The Demon Within - Chapter 01
Main Pairing: Hiruma / Sena
Rating: NC-17 (Overall)
Author's Note: We started writing this... about two and a half years ago and finished it... about a year and a half ago, meaning that when we started, Eyeshield 21 was just past the Death March and we didn't incorporate anything that happened in the series after that, so forgive anything that doesn't match up with what has happened in the series since then.
Warnings: Slight instances of non-con and attempted rape.
Summary: The Devil Bats have won the Christmas Bowl. It is now time for the second years to retire and focus on their senior studies. But Hiruma isn't ready to leave the team, and Sena isn't ready to see him go.
The Demon Within
By Nightmare and Winged Dreamer
Chapter 1
All was quiet in the Deimon Devil Bats clubhouse, save for the sound of plastic pages being turned and the occasional forlorn sigh from the clubhouse's lone occupant. Sena sat at the table in the meeting room, sifting through a tall pile of photos from the past year and organizing them to put them away in albums. The only ones he had left to go through were the photos taken at the Christmas Bowl.
The Devil Bats had won the Christmas Bowl three months ago, achieving their goal by just a few points in a grueling fight. It had been the league's biggest upset ever, and the Devil Bat's best performance. There wasn't a high school Amefuto fan in Japan who didn't know the Devil Bats and Eyeshield 21 now, much to Sena's embarrassed pride. He'd come a long way since first joining the team a year ago. Everyone talked about how excited they were to see the Devil Bats again in the next Christmas Bowl.
There was just one problem with that… As of today, the last day of the school year, the team was losing some of its most important members. Hiruma, Kurita, Musashi, Ishimaru, and Yukimitsu were all going to be seniors next year, and seniors were forbidden from participating in extracurriculars because they had to study for college entrance exams. Without Hiruma's skills as a captain and quarterback, Kurita's power as a lineman, and Musashi's powerful kick, the Devil Bats would be at a severe disadvantage in the coming season, one they probably wouldn't be able to recover from.
Sena found a picture of the team holding up the Christmas Bowl trophy seconds after they'd won it and paused, his gaze lingering as he remembered the rush of ecstasy he'd felt in that moment. Their months of hard work had paid off and they'd achieved the ultimate goal. Next year their goal would be to defend their title, but… without Hiruma, Kurita, and Musashi, would they really be able to? Hiruma, especially.
Hiruma… He was the one Sena would miss the most. The demonic blond wasn't just a member of the team - he was the team. Their true ace. Without him, no one would ever have gained the motivation to become as good as they were now. It was Hiruma who made them test their limits, Hiruma who kept them afloat when they were so sure they'd sink, Hiruma who never once let them give up for anything… Hiruma who always kept them believing they could do anything if they gave it their all. Without Hiruma, there was no Deimon Devil Bats.
Sadly, Sena traced Hiruma's figure in the photo, wishing there was some way he could stay. Over the past year, Sena had developed a deep respect and loyalty for his captain and considered him one of his most important friends, if not the most important. He just couldn't imagine not being able to see Hiruma every day. The very thought made him ache in ways he'd never ached before. A single tear dropped onto the photo and Sena quickly brushed it away, still staring at Hiruma's face. How would the team survive next year without him?
The peace of the late afternoon was shattered by the hiss of the sliding door of the Devil Bats' main office as it was literally forced open by an all too familiar foot. A long shadow fell into the room, its usual demonic flare hampered by the large duffle bags slung over Hiruma's shoulder. The former quarterback paused for only a moment in the doorway before stepping in, a green sugarless bubble of gum inflated before his lips. He looked bored or irritated. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Once inside the clubhouse, Hiruma stopped and let the duffels fall to the floor. Sharp, calculating eyes narrowed as they took in the scene before him.
The kuso chibi at the table looked fucking pathetic with tears hanging off his lashes and the fucking mopiest look on his face that Hiruma had yet seen. Lifting his chin just a little in aloof annoyance, the Devil Bats' foremost founding member popped the bubble of gum and sucked the nearly flavorless goo back into his mouth.
"What the hell is your problem, kuso chibi?"
"H-Hiruma-san!" Surprised to have the one he'd just been thinking about standing before him, Sena quickly scrubbed the tears from his eyes and shook his head. "N-nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about next year, that's all. What are you doing here?"
The devil's eyes narrowed a little further in suspicion, but he kicked the duffle bags at his feet and shoved his hands in his school uniform's trouser pockets. "Came to get my and the fatass' stuff. Porker's a fucking wreck."
"Yeah… Well… You and Kurita-san can't play next year," murmured Sena, his face falling as he looked back to the photo in his hand. Would there be one of the Devil Bats holding up the Christmas Bowl trophy next year?
Silence. Then a scoff.
"Is that what this is about you stupid, fucking midget?" This was ridiculous. There was no reason that the idiot secretary should be upset. He still had his yearmates to play with him. He still had the upcoming first years to recruit. Hell, with their success in the Christmas Bowl this year, the Deimon Devil Bats would be fending off moron after moron, screening potential players and having actual tryouts. What the fuck did this dope have to bawl about?
"The team won't be the same without you, Hiruma-san. You're the reason we made it to the Christmas Bowl and won." Sena held up the photo so Hiruma could see it. "With you gone…" The small teen flipped the photo back towards himself, then carefully tucked it into an album.
Long, surprisingly gentle fingers tangled in messy brown hair, tipping Sena's head back so that large brown eyes met with lazily slitted blue-green. Hiruma's voice was low and far more serious than it had ever been in the past. "I'm leaving that responsibility to you, Eyeshield 21."
The fucking shrimp didn't know it, but he'd more than earned Hiruma's respect within the past year. The kid had balls and a fighting spirit to go with them. If he weren't such a fucking pushover most of the time, Hiruma didn't have any doubt that Kobayakawa Sena would've have been just fine on his own… eventually. Amefuto had just set him on that path of self-confidence and independence all the sooner.
"U-un…" That declaration drove it home even harder that Hiruma wasn't going to be around anymore and Sena jumped up, flinging himself at the older teen and catching him in a tight hug, his face burrowed in Hiruma's shirt to hide his tears.
Hiruma wasn't sure what had possessed the little idiot, but this wasn't something he had the capacity to deal with. Small shoulders shook beneath his hands - how the fuck they'd ended up on the fucking shrimp's shoulders he had no clue - and he gave them an almost awkward squeeze. He supposed it could have been worse. It could have been that damn manager bawling on him like this. Bowing his head to look at the Sena's messy russet crown, Hiruma let out a small sigh, looked towards the ceiling and popped another bubble, snapping his gum. A small delay in the clearing out of his and the fatass' lockers wouldn't kill him.
Eventually, Sena regained his composure and released Hiruma, sniffling quietly as he scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Sorry, I just…" He let out a shaky sigh. "I just can't picture the team without you and knowing that you can't be with us anymore is… I'm going to miss you, Hiruma-san." The words were quiet and shy, almost embarrassed, but completely honest.
When the midget was finished yakking, Hiruma lowered his gaze to the fucking secretary's downcast face. The popping sound of another bubble seemed to echo in the quiet clubhouse office and then Hiruma was turning, stepping over the duffels and heading for the locker room. "Get your ass in here, fucking chibi. Clean out that fatass' locker."
"U-un." Sena wiped the last bit of moisture from his eyes as he followed Hiruma, realized he'd left the duffels behind and quickly went back to grab them, then trailed Hiruma into the locker room. At least he'd get to spend a little more time with him.
