Chapter Text
“Is Cap in here?!” Sawamura asks even as he's throwing the door open without knocking, as if it's his own room. Clocking that Kazuya's already in bed as his eyes rove around the room looking for the man in question.
“He’s already asleep,” Kazuya mumbles dryly as he hears as well as feels Sawamura sidling up towards the edge of his bunk bed railing. Curled on his side, eye mask already in place.
“Can I show you something really quickly before you slumber??” Sawamura whisper-hollers.
“I’m already ‘slumbering’,” Kazuya lips twist to the side in slight amusement. “Can't it wait til tomorrow?”
“No! I'll probably forget come morning!!” Sawamura insists as he presses in closer to peek at Kazuya through the wooden frame.
Kazuya exhales, pushing his eye mask up as he looks at Sawamura evenly. Sawamura's silhouette and features a bit blurry without his glasses. Seemingly glowing, backlit by Okumura’s lamp still on. “Well. What is it then?”
“I saw this video of this guy's curve! And…I think if I change my fingers like this–” Sawamura pulls a baseball out of his pocket to hold up to Kazuya's face as he arranges his fingers around it. “I think I can get it to work before my big Summer Koshien debut!”
Kazuya hums, interested, studying Sawamura’s long fingers curled around the worn ball, “I see. Well then, we can give it a go.”
Sawamura smiles big and bright, pumping his fist, “Oshii!!”
“In a couple days. I'd prefer not to set you back again with inflammation, got it? You're supposed to be still taking it easy, you know.”
“I know, I know! We'll only tamper with it for a little bit…when the time is right! Scout’s honor!” Sawamura places his hand over his heart, roughly exhaling through his nostrils.
“Alright,” Kazuya sighs. Mental gears already turning with Sawamura's latest ask and idea. After Sawamura continues to smile at him without word, he waits a beat before asking, raising a brow, “Is that all?”
“Ah! Yes!” Sawamura snaps to, and reaches out to push Kazuya's mask over his eyes, “That's it!–”
“‐Oi,” Kazuya grunts at the rough treatment, pushing the mask back up to frown at Sawamura.
“–You can sleep now Cap! Sweet dreams!” Sawamura bids as he leaves with the same gusto that he entered with.
“Gee thanks,” Kazuya grumbles as he watches Sawamura go, before fixing his mask, rolling onto his other side, facing the wall, now that he's received permission to sleep.
Sounding disgruntled, even though his skin still tingles from Sawamura's fingertips at his temples and his stomach still feels warm from Sawamura's excitement and smile. Left palm tingling as he falls asleep thinking about working on the next piece of work, with his piece of work pitcher.
-
Kazuya quickly realizes that he should have just said, “No, come back tomorrow during waking hours,” the other night when Sawamura first came knocking at his bunk-bed frame after hours, when he’d already crawled in for the night.
As somehow each night that follows, Sawamura suddenly has something to review or chat with him about as he's finally heading to bed to power down for the night. And get some actual peace and quiet time to himself. Lame that his peace and quiet time to himself is only when it’s time to close his eyes for the day.
The agreeing to listen business with each late night ask rather than pushing Sawamura away is the only reason he can gather as to how this has somehow now become habit. Since apparently, with the data so obviously laid before him, it seems he's become a terrible enabler where Sawamura's concerned. With no one to blame but himself.
But Kazuya really needs to put his foot down.
“You want to do what now?” Kazuya mutters, arms folded across his chest, wearing the eye mask with the open eyes expression on, firmly snug over his closed ones. Maybe he should switch to only using the closed eyes expression mask. That'll send more of the message of sleep.
“I–” Sawamura starts again, a little quieter, “I wanted to review the game we played against Homei for my Spring Koshien debut,” Sawamura taps the score book gently against the wooden frame of Kazuya's bed. “So..that my Summer Koshien debut is ten times as good! Even better than before!”
Kimura’s already curled up asleep for the night. Okumura still finishing with washing up.
“Well, I'm not coming down there. If you want to review it so much, there's room right here,” Kazuya jokes, lips sliding into a smirk as he pats the bed in the scant space between him and the wall, pushing up his eye mask to see Sawamura's expression as he jokes teasingly. Expecting Sawamura to vehemently refuse and change his tune, because surely Sawamura wouldn’t want to crawl into-
Kazuya’s expression falters when Sawamura misses the joke and takes it at face value as an invitation. “Ok!!”
“Oi–I wasn't–” Kazuya shifts over quickly as Sawamura all but crawls on top of him to squeeze in.
Kazuya tsks, flushing as he sits up so that they can sit comfortably against the wall side by side rather than Sawamura lying half on top of him. That's too much.
Sawamura giggles a little as he watches Kazuya pat around for his glasses. Reaching over to grab them for Kazuya, “Here ya go, Cap!”
