Diamond no Ace

Okay, I just published four stories at once and there's still a few more to go, but I'll stop here for today. It's annoying that I have to wait 24 hours to use the image thing. Sigh. Anyways, since this is the first story I publish through this username, I just want to say thanks for checking this story out. This is probably the first of many oneshots (I have trouble updating chapter stories because of inconsistency) and the majority are posted on my tumblr blog.

Disclaimer: DNA does not belong to me.

Reaching Out

This was the first time they were playing against a team they hardly had any data for. Since the majority of the members were first years, Chris wasn't able to grab enough information that would help him analyze their batting style. He could only guess by the way they were standing at the plate and by the way they held their bat. There was nothing else he could really work.

Still, that wasn't an excuse and he knew he had to do something before the problem became worse. He could already feel an intense glare coming from the coach which made the entire situation more pressuring. Everyone was probably just as frustrated and Miyuki couldn't really blame them. The inning had already stretched out for far too long and there just seemed no end to it.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Miyuki kneeled back down in his spot after giving up the fourth hit of that inning. The lead that they had gained in the first couple of innings was completely gone and they were now standing with a tie score. They weren't losing yet, but by the way the game was going, Miyuki knew that the other team had the bigger chance to take the lead.

Adjusting the glove in his hand, Miyuki carefully studied the field. They were currently standing in the fifth inning and they had runners in both second and third base. He shifted his eyes to look at the board only to be reminded that they had only recorded one out. Clearly, they were in tight spot and without a base runner in first, they couldn't even look for a double play. He could walk the next batter, but that would mean filling the bases. That was even more risky especially if he considered the way Eijun was pitching.

Then again, it wasn't that he was pitching terrible. It was probably just him that couldn't call out the right pitch. He didn't know what type of ball would get those batters out even after facing them several times. Slamming his fist on the mitt, Miyuki shook away his thoughts and decided to focus back on the game. He placed his glove low and outside to the right. He figured it would be safer to start with a ball to a still unfamiliar batter. The rest would depend if he swung or not.

Miyuki looked passed his catcher's mask and quickly analyzed the batter. His figure was bigger than that of his teammates and he was standing up straight, showing no signs of being intimidated. He had gotten a hit from Furuya in the first inning and a roller to shortstop from Eijun. Miyuki could only wonder what he would hit next.

Before turning his attention back to Eijun, Miyuki gave the coach a quick glance. His face was still as stern as ever and he wasn't giving him any signs to walk the batter. Or was he letting him decide that on his own?

The batter swung the bat a few times before he finally stood in a firm position. The runners on the bases got ready, each one of them getting into position to dash to home plate. The defense moved in a bit closer since there was also a chance the batter could go for a bunt. Miyuki placed his glove closer to the strike zone, but not close enough for the batter to be able reach with ease. He patiently watched as Eijun winded up his pitch, lifting his foot in the air while his hands rose up into form. He stayed that way for several seconds before he suddenly let the ball go loose in his direction.

He had hoped the ball would fly straight into his glove, but since it was Eijun's wavy fastball, the ball slightly curved to the left as it came toward him. Miyuki quickly adjusted his footing to reach the ball, but the batter beat him to it. However, he only managed to rip it foul. Miyuki let out a sigh of relief before he looked at Eijun. He didn't mean to, but he ended up giving him a small smile.

Eijun looked too tired to smile back at him. Even though he was up on the mound, Miyuki could see him exhaustingly panting and sweating. Of course, that was only natural since it was probably one of the hottest days of the summer. That was also part of the reason why Furuya was pulled out of the game after the third inning. Being a guy from Hokkaido, Furuya wasn't used to Tokyo's intense summer heat and that's why Eijun had been asked to pitch more than he usually did. Miyuki hoped he could make it until it was time for him to switch out. They just couldn't afford to lose especially if they were aiming for the finals.

Miyuki removed his mask briefly to wipe away some of his own sweat. He took in a deep breath before he got into position again. He decided to place his glove in the same place again. He gave Eijun the signal and he obediently nodded to his suggestion. As they got ready, Eijun once again wound up the ball and threw it toward him with all his might. Once again the ball shifted a little more to the right and the batter ended up ripping it foul.