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A visit to Kurita made Sena even more depressed. After cleaning out the lockers, he and Hiruma had gone to Kurita's house to drop off his stuff, and the large boy had been an absolute wreck, crying and hugging Sena until the small running back couldn't breathe. Now with one of Hiruma's duffels over his shoulder, Sena silently followed without question or a care as to where they were going, looking down at the ground and trying not to think of next year.
Hiruma kept one ear on the sounds of shuffling feet behind him while the rest of his attention observed their surroundings. The last thing he wanted was some dumbshit following him home where they could potentially get blackmail on him. He'd always wondered if someone would dare to use such a fucking stupid tactic, but he didn't want to give any dumbass who might have half a brain in his head that kind of opportunity, and so he jealously guarded the location of his residence.
And yet here he was, leading the little idiot secretary right to it. What kind of a moron was he?
Sena didn't even notice when Hiruma led him into a building and up a couple flights of stairs. In fact, he only stopped when he bumped into Hiruma's suddenly still back. Snapping out of his daze with a quiet grunt, he looked up and saw that they were standing in front of an apartment door… with the number 666 on it. Dreading what might be beyond that door, Sena grew a little pale and stammered, "Ano, Hiruma-san… where are we?"
"Where the hell do you think, kuso chibi?" Hiruma snapped, irritated with himself for making this retarded decision. There wasn't anything he could do about it now and that just pissed him off even more. Once the door was unlocked, the demonic looking teen practically kicked it in and strode right through, heading straight for the door on the left side of what appeared to be a rather normal looking living room.
Stunned, Sena just stood in the doorway and stared. There was no fire, no lava, no rock walls, no stalactites, no screams of tortured souls… Instead of the hellish picture everybody had always given him of Hiruma's place, he saw a large, neat living room with dark wood flooring and a plush rug. There was a very comfortable-looking couch in the middle of the room, in front of which sat a large coffee table. On the right-hand wall was a huge entertainment center with a big-screen TV and elaborate stereo and rows upon rows of DVDs. On the left-hand wall, behind the couch, was a set of double doors, one of which Hiruma had left partially open in his wake. Beyond the living room was a small kitchenette with only the minimum appliances, a table, and two chairs. The place looked… normal. Did Hiruma really live here?!
"Shut the fucking door, kuso chibi!" Hiruma bellowed from the bedroom. "And get your ass in here with my shit!"
"Y-yes, sir!" Like a trained soldier, Sena immediately did as asked, shutting the front door behind him and trotting over to the room where Hiruma was. A look inside revealed a huge and, again, very normal-looking bedroom. Sena gaped at the lavish king size bed, but somehow wasn't too surprised. It only made sense that Hiruma would spoil himself like that.
"Shut your mouth, idiot," Hiruma grumbled as he took the bag from Sena and tossed it next to the other one by his closet. "What do you want to eat?"
Without a second thought, the blond tossed his green uniform blazer onto the bed and sat, toeing off his socks as he undid the buttons of his shirt. The white cotton soon joined the blazer, leaving the slender quarterback in his slacks and white tank top. The belt landed with a metal-on-wood thunk on Hiruma's desk and then he was turning back to Sena, at ease and ready for some downtime. He was fucking starving.
"Eat?" Was Hiruma playing host now?!
"It's dinnertime. What the hell do you want to eat?!" Picking up the cordless phone from its charger on the nightstand, Hiruma tossed a small booklet at Sena from the top drawer. It had been ingrained in him that when someone was invited to his home, he would be courteous. Uninvited guests were another story entirely, but… the short-shit needed a little cheering up and as much as Hiruma would rather blow his own brains out before admitting it, seeing the shrimp so down was kind of annoying.
Cowed by Hiruma's tone, Sena looked down at the booklet and saw it was a collection of take-out menus from a variety of restaurants. Feeling the familiar weight of Hiruma's impatient stare, he quickly picked out the first cheap meal he saw, not wanting to take advantage of his teammate's obviously grudging hospitality. This whole situation was so strange and out of place Sena didn't even think to politely refuse Hiruma and run home, mostly out of curiosity to see what the tall blond was like outside of school and football practice.
The phone conversation was short, Hiruma barking their orders into the phone and hanging up before the person on the other end could give him the total. Carelessly dropping the cordless handset back into the charger cradle, he strode out of the bedroom and immediately found the couch, falling back onto it with a grunt. "It'll be a few minutes. Pick a movie or something."
"Okay." Beginning to feel a little at ease thanks to the lack of Hiruma's beloved AK-47, the smaller teen went over to the entertainment center and looked over the DVD selection, searching for something interesting. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple dog bowls in the corner of the kitchenette.
"Hiruma-san, where's Cerberos?" Sena was surprised he hadn't seen the scruffy dog yet, and there weren't many places in this small apartment where he could be hiding. If anything, Cerberos probably should have attacked him by now for just setting foot into Hiruma's domain.
"On the balcony. He likes being outside. He'll come in when the delivery boy knocks." Hiruma's grin was completely evil. Delivery boys only came to his apartment once. He liked it that way.
Sena couldn't help but sweatdrop. That was so like them. Delivery boys probably dreaded this apartment. "I see. How about this one?" He pulled out a decent looking movie and held it up for Hiruma to see.
"Whatever," Hiruma grunted and threw his sinewy bare feet up onto the coffee table. "Just hurry the hell up and sit down."
Rolling his eyes in wry amusement once his back was turned to Hiruma, Sena put the DVD into the player - very thankful this player was identical to the one in the clubhouse - and sat down next to his teammate, being careful not to sit too close.
The movie had barely gotten underway when Hiruma hit the pause button. He knew the shuffle of nervous feet outside his apartment door when he heard it. Seconds later, a knock sounded and when Hiruma rose from the couch to answer Cerberos was already there, looking over his stout little shoulder at him. Grinning, Hiruma grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.
In the chaos that ensued, Hiruma acquired the take out from the delivery boy just before Cerberos chased him down the hallway. After a few minutes of checking everything to make sure it was there, Hiruma drew a deep breath and called his rabid mutt back into the apartment, then locked the door and carried the food to the coffee table. Cerberos jumped up on the couch at the end Sena didn't occupy already and sat there, staring at and slathering over the food as Hiruma laid everything out and tossed a pair of chopsticks to his guest. Picking up a carton of fried rice, Hiruma dug right in and hit play on the remote again.
'S-scary… He didn't even pay!' Wondering just how many places Hiruma was driving into bankruptcy and very glad he'd picked something cheap, Sena murmured, "Itadakimasu," and started on his egg rolls. He felt a pair of eyes on him and turned his head to see Cerberos watching him, eager tail wagging as he waited for the human to drop something. Unable to resist a small smirk, Sena pulled out a crab dumpling and tossed it over, watching it vanish into that gaping maw. Just like his master, Cerberos wasn't so bad once you got used to him… and as long as you stayed on his - and more importantly Hiruma's - good side.
"Cerberos," Hiruma murmured and threw the dog a strip of meat from the pepper steak he was digging into now. The dog gobbled that right down as well. The mutt had more than earned the meal.
Dinner was soon gone, settling into three content bellies by the time the movie's credits rolled and Hiruma stretched, yawning. White fangs gleamed in the light of the TV, the only light in the room anymore. Glancing over, he smirked when he found his secretary asleep. Reaching over, he gave the shrimp's shoulder a firm shake. "Oi, kuso chibi. It's late."
