[Fanfic] Wait For Me [Chapter 12]
Title: Wait For Me [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: Finally done with this! Thank goodness, I was afraid I'd take longer than usual again! So as mentioned, there is a smut version of this chapter available. If you're okay with smut, and would prefer to read that version, please click here. And don't worry if you think there's a lot of differences between the chapters. They're pretty much the same except this omits the smut section! So it's all good!
I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope the fic Gravity is still on your mind, cause this chapter depends a lot on it. :) Enjoy!
~*~
Yamato fingered the rim of his glass slowly, his mind wandering as the reality of what had just happened hit him. Anezaki Mamori, the girl he had been pursuing for a while now, had rejected him.
Not like he hadn't seen it coming.
"I know you had a lot of bad memories in America. You're not just afraid of what you went through happening to other Japanese players… but that it might happen to me because at some point, you know Hiruma will find some way to drag me to America. I am too useful for him."
At that point, he was still sure he could have made a really good counter-argument to change her mind. But the words she said got to him, and he knew he had lost every chance of ever changing her mind.
"But even without him getting me there, I would have found some way to go wherever he is anyway."
He was not blind. He knew their bond was strong, but he’d placed a little too many of his stakes in favor of Mamori's logic. He was sure she was aware of the benefits of staying in Japan and being with him. And that it would be a matter of time before they moved on to America. He’d made it all so clear. And yet...
"So Yamato-kun... you don't have to be my anchor of safety. You've seen my capabilities. You know I'll pull through."
He knew she was right, even though he didn't want to believe it. But in the end, it was his loss, and another win to Deimon in proving that the whole lot of them cannot comprehend possible failure.
"I should probably keep that attitude in mind once I start my business," said Yamato, as he finally picked the glass up and gulped his drink down.
Mamori had barely opened her eyes when she felt her head throbbing lightly. Her memory of what had happened since the party was fuzzy, but she was on a bed and felt a strange itch in her throat. She coughed, finally gathering enough strength to raise her eyelids to figure out where she was.
Wrapped in a blanket, she found herself in someone else’s bed, and that "someone else" was right next to her - his eyes open though slightly dazed, watching her reaction slowly unfold. He was still in the clothes from the party, but he didn't have a blanket on and his face was pale.
Mamori opened her mouth to say something, but she realised that the itch in her throat was a lot worse than she’d thought. She coughed instead, looking at Hiruma with concern. "What... happened?"
"You don't remember?" Hiruma shifted his body so that he was facing her completely.
Mamori's head was still throbbing, forcing her to close her eyes for a moment. This feeling, this situation, felt all too familiar to her. "No..."
"What do you remember?"
There was a cloud in her head that slowed her thoughts and made it hard for Mamori to figure out what was going on. She forced herself to backtrack and remember the events of the party. Her talk with Yamato, bumping into Hiruma... "Walking from the party, somehow ending up at your place and then..."
Mamori stopped herself, finally remembering what happened next. The kiss they shared started out simple enough, but escalated as they found it harder and harder to part. The moment her lips left his, she felt hungry for more, and he seemed to feel the same as he responded with similar fervour.
... And then nothing. Try as she might to figure out what happened after the kiss, her memories remained a blur. Then a thought occurred to her. She moved the blanket away for a moment and looked down at her body.
Her dress was gone. And all she had on was her underwear. "Did... did we make out?"
Hiruma grinned in a teasing manner.
"But... how did we even make it here? Did you even lock your door?"
"Fuck if I did. I'll shoot any assholes that break in."
She didn't doubt it. But she felt rather uncomfortable, knowing that she was almost naked on Hiruma's bed. She coughed a little more, realising that she was falling sick. Of all the timing! She thought about getting up and dressing herself as quickly as possible. She must leave before this sickness gets worse or else she'd be...
