[Fanfic] Wait For Me [Chapter 11]
Title: Wait For Me [Chapter 11]
Rating: T
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: A sequel to my earlier fic, Gravity. Time is moving faster than before, and one question will be on the mind's of both Hiruma and Mamori. How long is too long?
Notes: And here's the next chapter. Will talk more at the end. For now, enjoy!
~*~
"... Are you sure this is what you want?"
Mamori nodded, sipping on her second cocktail of the night. It was only as she finished half of it did she realise why she had been hesitant to accept it in the first place.
She had not eaten at all that night. She was bound to get drunk, even with what little alcohol content this drink had.
"Is there nothing else I can say that can make you change your mind?"
Yamato was looking at her almost pleadingly. She felt sorry for him. Maybe she had been too harsh on him? But he needed to know the truth. "You've tried your best tonight, Yamato-kun. But I think you and I know I can be pretty stubborn once I've made up my mind. Sena had to endure that for years after all."
"But you changed your mind once you saw the truth," said Yamato. "Surely you can see the truth yourself now. What you're doing is too rash and uncertain."
"I know..." Mamori took another long sip from her drink, willing herself to down the lightly bubbly liquid faster so she could go home already. "But I really feel as if I need to try this, or I'll constantly think of what could have been. Please Yamato-kun..."
Yamato sighed, taking a sip from his own drink before putting it back down to look at Mamori seriously. "Normally I would call people like you foolish. But the more I think about it, and knowing the way you are... I suppose I cannot stop you. This is for the best."
As Mamori finished the last of her drink, feeling a little dizzy over how fast she’d drunk it, she gave Yamato a short smile and nodded. "Thank you for understanding."
Hiruma always believed that drinking was reserved only for those who intended to get wasted. Sure, in Japan it was part of culture, a socially acceptable way of breaking the ice with others. But in the end, alcohol is nothing more than a hard, bitter drink that clouds your mind and makes you forget everything, including your sanity. So like everything else that he had found to be a hindrance, alcohol was high on his list of useless things.
So why was he craving one the moment he reached the fucking party? Was it the amount of people acting like idiots, dancing and rubbing against each other?
Maybe it was their idiocy he wanted to forget.
A few people screamed at the sight of him as he entered the place, a feat he was proud to still be able to accomplish until today. At least that way, most of those who were a nuisance to him were gone. But a number of them were too drunk, or too curious, to really want to run away. Many eyes stayed transfixed on him as he walked through the hallway, wondering why he would be here.
Hiruma looked around the place, unable to find Mamori anywhere. Did she even attend the party at all? Yamato was missing too. He glanced around some more before seeing someone descend from a flight of stairs in the inner part of the building, there were also people lounging about on the stairs. Thinking that she might be in the next floor, he heads towards the stairs...
Until he felt a palm fall on his shoulder, dragging him back. He recognised the strength. "Well, look who the cat dragged in."
Hiruma sighed in annoyance for a moment, before grinning back at Agon. "Should've known you'd be here, Fucking Dreads."
"You mean you didn't come here looking for me? I'm offended!" Agon continued to sneer back at Hiruma, now dragging the blonde demon to the couch he was at. "We haven't exactly finished off what we were talking about the last time we met. Better get that done now before you send your ass off far away from here."
"Heard about that already, huh?" While it was a pain in the ass to face Agon now, Hiruma decided that it was best to get this out of the way too. He sat on the couch as Agon whispered to the girls to leave them for a moment. "So you brought me here to find out if I have a slot for you in the NFL already, seeing as I'm going to America soon?"
"I didn't go through all that hell only for you to have an easy pass out of here, Fucking Trash," said Agon, pouring himself a shot of vodka. "Those fuckers I fought with managed to get a blow on my perfect face, so I would like to be compensated for it."
"Don't the women here like a man who's scarred?" Hiruma cackled as he leaned back against the stiff couch. "I'm sure you liked them babying you, telling you how strong you are to face the yakuza with their weapons in hand. Bet you have a bunch of women lined up already."
"Spouting bullshit again to distract me, I see," Agon gulped the shot of vodka quickly, and then pouring another one. "And you aren't even drunk yet." He pushed the shot glass to Hiruma, eyeing him carefully.
Damn Japanese customs. Hiruma couldn't believe Agon was playing this game. But he grinned as he downed the shot quickly, the aftertaste burning his throat. "The offer I got so far is only open to me. If you want to follow me, you have a chance by the end of the year."
"Do you think I went through all that hell just for you to go off first while I wait here? What am I, your Doberman?" Agon poured himself another cup and gulped it down.
"The agreement was that you get in the moment I'm in the NFL, Fucking Dreads," Hiruma eyed the shot glass that was being refilled again.
