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Adulthood was a thing of reality.
After graduating high school, Kuramochi Youichi had decided he was not anywhere nearly good enough to go pro. He was a good batter and he was fast on his feet but that wasn’t enough to get him a contract deal.
Not yet.
So he entered college. He played baseball there too, gaining more experience and confidence, honing his skills and widening his knowledge of the sport and medical procedures he might need.
During the course of his college life, he made some drastic decisions that changed the course of his life.
One, he decided to take a physics major, just for kicks. He was good at the subject and he needed something to major in, and it was right there. So why not?
His parents were fine with that, just happy that their problematic teenage son was actually taking initiative to do something with his life.
Two, he decided that he was, in fact, bisexual. Kuramochi discovered this when he was drunk one Friday night at a frat party. He noticed that he was attracted not only to the soft boobs and curvy bodies of the college girls dancing proactively in front of him, but also the hard muscles and strong arms of his fellow male students.
That was the night where he first spent the night with a guy. He woke up the next morning feeling quite surprised, but not disgusted. He was drunk but he remembered the pleasure he felt and how much he liked it and didn’t mind a repeat of what happened.
His parents were fine with that too. A little surprised and a bit sceptical – You-chan was sometimes indecisive – but they accepted it and showed no signs of disapproval.
Three, he decided that Kominato Ryousuke was the love of his life. It took him a while to realize that his feelings for his senpai was more than just simple admiration, but he managed to trudge through the muddy mess that was his feelings and finally set things straight.
His parents certainly didn’t mind this decision. They knew of Ryou-san from the matches they’ve gone and seen and the stories You-chan had told. The boy was the anchor You-chan needed in his life to keep him grounded, they had agreed.
Four, he decided to try to go pro after college, after he gained more experience and became a player who would be useful to a team.
He succeeded.
And his parents were more than elated when they found out.
In his fourth year as a professional baseball player, Kuramochi Youichi and several other players were scheduled to go home for several days.
It was one of those rare vacations the baseball team had been allowed to and they all intended to use it wisely.
Kuramochi came home around the afternoon, coming home from the train station alone as Ryousuke couldn’t pick him up.
He understood why and tried not to sulk too badly. It was his fault for coming home early anyways.
While he was off playing baseball, Ryousuke worked office hours as an accountant, making a living of his own. The job paid well and Ryousuke was quite happy that he was working with numbers instead of having to put up with people.
The shortstop showered, proceeding to unpack his clothes back into his and Ryousuke’s shared closet. When he finally felt the fatigue from long travel, he went to their shared bed and got under the covers.
He fell asleep quite quickly, the lingering smell of Ryousuke on the pillows and covers helping him relax.
Kuramochi woke up to peppered kisses.
He opened one eye, a lazy smile appearing on his face as his vision was filled with soft pink hair.
“Ryou-san…” he sighed, pleasantly delighted to see his boyfriend finally home.
Now motivated, the shortstop shifted himself, propping himself up on his elbows as he took in the sight in front of him.
Ryousuke was wearing a white dress shirt, the top two buttons undone and his tie loose. His sleeves were rolled up slightly and his shirt was still tucked neatly in his black slacks, the metal of his belt glinting at his belly.
It was a shame he wasn’t there every day to see this.
The older man was sitting on his lap over the covers, his legs straddling Kuramochi on either side. He looked somewhat the same – still young and still wearing the same calm smile.
“I didn’t expect you until tomorrow,” said Ryousuke, looking slightly troubled. “I don’t have anything special for you to eat, You-chan.”
“Anything you cook is special,” Kuramochi assured him. It was true, after all. After weeks of not tasting Ryousuke’s homemade meals, he would be thankful at anything the accountant cooked up, even if it was just sunny-side-up eggs.
Ryousuke rolled over, getting off the bed.
He had discovered that his old baseball partner had grown up quite a bit since high school. Kuramochi wasn’t the same blunt loudmouth he had been in school. He had learned the art of tact and how to hold his tongue in certain situations. He was still opinionated and passionate but with better timing.
He had also discovered that Kuramochi was quite different around him. He wasn’t as confident as he always was – though he tries to act as if he was – and the boy was more prone to become flustered around him. His cute reactions to what Ryousuke does is what makes it even more fun to tease him.
“You-chan,” Ryousuke said quietly, leaning in so their noses were inches apart, eyes trained on his favourite baseball player. “Welcome back.”
