[Fanfic] Gravity [Chapter 6]
Title: Gravity [Chapter 6] (FINAL)
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: All they've been doing since they first started working together was keep moving forward and never looking back. But when one person has fallen, and the other is forced to stop, what would they think of themselves now?
Notes: And now the final chapter is out. I'm sorry it took so long! It's just been one insanity after another. I can only hope this chapter does justice for you guys. I'll talk more once you're done with the chapter. For now, enjoy!
~*~
Hiruma couldn’t sleep that night after Anezaki’s mother dropped by. Deep down he was really exhausted, but the more he tried to sleep, the more awake he felt. He cursed his overactive mind for over thinking things that really weren’t worth that much thought.
Like, will she get better tomorrow? Or will she still be sick tomorrow? If she’s still sick, should he just borrow the Fucking Old Man’s truck and take her back to her parents’ place? And if she was getting better, was it all right to start getting her to work on more Football related tasks? Surely it could wait some more?
He had already taken a big leap by telling the rest of the team that he was the one who was sick instead of Anezaki. He knew that the team would find it hard to believe that the Demon Captain of Saikyoudai had been taken down by a mere cold. But Anezaki was currently with him, and rumours would surely spread about Anezaki actually spending her downtime with him and at his place no less. People would believe it if the Fucking Manager came here out of her own free will to take care of him when he was sick. No one would believe it was the other way around, not unless something was going on between them. He didn’t give a fuck about the rumours, but he wondered if she would be fazed by such things, especially since they were now in college. Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, they’d sooner eat their own fucking socks than dare ask him about his condition.
But having given it some thought, he came to the realization that Anezaki never really cared about such rumours. Even back in Deimon during their third year, rumours had spread like wildfire that the two of them were dating. Some claimed that Hiruma had bewitched Anezaki, or blackmailed her into staying with him. Some took things even further by saying Hiruma had raped Anezaki and abused her, and she was hiding all this by pretending to be his girlfriend. There were a lot of sick rumours he discovered as he continued to collect more blackmail material. The Fucking Manager only knew about 24% of them, yet she brushed off each one of those rumours, squashing them with a laugh and then busying herself with studies and supporting the team.
Even with those rumours surrounding them, they never really noticed how much time they had spent together just working on Football. And perhaps in between laughing off those rumours and keeping busy with football, they never had time to think of anything but.
That was, until Hiruma decided that he wanted to go to Saikyoudai and the possibility of them parting ways hit him. That moment required him to consider how useful she was, and there was no denying that as long as she was with him, he had a high chance of crushing anyone in his way. Yet from there he began to develop this strange habit of observing her. He did this nonchalantly with everyone around him, but he little by little he found his attention lingering a little longer each time. Like he’d watch her eyes go up in cold flames when the opposing team insulted her own. Or the way she’d suppress a smile during Hiruma’s “celebration” moments, letting just a small hint escape at the left corner of her lips.
He wasn’t sure why, but knowing all these habits fascinated him. And it didn’t help that the Fucking Manager soon began to invade his own personal space in this apartment. He wasn’t too happy with her constantly coming in and touching his things as they worked, but he soon grew used to it. And he memorized the kind of cleanliness and order Anezaki liked. Mugs and cups in the top shelf. Plates and bowls in the shelf next to it. All dry ingredients in the cupboard next to the fridge. He enjoyed occasionally throwing her off by putting some things out of order. Unopened canned food in the fridge, chopsticks mixed with the spoons. She would get mad at him, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him, but she’d then patiently put things back in order.
And without realizing it, he was following suit too.
Hiruma replayed all these thoughts and realized that the reason for his changes might be a lot more serious than he initially thought. In the end, he may have to admit to the fact that he might be…
“Hiru… ma?”
Hiruma’s eyes snapped open. He quickly got up from the couch to see Anezaki, with the comforter wrapped around her shoulders, walking out of his room. “Fucking Manager, what are you…?” Hiruma trailed off as he watched Mamori walk out of the room aimlessly. He noticed that her eyes were still closed, and she kept murmuring to herself. The only words he could figure out were “Where?” and “Hiruma?”
