A Tender Feeling ~ an Eyeshield 21 fanfic

Author: Cheshire ShiroNeko

Pairings: Hiruma x Mamori

Disclaimer: I don't own Eyeshield 21 nor the piano piece used here.

Author's Note: I had the actual notes on the end of this fic. By the way, the piano piece used here is A Tender Feeling. It's a Sword Art Online OST really, but it has a good melody despite the fact that the notes are simple. It also helps me sleep, haha! You can search it on YouTube.

Hiruma was one of the late night edition guys. Everyone knows that and it's a fact.

Just like tonight.

It's only a week before the game against Hakushu Dinosaurs. The team for sure are snoring happily in their warm beds. Maybe good enough, because it helped them not to really worry about the game, specifically Gaou Rikiya and Maruko Reiji. But he, being as a responsible team captain as he was, even if not worrying about the game, was worried if ever that Gaou would crush him literally and he won't gain his consciousness the team would lose hope, or worse yet, lose the game and the chance to go to the Christmas Bowl. It's not like he wanted it to happen, it's just there's a probability that it will happen.

And lately, he had this feeling of disappointment towards Anezaki Mamori, the manager of his team. It started when she learned that the Hakushu Dinosaurs was their next opponent, and she had been nagging about the lines of 'safety', 'don't want to break your bones' and 'be careful'. Then he noticed that her strategies, that are mostly up to his type and taste became bitter because her strategies were far too careful and straightforward, especially to the quarterback and running back (she's still babying that fucking pipsqueak huh) position. Then the letter of emergency he gave in the lockers room which she just tore in pieces without reading it. All in all her efficiency had dropped 55% much to his annoyance, and to be honest that annoyance had made him send her to home 5 minutes ago, all with a worried face. He didn't expect at all that after that fucking chibi, her mother hen's instinct will target him, as if he's one of her fucking chicks! Really…

Now the only thing he expected is when will Musashi will wear a diaper, sit down in a stroller and chuckle like a fucking baby while Mamori had a big bowl of baby's food and feed him. Babying him to be exact. Even the three fucking delinquent brothers had called her Mamori-neechan now for fuck's sake!

Frowning, Hiruma decided to take a stroll around the school despite it's already 9:42 P.M. Closing his VAIO laptop, he stretched and cracked his knuckles, he put the both of his hands on his uniform slacks after going out of the clubroom. Being an intelligent guy he knew the exact form, length and width of the school, facility rooms of each three buildings, club rooms included, and alleyways so even with no light he knew where to go.

He had thought of going to library which is located on the third floor of the second building. He's still on the ground floor when he heard it.

A piano. Someone was playing a piano and despite how simple the notes are, the warmness and sweetness of the melody had washed over him, the tender feeling he felt that he immediately squashed down. Despite there was a hint of sadness on that melody, it made his problems gone temporarily. There's also a mechanical background of a violin playing notes similar to the piano, but right now his subconscious reached out for a pen and his Threat Notebook, ready to write a blackmail material.

Hiruma figured out that the music theater studio was located on the second floor, so he climbed the stairs and headed to mentioned floor. He was not surprised that the door has not been locked, so he quietly took a peek and the sight surprised him.

The scarlet-colored audience chairs had been lightened up a bit because of the dim light emanating from the stage, and from that stage there's a piano and a girl, and behind them is a stage curtain. There's an auburn-haired girl wearing Deimon High uniform, in front of the piano and playing the simple piece melodically and beautifully. Her book bag was on her feet, her eyes closed and savored the warmth of the music she played although she wore a sad and worried face.

But because Hiruma Youichi is a master of moment spoiling… "Fucking manager." He called out while smirking evilly, making Mamori looked surprised and stopped playing the piano. But the surprise ended abruptly as she reached out her mini-speaker (A/N: you know the kind of speakers where you just have to insert memory card or USB with music and you can play it? That's it.) and pressed a button, pausing it.

"A Disciplinary Committee barging in on a music room and playing a fucking piano in the middle of the night." He continued as he walked to the front part of the chairs. "A good blackmail material I see. Kekeke!"

Mamori pouted. "I did not barge in, Hiruma-kun! I had a spare key of this studio you know! And my mom gave the school this piano." She explained, tapping the piano. "So basically, this piano is ours. Now, can you tell me what are you doing here?"

Hiruma raised his right eyebrow. "What the fuck do you mean by that? It's my fucking line, fucking manager."

"I have a name, Hiruma-kun!" Mamori said fuming. "And it so happens that my eye caught this particular room so I decided to play piano. When I was a child I always do that when I feel negative feelings and just wouldn't go away." She said. "I play A Tender Feeling when it happens in order for me to calm down."

"A Tender Feeling?" Hiruma asked while he made himself comfortable on one of the chairs on the first row. "Is that the fucking piece you played earlier?"

Mamori smiled. "Yes! Isn't it great? It's what my mom first taught me!" She said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, so fucking childish." He taunted. "The notes are so simple and repeated."

The auburn-haired manager frowned. "Of course that's why my mom taught me when I was a child. A child Hiruma-kun."

"Well then…" Hiruma said with a challenging tone, all the while grinning. "Play it again, fucking child."

Mamori seemed surprised at first, but smiled and played it from the first note after she played the mechanical violin background in the mini-speaker. While playing, Hiruma noticed that she really enjoyed playing it, her eyes closed, a small smile on her lips and her auburn hair swayed through the music. The next thing he knew was his eyes were closed and he felt a faint kiss on his forehead and a 'good night Hiruma-kun'.

Mamori was really worried about his condition as a quarterback against Hakushu Dinosaurs that's why she kept on making strategies that could protect him, but it just earned her a 'go home' from Hiruma. Feeling down she proceeded to the music room and decided to play piano. He looked like okay but the circles in his eyes gave away that he really crammed making strategies, mostly without him on the game and it pisses her off. That's why when he complied on playing the piece again, she played it happily as long as it washes away his and her worries, even for just a night.

Seeing him fell asleep calmed her down and stopped playing the piano. She stepped down from the stage and approached him. For her, him sleeping was like staring at a peaced elf-prince, his emerald orbs usually had a hint of evilness or amusement and sometimes challenging were closed peacefully. His mouth which was grinning and smirking while shouting out orders and swear words earlier was also closed. All in all he looked relaxed.

Mamori can only smile at this and kissed his forehead. "Good night Hiruma-kun." She said and draped her turquoise uniform jacket over him and decided to do some things.

Hiruma woke up 4 A.M. the next day with a cherry blossom-smelled jacket draped over him, papers all over the floor and his lap with a girl beside him, asleep with a paper and pen she held loosely on her hands. Smirking he noticed that her efficiency had skyrocketed to 100%.

There was a tender feeling that was blooming in his heart every time Hiruma stare at the sleeping Mamori and right now, he won't squash it down again and let it grow.

MEOW! MEOW! *purrs* MEOW!

Translation: Right it's fluffy and OOCness hints together with my sorry excuse of a mental junk and errors! I'm writing this while my head is in a complete whirlwind because I am sleepy. *yawns* *stretches* Finally I'm done with this! Please read… and review… and… fave or… fo…llow *collapses on the floor, snoring*