Winter Solstice

Eight: Teasing

"W-wh..what!" Eijun stutters, his cat eyes narrowing towards his grandfather who walks into the kitchen. "T-that's not...."

"Hahahahahaha!" Kazuya can't hold back his laughter, holding his stomach as he leans against the doorframe.

"There's a festival, tomorrow night at the shrine," Eitoku says, sitting down at the kitchen table with his newspaper and coffee. "Make sure you dress warm and don't make too much noise," he says opening the paper.

"B-but....we...." Eijun sputters, his face heating up. He glares at Kazuya who is still hunched over laughing. "Miyuki Kazuya! Stop laughing!"

Kazuya wipes away the tears, straightening himself up and steps closer to Eijun. "It's not an Aquarium date, but a Festival date sounds like fun." He smiles, winking at the younger boy.

Date? Is he going to tease me this whole week about this? Eijun growls, taking a step closer to his senpai, until they are standing shoulder to shoulder. What about the boy who he looks at and who looks at him? How can he sit here and flirt with me when there is someone back at school who....wait...

Eijun would have noticed if there was anyone else starring at the Captain, since he is always watching him. Is Cheetah Senpai talking about me???

Eijun wants to smack himself. How could he have been so blind.

He chose Seido because of Kazuya.
He loved being partners with him.
He loved talking to him about baseball.
He loved spending the last 24 hrs with him...

Am I in love with him? Eijun stops breathing and just stares at his Captain.

"Eijun?" Kazuya smiles. "What's wrong? Are you nervous? Don't worry over the fact that you've never been a date before."

"What?" Eijun whispers, looking into the older boy's eyes. He's teasing me again? And right after i just realized my feelings for him? This damn Tanuki! Eijun was not one to back down when he wanted something. He hoped Kazuya was prepared for what was about to come his way. "I hope you like wearing Yukatas."

Oh...Kazuya blinks as the widest grin he's ever seen appears on Eijun's face. This guy...he laughs at himself...is way too interesting. "I look amazing in them," he grins, whispering against Eijun's ear, before pulling away and grinning at the blushing pitcher.

Eijun swallows deeply, his eyes fall on the curve of Kazuya's grin, before he looks up. "I bet you do..." He barely whispers, staring into those chocolate brown eyes.

Kazuya can still smell the green apple shampoo on Eijun's hair from his shower last night, the same one he used this morning when he tried to calm himself down; except now it was reminded him of the slightly awkward behavior his body had to this loudmouth and how even though they were both guys, it didn't bother him.

He liked being close to Eijun.
He liked sleeping and waking up next to him.
He liked listening to him talk, especially about baseball.
He liked...

Oh shit...Kazuya's eyes soften and he smiles.

"You're smiling again," Eijun whispers.

"Am I?" Kazuya's smile grows. "I guess I figured out what was making me smile."

"Really? What was it?" Eijun asks.

"Not telling..." He teases.

"You stingy bastard! Why not?!" Eijun grabs his shirt.

"You'll just have to be patient," he laughs.

"The day Eijun is patient, is the day I become the starting pitcher for the Swallows," Eitoku laughs.

"What are saying? I'm patient! This Sawamura Eijun has the patience of a...of an Eagle!"

"I think you meant Owl," Kazuya laughs.

"Yeah...an Owl...that's what I meant." Eijun release the shirt.

"But they aren't strong," Eitoku states, placing his newspaper down on the table.

Kazuya smiles as Eijun continues to bicker with his grandfather over which animals are stronger and who can jump the highest. To think that watching his kouhei argue with his grandfather for over 30 minutes would be this entertaining for Kazuya. A year ago he wouldn't have been able to predict this outcome for his winter vacation.

A year ago, he couldn't imagine wanting to spend this much time with another person outside of baseball.

I really do like him...don't I? Kazuya laughs at himself, fondly smiling at the brunette in front of him. Oh man...I can't believe Mochi was right...

"PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE!" Kazuya's phone starts ringing, damnit Mochi, you have impeccable timing. "PICK UP THE-"

"What do you want?" Kazuya sighs into the phone.

"Well sor-ry to interrupt your precious time with the boy you're pinning after, but this is an emergency!" Kuramochi yells through the phone.

"I'm not..." He looks over at Eijun, luckily he didn't here what Mochi said.

Eijun's attention moved from his grandfather, back to Kazuya on his phone.

Shit...I can't berate Mochi infront of Eijun, I'll have to do it later, Kazuya thought. "I'm going to put you on speaker phone Mochi, so behave..."

"Yeah, yeah...I won't expose you...yet...hahaha!"

Kazuya sighs as he hits the speaker button.

"Hi Mochi Senpai!" Eijun smiles.

"Morning Sawamura..." Kuramochi's laugh dies down.

"So what's the emergency? Did you loose Ryo-san at the Aquarium? Or did he run off with another guy?" Kazuya laughs.

"........."

"Wait? He didn't...right?" Kazuya stops laughing. This was there first date, but he knew Ryo-san wouldn't just run off with some random guy, not after Kazuya witnessed the mutual pinning both of them had last year.

"WHat?? NO...of course he didnt run off with another guy!"

"So then, you lost him..."

"Mochi senpai!" Eijun bows towards the phone, even though he won't be seen through Kazuya's ancient flip phone. "THIS HUMBLE SAWAMURA EIJUN WILL ASSIST YOU IN FINDING YOUR BOYFRIEND!"

"How are you gonna go that, Moron?! You're at home! Besides I didn't loose him...I just can't find him in this giant ass crowd." Kuramochi sighs. "I bet you'd loose your boyfriend if he was in the same room as you...hahaha!"

"I would never! Miyuki Kazuya is too annoying to loose!" Eijun huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. "His ego is so big I could find him in a thousand people!"

"My ego is not that big!" Kazuya laughs. "Unlike your mouth...hahaha!"

"Wait...what..." Kuramochi starts to say.

"Eijun is very loud," Eitoku chimes in, taking a sip of his coffee. "I doubt you'll loose him at the festival, Kazuya."

"Festival?" Kuramochi asks. "Who was that?"

"That was my grandfather. He's talking about the festival at the Shrine here in Nagano," Eijun grumbles. Why does my entire family have to make fun of me? "And just so you know, my mouth isn't that big," he sulks.

"Now don't pout Eijun," Kazuya pokes Eijun's puffed up cheeks. His pouty face is just too cute and squishy..."Your mouth comes in very handy."

"............" Kuramochi goes silent.

Ekito's eye brow shoots up as he looks over his newspaper at the boys fighting with the phone, trying not to laugh.

"Miyuki Kazuya!" Eijun blushes and grabs Kazuya by his collar. "Don't say it like that!!"