[FIC] The Wrong Way to Boost Morale (8059; PG)
Title: The Wrong Way to Boost Morale
by: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: Katekyou Hitman Reborn
Pairing: 8059
Rating: PG for Gokudera’s language
Disclaimer: Katekyou Hitman Reborn (c) Amano Akira
Warnings: might have subtle references to a baseball anime
Notes: for B-san morphaileffect, because she forced me ;_;.
Baseball is a sport depending on a team’s unity. When a team has good chemistry, chances are, they can win the game. Skills, stats and stamina are important, but the relationship between the members of a team is the most important of them all. Anyone who plays baseball learns the importance of this “brotherhood” at the core of their training. Anyone who plays the game knows that when a game is close, the team’s unity is the one controlling the scores.
But sometimes, a game doesn’t go the way a team wants it despite having skills, stats, stamina and unity. That’s because they lack support. When outside support for a team doesn’t exist, they are not inspired, not motivated. It is the reason why schools have cheering squads -- raising a player’s morale can do wonders to his performance.
---
Yamamoto stepped into the field, stretching. They were currently in the middle of a baseball game against a team he hadn’t heard of before. He would be at bat after two batters. He could feel the pressure rising to his shoulders. Being a clean-up hitter was a big responsibility.
He scanned the crowd. A lot of supporters for the opposing team came, waving their banners and playing their songs. They must have been quite the underdog in the previous games. Yamamoto winced. Their cheering team was lacking due to upcoming exams and school events. It was quite sad, not being able to hear a lot of cheers from their schoolmates, but the coach said they just had to maintain their team cooperation and they’ll be fine.
Yamamoto turned his eyes towards the opponent pitcher. He looked a bit nervous, not to mention jumpy, and kept fidgeting in between pitches. Despite that, he seemed very confident of his pitches -- he should be since no one managed to make contact with the ball yet. He also seemed dependent on the catcher, always looking at the him and nodding to his every instruction.
The catcher, on the other hand, seemed confident of his calls -- too confident even. He was composed and calm, and it made their battery a bit like polar opposites. Still, no one can deny the fact that their chemistry worked well against Yamamoto’s team. Well, they wouldn’t be able to go past their first opponent, the previous champions, if they weren’t great.
Yamamoto knew, he was batting against one of the best batteries in the league. And knowing wasn’t really making him feel any better. He could feel the confidence in him drifting away, but he wouldn’t tell anyone that. With an apologetic smile, he told his teammates that he just needed a toilet break.
He washed his face in the men’s room and stared at his reflection. “No, this won’t do, Takeshi,” he told himself. “You have to support your team. Don’t be intimidated...”
“You idiot.”
Yamamoto looked up in surprise and saw someone else reflected on the mirror. “Go-Gokudera?”
“Who else do you think? The god of baseball?” Gokudera sulkily approached him and held out something “Why are you talking to yourself? Scared by that wimp of a team out there?” He snickered, enjoying his own joke.
Yamamoto had to laugh. Gokudera, always so clueless about baseball. “Well, I might be. What about you? Didn’t you say you don’t like baseball?” While he was surprised by the young man’s appearance in the bathroom, he was more surprised that Gokudera decided to watch after all.
“Yeah,” Gokudera made a little wave with his hand. “I hate it. Stupid sport.”
The baseball idiot had to grin. “So...what are you doing here?” he asked as he leaned against the wall.
Caught in his own trap, Gokudera could only stutter. “W-We...Well, everyone’s going to watch so I d-decided to go with the Tenth...” Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle with the way Yamamoto grinned at him, he could only heave a deep breath and press what he was carrying on Yamamoto’s chest. “Here. The Tenth asked me to give it to you.”
Yamamoto turned the object over in his hands. It was a charm, very much like the ones bought in temples, but this one had a strip of paper wound over it. The strip of paper had writings, his friends’ writings, on it. Some urged him good luck, some told him to fight to the extreme, some told him to remember they’re there to cheer for him, and a particular one threatened to have him killed if he lost. “You guys...you made this for me?” Yamamoto asked, happily reading all the messages.
“Yeah.” Gokudera placed his hands in his pants pockets. “The Tenth thought you could use some encouragement, and since we passed by a temple on the way here, we -- they decided to buy a good luck charm and went blahblah writing on paper and stuff.”
Yamamoto pressed the other boy on. “But you signed it, too, right?”
“S-So what?” Gokudera asked, leaning against the opposite wall. “Everyone signed it. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is...” he looked at Yamamoto, “you have to win this. Or else.”