He jumped off the couch the moment he saw Anezaki was about to walk into the dining table. He grabbed her arm and cried out, “Oi! Watch where you’re going!”
It didn’t take long for Hiruma to realize that Mamori was sleepwalking. Upon having her arm grabbed she turned and planted her face against Hiruma’s chest. She continued murmuring into the soft flannel of his shirt, but Hiruma couldn’t recognize the words. “What the fuck?” he cursed to himself, wondering why in the world she was sleepwalking like this.
He tried to lead her back into his room and make her lie down. But the moment he left the room, Mamori was back up again murmuring. He was about to make her lie down when Mami’s story of how Mamori would follow her mother all over the house surfaced in his mind.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” went Hiruma, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. Mamori had gotten back up and heading straight towards him, murmuring to herself constantly. With a resigned sigh, knowing he’d have no sleep tonight, he led Mamori to the couch and made her lie there while he sat by the couch, watching over her.
To his relief, she didn’t rise again. She looked calmer now, as though the dream she was having had finally settled now that he was near her. That calm, serene look on her face was enough to keep Hiruma’s worries at ease. And he couldn’t help but think, upon closer observation, that Anezaki was actually really pretty. And it must be quite nice to wake up every morning to see her sleeping face…
Stop. Hiruma scolded himself. He shouldn’t be having this line of thought right now. He began to look around for things he could use to distract himself and found the Playstation he obtained from one of his so-called clients. Grinning, he looked for the game “Modern Warfare” that he also managed to extort from that client, and soon began to play.
He distracted himself well enough, discovering the many weapons available in this game with a grunt of approval, and figuring out which was best for the many different levels. For the first 15 minutes, it worked… as long as he kept his thoughts away from thinking of the Fucking Manager.
Then he heard her mumble softly, “Don’t go…”
Hiruma instantly paused mid-play to take a closer look at Mamori. Placing a hand on her forehead, he noted she was still feverish which might explain the sleepwalking earlier as well as these strange mumblings. He sighed and wondered what to do as Mamori moaned uncomfortably. He then held on to Mamori’s hand and whispered softly into her ear, “No one’s going anywhere, Fucking Manager…”
Mamori clenched Hiruma’s hand tightly and pressed it against her cheek. She then smiled and mumbled, “So glad… Hiruma-kun…”
It was a good thing that no one else was in Hiruma’s place at that very moment, and that Mamori was now deeply asleep. Because the most rare and abnormal feeling surfaced as her words ran through his head. He’d heard her say a lot of sweet, strange words to him before, but it never crossed his mind how much they really meant. Leaning his head against the side of the couch, there was just no denying that feeling anymore.
He had fallen in love with the Fucking Manager.
Cursing lightly in his head, he waited for Mamori’s grip on his hand to loosen before finally turning to face the TV before him. He took a deep breath as he resumed play, listening to Mamori’s soft breathing.
He’d been vaguely aware of those feelings within him for years, not that he’d ever bothered or had occasion to examine them before. He began to wonder if these feelings were a good or a bad thing, and then another thought crossed his mind…
Was he even worthy of her? He was, after all, pretty much a delinquent. And even though in Saikyoudai he wore the image of a feared Football Captain, in the background he did a lot more than that. This Playstation could attest to that.
Maybe it was better off if he just never faced these feelings at all.
“Hiruma… kun?”
Hiruma turned to find Mamori awake, though her eyes were barely open. At least he was certain now that she wasn’t sleepwalking or mumbling in her sleep. Putting all his earlier thoughts away for a moment, he paused his game and turned to her with a grin. “You’re finally awake…”
They played that video game way until mid morning, before Hiruma finally realized he had succumbed to exhaustion. Hiruma woke up some time in the afternoon, lying on the couch. He wondered where Mamori was, only to find her at the dining table. She had made herself some coffee and upon seeing Hiruma had woken up, proceeded to make some for him too. “When did I knock out?” he asked her as Mamori prepared the coffee.
“Around the Hard level, as you were waiting to ambush me,” said Mamori, pouring hot water into the mug. “Needless to say you were winning, but I should have guessed that you didn’t get much sleep last night. It was surprising that I actually managed to shoot you! And then of course, I saw your eyes were closed.”
Hiruma cackled a little. “So you won because I fell asleep?”