"Hm? What time is it?" Slowly coming awake, Sena rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he yawned. However, one glance at his watch had him awake in an instant. "Oh no! I was supposed to be home an hour ago! Thanks for dinner, Hiruma-san!" Frantic, he jumped up and dashed over to the door to put his shoes on.
He'd barely gotten the first shoe on when Hiruma gave him a yank at the shoulder, sending him to his ass on the hardwood floor. Cerberos sniffed at him, leash folded neatly in his maw as he waited for Hiruma to pull on his own shoes and coat.
"The stupid mutt needs to be walked anyway," the usually insufferable young man stated and reached down to take the black leather handle of the lead in one hand and clip the thick chain snap to the dog's collar. Then he looked down at Sena. "What the hell is taking you so fucking long, kuso chibi?"
"S-sorry!" Sena scrambled to pull his shoes on and stood up, following Hiruma out of the apartment. Outside, the smaller teen looked around at the buildings around Hiruma's and managed to orient himself. He actually wasn't that far from home, to his surprise. A glance at Hiruma didn't tell him which way the blond was planning to go to walk Cerberos, but Sena figured it was in the opposite direction of his house since there was a park that way, while his house was closer to the main city. "My house is that way, so I guess I'll see you later, ne, Hiruma-san?"
Hiruma looked back over his shoulder from down the street. "Are you coming or not, kuso chibi?"
Cerberos trotted at Hiruma's heel as the long legged demon ambled away from the apartment. It was late enough that most of the gangs would be out in force, and he couldn't risk the Deimon Devil Bats' star running back getting injured by some punk ass idiot who didn't know when to leave other people's things alone.
Was Hiruma-? No, he couldn't possibly be offering to walk Sena home. Then again, he'd been acting weird all day… Either Hiruma was just having a weird day, or Sena was dead and receiving special treatment in Hell. Seriously hoping he wasn't dead, the small teen jogged to catch up with his friend. He could at least follow him for a while.
The walk started out a silent one, the only sounds coming from the dog and moving bodies - the slap of shoes on concrete, the rustle of cloth as the two high-schoolers walked along. There were a few gangs collecting here and there, but one look at Sena's "escort" and they looked the other way or fled. No one messed with Hiruma, especially when he had his dog with him, and those that did… suffered.
Oblivious to it all, the running back had found a rock and was kicking it as they walked, making sure to never slow down, just like he'd learned on the Death March. Training never ended for a serious Amefuto player, even in the off season, and Sena was determined to stay in top shape. Even if the new players they would recruit in the new school year weren't all that great, so long as the now second-years continued to improve, maybe - just maybe - they'd make it the Christmas Bowl again.
At last they reached Sena's home. The quarterback didn't even pause at the gate, but kept walking, the mutt glued to his left heel. The fucking shrimp could make it into his house on his own. Hiruma was more than certain of it. About three yards from the front of Sena's home, Hiruma lifted a hand, an unlit as of yet cigarette between his fingers. It was the only farewell Sena was getting and it dropped almost instantly, the blond turning his attention to lighting the cigarette in seconds.
"Oyasumi, Hiruma-san. Thank you again for dinner," called Sena, watching as the quarterback walked away. A sad smile turning up the corners of his lips, he trotted up to the door, still kicking the rock. He really was going to miss Hiruma next year.
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Butterflies fluttered in Sena's stomach as he stood in front of Hiruma's door, fist raised to knock. He'd spent the past few days going around to the other team members and asking them if they wanted to practice in the month they had before the next school year started, and everyone had said yes, including Kurita, who had assured him that they were allowed to use the field while the school was closed. The only one left to ask was Hiruma.
Unsure of whether he'd be welcome on the demon's doorstep, Sena hesitated. Last time he'd been here, it had been through invitation so he'd been safe. Coming here without an invitation was like asking to be shot at, but it was a chance Sena would have to take since asking Hiruma something like this just wouldn't feel right over the phone. The small running back took a deep breath and knocked before he could have any more second thoughts.
A snuffling sound suddenly came from under the door. Cerberos was very obviously checking to see who had dared to come to his master's door when he'd heard no mention of food and it wasn't yet meal time. The snuffling sound ended just as abruptly as it had begun and then there was silence.
The door opened to reveal a barely clad and freshly showered Hiruma, towel over his shoulders to catch water running down the back of his neck from his drooping blond hair. Cerberos would have gone berserk if it wasn't Sena or Kurita… or that bastard old man, so he figured there was nothing to worry about.
"What the fuck do you want, kuso chibi?"
He didn't look mad and he hadn't ordered Cerberos to attack yet, so that had to be a good sign. Sena put on a bright smile. "Hi, Hiruma-san. Everyone's getting together tomorrow on the school field to practice at noon. We were hoping you'd join us."
Turning his back, the former quarterback started walking toward the kitchen. "Shut the fucking door," he snapped.
Recognizing the roundabout invitation for what it was, Sena stepped inside the apartment and shut the door, leaning back against it. To head farther into the space was still risky. "So… uhm, will you come? Everyone's going to be there. Kurita-san and I are going early to set everything up."
At least the team was showing some fucking initiative for a change. He didn't have to chase them around with machine guns all the time. That was a plus. "Why the hell not?" Hiruma grumbled as he pulled out two bottles of water from the fridge and threw one at Sena before taking a seat on the couch.
Bottle in hand, the running back approached the couch and sat down when Hiruma didn't show any signs of resistance. "I was thinking maybe we could go over plays and do a few skirmishes. You know, for fun."
"Fun, hmmmmm?" Hiruma took a sip from his water bottle. "The whole damn team will be there?"
Sena nodded. "Yep. I had to really coax a few people, but everyone said they're going to show up."
A broad, fang-baring grin peeled Hiruma's lips back, healthy pink gums showing at the corners of his mouth as a wicked gleam came into his eyes. His profile looked even sharper than usual, more demonic. "They'll be there."
"A-ano, Hiruma-san," said Sena with a nervous chuckle, not wanting to know what the tall blond was thinking. "They already said they'll show, so… no shooting people, okay? At least not until practice actually starts," he quickly amended.
Piercing eyes snapped to Sena's face as Hiruma's brows furrowed. He frowned, then sneered with a soft, "Tch."
Rising, the living Incubus meandered to the rack of DVDs and randomly pulled one out with careless fingers. The disc found its place in the DVD player and Hiruma then rejoined Sena on the couch. The fucking shrimp was there, so he might as well stay for a little while at least. It wasn't like it was that far from the little wimp's house anyway. Cerberos leapt up onto the couch between them and curled up. Fucking mutt… When had Hiruma given me permission to be on the furniture in the first place?
The smaller teen quietly let out the breath he'd been holding and turned his attention to the movie, surprised yet pleased to know that he was in a sense being asked to stay. The only ones Hiruma had ever let close to him before had been Kurita and Musashi, and for him to allow Sena into that small group of people was a high honor. Feeling a little daring, Sena slowly reached towards Cerberos' ear, hoping the dog would let himself be scratched.
At the first touch of gentle fingers, Cerberos snorted, starting awake. When nothing untoward happened, he laid his head back on his paws and once again closed his eyes.
