daughter's honour."
"And you say I'm stupid," Wakana sighed, shaking her head in resignation. "Let me go, huh? I've been stuck on a stuffy train for the last two hours, and I need to get changed. I don't know what the guy next to me had been smoking, but it didn't smell like tobacco."
"Ew," Kuramochi looked amused, but obediently released his hold. "And there we go. A nice, romantic greeting for the new year. How did we ever manage without it?"
"Good question," Wakana slipped her feet into her slippers with a sigh, then paused, glancing around the flat. She frowned.
"This looks...sort of tidier than I expected, given that I haven't been here for the last five days," she reflected, and Kuramochi snorted.
"Do you think I'm not capable of tidying up after myself?" he asked, amused. "I did live by myself before you came, you know, and the apartment wasn't a pigsty when you moved in, was it?"
"Well, no, but..." Wakana pursed her lips, moving across the floor to the mantlepiece and reaching out to touch the petals of what was clearly a fresh bunch of flowers. She turned back to her companion, arching an eyebrow, and Kuramochi smiled sheepishly.
"Mum decided I needed some feminine touches around the place for when you got back," he admitted. "I came back from Chiba yesterday, but she came back with me, because she wanted to hit the Tokyo sales and wanted a workhorse to carry stuff for her - otherwise known as me. We came back here for coffee afterwards, and she brought some extra bits and pieces to...well, she said 'make things more civilised'...but I don't know. I'm not sure about flowers...they're not really my thing."
"They are pretty, though," Wakana grinned back at him. "Your Mum wants you to make a good impression on me, doesn't she? It's nice to know she approves of me, even if I did start living here without her knowing."
"She's still mystified at how I managed it, I think," Kuramochi sighed, dropping down onto the couch. "If you find scented things in your room, don't blame me. I haven't been in there - and I told her it was off limits - but she said that the rule didn't apply to girls together...anyway, that's my Mum for you. She really likes you, I think. Maybe more than she likes me, actually - although you've only met in person once."
"I like your mother. She has taste," Wakana teased, and Kuramochi rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, well, she did have moments when I was a kid where she said she'd have liked a daughter. The implication was instead, not as well," he said ruefully. "I'm pretty sure if we fell out, she'd take your side. I did warn you - she and Gramps have been more interested in my love life than my school grades or my disciplinary record since I was a kid."
"Possibly a good thing, given what you've said to me about both of those things," Wakana laughed, and Kuramochi pulled a graphic face.
"Gee, thanks. Loving and supportive as ever," he said playfully. "I know, all right? You're the brains and I'm the brawn. You're beauty and I'm the beast. Message received loud and clear."
"Probably for the best," Wakana smirked. "But I do like your family. They're open and honest, like you are. And I'm touched your mother thought of me. I'll send her an email to thank her, later, when I'm unpacked."
"Maybe see the damage, first," Kuramochi warned, and Wakana shrugged.
"It's always the thought that counts," she replied. She pressed her lips together, then, "You know, I did talk to Mum and Dad about all of this, over new year," she ventured, gesturing to her companion and then to herself, and Kuramochi raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"You did?"
"Mm. It seemed like a good opportunity." Wakana nodded. "I wanted to do it in person, and preferably, when they were both there. Dad works quite a lot still, and so do I, now, so getting all of us together in person these days is pretty much a holidays only kind of deal."
She smiled faintly at his expression.
"You don't need to look so worried. They did already know I was dating you - no way I could keep that from them for this length of time, especially given that those photos came out in the media of the Japan Series victory party and everything else. But I hadn't told them we were living together until now. I thought it was important to be honest with them - since it doesn't look as though I'm going to be moving out any time soon."
"So wait, I do have to prepare for a night-time ninja attack from your Dad?" Kuramochi followed her into the apartment, sending her a look of concern, and Wakana laughed, shaking her head.
"I told him that you'd been my knight in shining armour, and that without your help, I would've probably lost my job in Tokyo, back in the spring," she assured him. "I told him that you set strict house rules and that you've not set foot in the spare room since I moved in here. He was quite impressed by that, I think - and my mother said that I was a good judge of character, and wouldn't spend time on someone who didn't treat me properly. So I think you're home and dry. Dad did ask about your income..." she added speculatively, then grinned. "But I reminded him that you play baseball, professionally, and besides, I earn enough to keep myself anyway. It all went pretty well, considering."
"I see," Kuramochi dropped back against the wall with a grin. "Well, it's true. I genuinely haven't been in the spare room since the Spring. But you didn't tell him about the increasing frequency with which you end up coming into my room to seduce me overnight?"
"Didn't really think it added anything to the conversation," Wakana admitted, then she returned the grin with a mischievous one of her own. "He might think I was taking advantage of you, and decide you need to be rescued from me, so I spared him those details."