Agon passed the glass to him and watched as Hiruma swallowed the drink. His eyes narrowed at his statement. "So you're not going to America to join an NFL team?"
"Far from it," Hiruma passed the empty glass back on the table; the burning sensation could now be felt down to the pit of his stomach. He had forgotten to eat, and this never bodes well when drinking. "I'm starting from scratch, taking a scholarship in a university there, joining a talent pool, and then getting into an NFL team."
"Why the fuck are you going the long way?" Agon banged the table with his fist, causing those around him to look at them curiously. "You had a chance to join an NFL team from the get go. Why don't you just fucking take it and manipulate your way to then play in an actual NFL game?"
Hiruma eyed the empty shot glass, which was now being filled again. Agon's grip on the vodka bottle was strong, small cracks could already be seen in spidery lines across it. As Agon raised the glass towards his lips, Hiruma replied with a grin, "Because if you haven't noticed, getting things the easy way was never my style. It's not as fun. Rather than get the gold straight off, I'd much rather start in the dirt. Because the rules for the games may be similar, but I've had a taste of American culture here, and I know the way they play is vastly different from Japan. I will learn all I can first, and then I'll attack."
"Hmph. You forgetting me, scum? You gonna leave me here in the dirt with all these stinking Japanese players?" Agon swallowed another shot of vodka.
Hiruma eyed him cautiously. Agon was probably already or close to getting drunk at this rate. Who knows how many drinks he’d had before Hiruma arrived. "Come now, Fucking Dreads, haven't you been defeated by some good Japanese players before?"
"I trashed the ones who defeated me before," Agon's words were harsh and heavy, an evil gleam in his eyes. "And I would've destroyed more of those trashes in the Fires if I had been in the game. It's by your own rash decision to cut me off that you lost."
"Still holding on to that old fucking reason, huh?" Hiruma grabbed the bottle of vodka and poured himself a shot, thinking he might as well continue drinking. "We lost not because we didn't have you on the team. The Enma Fires had gotten stronger... especially under Unsui's leadership. You're just bitter you didn't get to up him at the last chance you had in Saikyoudai. That's why you want to go to the NFL, but I can tell you that's not going to make you feel better."
Just as Hiruma swallowed the bitter drink, both of Agon's fists curled on the front of his shirt and dragged him to his feet, his face mere inches from Agon’s. "You fucking trash! What do you know about how I feel? You and I know I'm the more talented one! And I now train just as fucking hard as he did! You owe me for the help I gave you! And you owe me for taking the chance to crush that fucking Unko and his stupid team to pieces!"
"And you will get that fucking chance!" Hiruma shouted back, ignoring the many curious eyes on them. Lowering his voice, and keeping his gaze steady on Agon's, he continued, "But I have to go there first. Did you think breaking into the NFL would be that easy? The NFL is dedicated to the whites, and they will not take our presence that easily. We're nothing but yellow monkeys after all," Hiruma grinned. "I'll go there first, since there's only one slot left. Get the ropes. And I will pull you, and every fucking talent I can get from Japan in. Then... we'll kill every fucking NFL team that goes against us. Heck, you and I might even get into a different NFL teams, and you can crush me then."
Agon's grip on him loosened and Hiruma took this chance to pull his hands off his shirt. Agon was slightly drunk, so the words he had just said took some time to sink in as he gave a rather incredulous look. "It would've been easier if I went with you."
"Not a chance." Hiruma took a step away from him as his anger slowly dissipated. "With that attitude of yours, it'd probably take years before the Whites accept us officially. I'll make sure some of you guys are in as early as next year."
There was a flash of doubt on Agon's expression. But he soon grinned, something that Hiruma knew he would never see while he was back in Shinryuuji. Agon had learnt to trust his teammates, and in turn, Hiruma's leadership. While it was a risk, Agon was willing to give Hiruma a chance. "You have until next year then. I'll play with the Japanese trashes for now and find some way to trash Unko. But if I don't hear a word from you until then, I'll hunt you down and you'll never play football again."
"Kekeke, you're welcome to find me then," Hiruma continued to grin, glad that this was over with.
“But you still owe me for fighting off those damn yakuzas,” said Agon as he settled back into the couch and poured himself another shot of vodka.
“If you want your name cleared, I’ve got that settled.”
“No. I want you to let go of Manager Anezaki.” Cocky grin back in place, he swigged the shot in one smooth movement, seeming considerably calmer.
Hiruma glared at Agon. “That’s a strange request, coming from you.”
“I saw her just now. Her ass looked fine, though her face looked like she was hiding a lot.” He snorted derisively. “You know what she’s like.”
