Baseball and the Azure Blue Sky

Chapter 13: Baseball Idiots and battery partners

"Ready?" the catcher teased and she groaned.

"Kill me!"

"Later, maybe..."

"Just... get that shit-eating grin out of your face for God's sake! I'm seriously so not in the mood today...!"

"Ehhh, but I'm glad I'm finally able to catch again..." the brown haired captain pouted playfully and earned a prominent frown on Sora's troubled face.

"You can catch my fist with your face if you keep going on like that!"

"Heh... someone's grumpy today"

"And exactly whose fault is that?!" The blue haired girl glared at her captain meaningfully, but his facial expression was only full of glee and innocence.

"Wanna warm up together?"

"Hell, no!"

Miyuki raised his eyebrows at his soon to be battery partner. The blue head's answer had been deadly serious despite their usual bickering and for the first time the young captain recognized Sora's trembling hands and the flash of worry clouding the bright blue eyes.

"Ah, sorry captain, no offense, but let me have a moment for myself, please. I need to find my focus and I have to concentrate on my own before I pitch to you. But you could do me the favor and talk to coach Kataoka so that he can give us his orders on which kinds of pitches he wants to see from me"

"Sora..."

"Hm?"

The two of them stopped walking shortly before entering the bullpen. Miyuki scratched the back of his head a little uncomfortably. Cheering people up wasn't really his thing, so he struggled to find the right words.

"Uhm..."

"It's alright, Kaz. Just go and do your stretches properly, will you. Can't have our captain getting injured again, right?!"

"Aw, Sora! No need to be so worried 'bout me, I'm completely recovered and full of energy. Also partly thanks to you, by the way"

"If you're not careful you could actually sound like you wanted to praise me, captain", the young girl teased back in a sweet voice.

"Don't get used to it", Miyuki gave back casually.

"Sure as hell not! If you started being nice all of a sudden I'd truly be worried this time!"

"Oi, oi..."

The blue haired girl shot her captain beside her a short glance and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Everything would be okay! She had her plan. It would work out just fine. Yeah, like Takigawa had assured her.

"Let's go warm up!" she finally breathed out.

"Right, see ya in a few then"

"Ah, captain. Almost forgot. Ask coach which hand he wants me to throw with"

"Huh?!"

Sora suppressed a snort. Miyuki's face was definitely priceless.

"I'm telling you to ask the coach if he wants me to pitch right or left. Do I have to write it down?!"

Honestly, what was with his reaction?

"Wait a sec..." Miyuki held up a hand. "You wanna tell me you're ambidextrous?!"

"Well, yes. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't ask you to let the coach choose", the blue head replied flatly, not understanding why her captain was making such a big deal out of it.