Work Text:
"So have you guys kissed yet?"
Sawamura Eijun choked on his ramen. The noodle he'd been slurping went down the wrong pipe, and now he was gasping for air as he coughed. He could feel his neck turning red. Onlookers were giving him side-eyes inside the ramen restaurant. It wouldn't be a surprise if some assumed he had COVID, even though the lockdown had ended and wearing masks wasn't a requirement anymore unless you were sick. Still, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Wakana immediately poured him water in a glass. She stood from her seat to settle beside him, slapping his back as he tried his best to calm down. Stupid noodles getting stuck. He glared at Wakana, trying his best to step away from her touch, but her hand felt heavy and somehow eased his struggle.
"Breathe, idiot," Wakana said, sliding him the glass of water and smacking his back again.
When he calmed down, Eijun downed the water in one go, feeling the cold hit the back of his throat. He chewed on the ice even though he knew he'd regret it later.
"You act like I asked where you buried the body," she said, eyebrow raised.
Eijun had the urge to do the same. In most cases, he would have joked about her question. He'd tell her about how the best catcher on the entire baseball team in the world right now had explored his mouth, and he wasn't saying his boyfriend was the best catcher because of personal bias; Miyuki Kazuya was simply the best, and that was a simple fact. He'd tell his best friend all the things he imagined Kazuya would have done to him when they were in private, but all of those were fantasies and she knew he was lying.
He glared at Wakana over the rim of his glass. "Can you not start World War III in my lungs?"
"Maybe if you didn't overreact to my question."
"I did not!"
"You did," she said, going back to her seat. Wakana took a sip of her watermelon shake. "Guess the answer is no."
Six months in the relationship and they hadn't kissed yet!
Okay, sure. Eijun and Kazuya held hands when they were on errands, hugged each other in their sleep, cooked food for each other (although Eijun didn't really do well with the cooking part). But even on the nights Eijun would sleep over at Kazuya's place, they never kissed.
He'd started to think back then if he had bad breath, but that wasn't the case. Was it because his lips weren't inviting? So he'd purchased lip balm to keep them moisturized, just in case the day came, but damn, his lips ended up glossier than greasy fried chicken.
Sometimes he wondered if Kazuya even liked him. When Kazuya had asked him out, Eijun thought he was joking because it happened in spring, in April. He knew about those April Fool's jokes in other countries and thought Kazuya was trying to prank him, but Kazuya wasn't kidding.
Miyuki Kazuya confessed his feelings to Sawamura Eijun in the afternoon of April 10th at 3:33 PM, after it was announced that Kazuya was joining the professional baseball team of Japan. The announcement happened on the baseball field with all the players inspired by the news and others hoping to snatch Miyuki's spot on the first string.
Eijun happened to pass by when the announcement was made. He watched for a little while before running to the library to study for tomorrow's exam, only for Kazuya to run after him. Out of breath, sweat streaking down his face as he said the words.
"Eijun, please go out with me," he said with a smile so confident, like he was sure Eijun would say yes.
But Eijun did say yes. In fact, he couldn't believe his longtime crush since high school had finally noticed him enough to ask him out. In the past, when Eijun decided to go to Meiji University, he hadn't thought much of it, but that was until he saw Kazuya play for the first time. It was like love at first sight, and the sound of his mitt rang in Eijun's ears during the entire semester. Eijun watched every game and interview, read any newspapers and magazines that covered him. It was supposed to be a happy crush, something that could inspire him as he navigated university life. A little crush on someone wouldn't hurt, until Kazuya wasn't just a silly crush anymore.
"You're crazy," was Eijun's response that afternoon. He held his tote bag closer to him, like it was protection from whatever cruel joke Kazuya was playing.
"Wanna know what drives me crazy? I know you stopped watching my games..."
"How did you—" Eijun stuttered. He couldn't believe his ears.
There was something in Kazuya's eyes, like the emotions of anger and curiosity battled it out in those expressive eyes of his. Try as he might to look away, he couldn't. Not when those eyes blazed like the afternoon sun.
"Are you not interested in my games anymore? Am I playing badly?" Kazuya uttered those words with such panic and bitterness. "I can do better... just please continue watching me..."
Eijun hadn't stopped watching his games. He'd just stopped appearing in person at every game because he knew it wasn't a simple crush anymore. Before his feelings could get any deeper, he'd put a stop to it. But he still watched Kazuya's games on his phone, on television. He just wasn't there to see them live.
And confessions like this didn't happen to someone like Eijun. Some part of him believed a guy like Miyuki Kazuya was way out of his league. They had come from the same baseball team in high school, but Eijun never made it to first string. He was one of those bench boys who fetched water and towels for his senior senpais, and he was content with that. After all, it wasn't like he was serious about the sport.