Hiruma pressed his lips together for a moment, remembering the time when she fell sick. “Where did you see her? Upstairs?”
“Gonna go see her? So you can fucking trample on her heart some more? I don’t know why a smart one like her is still hung up on you, even though you obviously hurt her. Woman even thinks I know more about you than her.”
Hiruma suppressed the urge to laugh sarcastically. “You know why she thinks that way.”
“And that’s the problem. You haven’t told her shit about what you really do. And if you ask me she has a good suspicion as to what you’re up to. She saw my bruises and knew instantly you could be involved. Now you’re leaving for America… Stop fucking thinking about just your sorry ass and let her go.”
“What’s with all those feelings? I didn’t think you cared about her that much.” said Hiruma, grabbing the empty shot glass and pouring himself another drink.
“I respect her. So does everyone on the team, even that ass Yamato, which is why he’s buttering up to her now. Because we can all see that all you’ve been doing lately has done nothing but hurt her, even though your intention was to save her.” He sneered, “You want to talk lousy freaking feelings? Well here’s the lowdown, you may have saved her from that fucked up company, but the damage is done. You’ve broken her then, and now that you’re leaving you’ll just break her even more so just let her go already.”
Hiruma knocked back another mouthful of drink, contemplating Agon’s words as the drink seared his throat, a sensation he was growing used to at this point. Then he slowly grinned. “You know… I thought the same thing as you. Both Anezaki and I are obviously going our separate ways now. I have done nothing redeemable to make her think of me in a better light, even after I’m gone.
But I need to see her. I have to at least talk to her, and tell her everything. Then she can make her decision and I’ll let her go. I want to believe that Anezaki’s a lot stronger than we give her credit for. And for that, I want her to at least know the truth. You can say whatever you want, Fucking Dreads, but I want to at least leave her knowing that I didn’t just drop her cause she can’t follow me anymore or that I can’t trust her.”
As Hiruma talked, Agon poured himself another shot and drank it down angrily. Then he glared at Hiruma, face turning red as he shouted, “Fuck, you can’t even grant this one request, you useless piece of trash! I don’t know why I let you fuck me over like this. Fuck you! Just go away then! Your face is fucking annoying me! Where are my girls?”
Hiruma got up, smiling to himself as the girls rushed back to Agon, happy to be by his side again. While it had taken up a lot of his time, the talk had been good to confirm what he really needed to do. And despite Agon being half drunk, it was an amusing sight to see him care.
But now he had more pressing matters at hand. And that was finding Anezaki. Agon had seen her, but she didn't seem to be anywhere on this floor, so he was certain she was upstairs. He headed into that direction, and amidst the crowd of people lounging by the stairs, his eyes were instantly drawn towards a girl in a dark pink dress, her steps slow and hesitant. Her back was towards him, but he recognised that figure anywhere... he had been thinking about that figure all day.
He would prefer her in red though, but damn could she pull off pink.
He watched her disappear into the crowd for a moment, but even when she was out of sight, he knew exactly where she was, so he followed her. He wanted to call out to her... the words Fucking Manager was on the tip of his tongue. But he was sure the loud techno music would drown out his voice. And he wondered if calling her a manager even made sense, since he had just told her earlier today that she wasn't one anymore.
He soon caught sight of her and realised that she seemed lost, almost uncertain as to where she was going. She then ended up on the dance floor where fellow male college mates recognised her and took the chance to ask her to dance.
He could see her shaking her head, but one guy was insistent. He took her hand and pulled her closer towards him, causing her to shout. That was when Hiruma stepped in.
"Oi, Fucking Drunk," he said as he approached them. "I believe I get the first dance with her."
"Well, you can fuck off cause..." the guy's voice trailed off as he realised who he just cursed at.
Hiruma grinned widely, glad that this guy still knew who he was despite being drunk. "Kekeke, not the right words to say to someone who knows about your little incident during your freshman year. Someone was a little too desperate to feel accepted, weren't they?"
The guy wasted no time in leaving the dance floor with his friends, that left him and Anezaki standing there among other people shaking and moving around them. Hiruma wasted no time in taking a good look at her face. She always did look pretty, even with minimal makeup on. But while her expression was calm and determined, her eyes told a very different story.
He had a sudden urge to hold her.
"You'd look stunning if you dropped that shocked look from your face," he said, still grinning.
She let out a frustrated sigh, looking away. "I guess that's the best compliment I can get from you. What are you doing here anyways? You never liked parties."
"You're right. This is a shitty party. Loads of drunks, people gyrating against each other as if that's fun. But I suppose this is what college life is supposed to be, eh? The life of a youth. We sure wasted ours away, didn't we?"