"Well, I suppose that's all right," Kuramochi reflected with a sigh. "If he's not put a warrant out for me, I'll take it that he doesn't disapprove of us dating. Though give me plenty of warning if he decides he wants to meet me, huh? I need to learn some nice fancy long words before that happens."
"You mean, manners and keigo?" Wakana teased, and Kuramochi smirked. He nodded.
"Yep. Those things," he agreed glibly. "So you didn't get the train back with Miyuki and Sawamura, then? I wondered if you would. You know they're heading back from Akagi today as well?"
"Yes...which is why I took the train I did," Wakana sighed gustily, removing her jacket and hanging it up on the peg. "I didn't want to play gooseberry on them, but mostly I didn't want awkwardness. Miyuki-san still avoids me whenever he possibly can, and it's not fair on Eijun...besides, I know this new year was a big deal for them. Eijun was really excited about having Miyuki-san come to visit his parents, and so I decided to keep a tactful distance. I haven't seen either of them at all...and probably won't see Eijun now until he's back in Chiba."
"Aren't you the diligent friend," Kuramochi remarked, and Wakana nodded, crossing the floor and taking the seat beside him on the sofa.
"Yes...well..." she grimaced. "Maybe it's that. But Eijun told me something...and...well, I suppose...it made me realise that probably I should keep my distance this trip and not make things more crazy."
"Something?" Kuramochi was startled, and Wakana smiled.
"Miyuki-san didn't tell you, then? About their trip to Australia and the birthday gift Eijun gave him?"
"Oh!" Kuramochi's expression cleared in an instant, and he chuckled. "You mean the non-engagement ring? Yeah, I had some fun with that. The non-ring on a non-chain around his non-neck where absolutely nobody will ever see it?"
"I'm thinking Miyuki-san probably regrets telling you about it, if that's how you reacted," Wakana said drolly, and Kuramochi shrugged.
"It's how we are, though. He wouldn't want me to be mushy about it," he replied unrepentantly. "I leave the cooing and romantic blah to you girls to handle. You're much better at it."
"I think that was a gendered comment, Kuramochi Youichi," Wakana's eyes twinkled with humour, and Kuramochi laughed.
"Maybe it was, but it's still true," he admitted. "Guys rip on each other. That's how we show affection. But hey, you know that. And besides, Miyuki knew I didn't mean anything by it. He knows I have his back. Sawamura's too, if it comes to it. But I suppose if it was a case of taking his non-fiance home to stop over with the parents...I can see why you didn't want to intrude. It does at least demonstrate that they're serious - not that I ever thought otherwise."
He winked at her.
"What would you do, if I gave you a non-engagement ring for your birthday?" he asked playfully, and Wakana snorted.
"Give it back and tell you to upgrade it," she returned without missing a beat. "Not that we're at a point where that discussion is appropriate - are we? But even if we were, I'd only be in the market for an actual engagement ring. And I might not be a girly girl, but there are moments when I can make an exception for tradition. I'd expect it all done the proper, romantic way, and if I wasn't satisfied, I'd absolutely demand a redo - so if it does ever come up between us, bear it in mind, huh? You might want to learn long words to impress my Dad, but maybe learn some romantic ones to impress me as well."
"You really are a hard taskmaster. Especially lecturing me about romance when you smell of some strange guy's weed," Kuramochi chuckled, and Wakana poked out her tongue, swiping at him playfully.
"I'm going to have a shower," she told him firmly. "You can continue teasing me after I'm clean, if you like. Though I notice you still didn't wish me a happy new year."
"I thought that was implicit," as Wakana got to her feet to go retrieve a towel, Kuramochi reached across to grasp her fingers, squeezing them lightly before letting them go. "You're back here. The year already got better."
"That's more corny than romantic, but you're on the right track," Wakana teased. "All right. Let me go wash, or you'll end up smelling of it too. The flowers can only mask it for so long."
"And you say I'm not romantic." Kuramochi leaned across to peck her on the cheek. "Fine, then. Happy new year, Wakana-chan. Now go clean up before this whole apartment smells suspicious and we have the tabloids or the police on our doorstep. I'd like a quiet year, this year, with less crazy and more success on the field and off it. Let's begin as we mean to go on, huh? As a responsible non-married couple sharing space in Tokyo."
"Responsible is a long word. Good start," was Wakana's riposte, and as she disappeared into the shower, Kuramochi sank down on his sofa, a warm grin crossing his lean features.
It is a happy new year now that you're back in the city, though, Wakana-chan. And I mean what I said, about making this one work as a couple. It's not like I think we need to talk about things like marriage yet, either, but I'm glad we can joke and tease about it and not worry that the other will take things amiss. No, last year was mad in a lot of ways, but mostly, for me, in good ways. And I really hope this year will build on that - both on and off the field, as my life finally comes together into all the things I really want.