He moved away quickly, not missing the traces of red at the base of Kuramochi’s neck, hiding the small satisfied smile before his lovely boyfriend could see.
“You’re such a tease,” Kuramochi groaned, falling back on the comfortable pillows, putting an arm over his eyes. He felt warm under the collar and he was sure the older man knew that too.
Even after all these years, Ryousuke still affected him to that extent.
Just a simple greeting and he got all flustered.
“Babe,” Ryousuke called him, quiet and soft, just like he always did. “Want to go for a swim?”
“What time is it?”
“Ten. We have an hour till the pool closes.”
Instead of worrying about the pool’s closing time, Kuramochi found himself frowning at something else.
“Why are you out so late?” he asked, sitting up again.
He found Ryousuke already out of his work clothes and was now wearing one of the hoodies he had brought home with him, his swim trunks peeking out from under the big hoodie.
“I was busy having an affair while my baseball boyfriend is off working,” Ryousuke answered dryly, smiling calmly. “I worked overtime and went to buy groceries. What did you think I was doing, idiot?”
“It’s quite late. I was just worried you’re overworking,” Kuramochi muttered, looking away. “You wouldn’t cheat on me, Ryou-san. You love me too much.”
“That’s debateable.”
“Ryou-san.”
“Whiner,” Ryousuke laughed, pulling on Kuramochi’s arm to get him off the bed. “Though I did go grocery shopping with someone interesting. Hot guy, strong arms. Likes pink hair, I heard.”
“Ryou-san.”
Again, the older man laughed, amused. “I was going grocery shopping with Furuya, you dolt. He’s preparing a dinner for his and Haruichi’s second anniversary.”
Kuramochi got out of bed, glaring at the still smiling man. He wasn’t exactly easy to fluster – he was a mean, troublemaking delinquent before he met Ryousuke – but the man just knew which buttons to press.
“I trust you not to go after Haruichi’s seconds,” he retorted, pulling off his boxers and putting on his swim trunks. He grabbed the hoodie he was wearing earlier and put it on, pleased to see the slight scowl on Ryousuke’s face.
Two can play at this game.
They glared at each other for a full two seconds before they relented, giving in to each other. Before they left the house, Ryousuke stopped at the living room, tilting his head up slightly to face Kuramochi beside him, “You still haven’t kissed me yet, You-chan.”
The shortstop couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Hands in his pockets, he leaned down for a kiss and Ryousuke met him halfway, tiptoeing a bit.
It was supposed to be one of those chaste kisses they share but the former second baseman had other plans. Without closing the space between them, he swiped his tongue on Kuramochi’s bottom lip, asking for entrance.
But there was no deepening of the kiss.
Instead, Kuramochi yelped, pulling apart as his hand darted up to his mouth, giving his boyfriend a dirty look.
Ryou-san, that bastard, had bit down on his lip. And not in the sexy way either.
“We haven’t been together for more than ten minutes and I’m already tired of you,” said Kuramochi, sighing at his taste in men, wondering why he was even dating the vengeful little beast.
Knowing that he didn’t mean any of it, Ryousuke giggled, looking at the younger man affectionately and engulfed him in a warm hug, latching himself at Kuromochi’s side. He wriggled further and rested his head above the man’s heart, hearing it beating traitorously fast.
Sighing again in defeat, Kuramochi wrapped his arm around the shorter man, pulling him closer.
“Welcome home, You-chan,” Ryousuke whispered, looking up to see a blushing shortstop. “I’ve really missed you.”
“I really missed you too.”
It was moments like these he missed the most when he was out of town. It was these little moments that he treasured, burning it into his brain to look back on when he’s feeling particularly lonely.
They owned a condo in the city where Ryousuke worked. They had other houses back in their hometowns but for work purposes, they lived here.
It was a great place, really. The place was crawling with college students and small families, so it was lively.
At the centre of the four block condominium complex, above the parking lot, was a recreational area. There was a fine sized swimming pool, two badminton courts – which can be turned into any sports court honestly – and a children playground.
A perfect place to relax.
The couple stripped off their hoodies and placed it at one of the porches, along with their house keys.
They had left their phones upstairs, not wanting anything to get in between their free time with each other.
The water felt ice cold, which was reasonable considering the weather. It had just rained – it was drizzling when Ryousuke invited him for a swim – and there were puddles on the stone pavements.
Now in the pool, they swam around each other, catching up on each other’s lives.
