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Chris is napping by the couch. He was so tired from an away game that he ended up napping there. He’s wearing his comfortable team shirt and sweatpants. His bag is still laying on the floor, untouched when he returns home.
It was a cool month of June where there’s sun and a bit of rain throughout the day. Resting is one of his favorite things to do whenever he’s back home. It is to allow his body and mind to relax, also it will provide him to recharge for what’s coming up when Eijun is back. He knows he can’t keep up with Eijun’s energy and we want to try to keep up just a little.
Eijun found him in their small living room and carefully snuggled himself on top of him on the couch. He didn't want to wake him up, but he felt warm and comfortable being with him finally, so he also fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and heard his senpai’s heart thump.
Now, both of them are napping on the same couch.
Chris slightly wakes and feels a body weighing on top of him. He lets Eijun have his way to sleep. He just grabbed his waist so he wouldn't slide and fall off while he slept. His other hand caresses the younger’s head and hair. It's soft and silky. He loves it and makes it so comforting.
He closed his eyes again, fell asleep the second time.
This however, found himself remembering his past memory of meeting the only Sawamura Eijun for the second time in the form of his dreams.
Back when they met the second time
It's the first day of the university's baseball team and the freshmen walked towards the front of the field so everyone in the team could see.
Chris is excited to see what's up with the new recruits and how it will impact the new dynamics of the team for this year. He scans from left to right, trying to see if there are any familiar faces who joined them, especially Sawamura's batch this year. The boy just emailed him yesterday, being excited and all, as he is starting his university life.
Everything went fast until Chris heard a familiar loud voice echoing the field. He can't believe this boy is right here.
How?
He heard there were lots of great teams recruiting him, how could he let those offers go?
He stared at the boy and caught him staring back at him with a big mischievous smile on his face. He's not the boy he used to see. Eijun seemed taller with more toned muscles and still with an air of confidence around him, but somehow he’s looking like he's more sure of himself. Is this what they call matured by the experience and lessons learned from his highschool years?
Yes, that must be it.
He tried not to look at Sawamura’s way, but couldn't let go. He stared back at him, giving him a small upturned curve of his right lips. His mind goes ‘this boy needs some long explaining to do.’
Eijun simply understood and his face turned into lots of question marks on why he needed to explain to his mentor about being there with him in the same university, same baseball team.
It's just natural to follow Chris-senpai. There's no further long reason to do so. That's what Eijun thinks, but he needs his senpai to know that.
Shortly, after the introduction of each newly recruited member of the team, they were given free time before they assemble again to start their training exercises. Eijun simply runs towards Chris, who constantly eyes him near the dug out of the field. He doesn’t move there. Too surprised to even move.
"You, young man... needs some explaining to do."
"Chris-senpai!!!"
"Sawamura... Is this the reason why you didn't tell me which university you're starting?"
"Yes... "
"How did you??"
"Well, there's an offer from this university too, so I grabbed it. I want to... Uh... I want to form a battery with you, Senpai!!" Eijun doesn't hold back as he did to surprise Chris, but he never holds back his words and true intentions.
Chris knows how brutally honest this young man is and he's just grateful how he is being looked up to even after highschool. Maybe it's more than just being a mentor to him.
"How about the other offers? I heard you're on the list to be drafted?"
"Uhhh, that... There were conditions and I won't get to play immediately, soooo I chose to have more experience here in university... That can wait for a perfect timing. You told me to be patient, Senpai! That's what I am trying to do."
Chris laughs, as he places his hand over his temples. This boy remembers small things he said before and he's seriously following that advice.
"You're taking this seriously, huh?"
"It's all thanks to you that I have come along the way. I am always grateful to you, Senpai!" Eijun couldn't help but tears were forming on his left eye. It’s tears of joy.
"Hey, I'm glad you're here too.. I just couldn't believe this was happening. I'm looking forward to forming a battery with you as well, but you see, Coach is the one who will decide. Besides, there are many competitive pitchers in our team, so don't be too complacent just because you were an Ace back in Seido."
"Nope, won't be complacent. Never. Not in my system."
