[Fanfic] Trick Play [Chapter 3]
Title: Trick Play [Chapter 3]
Rating: K+
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: Hiruma has disappeared during a crucial time in training for the Saikyoudai Wizards. Mamori sets off to look for him and bring him back, but there could be more to Hiruma's situation than she realised, and it may lead to the two of them making the biggest trick play they've ever planned and executed.
Notes: I really have the best readers. :) Big thanks to Elis for the help and making this chapter pretty fun to work on! More after the chapter. Enjoy!
~*~
Sugiyo brought them into another room within the ryokan, one which was cosier than the other. It was a lot bigger, the decoration in a style more familiar to Mamori and reminded her of other more fancier ryokans she had stayed at with her family before. The last time the team was here, the boys stayed in a hall while Mamori and Suzuna slept in a room similar to the one she was in earlier. For Sugiyo to allow them to use such a fancy room simply for discussion aroused suspicion within Mamori.
Sugiyo had a tea set ready on the table. As they knelt on the cushions, Mamori was about to offer to serve the tea, but Sugiyo's hands were swift and she began to pour the hot liquid into their cups.
"So," Hiruma began, unwilling to wait for Sugiyo to be done. "What the hell were you harping on back there about there being another possible route?"
"Patience," she replied as she carefully filled the third cup. Then she picked up a cup and passed it to Mamori, who bowed her head lightly as she accepted it. She gave one to Hiruma, his left eye twitching in annoyance, though he took it.
It wasn't until after she took a sip out of her own cup, carefully savouring the slightly tense moment, did she continue. "The Sato family is a crafty one. When a member of the Sato family dies, there is a particular building prepared specifically to keep the ashes in. So there is no need to keep Kirie in that temple."
Hiruma didn't respond. Sugiyo took another long sip, prompting Mamori to ask the obvious. "So Kirie's ashes were purposely placed in that temple... out of spite?"
Sugiyo grinned. "It is easy to assume so, but maybe it's a lot more than that? Out of the two sisters, Kaede has always been the tight-lipped one. Who knows what her real agenda is. But with the recent turn of events, it's proven to be quite an obstacle."
Hiruma spoke up. "Look, who cares if that Fucking Old Man never sees her ashes. He wants to die anyways, and he will die whether he sees her or not."
"It's not just about seeing the ashes of his dead wife," replied Sugiyo, her eyes narrowed. "He is seeking redemption, to apologise and pray for her soul before he departs from this world and possibly sees her."
He snorted. "Are you fucking kidding me? That old man believes in that shit?"
The bitterness in his voice alarmed Mamori. "Hiruma-kun..."
"Don't even try to turn this into some religious story, you damn old lady," Hiruma snarled. "He didn't give a shit when she died, and all these years he didn't even think about seeing her. Fuck, he didn't even have tablets or any form of offering in the house dedicated to her memory. The man has gone fucking insane since he got diagnosed, he's calling out for his wife in his dying wishes and doesn't know when to give up."
"So you're saying it's best to let him die in regret?" asked Sugiyo.
Hiruma narrowed his eyes. "I'm saying he deserves to die with disappointment. I'm sure she felt the same way."
The way he said that made Mamori's heart ache. This wasn't right... no one should say something like that. And she felt sure it must have hurt for even Hiruma to say such a thing.
Sugiyo let out a soft sigh as she carefully placed her cup back on the table. "I see that you aren't fully aware of the situation he was in when Kirie passed away. You are aware of the bad relationship between him and the Sato family, yes?"
"What about it?"
"Then consider this. There is a big rift between your father and the Sato family. Once your mother's ashes were taken away, he was actually instructed to forget her, to completely ignore the fact that a member of the Sato family had ever been married to someone of lower ranking, especially now that she has died. Hiruma Kirie never existed to the Sato family. And your father agreed to that out of guilt for failing to protect her. So of course, any form of memorabilia, pictures or anything that would remind the world that Hiruma Kirie existed would be removed. There was no way for him to perform any offerings or prayers for your mother.