Laughing, the baseball nut stood up straight and walked towards his visitor. “Or else what?” he asked, approaching Gokudera until they were only a few inches away from each other.
Gokudera crossed his arms over his chest. “Or else I’ll kill you, idiot, for making the Tenth lose his pride like that. You have to uphold the Vongola name or...”
Whatever Gokudera said about Tsuna or the Vongola, Yamamoto’s mind did not register it. All he knew was that Gokudera’s there, standing in front of him. He wasn’t there because Tsuna forced him to. He was there because he wanted to watch the game. The game he knew nothing about.
Instinctively, Yamamoto pushed forward to press his lips on Gokudera’s. Gokudera made a weird noise at the back of his throat and tried to move away, but his arms were pinned between their bodies. Eventually, he gave up trying to move away, and Yamamoto took the submission as a sign that he can wrap his arms around the other boy.
The kiss was brief, but both of them were red in the face and out of breath when it ended. “I-F...fucking idiot!” Gokudera hissed as he pulled away from Yamamoto’s embrace. “I’ll kill you now if ...”
“But I have a game to play, remember?” Yamamoto said, ruffling Gokudera’s hair, much to the other’s annoyance. “It’ll be the last, I promise...”
“It better be the last one, fucker! That’s the fifth time you’ve said it!” Gokudera exclaimed, trying his best to lower his voice despite his rage. “N-Next time...” he turned around towards the exit. “There wouldn’t be a next time.”
“Ne, Gokudera.”
Gokudera stopped walking and turned his head sideways. “What?”
Yamamoto stared at the charm on his hand. “If I win this game, will you like baseball more?”
“I don’t even like it in the first place. How will I know if I can like it more?!”
Yamamoto grinned. “Yeah, I guess. Then...will you like me more?”
There was silence between them for a moment.
“...Idiot. You don’t ask that kind of questions.”
And with that, Gokudera disappeared, leaving Yamamoto alone and smiling widely. It was wrong to be motivated like this, but right now, Yamamoto’s pumped up to do his best and make the audience, especially that certain one, watch him with awe.
Maybe, if he showed off a little, Gokudera will appreciate baseball more.
Maybe, Gokudera will like him just a little more.
Today, Yamamoto thought, winning had never sounded so appealing.
.end.
...I was never good at short-notice fanfics unless I am inspired ;;... Sorry, B-san T_T, it sucked/dragged a bit. It...was long LOL.
by: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: Katekyou Hitman Reborn
Pairing: 8059
Rating: PG for Gokudera’s language
Disclaimer: Katekyou Hitman Reborn (c) Amano Akira
Warnings: might have subtle references to a baseball anime
Notes: for B-san morphaileffect, because she forced me ;_;.
Baseball is a sport depending on a team’s unity. When a team has good chemistry, chances are, they can win the game. Skills, stats and stamina are important, but the relationship between the members of a team is the most important of them all. Anyone who plays baseball learns the importance of this “brotherhood” at the core of their training. Anyone who plays the game knows that when a game is close, the team’s unity is the one controlling the scores.
But sometimes, a game doesn’t go the way a team wants it despite having skills, stats, stamina and unity. That’s because they lack support. When outside support for a team doesn’t exist, they are not inspired, not motivated. It is the reason why schools have cheering squads -- raising a player’s morale can do wonders to his performance.
---
Yamamoto stepped into the field, stretching. They were currently in the middle of a baseball game against a team he hadn’t heard of before. He would be at bat after two batters. He could feel the pressure rising to his shoulders. Being a clean-up hitter was a big responsibility.
He scanned the crowd. A lot of supporters for the opposing team came, waving their banners and playing their songs. They must have been quite the underdog in the previous games. Yamamoto winced. Their cheering team was lacking due to upcoming exams and school events. It was quite sad, not being able to hear a lot of cheers from their schoolmates, but the coach said they just had to maintain their team cooperation and they’ll be fine.
Yamamoto turned his eyes towards the opponent pitcher. He looked a bit nervous, not to mention jumpy, and kept fidgeting in between pitches. Despite that, he seemed very confident of his pitches -- he should be since no one managed to make contact with the ball yet. He also seemed dependent on the catcher, always looking at the him and nodding to his every instruction.
The catcher, on the other hand, seemed confident of his calls -- too confident even. He was composed and calm, and it made their battery a bit like polar opposites. Still, no one can deny the fact that their chemistry worked well against Yamamoto’s team. Well, they wouldn’t be able to go past their first opponent, the previous champions, if they weren’t great.