“Thanks,” Kazuya mumbles, sounding a tad sarcastic, wondering how Sawamura knew right away where Kazuya keeps his glasses close to his pillow in the space between the frame and the mattress. “Alright,” Kazuya looks over at Sawamura after pushing his glances onto his nose.
Not missing the flush on Sawamura's cheeks as Sawamura looks away and opens the score book to prop on their legs, a pleased smile gracing his lips.
That right there is part of the problem. How is Kazuya to say no when Sawamura looks that pleased each time? Even more so today…
As Kazuya studies Sawamura out of the corner of his eye, as Sawamura starts building up his ask surrounding the 8th inning Sawamura struggled with the most after he relieved Furuya that game, a thought suddenly occurs to him. Kazuya wonders if this is all some sort of ploy. Rather than there being actual urgency in Sawamura's demands each night.
It's more about squeezing out a little bit more time together, isn’t it?
Ever since Sawamura had that little moody episode the other week before their match against Inashiro, Kazuya now can't help but see each moment together with that frame of mind with each passing day. That there’s always one less day with his battery partner and ace, the more wins they tuck under their belt.
Maybe that's why Kazuya keeps allowing this behavior. That's eating into his quality rest time. Indulging Sawamura. Keeping their ace occupied, happy, and out of trouble. It’s for the team. Obviously.
“Huh, Cap?” Sawamura looks up from the book. His face is too close.
“Hm?” Kazuya blinks, caught off guard.
“You weren't listening at all, were you?! No falling asleep on me yet!” Sawamura points, poking Kazuya’s chest, looking annoyed as he almost presses his forehead against Kazuya's, leaning more into his space.
Kazuya leans back, squeezing Sawamura's finger as he pulls it away from his chest, “I'm listening dummy, how could anyone fall asleep with you buzzing in their ear like a mosquito,” Kazuya fires back.
It's a lie. He probably could fall asleep like this. Sawamura's not a bug in his ear like this at all. Quite the opposite. Kazuya's too comfortable here, with Sawamura huddled close. In his bed.
“A-a mosquito?!” Sawamura turns cat eyed and red.
“It's time for bed,” Okumura growls, interrupting them as he turns off the light and crawls into the bunk bed beneath Kazuya's. He hadn’t even noticed Okumura came back into the room.
As they're plunged into darkness, Kazuya realizes his fingers are still wrapped around Sawamura's index finger. He's even more aware of how close Sawamura is, the heat radiating off of him. The kind of heat that your skin keeps wrapped close to your person from being beneath the sun all day.
Kazuya releases Sawamura's finger as Sawamura fumbles with the notebook in his lap. He can't see a thing, eyes not yet adjusted to the dark.
“To be continued tomorrow then!” Sawamura whispers loudly too closely to Kazuya's ear, causing Kazuya to shiver and cover his ear up to stifle the sensation and keep Sawamura from saying anything more in his ear like that.
Sawamura shifts around some more til he pulls his phone out from his pocket, turning the flashlight on to see where he's going.
“Sure, don't trip on your way down the steps,” Kazuya shifts, watching Sawamura shimmy towards the bunk bed ladder, slightly worried. Like he’s seen this sort of thing play out once before. The last thing they need is for Sawamura to get side lined again by something as stupid as a bunk bed ladder.
“Worry yee not, Miyuki Kazuya! I'm a climbing expe–ack!” Sawamura whispers loudly as he looks up at Kazuya abruptly, doing the opposite of watching where he's going, almost stumbling when he sees Kazuya closer than he was expecting.
“Oi,” Kazuya reaches for Sawamura's shoulder without thought, even as Sawamura shines the light in his eyes, squeezing them shut as his hand tightens around Sawamura's bicep, steadying him, quick reflexes coming in handy. Hissing, “Watch it, you dummy!” Bracing his other arm on the bed frame so that he also doesn't fall down the ladder with Sawamura.
“R-right! S-sorry!” Sawamura squeaks, “O-ok, goodnight Cap!” Sawamura stumbles a little bit more before righting himself and covering the last few steps after Kazuya releases the iron grip on his arm.
“Night,” Kazuya mutters, exhaling as he tries to calm his heartbeat thumping against his ribcage. After a near miss disaster, having his life flash before his eyes. Leaning back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment.
The near miss though with Sawamura's clumsy ladder debacle isn't the only reason his heart is trying to escape from his chest nor why he feels too sweaty, hot all over. Something else is going on that Kazuya’s gotta dissect here. But he’s not quite sure what. Other than the fact that he somehow let himself get wrapped in some Sawamura nonsense again when he should have been sleeping.
On the other side of the door Eijun just slammed closed, he presses his hand against his chest, still gripping his phone tightly, flashlight still on. As if holding it there over his heart will make it calm down. Score book still clutched in his right. Back pressed against the door as he catches his breath, staring unseeing towards the dimly lit dorm grounds, mind returning to Miyuki’s warm, firm grip around his arm holding him steady and safe.