The entire time Hiruma had been watching out of the corner of his eye, and when Cerberos didn't immediately take Sena's hand off, the former quarterback slowly sank a little in his spot. The fucking mutt was starting to make decisions that Hiruma wasn't sure he was ready to accept.
Sena smiled and contentedly scratched Cerberos' head, starting at the ear and working his way down to under the collar, getting at places the dog probably couldn't get to on his own, at least not easily. Rewarded by a happy snuffle, his smile grew.
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That night Hiruma lay awake unable to sleep for the chaos within his mind. It was happening again. He'd been adamantly trying to avoid it, desperately trying to maintain the distance, to stay aloof and untouchable… and it was still fucking happening. Damn that little shit and his big amber brown eyes! Irritably, Hiruma rolled onto his side. The ceiling hadn't offered him a single fucking clue as to how to deal with this again. Maybe the wall would be more forthcoming.
After that bastard old geezer Musashi, Hiruma had sworn off close relationships. Kurita… wasn't so much a friend as a minion. He wasn't that close to the Porker. Oh, fuck it. Kurita was too kind-hearted to ever even consider abandoning him like the fucking old man and… Damn it, that stupid fucker had no place in this. Shaking his head, the blond turned his mind back on the right track. He owned the lard ass and that was that. Cerberos snorted and Hiruma glanced down at the mutt where it slept on the blankets at the foot of his bed next to his feet. And the dog. He owned the dog, too, but there was a certain understanding where the hell hound was concerned.
Turning angry eyes back to the short wall that protruded from the wall that separated his apartment from the one beside it to make a stand out closet, Hiruma forced his mind back to the problem currently plaguing him. There was no lingering animosity between him and Musashi. There probably should have been, but Hiruma had given it up a while ago, deciding no mortal man was worth that kind of emotion from him.
A glance at the alarm clock revealed it to be nearly six in the morning. This was fucking ridiculous. Throwing back the covers, the demonic-looking youth slid from bed and headed over to the closet. Yanking open the sliding door, he shoved shirts and jerseys aside and stepped through the gaping hole in the wall into another closet full of nothing but football gear. Beyond that second sliding door was sanctuary from all the troubles the universe threw at him.
With a gesture, the lights flickered on and Hiruma felt his characteristically wicked grin tug the corners of his mouth up. At least here, he'd be able to get something other than brooding done. Here he could let his mind churn his troubles into nothing and in a few hours, he'd clean up and go to that damn secretary's practice to play Amefuto a few last times with the team that had followed his will to victory before the humdrum of humanity swallowed him whole.
Kobayakawa Sena… was a lot like Kurita in some ways, Hiruma decided, feeling a little better now that he was up and moving. Too fucking kind for his own damn good, he looked out for those around him more than himself nine times out of ten. Perhaps… perhaps there might be an understanding there as well. After all, the mutt liked the fucking shrimp. Cerberos hadn't taken the kid's hand off tonight when Sena had touched the fiendish hound's ears without the bribe of food. Hiruma would just have to wait and see. There was still one whole fucking year of this stupid high school bullshit left to deal with. He'd take it slow, watch his back, guard himself and see what came of things this time around.
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7:45 am - First Day of the New School Year - Deimon Devil Bats Clubhouse, Main Office
"Recruitment effort MAX!" Monta exclaimed and slammed his large palm down on the roulette table they all sat around. The Huh Huh Sankyoudai barely gave him a glance, carelessly lounging in the corner as they were, and Komusubi just made unintelligible noises of agreement. They had to put their maximum effort forward to recruit new team members from the incoming class of first years. The question was… what would be their strategy?
"Ah-HA-ha! I will go to the gate and attract freshmen here with my amazing looks and skill!" declared Taki, jumping out of his chair to dramatically pose, his jacket pulled open. Everyone just rolled their eyes at him, unfortunately used to his flamboyancy.
Sweatdropping, Sena waved at Taki to sit back down. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Taki-kun. Fliers worked last year, so we can just do that again. There are still some left over from last year. Do we want to use them or make new ones for this year?" All of last year's fliers had Eyeshield 21 as their focus and, while that had worked with flying colors, Sena wanted to focus on the team as a whole this time around. It had been embarrassing to be the Devil Bat's figurehead.
"Mmm," Monta considered the topic with a thoughtful sound as he rubbed his chin. "I think we should stick with our routine from last year and make some new stuff. The more we put in the more we'll get out!"
Juumonji, still sprawled in his chair with his eyes closed, spoke up, commenting, "We could hold a demonstration game with Zokugaku and get an early start on things."
"We could also have a booth like all the other clubs will for the next few days," Toganou added.
Kuroki yawned. "Are the chameleon bastards going to be willing to do that? We don't have Hiruma anymore."
"Maybe if we agree to do two demonstration games - one here and one at Zokugaku," suggested Suzuna. "We could do them both in the same weekend, and that way both teams can recruit."
Sena nodded in agreement. "It's worth a shot. Juumonji-kun, think you three could go over there after school today and ask? We could do them the weekend after next."
"Tch." Juumonji looked off to the side for a second and then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, sure whatever."
"Awesome! Taki and Suzuna can take care of the booth and Sena and I can put up the posters. Komusubi can help, too," Monta stated with a gigantic grin. "We won't need to extort anybody!"
"Yes! Come, my sister! We will prepare the booth!" Grabbing Suzuna's hand, Taki jumped up again and pulled her out of the clubhouse, positively reeking enthusiasm.
A collective sigh of relief echoed in the room at Taki's departure. He may have been an indispensable member of the team, but there was only so much of him everyone could take.
With the main distraction gone, Sena had a chance to remind everybody of what they needed to get done. "Alright, we need to replace Hiruma-san, Kurita-san, Musashi-san, Yukimitsu-san, and Ishimaru-san. Between now and the demonstration games, go around to all the freshmen who look interested in sports and try to see if they have the skill we need. We need a new manager, too."
"Fumo!" Komusubi agreed with a fiercely determined nod.
"Recruitment effort MAX!" Monta exclaimed again and dove for the shelf that contained the remainders of last year's recruitment efforts. Producing the fliers and posters, Monta grabbed up some tape and some pins and divided the items into three even piles. The Huh Huh Sankyoudai were gone by that point, but as far as Monta was concerned their job was far harder and so he couldn't really complain.
"I feel like we're forgetting something," murmured Sena as he took his pile, only to almost drop it when the bell rang. "Class! We're gonna be late for homeroom!" Rushing, he shoved his fliers into his schoolbag. "We can put these up during lunch, we've gotta move!"
"Fumo!!!"
Scrambling, the three of them took off at a dead run for their homerooms. The first day and they were already off to a tardy start. Maybe this year would be tougher than he'd been thinking, Monta wondered as the three of them dashed into their respective classrooms and for a moment, he wished that Hiruma were still a part of the team. The psychotic demon-like sempai really had kept everything perfectly under control. Maybe Monta would miss him just a little after all.
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From his vantage point of a second story window, the principal of Deimon Private High School observed with pleasure the three scrambling students making a mad dash from the overblown club office of the Amefuto team to the school building and their respective homerooms. In that moment, it truly hit home. He would no longer be concerning himself with the goings on of the football club, and although exacting revenge on the Amefuto team was not exacting revenge on Hiruma Youichi… it was a close second. An opportunity that the principal just couldn't pass up since the team was virtually helpless now.
Turning from the window, the principal ambled towards his office, an evil smirk on his lips. Revenge… Even the idea was sweet enough to give him cavities.