A warm hand rested on her cheek, pulling her from her thoughts. She noticed the bandage on his right arm, and a twinge of guilt hit her. Then her gaze rested on Hiruma's eyes, steady and concerned. She could sense that there were many thoughts going through his head at the moment. "Are you okay?" she asked him.
"That's my line, Fucking Manager."
The weight of what had happened to them in the past few days slowly came back, and Mamori found it hard to swallow.
Where do they even begin?
Tightening her grip on the blanket, she replied, "You need to stop calling me that. I'm not a manager anymore."
"You'll always be my Fucking Manager."
Mamori felt a sting in her eyes at those words. "I thought you didn't want me."
His grin widened. "I obviously lied."
"You idiot. You can't just take back your words and expect me to forgive-"
"You're fucking sick again, aren't you?" There was a playful tone in his voice, but Mamori's eyes still rested on his. The concern was still evident. "Remember what happened the last time you fell sick and you stayed here?"
Mamori fought the urge to cry, for the memory seemed to feel so distant and painful. "Yes," she replied. "But why-?"
"Remember when you played that damn game with me on the Playstation?"
Mamori was taken aback that he was bringing that up. But then again, there was something about that memory, something about what he said back then that made her nervous, as if she knew something was going on ever since then. "... Yes. We played Modern Warfare. We didn't even settle who won."
"I told you that I got the Playstation from some poor sucker who couldn't pay me back."
Mamori kept silent, dread growing within her. She should have known...
"I gather information from various business people and companies, and when I feel like it I give them out to those who are willing to exchange information with me, as well as pay me."
She didn't even move. She just stared at him blankly, the sound of her breathing getting a little harsher as her throat still hurt, but she waited for him to continue.
"Aren't you going to ask me why?"
"I know why," she replied, closing her eyes for a moment. "The information you gathered by exchanging information would help you to keep tabs on the people who might be useful. The money would help with your plans to go to America."
His head drew closer to hers. "Keh, this is why I can't fucking let you go. You know me too damn well."
That did little to comfort her. "But you still told me to move on, to stop... waiting." She took a deep breath to control her tears. This wasn't the time to cry, but the sickness was making her feel susceptible.
He didn't reply at once. Carefully observing his face, Mamori knew he was thinking about what to say. He may have a way with words, mostly crude, but something at this level required a different tact, and she soon felt worried that he may not be able to say what was needed to clear this. Maybe they were only fooling themselves into thinking they could fix this? But Hiruma soon spoke, as if the pause never happened.
"One of the companies I was working for became a little too dependent on me and Agon. I exchanged information with them a lot as they have good sources. But by using the information I gave them, they succeeded in expanding their market-share and increased their revenue three-fold. The chairman was a smart bastard. He wanted power, and I was a key player in helping him to expand his business further. He did everything in his power to keep me... and if he couldn't get me, he'd get Agon."
It all began to click for Mamori. "That's why you pulled him out in our last game, isn't it?"
"I warned him to keep his distance from that company. I knew if we kept associating ourselves with them, it could ruin our plans to get into the NFL properly without having to succumb to some asshole's will. He was already planning to use me to expand his business in America, but I had no interest in being someone else’s pawn. So I rejected everything they gave to keep me. Then they went with their fucking last resort. Getting you involved."
"... Me?" Mamori gasped. "They were observing you! And they assumed that I was someone important to you, didn't they? What were they planning to do to me?"
"Ensure you won't get the job at the Kindergarten you got hired in... or any Kindergarten for that matter."
Silence reined once more as Mamori struggled to let the entire situation sink in. It all made sense now... the reason why Hiruma and Agon often sustained serious injuries unrelated to football, the distance Hiruma forced upon himself with her...
The reason why he made her wait a year ago.
"How... how did you stop them?" Mamori bit her bottom lip, tears already streaming down her face.
"Gave whatever information I could to the smaller companies under the main one and shake its foundation down to the ground."
"... It worked?"