Stomach twisting and turning as if he swallowed the moths gathered around the light outside the door shining warmly over the crown of his head.
Thinking very loudly to himself, “Th-that was a close one!!”
-
It takes a little bit more courage and time to work up into coming back to Miyuki’s room to go over their final match against Inashiro last week again. After the botched attempt a couple nights ago. Between getting cut short by Okumura-shounen and almost falling off the bed, he’d say that was a solid one for three. The one solid at bat being Miyuki’s invitation to review in his bed.
Eijun couldn't believe Miyuki’d just offered his bed space so easily like that! He wondered if Miyuki’d do it again if he asked nicely. It wasn't any good for his heart the first time, but something urged Eijun to go for it again.
It was comfier than sitting on the floor while Miyuki was at his desk. Or sitting together in the cafeteria. Way cozier. And all the more warm and fuzzy in his head and heart. Definitely worth another shot.
When Eijun finally works up the courage again, he’s afraid he may have totally bungled things and he’s about to strike out swinging, the longer Miyuki just looks at him, unimpressed.
Only to his surprise and delight, for Miyuki to sit up and sigh, “Well, come up here then.”
“Oshii!!” Eijun happily cheers as he starts climbing the ladder.
“But make it brief this time Sawamura, I mean it. It's been a long day,” Miyuki warns, sounding tired. The drills they ran through today felt like something straight out of the summer camp from hell last month.
“Yes, rodger that Cap!” Eijun salutes before scooting and getting comfortable next to Miyuki, propping the book up on top of his thighs.
Even though Miyuki agreed, his eyes start to glaze over and droop as Eijun points to each out in the later innings when he got swapped in, and the pitch mix they went with and what he thinks may have been the problem or worked better fending off Inashiro's fierce batting lineup in their last game together.
Eijun knows he pitched well, but he also knows he could be even better! Although maybe the dip in performance was because of the inflammation…
After a while, Eijun notices Kazuya's answers get shorter and shorter. Til Kazuya hums when he asks a more complex question. Rather than a simple yes or no.
Eventually Eijun feels the weight of Miyuki’s head on his shoulder. Jumping slightly at the weight, before whispering, “Cap?”
When there's no answer, Eijun turns his head to find Miyuki snoozing evenly. Out like a light.
He feels a mixture of disappointment that he didn’t get to finish hashing things out along with quiet awe that Miyuki fell asleep on him just like that. Eijun feels like he’s witnessing some rare moment of nature. Like on one of those animal shows he’d watch with his family growing up sometimes. Like a sneak peak, never before seen footage of a bird making its special nest for its mate, caught in the act.
Eijun feels special, to be graced with such a phenomenon until he quickly realizes he is trapped. Especially after this jerk felt like he couldn't be honest with him, there’s no way he can just get up now and wake Cap up!! And disrupt this moment!! Trusting one with the ultimate vulnerability of sleep is something to be cherished! But it’s his fault Miyuki fell asleep like this in the first place. Because Eijun insisted on keeping Miyuki up later than he wanted to.
Now Eijun feels guilty.
Well, then to make up for it, he decides to stay put until maybe Miyuki wakes up and shifts, and frees him. Eijun hums as he nods to himself, mentally patting himself on the back for his good nature and forethought.
"Sawamura-senpai, what’re you still doing up the-” Okumura starts, looking confused slightly at seeing Eijun still in Miyuki’s bunk upon returning to Room 203, rather than in his own room.
“Shh,” Sawamura presses his forefinger to his lips and then points to where Miyuki has fallen asleep on him. “Cap's sleeping.”
Okumura looks on, disapproving before he goes to turn the light out without saying anything more.
"W-wait-don’t–!” Eijun starts before stopping, mumbling, “turn the lights out yet…” He makes a face no one else sees in the dark as he scrunches his features due to his predicament.
Well! Eijun’s a patient man, he can wait! Surely Miyuki will wake up and shift soon. This can't be comfortable for him. Eijun tries not to fidget, stretching his legs into a more comfortable position as he prepares for his task ahead.
Eventually though, despite his best efforts, with the lights out and Miyuki’s warm weight tucked against his left shoulder, Sawamura falls asleep.
He startles awake some time later, unsure how long he's been asleep. Feeling a little panicked when he realizes he's still in Miyuki’s bed and needs to get back to his own room. Kuramochi and Asada must be worried sick!
Feeling even more out of sorts when he realizes Miyuki’s still curled against him. This is no good at all! What is he supposed to do?!
“Mng, stop that,” Miyuki mumbles into Eijun’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine.
“S-sorry M-Miyuki-senpai!” Sawamura whisper-hollers.
Miyuki lifts his head off of Eijun’s shoulder, rubbing his eyes, narrowing them to try and see better, “Sawamura? What're you doing here?”