Anezaki pursed her lips, close to forming a pout. She was annoyed by his words, but she folded her arms, nodding slightly. "Yes, I suppose we did. Even though we're right here with them, it's amazing how far apart from society we are."
As well as each other, he could hear her say, even without uttering those words. As the loud, invasive techno beat went on, he took the chance to snake his arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. She looked up at him, surprised by his actions. "Since we're here, we might as well try to be a part of it."
He half expected her to push him away and walk off, but was surprised when she nonchalantly wrapped her arms around his neck and placed the right side of her face on his chest.
They barely moved, swaying along to a non-existent beat among a crowd that was pumped up. They were obviously out of place, still not even attempting to try and be a part of the crowd.
But this was enough to confirm everything to Hiruma. Holding Anezaki's body against his, he slowly remembered the day when she lay sick on his couch, calling out his name. Why he made her promise to wait for him after that. Why he went through great lengths to hide his dangerous side from her, and why he pushed her away all this while.
In the end, he really was in love with her.
He felt her body shake for a moment before she pulled away from him. She refused to look at him, but it was enough for Hiruma to know that she was crying. "I need to talk to you."
"Not now," she practically sobbed the words out. "I can't talk to you now. I have to go."
"Anezaki!"
She continued to shake her head as she walked out of the dance floor, stopping for a moment to spot the exit. Hiruma followed her for a moment, desperate to make her hear what he had to say. But just as he was about to stretch out and grab her shoulder, he hesitated as he recalled why Anezaki was here to begin with.
What went on between her and Yamato? Was she being this way because of him? What if they said something to each other that would put pressure on her if she was with Hiruma? If so, where was Yamato among all this mess?
Maybe it would be a better idea to give her a break after all. Hiruma frowned, letting out a short, frustrated sigh as he watched Anezaki left the party. After a minute or so, he decided he would also leave the so-called restaurant, heading down the alley filled with entertainment centres.
That was when he spotted her, and he found himself walking towards her, his eyes gazing steadily on her.
It didn't take long for him to catch up to her. Her steps were slow, heavy and uncertain. Hiruma wondered if she had been drinking, but she hadn't seemed heavily intoxicated when he was holding her. She was exhausted though, he could sense that. And even he was feeling his own body wearing down, having not slept the night before. The alcohol he had drunk with Agon slowly affected his sight as everything became blurry. But he kept his eyes on the figure before him, watching her every move, looking at her curves, the way she swayed as she walked...
"Stop following me."
Her voice wasn't strong enough to lull him out of his thoughts. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You're right behind me. I told you, I don't want to talk to you now."
Taking a deep breath, Hiruma closed his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts. Then he opened them to see that Anezaki's back was still towards him, still walking forward though a little faster. "I know. I know you don't want to talk to me. And I wanted to leave you alone cause I can see you had a rough night…
But you're walking towards my apartment, Anezaki."
He heard her gasp as she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around her surroundings and almost choked as she saw what Hiruma said was true. She was standing just in front of Hiruma's apartment building. "H-how...?"
Hiruma stood there, unable to give her an answer. But the more he looked at her, the more he wanted to hold her again. This time, he could tell she was crumbling, and he was afraid she would disappear if he didn't stop her.
She laughed softly to herself, as she turned to her side, still not looking at him but at least allowing him to see her face. "How stupid of me... I really didn't want to talk to you. That I wasn't ready for another confrontation because I don't know what to say anymore. But in the end... in the end..."
She had fully turned towards him now, and she was finally smiling at him despite her falling tears. "In the end... It looks like I really wanted to see you again, Hiruma-kun."
He wasn't sure how it happened with the significant distance between them, but in the next moment he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her lips towards his, kissing her gently as she responded in kind. It was an old, familiar feeling. One he hadn't indulged in since that day he made her promise. A new feeling slowly took over, raw and passionate. It filled him up completely, and all the words he wanted to say were gone.
Instead, he continued to kiss her, holding her close in hopes that she would realise this too.
The wait was over. She had fulfilled her promise.
~*~
Extra Notes: I know things get kinda random in this story, and a lot of things are still left hanging. I intend to explain it all off in the next few last chapters, where everything gets revealed. I initially didn't want to post up this chapter so soon, but Chapter 10 had too much build up and even I was frustrated to leave it in such an awful cliffhanger. I apologise for all this build up with little payoff, I learnt a lot writing this story, and I hope that it will all be worth it in the next few chapters. Lastly, Agon is a pain to write so I apologise if he's OOC.
And err... the smut could be happening in the next chapter. But no worries to those who don't like smut! There will be a non-smut version! But yeah... seeing as I have to write two different chapters, and September's a busy month for me, please be patient as this may take some time again. Feel free to leave me any comments or criticism to help me improve. Until my next chapter!