His grin returned, causing her to smile for a while. "But why didn't you tell me all of this when it was over? You didn't have to tell me to stop waiting if this was happening."
"After everything I've put you through before the Rice Bowl and after?" Hiruma shifted his body again, this time a little further from her, glancing at his injured arm. "I created a distance so fucking wide that I felt sure you could already move on without me. And with me leaving to America a lot sooner than I expected, you would be forced to wait again. I don't..." He looked away for a second. "You shouldn't have to wait any longer."
"But I would still have waited for you."
She knew he was watching her carefully now, but her tears blurred her vision and she knew they were falling endlessly. She pressed the base of her palms on her eyes, hoping to stop it.
"After everything I put you through?"
She tried to keep her breathing in control, but her sobs threatened to escape, and her throat was burning. With a broken voice, she replied, "Even if you told me to stop waiting, I would always be waiting for you. I don't mind if I have to wait years... You’ve become someone so important to me that the idea of just moving on doesn’t make sense. I feel like something has ended before it even began. So I realised, I’ve already waited this long, I can still wait a little longer and see this through..."
She couldn't control her tears anymore and so she began to cry openly in front of him. She smiled a little, afraid that Hiruma would realise that she was baring her soul. "I decided to go look for a kindergarten that had international associations, especially in America. There's one, but its American counterpart is probably in a different state than where you would be. But even so, at least I'd be one step closer to you. I can work in that Kindergarten in Japan first, and then get a good record to transfer to America, and once I've built a reputation there, maybe then... Maybe..."
She felt Hiruma grab her shoulders and pulled her out of the blanket and into his arms, locking her in a tight embrace. "Fuck," he muttered to himself. "Fuck. I was right. You really are too fucking good for me."
She carried on crying in his arms, feeling his bare skin on hers felt comforting somehow. "I'm such an idiot, aren't I? Wanting to follow you even when you don't want me to."
"I'm the idiot here. I actually want you to. Fuck." He drew his face closer to hers, listening to her quiet sobs. "I'll gather information about this kindergarten, and I'll make sure that when the time comes, they fucking accept your transfer. I don't care if you're on the opposite side of America, by the time you get there, you can be sure that I'll make it so you’ll be my Fucking Manager again."
"You idiot!" Mamori laughed through her tears. "I'm a Kindergarten Teacher!"
"Who says you can't be both?"
"You're all out to wear me down, aren't you?" Mamori finally lifted her tear stained face a little to face him. "Stupid. Just don't make me go through all that heartache again."
He grinned, before leaning in to kiss her. Mamori pulled away almost instantly. "Don't! You'll get sick too!"
"Too late, Fucking Manager," he said as he tightened his hold on her.
"Eh?" Mamori stared at him for a moment before she reached out a hand to place on his forehead. "You're sick too, aren't you? Why didn't you take a blanket yourself!"
"Only realised I got it when I woke up a few minutes before you did," Hiruma cackled a little as he nuzzled closer to her face. "You really will be the end of me."
Mamori let out an exasperated sigh. Then she smiled a little and combed her fingers through his hair. "I guess so," she said, then she leaned forward and kissed him again.
A feeling of relief washed over them as their kisses got more passionate. After so long of having a barrier constantly put between them, out of respect, out of duty, out of necessity, their little moments of affection limited and rare as they put Football on the forefront of their lives and working on their own paths for the future, finally...
Finally...
They held on to each other as they rested, feeling the sickness get to them a little. But this was good enough. This was fine. While there were more obstacles to face, and they have to wait again before they can be together... This will do. These few moments of being with each other and having each other openly in love will do.
"Should I make us something to eat?" she asked him, still in his arms. "I should probably make something since we're both sick. I probably need to borrow your t-shirt though..."
He grinned. "Well, if you need my clothes, then that settles one fucking thing..."
"What's that?"
"Stay here until I leave?"
Mamori buried her face into his chest and smiled. "Okay."