On to Chapter 2
Rating: NC-17 (Overall)
Author's Note: We started writing this... about two and a half years ago and finished it... about a year and a half ago, meaning that when we started, Eyeshield 21 was just past the Death March and we didn't incorporate anything that happened in the series after that, so forgive anything that doesn't match up with what has happened in the series since then.
Warnings: Slight instances of non-con and attempted rape.
Summary: The Devil Bats have won the Christmas Bowl. It is now time for the second years to retire and focus on their senior studies. But Hiruma isn't ready to leave the team, and Sena isn't ready to see him go.
The Demon Within
By Nightmare and Winged Dreamer
Chapter 1
All was quiet in the Deimon Devil Bats clubhouse, save for the sound of plastic pages being turned and the occasional forlorn sigh from the clubhouse's lone occupant. Sena sat at the table in the meeting room, sifting through a tall pile of photos from the past year and organizing them to put them away in albums. The only ones he had left to go through were the photos taken at the Christmas Bowl.
The Devil Bats had won the Christmas Bowl three months ago, achieving their goal by just a few points in a grueling fight. It had been the league's biggest upset ever, and the Devil Bat's best performance. There wasn't a high school Amefuto fan in Japan who didn't know the Devil Bats and Eyeshield 21 now, much to Sena's embarrassed pride. He'd come a long way since first joining the team a year ago. Everyone talked about how excited they were to see the Devil Bats again in the next Christmas Bowl.
There was just one problem with that… As of today, the last day of the school year, the team was losing some of its most important members. Hiruma, Kurita, Musashi, Ishimaru, and Yukimitsu were all going to be seniors next year, and seniors were forbidden from participating in extracurriculars because they had to study for college entrance exams. Without Hiruma's skills as a captain and quarterback, Kurita's power as a lineman, and Musashi's powerful kick, the Devil Bats would be at a severe disadvantage in the coming season, one they probably wouldn't be able to recover from.
Sena found a picture of the team holding up the Christmas Bowl trophy seconds after they'd won it and paused, his gaze lingering as he remembered the rush of ecstasy he'd felt in that moment. Their months of hard work had paid off and they'd achieved the ultimate goal. Next year their goal would be to defend their title, but… without Hiruma, Kurita, and Musashi, would they really be able to? Hiruma, especially.
Hiruma… He was the one Sena would miss the most. The demonic blond wasn't just a member of the team - he was the team. Their true ace. Without him, no one would ever have gained the motivation to become as good as they were now. It was Hiruma who made them test their limits, Hiruma who kept them afloat when they were so sure they'd sink, Hiruma who never once let them give up for anything… Hiruma who always kept them believing they could do anything if they gave it their all. Without Hiruma, there was no Deimon Devil Bats.
Sadly, Sena traced Hiruma's figure in the photo, wishing there was some way he could stay. Over the past year, Sena had developed a deep respect and loyalty for his captain and considered him one of his most important friends, if not the most important. He just couldn't imagine not being able to see Hiruma every day. The very thought made him ache in ways he'd never ached before. A single tear dropped onto the photo and Sena quickly brushed it away, still staring at Hiruma's face. How would the team survive next year without him?
The peace of the late afternoon was shattered by the hiss of the sliding door of the Devil Bats' main office as it was literally forced open by an all too familiar foot. A long shadow fell into the room, its usual demonic flare hampered by the large duffle bags slung over Hiruma's shoulder. The former quarterback paused for only a moment in the doorway before stepping in, a green sugarless bubble of gum inflated before his lips. He looked bored or irritated. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference. Once inside the clubhouse, Hiruma stopped and let the duffels fall to the floor. Sharp, calculating eyes narrowed as they took in the scene before him.
The kuso chibi at the table looked fucking pathetic with tears hanging off his lashes and the fucking mopiest look on his face that Hiruma had yet seen. Lifting his chin just a little in aloof annoyance, the Devil Bats' foremost founding member popped the bubble of gum and sucked the nearly flavorless goo back into his mouth.
"What the hell is your problem, kuso chibi?"
"H-Hiruma-san!" Surprised to have the one he'd just been thinking about standing before him, Sena quickly scrubbed the tears from his eyes and shook his head. "N-nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about next year, that's all. What are you doing here?"
The devil's eyes narrowed a little further in suspicion, but he kicked the duffle bags at his feet and shoved his hands in his school uniform's trouser pockets. "Came to get my and the fatass' stuff. Porker's a fucking wreck."
"Yeah… Well… You and Kurita-san can't play next year," murmured Sena, his face falling as he looked back to the photo in his hand. Would there be one of the Devil Bats holding up the Christmas Bowl trophy next year?
Silence. Then a scoff.
"Is that what this is about you stupid, fucking midget?" This was ridiculous. There was no reason that the idiot secretary should be upset. He still had his yearmates to play with him. He still had the upcoming first years to recruit. Hell, with their success in the Christmas Bowl this year, the Deimon Devil Bats would be fending off moron after moron, screening potential players and having actual tryouts. What the fuck did this dope have to bawl about?
"The team won't be the same without you, Hiruma-san. You're the reason we made it to the Christmas Bowl and won." Sena held up the photo so Hiruma could see it. "With you gone…" The small teen flipped the photo back towards himself, then carefully tucked it into an album.
Long, surprisingly gentle fingers tangled in messy brown hair, tipping Sena's head back so that large brown eyes met with lazily slitted blue-green. Hiruma's voice was low and far more serious than it had ever been in the past. "I'm leaving that responsibility to you, Eyeshield 21."
The fucking shrimp didn't know it, but he'd more than earned Hiruma's respect within the past year. The kid had balls and a fighting spirit to go with them. If he weren't such a fucking pushover most of the time, Hiruma didn't have any doubt that Kobayakawa Sena would've have been just fine on his own… eventually. Amefuto had just set him on that path of self-confidence and independence all the sooner.
"U-un…" That declaration drove it home even harder that Hiruma wasn't going to be around anymore and Sena jumped up, flinging himself at the older teen and catching him in a tight hug, his face burrowed in Hiruma's shirt to hide his tears.
Hiruma wasn't sure what had possessed the little idiot, but this wasn't something he had the capacity to deal with. Small shoulders shook beneath his hands - how the fuck they'd ended up on the fucking shrimp's shoulders he had no clue - and he gave them an almost awkward squeeze. He supposed it could have been worse. It could have been that damn manager bawling on him like this. Bowing his head to look at the Sena's messy russet crown, Hiruma let out a small sigh, looked towards the ceiling and popped another bubble, snapping his gum. A small delay in the clearing out of his and the fatass' lockers wouldn't kill him.
Eventually, Sena regained his composure and released Hiruma, sniffling quietly as he scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Sorry, I just…" He let out a shaky sigh. "I just can't picture the team without you and knowing that you can't be with us anymore is… I'm going to miss you, Hiruma-san." The words were quiet and shy, almost embarrassed, but completely honest.
When the midget was finished yakking, Hiruma lowered his gaze to the fucking secretary's downcast face. The popping sound of another bubble seemed to echo in the quiet clubhouse office and then Hiruma was turning, stepping over the duffels and heading for the locker room. "Get your ass in here, fucking chibi. Clean out that fatass' locker."
"U-un." Sena wiped the last bit of moisture from his eyes as he followed Hiruma, realized he'd left the duffels behind and quickly went back to grab them, then trailed Hiruma into the locker room. At least he'd get to spend a little more time with him.
