#thebatter

“.. but certainly not in this lifetime, is it?” you muse with a soft laugh, your gaze shifting to meet his features. Yet even as the words leave your lips, you are acutely aware of the subtle ache underlying your question.

A vulnerability you strive to conceal, hoping ganji might not notice. Still, your eyes betray you, carrying a quiet yearning, a plea for reassurance that perhaps, in this timeline— there might be a chance for something to bloom between the two of you.

How could you possibly conceal your emotions anyway? When the very eyes you silently adore and observe seem to reflect the same longing. But you never intended to push further.

You understood ganji’s past, the weight he carried, and you had no desire to neglect that. So in an act of quiet consideration, you chose to push your feelings aside.

Yet in this moment, you cannot help but silently plead— to allow yourself, just this once, the selfishness of wanting more for the two of you.

“definitely not.” ganji retorts, slipping a subtle sigh as his gaze shifts away from your figure. Silence momentarily hangs in the air. Then, his voice breaks it once more. “.. but does that even matter in this moment, though?”

You turn your head toward him, his words lingering in your mind. “.. what does that imply?” you ask, receiving a scoff from the batter as he averts his gaze for a fleeting moment before his eyes meets yours again. You observe the faint nervousness in his expression, a hesitance tightening in his chest as he gazes at you.

“.. just this once,” ganji murmurs, his voice quieter, “forget that we’re in this hell. Just think about us— just you and me.”