Chapter 11 | Chapter 13
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: Finally done with this! Thank goodness, I was afraid I'd take longer than usual again! So as mentioned, there is a smut version of this chapter available. If you're okay with smut, and would prefer to read that version, please click here. And don't worry if you think there's a lot of differences between the chapters. They're pretty much the same except this omits the smut section! So it's all good!
I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope the fic Gravity is still on your mind, cause this chapter depends a lot on it. :) Enjoy!
~*~
Yamato fingered the rim of his glass slowly, his mind wandering as the reality of what had just happened hit him. Anezaki Mamori, the girl he had been pursuing for a while now, had rejected him.
Not like he hadn't seen it coming.
"I know you had a lot of bad memories in America. You're not just afraid of what you went through happening to other Japanese players… but that it might happen to me because at some point, you know Hiruma will find some way to drag me to America. I am too useful for him."
At that point, he was still sure he could have made a really good counter-argument to change her mind. But the words she said got to him, and he knew he had lost every chance of ever changing her mind.
"But even without him getting me there, I would have found some way to go wherever he is anyway."
He was not blind. He knew their bond was strong, but he’d placed a little too many of his stakes in favor of Mamori's logic. He was sure she was aware of the benefits of staying in Japan and being with him. And that it would be a matter of time before they moved on to America. He’d made it all so clear. And yet...
"So Yamato-kun... you don't have to be my anchor of safety. You've seen my capabilities. You know I'll pull through."
He knew she was right, even though he didn't want to believe it. But in the end, it was his loss, and another win to Deimon in proving that the whole lot of them cannot comprehend possible failure.
"I should probably keep that attitude in mind once I start my business," said Yamato, as he finally picked the glass up and gulped his drink down.
Mamori had barely opened her eyes when she felt her head throbbing lightly. Her memory of what had happened since the party was fuzzy, but she was on a bed and felt a strange itch in her throat. She coughed, finally gathering enough strength to raise her eyelids to figure out where she was.
Wrapped in a blanket, she found herself in someone else’s bed, and that "someone else" was right next to her - his eyes open though slightly dazed, watching her reaction slowly unfold. He was still in the clothes from the party, but he didn't have a blanket on and his face was pale.
Mamori opened her mouth to say something, but she realised that the itch in her throat was a lot worse than she’d thought. She coughed instead, looking at Hiruma with concern. "What... happened?"
"You don't remember?" Hiruma shifted his body so that he was facing her completely.
Mamori's head was still throbbing, forcing her to close her eyes for a moment. This feeling, this situation, felt all too familiar to her. "No..."
"What do you remember?"
There was a cloud in her head that slowed her thoughts and made it hard for Mamori to figure out what was going on. She forced herself to backtrack and remember the events of the party. Her talk with Yamato, bumping into Hiruma... "Walking from the party, somehow ending up at your place and then..."
Mamori stopped herself, finally remembering what happened next. The kiss they shared started out simple enough, but escalated as they found it harder and harder to part. The moment her lips left his, she felt hungry for more, and he seemed to feel the same as he responded with similar fervour.
... And then nothing. Try as she might to figure out what happened after the kiss, her memories remained a blur. Then a thought occurred to her. She moved the blanket away for a moment and looked down at her body.
Her dress was gone. And all she had on was her underwear. "Did... did we make out?"
Hiruma grinned in a teasing manner.
"But... how did we even make it here? Did you even lock your door?"
"Fuck if I did. I'll shoot any assholes that break in."
She didn't doubt it. But she felt rather uncomfortable, knowing that she was almost naked on Hiruma's bed. She coughed a little more, realising that she was falling sick. Of all the timing! She thought about getting up and dressing herself as quickly as possible. She must leave before this sickness gets worse or else she'd be...