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A visit to Kurita made Sena even more depressed. After cleaning out the lockers, he and Hiruma had gone to Kurita's house to drop off his stuff, and the large boy had been an absolute wreck, crying and hugging Sena until the small running back couldn't breathe. Now with one of Hiruma's duffels over his shoulder, Sena silently followed without question or a care as to where they were going, looking down at the ground and trying not to think of next year.
Hiruma kept one ear on the sounds of shuffling feet behind him while the rest of his attention observed their surroundings. The last thing he wanted was some dumbshit following him home where they could potentially get blackmail on him. He'd always wondered if someone would dare to use such a fucking stupid tactic, but he didn't want to give any dumbass who might have half a brain in his head that kind of opportunity, and so he jealously guarded the location of his residence.
And yet here he was, leading the little idiot secretary right to it. What kind of a moron was he?
Sena didn't even notice when Hiruma led him into a building and up a couple flights of stairs. In fact, he only stopped when he bumped into Hiruma's suddenly still back. Snapping out of his daze with a quiet grunt, he looked up and saw that they were standing in front of an apartment door… with the number 666 on it. Dreading what might be beyond that door, Sena grew a little pale and stammered, "Ano, Hiruma-san… where are we?"
"Where the hell do you think, kuso chibi?" Hiruma snapped, irritated with himself for making this retarded decision. There wasn't anything he could do about it now and that just pissed him off even more. Once the door was unlocked, the demonic looking teen practically kicked it in and strode right through, heading straight for the door on the left side of what appeared to be a rather normal looking living room.
Stunned, Sena just stood in the doorway and stared. There was no fire, no lava, no rock walls, no stalactites, no screams of tortured souls… Instead of the hellish picture everybody had always given him of Hiruma's place, he saw a large, neat living room with dark wood flooring and a plush rug. There was a very comfortable-looking couch in the middle of the room, in front of which sat a large coffee table. On the right-hand wall was a huge entertainment center with a big-screen TV and elaborate stereo and rows upon rows of DVDs. On the left-hand wall, behind the couch, was a set of double doors, one of which Hiruma had left partially open in his wake. Beyond the living room was a small kitchenette with only the minimum appliances, a table, and two chairs. The place looked… normal. Did Hiruma really live here?!
"Shut the fucking door, kuso chibi!" Hiruma bellowed from the bedroom. "And get your ass in here with my shit!"
"Y-yes, sir!" Like a trained soldier, Sena immediately did as asked, shutting the front door behind him and trotting over to the room where Hiruma was. A look inside revealed a huge and, again, very normal-looking bedroom. Sena gaped at the lavish king size bed, but somehow wasn't too surprised. It only made sense that Hiruma would spoil himself like that.
"Shut your mouth, idiot," Hiruma grumbled as he took the bag from Sena and tossed it next to the other one by his closet. "What do you want to eat?"
Without a second thought, the blond tossed his green uniform blazer onto the bed and sat, toeing off his socks as he undid the buttons of his shirt. The white cotton soon joined the blazer, leaving the slender quarterback in his slacks and white tank top. The belt landed with a metal-on-wood thunk on Hiruma's desk and then he was turning back to Sena, at ease and ready for some downtime. He was fucking starving.
"Eat?" Was Hiruma playing host now?!
"It's dinnertime. What the hell do you want to eat?!" Picking up the cordless phone from its charger on the nightstand, Hiruma tossed a small booklet at Sena from the top drawer. It had been ingrained in him that when someone was invited to his home, he would be courteous. Uninvited guests were another story entirely, but… the short-shit needed a little cheering up and as much as Hiruma would rather blow his own brains out before admitting it, seeing the shrimp so down was kind of annoying.
Cowed by Hiruma's tone, Sena looked down at the booklet and saw it was a collection of take-out menus from a variety of restaurants. Feeling the familiar weight of Hiruma's impatient stare, he quickly picked out the first cheap meal he saw, not wanting to take advantage of his teammate's obviously grudging hospitality. This whole situation was so strange and out of place Sena didn't even think to politely refuse Hiruma and run home, mostly out of curiosity to see what the tall blond was like outside of school and football practice.
The phone conversation was short, Hiruma barking their orders into the phone and hanging up before the person on the other end could give him the total. Carelessly dropping the cordless handset back into the charger cradle, he strode out of the bedroom and immediately found the couch, falling back onto it with a grunt. "It'll be a few minutes. Pick a movie or something."
"Okay." Beginning to feel a little at ease thanks to the lack of Hiruma's beloved AK-47, the smaller teen went over to the entertainment center and looked over the DVD selection, searching for something interesting. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple dog bowls in the corner of the kitchenette.
"Hiruma-san, where's Cerberos?" Sena was surprised he hadn't seen the scruffy dog yet, and there weren't many places in this small apartment where he could be hiding. If anything, Cerberos probably should have attacked him by now for just setting foot into Hiruma's domain.
"On the balcony. He likes being outside. He'll come in when the delivery boy knocks." Hiruma's grin was completely evil. Delivery boys only came to his apartment once. He liked it that way.
Sena couldn't help but sweatdrop. That was so like them. Delivery boys probably dreaded this apartment. "I see. How about this one?" He pulled out a decent looking movie and held it up for Hiruma to see.
"Whatever," Hiruma grunted and threw his sinewy bare feet up onto the coffee table. "Just hurry the hell up and sit down."
Rolling his eyes in wry amusement once his back was turned to Hiruma, Sena put the DVD into the player - very thankful this player was identical to the one in the clubhouse - and sat down next to his teammate, being careful not to sit too close.
The movie had barely gotten underway when Hiruma hit the pause button. He knew the shuffle of nervous feet outside his apartment door when he heard it. Seconds later, a knock sounded and when Hiruma rose from the couch to answer Cerberos was already there, looking over his stout little shoulder at him. Grinning, Hiruma grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.
In the chaos that ensued, Hiruma acquired the take out from the delivery boy just before Cerberos chased him down the hallway. After a few minutes of checking everything to make sure it was there, Hiruma drew a deep breath and called his rabid mutt back into the apartment, then locked the door and carried the food to the coffee table. Cerberos jumped up on the couch at the end Sena didn't occupy already and sat there, staring at and slathering over the food as Hiruma laid everything out and tossed a pair of chopsticks to his guest. Picking up a carton of fried rice, Hiruma dug right in and hit play on the remote again.
'S-scary… He didn't even pay!' Wondering just how many places Hiruma was driving into bankruptcy and very glad he'd picked something cheap, Sena murmured, "Itadakimasu," and started on his egg rolls. He felt a pair of eyes on him and turned his head to see Cerberos watching him, eager tail wagging as he waited for the human to drop something. Unable to resist a small smirk, Sena pulled out a crab dumpling and tossed it over, watching it vanish into that gaping maw. Just like his master, Cerberos wasn't so bad once you got used to him… and as long as you stayed on his - and more importantly Hiruma's - good side.
"Cerberos," Hiruma murmured and threw the dog a strip of meat from the pepper steak he was digging into now. The dog gobbled that right down as well. The mutt had more than earned the meal.
Dinner was soon gone, settling into three content bellies by the time the movie's credits rolled and Hiruma stretched, yawning. White fangs gleamed in the light of the TV, the only light in the room anymore. Glancing over, he smirked when he found his secretary asleep. Reaching over, he gave the shrimp's shoulder a firm shake. "Oi, kuso chibi. It's late."
