Chapter Text
Thud!
The ball clunks harmlessly against the mesh netting that’s between Ren and Sumire as Sumire takes a swing at it about a second after the noise registers.
Sumire completely missed the ball that was headed her way, but she’s not too upset about it. She’s still working on regaining her specific timing. It’s something that the Metaverse has helped with, for sure, but there’s so much adrenaline fueling her movements there that it’s hard to tell where her nerves end and her grace begins. She wants to work on teasing out the two things, and avoiding the teasing of the boy behind her.
That second one is somehow tougher sometimes.
Ren whistles behind her. “Looks like our little bet might go in my favor by the looks of things. You only have two more balls to get a hit on.”
They’d made a bet at the beginning of their batting session that Sumire would land at least one hit on a ball before they left. The stakes are of huge personal consequence. If Sumire lands more than one hit, Ren will have to admit that Sumire is the better athlete and cook, even at her current level. If Sumire can’t land any hits, however, she would have to admit to the opposite.
Clearly extremely high stakes, and they deserve appropriate seriousness.
Sumire turns and glares at Ren, though there’s no real heat to it. “I’m very aware that I’m struggling with this, Senpai. Stop laughing..”
Ren gives her a once-over and grins widely. He’s dressed in a hoodie and a pair of jeans, but he’s taken his glasses off so he doesn’t break them. His grey eyes stare at her, fondness and mirth lining them.
Sumire’s brown eyes stare back at him. “You know what, Senpai. Your cute smile is not going to distract me. I’m going to hit this next one, just you watch.”
She turns away from him, back to the batting cage. She sets her feet in the stance that she’s seen in NLB highlight videos, raising her bat above her shoulders, above the home plate on the floor. She hears the launching sound of the batting machine, and the whistle of the ball, but it’s already behind her before she can even begin to swing.
She swears under her breath. It’s something that Kasumi wasn’t a big fan of, but she’s trying to let go of being her sister in big ways and small ways alike.
She turns to Ren, completely dejected. “I–I’m sorry… I know that I’m rusty and out of shape and that this doesn’t feel like my body right now, but I–I can’t even do… anything right… It’s so frustrating that I keep flinching… I don’t want to be a liability out there.”
Something flashes across Ren’s face and he gets up. Sumire begins to worry, that he’s done with her, that she’s embarrassed him, that he wants to kick her off the team. Her breathing begins to pick up as she can’t see her friend, and she’s just about to sit down and start crying when she hears the gate to the batting cage open and sees Ren step into the cage, a beeping noise letting her know that he’s paused the batting machine.
Ren grabs her and pulls her close to him in a hug. “Relax, OK? It’s alright if you’re having trouble with these sorts of things. I’m really proud of you for even showing up to begin with.”
Sumire blushes, hiding her head in the crook of his neck. “Really, Senpai? That means a lot to me. How do you think I can get better at this, though? It’s frustrating that I can’t seem to get out of my slump here.”
Ren looks at her. “Trust me, Sumire, this is awesome progress. I know it’s hard for you, but I’ll be there for you to help you, I promise.” There’s a seriousness in his eyes that she’s learned to trust in, and she immediately knows that she’s not going to fail at the next hit.
“How are you going to help me, Senpai?” Sumire replies with a bit of teasing in her voice, trying to lighten the mood a little bit from how serious it was moments ago.
“I’ll help you with this one, and we’ll call the bet even, OK?” Sumire hates being helped in winning, but she hates losing even more, so she’ll take this option, even if she would like to ideally hit the ball on her own.
“Ok. How should we get started, then?”
Ren places her hand in his and walks them over to the plate. He steps behind her, and Sumire can smell the cologne that he’s grown to wear a bit more often. She can feel the heat that he emanates, and the touch of his hands on her hips as he helps her set up the right stance sets her aflame. Still, she knows he’s trying to be a professional here, so she tries her hardest to take her mind away from the calluses she can feel against her skin over her thin jean shorts, and give him the attention he deserves.
Once her hips are set, Ren trails his hands up Sumire’s sides, ostensibly checking to make sure that her upper body is aligned. She can’t help the way she shivers as his hands run over her smooth arms to make sure that her bat is lined up properly with her body, and she’s afraid she’ll be so distracted ( and turned on, a more adult part of her brain admits) that she’ll still miss the ball. Ren walks over to turn on the machine, but he immediately returns to Sumire, and places his hands on her lower back and shoulder, helping her get ready for the moment.
Somehow, time slows down when she’s in his arms. Ren doesn’t say or do anything, but all of a sudden, she feels centered again. She feels like she’s at peace, and this time, when the ball comes, it’s in slow motion. It’s almost like she’s back in her gymnastics trance in the middle of a performance, with the right timing for every motion coming to her.
Her leg comes up and back down, her hips twist ( prompting a reflexive tightening of Ren’s hands) , and her shoulders move smoothly as she carries out her motion. Instead of air, or the tip of the ball causing a clunk, there’s a solid crack as she makes full contact with the ball, sending it to the top of the cage.
Both Ren and Sumire are momentarily awestruck, before Sumire turns and throws herself into Ren’s arms in glee. “I DID IT! Thank you so much Senpai, I can’t believe it!”
Ren laughs, face flush with joy. “That was awesome! I’m so happy! We gotta do it again though, without my help this time!”
Sumire grins bashfully, staring up at his lips, the slight lines in his eyes. “What if I don’t want you to go, though?”
Ren smiles down at her. It’s a bit shyer. He gets the feeling they aren’t talking about the batting cage anymore, but that doesn’t change what he wants to say. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me, then.”
Sumire can’t help feeling the weight of those words, but they unlock some secret reservoir of courage she didn’t know she had in her chest, prompting what she does next.
“Stay with me forever, then, Ren.” She tips her head up, and brings one her hands to Ren’s neck, pulling him down into a shy, sweet kiss.
He returns it eagerly, but eventually he has to pull away for breath. Still, he doesn't want to separate himself from her, and he rests his lips against her forehead as he breathes his wishes against her skin. “Always.”