“I went up against Kazuya and Eijun’s team in a friendly,” Kuramochi said, floating on his back. “Years after and they’re still scary to face.”
“Are they doing well?”
“Eijun doesn’t run his mouth off as much as he used to. Finally grew up but he was shouting at Furuya through his phone after the match.”
“That sounds like him.”
“What’s been going around here?”
Ryousuke smiled wistfully, looking around at the empty place. It was a school night and it was quite late so the annoying kids wouldn’t be down at this time.
“Us baseball wives have been holding meetings biweekly.”
“Who?”
“Haruichi, Jun and I,” he replied, snickering to himself. “Jun said he was called up to treat Tetsu when he just sprained his ankle. Tetsu would go to any lengths to see Jun, I swear.”
“Tetsu-san’s lucky he’s engaged to a physiatrist,” Kuramochi said, twisting around so he could get back on his feet. “He can use injuries as excuses.”
“Jun wasn’t so pleased,” Ryousuke told his boyfriend. “Shouted at Tetsu for being such an idiot. But it was cute – Jun getting so worked up over a little sprain.”
“Wouldn’t you be worried if I sprained something?”
“Of course I would be,” the pink haired man nodded vigorously, smothering a snicker. “I would send a care package and everything. If it’s something serious, I’ll just drop my beloved numbers and go over to my You-chan.”
There was no way Kuramochi could miss the subtle sarcasm behind his somewhat honest words.
“I’m sorry I didn’t become anything cool like a physiatrist,” said Ryousuke, eyeing his boyfriend’s toned shoulders. “I’m just a boring accountant. If any of your friends need someone to help with their tax, I’m the guy to call.”
The reaction was what he had expected.
Kuramochi nearly slipped, surprised by what he just said, “No, I-I didn’t mean it like that!” he said, regaining his balance again and made his way to the edge, where Ryou was lounging at. “You love your job. It’s not boring.”
Giggling again, Ryousuke leaned forward to give the baseball player a kiss but he missed his mouth and his lips landed on his cheeks. It was fine, really. Anywhere was fine.
“You’re cute, You-chan,” he said, lacing his hands together behind Kuramochi’s neck, leaning in closer. “Life goes on. I enjoy work. I go out drinking with friends. Sometimes I go to baseball matches or stop by Seidou to see how coach is doing. But do you know what I look forward to the most?”
“What?”
“You calling at the end of the day,” said Ryousuke, losing his small smile and replacing it with a grin. “Tired You-chan is very enticing.”
Even in the dim lights, he could see the younger man blushing again.
“Hot and bothered You-chan is more of my thing though,” he continued, tightening his grip on his hands, not wanting his cute boyfriend to flee out of embarrassment. “The phone sex from time to time is great too.”
“Ryou-san.”
He will never not find blushing You-chan not cute.
“You’re adorable,” he cooed, letting go of his hands and cupped Kuramochi’s face. “So fun to mess around with.”
They continued talking and competed in sudden sprints – Ryousuke would lose on purpose to see the damn back muscles on his boyfriend’s back when he re-emerges – and then talked some more.
“You-chan,” the older man called, resting at the edge again as he watched the other hoist himself out of the water, sitting at the edge adjacent to him. “Being the switch hitter you are, I was quite worried when that scandal article came out.”
Most people would think Kuramochi would be in the doghouse when a malicious rumour came out about him and a young woman several weeks back. Hell, he might have if Ryousuke was normal and got jealous normally.
Instead, he was left with merciless teasing.
When the article came out, the first thing he did was call his boyfriend, profusely apologizing and telling him it was a misunderstanding. He explained the whole thing, breathing heavily and horribly nervous the whole time.
It wasn’t needed though.
Their trust worked both ways. Kuramochi trust Ryousuke not to do anything behind his back and Ryousuke knew that Kuramochi wouldn’t do anything behind his back either.
It didn’t stop him from mentioning it from time to time, bringing up the memory of a really flustered You-chan.
“Stop,” the shortstop bemoaned, rolling his eyes. “It’s so much easier for the media to go after someone who goes for both genders. Easy target.”
“Then why don’t you tell them that you’re Kominato Ryousuke exclusive only.”
As much as Kuramochi would’ve loved to tell the world of his relationship with the pink-haired accountant, he didn’t want Ryousuke’s calm life to be suddenly disturbed by the always hungry media.
Maybe one day.
“Don’t blame me if you get flocked at your workplace.”