“I–you–I couldn't–mnf!” Eijun’s abruptly cut off from his panicked rambling, sweating.
“On second thought, nevermind,” Miyuki mutters and yawns. “Just go back to sleep.” Miyuki shifts to lie down onto his pillow, haphazardly tucking his glasses away. Not even bothering with the covers.
“But–”
Miyuki reaches out for Eijun’s forearm in the dark, eyes half open, pulling Eijun more horizontal out of his seated position he'd fallen asleep in. “Sleep.”
“Sleep‐sleep here??” Eijun’s eyes widen. He couldn’t possibly…
“No, on the floor,” Miyuki mumbles into his pillow.
“Oh,” Eijun shifts after a moment, moving to get up.
“Yes here, you dummy, now close your eyes already,” Miyuki sounds irritated now as he hisses and tries to get comfy into his pillow.
Eijun grumbles as he lies down and tries to get comfy as well in the small space between Miyuki and the wall. There's no way he can fit here without touching Miyuki in some shape or form. Not to mention the fact that–
Eijun quickly realizes the other problem, “But there's only one pillow…”
“Well, you shoulda thought about that before falling asleep here,” Miyuki mutters into his pillow, sounding half asleep.
“Well I didn't wanna wake you!” Eijun whispers loudly. Covering his mouth when he hears growling and grumbling below them, as well as the bed frame moving slightly from Okumura shifting in his sleep.
“I think it's a little late for that…” Miyuki exhales, then shifts towards the edge of his pillow. “Here. Now go to sleep already.”
Eijun knows an order when he hears one. So he tries to do as he's told. But his heart won't stop hammering. As his back presses against Miyuki’s in the small space. His head so close to Miyuki’s on the pillow, feeling the warmth radiating from Miyuki’s sturdy frame along his spine. Something quite new and different. And way too exhilarating to just fall asleep with his skin practically buzzing.
He focuses on Miyuki’s even breaths, trying to match them as Miyuki drops back off into sleep within seconds of curling onto his side. It's surprisingly easy once Eijun focuses his breath as if it's a breathing exercise and not an attempt to quiet his racing heart huddled in bed with his batterymate and captain.
Whom over the last couple weeks Eijun is quickly starting to realize maybe he likes spending a little more time with than anybody else. For reasons.
Because when he's not playing baseball with Miyuki, Eijun likes talking about baseball with Miyuki. And when they're not talking about baseball, he likes just chilling with Miyuki, reading as Miyuki does homework, reviews their game score book or cleans his glove. They don't even need to be talking, just sharing space is nice.
Eijun figures there's no harm in it, especially if Miyuki doesn't seem to mind. And he's got a limited amount of time left to spend with Miyuki before he's gone from the team and Eijun’s life, so he's going to damn well squeeze whatever he can get out of the man while he's got him!
Because maybe, if Eijun had a say, he'd like to keep Miyuki as his batterymate for as long as he’s willing and able.
Because they've still got work to do together, obviously! Numbers to perfect, teams to beat, the whole entire baseball world to concur. Now that Sawamura's been thinking beyond Seido.
Baseball's so vast. Who else could he take all this head on with?!
And because maybe, at the end of the day, he wants to keep Miyuki Kazuya all to himself off the field as much as he wants to keep him on it.
-
Eijun wakes up very early the next morning before the sun creeps up from below the horizon. Disoriented at first, realizing he's not in his own top bunk before turning his head on the pillow to find Miyuki asleep on the same pillow, facing him. Right around the same time that he registers Miyuki's arm draped around him.
Sawamura stifles the small sound of surprise that wants to spring out of him as his brain catches up to the situation. Lips pressed tight together and eyes wide. Suddenly very awake.
Miyuki’d forgotten to push his eye mask back over his eyes after he'd fallen asleep the second time, the mask still haphazardly caught in his hair, pulling some of it off of his forehead not crammed into the pillow.
With his eyes well adjusted to the dark, Eijun can better see Miyuki’s face now that Miyuki’s facing him. Having shifted in his sleep towards Eijun rather than away. He's so close like this. Eijun’s never been privy to this level of proximity before.
If having Miyuki fall asleep on his shoulder was something out of some wild animal show, this has to be like some small glimpse of a never before seen planet, star or universe. Or like the other side of the moon or something.
Eijun doesn't think he's ever seen Miyuki look so peaceful and relaxed like this during waking hours. Features tranquil. No furrow between his brows, no teasing smirk. No creases of concentration or deceit. Nor a mask, physical or metaphorical, that Eijun has to navigate to see beneath to figure out Miyuki’s true intentions behind his words or mannerisms.
He looks younger like this. Softer. Dare Eijun think, prettier, as he swallows, eyes tracing Miyuki’s lashes and the sharp thick cut of his brow unobscured by glasses or sports goggles. It's probably a good thing they’re hidden behind something everyday, Eijun’s quickly realizing. This isn't good for the heart. There'd probably be swarms of fans after his captain then!! The amount of people Eijun would have to compete with for a shred of Cap’s time would shrivel up into nothing!!