Her marriage to Hiruma Yuuya never existed."
Hiruma remained silent for a moment, allowing this truth to sink in, but Mamori couldn't help but cry out. "That's terrible! How could they even do that? It's bad enough that they put Kirie's ashes in such a temple, but to make her marriage to Hiruma-kun's father non-existent?"
"I understand your anger, Anezaki-san, but you and I know well enough that it isn't in our place to lecture such ludicrous traditions. That is the way they run their family. We can gain nothing from questioning it."
"Then what do you propose we do?" asked Hiruma, arms crossed as he glared at Sugiyo. "You said that you have a plan, and it involves me and Anezaki. What could we possibly do to even fix any of this shit?"
Sugiyo let out a soft, amused laugh. She picked up her cup of tea once more, sipping it carefully as the eyes of the two youths watched her. "I'm glad you brought that up. While we can gain nothing from questioning the traditions of the Sato family, we can definitely challenge them."
"How?" Hiruma asked, curiosity buried within the word.
"As you know, only female members of the Sato family and its branches are allowed within that temple. The branches are of course, the members of the Sato family who married into other families but are still essentially a part of the Sato family. So regardless, they will have access to that temple.
Now, while they may be keen to pretend that Sato Kirie never married Hiruma Yuuya, they slipped up in one matter."
"What matter?" asked Mamori.
Sugiyo grinned. "Kirie's death certificate and other official documents state her name as Hiruma Kirie."
Hiruma's eyes widened at this point. "You have got to be fucking kidding me..."
Mamori was confused. "Eh? What is it?"
Sugiyo grinned. "This means that the Hiruma family is, regardless of the circumstances, a branch of the Sato family."
Hiruma growled. "Don't tell me..."
"Tell you what?" Mamori urged on.
"This means that all you need is a female to marry into the Hiruma family... and she will have access to that temple."
With that, Sugiyo was staring right at Mamori. And it was then that everything Sugiyo had suggested fell into place.
Mamori's jaw dropped. "Y-you... want me to marry Hiruma-kun? Actually marry him? Legally?"
"First of all, it's not that I want you to marry. I am laying this option down for you, to show that all is not lost. Secondly, yes this has to be a legal marriage if we are ever to convince the Sato family. Thirdly, the marriage is specifically to the one named Hiruma Youichi. Hiruma Yuuya is unfit for marriage as you are well aware of," Sugiyo laughed.
"This isn't a time for jokes, you fucking matchmaker," Hiruma's voice rose, barely holding back from shouting. "So this is why you bring the Fucking Manager all the way here? So that I can put a ring on her fucking finger and she can waltz into the temple and get my mother's ashes?"
"It will not be as simple as that, it seems," said Sugiyo. "There may be more to the Sato family that we may be unaware of. But the marriage will make retrieving Kirie's ashes possible, and who are we to deny that possibility?"
"But... it's marriage! An actual marriage!" Mamori's voice felt uncontrollable from the shock. "This isn't just me having to wear a ring... I'm going to be married! And to..." She couldn't help but glance at Hiruma, who seemed more intent on giving Sugiyo the worse death glare he had ever given to any American Football player.
"I hope you're not filled with the ideals of what marriage is supposed to be like, Anezaki-san," Sugiyo's eyes rested on her. "Marriage isn't just some form of union between two people in love. If you must know, marriages are more often than not meant to be treated as a business. A form of agreement between two individuals who then work together to achieve their goals. The common goals related to marriage are the usual; owning your own house, creating financial stability, building a family together, and so forth. Don't you agree?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"But for the two of you, it can be much bigger than that. The reason why I could even think of this as being possible is because from my observation, the two of you work together well enough for your common goal. And, dare I say it, you both also act like... excuse my rather crude example... an old married couple." Sugiyo laughed once more.
"Fucking old lady," Hiruma growled.