"Hm? What time is it?" Slowly coming awake, Sena rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he yawned. However, one glance at his watch had him awake in an instant. "Oh no! I was supposed to be home an hour ago! Thanks for dinner, Hiruma-san!" Frantic, he jumped up and dashed over to the door to put his shoes on.
He'd barely gotten the first shoe on when Hiruma gave him a yank at the shoulder, sending him to his ass on the hardwood floor. Cerberos sniffed at him, leash folded neatly in his maw as he waited for Hiruma to pull on his own shoes and coat.
"The stupid mutt needs to be walked anyway," the usually insufferable young man stated and reached down to take the black leather handle of the lead in one hand and clip the thick chain snap to the dog's collar. Then he looked down at Sena. "What the hell is taking you so fucking long, kuso chibi?"
"S-sorry!" Sena scrambled to pull his shoes on and stood up, following Hiruma out of the apartment. Outside, the smaller teen looked around at the buildings around Hiruma's and managed to orient himself. He actually wasn't that far from home, to his surprise. A glance at Hiruma didn't tell him which way the blond was planning to go to walk Cerberos, but Sena figured it was in the opposite direction of his house since there was a park that way, while his house was closer to the main city. "My house is that way, so I guess I'll see you later, ne, Hiruma-san?"
Hiruma looked back over his shoulder from down the street. "Are you coming or not, kuso chibi?"
Cerberos trotted at Hiruma's heel as the long legged demon ambled away from the apartment. It was late enough that most of the gangs would be out in force, and he couldn't risk the Deimon Devil Bats' star running back getting injured by some punk ass idiot who didn't know when to leave other people's things alone.
Was Hiruma-? No, he couldn't possibly be offering to walk Sena home. Then again, he'd been acting weird all day… Either Hiruma was just having a weird day, or Sena was dead and receiving special treatment in Hell. Seriously hoping he wasn't dead, the small teen jogged to catch up with his friend. He could at least follow him for a while.
The walk started out a silent one, the only sounds coming from the dog and moving bodies - the slap of shoes on concrete, the rustle of cloth as the two high-schoolers walked along. There were a few gangs collecting here and there, but one look at Sena's "escort" and they looked the other way or fled. No one messed with Hiruma, especially when he had his dog with him, and those that did… suffered.
Oblivious to it all, the running back had found a rock and was kicking it as they walked, making sure to never slow down, just like he'd learned on the Death March. Training never ended for a serious Amefuto player, even in the off season, and Sena was determined to stay in top shape. Even if the new players they would recruit in the new school year weren't all that great, so long as the now second-years continued to improve, maybe - just maybe - they'd make it the Christmas Bowl again.
At last they reached Sena's home. The quarterback didn't even pause at the gate, but kept walking, the mutt glued to his left heel. The fucking shrimp could make it into his house on his own. Hiruma was more than certain of it. About three yards from the front of Sena's home, Hiruma lifted a hand, an unlit as of yet cigarette between his fingers. It was the only farewell Sena was getting and it dropped almost instantly, the blond turning his attention to lighting the cigarette in seconds.
"Oyasumi, Hiruma-san. Thank you again for dinner," called Sena, watching as the quarterback walked away. A sad smile turning up the corners of his lips, he trotted up to the door, still kicking the rock. He really was going to miss Hiruma next year.
----------
Butterflies fluttered in Sena's stomach as he stood in front of Hiruma's door, fist raised to knock. He'd spent the past few days going around to the other team members and asking them if they wanted to practice in the month they had before the next school year started, and everyone had said yes, including Kurita, who had assured him that they were allowed to use the field while the school was closed. The only one left to ask was Hiruma.
Unsure of whether he'd be welcome on the demon's doorstep, Sena hesitated. Last time he'd been here, it had been through invitation so he'd been safe. Coming here without an invitation was like asking to be shot at, but it was a chance Sena would have to take since asking Hiruma something like this just wouldn't feel right over the phone. The small running back took a deep breath and knocked before he could have any more second thoughts.
A snuffling sound suddenly came from under the door. Cerberos was very obviously checking to see who had dared to come to his master's door when he'd heard no mention of food and it wasn't yet meal time. The snuffling sound ended just as abruptly as it had begun and then there was silence.
The door opened to reveal a barely clad and freshly showered Hiruma, towel over his shoulders to catch water running down the back of his neck from his drooping blond hair. Cerberos would have gone berserk if it wasn't Sena or Kurita… or that bastard old man, so he figured there was nothing to worry about.
"What the fuck do you want, kuso chibi?"
He didn't look mad and he hadn't ordered Cerberos to attack yet, so that had to be a good sign. Sena put on a bright smile. "Hi, Hiruma-san. Everyone's getting together tomorrow on the school field to practice at noon. We were hoping you'd join us."
Turning his back, the former quarterback started walking toward the kitchen. "Shut the fucking door," he snapped.
Recognizing the roundabout invitation for what it was, Sena stepped inside the apartment and shut the door, leaning back against it. To head farther into the space was still risky. "So… uhm, will you come? Everyone's going to be there. Kurita-san and I are going early to set everything up."
At least the team was showing some fucking initiative for a change. He didn't have to chase them around with machine guns all the time. That was a plus. "Why the hell not?" Hiruma grumbled as he pulled out two bottles of water from the fridge and threw one at Sena before taking a seat on the couch.
Bottle in hand, the running back approached the couch and sat down when Hiruma didn't show any signs of resistance. "I was thinking maybe we could go over plays and do a few skirmishes. You know, for fun."
"Fun, hmmmmm?" Hiruma took a sip from his water bottle. "The whole damn team will be there?"
Sena nodded. "Yep. I had to really coax a few people, but everyone said they're going to show up."
A broad, fang-baring grin peeled Hiruma's lips back, healthy pink gums showing at the corners of his mouth as a wicked gleam came into his eyes. His profile looked even sharper than usual, more demonic. "They'll be there."
"A-ano, Hiruma-san," said Sena with a nervous chuckle, not wanting to know what the tall blond was thinking. "They already said they'll show, so… no shooting people, okay? At least not until practice actually starts," he quickly amended.
Piercing eyes snapped to Sena's face as Hiruma's brows furrowed. He frowned, then sneered with a soft, "Tch."
Rising, the living Incubus meandered to the rack of DVDs and randomly pulled one out with careless fingers. The disc found its place in the DVD player and Hiruma then rejoined Sena on the couch. The fucking shrimp was there, so he might as well stay for a little while at least. It wasn't like it was that far from the little wimp's house anyway. Cerberos leapt up onto the couch between them and curled up. Fucking mutt… When had Hiruma given me permission to be on the furniture in the first place?
The smaller teen quietly let out the breath he'd been holding and turned his attention to the movie, surprised yet pleased to know that he was in a sense being asked to stay. The only ones Hiruma had ever let close to him before had been Kurita and Musashi, and for him to allow Sena into that small group of people was a high honor. Feeling a little daring, Sena slowly reached towards Cerberos' ear, hoping the dog would let himself be scratched.
At the first touch of gentle fingers, Cerberos snorted, starting awake. When nothing untoward happened, he laid his head back on his paws and once again closed his eyes.
The entire time Hiruma had been watching out of the corner of his eye, and when Cerberos didn't immediately take Sena's hand off, the former quarterback slowly sank a little in his spot. The fucking mutt was starting to make decisions that Hiruma wasn't sure he was ready to accept.