Mamori shook her head as she brought the coffee to him and they both sat at the dining table. “I wouldn’t have won even if you were asleep. Even though I managed to shoot you in that round, I still couldn’t figure out which button does what. I’d probably just end up killing myself again and again.”
Hiruma cackled, remembering how they had played earlier. Mamori ended up pressing buttons randomly until she caused her character to commit suicide a couple of times. “Well, seeing as I fucking passed out, let’s just leave it with a tie and finish the game later,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, my fever’s down…” Mamori admitted. “My sore throat’s still around but it can be controlled. Just give me a little more time and I’ll be back on my feet.”
“Don’t have to fucking rush,” said Hiruma, taking a sip of the hot bitter coffee. It tasted just as good as ever. “We still have time before the next game.”
Mamori nodded. “But the team still needs training and I need to be there for them… for you, too,” she added softly as she took a sip from her own coffee. Hiruma heard it though, but pretended not heard it.
“Don’t worry, the team will manage for now,” said Hiruma.
“How?” asked Mamori.
Hiruma grinned. “Got two of the fucking idiots from Teikoku to handle the club for now.”
“Yamato-kun and Taka-kun?” cried Mamori in shock, but then slowly calmed down. “Well… actually, they would be able to handle the team temporarily. Did you tell them that I was sick?”
“Far from it,” said Hiruma. “Told them it was me.”
Mamori, who had been sipping on her coffee, nearly choked from hearing this. She coughed a little, before crying out, “Why?!”
Hiruma shrugged, not really in the mood to explain himself. Mamori stared at him for a moment, before finally calming herself down and settled for giving him an incredulous look. They were silent for a moment, before Mamori suddenly smiled at Hiruma. He looked at her as she shook her head but Hiruma knew that she figured out why he made that lie.
It was moments like these that he was glad to know someone who didn’t need his words to figure things out. They quietly finished their coffee and Mamori agreed to call her mother and head back once she had helped clear things up in his place.
As Mamori waited for her mother, she saw Hiruma was back on his couch, laptop set before him as he glanced through the latest news. She then sat next to him, glancing through the headlines as well. Then she spoke up, “What do we tell the rest of the club members when we see them tomorrow?”
Hiruma shrugged. “We’ll figure it out when the time comes,” said Hiruma. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they concluded that there must be something going on between us already.”
Mamori laughed a little. “Ah… those will never go away, will it?”
“With the way we’re constantly together all the fucking time…” Hiruma grinned. “Don’t think it’d go away even more after this.”
Mamori smiled as she looked out of the window. It had stopped snowing now, and everything outside was blanketed in snow. “And yet even though we know this, we still intend to stick to each other.”
Hiruma began to type on his laptop. “Well, I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon.”
“And I don’t think I can keep myself away from you even if I tried,” Mamori replied, smiling softly.
“Am I that irresistible, Fucking Manager?” Hiruma joked, glancing at her.
Mamori laughed, but she seemed to lean on him a little more now. “In some way… I guess you’re right. Because somehow, in your own nonsensical way, everything seems to make sense when you’re around.”
Hiruma could sense the warmth emitting from Mamori’s body as she got closer. “You might regret saying that,” he grinned.
“Maybe…” Mamori murmured. “But I won’t regret all those times spent with you, and watching the team and you come out of that field victorious. And if I can contribute to that more… then I don’t mind wearing myself out again just to witness that moment once more.”
Hiruma stopped typing on his laptop to take a full look at Mamori. She looked back at him with that soft smile on her face. There was so much he wanted to say at that moment, something to express these strange feelings growing within him. But as he opened his mouth, Mamori’s phone rang.
Mamori answered it and after speaking to it for a moment, she got up and walked towards the door, grabbing her coat on the way. “Mom is waiting for me outside, she borrowed the neighbour’s car and is waiting for me by the side of the road. I told her that I’ll go down and meet her instead.”
“You sure you won’t catch a fucking cold as you walk out?” asked Hiruma, cackling a little. “I should probably follow you or else you’ll slip again.”
Mamori put on her coat. “I’ll be fine! Besides, I’ve caused you enough trouble and you didn’t get enough sleep because of me. My mom will wait for me, no worries.”
