Worse Things

Disclaimer: I don't own Eyeshield 21, and it's one of the few mangas I like that I don't want to own. How odd…

Enjoy!

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Sena could never figure out where and how Hiruma got the information to blackmail so many people. Nor could he figure out why Hiruma decided not to blackmail Mamori to get out of ice skating. The team manager had rented out an ice skating area in celebration of the Deimon Devil Bat's win at the Christmas Bowl, much to the surprise and delight of most of the team. Hiruma, on the other hand, seemed more inclined towards having a huge party in the clubhouse and getting dead drunk. Mamori would not hear of it, and between her and the team, he had been convinced (somehow) to board the bus to the ice skating.
Sena was sitting at the back of the bus, the blonde demon himself sitting in front of him. Sena stared at the golden hair on the back of Hiruma's head. His hair was so soft looking… not that he'd actually have the guts to actually feel it. And his ears were so enchanting…
Of course, that wasn't the only thing about the gun-toting demon that was enchanting. For starters, (And Sena blushed as he thought this,) he was hot. Especially when he was wearing his football gear. Sena loved how each and every movement was precise and direct, as if he had planned it out exactly. Everything was carefully plotted, and always came out in his favor, no matter what. He was completely confident in everything, and took 'no' from nobody.
"SENA!" Monta shouted in his hear, waking him with a start from his dazed reverie.
"Wh-what?" he asked, rubbing his ears.
"Well?" Monta asked expectantly. "Are you gonna tell Mamori about-" he dropped his voice, "-being Eyeshield all this time?"
Sena noted that Hiruma's ear twitched, a sure-fire sign that he was listening.
"Umm…" Sena knew he was he had to tread carefully here. "I had planned to, but I'm not sure how to tell her."
Monta nodded. "Yeah, that would be a Maxi-shock, wouldn't it?" He shrugged. "But what's wrong with just telling her right-out that 'Hey! I'm Eyeshield 21!'?"
"You wanna give the damn manager a heart attack?" Hiruma cut in. Turning around, he jabbed a finger at Sena."If you're gonna tell her, make sure you give her all the facts! I'd rather not have my manual labor running off because she thought I was torturing you into something." He turned back around in his seat and resumed typing on his laptop. Sena and Monta shared a frightened look, then said no more.

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Hiruma typed furiously on his computer, calculating the different scenarios of the damn pipsqueak revealing his identity to the damn manager.

Scenario 1: Mamori would pass out from shock. Not impossible.
Scenario 2: Mamori would attempt to kill Hiruma, or at least seriously maim him. Quite possible.
Scenario 3: Mamori would be fine with it and not care. That would happen the same time Hiruma would be admitted into Heaven.
Scenario 4: Mamori demands explanation, gets mad at Hiruma, but lets it blow over. That would probably be best case scenario.
Scenario 5: Mamori falls for "Notre Dame" hero.
Subconsciously, Hiruma placed this in the mental file "Worst case scenarios" and thought no more about it.

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Finally, they reached a snow sport resort. Mamori rented out their reserved ice-skating pond, and everyone started getting their skates on.
"Mamori?" Sena asked, peering at the ice. "I thought we were going to an ice-skating rink."
"It's so much prettier out here though!" Mamori replied, fussing over everyone's jackets, excluding Hiruma. The blonde demon, for all his opposition to going ice-skating, was moving smoothly around the lake. Sena watched as the object of his desire pulled off a figure eight… backwards. Sena shook his head in wonderment. How did he do it all?
"Alright guys, you can go skate now!" Mamori told them. Sena stayed behind with Mamori as the rest of the team charged out onto the ice. It was time to tell Mamori the truth.
"H-hey, Mamori?" he asked as she began to put on her own skates.
"Yes Sena? What is it?" Mamori looked up at him.
"Um, I have something to tell you." Argh, Sena thought, why is this so hard?
"What is it?" Mamori repeated, putting on her protective big sister face. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, actually…" Sena took a deep breath, "I'mreallyEyeshield21I'msorryfornottellingyoubutIreallywantedtoplaypleasedon'tbemad!"
Mamori stood there for a second, trying to untangle Sena's sentence. When she did, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
"Wait… you-you're Eyeshield?!" she gaped. "But… I thought…" Her eyes furrowed in confusion, then narrowed angrily and summed it up in one word.
"HIRUMA!"
She turned around and stormed out onto the ice, ignoring Sena's explanations of how he had wanted to play football, (Even if it had been Hiruma's idea in the first place!)
"Hiruma! I know you did not make Sena play football all this time!" Mamori shouted at Hiruma, who skated towards them.
"Yeah? And what if I did, damn manager?" Hiruma laughed, pulling up in front of her. The rest of the team was watching now, and Sena tried frantically to explain things to Mamori. The team manager, however, was beyond pacifying.
"I told you that you weren't allowed to spread your evil reach to him!" she yelled, stamping her foot on the ice.
"Since when do I listen to you, damn manager?" Hiruma snapped back.
"I can't believe you! Ensnaring this poor kid in your plots!
"Haven't you seen the legs on that kid? He's solid gold, and you would've had him running on the sidelines!"
"Well at least I don't bully him into doing my dirty work like you do!"
"He likes playing football! Did you ever think to ask the damn pipsqueak?"
"Actually, Mamori, I do-" Sena tried to cut in, but the two paid no attention.
"You jerk! How dare you say that!"
"What're ya gonna do about it, damn manager?"
The two kept bickering. Monta skated/stumbled over to Sena.
"So… you told Mamori?" he asked.
"Yeah… I didn't think she'd take it this badly…" They watched as the battle progressed; Hiruma whipped out his machine guns, Mamori brought out her gun-proof broom, Hiruma flaunted his Threat Book, Mamori exercised her power as a discipline committee member
Finally, Mamori shouted, "I can't stand you!" stomping her foot hard, turning around and storming off the ice into the nearest public lodge.
"Feh," Hiruma muttered, turning away. Sena, Monta, and the rest of the Devil Bats let out a relieved sigh that they did not know they had been holding. For one second, everything was silent.
…
CRRRAAAAACCCCKKKKKK!
The ice under Hiruma abruptly cracked, weakened by the stress and weight, and by Mamori's stomping. Hiruma had about a second to register his surprised before he was dunked into the freezing water of the pond.
"Hiruma!" Someone (Sena could have sworn it was his own voice,) shouted. Immediately, there was a clamoring from the team, trying to get close enough to the hole to help Hiruma without breaking more ice.
Hiruma's head broke the surface, gasping both for air and at the frigidness of the water. He tried to cling to some ice, but his wet fingers slid across the cold surface. The skates on his feet were dragging him down, deeper into the freezing water. Dimly, he heard his teammates shouting on the ice, and tried to pull off his skates unsuccessfully. His body began to numb within the cold waters, but he kept struggling limply to rise to the surface. Freezing water flooded his lungs, and everything began to darken. He vaguely noticed being grabbed and pulled upwards before he lost conciseness completely.