"Don't give me that tone. You may both argue because of your own stubbornness, but there is mutual respect and understanding between the two of you. Things may have been different back in high school, but your relationship has evolved throughout the years. Being married won't change the fact that you both wish to win the upcoming American Football tournament. That can continue. But the marriage will affect the Sato family, and who are we to deny that possibility? I'm sure you would want to get back at them, Youichi, or at least have an insider into the Sato family."
"Fucking old lady," Hiruma repeated. "Don't you dare suggest I use my manager for such a fucking retarded reason. If I want to get inside information of the Sato family, then I'll find my own fucking way to get it. You may think that marrying Anezaki won't change much because we act like a stinking couple already, parenting the damn team, but what you're asking isn't going to allow things between us to remain the same as always.
You're asking Anezaki to change her fucking name. If there are more rules to the Sato family, then she will have to bear the burden for it. If we have to prove we're married, she's the one who has to move in with me. Fucking get it now?"
Mamori held her breath for a moment as she watched Hiruma leaned forward, the fierce undertone in his voice crystal clear. "It is Anezaki's loss in this marriage. And I will not allow my manager to succumb herself to this over some fucking ashes."
"Wait."
Hiruma and Sugiyo looked at Mamori, surprised at the sound of her voice. Even Mamori was surprised herself. A lot of thoughts were rushing through her mind, making it hard for her to fully figure out what she was really thinking and what it was that she wanted to do. So her instinct took full control. "Just... wait for a moment. I'm sorry, Sugiyo-san, could you excuse the two of us? There's something I need to discuss with him."
Sugiyo nodded, sipping her tea. "Go right ahead."
Mamori shot up, grabbed Hiruma's wrist and pulled him out of the room. Her eyes remained forward as Hiruma spoke behind her. "What the fuck, Anezaki? What are you doing?"
"I... I don't know," she replied as they walked down the hallway.
"... You're not seriously considering it, are you?"
"Yes." Mamori shook her head. "No! I..." The kitchen was nearby. It would have to do. Entering it, she finally let go of Hiruma's wrist. She turned to see him giving her a rather irked look, but he stayed where he was, arms crossed and lips pressed together.
"So which is it?" he asked.
"Look, I..." She realised her thoughts were completely cluttered, mixed with emotions and a sense of urgency. She opened her mouth, but she couldn't place the right words. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Oh please let this be the right way. "Let's just consider what Sugiyo is saying carefully."
"Don't you dare consider the marriage seriously, Fucking Manager," Hiruma growled.
Mamori cringed. "But what if it really is the only way? What if the marriage can solve this? Let's just look at the situation more carefully, Hiruma-kun. I know marriage is a big responsibility, it's really serious and for us to even rush into this is absurd. But we need to consider the circumstances we're in." Mamori began to pace herself across the kitchen. "First, let's consider the fact that because of this mess you had to miss practice for three days."
"What about it?"
"Isn't it possible that this will continue? Your father will not stop until he has your mother's ashes back. He knows there's an obvious rift between the Hiruma and the Sato family, but he seems to have that stubbornness and anger which I'm going to assume is a Hiruma trait. Except that he is disoriented and weak, but that won't stop him from fighting. If that's the case, then he will continue to be reckless and you're the only family he has to stop him, and that will affect our future games. If we're married then-"
"You're not taking care of the old man too, Anezaki! Why the hell are you even considering this?!"
"I'm saying I am willing to share that burden with you, Hiruma-kun!" Mamori placed a palm on her chest, trying to calm herself. Why was her heart beating so fast? "This isn't just for you, this is for the whole team! This is for our dream to win the Rice Bowl! And I cannot deny the fact that this entire problem with the Hiruma and Sato family will continue to plague you until your father..." Mamori bit her lip. She couldn't bear to say it. "And who knows how long that will take so... If this marriage can help ease that somehow, can help you so that we can focus on our common goal then..."
"Do you seriously think that?"
"Eh?"
Hiruma sighed. He walked towards the kitchen counter and leaned the back of his hip against it. "You know, I've taken advantage of that fucking selfless attitude of yours countless times before. You make it too easy, and here you are doing it again. But for once in your life, Anezaki, think of yourself. You do realise how this will affect you right?"