It feels like something he's not supposed to be privy to really. Seeing Miyuki like this. Like it's some sort of secret. But. Miyuki said it was ok to stay. So it's ok. Eijun can take the sight in a little bit longer before he should get up and start his morning run.
He just shouldn't reach out and touch like maybe he'd like to. Or linger for too long. Nuzzle in closer like he'd like to. Something about the softness surrounding Miyuki makes him seem closer within reach. Like it's ok for Eijun to do so.
Eijun’s been trying to figure out other reasons or excuses to try and get Miyuki to hug him again like how he scooped Eijun up after winning the Summer Tournament and finally defeating Inashiro. After finding that the hug felt almost as good as the victory itself.
Of course he’d want another one! Who wouldn’t??!
But the only way he can figure to make it happen again is to win Koshien. So he's going to work towards that rather than push too far into what Miyuki’s been allowing lately.
Although, maybe instead of that goal he should now figure out how to accidentally make this happen again. Almost as if this is like another small form of victory…He's definitely been covering some substantial ground working his way closer to somehow crawl underneath Miyuki’s walls to get closer to the center of Cap’s heart. Quite the feat if Eijun says so himself!
Ah but that's deceitful! And full of ulterior motives!! He shouldn't do that to Cap…right?
Eijun drinks in a little more of the quiet moment before slowly, carefully, easing his way off the bed, out from underneath Miyuki’s arm away and towards the ladder. Pausing at the first step when he watches, lips parting in slight wonder when Miyuki reaches his arm out across the space he'd just been.
Miyuki's not…reaching for him is he??
Nah, Miyuki’s just getting comfortable now that he has more space again. That's what that was. It's not like he was reaching for Eijun in his sleep. No no no.
Eijun shakes his head, attempting to rid himself of silly, biased, and unrealistic thoughts, as he continues down the ladder to quietly slip out of the room undetected.
-
When Kazuya opens his eyes next he realizes his eye mask isn't covering his eyes as the soft morning light seeping in from the dorm window enters his vision. His alarm hasn't gone off, nor are the lights on in the room, so it must still be before 6 AM. Too early.
He rubs his eyes wondering why he forgot to pull it down or how it got pushed off his face in the first place when he remembers how he fell asleep.
Kazuya lifts up onto his right forearm then, suddenly more awake. Stupidly looking around for Sawamura. As if he could be anywhere else still on his bed that Kazuya can't see. When he confirms that Sawamura’s no longer here, he flops back onto the bed and stares at the ceiling.
Exhaling as Kazuya covers his eyes with his palms, rubbing his eyes wondering why the hell he okayed that. And why not only that he one–okayed it, but two–slept really well, and three–wouldn't mind it happening again. Has he really become that soft??
He needs to start saying no to Sawamura. This is getting to be ridiculous. Next Sawamura's going to be asking for bed time stories.
Well, Sawamura kind of is in a way, isn't he?
Maybe there's no harm in it…Kazuya sighs as he gazes up at the ceiling, arms flopping back onto the bed. Curling onto his side as he remembers how warm it’d been having Sawamura at his back as he drifted off to sleep.
-
With each foot fall that pulls Eijun around the well worn track around the field, rope digging into his belly as his trusty tire drags behind him with gusto, he not so quietly berates himself.
“Stupid, stupid, STUPID!! Nnggrraaaa!!” Eijun yells. The wind whipping the hair out of his face at the pace he's running. His eyes starting to water.
Kuramochi knows. He knows!! And he's going to tell Miyuki Kazuya, isn't he…And then Cap will never want to catch for him again! Forget being ace, he'll be completely disowned!!
Eijun’s mind returns back to his failed attempt at sneaking back into his room to change into his uniform before brushing his teeth and heading out for his morning run.
He almost jumped out of his skin and woke Asada up when Kuramochi’s voice filtered through the shadows beneath the bunk bed asking what happened to him last night.
At least Okumura informed Asada of his last known whereabouts. To his relief yet also detriment.
“What’d you do, have a slumber party in Miyuki’s bed??”
“N-no! I-we did no such thing!” Eijun hissed, trying to be mindful of Asada still sleeping across the room.
“But you did sleep there! Oh man, hyahaha this is gold!” Kuramochi shook with laughter, rolling onto his back.
Eijun cursed falling into the trap, he can’t even deny, “Well I–I needed a break from all your snoring keeping me up!”
Kuramochi stopped laughing as he rolled onto his side towards Sawamura again, “The fuck? I don’t snore! You’re the one who keeps everyone up talking in your sleep!” Kuramochi hissed.
“I don’t talk in my sleep!” Eijun fired back.