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Sena looked on, horrified, as the Hah brothers pulled Hiruma out of the water while being held off the ice by Kurita. The team carried him off the ice to a bench on the side of the lake.
"Is he ok?" Kurita asked anxiously as Yukimitsu checked his pulse and breathing.
"No," Yukimitsu answered bluntly. "His pulse is slow and irregular… and he's stopped breathing." He looked at the team. "Who knows CPR?"
Sena stepped forward. "I do."

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Hiruma stared at the room he was standing in, completely and utterly baffled.
He was standing in the American Football Clubhouse, complete with casino and Cerberus' dog house. However, everything was very, very, very quiet. No warm breeze floating through the window, no kids yelling outside. Just dead silence.
"What the fuck?" Hiruma asked the empty room. His voice echoed back to him. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" He blinked.
"That was weird…" he muttered.
"Well, that's what happens when you die!" his echo threw back at him. He took a step back, startled. His shadow detached itself from the wall in front of him and shaped itself into a mirror image of Hiruma, wearing a black hoodie and gray jeans. The real Hiruma frowned.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of the apparition. The fake Hiruma grinned, displaying every pointed white tooth in his mouth.
"I'm Death," laughed the imposter. "Pleased to meet you, Yoichi Hiruma."
For once, Hiruma was stunned into silence. When he finally got use of his voice back, he asked warily, "And what are you doing here?"
Death shrugged. "Just wanted to chat. Technically, you're dead, but by my watch," he said, whipping out a strange, many-faced watch, "you've still got some time left. A good chunk of it, actually. I just wanted to make sure that you live it to the fullest. I hate people who die, then complain about how little they did when they were alive. It drives me crazy!"
Hiruma raised one eyebrow. "And what is wrong with the way I live?"
Death continued talking as if he hadn't heard Hiruma. "You know what people complain about the most?"
"Enlighten me."
"Love." Death rolled his eyes with a laugh. "Of all things, love!"
"I still don't see what this has to do with me," snapped Hiruma.
"Oh, you know." Death grinned maliciously. "You know exactly what this has to do with you. If you want to do something before I really come to get you, you'd better make a move fast. You're not the only fish in the sea, you know.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hiruma replied with an air of indifference.
"Aw, you're just in denial." Death replied. "You know you like the kid; if you don't do something about it, his infatuation with you may disappear."
Hiruma tried in vain to hide his curiosity. "What infatuation? You mean that damn pipsqueak has an infatuation with me?"
Death laughed again, using Hiruma's high cackle. "See? Even when you're trying to deny it, you end up admitting that you like the kid!"
Hiruma scowled irritably. "I do not like that damn pipsqueak!" he snapped angrily.
"Yeah? Then why are you being so defensive, huh?" Death retorted smartly. Hiruma glared.
"I don't need to defend myself, because it isn't true!" he growled.
"Right." Death replied sarcastically. "If it isn't true, then how come you stare at his ass when he's not looking?"
"That's-"
"And how come you have so many pictures of him in your wallet?"
"How do you-"
"And what about that kiss you gave him while he was asleep during the Death March?"
"Now THAT'S-"
"And what about those dreams?" Death teased. "You know, the ones where he-"
"Enough!" Hiruma shouted, his face red. "I get it. I like the kid, I know. I still don't know where you're going with this!"
Death rolled his eyes. "I'm saying he likes you too. But if you don't get a move on, he might drift away."
Hiruma scoffed. "Yeah, like I'd let that happen."
Death shook his head. "You may be able to control people, but it's a lot harder to control their hearts."
"Meh, I'll think about it." Hiruma was about to add something else when a pain like a lead weight hitting his stomach knocked the wind out of him. He doubled over, gasping as he felt his body become frigid with cold. He looked at Death.
"What's… going on?" He wheezed. Death checked his multi-facetted watch again.
"Looks like it's time for you to go back," he commented as casually as if he was mentioning the weather.
"Back… where?" Hiruma gasped, his vision beginning to fade, the clubhouse dissolving before his eyes.
"Why, to life, of course," Death said. Before Hiruma lost sight completely, he saw his reflection change to a skeleton in a hooded cloak with glowing blue eyes. "I look forward to what you have to tell me when I come to collect you for the last time."
Then Hiruma found himself spiraling back to reality.