A warm hand rested on her cheek, pulling her from her thoughts. She noticed the bandage on his right arm, and a twinge of guilt hit her. Then her gaze rested on Hiruma's eyes, steady and concerned. She could sense that there were many thoughts going through his head at the moment. "Are you okay?" she asked him.
"That's my line, Fucking Manager."
The weight of what had happened to them in the past few days slowly came back, and Mamori found it hard to swallow.
Where do they even begin?
Tightening her grip on the blanket, she replied, "You need to stop calling me that. I'm not a manager anymore."
"You'll always be my Fucking Manager."
Mamori felt a sting in her eyes at those words. "I thought you didn't want me."
His grin widened. "I obviously lied."
"You idiot. You can't just take back your words and expect me to forgive-"
"You're fucking sick again, aren't you?" There was a playful tone in his voice, but Mamori's eyes still rested on his. The concern was still evident. "Remember what happened the last time you fell sick and you stayed here?"
Mamori fought the urge to cry, for the memory seemed to feel so distant and painful. "Yes," she replied. "But why-?"
"Remember when you played that damn game with me on the Playstation?"
Mamori was taken aback that he was bringing that up. But then again, there was something about that memory, something about what he said back then that made her nervous, as if she knew something was going on ever since then. "... Yes. We played Modern Warfare. We didn't even settle who won."
"I told you that I got the Playstation from some poor sucker who couldn't pay me back."
Mamori kept silent, dread growing within her. She should have known...
"I gather information from various business people and companies, and when I feel like it I give them out to those who are willing to exchange information with me, as well as pay me."
She didn't even move. She just stared at him blankly, the sound of her breathing getting a little harsher as her throat still hurt, but she waited for him to continue.
"Aren't you going to ask me why?"
"I know why," she replied, closing her eyes for a moment. "The information you gathered by exchanging information would help you to keep tabs on the people who might be useful. The money would help with your plans to go to America."
His head drew closer to hers. "Keh, this is why I can't fucking let you go. You know me too damn well."
That did little to comfort her. "But you still told me to move on, to stop... waiting." She took a deep breath to control her tears. This wasn't the time to cry, but the sickness was making her feel susceptible.
He didn't reply at once. Carefully observing his face, Mamori knew he was thinking about what to say. He may have a way with words, mostly crude, but something at this level required a different tact, and she soon felt worried that he may not be able to say what was needed to clear this. Maybe they were only fooling themselves into thinking they could fix this? But Hiruma soon spoke, as if the pause never happened.
"One of the companies I was working for became a little too dependent on me and Agon. I exchanged information with them a lot as they have good sources. But by using the information I gave them, they succeeded in expanding their market-share and increased their revenue three-fold. The chairman was a smart bastard. He wanted power, and I was a key player in helping him to expand his business further. He did everything in his power to keep me... and if he couldn't get me, he'd get Agon."
It all began to click for Mamori. "That's why you pulled him out in our last game, isn't it?"
"I warned him to keep his distance from that company. I knew if we kept associating ourselves with them, it could ruin our plans to get into the NFL properly without having to succumb to some asshole's will. He was already planning to use me to expand his business in America, but I had no interest in being someone else’s pawn. So I rejected everything they gave to keep me. Then they went with their fucking last resort. Getting you involved."
"... Me?" Mamori gasped. "They were observing you! And they assumed that I was someone important to you, didn't they? What were they planning to do to me?"
"Ensure you won't get the job at the Kindergarten you got hired in... or any Kindergarten for that matter."
Silence reined once more as Mamori struggled to let the entire situation sink in. It all made sense now... the reason why Hiruma and Agon often sustained serious injuries unrelated to football, the distance Hiruma forced upon himself with her...
The reason why he made her wait a year ago.
"How... how did you stop them?" Mamori bit her bottom lip, tears already streaming down her face.
"Gave whatever information I could to the smaller companies under the main one and shake its foundation down to the ground."
"... It worked?"
His grin returned, causing her to smile for a while. "But why didn't you tell me all of this when it was over? You didn't have to tell me to stop waiting if this was happening."
