Struck Out // Erwin Smith x reader one shot

Struck out

wc: 2749
It was a regular afternoon at softball practice. The final drill you and the team were assigned was concluding and everyone was getting ready to leave. Today's practice was particularly good- the overall energy of the team was up and all the plays were run with little to no mistakes. You still had a good amount of energy left so you asked your coach if they minded if you stayed after for a little longer to practice a little more. With you being the captain you were often allowed to stay longer for practice as long as you were responsible and cleaned up and put all the equipment away. They had no problem so you wished them a safe ride home as you went back to your team to discuss how practice went and then clean up.
As everyone was packing their stuff up to leave, you pulled your catcher Sasha aside and asked if she wanted to catch some of your pitches. Thankfully she said yes so you grabbed a ball and made your way to the mound.

Something about pitching was so daunting and yet you loved the high it gave you. You looked at the scuffed ball in your hand and you lined your fingers up with the stitching just as your coach had instructed. You've been doing it for years and yet still you get butterflies when you step onto the mound. You hid the hand holding the ball within your battered glove and you put it to your hip and began your pitch. You rocked back and shifted your weight onto your back leg and prepared yourself to spring forward. Everything after that is a blur to you, but as soon as the ball leaves your fingertips you can feel in your bones it was a good one.

Flying toward your catcher the ball was traveling at a rapid speed with pinpoint accuracy. It was truly such a happy place for you, the huge stride off the mound, the hasty whip of your arm, the rush of dirt following the scrape of your cleats, the slap of the ball in your catcher's glove. It was a beautiful symphony that you knew all too well- and deeply adored. When you pitch it's just you and your catcher.
It's this deep concentration that brings you into another world. After you finish your pitch Sasha is looking at you with wide eyes and a huge smile. She chuckles and says "(y/n), catching for you never gets old- you never fail to amaze me". You let out a giggle and say "don't be silly, it's nothing too special". The conversation between you two is cut off when you hear another voice interject with "She's right you know (y/n), your pitches really are incredible".

You turn your head to see who the smooth voice belonged to and your eyes met with breathtaking blue ones. It took you a moment to realize you were looking at Erwin Smith, the captain of the baseball team. He was a pitcher as well, and you often found yourself watching him throw seemingly effortless yet flawless pitches whenever you had breaks. The way the beads of sweat on his forehead glistened in the bright spring sun drove you crazy. You knew he worked hard and cared about his team. He always was the last to leave practices, as were you. Both using the extra time to practice. You admired his skill yes but his dedication and hard work are what drew you to him.

As you were lost in thought, his low chuckle drew you out of your trance. Realizing you had just received a compliment from the dreamy captain who you've been eyeing for the past few years - your cheeks instantly reddened as you smiled politely. "Thank you" was all you managed to sputter out. His warm smile was almost enough to put you at ease. That's when Sasha chuckles and says "you know what Erwin, I might even say her pitches are better than yours". Your jaw dropped in shock at her statement and you couldn't hide your embarrassment. You began to scold her and say "Sasha you can't say-" when Erwin cut you off and said, "Actually I'd like to see if that's true, nothing like some friendly competition to motivate everyone during practice right?". You began to protest with "Uh, it's not really something you can compare, they have completely different mechanics so-". Once again your dear friend Sasha interrupts and says " So it's settled then, you guys can take turns trying to hit each other's pitches". Erwin agrees then looks to you for your answer. You weren't too thrilled with the idea but you knew the chances of getting out of it were slim so you just agreed.

Erwin offered to go first so you grabbed your batting gloves and your favorite bat. You must admit, batting was probably the most fun part of softball. It didn't enchant you the way that pitching did but you absolutely adored the rush after hitting a line drive straight to the fence. You took a few practice swings before making your way to the plate. You got into your stance and Sasha could sense your nerves. She tapped her glove on your butt and said "relax, you'll do great! Now go hit a dinger". Her words were enough to put you at ease so you relaxed a bit. You looked at Erwin and god did he look beautiful. You admired the way his blonde hair looked golden when kissed by the rays of sunlight. His smile could light up the darkest of caves. You once again were brought out of your trance when he said your name to ask if you were ready. You nodded and prepared yourself for the pitch. He began his pitch and you were captivated by the way his body moved so naturally and gracefully yet produced a pitch with such force. It came barreling towards you leaving little to no reaction time. Before you knew it, the ball was making a loud smack into Sasha's glove.