Her hand slid up his bicep, her fingers leaving light, ticklish touches. As they kneaded into his skin, massaging the muscle, he couldn't help but groan in relief.
"You're okay," she softly encouraged, her voice a soothing balm. She cut some Kinesiology tape and gently laid it down on his skin around his injured arm, her touch careful and precise.
Why he waited until now to mention it, Amari could only silently question his priorities.
"It's just a simple swing like any other you've done," she softly reminded him. Ken stood, rotating his left arm as he slowly paced, listening intently.
"Trust your instincts, and play with heart. You've got the skills, the dedication, and the passion." Amari smiled, thinking about him during his many private practice sessions. "Just go out there and give it your all, as if it's your last play."
Her eyes shifted to his defined back muscles. A few scratches, which she was guilty of making, marred his skin. He hit it good...
"Amari," Ken called, turning to her, confused as to why she had suddenly stopped her pep talk.
"Just thinking," she quickly shrugged. "Remember, you're not alone on that field; you have your team and your training backing you up. Stay focused, stay determined, and most importantly, enjoy every moment out there... It's a game, after all." She nodded, standing to hand him his shirt.
"Right," Ken hummed, his eyes roaming her body greedily. She was wearing his jacket, and she made it look good.
The cheering of fans brought them back to reality as he quickly slipped on his shirt.
"Go out there and hit it home," she reminded, her hand outstretched and ready. A smile tugged at his lips as they proceeded to do their signature handshake. Though Ken didn't let go, drawing Amari's attention.
In that moment, he leaned down to steal a kiss.
"You're my lucky charm," he whispered against her lips before planting another gentle kiss. "I'll make you proud out there."
Amari smiled, her eyes reflecting warmth and confidence. "You always do," she replied softly, her hand resting on his chest.
"I'll head out first," she said, zipping up Ken's jacket before she headed off. With her departure, Ken's eyes followed her.
Sneaking a peek at her phone, she saw it was full of unread emails. She had, some hours prior, sent an email to the KDF body. In it was an open letter explaining her reason for quitting... How she wouldn't stand for animal cruelty. And some talk confronting wild talk about, Dr. Onda and her mother's rumored affair.
Dramatic enough and irresistible for those who love drama, it couldn't be ignored coming from Akashe Amari.
In it contained something more malicious—a software that, once the email was opened, stole data such as chats, emails, passwords, usernames, banking details. You name it. From the device secretly and sent it to her device without their consent or knowledge. The perfect way to keep tabs on them. She had access to 93% of the KDF staff's private information at this point. Mari, thankfully, went through the information, separating relevant from irrelevant.
She didn't delete the irrelevant things, leaving them to use as blackmail later if needed. So far on hot gossip, Mrs. Yazuke, who's secretly (or not so secretly) involved in an affair with a man who turned out to be her half-brother, is pregnant. It's worse that they are trying to figure out a way to convince her husband it's his.
From the relevant side, it seemed Dr. Onda had started the second phase of his project of transporting the package. Where to, seemed he was smart enough not to tell the staff.
Her brows furrowed, still unsure what could possibly be in that package. Anxiousness swelled in her as she glanced at another email.
Before she realized it, she was in her VIP seat, with a clear view of the field. She huffed, deciding to decode whatever it was later. She slipped her phone away as she glanced down at the field. With it, she saw Ken handed one of his teammates a card, her lip twitching.
'Seems he sucks at social cues too... Well, the non-romantic type,' she noted.
As Ken stepped onto the baseball diamond, the familiar energy of the game enveloped him. The atmosphere was contagious as the cheers vibrated through Amari's body, energizing her.
The crowd roared with excitement as Ken took his position, ready to give his all in the game. He glanced back at Amari, finding her easily among the crowd. Their eyes locked for a brief moment filled with unspoken words.
All was said in that second. He turned back, hands gripping the handle of the bat as he flexed his arm, trying to soothe his injury as he prepared to hit.
The pitcher threw the ball, and Ken swung...
To miss.
She leaned closer, as if the closer proximity offer him relief.
The pitcher readied himself before he threw again, and Ken... Missed again. She saw him exchange some words with the catcher.
"Focus, Kenji," she silently encouraged.
Suddenly, he shifted positions. The announcer's voice boomed, "Bottom of the first, two strikes on Sato, and he doesn't look happy."
"And it looks like Ken Sato is going to try something new. He's gonna switch to batting right-handed. You know, I've never seen this in the middle of an at-bat."
Her eyes lit with amusement as she thought, "That's Ken Sato for you."
Ken had a stare-down with the pitcher, bat ready. The tension thickened, and the audience leaned in.
The pitcher threw. It was a curvy one...
Ken swung, and...
It connected.
The crowd went wild as the ball soared through the air. It cleared the fence, a home run that secured victory for his team. Ken rounded the bases, a victorious smile on his face as he looked up to find Amari, who slowly clapped, her eyes filled with pride and joy.
He raised his hand in triumph, dedicating the win to her. He pointed in her direction, 'That was for you,' he seemed to say.
To the one who always believed in him.
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Ultraman: Rising Fanfic
Fanfiction"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart" - Hercules The plot and images are not my own. The oc belongs to me. Please Read, comment, vote, follow and enjoy.