She gathered her bags and turned to Hiruma, who was still on the couch with his eyes still glued to the screen. She shrugged a little, wondering what she was expecting. Then said, “I’m going now, Hiruma-kun. Take care.”
“Ah,” came Hiruma’s short reply.
Mamori nodded and opened the door. She was about to take a step out when she heard Hiruma’s voice once more. “Wait.”
Mamori blinked and turned around, to find Hiruma walking towards her. “What you said earlier,” he began. “About you not regretting being with me, is it true?”
Mamori laughed nervously. “Hiruma-kun, you’ve been asking me this a lot. And I’ve already said I will never regret being with you. Why?”
Hiruma came up close to Mamori, his face inches away from hers. “Then don’t regret this.”
Suddenly Mamori felt something warm and soft pressed against her lips. Her mind went blank, and it took her what felt like forever to realize that Hiruma, the one who caused her so much frustration, so much joy, the demon captain of American Football… was kissing her. She closed her eyes, savouring the sensation, until Hiruma pulled away. She stared at his face that was grinning in the same way she’s seen him many times before. Full of determination, and unending confidence.
“Your payback, Anezaki Mamori, for all the trouble you’ve caused me…,” he said to her. “Is to wait for me.”
Mamori looked straight into his eyes unwavering. “Wait? For what?”
“I can’t promise you anything right now,” he told her. “I can’t make you my main goal because I have bigger things to aim for. The Rice Bowl, for example. But someday, I intend to make you my main goal and any fucker who tries to take you away from me will feel my wrath. But until that day comes… wait for me.”
Mamori felt her heart racing violently. She tried to swallow the immense feeling surfacing within her, but it only made her choke. The pain in her throat was not helping. She knew she was blushing now, and scolded herself for it.
Hiruma cackled a little. “Upon hearing that, are you still sure you want to be around me, Fucking Manager?”
Mamori turned her eyes away, biting her lip a little. It almost felt like she was making a deal with the devil, for sure. Yet even knowing that, there was no denying how much this demon meant to her. And raising her eyes back up to match his gaze, she told him, “Yes. I’ll wait for you.”
There was a strange expression on Hiruma’s face that Mamori had never seen before. It surprised her for a second, but then she smiled softly and placed a hand on his cheek. “And I’ll have something to say to you when that day comes,” she said to him.
“Keh, I’ll look forward to that then,” he told her, as he took the hand on his cheek and held it for a moment. “Now go, your mother’s going to be fucking worried.”
They held each other’s hand for a short moment, knowing that this was their one tiny moment together before everything went back to normal, before Mamori finally let go and began to walk out. Hiruma watched her for a moment before he closed to the door, and taking a deep breath, went back to what he normally does.
Mamori greeted her mother happily, who noted that Mamori was looking rather red and wondered if she had fallen sick again. Mamori quickly denied it, but Mami knew something was up with her daughter. Still, whatever it was, Mamori was smiling quietly to herself and it was definitely a good thing. So Mami decided not to take push it further and just brought her daughter home.
For in Mami’s mind, she knew that her daughter and the boy named Hiruma were a lot like gravity. Not only have they made their lives revolve around each other, but it’s certain now that no matter what happens, they can never stray too far from each other. With that thought, Mami couldn’t help but look forward to the possible future for these two special people.
~*~
Extra Notes: And that's it for this fic, folks! I'm sorry if the ending seems a little unsatisfying. I was hoping to convey how during the time while Mamori was sick, they both realized a lot about each other, and how when one falls, the other seems to fall as well. Hence the title "Gravity". I hope that came across well!
This ending actually opened up a possibility of another fic that I had in mind for a while now, which further explores the option of how long Mamori should wait. But don't expect it anytime soon as I really want to work on finishing the other fic! That, and I think I've had my share of writing simple, light fluff for now. I'll write again once I'm in the right mood once more, which should be soon hopefully. After all, no matter how much I tell myself not to, I can't deny the desire to write more HiruMamo fluff.
For now, I would really like to say THANK YOU for the amazing support this fic has received. To those who commented, thank you for letting me know how much you love this fic. I truly appreciate each and every comment. THANK YOU.