“How would you know, idiot? Ya know what, keep sleeping over there so Asada and I can get a good night’s sleep.”
“Mumumumu maybe I will!” Eijun whisper-hollered, “I slept better there anyway!”
Trying to keep it down, though it ended up being useless at that point, since they’d already woken Asada up.
“Mornin, Sawamura-senpai,” Asada greeted, sounding groggy. “Glad you had a good night’s rest with Miyuki-senpai.”
Eijun flushed a deep crimson, realizing after the fact his admittance.
“I dunno how,” Kuramochi mumbled into his pillow as he stretched, “There’s barely enough room for one person in here let alone two…Unless you two slept on top of one another..Wait a minute.”
“Geh!” Eijun stiffened, “We-we–”
“Oh my fuck you were spooning weren’t you! Hyahahaha! This is unreal! Oh this is good stuff, I’m gonna tease the fuck out of our captain later hyaha!”
“NO! Don’t-don’t tell anyone! You leave Miyuki Kazuya alone! It’s not Cap’s fault I-” Eijun stops and starts, “I kept him up past his bed time!”
Kuramochi blinks, rubbing his eyes when Asada turns on the light, “Kept him up with what? What does that have to do with spooning–”
“Just-Just forget about it!” Eijun grabbed his clothes and toiletry bag, rushing out of the room.
Tears stream down Eijun’s face now as he pushes himself to run harder. Missing Furuya’s quiet good morning as Eijun runs past him, before Furuya joins him on his run.
At least nobody questions why he’s out running early and vaguely shouting his woes. Only Asada and Kuramochi are in on it.
What is he supposed to do now?? He can’t try and worm his way into falling asleep again in Miyuki’s room or bothering Miyuki with late night asks. Now that Kuramochi’s onto him, it’ll be too obvious!! Curse his luck. Not only that, now he’s not going to be able to spend his free time hanging out in Cap’s room.
Eijun grumbles to himself as he shovels rice down his gullet, already on his second bowl before most of the team have made it to the cafeteria.
-
After a week of Sawamura ignoring him outside of practice, Kazuya thinks maybe there was harm in allowing Sawamura to sleep in his bed.
Well, maybe not ignoring him, but very obviously spending less time with Kazuya. Not one late night ask, nor even the usual pillow stealing reading in his room. Or even demands for bullpen time, as he’s been going to Okumura instead on days when he throws a little. Which irks him more than he’d like to admit.
It’s the only reason Kazuya can point at that’s different between Sawamura’s behavior before and after said event. What happened to spending more time together? Even though it’d been cutting into his sleep, Kazuya hadn’t minded.
Sawamura seemed happy and relaxed in a way he hadn’t been recently since after having to recover from the elbow inflammation and rest he’d been put on several days ago.
Did he…make Sawamura somehow feel uncomfortable?? That doesn’t make any sense though, because Sawamura was the one who chose to sleep there in the first place. Ah but that was because Kazuya’d probably fallen asleep on him…And then he’d just pulled Sawamura down to sleep next to him without thinking about it.
Kazuya rubs the back of his head in annoyance, batting gloves catching on a few strands of hair before he returns his hands to his bat and swings with more vigor.
“Good evening Miyuki-senpai,” Furuya greets, startling Kazuya slightly. He hadn’t heard anybody coming up the stairs. “Mind if I join you?”
“Hey Furuya,” Kazuya wipes the sweat from his brow. “Yeah have at it.”
After swinging in silence for a while, Furuya quietly asks, “Did something happen with you and Eijun again?”
Kazuya’s swing falters slightly, “Not that I know of.” Kazuya lies.
Well, partly lies because it’s true that he doesn’t know what the deal is this time around even though he has maybe a rough idea. Last time Sawamura’s weird behavior came out of nowhere, other than whatever worries or thoughts were plaguing Sawamura that he didn’t seem to want to hash out with Kazuya about their time as a battery dwindling.
Maybe this is another one of those things Sawamura will figure out on his own if Kazuya lets him be…
“Ok,” Furuya resumes his swing. Not prying any further.
It doesn’t feel terribly pressing though, since it’s not the same as before. Where there was literally a major season ending match on the line with Sawamura barely talking to him at all leading up to it. They've still got some time before Sawamura will take the mound again.
But…Kazuya doesn’t really want the weirdness this time to drag on. The amount of time they have left to spend together is waning. Much like the crescent moon above his head as Kazuya continues to swing with gusto. He finds that he’d prefer not to squander it with silly nonsense if he can help it.
Which is why he bends a little sooner than he was intending to towards the end of the week. Cornering Sawamura at dinner. Testing him. Surely Sawamura wouldn’t run away in the middle of eating.
-
“I’m surprised a certain someone didn’t come asking for my expertise late last night again,” Miyuki teases as he sits down next to Eijun at the table.