"Sooo... How did you end up here again? Sawamura? Explain yourself again." He managed to say again, half teasing, half wanted to hear those words - 'forming a battery with him. Only him.' That makes his catcher self more motivated than before.
"Chris-senpai!!"
Chris just frowns...
"You didn't even give me a hint that you're here." He finally said, he wanted to say how it felt so bad not knowing anything, but he knows it's a surprise, just for him.
"Well, I am sorry for not revealing it to you, Senpaiiii! It's just, I learned from the best. So, I tried so hard to keep it. Like, I really wanted to tell you right away, but I can't!!" He mumbles out, explaining in full hand gestures and facial expressions of how desperate he is to hide this fact.
"You sure did." Chris just agreed, but kept on egging on him.
"So, how did you? And why here?" Eyebrows are up, still don't let Eijun go.
"Augh... You really wanted to know the real reason? It’s only because you're here, Senpai!"
Chris, having a battery with Eijun is now 100 percent possible. Like it won't go lower than 80 percent, since he is already one of the reliant and stable catcher in their team and that's even better. He can thank all the gods for this possibility. He knows Eijun will be one of their invaluable left hand pitcher in their team, once they are on a roll in training and practice matches.
"Well, can you sustain the training everyday on top of your classes??"
"I will survive, Chris-senpai! I will be the Ace of this team!!" He said with conviction.
Little did these two baseball freaks continue to grow their special relationship for years. It was just natural for Chris to gravitate towards Eijun, being the human sun that he is. Eijun also gravitates towards Chris, as he is more than just a light in the tunnel. He gave him a monumental step towards more opportunities to play baseball. His path wasn't as thorny as it did when he started. There are struggles and new challenges, but he is built to withstand these and overcome with all of his experiences from different mentors and situations he was subjected to, but ultimately it was Chris who constantly gave him that extra push of motivation to carry on.
Back at present time
Chris eventually woke up first, it's already past dinner time. They didn't get to prepare dinner that night, but he is determined to whip up something easy to cook to satisfy their hunger pangs and then sleep again.
"Eijun... wake up... are you hungry? Want to eat anything?" He tries to wake Eijun by wrapping his arms, enveloping him into a hug.
"Hhmmm..." He just clung to Chris and didn't want to let go, the hug surely woke him.
"Eijun, I am not going anywhere... I'm home, hmm?"
"Chris-senpai... I know... You're home... Welcome back home... I just miss you so much"
"I missed you more..."
Then they heard a rumbling sound from someone. Chris just smiled and laughed.
"Is that your stomach already complaining, after I say those words?" He teased him.
Eijun suddenly untangles himself from Chris, his sleepy brain becomes active.
"Please senpai, don't listen to my stomach!! Augh!! What kind of timing is this?!"
"You're really something, I miss that a lot."
"I'm just glad you're finally home, Chris-senpai!!"
He chuckles, "yeah, I'm home." He then angles himself so he could stand.
"Alright... Let's have something to eat, shall we?"
He then gets up, so Eijun can get up from the couch too.
Chris washes his hands and Eijun follows. He checks their fridge to see which ingredients he could use to cook something easy tonight. He then grabbed some eggs, onion chives.
"How about we go for an omelet?" Eijun asked.
"We can... Do you want to have some cheese?"
"Yeah.... Ohh, we have freshly baked flat bread. We can have some tomato, eggs and cheese pan fried bread... Or something..." Eijun suggests again.
"Do I see this chicken here? Did you cook this morning?"
"Oh yeah, I did... We can use that one too."
"Tell me you're eating right?" He suspiciously looks at Eijun. He knows that sometimes he prepares his food, but oftentimes he orders delivery food with unhealthy amounts of fats and calorie count.
"I doooo..." Eijun pouts his mouth and doesn't want his Senpai to know the truth that he sometimes eats out.
While Chris preps everything for their din dins, Eijun just sits near him, watching and entertaining Chris.
"Did you know, I had a dream of us meeting again when we're in the university." Chris revealed
"Did you? That's one of my core memories…"
"It was a great memory."
"You really missed me, huh, Chris-senpai?"
"I said I did, right?"
"Yeah..."