Now, they had two strikes with one out and two base runners in scoring position. Clearly, the count was in their favor, but one wrong pitch could turn the game around and could probably toss Eijun back to the bench. Miyuki, of course, wasn't going to let that happen. He would make sure to get a strikeout or at least an infield groundout. With that in mind, Miyuki located his mitt just on the edge of the strike zone. He signaled Eijun to throw him his best fastball and even though he gave him a surprised look, his pitcher agreed to his decision.

Eijun lifted up his foot once again as he glared at his glove. Then, he rapidly let go of the ball, throwing it with an unbelievable speed toward him. Miyuki got ready for it while he looked at the batter's reaction from the corner of his eye. By the looks of it, he wasn't expecting such a pitch, but somehow, he still managed to hit it. The sound of the ball hitting the bat was loud, but Miyuki knew that with the defense Seidou had, it wouldn't go past the infield. However, before the ball even hit the ground, it went right back to Eijun.

"Eijun!" His voice almost went dry as he watched Eijun trying to dodge the ball. To his horror, though, Eijun didn't react to it in time. The ball roughly hit him in arm before it bounced up to hit him in the face. He immediately fell to the ground with a yell full of pain.

Without thinking about it twice, Miyuki threw off his mask and ran toward Eijun. He got there before anyone else; before the coach, before Kominato, before Tetsuya, before everyone. He quickly kneeled next to Eijun, placing his hands on his shoulders. He didn't know what to do and to some extent, he was even afraid. He didn't want to see Eijun hurt like Tanba. He didn't think he would be able to handle it.

"Eijun!?" Miyuki called out to him, but Eijun couldn't respond back because of his loud coughing. "Hey! You okay?! Are you hurt?! Where did it hit you?!"

"I'm fine." He told him, but his voice sounded scratchy and almost torn. Not believing him, Miyuki quickly took hold of his arm and saw where the ball had struck him. There was indeed something more than a bruise, but what really caught him off guard was the blood that pouring out from his nose.

"Eijun, your nose…" He wasn't able to finish his sentence because the coach had pulled him back. He kneeled down next to him along with the paramedic and Takashima. The paramedic quickly examined his injuries before he told the coach to pull him out of the game. Hearing this, Eijun quickly protested, but he calmed down when figured out he had trouble moving his right arm. The only thing Miyuki could do was stand there in shock. "Eijun."

The coach told him to get back to position since he was going to call out Kawakami out to the mound. Miyuki did what he was told, but he discreetly watched as Eijun was slowly guided to the dugout. His feet wanted to go toward him. He wanted to see if he was really okay. He wanted to make sure that he would be alright. Miyuki grabbed his protection mask and stood by home plate, but he kept watching Eijun until he was no longer in sight. Even though his chest was ripping apart, Miyuki kneeled down on the dirt and waited for Kawakami to come out.

The batter quietly apologized, but Miyuki didn't bother replying back. It was bad enough that Eijun had to be pulled out of a game they weren't winning and he could only hope that his injuries didn't keep him out for a longer period of time. Miyuki's heart cringed at the thought of it. He wouldn't be able to stand the guilt if Eijun had to sit out because of him. It was true that the batter was the one that had slammed the ball toward him, but he was the one that should have estimated that the ball would fly back to his pitcher.

It wasn't long before Kawakami came out and he quickly warmed him up so they could resume the game. However, Miyuki couldn't stop thinking about Eijun. He couldn't get his idiot pitcher off his mind and the more he thought about him, the more worried he became. He wished the game could just end so he could be there with him.

Despite his desire to with Eijun, the game went on. He and Kawakami managed to pull Seidou through the remaining of inning without giving up any runs. Running back to the dugout, leaving Kawakami behind, Miyuki quickly headed toward Chris. "Where's Eijun? How is he?"

"He's probably in the restrooms. His nose bleed has stopped, but his arm still seems to be in pain. It should probably heal in a week or so. Thankfully, he wasn't too badly hurt and that his left arm came out unharmed. It would have definitely been a bigger problem and it probably would have needed more care."

Chris let out a sigh and let go of the clipboard he had in his hand. His face expression soften as he finally turned to look at him. "I'm just glad he's okay. He gave everyone quite the scare."

