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Eijun found him where he expected he would, at the end of the bar staring into a vodka tonic or one of those other western mixed drinks he had an affinity for. As much as he hated to admit it, Eijun didn’t really mind the taste, and actually considered them drinkable. Almost.
Sliding onto the barstool next to Kazuya, he motioned for the bartender to bring him a drink, the same one that Kazuya was currently attempting to view the future in.
“That’s pretty brave, you don’t even know what I’m drinking.” Kazuya commented, not looking up from his contemplation.
‘Well, it’s clear, so it’s vodka.” Eijun responded, knowing Kazuya didn’t like gin, “So I’m good.”
The bartender returned and set the drink in front of Eijun. He handed over his credit card to start a tab, indicating both his and Kazuya’s drinks were included. Kazuya snorted, slanting his eyes towards Eijun.
“Are you sure you can afford this, Bakamura?”
Eijun met his eyes, and answered mildly, “Yes, I can. I make more money than you, remember?”
“Only because you’re so damned flashy with those stupid golden eyes and that idiot grin and insane pitches. You still can’t hit a ball for shit, and god knows where you’d be without a good catcher.”
“None of that is untrue, Kaz. Good think I have you catching for me, right?”
“Maybe not for much longer.” Kazuya returned to contemplating the world contained in his—Eijun took a sip, as he suspected—vodka and soda.
“We played a bad game, but it’s just one game. They know what they have in you, Kaz, they’re never going to let you go.”
“So you say, golden boy.”
“Are you being serious? If they’re idiots enough to even contemplate letting go, I’ll leave as well. There are tons of teams that would die to have us.” Kazuya let out a snort of agreeance. ”What’s really wrong?”
Kazuya grimaced and gave in.“I’ve been thinking, Ei. We’ve been playing for what, ten years? Not counting Seido and college? My knees are almost shot, they ache all the time.”
“Oh, Kaz.” Eijun sighed. “Maybe it is time to retire. I don’t want you to destroy yourself for a game, it’s not that important. If you want to stop, please do. I honestly don’t know how much time I have left in my shoulder, either, especially after that last injury. I recovered, but it’s still a little off.”
“I just...I’m worried about us. What happens when I stop playing?”
“Huh? What does that have to do with anything? Please don’t tell me you think our relationship is only valid if we both play? Would you dump me if I got injured and couldn’t play any more?”
“No, but..”
“‘No, but’ nothing, Miyuki Kazuya. Why would you think I would view our relationship any differently? Do you still only see your self-worth in terms of baseball and what you can bring to the team?” Eijun fumed, sipping at his drink.
Kazuya chuckled, abashedly. “You’re absolutely right, and I’m an idiot.” He leaned over and kissed his husband on the cheek. “Come home with me.”
“Yeah, we’d better go, we’re not going to be able to afford this place soon.” Eijun snarked, motioning for the check, signing it and leaving a generous tip. It was their favorite bar, and they were there often.
Kazuya smirked. “Maybe not. Maybe you can become my sugar daddy, what do you think about that?” Eijun laughed.
“I think that’s not really the way those things work, Kaz.” They walked out the door of the bar, headed for their apartment down the street.
“What about kids?” Kazuya broached the subject that had been on his mind for the last few months. He wanted kids. They’d spoken about them in terms of ‘maybe’ and ‘in the future’, but he was at the point where he wanted them soon, and if he was leaving baseball, he could dedicate his time to them.
Eijun came to a dead halt, turning towards Kazuya. “You want them soon, huh?” Eijun had seen the signs and had been waiting for Kazuya to bring it up. “If you’re retiring, you could be a stay at home dad, if that’s what you’d want. We have more money saved than we know what to do with, Kaz, and we could afford it. I have the vast majority of my signing bonus coming at the end of the season, as well. Whenever you’d like, we can start weighing our options.”
For the first time that night, Kazuya smiled.