Mamori tried to say it. She knew the list, but again the words and her emotions were mixing together so much, that the words only came as Hiruma spoke them out loud.
"You're changing your family name. You will be going under my family registry. You will be forced to do things to prove that this marriage is valid, which will even include moving in with me. Fuck, you may even have to do things for the Sato family to convince them of it."
"I know that!" Mamori cried, trying to swallow the emotions building in to her. It was only as she shouted did she realise what it was.
She was scared. "I know... but Hiruma-kun, I don't want you to face all of this alone. There's so much bitterness and despair going on right now, and I don't think... I know you cannot handle this alone. So if I can be your ally, and if by being your ally means being your wife, then I'll do it."
Hiruma glanced away, digging deep into his own thoughts too. She knew he would never admit to him needing her help, and the seriousness of the situation did call for an ally. But was she really the best option? "What about your family?"
She flinched at his words. "... I don't know!" Mamori leaned against a different counter, trying to calm her thoughts down. He brought up a good point. What about her own family?
Hiruma let out another sigh as he stood straight to stop leaning against the counter. He began to take a step towards her. "I think it's best if we don't get your family involved any further in this mess. So if we do get married, this would mean having to hide your marriage from them."
Mamori nodded. "That's true. It would be best to hide this from them as much as possible. So maybe moving in with you may be a good idea? I don't think it would be much of a problem, seeing as the games are coming closer and with our exams coming up too, I'm sure I could come up with a way to explain this to them."
He was getting closer to her now. "You don't have to stay with me throughout the marriage anyway. Only when that damn Sato family is around and causing trouble."
"Right. And we'll wear our rings only when they're around as well. Hopefully they do not need much convincing about the Hiruma family being a branch of the Sato family, and this may all be over before we know it."
"We get my mother's ashes back, my father can finally stop being a giant asshole, we annul the marriage, you get back your name, and we win the Rice Bowl." Hiruma grinned as he finally stood before her. "Sounds like a plan. Our biggest trick play perhaps?"
Mamori laughed. "Really, Hiruma-kun? A Football reference for this?"
"We'll be fooling everyone around us with this marriage, don't you think? We want the Sato family to believe in the Hiruma family so we can take advantage of them. We have to keep this a secret from not just your family, but everyone else around us including the Wizards and everyone we play against. How can you not treat this as a game?"
Mamori continued to laugh, slowly feeling at ease. "Who would have thought that we would be pulling off a trick play even off of the field? The fact that I can totally follow your line of thinking proves that we just may be able to pull this one off too. Just..." Mamori sighed a little, her eyes lowered as she looked at Hiruma's shirt. She had an urge to hold him for a moment, as fear and doubt gripped her. "Just watch my back, okay?"
"Keh, I should be the one asking that. I don't know shit about marriage." He lowered his head to catch her gaze.
"As if I would know!" she snapped, but she kept eye contact with him.
"You're the motherly one, and you have both your parents too. Pretty sure you're the experienced one here!"
"Oh, don't be silly! We may be getting married but we're still going to go about our daily lives, arguing and plotting, just that we'll get through whatever obstacles ahead of us... together." Mamori smiled up at him, and realised that his towering presence alone felt comforting at that moment.
This may turn out for the better. And she felt sure he thought the same thing.
Hiruma's grin softened to one of a smile. "We're really doing this, eh?"
She giggled in response. "Let's discuss this further with Sugiyo-san."
~*~
Extra Notes: Congratulations to all who knew they were getting married! The hints were pretty obvious, wasn't it? Haha! But even with that being predictable, I hope you continue to look forward to the future chapters as it will get pretty interesting! To be completely honest, the idea for this fic came to me from a simple thought of what happened if Hiruma and Mamori were married and had to keep it a secret from everyone. And now here it is, expanding a lot more than I predicted.
I hope you continue to enjoy and support this fic in the future chapters. Thank you so much and look forward to the next chapter!