Feeling like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Miyuki let out a long sigh of his own. He quickly took off his catcher gear and just as he was about to go look for Eijun, he spots him sitting on the far side of the bench. He had an ice bag over his right arm and there was no sign of his nose bleed. Without a moment of hesitation, Miyuki walked toward him.

"Hey," he greeted him as he stood right in front of him. Snapping him from his daze, Eijun looked up at him with a face that reflected nothing but shame and embarrassment. "How are you doing? How's your arm?"

"It's fine. It was just a scrap anyways." He explained, but it was clear that he was having trouble moving it. He would grimace everytime he would press the ice pack on it. "The ball didn't hit my arm directly. It was more like it slided up to face. That's what really hurt. My arm should be fine. It just feels kind of sore right now."

It felt even better to hear he was alright from his own mouth. With a smile and unable to resist, Miyuki ruffled Eijun's hair playfully only to receive an annoyed scowl. Even so, he didn't remove his hand from his soft brown hair and he kept it there as he spoke. "Glad you're okay. You had me pretty worried."

At his words, Eijun's joking around stopped and he suddenly grew gravely serious. His head moderately dropped with his hair falling over his face and he avoided making eye contact with him. Without saying a single word, Eijun pushed his hand away and scooted his body a little toward the wall. "It's all my fault isn't it?"

"What?" Miyuki replied, a little startled by his question. If he was talking about the ball hitting him, then he was the one he should be pinning the blame on or at least the batter. "What are you talking about now?"

"I mean, the reason the score is tied is because of me. I couldn't keep our lead." Eijun continued on as he placed his hand over his forehead. Miyuki couldn't help but stare at him in awe. He was almost knocked out by the ball and yet, he was worrying about the score. That was probably also the reason why he looked so ashamed and embarrassed. "We were winning when I came in and now the score is tied. Then, I couldn't even finish what I got started. I left you and Kawakami to clean up the mess I caused. I'm sorry. I promise to work harder next time."

"You're so stupid that it's not even funny." He told him, but unlike most times, Miyuki could feel a tint of anger with in him. He slammed his fist on the bench, hoping he would Eijun's full attention and sure enough, he did. Eijun's body jumped up a bit, startled and alarmed by his sudden reaction. He turned to look at him and Miyuki leaned in closer.

"You were hurt. You were pulled out of the game because you got struck with a ball that was probably flying at 130 kph or maybe even faster." He snapped at him, making Eijun's eyes widen a little. "Why are you worrying about the score? Worry about yourself. Do you have any idea how scared I got when I saw you fall on your knees? Obviously you don't. It wasn't only me. It was everyone, so give yourself some consideration. There was no way I or the coach or anyone else would have let you continue pitching. You understand that much, right? Your well being is much more important here and besides, it's not like we're losing."

Eijun nodded reluctantly as a small faint blush appeared across his face. He looked at his bruised arm and slowly continued to press the ice pack. "Sorry."

"I'm the one that's suppose to be saying sorry, idiot." He told him with a sigh. Miyuki lightly patted his shoulder before he picked up his helmet and bat from the shelf that was against the cement wall. "I should have known the ball was going to head in your direction. I shouldn't have asked for such a pitch in first place. I guess I was in hurry to get a strikeout."

After putting on his helmet, Miyuki's hand unknowingly rose up and softly caressed the spot where the ball had hit Eijun's face. There was a slight bruise that was torn between the color purple and green. It was barely visible, but Miyuki could pick it out easily since it was right between his nose and cheek. Eijun snapped his eyes shut as his fingers slowly glided down to his bruised arm. He slightly pushed the ice pack off so he could get a better look and it was only until then that he saw how bad it was. Unlike his face, the his arm was much more bruised and he could even make out the shape of the ball.

"Sorry." He apologized as he took hold of the bat instead. Even though Eijun said he was okay, a part of him still felt guilt and possibly even pain. Eijun was his pitcher after all and once they're on the field he was under his care and responsibility. There was clearly no one else he could blame but himself. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"It's not your fault. I should have dodged it better I guess." His face seemed more flustered than ever and once again, he couldn't even meet his eyes.

