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Warmth flooded Kazuya’s veins as he stretched, pulling his leg muscles taut and feeling it straight down into his toes. He grunted at the peak of his stretch and finally allowed his limbs to relax against the soft, white sheets underneath him. It was unreal how small the world felt when he was in such a state, the fish-eye lens of darkness merely lit by a single reading lamp above, blinding his view in any direction that wasn’t directly in front of him.
Kazuya was dazed, sleepy, lost in that realm between asleep and awake and tethered to earth merely by the soft murmurs and comforting heat that he could hear and feel beside him. Though, sometimes Kazuya had to wonder if moments like these weren’t little dreams all on their own.
“Okay, you see, but the thing is, Kaori-chan isn’t exactly happy with the way Momo-chan has been treating her homework lately and wonders if maybe the choir club is even worth her time anymore, but Mamoru-kun is part of the choir club so it isn’t as if Kaori-chan can give it up that easily. Do you understand?”
Kazuya stretched again, only lightly this time as he soaked in all of Eijun’s ridiculous description. He couldn’t help the pull of a smirk on his lips. Eijun had been binging this series all week and it was probably one of the most ludicrous plots he had ever heard, but it was something that put a smile on the boy’s face and Kazuya couldn’t help but admire him when he got so caught up in reading that his boyfriend became speechless.
That wasn’t to say he didn’t enjoy hearing what was happening volume to volume. Eijun had an enthusiastic way of describing things that always held a certain charm but when the boy really got into a book, he always had this look on his face that Kazuya couldn’t get enough of. One of the many looks, if he was being honest with himself.
“Yes,” Kazuya agreed, if only to make Eijun get back to what he was doing before he took a break to make sure Kazuya was still following. The younger boy did just that, saying ‘okay’ before turning his head back to his book and almost immediately slipping back into that face.
Kazuya held back the urge to sigh, because it was embarrassing just how much he felt at peace in moments like these, how much Eijun’s expression made him feel safe.
It was most unlike the first expression Kazuya was ever able to look directly into, the one that gave him chills and made him feel the heat of a blazing flame all at once. Those passionate eyes and fierce grin that Kazuya had gotten used to seeing across the field, the pitcher’s mound being Eijun’s spotlight, and he always looked good up there. It was the face that he fell in love with, but how was Kazuya to know how much more besides that there was?
When he first met Eijun, Kazuya could only assume that there was nothing but brash, loud excitement, which is why he wondered if he would even be able to mix well with the boy under any other circumstance besides a game of baseball. However, there was a moment during one of their first dates where Kazuya realized just how deep this infatuation could run, where the possibilities could take him.
Their first date wasn’t anything glamorous. It mostly just consisted of them venturing out into town, grabbing some noodles and then hobbling back to Eijun’s room where they had decided to watch a movie. Kazuya had no idea why they had even picked it, it was an awful movie, but Eijun had certainly been amused by it, obvious by the act of his wild cackling into the darkness of the room.
Kazuya would always hover between irritated and charmed from that laugh and it was most definitely veering on that edge in that moment, but all too soon, something happened that made the catcher go ‘oh’. ..
It was late by that point, and by definition hanging out with Eijun meant that a hundred and twenty percent was put into everything that day. Kazuya was certain that the boy had an endless pool of energy to pull from, but as the hours leaked into the a.m., he was beginning to see a whole new side to the boy. A warmer side, a softer side, and one that made him so quiet, Kazuya could barely hear him murmur his gentle words. It was in that moment, the catcher realized that not only could Eijun light a passionate fire within him, he could also gracefully let it go out, taking care of the patch where it burned and allowing the earth underneath to rejuvenate once again.
Eijun had just finished his final laughing fit, his voice weak and tears drying at the corners of his eyes as he relaxed back against the pillow. The laptop shook on his belly as he laid down flat and Kazuya simply remained propped up on his elbow as he looked down at the boy.
It was strange at first when he looked down. Eijun had his eyes closed and the smile he had been wearing for the entire movie had softened to a subtle curl. The lamplight caught his profile and made the pitcher’s skin glow warm as Kazuya managed to see the slight movement over Eijun’s lips where the boy took in a gentle and deep breath.
Kazuya found himself admiring the peaceful rise and fall of Eijun’s chest before his eyes flickered back up to see the look that absolutely took his breath away.
It wasn’t broad or intense, it wasn’t fueled with fire or desire, but it was the gentleness that Eijun looked back at him with that made Kazuya feel like he was floating. Those golden eyes, glazed and half-lidded, the light catching them just so, made Kazuya’s stomach flutter, and the catcher never thought anything could make him feel that way. The way Eijun simply laid there next to him, so open and trusting, made Kazuya realize just how much he had here with this boy and he couldn’t help but turn that moment into the one where they shared their first kiss.
It was also what led Kazuya to take note of all of those little softer sides to Eijun that he never noticed before, or perhaps, didn’t want to fall into the trap of noticing, but they had been on a few dates by then, so he felt safe in letting himself indulge. It was scary at first, the prospect of losing himself in another person. It was something that Kazuya wasn’t sure he was capable of letting himself do. He didn’t want to set himself up to be vulnerable and then just let somebody twist at his heart from the inside out, but then along came Sawamura Eijun, the loud boy who wore his heart on his sleeve, bright and passionate and so sincere it was painful…
...But Kazuya realized that was exactly what he needed in his life.
He never told Eijun that, still hadn’t, probably because it was still something he was coming to terms with himself, and it wasn’t as if he acted any differently towards the boy after they started going out. Kazuya still spoke to Eijun like the silly pitcher he was, teasing and riling him up probably more than he ever had, but the addition of their late night moments of peace was enough of a difference to show Eijun just how much he meant to him.
At least, Kazuya hoped that much was obvious to such an idiot. There was no way he’d stare, mesmerized by somebody summarizing shoujou manga to him if it were anybody else.
He didn’t want to say out loud how special Eijun was, but he hoped the boy could feel it.
“...And then you can just see how Mamoru-kun looks at her later. It’s incredible, really!” Eijun exclaimed, reaching the climax of the volume’s plot and his face lighting up to show just how exciting that was.
“Mmmhm,” was all that Kazuya could offer, completely lost to his memories and Eijun’s sparkling eyes. He absently let his hand trail warmly over his boyfriend’s neck.
“Oi, Miyuki Kazuya. Are you even listening?” Eijun asked, turning his head to glare but simply looking lost once he met Kazuya’s gaze.
Oops, was all Kazuya could think as he let his smile widen and his eyes soften even more over Eijun catching him in the act, but he couldn’t exactly bring himself to be sorry about that.
It seemed as though Eijun had stopped breathing for a moment, and his look of excitement quickly faded into a gentle daze. It wasn’t often Eijun lacked words, but Kazuya relished in every moment that he was the cause of the loss. As if entranced, Eijun let his book fall against the sheets, not even caring that he lost his place, and ever so smoothly molded his body against Kazuya’s, catching his lips in a kiss that the catcher honestly couldn’t help but smile against.
Piece by piece, Kazuya was certain that Eijun would break down all of his walls eventually, but the crazy thing was just how willing he was to allow it.