Until next time, everyone! ^^
Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 (Final)
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: All they've been doing since they first started working together was keep moving forward and never looking back. But when one person has fallen, and the other is forced to stop, what would they think of themselves now?
Notes: And now the final chapter is out. I'm sorry it took so long! It's just been one insanity after another. I can only hope this chapter does justice for you guys. I'll talk more once you're done with the chapter. For now, enjoy!
~*~
Hiruma couldn’t sleep that night after Anezaki’s mother dropped by. Deep down he was really exhausted, but the more he tried to sleep, the more awake he felt. He cursed his overactive mind for over thinking things that really weren’t worth that much thought.
Like, will she get better tomorrow? Or will she still be sick tomorrow? If she’s still sick, should he just borrow the Fucking Old Man’s truck and take her back to her parents’ place? And if she was getting better, was it all right to start getting her to work on more Football related tasks? Surely it could wait some more?
He had already taken a big leap by telling the rest of the team that he was the one who was sick instead of Anezaki. He knew that the team would find it hard to believe that the Demon Captain of Saikyoudai had been taken down by a mere cold. But Anezaki was currently with him, and rumours would surely spread about Anezaki actually spending her downtime with him and at his place no less. People would believe it if the Fucking Manager came here out of her own free will to take care of him when he was sick. No one would believe it was the other way around, not unless something was going on between them. He didn’t give a fuck about the rumours, but he wondered if she would be fazed by such things, especially since they were now in college. Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, they’d sooner eat their own fucking socks than dare ask him about his condition.
But having given it some thought, he came to the realization that Anezaki never really cared about such rumours. Even back in Deimon during their third year, rumours had spread like wildfire that the two of them were dating. Some claimed that Hiruma had bewitched Anezaki, or blackmailed her into staying with him. Some took things even further by saying Hiruma had raped Anezaki and abused her, and she was hiding all this by pretending to be his girlfriend. There were a lot of sick rumours he discovered as he continued to collect more blackmail material. The Fucking Manager only knew about 24% of them, yet she brushed off each one of those rumours, squashing them with a laugh and then busying herself with studies and supporting the team.
Even with those rumours surrounding them, they never really noticed how much time they had spent together just working on Football. And perhaps in between laughing off those rumours and keeping busy with football, they never had time to think of anything but.
That was, until Hiruma decided that he wanted to go to Saikyoudai and the possibility of them parting ways hit him. That moment required him to consider how useful she was, and there was no denying that as long as she was with him, he had a high chance of crushing anyone in his way. Yet from there he began to develop this strange habit of observing her. He did this nonchalantly with everyone around him, but he little by little he found his attention lingering a little longer each time. Like he’d watch her eyes go up in cold flames when the opposing team insulted her own. Or the way she’d suppress a smile during Hiruma’s “celebration” moments, letting just a small hint escape at the left corner of her lips.
He wasn’t sure why, but knowing all these habits fascinated him. And it didn’t help that the Fucking Manager soon began to invade his own personal space in this apartment. He wasn’t too happy with her constantly coming in and touching his things as they worked, but he soon grew used to it. And he memorized the kind of cleanliness and order Anezaki liked. Mugs and cups in the top shelf. Plates and bowls in the shelf next to it. All dry ingredients in the cupboard next to the fridge. He enjoyed occasionally throwing her off by putting some things out of order. Unopened canned food in the fridge, chopsticks mixed with the spoons. She would get mad at him, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him, but she’d then patiently put things back in order.
And without realizing it, he was following suit too.
Hiruma replayed all these thoughts and realized that the reason for his changes might be a lot more serious than he initially thought. In the end, he may have to admit to the fact that he might be…
“Hiru… ma?”
Hiruma’s eyes snapped open. He quickly got up from the couch to see Anezaki, with the comforter wrapped around her shoulders, walking out of his room. “Fucking Manager, what are you…?” Hiruma trailed off as he watched Mamori walk out of the room aimlessly. He noticed that her eyes were still closed, and she kept murmuring to herself. The only words he could figure out were “Where?” and “Hiruma?”
He jumped off the couch the moment he saw Anezaki was about to walk into the dining table. He grabbed her arm and cried out, “Oi! Watch where you’re going!”