"Look." Miyuki suddenly suggested, but unable to capture Eijun's attention, he slightly grabbed his face and turned so he could see the field. Eijun complained a little about his pain before his jaw almost dropped with surprise. "They're backing you up."

It was true. Seidou now had the bases full with no outs. If luck was in their favor, they could probably come out with more than a few runs. Eijun would avoid the loss and they would head on to the next round. If they could start a rally now, then Kawakami would be able to pitch with more ease and relaxation. Miyuki eyed Eijun again, but he was still looked surprised by the unforeseen development.

"You shouldn't underestimate us." Miyuki stated as he let him go. "You pitch for us and we'll put up some runs for you. If you get into trouble, then we'll pull you out. You're not alone in this. Remember what you said that day? You don't play baseball by yourself; you play it with your teammates. Have faith in us."

Miyuki paused as he felt his heart skip a beat. "Have faith in me."

As Miyuki said this, he slowly stepped out of the dugout since it was almost his turn to bat. He stood there in the on deck cirlce and swung the bat around a few times. He was determined to show Eijun that he was there for him. He wanted to show him that no matter what the situation was, he as his catcher, friend, and possibly admirer supported him. Shocked by his own thoughts, Miyuki turned around to find Eijun peeking out his head from the dugout. He was looking at him and Miyuki couldn't resist giving him a smirk. Of course, he only obtained a flustered blush in return.

Yeah, he was definitely Eijun's admirer.

After a pop up from Kuramochi, it was finally his turn to bat. He stepped up to the batter's box while Kuramochi gave him a slight pat in the back as encouragement. Miyuki, however, felt no pressure whatsoever. He was calm and his head felt cool compared to before. The summer heat didn't feel as strong and the atmosphere felt less stuffy. Taking in a deep breath, Miyuki planted his feet firmly on the ground as he looked at his bat. He was definitely going to get them back for hitting Eijun.

Miyuki positioned himself and after giving the catcher an intimidating look, he turn to look toward the field. He looked at each player carefully only to realize that they were all located a bit farther back than usual for a full house. They knew quite well that the chances of him hitting for a double play was unlikely and that he was a long ball hitter. They probably also knew that he was looking for something more than a mere hit.

Raising his bat, Miyuki waited for the pitcher to throw the ball. He watched as the pitcher shook and nodded heads with his catcher before they finally settled to an agreement. The pitcher turned back to look at the first baseman before he suddenly blasted the ball toward his catcher's glove. Miyuki didn't even budge since he knew the pitcher's sinker was too slow for him. It would only end up as groundout or at best an infield hit. He wasn't looking for that. He wanted something more.

The crowd cheered and from certain sides of the stadium, Miyuki could even hear his name being chanted. Still, that wasn't where he was getting his high spirits from. He knew that two pair of nice brown eyes were looking at him. He knew that Eijun was waiting for him to make something happen. He told him to have faith and he wasn't about to fail him.

Miyuki nodded to himself, giving the pitcher what was probably an annoying and over confident grin. He held the bat in the air once again and waited for the pitcher to make his move. The pitcher in turn stared at him for a bit before he threw the ball. Thinking it was a fastball, Miyuki swung at it only to realize that it had curved down in the end. He smacked his lips since the pitcher was able to pull one past him.

He fouled off the next two pitches and took the fifth pitch for a ball. The count was even, but the pitcher probably thought he had the advantage. Little did he knew that he was secretly waiting for that fastball he had shown him in a previous inning. He was only able to make a sacrifice fly before, but now he was determined to get something more from it. Eijun was watching after all.

With another deep breath, Miyuki wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead before he turned his focus back to the pitcher. His grip on the bat intensified and his body slowly crouched down closer inside. He knew he would get the fastball he was looking for this time. The pitcher always used it for a strikeout and the situation was currently calling for it. The minute the ball was released from the pitcher's hand, Miyuki intensely focused on it. He waited and when the ball was finally in range, he slammed it with the bat with all the power he had.

Immediately, the ball soared up in the air and he didn't bother running until the ball was no longer in sight. Miyuki smirked to himself as he dropped the bat on the ground. That one was proudly dedicated to his idiot pitcher.

A grand slam by Seidou's catcher, number 2, Miyuki Kazuya.