Darkness

First, a note to my Inuyasha readers: Please don't kill me! I swear, I will update BTBL as soon as I'm done with this!

Second, a greeting to everyone else: Hello! This be my first Eyeshield 21 fic! And a really short one, too! Hope you HiruMamo fans enjoy!

Japanese Word of the Day: yami - darkness (JWotD is a tradition I started a little while ago)

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, nothing and no one affiliated with Eyeshield 21 belongs to me.

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Mamori Anezaki heaved a deep sigh. It had taken far, far longer than usual for the football players to clear the locker room, and as manager she had been saddled with cleaning up after every practice. They tried to be considerate and clean up after themselves, but she still had plenty of work cut out for her.

She glanced back at the closed door. On the other side, the sky was already nearly dark. But since the locker room had no windows, it could have been sunny, rainy, or cloudy and she wouldn't have known the difference.

It seems so much lonelier without everyone here, she reflected, glancing along the line of lockers. Normally the room was in such a state of chaos that people needed to shout in order to hear their own thoughts. And that chaos was usually due to a certain insane, demonic football captain, the same captain who had driven his team to complete exhaustion during today's practice.

Mamori shook her head at the thought of brutal team captain Hiruma and began to clear the table in the center of the room. It was strewn with playing cards, food, napkins, and models of various football players. Within a clump of spilled noodles, she even found a poker chip left over from the days when the locker room had been a casino.

"Times sure have changed since then," she said softly, smiling at the chip and wiping it clean with a napkin. "We have a real locker room now. More importantly, we have a real team."

She sorted the various items left on the table into the trashcan and several neatly labeled boxes she kept under the table. She stood after replacing the last box and reflected a bit ironically, "Well, there are some things that will never change, I suppose."

Perfectly on cue, the door exploded open, generating a breeze that sent Mamori's brown hair whipping into her face. Gritting her teeth, she snapped at the new arrival, "Would it kill you enter a room like a civilized person, Hiruma-kun?"

Hiruma chuckled in that snide, threatening way of his and swaggered into the room, still in his football gear. "Might not kill anyone, but it might make Hell freeze over."

As he strode toward his own locker, Mamori shook her head and replied, "Why are you so impossible?"

"My, my, so many questions today," he answered evasively. "Now, go away, damn manager; I've gotta change. Those damn weaklings left towels and water bottles all over the sideline. Go pick 'em up."

She only rolled her eyes, sweeping out of the room and letting the door close behind her. I just don't understand him, she thought, moving through the darkness to the still-lit practice field. After a practice like today's! Kurita-kun looked like he had shriveled, and Sena's legs were shaking! And he's only a manager!

The female manager scowled as she emerged onto the field. That Hiruma-kun works them all so hard. And yet somehow he manages to muster the energy to stay on the field for an extra half-hour and still be so overbearing when he sees me!

There were indeed towels and bottles strewn messily along the sideline. Normally she would remind herself to scold the boys the next day, but she decided they deserved a break. They had all looked near death.

"I still have cleaning to do after Hiruma-kun leaves," she mused, picking up a bottle. "I'll take it a little slow out here to make sure he has time to change before I go back." And she did, humming tunelessly to herself as she picked up trash and piled up sweaty towels. It always escaped her how human beings could possibly sweat so much. But then, they did have "the Demon" Hiruma going trigger-happy on their tails the entire time. Here, practice is less training than it is raw survival, she observed with a nervous grin at the enormous pile of towels.

Finally, the field was cleared, and Mamori struggled to pick up the many smelly towels—she had learned quickly that it was a good idea to wear old clothes to practice. She left the bright field and moved once again into the darkness that lay between the field and the locker room. Upon reaching the locker room, she set down the huge pile and knocked softly. "Hiruma-kun? Are you done?"

When no answer came, she turned the doorknob and let the door open. She picked up the towels and entered the darkened room, sidling along the walls so as not to bump into anything. Why did he turn off the lights? she thought testily, dumping the towels into the hamper. He should have known I wasn't done.

She turned to the face the dark room and jumped. Hiruma was still there.

And fast asleep.

He sat at the table, his head resting partially on his arm and partially on the table. A backpack lay haphazardly next to his chair, and he still wore part of his gear. He looked almost as if he had simply collapsed on the spot.

"Hiruma-kun, are you all right?" Mamori asked softly, forgetting the lights and moving to his side. "Hiruma-kun?"

She blinked. Despite his sadistic tendencies, Hiruma's face looked surprisingly soft when he was asleep. His mouth, no longer drawn into that evil grin he always had, hung slightly open, and he breathed with the soft, wispy snore of a child.

I've never seen him so…calm before, she thought, staring down at him. But these practices…in a way, they're the hardest on him, aren't they? As captain of the team, he's not only responsible for his own improvement, but also for the development of the whole team. It's so much work.

Mamori smiled and gently wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "But that's what I'm here for, isn't it?" she asked him quietly. "To ease your burden a bit?"

She paused, staring at his face for a few long moments before bending down to his ear and whispering, "And your concern for the team is what truly makes you shine, Hiruma-kun." With that, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

She lingered for a instant before pulling away, amazed at her own boldness. She bashfully touched her lips, trying not to look at Hiruma's still-sleeping form. "I never thought I'd ever say that out loud. Although I suppose this doesn't really count, since he's asleep."

Whether he heard or not, Mamori thought with a blush, I said it. I'm sure someday I'll be able to say it when he's awake. She glanced at him, then found a blanket in the corner of the room, probably left over from one of the many construction workers who had worked on the locker room. For now, I'll let him sleep. The cleaning can wait until tomorrow morning, she reasoned with herself, spreading the blanket over him and tucking it around his shoulders. The Demon Captain needs a little rest. Mamori then gathered her own belongings and left the room, turning back once to smile shyly into the dark room where Hiruma slept.

After the door closed behind her, the blanket shifted. Hiruma's hand lifted to tentatively touch his cheek where Mamori had kissed him. And his mouth smoothed into a content smile that, for a little while longer at least, would only be revealed in darkness.

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Hm...not my best work, but I still like it! I love this couple so much! (bounces around happily)