It didn’t take long for Hiruma to realize that Mamori was sleepwalking. Upon having her arm grabbed she turned and planted her face against Hiruma’s chest. She continued murmuring into the soft flannel of his shirt, but Hiruma couldn’t recognize the words. “What the fuck?” he cursed to himself, wondering why in the world she was sleepwalking like this.
He tried to lead her back into his room and make her lie down. But the moment he left the room, Mamori was back up again murmuring. He was about to make her lie down when Mami’s story of how Mamori would follow her mother all over the house surfaced in his mind.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” went Hiruma, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. Mamori had gotten back up and heading straight towards him, murmuring to herself constantly. With a resigned sigh, knowing he’d have no sleep tonight, he led Mamori to the couch and made her lie there while he sat by the couch, watching over her.
To his relief, she didn’t rise again. She looked calmer now, as though the dream she was having had finally settled now that he was near her. That calm, serene look on her face was enough to keep Hiruma’s worries at ease. And he couldn’t help but think, upon closer observation, that Anezaki was actually really pretty. And it must be quite nice to wake up every morning to see her sleeping face…
Stop. Hiruma scolded himself. He shouldn’t be having this line of thought right now. He began to look around for things he could use to distract himself and found the Playstation he obtained from one of his so-called clients. Grinning, he looked for the game “Modern Warfare” that he also managed to extort from that client, and soon began to play.
He distracted himself well enough, discovering the many weapons available in this game with a grunt of approval, and figuring out which was best for the many different levels. For the first 15 minutes, it worked… as long as he kept his thoughts away from thinking of the Fucking Manager.
Then he heard her mumble softly, “Don’t go…”
Hiruma instantly paused mid-play to take a closer look at Mamori. Placing a hand on her forehead, he noted she was still feverish which might explain the sleepwalking earlier as well as these strange mumblings. He sighed and wondered what to do as Mamori moaned uncomfortably. He then held on to Mamori’s hand and whispered softly into her ear, “No one’s going anywhere, Fucking Manager…”
Mamori clenched Hiruma’s hand tightly and pressed it against her cheek. She then smiled and mumbled, “So glad… Hiruma-kun…”
It was a good thing that no one else was in Hiruma’s place at that very moment, and that Mamori was now deeply asleep. Because the most rare and abnormal feeling surfaced as her words ran through his head. He’d heard her say a lot of sweet, strange words to him before, but it never crossed his mind how much they really meant. Leaning his head against the side of the couch, there was just no denying that feeling anymore.
He had fallen in love with the Fucking Manager.
Cursing lightly in his head, he waited for Mamori’s grip on his hand to loosen before finally turning to face the TV before him. He took a deep breath as he resumed play, listening to Mamori’s soft breathing.
He’d been vaguely aware of those feelings within him for years, not that he’d ever bothered or had occasion to examine them before. He began to wonder if these feelings were a good or a bad thing, and then another thought crossed his mind…
Was he even worthy of her? He was, after all, pretty much a delinquent. And even though in Saikyoudai he wore the image of a feared Football Captain, in the background he did a lot more than that. This Playstation could attest to that.
Maybe it was better off if he just never faced these feelings at all.
“Hiruma… kun?”
Hiruma turned to find Mamori awake, though her eyes were barely open. At least he was certain now that she wasn’t sleepwalking or mumbling in her sleep. Putting all his earlier thoughts away for a moment, he paused his game and turned to her with a grin. “You’re finally awake…”
They played that video game way until mid morning, before Hiruma finally realized he had succumbed to exhaustion. Hiruma woke up some time in the afternoon, lying on the couch. He wondered where Mamori was, only to find her at the dining table. She had made herself some coffee and upon seeing Hiruma had woken up, proceeded to make some for him too. “When did I knock out?” he asked her as Mamori prepared the coffee.
“Around the Hard level, as you were waiting to ambush me,” said Mamori, pouring hot water into the mug. “Needless to say you were winning, but I should have guessed that you didn’t get much sleep last night. It was surprising that I actually managed to shoot you! And then of course, I saw your eyes were closed.”
Hiruma cackled a little. “So you won because I fell asleep?”