Chapter 10 | Chapter 12
Rating: T
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: A sequel to my earlier fic, Gravity. Time is moving faster than before, and one question will be on the mind's of both Hiruma and Mamori. How long is too long?
Notes: And here's the next chapter. Will talk more at the end. For now, enjoy!
~*~
"... Are you sure this is what you want?"
Mamori nodded, sipping on her second cocktail of the night. It was only as she finished half of it did she realise why she had been hesitant to accept it in the first place.
She had not eaten at all that night. She was bound to get drunk, even with what little alcohol content this drink had.
"Is there nothing else I can say that can make you change your mind?"
Yamato was looking at her almost pleadingly. She felt sorry for him. Maybe she had been too harsh on him? But he needed to know the truth. "You've tried your best tonight, Yamato-kun. But I think you and I know I can be pretty stubborn once I've made up my mind. Sena had to endure that for years after all."
"But you changed your mind once you saw the truth," said Yamato. "Surely you can see the truth yourself now. What you're doing is too rash and uncertain."
"I know..." Mamori took another long sip from her drink, willing herself to down the lightly bubbly liquid faster so she could go home already. "But I really feel as if I need to try this, or I'll constantly think of what could have been. Please Yamato-kun..."
Yamato sighed, taking a sip from his own drink before putting it back down to look at Mamori seriously. "Normally I would call people like you foolish. But the more I think about it, and knowing the way you are... I suppose I cannot stop you. This is for the best."
As Mamori finished the last of her drink, feeling a little dizzy over how fast she’d drunk it, she gave Yamato a short smile and nodded. "Thank you for understanding."
Hiruma always believed that drinking was reserved only for those who intended to get wasted. Sure, in Japan it was part of culture, a socially acceptable way of breaking the ice with others. But in the end, alcohol is nothing more than a hard, bitter drink that clouds your mind and makes you forget everything, including your sanity. So like everything else that he had found to be a hindrance, alcohol was high on his list of useless things.
So why was he craving one the moment he reached the fucking party? Was it the amount of people acting like idiots, dancing and rubbing against each other?
Maybe it was their idiocy he wanted to forget.
A few people screamed at the sight of him as he entered the place, a feat he was proud to still be able to accomplish until today. At least that way, most of those who were a nuisance to him were gone. But a number of them were too drunk, or too curious, to really want to run away. Many eyes stayed transfixed on him as he walked through the hallway, wondering why he would be here.
Hiruma looked around the place, unable to find Mamori anywhere. Did she even attend the party at all? Yamato was missing too. He glanced around some more before seeing someone descend from a flight of stairs in the inner part of the building, there were also people lounging about on the stairs. Thinking that she might be in the next floor, he heads towards the stairs...
Until he felt a palm fall on his shoulder, dragging him back. He recognised the strength. "Well, look who the cat dragged in."
Hiruma sighed in annoyance for a moment, before grinning back at Agon. "Should've known you'd be here, Fucking Dreads."
"You mean you didn't come here looking for me? I'm offended!" Agon continued to sneer back at Hiruma, now dragging the blonde demon to the couch he was at. "We haven't exactly finished off what we were talking about the last time we met. Better get that done now before you send your ass off far away from here."
"Heard about that already, huh?" While it was a pain in the ass to face Agon now, Hiruma decided that it was best to get this out of the way too. He sat on the couch as Agon whispered to the girls to leave them for a moment. "So you brought me here to find out if I have a slot for you in the NFL already, seeing as I'm going to America soon?"
"I didn't go through all that hell only for you to have an easy pass out of here, Fucking Trash," said Agon, pouring himself a shot of vodka. "Those fuckers I fought with managed to get a blow on my perfect face, so I would like to be compensated for it."
"Don't the women here like a man who's scarred?" Hiruma cackled as he leaned back against the stiff couch. "I'm sure you liked them babying you, telling you how strong you are to face the yakuza with their weapons in hand. Bet you have a bunch of women lined up already."
"Spouting bullshit again to distract me, I see," Agon gulped the shot of vodka quickly, and then pouring another one. "And you aren't even drunk yet." He pushed the shot glass to Hiruma, eyeing him carefully.
Damn Japanese customs. Hiruma couldn't believe Agon was playing this game. But he grinned as he downed the shot quickly, the aftertaste burning his throat. "The offer I got so far is only open to me. If you want to follow me, you have a chance by the end of the year."
"Do you think I went through all that hell just for you to go off first while I wait here? What am I, your Doberman?" Agon poured himself another cup and gulped it down.
"The agreement was that you get in the moment I'm in the NFL, Fucking Dreads," Hiruma eyed the shot glass that was being refilled again.