Eijun almost chokes on his pork cutlet. The fried breading scraping his throat on the way down after not chewing it properly.
“C-cap! Ah-w-well you see I, I know exactly what my pitfalls are now! So I–I didn’t see the need to keep Miyuki Kazuya up late with my worries any longer!” Eijun fibs, coughing, his eyes meeting Miyuki’s before skittering away.
He really did want to go over there last night and hash through one of the games he watched of Hakuryū, worried about what it’s going to be like facing them again. Something didn’t feel quite right yesterday when he was throwing to Okumura either. Maybe he's still not ready yet…
“Really now,” Miyuki studies him as he picks the breading off of his pork. “Not one question?”
“N-nope!” Eijun slurps down his miso soup in the hopes that it’ll dislodge the pork from his throat.
“I see,” Miyuki hums. Popping a bit of pickled radish into his mouth. “Well, if you find that you do. You know where to find me.”
Eijun places his bowl down to look at Miyuki then at the tone of his voice. Studying the side of Miyuki’s face.
Does he, does Miyuki sound upset? Or…Eijun scans the rest of Miyuki’s frame trying to discern his body language. Wheels turning in his mind. Does..Miyuki want him to come bother him?? No no no, that doesn’t make any sense! Why would he??
“That I do know! And..I will take Cap up on his gracious offer if need be! To pick his brain!”
“Hyaha! You mean late night s–mnff,” Eijun slaps his hand over Kuramochi’s mouth, not even thinking twice about the consequences.
“Study sessions! Late night study sessions! Hahaha yes Kuramochi-senpai, that is what Cap is offering to this humble Sawamura Eijun.”
“Get off of me asshat,” Kuramochi pulls Eijun’s hand off his mouth and immediately pulls him into a head lock. “Since when did you learn you could treat your senpai like this, huh? Huh?! Do I need to teach you another lesson?!”
“Ack–no more lessons! No more nng lessons! I have seen the immediate error in my ways!”
“Hahaha!” Miyuki laughs before commenting, “But maybe don’t hurt his neck..”
Later that night Eijun stays up way too late wondering if he’s right or not. And if it’s just his rose colored biases tinting the situation. Making it seem like Miyuki wants him to resume his last minute bothering sessions, or more like last minute excuses to steal the last little bit of Miyuki’s time before bed.
Miyuki wouldn’t have said anything though if that wasn’t his intention, right?
Well, there’s really only one way to find out.
-
Eijun’s glad that he’s still technically supposed to be taking it easy because he got very little sleep last night. Hemming and hawing over the next best move.
But he thinks maybe it was worth it, since before falling asleep, Eijun stole his resolve and decided that today he was going to give it a go. He’s already wasted the better part of a week that he could have been spending with Miyuki avoiding the man when possible.
Who cares what Kuramochi thinks! Eijun’s not going to let that spoil and squander precious Cap time. No matter how it looks. As long as Cap is ok with it, he will be too. He just has to make sure that Miyuki doesn’t fall asleep on him again so that he doesn’t find himself in the same predicament! That’s all.
With that game plan in mind, after brushing his teeth and washing up after dinner, Eijun asks for the score book from Nabe and makes his way to Room 203.
And is disappointed to find it empty.
It’s pretty late isn’t it? Eijun places the journal down on Miyuki’s desk, hands at his hips. Should he…go back to his room and try again tomorrow?
No no no, he’s already here and today is the day! He’s not backing down now, no excuses. Eijun nods to himself and exhales roughly out of his nose. Scooping the score book back up again before climbing up into Miyuki’s bed. Folding his legs up to thumb all the way back to their practice game against Seihou when Miyuki was away at the Tokyo All-Star Camp, eyes feeling a little heavy once he’s comfortable.
-
“Why is Sawamura-senpai in your bed again?” Okumura asks, sounding irritated as Okumura opens the bedroom door to let them both in. Finding Sawamura nodding off, sat in Kazuya’s bed with what looks like the score book in his lap.
Kazuya’d had a late night meeting with Nori, Furuya and Coach Kataoka discussing plans to prep for their Koshien start without Sawamura for the first few matches. Okumura was finishing up with his dinner, headed towards the baths when Kazuya got in to wash up for the night around the same time.
“Must’ve been too tired and crawled into the top bunk of the wrong room,” Miyuki hums. Knowing that that’s not it. Sawamura probably came in looking for him and fell asleep waiting for him.
“That can’t be good for his neck or back,” Okumura adds, sounding concerned, moving further into the room, closer to Kazuya’s bed.
“No I suppose not,” Kazuya exhales as he removes the damp towel from his neck. Hanging it over his desk chair.
“Here I can–” Okumura heads towards the ladder.
“No no, it’s my bed, so I’ll deal with the idiot,” Kazuya reasons, sounding exasperated by it. But really he’s just happy Sawamura isn’t avoiding him anymore. Plus, he can’t sound too unbothered by it because why wouldn’t he be annoyed by this turn of events otherwise?