Sena smiled and contentedly scratched Cerberos' head, starting at the ear and working his way down to under the collar, getting at places the dog probably couldn't get to on his own, at least not easily. Rewarded by a happy snuffle, his smile grew.
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That night Hiruma lay awake unable to sleep for the chaos within his mind. It was happening again. He'd been adamantly trying to avoid it, desperately trying to maintain the distance, to stay aloof and untouchable… and it was still fucking happening. Damn that little shit and his big amber brown eyes! Irritably, Hiruma rolled onto his side. The ceiling hadn't offered him a single fucking clue as to how to deal with this again. Maybe the wall would be more forthcoming.
After that bastard old geezer Musashi, Hiruma had sworn off close relationships. Kurita… wasn't so much a friend as a minion. He wasn't that close to the Porker. Oh, fuck it. Kurita was too kind-hearted to ever even consider abandoning him like the fucking old man and… Damn it, that stupid fucker had no place in this. Shaking his head, the blond turned his mind back on the right track. He owned the lard ass and that was that. Cerberos snorted and Hiruma glanced down at the mutt where it slept on the blankets at the foot of his bed next to his feet. And the dog. He owned the dog, too, but there was a certain understanding where the hell hound was concerned.
Turning angry eyes back to the short wall that protruded from the wall that separated his apartment from the one beside it to make a stand out closet, Hiruma forced his mind back to the problem currently plaguing him. There was no lingering animosity between him and Musashi. There probably should have been, but Hiruma had given it up a while ago, deciding no mortal man was worth that kind of emotion from him.
A glance at the alarm clock revealed it to be nearly six in the morning. This was fucking ridiculous. Throwing back the covers, the demonic-looking youth slid from bed and headed over to the closet. Yanking open the sliding door, he shoved shirts and jerseys aside and stepped through the gaping hole in the wall into another closet full of nothing but football gear. Beyond that second sliding door was sanctuary from all the troubles the universe threw at him.
With a gesture, the lights flickered on and Hiruma felt his characteristically wicked grin tug the corners of his mouth up. At least here, he'd be able to get something other than brooding done. Here he could let his mind churn his troubles into nothing and in a few hours, he'd clean up and go to that damn secretary's practice to play Amefuto a few last times with the team that had followed his will to victory before the humdrum of humanity swallowed him whole.
Kobayakawa Sena… was a lot like Kurita in some ways, Hiruma decided, feeling a little better now that he was up and moving. Too fucking kind for his own damn good, he looked out for those around him more than himself nine times out of ten. Perhaps… perhaps there might be an understanding there as well. After all, the mutt liked the fucking shrimp. Cerberos hadn't taken the kid's hand off tonight when Sena had touched the fiendish hound's ears without the bribe of food. Hiruma would just have to wait and see. There was still one whole fucking year of this stupid high school bullshit left to deal with. He'd take it slow, watch his back, guard himself and see what came of things this time around.
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7:45 am - First Day of the New School Year - Deimon Devil Bats Clubhouse, Main Office
"Recruitment effort MAX!" Monta exclaimed and slammed his large palm down on the roulette table they all sat around. The Huh Huh Sankyoudai barely gave him a glance, carelessly lounging in the corner as they were, and Komusubi just made unintelligible noises of agreement. They had to put their maximum effort forward to recruit new team members from the incoming class of first years. The question was… what would be their strategy?
"Ah-HA-ha! I will go to the gate and attract freshmen here with my amazing looks and skill!" declared Taki, jumping out of his chair to dramatically pose, his jacket pulled open. Everyone just rolled their eyes at him, unfortunately used to his flamboyancy.
Sweatdropping, Sena waved at Taki to sit back down. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Taki-kun. Fliers worked last year, so we can just do that again. There are still some left over from last year. Do we want to use them or make new ones for this year?" All of last year's fliers had Eyeshield 21 as their focus and, while that had worked with flying colors, Sena wanted to focus on the team as a whole this time around. It had been embarrassing to be the Devil Bat's figurehead.
"Mmm," Monta considered the topic with a thoughtful sound as he rubbed his chin. "I think we should stick with our routine from last year and make some new stuff. The more we put in the more we'll get out!"
Juumonji, still sprawled in his chair with his eyes closed, spoke up, commenting, "We could hold a demonstration game with Zokugaku and get an early start on things."
"We could also have a booth like all the other clubs will for the next few days," Toganou added.
Kuroki yawned. "Are the chameleon bastards going to be willing to do that? We don't have Hiruma anymore."
"Maybe if we agree to do two demonstration games - one here and one at Zokugaku," suggested Suzuna. "We could do them both in the same weekend, and that way both teams can recruit."
Sena nodded in agreement. "It's worth a shot. Juumonji-kun, think you three could go over there after school today and ask? We could do them the weekend after next."
"Tch." Juumonji looked off to the side for a second and then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, sure whatever."
"Awesome! Taki and Suzuna can take care of the booth and Sena and I can put up the posters. Komusubi can help, too," Monta stated with a gigantic grin. "We won't need to extort anybody!"
"Yes! Come, my sister! We will prepare the booth!" Grabbing Suzuna's hand, Taki jumped up again and pulled her out of the clubhouse, positively reeking enthusiasm.
A collective sigh of relief echoed in the room at Taki's departure. He may have been an indispensable member of the team, but there was only so much of him everyone could take.
With the main distraction gone, Sena had a chance to remind everybody of what they needed to get done. "Alright, we need to replace Hiruma-san, Kurita-san, Musashi-san, Yukimitsu-san, and Ishimaru-san. Between now and the demonstration games, go around to all the freshmen who look interested in sports and try to see if they have the skill we need. We need a new manager, too."
"Fumo!" Komusubi agreed with a fiercely determined nod.
"Recruitment effort MAX!" Monta exclaimed again and dove for the shelf that contained the remainders of last year's recruitment efforts. Producing the fliers and posters, Monta grabbed up some tape and some pins and divided the items into three even piles. The Huh Huh Sankyoudai were gone by that point, but as far as Monta was concerned their job was far harder and so he couldn't really complain.
"I feel like we're forgetting something," murmured Sena as he took his pile, only to almost drop it when the bell rang. "Class! We're gonna be late for homeroom!" Rushing, he shoved his fliers into his schoolbag. "We can put these up during lunch, we've gotta move!"
"Fumo!!!"
Scrambling, the three of them took off at a dead run for their homerooms. The first day and they were already off to a tardy start. Maybe this year would be tougher than he'd been thinking, Monta wondered as the three of them dashed into their respective classrooms and for a moment, he wished that Hiruma were still a part of the team. The psychotic demon-like sempai really had kept everything perfectly under control. Maybe Monta would miss him just a little after all.
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From his vantage point of a second story window, the principal of Deimon Private High School observed with pleasure the three scrambling students making a mad dash from the overblown club office of the Amefuto team to the school building and their respective homerooms. In that moment, it truly hit home. He would no longer be concerning himself with the goings on of the football club, and although exacting revenge on the Amefuto team was not exacting revenge on Hiruma Youichi… it was a close second. An opportunity that the principal just couldn't pass up since the team was virtually helpless now.
Turning from the window, the principal ambled towards his office, an evil smirk on his lips. Revenge… Even the idea was sweet enough to give him cavities.
On to Chapter 2