Watching and supporting Kazuya from afar was more than enough...
Yet now that Kazuya was here, standing in front of him, asking why he wasn't watching his games anymore, it took a lot of willpower not to burst into tears. He'd liked this guy for so long he couldn't remember how, when, or why it started. But Eijun knew that this, whatever you wanted to call it, was real. So real his feet itched to run away, far away from Miyuki Kazuya who set such turmoil in his heart.
"I still watch your games... just not in person. I watch them on TV," Eijun muttered, kicking a pebble and looking anywhere but at Kazuya.
Kazuya broke into a toothy smile. Those words were enough to lighten his mood and remove all the negative thoughts that had been eating at him the past few weeks. Eijun blushed at his reaction. Was he really that happy to hear it?
"You don't have to smile like that..."
"Like what?"
"Like you like me."
"But I do like you... I've liked you since high school, Eijun. I'm sorry it took so long for me to say this, only after you stopped watching my games..."
Eijun still couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the way Kazuya blushed from his cheeks down to his neck made him look vulnerable under the setting sun and under Eijun's stares. Yet even with all of that, there was certainty, honesty, and longing sitting under Kazuya's lashes, and Eijun knew that he would love this man forever.
"Is Kazuya leaving tonight?" Wakana asked Eijun as they walked through the streets of Tokyo. After dinner, they'd decided to go home, and he was just accompanying Wakana to the nearest station.
Eijun glanced at his phone. It was 9 PM. Kazuya's plane had surely left for Singapore for their team's match. He'd wanted to be there and watch him, but it happened during his exam week so he couldn't miss that. They'd barely talked or exchanged calls and messages for the past few days. He knew Kazuya was busy and wasn't the best when it came to responses, and Eijun was the same, but... it would be nice to get an update.
But Miyuki had asked him to sleep in his apartment tonight, so Eijun guessed that counted for something.
"Yeah, he'll be back in a week," Eijun shrugged his shoulders as they waited for the traffic light to turn green.
Wakana grinned at him. "Awww, poor little you. Don't miss him too much. If you want, I can send you some guides on how to seduce your boyfriend when he gets back." She wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Eijun snorted. "What do you know about seducing men?"
"Hey, that's foul! I know enough to help you!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll ask for your help when crows turn white."
"Meanie!" She pouted, and Eijun just laughed.
They went their separate ways after that. Kazuya's apartment was pretty close to Meiji University and to the station where Eijun had dropped off Wakana, so traveling there was easy and could be done walking too.
Part of him was hoping Kazuya would be inside to tell him goodbye and assure him that he'd be back in a week, but only darkness greeted him when he opened the apartment door. It was almost funny how spotless it was, like no one lived here. Well, with all the practice Kazuya spent outside, it was understandable.
Eijun's feet carried him to Kazuya's room. He lay down on the bed he'd once shared with him when he came to sleep over. The sheets smelled like Kazuya, like he'd just been here. It was warm and made his eyelids heavy. The exhaustion of the day brought him to dreamland, but his thoughts were all about how he missed Miyuki already...
Eijun felt hot. The kind of hot where you forgot to turn on the air conditioner during summer, and the heat outside was enough to cook an egg on a frying pan. He wiggled away from the warmth holding him in place, mumbling something incoherent.
A voice chuckled. "Sorry, let me just turn on the air con."
Eijun mumbled a sleepy thank you.
"Better?" the familiar voice asked, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer.
"Hmm."
Eijun's hand absently wrapped itself around the hand holding him close. His fingers rubbed the palm he knew by heart. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell where each line started and ended. The action made the voice release a breathy laugh. Lips traced a kiss on the back of Eijun's neck, and Eijun couldn't help but lean into the feeling. Then his eyes snapped open. He turned too quickly to see who was wrapped around him.
"Miyuki?" Eijun said, surprised to see him. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or what.
"Hey," Kazuya replied, smiling. "Why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost?"
"Aren't you supposed to be on your way to Singapore?" Eijun didn't miss the feel of Kazuya's hand on his exposed back, drawing circles with his fingers.
"Yeah, but I don't want to fly to another country without sending you a proper goodbye. I moved my flight to tomorrow." He nuzzled his nose against Eijun's. "The match won't start right away. Coach just wanted to fly ahead..."
Eijun tried his best not to pout because that was all he'd wanted. "But you've been busy."
"Not an excuse not to reply back or send a quick update." Kazuya pulled his hand from Eijun's back, and he immediately missed the feeling. Kazuya brought Eijun's hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry for being a bad boyfriend. I promise to do better."
Eijun's lips quivered. He wanted to throw a tantrum, maybe even make things a little difficult for Kazuya, make himself hard to get, but that was going to be difficult, especially when Kazuya was looking at him with so much adoration and was really apologetic.