Mamori shook her head as she brought the coffee to him and they both sat at the dining table. “I wouldn’t have won even if you were asleep. Even though I managed to shoot you in that round, I still couldn’t figure out which button does what. I’d probably just end up killing myself again and again.”
Hiruma cackled, remembering how they had played earlier. Mamori ended up pressing buttons randomly until she caused her character to commit suicide a couple of times. “Well, seeing as I fucking passed out, let’s just leave it with a tie and finish the game later,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, my fever’s down…” Mamori admitted. “My sore throat’s still around but it can be controlled. Just give me a little more time and I’ll be back on my feet.”
“Don’t have to fucking rush,” said Hiruma, taking a sip of the hot bitter coffee. It tasted just as good as ever. “We still have time before the next game.”
Mamori nodded. “But the team still needs training and I need to be there for them… for you, too,” she added softly as she took a sip from her own coffee. Hiruma heard it though, but pretended not heard it.
“Don’t worry, the team will manage for now,” said Hiruma.
“How?” asked Mamori.
Hiruma grinned. “Got two of the fucking idiots from Teikoku to handle the club for now.”
“Yamato-kun and Taka-kun?” cried Mamori in shock, but then slowly calmed down. “Well… actually, they would be able to handle the team temporarily. Did you tell them that I was sick?”
“Far from it,” said Hiruma. “Told them it was me.”
Mamori, who had been sipping on her coffee, nearly choked from hearing this. She coughed a little, before crying out, “Why?!”
Hiruma shrugged, not really in the mood to explain himself. Mamori stared at him for a moment, before finally calming herself down and settled for giving him an incredulous look. They were silent for a moment, before Mamori suddenly smiled at Hiruma. He looked at her as she shook her head but Hiruma knew that she figured out why he made that lie.
It was moments like these that he was glad to know someone who didn’t need his words to figure things out. They quietly finished their coffee and Mamori agreed to call her mother and head back once she had helped clear things up in his place.
As Mamori waited for her mother, she saw Hiruma was back on his couch, laptop set before him as he glanced through the latest news. She then sat next to him, glancing through the headlines as well. Then she spoke up, “What do we tell the rest of the club members when we see them tomorrow?”
Hiruma shrugged. “We’ll figure it out when the time comes,” said Hiruma. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they concluded that there must be something going on between us already.”
Mamori laughed a little. “Ah… those will never go away, will it?”
“With the way we’re constantly together all the fucking time…” Hiruma grinned. “Don’t think it’d go away even more after this.”
Mamori smiled as she looked out of the window. It had stopped snowing now, and everything outside was blanketed in snow. “And yet even though we know this, we still intend to stick to each other.”
Hiruma began to type on his laptop. “Well, I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon.”
“And I don’t think I can keep myself away from you even if I tried,” Mamori replied, smiling softly.
“Am I that irresistible, Fucking Manager?” Hiruma joked, glancing at her.
Mamori laughed, but she seemed to lean on him a little more now. “In some way… I guess you’re right. Because somehow, in your own nonsensical way, everything seems to make sense when you’re around.”
Hiruma could sense the warmth emitting from Mamori’s body as she got closer. “You might regret saying that,” he grinned.
“Maybe…” Mamori murmured. “But I won’t regret all those times spent with you, and watching the team and you come out of that field victorious. And if I can contribute to that more… then I don’t mind wearing myself out again just to witness that moment once more.”
Hiruma stopped typing on his laptop to take a full look at Mamori. She looked back at him with that soft smile on her face. There was so much he wanted to say at that moment, something to express these strange feelings growing within him. But as he opened his mouth, Mamori’s phone rang.
Mamori answered it and after speaking to it for a moment, she got up and walked towards the door, grabbing her coat on the way. “Mom is waiting for me outside, she borrowed the neighbour’s car and is waiting for me by the side of the road. I told her that I’ll go down and meet her instead.”
“You sure you won’t catch a fucking cold as you walk out?” asked Hiruma, cackling a little. “I should probably follow you or else you’ll slip again.”
Mamori put on her coat. “I’ll be fine! Besides, I’ve caused you enough trouble and you didn’t get enough sleep because of me. My mom will wait for me, no worries.”