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The first thing Hiruma notice as he regained consciousness was the warm mouth pressed against his own, forcing air in and out of his lungs, and then the warm hands pushing against his chest to help him exhale the stale air and cough up the water he had swallowed. There was a happy shout, followed by a voice that Hiruma recognized as Kurita's.
"He's breathing! He's alive!" Kurita shouted joyfully. Dazed, tired, and feeling ill, Hiruma opened his eyes to see Sena's worried face moving away from his own. He blinked, looking Sena straight in the eye. He tried to say something, anything, to comfort the worried face in front of him, but all he could manage was a harsh cough. Another voice, probably Yukimitsu, spoke hurriedly.
"Quick, help him up so he doesn't choke!" Hiruma felt a lot of hands pushing him into a sitting position. He noted that he was still outside next to the lake, lying on a bench. He coughed harshly again, feeling bile and lake water rise in his throat. He tried to swallow it back down, but only succeeded in choking himself. Sena put his hand on his back and started rubbing soothingly, and Hiruma let himself be sick.
After he got most of the pond water out of his system, he felt himself fading back out.
"Hiruma?" Sena asked worriedly. "Hiruma?!"
"Shut up, damn pipsqueak, I'm fine," Hiruma muttered before he fell back to sleep. The team stared at him.
"We had better get him inside."

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The team had carried Hiruma into the nearby lodge, cleaned him up, and put him into a bed in one of the spare rooms. They ran into Mamori on the way in and explained to her what had happened. The poor girl had been frantically upset, since "Even Hiruma doesn't deserve to be dumped in an icy pond!"
After they got her to calm down, they agreed that someone should watch Hiruma until he woke up. Sena volunteered…
And now he was sitting in alone in a room with the sleeping Hiruma.
He glanced over at the slumbering demon and sighed. Really, he felt it was his fault that Hiruma had gone under the ice. He should have
explained it better to Mamori, so she wouldn't have gotten mad at Hiruma. Then the ice wouldn't have been so strained, and…
Sena shook his head and sighed again. Great, he had almost gotten his super-secret crush killed. But then again, he had been the one to give Hiruma CPR… and when that didn't work, mouth to mouth.
Sena blushed. Technically, he had kissed the older boy, even if it was to get him breathing again. And it felt so good, so right, to have his lips on Hiruma's…
Sena stood up and walked over to the bed where Hiruma was resting and stood there, looking at the blonde-haired object of his desire. He glanced nervously at the door, then back to the older boy lying on the bed. If no one came in, and if Hiruma didn't wake up, then maybe…
Sena leaned over, took a deep breath, and pressed his lips against Hiruma's. Hiruma's hand shot out and hooked around Sena's waist, pulling him down onto the bed as he gave a startled "Mmph!" against Hiruma's lips. His wide eyes met those of the other's, which were open and smirking triumphantly.
'He was awake the whole time!' Sena realized with a start. He went bright red with embarrassment, trying to struggle out of the older boy's grip, but Hiruma kept a firm hold on him. It was then that Sena realized-
Hiruma was kissing him back. Kissing him back. Kissing!
Sena was so shocked by this that he almost didn't notice Hiruma using his tongue to part his lips. He opened his mouth, granting the blonde boy entrance. Hiruma let his tongue explore Sena's mouth for a minute before removing it from Sena's mouth to let the younger boy breathe.
Sena stared, bewildered and breathless at Hiruma, who just smirked back.
"W-wh-why'd you do that?" Sena asked as he caught his breath. Hiruma's smirk grew.
"Just returning the favor from earlier, damn chibi," Hiruma muttered, giving Sena a little kiss on the cheek.
Sena blinked, unsure of how to answer. "Um, you're welcome…" He replied, and then added, "Hiruma? Can you let me up now?"
"No." the blonde demon replied, pulling Sena closer. "I'm much more comfortable where I am now."
Sena sighed, but this time it was more a sigh of contentment than one of resignation. He smiled and snuggled up next to Hiruma. There could be worse things.

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Has potential to go further, but I won't unless I'm prompted. So…

R&R Please!