Chapter 2 | Chapter 4
Rating: K+
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the characters used here. They belong to their respective owners, namely the creators of Eyeshield 21.
Summary: Hiruma has disappeared during a crucial time in training for the Saikyoudai Wizards. Mamori sets off to look for him and bring him back, but there could be more to Hiruma's situation than she realised, and it may lead to the two of them making the biggest trick play they've ever planned and executed.
Notes: I really have the best readers. :) Big thanks to Elis for the help and making this chapter pretty fun to work on! More after the chapter. Enjoy!
~*~
Sugiyo brought them into another room within the ryokan, one which was cosier than the other. It was a lot bigger, the decoration in a style more familiar to Mamori and reminded her of other more fancier ryokans she had stayed at with her family before. The last time the team was here, the boys stayed in a hall while Mamori and Suzuna slept in a room similar to the one she was in earlier. For Sugiyo to allow them to use such a fancy room simply for discussion aroused suspicion within Mamori.
Sugiyo had a tea set ready on the table. As they knelt on the cushions, Mamori was about to offer to serve the tea, but Sugiyo's hands were swift and she began to pour the hot liquid into their cups.
"So," Hiruma began, unwilling to wait for Sugiyo to be done. "What the hell were you harping on back there about there being another possible route?"
"Patience," she replied as she carefully filled the third cup. Then she picked up a cup and passed it to Mamori, who bowed her head lightly as she accepted it. She gave one to Hiruma, his left eye twitching in annoyance, though he took it.
It wasn't until after she took a sip out of her own cup, carefully savouring the slightly tense moment, did she continue. "The Sato family is a crafty one. When a member of the Sato family dies, there is a particular building prepared specifically to keep the ashes in. So there is no need to keep Kirie in that temple."
Hiruma didn't respond. Sugiyo took another long sip, prompting Mamori to ask the obvious. "So Kirie's ashes were purposely placed in that temple... out of spite?"
Sugiyo grinned. "It is easy to assume so, but maybe it's a lot more than that? Out of the two sisters, Kaede has always been the tight-lipped one. Who knows what her real agenda is. But with the recent turn of events, it's proven to be quite an obstacle."
Hiruma spoke up. "Look, who cares if that Fucking Old Man never sees her ashes. He wants to die anyways, and he will die whether he sees her or not."
"It's not just about seeing the ashes of his dead wife," replied Sugiyo, her eyes narrowed. "He is seeking redemption, to apologise and pray for her soul before he departs from this world and possibly sees her."
He snorted. "Are you fucking kidding me? That old man believes in that shit?"
The bitterness in his voice alarmed Mamori. "Hiruma-kun..."
"Don't even try to turn this into some religious story, you damn old lady," Hiruma snarled. "He didn't give a shit when she died, and all these years he didn't even think about seeing her. Fuck, he didn't even have tablets or any form of offering in the house dedicated to her memory. The man has gone fucking insane since he got diagnosed, he's calling out for his wife in his dying wishes and doesn't know when to give up."
"So you're saying it's best to let him die in regret?" asked Sugiyo.
Hiruma narrowed his eyes. "I'm saying he deserves to die with disappointment. I'm sure she felt the same way."
The way he said that made Mamori's heart ache. This wasn't right... no one should say something like that. And she felt sure it must have hurt for even Hiruma to say such a thing.
Sugiyo let out a soft sigh as she carefully placed her cup back on the table. "I see that you aren't fully aware of the situation he was in when Kirie passed away. You are aware of the bad relationship between him and the Sato family, yes?"
"What about it?"
"Then consider this. There is a big rift between your father and the Sato family. Once your mother's ashes were taken away, he was actually instructed to forget her, to completely ignore the fact that a member of the Sato family had ever been married to someone of lower ranking, especially now that she has died. Hiruma Kirie never existed to the Sato family. And your father agreed to that out of guilt for failing to protect her. So of course, any form of memorabilia, pictures or anything that would remind the world that Hiruma Kirie existed would be removed. There was no way for him to perform any offerings or prayers for your mother.
