Chapter Text
“The rent is cheaper this way,” Mei begrudgingly reminded himself as he opened the door to the modest apartment that was barely big enough for Miyuki, Kuramochi and himself.
Despite happening a month ago, Mei was still upset that Kuramochi had somehow squeeze himself into the apartment. Living with Miyuki was bad enough, even if he had agreed to it willingly, but adding Kuramochi felt like too much.
As he entered the apartment, he immediately heard Kuramochi near the tv, yelling profanities at what appeared to be the boss of whatever he was playing, his tongue stuck out in concentration and his hands holding the controller raised as if to make the character jump. The aroma of what appeared to be delicious food filled his nose and immediately told him Miyuki was in the kitchen.
Mei walked down the hallway, not bothering to say greetings as he placed his backpack on the opposite side of where Kuramochi was sitting and turned to the counter to watch Miyuki cook with picked interest. After a quick look, he walked around the counter to be closer to the food and when Miyuki turned, Mei quickly went to grab some only to be slapped away by a grinning Miyuki.
“No.”
Mei sniffed offended and with a glare he made another attempt only to be slapped again.
“Mei.”
“I’m hungry Kazuya,” He glared at the other, a slight pout of being denied food that although he would never admit, was actually really damn delicious. “I gotta eat. You should know as my catcher, you should be feeding me and keeping me healthy.”
At the grimace Miyuki made, Mei simply grinned. It was a mutter under his breath, but Mei was sure he was suppose to hear when Miyuki groaned something about regretting his life decisions.
Kuramochi’s distinguished laughter echoed inside the apartment as he approach the counter, and looked at the food. “Stop bickering lovebirds.” He grinned and watched with amusement Mei’s face contort with disgust and Miyuki’s carefully blank face saved for the slightest hint of a glare.
Shrugging it off he laughed again and walked around the counter and made to grab some food only to be stopped by a slap on the hand too.
“Will you two savages let me finish cooking this.” Miyuki glared at the two only to be met by a grin and a smirk. “It’s not done.”
“It looks done to me.” Mei remarked, annoyed now. He was hungry and the food was there. So why was Miyuki being stingy.
Miyuki ushered them out of the kitchen with a push, although he was met with resistance, he succeeded on at least pushing them away from his food. “Who said I would share my food with you two anyways”.
Kuramochi waved his hand as he walked back to the small living room (or what he called his video game sanctuary) to attempt to beat this boss for the hundredth time. Mei stood there, tall and proud facing Miyuki with an equally annoyed glare before he tsked and walked toward his room. “Food better be done after I finish showering.” He called out ignoring Miyuki’s previous comment, before closing his door with a snap.
“How can someone be so annoying,” Miyuki muttered annoyed. Finally leaving the kitchen just in time to watch Kuramochi lose once again and throw the controller in frustration. Miyuki laughed which made Kuramochi turn and catch him leaning in the couch, smirking. “You’re so good at this. How many times has it been now?”
“Shut it.” Kuramochi growled, retrieving the controller from the floor with more mutter profanities that only made Miyuki laugh again.
Miyuki jumped into the couch and extended his arm. When Kuramochi ignored him, he went to sit down next to him and forcefully took it from him. “I bet I can beat it first try.”
Kuramochi scoffed, “There’s no way.” He laughed.
It was a challenge and Miyuki welcomed it. He smirked at Kuramochi’s scowl before pressing start. “You better treat me to coffee for a week.”
“If you actually beat this thing I’ll buy you your stupid coffee.” Kuramochi agreed. And then with a smirk added. “But if you can’t you’re making me dinner and breakfast for the rest of the week.”
“That’s so greedy.” Miyuki said, pulling the controller from one side to the other as if that would make the character move faster or better. “And unfair.”
Kuramochi laughed. “Good thing you’re not gonna lose, uh?”
Too focused on the video game, Miyuki only managed to hum as he mutter orders to the character that kept getting hit. With Kuramochi laughing and smirking on his side, Miyuki tried his best to survive and kill the monster only to be continuously hit whenever he got close enough. It wasn’t until what Kuramochi described as just two hits away from dying that Miyuki finally got the hang of it and managed to land repeated hits.
It was now a single hit away from dying and a single hit away from killing the monster. Both glued to the screen, holding their breath and the controller so tightly his hands were turning white. It was quiet for a moment until Kuramochi said something about ‘I can’t believe you got this far bastard,’ which of course made him laugh.