"After everything I've put you through before the Rice Bowl and after?" Hiruma shifted his body again, this time a little further from her, glancing at his injured arm. "I created a distance so fucking wide that I felt sure you could already move on without me. And with me leaving to America a lot sooner than I expected, you would be forced to wait again. I don't..." He looked away for a second. "You shouldn't have to wait any longer."
"But I would still have waited for you."
She knew he was watching her carefully now, but her tears blurred her vision and she knew they were falling endlessly. She pressed the base of her palms on her eyes, hoping to stop it.
"After everything I put you through?"
She tried to keep her breathing in control, but her sobs threatened to escape, and her throat was burning. With a broken voice, she replied, "Even if you told me to stop waiting, I would always be waiting for you. I don't mind if I have to wait years... You’ve become someone so important to me that the idea of just moving on doesn’t make sense. I feel like something has ended before it even began. So I realised, I’ve already waited this long, I can still wait a little longer and see this through..."
She couldn't control her tears anymore and so she began to cry openly in front of him. She smiled a little, afraid that Hiruma would realise that she was baring her soul. "I decided to go look for a kindergarten that had international associations, especially in America. There's one, but its American counterpart is probably in a different state than where you would be. But even so, at least I'd be one step closer to you. I can work in that Kindergarten in Japan first, and then get a good record to transfer to America, and once I've built a reputation there, maybe then... Maybe..."
She felt Hiruma grab her shoulders and pulled her out of the blanket and into his arms, locking her in a tight embrace. "Fuck," he muttered to himself. "Fuck. I was right. You really are too fucking good for me."
She carried on crying in his arms, feeling his bare skin on hers felt comforting somehow. "I'm such an idiot, aren't I? Wanting to follow you even when you don't want me to."
"I'm the idiot here. I actually want you to. Fuck." He drew his face closer to hers, listening to her quiet sobs. "I'll gather information about this kindergarten, and I'll make sure that when the time comes, they fucking accept your transfer. I don't care if you're on the opposite side of America, by the time you get there, you can be sure that I'll make it so you’ll be my Fucking Manager again."
"You idiot!" Mamori laughed through her tears. "I'm a Kindergarten Teacher!"
"Who says you can't be both?"
"You're all out to wear me down, aren't you?" Mamori finally lifted her tear stained face a little to face him. "Stupid. Just don't make me go through all that heartache again."
He grinned, before leaning in to kiss her. Mamori pulled away almost instantly. "Don't! You'll get sick too!"
"Too late, Fucking Manager," he said as he tightened his hold on her.
"Eh?" Mamori stared at him for a moment before she reached out a hand to place on his forehead. "You're sick too, aren't you? Why didn't you take a blanket yourself!"
"Only realised I got it when I woke up a few minutes before you did," Hiruma cackled a little as he nuzzled closer to her face. "You really will be the end of me."
Mamori let out an exasperated sigh. Then she smiled a little and combed her fingers through his hair. "I guess so," she said, then she leaned forward and kissed him again.
A feeling of relief washed over them as their kisses got more passionate. After so long of having a barrier constantly put between them, out of respect, out of duty, out of necessity, their little moments of affection limited and rare as they put Football on the forefront of their lives and working on their own paths for the future, finally...
Finally...
They held on to each other as they rested, feeling the sickness get to them a little. But this was good enough. This was fine. While there were more obstacles to face, and they have to wait again before they can be together... This will do. These few moments of being with each other and having each other openly in love will do.
"Should I make us something to eat?" she asked him, still in his arms. "I should probably make something since we're both sick. I probably need to borrow your t-shirt though..."
He grinned. "Well, if you need my clothes, then that settles one fucking thing..."
"What's that?"
"Stay here until I leave?"
Mamori buried her face into his chest and smiled. "Okay."
Chapter 11 | Chapter 13