Agon passed the glass to him and watched as Hiruma swallowed the drink. His eyes narrowed at his statement. "So you're not going to America to join an NFL team?"
"Far from it," Hiruma passed the empty glass back on the table; the burning sensation could now be felt down to the pit of his stomach. He had forgotten to eat, and this never bodes well when drinking. "I'm starting from scratch, taking a scholarship in a university there, joining a talent pool, and then getting into an NFL team."
"Why the fuck are you going the long way?" Agon banged the table with his fist, causing those around him to look at them curiously. "You had a chance to join an NFL team from the get go. Why don't you just fucking take it and manipulate your way to then play in an actual NFL game?"
Hiruma eyed the empty shot glass, which was now being filled again. Agon's grip on the vodka bottle was strong, small cracks could already be seen in spidery lines across it. As Agon raised the glass towards his lips, Hiruma replied with a grin, "Because if you haven't noticed, getting things the easy way was never my style. It's not as fun. Rather than get the gold straight off, I'd much rather start in the dirt. Because the rules for the games may be similar, but I've had a taste of American culture here, and I know the way they play is vastly different from Japan. I will learn all I can first, and then I'll attack."
"Hmph. You forgetting me, scum? You gonna leave me here in the dirt with all these stinking Japanese players?" Agon swallowed another shot of vodka.
Hiruma eyed him cautiously. Agon was probably already or close to getting drunk at this rate. Who knows how many drinks he’d had before Hiruma arrived. "Come now, Fucking Dreads, haven't you been defeated by some good Japanese players before?"
"I trashed the ones who defeated me before," Agon's words were harsh and heavy, an evil gleam in his eyes. "And I would've destroyed more of those trashes in the Fires if I had been in the game. It's by your own rash decision to cut me off that you lost."
"Still holding on to that old fucking reason, huh?" Hiruma grabbed the bottle of vodka and poured himself a shot, thinking he might as well continue drinking. "We lost not because we didn't have you on the team. The Enma Fires had gotten stronger... especially under Unsui's leadership. You're just bitter you didn't get to up him at the last chance you had in Saikyoudai. That's why you want to go to the NFL, but I can tell you that's not going to make you feel better."
Just as Hiruma swallowed the bitter drink, both of Agon's fists curled on the front of his shirt and dragged him to his feet, his face mere inches from Agon’s. "You fucking trash! What do you know about how I feel? You and I know I'm the more talented one! And I now train just as fucking hard as he did! You owe me for the help I gave you! And you owe me for taking the chance to crush that fucking Unko and his stupid team to pieces!"
"And you will get that fucking chance!" Hiruma shouted back, ignoring the many curious eyes on them. Lowering his voice, and keeping his gaze steady on Agon's, he continued, "But I have to go there first. Did you think breaking into the NFL would be that easy? The NFL is dedicated to the whites, and they will not take our presence that easily. We're nothing but yellow monkeys after all," Hiruma grinned. "I'll go there first, since there's only one slot left. Get the ropes. And I will pull you, and every fucking talent I can get from Japan in. Then... we'll kill every fucking NFL team that goes against us. Heck, you and I might even get into a different NFL teams, and you can crush me then."
Agon's grip on him loosened and Hiruma took this chance to pull his hands off his shirt. Agon was slightly drunk, so the words he had just said took some time to sink in as he gave a rather incredulous look. "It would've been easier if I went with you."
"Not a chance." Hiruma took a step away from him as his anger slowly dissipated. "With that attitude of yours, it'd probably take years before the Whites accept us officially. I'll make sure some of you guys are in as early as next year."
There was a flash of doubt on Agon's expression. But he soon grinned, something that Hiruma knew he would never see while he was back in Shinryuuji. Agon had learnt to trust his teammates, and in turn, Hiruma's leadership. While it was a risk, Agon was willing to give Hiruma a chance. "You have until next year then. I'll play with the Japanese trashes for now and find some way to trash Unko. But if I don't hear a word from you until then, I'll hunt you down and you'll never play football again."
"Kekeke, you're welcome to find me then," Hiruma continued to grin, glad that this was over with.
“But you still owe me for fighting off those damn yakuzas,” said Agon as he settled back into the couch and poured himself another shot of vodka.
“If you want your name cleared, I’ve got that settled.”
“No. I want you to let go of Manager Anezaki.” Cocky grin back in place, he swigged the shot in one smooth movement, seeming considerably calmer.
Hiruma glared at Agon. “That’s a strange request, coming from you.”
“I saw her just now. Her ass looked fine, though her face looked like she was hiding a lot.” He snorted derisively. “You know what she’s like.”
Hiruma pressed his lips together for a moment, remembering the time when she fell sick. “Where did you see her? Upstairs?”