Her marriage to Hiruma Yuuya never existed."
Hiruma remained silent for a moment, allowing this truth to sink in, but Mamori couldn't help but cry out. "That's terrible! How could they even do that? It's bad enough that they put Kirie's ashes in such a temple, but to make her marriage to Hiruma-kun's father non-existent?"
"I understand your anger, Anezaki-san, but you and I know well enough that it isn't in our place to lecture such ludicrous traditions. That is the way they run their family. We can gain nothing from questioning it."
"Then what do you propose we do?" asked Hiruma, arms crossed as he glared at Sugiyo. "You said that you have a plan, and it involves me and Anezaki. What could we possibly do to even fix any of this shit?"
Sugiyo let out a soft, amused laugh. She picked up her cup of tea once more, sipping it carefully as the eyes of the two youths watched her. "I'm glad you brought that up. While we can gain nothing from questioning the traditions of the Sato family, we can definitely challenge them."
"How?" Hiruma asked, curiosity buried within the word.
"As you know, only female members of the Sato family and its branches are allowed within that temple. The branches are of course, the members of the Sato family who married into other families but are still essentially a part of the Sato family. So regardless, they will have access to that temple.
Now, while they may be keen to pretend that Sato Kirie never married Hiruma Yuuya, they slipped up in one matter."
"What matter?" asked Mamori.
Sugiyo grinned. "Kirie's death certificate and other official documents state her name as Hiruma Kirie."
Hiruma's eyes widened at this point. "You have got to be fucking kidding me..."
Mamori was confused. "Eh? What is it?"
Sugiyo grinned. "This means that the Hiruma family is, regardless of the circumstances, a branch of the Sato family."
Hiruma growled. "Don't tell me..."
"Tell you what?" Mamori urged on.
"This means that all you need is a female to marry into the Hiruma family... and she will have access to that temple."
With that, Sugiyo was staring right at Mamori. And it was then that everything Sugiyo had suggested fell into place.
Mamori's jaw dropped. "Y-you... want me to marry Hiruma-kun? Actually marry him? Legally?"
"First of all, it's not that I want you to marry. I am laying this option down for you, to show that all is not lost. Secondly, yes this has to be a legal marriage if we are ever to convince the Sato family. Thirdly, the marriage is specifically to the one named Hiruma Youichi. Hiruma Yuuya is unfit for marriage as you are well aware of," Sugiyo laughed.
"This isn't a time for jokes, you fucking matchmaker," Hiruma's voice rose, barely holding back from shouting. "So this is why you bring the Fucking Manager all the way here? So that I can put a ring on her fucking finger and she can waltz into the temple and get my mother's ashes?"
"It will not be as simple as that, it seems," said Sugiyo. "There may be more to the Sato family that we may be unaware of. But the marriage will make retrieving Kirie's ashes possible, and who are we to deny that possibility?"
"But... it's marriage! An actual marriage!" Mamori's voice felt uncontrollable from the shock. "This isn't just me having to wear a ring... I'm going to be married! And to..." She couldn't help but glance at Hiruma, who seemed more intent on giving Sugiyo the worse death glare he had ever given to any American Football player.
"I hope you're not filled with the ideals of what marriage is supposed to be like, Anezaki-san," Sugiyo's eyes rested on her. "Marriage isn't just some form of union between two people in love. If you must know, marriages are more often than not meant to be treated as a business. A form of agreement between two individuals who then work together to achieve their goals. The common goals related to marriage are the usual; owning your own house, creating financial stability, building a family together, and so forth. Don't you agree?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"But for the two of you, it can be much bigger than that. The reason why I could even think of this as being possible is because from my observation, the two of you work together well enough for your common goal. And, dare I say it, you both also act like... excuse my rather crude example... an old married couple." Sugiyo laughed once more.
"Fucking old lady," Hiruma growled.