Miyuki slowly walked the character toward the monster, ready to quickly give it the finally blown and get his coffee. Just a single hit, one mor-
“Kazuya where is my food!” Came the loud voice from inside the kitchen. It made both turn surprised and confused as they both had forgotten Mei was inside the building.
When they both turned back to the tv, the screen flashed ‘Game Over’ and Kuramochi broke into laughter as Miyuki tried to explain that was not fair, the stupid idiot distracted him. Kuramochi simply laughed as he finally stood up and walked toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna eat so well this week,” he hummed delighted and Miyuki’s annoyance only made it better.
“Miyuki Kazuya,” Mei said again, annoyed. “I’m starving.”
Miyuki groaned as he finally stood up and went to check on the food. It was finally ready. He went to grab a plate and serve some of it but when Mei went to grab it he pulled it away. “No. You made me lose a bet.”
“What the fuck.”
Ignoring him, he gave the plate to a grinning Kuramochi who only shrugged the glare that Mei was giving him with a, “sorry kiddo.”.
Miyuki served his own plate, ignoring the pout in Mei’s lips despite the other trying hard to be noticed. Once he was done with it, he turned to look at Mei unamused as he pushed the plate to him. “Stop pouting already, Jesus are you five.” He said, keeping an even stare to Mei’s smirk. Once he was gone he serve his own, taking a deep breath before joining the other two in the table. Were they been more annoying than usual?
Baseball chatter ruled the conversation which picked Miyuki’s interest and managed to make him feel less annoyed about the whole situation. It wasn’t much the fact that he would be making food for Kuramochi (he already essentially did, those two bastards always grabbed his food regardless and he always made enough for the three of them. That was not a big deal, if he was honest). But it was the principle of having lost a bet to Kuramochi.
Miyuki finally decided not to dwelled on it and concentrate on the current conversation that was happening. Kuramochi was asking about the minors and and their team. After having decided to go into college and honed his skills before going into the professional world, unlike the other two, he had been investigating the teams and deciding which was more beneficial to him.
He hadn’t been surprised when Kuramochi had told him his plans a few nights before their graduation. What had surprised him had been the day he had finally met his teammates and had heard with great annoyance that loud, overconfident laugh and to his greater annoyance was met with those bright blue eyes that met him with a smile.
“Funny how things work uh, Miyuki?”
Miyuki didn’t truly hated the guy. If he was honest he was excited to see how they would work as a battery, he was a great pitcher after all, and with him, well, they could take it all. Aside from baseball, however, he still considered him a greedy selfish brat, and he never cared for that sort of person.
He thought he could manage. It was only on the field after all, and although he was a handful, he was prepared to deal with him. That was until both ended up without a place to live and ended up begrudgingly agreeing to share an apartment.
It had started rocky, endless fights and days of straight out ignoring each other’s presence inside the apartment until it was strictly necessary to talk. Slowly as the days bleed to weeks and months, it smoothed out to a more harmonious living space as they learned how to deal with each other’s quirks. It wasn’t long after that Kuramochi came along and everything turned rocky again.
Just a couple months later when the school year started, Kuramochi started asking around about a place he could stay in. There really wasn’t despite his effort to look for a shared apartment anywhere. After a couple more months passed by, Miyuki asked Mei about him officially moving in as he had essentially already moved into their apartment, Mei was reluctant, but Miyuki managed to convinced him and Miyuki made the official offer that Kuramochi gladly took.
There were days in which he truly regretted it but when the time to pay bills and rent and everything came around and it wasn’t as high as when it was only him, he always bit his tongue and tried his best to survive.
How was he going to survive the two for two years, it was mystery to him, but it was challenge and he liked challenges.
And really, if you didn’t count how Mei wanted everything his way- in impeccable order (mind you, his kind of order) and squeaky clean, nothing anywhere he could see it or how everything had to always be clean- and how he could be a spoiled brat at times (meaning most of the time), he wasn’t a complete nightmare.
And Kuramochi, well, he was better in a way. If you didn’t mind the disaster that he left behind (he was sure it was all too pissed off Mei and he was not getting in the middle of that), and how he was loud and brusque or when he was not studying in the livingroom, everything from books to three to four cups of coffee spread out everywhere much to Mei’s dismay, he was screaming at the tv with his video games. He was an alright roommate.
Either way, he couldn’t escape either. What with Mei being his pitcher and Kuramochi the closest thing to a friend he ever managed to have. So it might be a little dysfunctional, but after eight long months it was slowly starting to feel like (dare he say) home when he came inside.