“Gonna go see her? So you can fucking trample on her heart some more? I don’t know why a smart one like her is still hung up on you, even though you obviously hurt her. Woman even thinks I know more about you than her.”
Hiruma suppressed the urge to laugh sarcastically. “You know why she thinks that way.”
“And that’s the problem. You haven’t told her shit about what you really do. And if you ask me she has a good suspicion as to what you’re up to. She saw my bruises and knew instantly you could be involved. Now you’re leaving for America… Stop fucking thinking about just your sorry ass and let her go.”
“What’s with all those feelings? I didn’t think you cared about her that much.” said Hiruma, grabbing the empty shot glass and pouring himself another drink.
“I respect her. So does everyone on the team, even that ass Yamato, which is why he’s buttering up to her now. Because we can all see that all you’ve been doing lately has done nothing but hurt her, even though your intention was to save her.” He sneered, “You want to talk lousy freaking feelings? Well here’s the lowdown, you may have saved her from that fucked up company, but the damage is done. You’ve broken her then, and now that you’re leaving you’ll just break her even more so just let her go already.”
Hiruma knocked back another mouthful of drink, contemplating Agon’s words as the drink seared his throat, a sensation he was growing used to at this point. Then he slowly grinned. “You know… I thought the same thing as you. Both Anezaki and I are obviously going our separate ways now. I have done nothing redeemable to make her think of me in a better light, even after I’m gone.
But I need to see her. I have to at least talk to her, and tell her everything. Then she can make her decision and I’ll let her go. I want to believe that Anezaki’s a lot stronger than we give her credit for. And for that, I want her to at least know the truth. You can say whatever you want, Fucking Dreads, but I want to at least leave her knowing that I didn’t just drop her cause she can’t follow me anymore or that I can’t trust her.”
As Hiruma talked, Agon poured himself another shot and drank it down angrily. Then he glared at Hiruma, face turning red as he shouted, “Fuck, you can’t even grant this one request, you useless piece of trash! I don’t know why I let you fuck me over like this. Fuck you! Just go away then! Your face is fucking annoying me! Where are my girls?”
Hiruma got up, smiling to himself as the girls rushed back to Agon, happy to be by his side again. While it had taken up a lot of his time, the talk had been good to confirm what he really needed to do. And despite Agon being half drunk, it was an amusing sight to see him care.
But now he had more pressing matters at hand. And that was finding Anezaki. Agon had seen her, but she didn't seem to be anywhere on this floor, so he was certain she was upstairs. He headed into that direction, and amidst the crowd of people lounging by the stairs, his eyes were instantly drawn towards a girl in a dark pink dress, her steps slow and hesitant. Her back was towards him, but he recognised that figure anywhere... he had been thinking about that figure all day.
He would prefer her in red though, but damn could she pull off pink.
He watched her disappear into the crowd for a moment, but even when she was out of sight, he knew exactly where she was, so he followed her. He wanted to call out to her... the words Fucking Manager was on the tip of his tongue. But he was sure the loud techno music would drown out his voice. And he wondered if calling her a manager even made sense, since he had just told her earlier today that she wasn't one anymore.
He soon caught sight of her and realised that she seemed lost, almost uncertain as to where she was going. She then ended up on the dance floor where fellow male college mates recognised her and took the chance to ask her to dance.
He could see her shaking her head, but one guy was insistent. He took her hand and pulled her closer towards him, causing her to shout. That was when Hiruma stepped in.
"Oi, Fucking Drunk," he said as he approached them. "I believe I get the first dance with her."
"Well, you can fuck off cause..." the guy's voice trailed off as he realised who he just cursed at.
Hiruma grinned widely, glad that this guy still knew who he was despite being drunk. "Kekeke, not the right words to say to someone who knows about your little incident during your freshman year. Someone was a little too desperate to feel accepted, weren't they?"
The guy wasted no time in leaving the dance floor with his friends, that left him and Anezaki standing there among other people shaking and moving around them. Hiruma wasted no time in taking a good look at her face. She always did look pretty, even with minimal makeup on. But while her expression was calm and determined, her eyes told a very different story.
He had a sudden urge to hold her.
"You'd look stunning if you dropped that shocked look from your face," he said, still grinning.
She let out a frustrated sigh, looking away. "I guess that's the best compliment I can get from you. What are you doing here anyways? You never liked parties."
"You're right. This is a shitty party. Loads of drunks, people gyrating against each other as if that's fun. But I suppose this is what college life is supposed to be, eh? The life of a youth. We sure wasted ours away, didn't we?"
Anezaki pursed her lips, close to forming a pout. She was annoyed by his words, but she folded her arms, nodding slightly. "Yes, I suppose we did. Even though we're right here with them, it's amazing how far apart from society we are."