"Don't give me that tone. You may both argue because of your own stubbornness, but there is mutual respect and understanding between the two of you. Things may have been different back in high school, but your relationship has evolved throughout the years. Being married won't change the fact that you both wish to win the upcoming American Football tournament. That can continue. But the marriage will affect the Sato family, and who are we to deny that possibility? I'm sure you would want to get back at them, Youichi, or at least have an insider into the Sato family."
"Fucking old lady," Hiruma repeated. "Don't you dare suggest I use my manager for such a fucking retarded reason. If I want to get inside information of the Sato family, then I'll find my own fucking way to get it. You may think that marrying Anezaki won't change much because we act like a stinking couple already, parenting the damn team, but what you're asking isn't going to allow things between us to remain the same as always.
You're asking Anezaki to change her fucking name. If there are more rules to the Sato family, then she will have to bear the burden for it. If we have to prove we're married, she's the one who has to move in with me. Fucking get it now?"
Mamori held her breath for a moment as she watched Hiruma leaned forward, the fierce undertone in his voice crystal clear. "It is Anezaki's loss in this marriage. And I will not allow my manager to succumb herself to this over some fucking ashes."
"Wait."
Hiruma and Sugiyo looked at Mamori, surprised at the sound of her voice. Even Mamori was surprised herself. A lot of thoughts were rushing through her mind, making it hard for her to fully figure out what she was really thinking and what it was that she wanted to do. So her instinct took full control. "Just... wait for a moment. I'm sorry, Sugiyo-san, could you excuse the two of us? There's something I need to discuss with him."
Sugiyo nodded, sipping her tea. "Go right ahead."
Mamori shot up, grabbed Hiruma's wrist and pulled him out of the room. Her eyes remained forward as Hiruma spoke behind her. "What the fuck, Anezaki? What are you doing?"
"I... I don't know," she replied as they walked down the hallway.
"... You're not seriously considering it, are you?"
"Yes." Mamori shook her head. "No! I..." The kitchen was nearby. It would have to do. Entering it, she finally let go of Hiruma's wrist. She turned to see him giving her a rather irked look, but he stayed where he was, arms crossed and lips pressed together.
"So which is it?" he asked.
"Look, I..." She realised her thoughts were completely cluttered, mixed with emotions and a sense of urgency. She opened her mouth, but she couldn't place the right words. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Oh please let this be the right way. "Let's just consider what Sugiyo is saying carefully."
"Don't you dare consider the marriage seriously, Fucking Manager," Hiruma growled.
Mamori cringed. "But what if it really is the only way? What if the marriage can solve this? Let's just look at the situation more carefully, Hiruma-kun. I know marriage is a big responsibility, it's really serious and for us to even rush into this is absurd. But we need to consider the circumstances we're in." Mamori began to pace herself across the kitchen. "First, let's consider the fact that because of this mess you had to miss practice for three days."
"What about it?"
"Isn't it possible that this will continue? Your father will not stop until he has your mother's ashes back. He knows there's an obvious rift between the Hiruma and the Sato family, but he seems to have that stubbornness and anger which I'm going to assume is a Hiruma trait. Except that he is disoriented and weak, but that won't stop him from fighting. If that's the case, then he will continue to be reckless and you're the only family he has to stop him, and that will affect our future games. If we're married then-"
"You're not taking care of the old man too, Anezaki! Why the hell are you even considering this?!"
"I'm saying I am willing to share that burden with you, Hiruma-kun!" Mamori placed a palm on her chest, trying to calm herself. Why was her heart beating so fast? "This isn't just for you, this is for the whole team! This is for our dream to win the Rice Bowl! And I cannot deny the fact that this entire problem with the Hiruma and Sato family will continue to plague you until your father..." Mamori bit her lip. She couldn't bear to say it. "And who knows how long that will take so... If this marriage can help ease that somehow, can help you so that we can focus on our common goal then..."
"Do you seriously think that?"
"Eh?"
Hiruma sighed. He walked towards the kitchen counter and leaned the back of his hip against it. "You know, I've taken advantage of that fucking selfless attitude of yours countless times before. You make it too easy, and here you are doing it again. But for once in your life, Anezaki, think of yourself. You do realise how this will affect you right?"