Yamamoto knew, he was batting against one of the best batteries in the league. And knowing wasn’t really making him feel any better. He could feel the confidence in him drifting away, but he wouldn’t tell anyone that. With an apologetic smile, he told his teammates that he just needed a toilet break.
He washed his face in the men’s room and stared at his reflection. “No, this won’t do, Takeshi,” he told himself. “You have to support your team. Don’t be intimidated...”
“You idiot.”
Yamamoto looked up in surprise and saw someone else reflected on the mirror. “Go-Gokudera?”
“Who else do you think? The god of baseball?” Gokudera sulkily approached him and held out something “Why are you talking to yourself? Scared by that wimp of a team out there?” He snickered, enjoying his own joke.
Yamamoto had to laugh. Gokudera, always so clueless about baseball. “Well, I might be. What about you? Didn’t you say you don’t like baseball?” While he was surprised by the young man’s appearance in the bathroom, he was more surprised that Gokudera decided to watch after all.
“Yeah,” Gokudera made a little wave with his hand. “I hate it. Stupid sport.”
The baseball idiot had to grin. “So...what are you doing here?” he asked as he leaned against the wall.
Caught in his own trap, Gokudera could only stutter. “W-We...Well, everyone’s going to watch so I d-decided to go with the Tenth...” Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle with the way Yamamoto grinned at him, he could only heave a deep breath and press what he was carrying on Yamamoto’s chest. “Here. The Tenth asked me to give it to you.”
Yamamoto turned the object over in his hands. It was a charm, very much like the ones bought in temples, but this one had a strip of paper wound over it. The strip of paper had writings, his friends’ writings, on it. Some urged him good luck, some told him to fight to the extreme, some told him to remember they’re there to cheer for him, and a particular one threatened to have him killed if he lost. “You guys...you made this for me?” Yamamoto asked, happily reading all the messages.
“Yeah.” Gokudera placed his hands in his pants pockets. “The Tenth thought you could use some encouragement, and since we passed by a temple on the way here, we -- they decided to buy a good luck charm and went blahblah writing on paper and stuff.”
Yamamoto pressed the other boy on. “But you signed it, too, right?”
“S-So what?” Gokudera asked, leaning against the opposite wall. “Everyone signed it. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is...” he looked at Yamamoto, “you have to win this. Or else.”
Laughing, the baseball nut stood up straight and walked towards his visitor. “Or else what?” he asked, approaching Gokudera until they were only a few inches away from each other.
Gokudera crossed his arms over his chest. “Or else I’ll kill you, idiot, for making the Tenth lose his pride like that. You have to uphold the Vongola name or...”
Whatever Gokudera said about Tsuna or the Vongola, Yamamoto’s mind did not register it. All he knew was that Gokudera’s there, standing in front of him. He wasn’t there because Tsuna forced him to. He was there because he wanted to watch the game. The game he knew nothing about.
Instinctively, Yamamoto pushed forward to press his lips on Gokudera’s. Gokudera made a weird noise at the back of his throat and tried to move away, but his arms were pinned between their bodies. Eventually, he gave up trying to move away, and Yamamoto took the submission as a sign that he can wrap his arms around the other boy.
The kiss was brief, but both of them were red in the face and out of breath when it ended. “I-F...fucking idiot!” Gokudera hissed as he pulled away from Yamamoto’s embrace. “I’ll kill you now if ...”
“But I have a game to play, remember?” Yamamoto said, ruffling Gokudera’s hair, much to the other’s annoyance. “It’ll be the last, I promise...”
“It better be the last one, fucker! That’s the fifth time you’ve said it!” Gokudera exclaimed, trying his best to lower his voice despite his rage. “N-Next time...” he turned around towards the exit. “There wouldn’t be a next time.”
“Ne, Gokudera.”
Gokudera stopped walking and turned his head sideways. “What?”
Yamamoto stared at the charm on his hand. “If I win this game, will you like baseball more?”
“I don’t even like it in the first place. How will I know if I can like it more?!”
Yamamoto grinned. “Yeah, I guess. Then...will you like me more?”
There was silence between them for a moment.
“...Idiot. You don’t ask that kind of questions.”
And with that, Gokudera disappeared, leaving Yamamoto alone and smiling widely. It was wrong to be motivated like this, but right now, Yamamoto’s pumped up to do his best and make the audience, especially that certain one, watch him with awe.
Maybe, if he showed off a little, Gokudera will appreciate baseball more.
Maybe, Gokudera will like him just a little more.
Today, Yamamoto thought, winning had never sounded so appealing.
.end.
...I was never good at short-notice fanfics unless I am inspired ;;... Sorry, B-san T_T, it sucked/dragged a bit. It...was long LOL.