As well as each other, he could hear her say, even without uttering those words. As the loud, invasive techno beat went on, he took the chance to snake his arm around her waist and pull her closer to him. She looked up at him, surprised by his actions. "Since we're here, we might as well try to be a part of it."
He half expected her to push him away and walk off, but was surprised when she nonchalantly wrapped her arms around his neck and placed the right side of her face on his chest.
They barely moved, swaying along to a non-existent beat among a crowd that was pumped up. They were obviously out of place, still not even attempting to try and be a part of the crowd.
But this was enough to confirm everything to Hiruma. Holding Anezaki's body against his, he slowly remembered the day when she lay sick on his couch, calling out his name. Why he made her promise to wait for him after that. Why he went through great lengths to hide his dangerous side from her, and why he pushed her away all this while.
In the end, he really was in love with her.
He felt her body shake for a moment before she pulled away from him. She refused to look at him, but it was enough for Hiruma to know that she was crying. "I need to talk to you."
"Not now," she practically sobbed the words out. "I can't talk to you now. I have to go."
"Anezaki!"
She continued to shake her head as she walked out of the dance floor, stopping for a moment to spot the exit. Hiruma followed her for a moment, desperate to make her hear what he had to say. But just as he was about to stretch out and grab her shoulder, he hesitated as he recalled why Anezaki was here to begin with.
What went on between her and Yamato? Was she being this way because of him? What if they said something to each other that would put pressure on her if she was with Hiruma? If so, where was Yamato among all this mess?
Maybe it would be a better idea to give her a break after all. Hiruma frowned, letting out a short, frustrated sigh as he watched Anezaki left the party. After a minute or so, he decided he would also leave the so-called restaurant, heading down the alley filled with entertainment centres.
That was when he spotted her, and he found himself walking towards her, his eyes gazing steadily on her.
It didn't take long for him to catch up to her. Her steps were slow, heavy and uncertain. Hiruma wondered if she had been drinking, but she hadn't seemed heavily intoxicated when he was holding her. She was exhausted though, he could sense that. And even he was feeling his own body wearing down, having not slept the night before. The alcohol he had drunk with Agon slowly affected his sight as everything became blurry. But he kept his eyes on the figure before him, watching her every move, looking at her curves, the way she swayed as she walked...
"Stop following me."
Her voice wasn't strong enough to lull him out of his thoughts. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You're right behind me. I told you, I don't want to talk to you now."
Taking a deep breath, Hiruma closed his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts. Then he opened them to see that Anezaki's back was still towards him, still walking forward though a little faster. "I know. I know you don't want to talk to me. And I wanted to leave you alone cause I can see you had a rough night…
But you're walking towards my apartment, Anezaki."
He heard her gasp as she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around her surroundings and almost choked as she saw what Hiruma said was true. She was standing just in front of Hiruma's apartment building. "H-how...?"
Hiruma stood there, unable to give her an answer. But the more he looked at her, the more he wanted to hold her again. This time, he could tell she was crumbling, and he was afraid she would disappear if he didn't stop her.
She laughed softly to herself, as she turned to her side, still not looking at him but at least allowing him to see her face. "How stupid of me... I really didn't want to talk to you. That I wasn't ready for another confrontation because I don't know what to say anymore. But in the end... in the end..."
She had fully turned towards him now, and she was finally smiling at him despite her falling tears. "In the end... It looks like I really wanted to see you again, Hiruma-kun."
He wasn't sure how it happened with the significant distance between them, but in the next moment he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her lips towards his, kissing her gently as she responded in kind. It was an old, familiar feeling. One he hadn't indulged in since that day he made her promise. A new feeling slowly took over, raw and passionate. It filled him up completely, and all the words he wanted to say were gone.
Instead, he continued to kiss her, holding her close in hopes that she would realise this too.
The wait was over. She had fulfilled her promise.
~*~
Extra Notes: I know things get kinda random in this story, and a lot of things are still left hanging. I intend to explain it all off in the next few last chapters, where everything gets revealed. I initially didn't want to post up this chapter so soon, but Chapter 10 had too much build up and even I was frustrated to leave it in such an awful cliffhanger. I apologise for all this build up with little payoff, I learnt a lot writing this story, and I hope that it will all be worth it in the next few chapters. Lastly, Agon is a pain to write so I apologise if he's OOC.
And err... the smut could be happening in the next chapter. But no worries to those who don't like smut! There will be a non-smut version! But yeah... seeing as I have to write two different chapters, and September's a busy month for me, please be patient as this may take some time again. Feel free to leave me any comments or criticism to help me improve. Until my next chapter!
Chapter 10 | Chapter 12