Mamori tried to say it. She knew the list, but again the words and her emotions were mixing together so much, that the words only came as Hiruma spoke them out loud.
"You're changing your family name. You will be going under my family registry. You will be forced to do things to prove that this marriage is valid, which will even include moving in with me. Fuck, you may even have to do things for the Sato family to convince them of it."
"I know that!" Mamori cried, trying to swallow the emotions building in to her. It was only as she shouted did she realise what it was.
She was scared. "I know... but Hiruma-kun, I don't want you to face all of this alone. There's so much bitterness and despair going on right now, and I don't think... I know you cannot handle this alone. So if I can be your ally, and if by being your ally means being your wife, then I'll do it."
Hiruma glanced away, digging deep into his own thoughts too. She knew he would never admit to him needing her help, and the seriousness of the situation did call for an ally. But was she really the best option? "What about your family?"
She flinched at his words. "... I don't know!" Mamori leaned against a different counter, trying to calm her thoughts down. He brought up a good point. What about her own family?
Hiruma let out another sigh as he stood straight to stop leaning against the counter. He began to take a step towards her. "I think it's best if we don't get your family involved any further in this mess. So if we do get married, this would mean having to hide your marriage from them."
Mamori nodded. "That's true. It would be best to hide this from them as much as possible. So maybe moving in with you may be a good idea? I don't think it would be much of a problem, seeing as the games are coming closer and with our exams coming up too, I'm sure I could come up with a way to explain this to them."
He was getting closer to her now. "You don't have to stay with me throughout the marriage anyway. Only when that damn Sato family is around and causing trouble."
"Right. And we'll wear our rings only when they're around as well. Hopefully they do not need much convincing about the Hiruma family being a branch of the Sato family, and this may all be over before we know it."
"We get my mother's ashes back, my father can finally stop being a giant asshole, we annul the marriage, you get back your name, and we win the Rice Bowl." Hiruma grinned as he finally stood before her. "Sounds like a plan. Our biggest trick play perhaps?"
Mamori laughed. "Really, Hiruma-kun? A Football reference for this?"
"We'll be fooling everyone around us with this marriage, don't you think? We want the Sato family to believe in the Hiruma family so we can take advantage of them. We have to keep this a secret from not just your family, but everyone else around us including the Wizards and everyone we play against. How can you not treat this as a game?"
Mamori continued to laugh, slowly feeling at ease. "Who would have thought that we would be pulling off a trick play even off of the field? The fact that I can totally follow your line of thinking proves that we just may be able to pull this one off too. Just..." Mamori sighed a little, her eyes lowered as she looked at Hiruma's shirt. She had an urge to hold him for a moment, as fear and doubt gripped her. "Just watch my back, okay?"
"Keh, I should be the one asking that. I don't know shit about marriage." He lowered his head to catch her gaze.
"As if I would know!" she snapped, but she kept eye contact with him.
"You're the motherly one, and you have both your parents too. Pretty sure you're the experienced one here!"
"Oh, don't be silly! We may be getting married but we're still going to go about our daily lives, arguing and plotting, just that we'll get through whatever obstacles ahead of us... together." Mamori smiled up at him, and realised that his towering presence alone felt comforting at that moment.
This may turn out for the better. And she felt sure he thought the same thing.
Hiruma's grin softened to one of a smile. "We're really doing this, eh?"
She giggled in response. "Let's discuss this further with Sugiyo-san."
~*~
Extra Notes: Congratulations to all who knew they were getting married! The hints were pretty obvious, wasn't it? Haha! But even with that being predictable, I hope you continue to look forward to the future chapters as it will get pretty interesting! To be completely honest, the idea for this fic came to me from a simple thought of what happened if Hiruma and Mamori were married and had to keep it a secret from everyone. And now here it is, expanding a lot more than I predicted.
I hope you continue to enjoy and support this fic in the future chapters. Thank you so much and look forward to the next chapter!
Chapter 2 | Chapter 4