"If you're sorry, then kiss me."
Kazuya was surprised by the request, not because he was shocked by it. In fact, he'd been wanting to kiss Eijun ever since he confessed. He wanted to kiss him slowly, then hard, then slow again, just to show him how crazy he was about him and how Eijun's lips had been his greatest fantasy.
The look on Kazuya's face almost felt like a stab to Eijun. Was the thought of kissing him that bad? But boyfriends were supposed to kiss, right?
His thoughts swirled uncontrollably, and Kazuya's bedroom felt so small for the two of them. Eijun wanted the bed to swallow him whole. Kazuya saw the storm behind Eijun's eyes, and he knew that the longer he stalled, the further Eijun would be pulled into overthinking, and he didn't want that.
So he did the most natural thing and what his boyfriend asked. He kissed him. It was a dangerous game to play for Kazuya because he'd always dreamed of Eijun like this, in his bed, kissing him. The moment their lips touched, it was like sparks finally flew, and it reminded them both of spring...
The spring when Kazuya confessed and asked Eijun out... the season when Eijun knew for himself that he'd always love Miyuki...
Kazuya pressed his lips against Eijun's and let them linger there. Eijun was so surprised that the storm of overthinking in his head was gone in an instant. His boyfriend cradled the side of his cheek as he pressed against his lips. Kazuya's eyes were closed while Eijun stared at him wide-eyed.
"Kaz—hmmp!" Eijun gripped Kazuya's shoulder. He couldn't finish what he was about to say because Kazuya's tongue slipped inside his mouth, and the contact of their tongues made Eijun's toes curl.
He couldn't help but close his eyes. Eijun had watched a lot of videos of kissing, whether from movies or his favorite dramas or manga, but none could ever describe the way he was feeling. He didn't know he'd feel like this. He didn't know kissing would be this addicting, and although he lacked the skill, Kazuya's lips were careful, like he was guiding him in ways they'd both feel good.
Kazuya wanted to punch himself for waiting. Eijun's lips were soft, and the taste of him was enough to quench the thirst he'd had for him all these months, but then that still wouldn't be enough now that he'd gotten a taste.
Their tongues touched in a slow rhythm, Kazuya not wanting to overwhelm Eijun as he caught his breath while Eijun was losing his mind in the sensation. Kazuya pulled away for a bit, and Eijun chased after him. The gesture made Kazuya's heart ache in a good way. His boyfriend's lips were swollen because of him, and he looked like he couldn't get enough. Well, Kazuya himself couldn't get enough.
"I love you." Peck.
"I love you." Peck.
"I love you, Eijun." Peck.
Before devouring Eijun's mouth again, Kazuya's hand traveled from his cheek to his back, drawing him closer with only their clothes separating them. But Kazuya was a patient man. He could wait before doing something more intimate, though the thought of being inside Eijun was enough to make him hard.
Eijun couldn't think. His ears tingled at the sound of their sloppy kisses. He was insecure for a few moments about being inexperienced, but Kazuya's guidance somehow made him feel like they'd been doing this for the longest time, like this wasn't their first kiss.
Neither of them could get enough. Eijun thought that if Kazuya had waited six months in their relationship to kiss him like a starved man, then he couldn't get himself to be mad at him. Even with the air conditioning turned on, the room felt like it was on fire.
Eijun pulled Miyuki closer, his legs finding their way to straddle him.
"Eijun, baby, wait..." Kazuya drawled the words against his mouth. He could feel Eijun's hardness against his, and he wanted nothing more than to pull their pants off and have their skin satisfy the heat they were both feeling.
It seemed like Eijun didn't hear him. He kept kissing him, not wanting to stop. Heck, he didn't even want to, but Kazuya wanted to be in control because if they were going to have their first time, he wanted it to be special for Eijun and not some drunken lust in the heat of their first kiss.
"Hmm?" Eijun answered, kissing Kazuya's lips, the side of his mouth, his nose, kissing him everywhere. He liked kissing his boyfriend.
"We don't have to rush into anything, okay?" Kazuya pulled himself up on his elbows, resting on the bed with Eijun still straddling him. Eijun's shirt revealed an exposed shoulder, skin looking flushed from all that kissing.
Eijun blushed at the meaning of Kazuya's message, biting and licking his lips. Kazuya sat upright and brought his hands to Eijun's back under his shirt, caressing him there. Eijun couldn't help but shiver at the contact.
"I want our first time to be special... I can wait. Until then, we can kiss until we both can't feel our mouths, okay?"
Eijun nodded, pressing their foreheads together. "Can I kiss you goodnight before you leave tomorrow?"
Kazuya pulled Eijun's face against his, smiling against Eijun's lips. "You can kiss me anytime you want, my love."