Ryousuke would never admit it but he was pleased to hear Kuramochi’s explanation at the time. He was flustered, yes, but he was also truly regretful. Though he was practically tripping over his own words, he took so much care in choosing his words.
He was so considerate and caring and Ryousuke never felt so loved before.
Someone was actually scared that he’ll leave.
“Let’s get out of here,” said Kuramochi after several more minutes of chlorine soaking. “We’ll shrivel up.”
They got out, the shorter man shaking the water off of him as they made their way to the porch. The couple were still wet but since they didn’t bring down towels, they just put on their hoodies, letting it soak up whatever moisture left on their skin.
Instead of going back up, the two had decided to play at the playground. There was nobody around, so why not?
Their first order of business was the four-way see-saw. They balanced themselves, breaking out in raucous laughter when one of them suddenly stands up, leaving the other to plummet into the ground.
It was childish but fun, reminding them of the days in high school when vacation came around and they would go out together, alternating between their hometowns and staying out till late at night.
When the batting centre closed up for the night, the next place would be the park. They would play catch, or practice batting until eventually, they get too tired to swing and go rest at the playground.
It was raining before they came so the playground set was wet, but it didn’t stop them. Since they came from the pool and were already wet, they didn’t pay heed to the wetness of the playing equipment.
“Let’s race,” said Karamochi, eyeing the swing set in front of him.
“Don’t cry when you lose, loser,” Ryousuke said, nimbly getting off the see-saw, making his way to the swings.
They were well aware that it was for children and adults like them could easily break the poor swings but they sat on it anyways, eyes glinting with determination, their competitiveness still as strong as it was when they were teenagers playing high speed high school baseball.
The former Iron Wall of Seido kicked off from the ground, the cool night air blowing through their hair and sending chills through their bodies, the moisture from their swim trunks still there.
They laughed, their legs working furiously to keep their momentum up. They poles shook, but they paid no heed. The thrill and the adrenaline coursing through their veins – it was a welcomed feeling.
“I really, really, really missed you,” said Kuramochi as their swings slowed down and they could talk to each other without having to hear the sound of the winds in their ears. “It’s great to be home.”
“It’s great to have you at home,” Ryousuke told him honestly, a small smile on his face again. “The house has been really empty without you around.”
The sky, unfortunately, was devoid of stars. Clouds still hung around and the sky was dark.
Even in that dim lighting, Kuramochi thought Ryou looked beautiful. Pink hair damp against his forehead and long lashes touching his cheeks, Ryou-san was the epitome of beauty.
They finished up at the swings and walked back to the elevator hand in hand, walking close to each other.
Once again, the elevator was deserted, the residents turned in quite early in preparation for the next day.
The young couple exited the elevator, exchanging chaste kisses, enjoying the emptiness of the whole place that night. They entered the house and Ryousuke went into the shower first, conditioning the chlorine out of his hair.
The shower was quick and he towelled his wet hair, putting on a pair of pyjama pants and one of Kuramochi’s nightshirts – he liked wearing whatever shirt You-chan left behind to quench his loneliness – and headed out to the kitchen, kicking the younger man off the sofa and forced him to take a shower.
When he was alone, he heated up some dishes he cooked the night before and warmed up the rice. He poured a pot of hot tea and went on to set the table.
It’s been a while since he made a dinner for two.
Kuramochi returned ten minutes later, hair damp and a towel around his neck. Ryousuke, who was already sitting down on the table, eyed his boyfriend’s choice of nightwear; grey sweatpants and a loose shirt.
“Eat up,” said the accountant, gesturing to the food. “I didn’t expect you so I didn’t cook any of your favourites.”
If there was one thing he missed more than Ryousuke himself, it was his cooking. At first, when they just started dating, he had complained that the dishes was always too strong in flavour. It was always too salty, too sweet or too spicy, but after a while, his taste buds had gotten used to it and deemed all the normal dishes he tasted after too bland.
He downed three bowls of rice, a habit he picked up from Seidou, and Ryousuke looked at him fondly. It wasn’t every day that Ryou would just drop his mask of expressions and just stare at him blatantly like that, wearing his feelings on his sleeves.
“You still eat three bowls,” Ryousuke noted, tilting his head to the side, the towel he was wearing tilted too. “Old habits die hard.”
“You don’t eat three bowls?”
“I stopped eating three bowls when I became a poor university student.”
He always forgot that Ryousuke strived on being independent after graduating high school. He accepted his parents’ monthly allowance but asked for nothing more. He paid for everything through his part-time jobs and the scholarship he had earned.
