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It was warm, warmer than it had been all week. It fit, considering the event, cherry blossoms fluttering through the pale air, alone in the courtyard and gate.
Mei sat wedged between his classmates in the wide Inashiro auditorium, knee jiggling anxiously despite his best efforts. How could he sit still on a day like this, when he was mere moments from freedom, freedom and a plane ticket to Hokkaido. He gnawed at his thumb nail as the class speaker droned on, eyes darting around the room for something worth paying attention to. His friends were sat too far ahead and behind him to be any use, leaving him with no one to talk to but the pale kendo team guy to his right and a member of the film club to his left. Useless for his growing fidgeting, fingers tapping away on his knee. There was so much to do so much to take care of still but here was waiting for the damn graduation ceremony to be over and done with. Unlike him, considering his love of fanfare, but he had places to be.
A sudden buzz in his pocket almost made him jump clean out of his chair, deep into his internal monologue as he was. He fumbled his phone out into the open, glancing around suspiciously as he checked the message.
Stop fidgeting and pay attention. You'll miss your cue.
He pouted in response and looked around again, squinting for the familiar face that must have noticed him already.
this is boring masa-san!!!
ヽ
(
｀
◇´)/ how did you sit through this????
I listened to the speaker and was patient.
୧ ( ๑ •̀ ᗝ •́) ૭ !!!
But he did listen when he began hearing the shifting of legs as students began to go up onto the stage. He perked up like a dog in fact, squeezing his phone like a lifeline as he watched his peers slowly file along. His heart pulsed in his ears too loudly as he felt time speed up from the snail's pace of earlier. He was in line, a few feet from the stairs already as he dared to stare out at the crowd of relatives and friends left in the audience. This close to the bright lights of the stage Mei couldn't tell them apart, despite his most valiant efforts to pick out a familiar face.
Deep breaths, Mei. Don't need you fainting on stage.
Mei did his best to hide the way his shoulders rose and sunk with the sudden breath he took, giving a nod to the vague mass of people in hopes of one in particular seeing it. He was fine, he was just...leaving the school he'd made his fame from for the first time, leaving his friends behind for the uncertain future of pro baseball and adulthood.
He bit his nail again, worrying it between his teeth. Nothing to worry about, sure. Nothing at all
As one to strive forward he avoided thinking of such things up till now. He had to focus on what he was sure of, not the what ifs and what if nots. He was going to be a pro. He was going to play baseball. He was going to join Masa-san in Hokkaido. Those were all absolutes, and he felt himself smile despite his nervousness. This was still only barely the start of everything, and here he was biting nails over a graduation ceremony. Masa-san was supposed to be the worrier out of the two of them.
Mei. It's your turn.
He really did jump a bit when he realized all eyes had gone onto him holding up the line. With red ears and cheeks he quickly hurried onto stage, bowing to the student council president as he accepted his diploma and managed a big grin at the audience, gaining an applause worthy of his status as Prince of Tokyo. But he couldn't linger long with the line continuing after him, pushing him across the stage and back to his seat as he waited for the final words of goodbye and good luck to all the graduating third years. His heart thrummed like a hummingbird's wings and his eyes held stars brighter than ever before, his future only moments away.
It was with a cheer and a shout that the students were released, hundreds pouring out of the auditorium and clustering into familiar groups all too quickly. Mei felt himself get grabbed by the collar and dragged into warm arms, laughing as he was crushed between Carlos and Katsuyuki in a tight hug that he gladly added to. He felt tight pangs in his chest as he caught the wet glimmer in both their eyes, grin painfully wide on his face as he dragged them in for another, stronger hug that threatened to take the breath out of all three of them.
Carlos's fingers carded through his hair in a familiar ruffling as they pulled away, always looking relaxed even with tightness in his throat that could be heard even over the noise of the other students saying their goodbyes. "You'd better make us proud in Hokkaido, you know." He nodded to Katsuyuki with a soft smirk, arm around the small redhead's shoulders keeping him close. "We're rooting for you...even if we'll have to face you on the field one day."
And Katsuyuki huffed so quietly, but he gripped Mei's shoulder tight and scowled harshly to hold back the tears that were a bit too obvious on him. "Don't you dare fuck this up, Mei. I swear to god...I'll come to Hokkaido and..."
When his voice cracked he cut himself off, and Mei couldn't help but laugh as his own tears pricked his eyes and slid down his cheeks. He smiled with determination at them both despite it, wiping his eyes and ruffling their hair to match his own messiness. "Just who do you think I am? I'll be fine!"
They knew he would be, too, as they hugged him one last time before peeling themselves away, looking over Mei's shoulder and Carlos grinning all too knowingly before stepping back. Mei turned to follow his gaze and felt his breath catch in his chest like a fish on a line, dragged out of him into a gasp that sent his tears flowing all too fast down his face. His feet moved before he even had to tell them to, rushing him into familiar warm arms as he was hugged so tight he barely breathed.
"...Congratulations, Mei."
Even as the weight of everything crashed down on him and made him sob into his catcher's chest, he clung to him tight and smiled against the once pristine fabric of his shirt. Warm and calloused hands were firm on his back, keeping him grounded and solid when he was sure he'd burst into a thousand pieces from sheer excitement. He missed that tightness on him, that warmth that made him fluttery just to think about as he looked up at Masa-san and smiled tearfully. "M-Masa-san, I finally did it! I told you I would!"
Masa-san's own eyes were a traitorous red that showed he'd been just as affected by the turn of events despite his unwavering voice and calm hands. He brushed one hand through Mei's hair almost soothingly as he pressed down it's unruliness, fondness radiating from him brighter than the sun's own light. He had to rub his eyes and cup Mei's cheeks, reminding himself of the face that had threatened to become unfamiliar as its owner grew and changed through the year. But he was still the same baby-faced pitcher that Masa-san knew, the same one that he loved so dearly.
With a fond look like that, Mei had to drag him down the short distance to press their lips together, hands curled tight in the collar of his shirt to keep him steady as he tried not laugh and cry into the kiss at the same time.
Despite his failure to do so, the kiss lingered and Masa-san smiled, letting out his own heavy sigh and smile.
"You'd better see your folks before running off to Hokkaido, you know."
"You always want to make me wait, Masa-san!" Mei replied, eyes red and grin wide and heart light again.
Despite it all, it had been well worth the wait.