She gathered her bags and turned to Hiruma, who was still on the couch with his eyes still glued to the screen. She shrugged a little, wondering what she was expecting. Then said, “I’m going now, Hiruma-kun. Take care.”
“Ah,” came Hiruma’s short reply.
Mamori nodded and opened the door. She was about to take a step out when she heard Hiruma’s voice once more. “Wait.”
Mamori blinked and turned around, to find Hiruma walking towards her. “What you said earlier,” he began. “About you not regretting being with me, is it true?”
Mamori laughed nervously. “Hiruma-kun, you’ve been asking me this a lot. And I’ve already said I will never regret being with you. Why?”
Hiruma came up close to Mamori, his face inches away from hers. “Then don’t regret this.”
Suddenly Mamori felt something warm and soft pressed against her lips. Her mind went blank, and it took her what felt like forever to realize that Hiruma, the one who caused her so much frustration, so much joy, the demon captain of American Football… was kissing her. She closed her eyes, savouring the sensation, until Hiruma pulled away. She stared at his face that was grinning in the same way she’s seen him many times before. Full of determination, and unending confidence.
“Your payback, Anezaki Mamori, for all the trouble you’ve caused me…,” he said to her. “Is to wait for me.”
Mamori looked straight into his eyes unwavering. “Wait? For what?”
“I can’t promise you anything right now,” he told her. “I can’t make you my main goal because I have bigger things to aim for. The Rice Bowl, for example. But someday, I intend to make you my main goal and any fucker who tries to take you away from me will feel my wrath. But until that day comes… wait for me.”
Mamori felt her heart racing violently. She tried to swallow the immense feeling surfacing within her, but it only made her choke. The pain in her throat was not helping. She knew she was blushing now, and scolded herself for it.
Hiruma cackled a little. “Upon hearing that, are you still sure you want to be around me, Fucking Manager?”
Mamori turned her eyes away, biting her lip a little. It almost felt like she was making a deal with the devil, for sure. Yet even knowing that, there was no denying how much this demon meant to her. And raising her eyes back up to match his gaze, she told him, “Yes. I’ll wait for you.”
There was a strange expression on Hiruma’s face that Mamori had never seen before. It surprised her for a second, but then she smiled softly and placed a hand on his cheek. “And I’ll have something to say to you when that day comes,” she said to him.
“Keh, I’ll look forward to that then,” he told her, as he took the hand on his cheek and held it for a moment. “Now go, your mother’s going to be fucking worried.”
They held each other’s hand for a short moment, knowing that this was their one tiny moment together before everything went back to normal, before Mamori finally let go and began to walk out. Hiruma watched her for a moment before he closed to the door, and taking a deep breath, went back to what he normally does.
Mamori greeted her mother happily, who noted that Mamori was looking rather red and wondered if she had fallen sick again. Mamori quickly denied it, but Mami knew something was up with her daughter. Still, whatever it was, Mamori was smiling quietly to herself and it was definitely a good thing. So Mami decided not to take push it further and just brought her daughter home.
For in Mami’s mind, she knew that her daughter and the boy named Hiruma were a lot like gravity. Not only have they made their lives revolve around each other, but it’s certain now that no matter what happens, they can never stray too far from each other. With that thought, Mami couldn’t help but look forward to the possible future for these two special people.
~*~
Extra Notes: And that's it for this fic, folks! I'm sorry if the ending seems a little unsatisfying. I was hoping to convey how during the time while Mamori was sick, they both realized a lot about each other, and how when one falls, the other seems to fall as well. Hence the title "Gravity". I hope that came across well!
This ending actually opened up a possibility of another fic that I had in mind for a while now, which further explores the option of how long Mamori should wait. But don't expect it anytime soon as I really want to work on finishing the other fic! That, and I think I've had my share of writing simple, light fluff for now. I'll write again once I'm in the right mood once more, which should be soon hopefully. After all, no matter how much I tell myself not to, I can't deny the desire to write more HiruMamo fluff.
For now, I would really like to say THANK YOU for the amazing support this fic has received. To those who commented, thank you for letting me know how much you love this fic. I truly appreciate each and every comment. THANK YOU.
Until next time, everyone! ^^
Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 (Final)