Unlike him, who was dependant entirely on his parents. They were more than willing to aid him financially and he lived at home for most parts of his university life.
“Kazuya told me that Eijun still eats three bowls a day too,” Kuramochi said, a fond smile making its way onto his face. “He still trains like he did in high school.”
“Eijun would pass out if he doesn’t eat three bowls a day,” Ryousuke pointed out. “There’s no way he could do everything if he didn’t have at least three bowls.”
“The coach thinks that too and got him a rice sponsor,” snickered Kuramochi. “Considering that Kazuya eats three bowls too, they actually do need it.”
“Does your teammates not find it weird that you wolf down three bowls?”
“At first. But they’re used to it now. The new recruits would always look at me like I’m some sort of monster.”
“The big, bad shortstop wolfing down three bowls of rice at every meal, who wouldn’t be surprised?”
Kuramochi had snorted, rolling his eyes at the teasing tone used.
They had headed off to bed soon after, exhausted from their day.
While he was given vacation, he had trained to his fullest on the day before. The nap he had taken earlier wasn’t enough to replenish his energy.
They didn’t do anything that night, mutually agreeing that they had a lot of time for their nightly adventures later on, when they were both fully energized.
That night, Kuramochi laid in bed beside the love of his life and he felt like he was the luckiest person in the world.
“Stop smiling, You-chan. It’s getting creepy,” Ryousuke had chided, slapping a hand over his face.
The older had propped up some pillows and leaned back on it, a white laptop sitting over the covers above his lap. Just as they climbed into bed, Ryousuke had pulled out his laptop, sighing as he started it up.
As much as he would love to just fool around with the younger man and find out just how much his body had… developed, he had responsibilities.
Kuramochi fell asleep to the sounds of keyboard clicking and quiet mumbles.
The first time he woke up, it still wasn’t morning. Ryousuke was still typing, thick books and files opened around him but never on baseball player’s side. Though his vision was hazy, he saw the pot of black coffee on the night table and the half-full mug on the coaster.
“Go back to sleep, babe,” Ryousuke whispered, his voice just barely audible, when he noticed his boyfriend had roused.
“When you going to sleep?” he mumbled back.
“Soon. You go to sleep first, okay?”
“Mmm.”
When he woke up again, it must have been morning because he woke up to an empty bed. He rolled over, feeling the other side of the bed and determined that Ryousuke had just woken up, the sheets still warm.
He was prompted to his feet by the smell of food and walked groggily to the kitchen.
It was a good decision.
There he was greeted with the sight of his boyfriend, already dressed in his work clothes, cooking breakfast. Ryousuke was wearing an apron – to avoid stray pieces of food from staining his crisp white shirt – and his hair was actually neat.
“Morning, Ryou-san.”
“Good morning,” he replied, already aware of his presence. The boy walked like an elephant. “I have to get to work because my vacation is tomorrow. I’m coming home early since I was supposed to cook and then pick you up from the station today.”
Kuramochi grinned, feeling just a little bit regretful that he didn’t inform his boyfriend of the changes earlier. “Don’t worry. I’ll clean the house and cook you lunch. You’d like that?”
“I’m not one to turn down a good meal,” the pink-haired man said, trying not to let a big smile slip. “Would you like some flowers, You-chan? I can stop by the florist on my way home.”
“Surprise me,” Kuramochi said, his grin growing bigger.
They had breakfast and Ryousuke left first, picking up his briefcase and keys off the table and slipped his phone into his pocket.
Kuramochi, being the perfect boyfriend he was, stood up and followed him to the door, helping him put on his blazer and wished him a great day.
After seeing him off, the shortstop sighed, sitting back at the table to finish off his breakfast and get some more shut eye. He would have to start on the housework later, before Ryousuke came home.
He decided that he liked it.
Spending time with the sometimes snarky but mostly warm Kominato Ryousuke, acting all domestic and being disgustingly in love.
He liked it.
He wished he could do it more often but while his beloved Ryou-san was important enough to make him drop everything, he knew that the older man would never forgive him if he gave up the sport they both love just to be with him.
It was sweet, the sacrifice, but Ryousuke wouldn’t like that.
So he would settle for this and take whatever he could.
Ryousuke was a busy adult, earning money and working office hours and he was continuing his childhood dream of playing baseball till his body was too tired to play anymore.
For now, their late night dates and gentle kisses was enough.