Kazuya climbs up the ladder, feeling fondness tug at his gut as he pulls the notebook off of Sawamura’s lap and folds it up, placing it at the corner of his bed to deal with later.
“Hey, Sawamura,” Kazuya murmurs, gently patting Sawamura’s shoulder.
Sawamura mumbles something unintelligible as he leans into Kazuya’s touch.
He could just…let Sawamura sleep here again. But, that’s how they originally got into this odd standstill that Kazuya wasn’t sure what to do about. Though Sawamura did come back, after very minimal prompting. So that’s something?
Nah, Kazuya should just wake him up. Even though Sawamura looked completely exhausted today. He should get a good night’s sleep in his own bed. Especially while still on the mend.
“Hey Sawamura,” Kazuya tries again, “Why don’t you head to bed and we can review whatever it is you wanted to tomorrow?”
“Mmm already in bed,” Sawamura mutters nuzzling Kazuya’s arm now, eyes still closed as he leans more of his weight onto Kazuya.
Kazuya huffs a small laugh under his breath, “True. But you’re in my bed, dummy, not yours.”
“Sss ok. Cap’s bed’s better anyways,” Sawamura answers as he lies down now, somehow finding the pillow with his eyes closed, sounding still mostly asleep, curling onto his side.
Kazuya’s lips curl in amusement, “Really now.” Shifting to lie down next to Sawamura. Since apparently it’s fine. Though maybe that’s because Sawamura’s not fully awake and on board. “And why’s that?” Kazuya continues, propping himself up on his forearm, jaw nestled into his palm.
Okumura shuts off the lights crawling into bed beneath them. Probably overhearing that Sawamura’s staying here again for the night.
Sawamura sighs, words a quiet whisper slurred together after a moment. Kazuya’d thought he'd fallen back asleep. “Cuzzyou’re innit.”
Kazuya blinks, looking down at Sawamura, watching as Sawamura’s breath evens out again. “Because I’m…” Kazuya’s brows furrow, confused. Why would–
Oh. Kazuya’s face flushes. Understanding dawning on him as he stares at the wall now. Wondering what he’s supposed to do now with this bit of info. At Sawamura’s sleep laden admission.
Ok. Well. That clears at least one thing up. Sawamura wasn’t acting off because Kazuya ok’d him sleeping here. And now he knows it’s the opposite. That Sawamura actually likes sleeping here. With Kazuya. Much like Kazuya hadn't minded having Sawamura here either.
But that’s…
Kazuya clears his throat and shifts to lie down onto his back, trying not to disturb Sawamura, pretty much hugging the outside wooden bedframe as close as he can get so that only their shoulders are touching.
So, Sawamura derives comfort sleeping here with him. As if waking hours together aren't enough. Sawamura feels the need to be even more attached at the hip.
Kazuya never participated in any sleepovers growing up. But he supposes maybe that’s what other kids used to do who had friends like that. Kazuya wouldn’t know. Maybe it’s something Sawamura used to do with his close friends? Even so. They’re not exactly children anymore…
Kazuya sighs and shifts onto his side again, looking at Sawamura now that his eyes have adjusted to the dark. Eyes roving over Sawamura’s soft sleeping features.
Sawamura’s like a different person like this. All his typical loud, bright, energetic person tucked into a small box, powering down for the evening. Recharging to gain enough energy to rise like the sun once more above the horizon to grace everyone with his warmth and light.
Kazuya’s reaching over to brush the hair out of Sawamura’s eyes before he catches himself. Freezing in the act as his brain catches up with him after the fact. It’s too late though, Sawamura’s already detected him. But rather than shift away, Sawamura pushes his head into Kazuya’s hand as he shifts closer, reaching for Kazuya in his sleep.
He stiffens as Sawamura wraps an arm around him, head shifting to the middle of the pillow into Kazuya’s space.
Kazuya’s going to just have to forgo the pillow entirely tonight isn’t he, he muses, still propped up on his hand. Insides melting into warm mushy goo as he relaxes into the touch. Sawamura’s so warm.
His hand slides from Sawamura’s hair to tuck in between them. Not really sure where else to put his arm in this position within Sawamura’s loose embrace.
Even after his shower, Sawamura still manages to smell and feel like the summer sun. So much so, Kazuya can even imagine being out there behind home plate if he closes his eyes for a little. Waiting for Sawamura to send the next pitch to his open mitt.
Kazuya exhales as he tucks his arm under his head in place of the pillow as he feels his eyes growing heavier. Relaxing further beneath Sawamura’s warm weight, despite his glasses digging into his temple. Thinking belatedly as he drifts off to sleep with that imagery in mind that perhaps the reason he finds he likes this so much is because he feels as if he's in his familiar spot behind the dish, his favorite place to be, with his southpaw ace atop the mound.