Running for Love

Pairings: Sena/Shin

Warning: Sexual situations, morons with good intentions

AN: I was rereading Eyeshield 21 and this one shot smacked me in the face. Hope you enjoy. For those of you that want sex scenes, the extended version is on my Ao3 profile.

Shin had spent the better part of his morning trying to decide if he should increase his weights by 20 lbs or 50. Finding himself unable to come to a decision he committed himself to sticking to his usual routine and doing some roadwork. Which was what brought him to where he was now, jogging past a park near his home for the third time that morning. Still thinking on his dilemma, as only Shin could, he did not see the pebbles flying towards him until they bounced off his chest lightly. He stopped immediately to look for the offender.

What he found was a blurred figure sprinting back and forth on a pebble playground. He watched quietly as every one of the familiar sharp cuts scattered rocks at a high velocity. Finally, after his fifth bombardment, Shin strode forward and stopped the perpetrator with a light Spear Tackle, so as not to hurt them too much.

With a soft 'Oomph' the blur became distinguishable as one Kobayakawa Sena. The boy looked slightly dazed as he hung off Shin's arm.

"The activity you are engaging in is dangerous to the public." Shin said firmly, setting his small rival down.

"Eh?" He said, slightly bewildered. "Shin-san? What are you doing here?"

"Training." Came his simple reply as he stared into soulful brown eyes.

"Me too!" Sena beamed. "I thought that, since it is hard to run in a shifting surface like this, that it would help to increase my speed."

Shin raised an eyebrow, internally agreeing that the idea had merit, but it was still dangerous in this area. "A beach would be better."

Sena just smiled and nodded, "That's where I got the idea, from when we were in America. Are you only running for now Shin-san?"

Shin looked at him carefully before answering. "I am trying to decide how much weight to add to my training."

Sena blinked for a moment. "How much do you have now?"

"115 lbs." He wondered why Eyeshield looked so surprised.

"H-how much are you thinking of adding?"

"20-50 lbs." The wide eyed amazement from his rival surprised Shin and he began to wonder if the smaller male did not use the same methods.

"U-Um, perhaps you should just increase it by 10 lbs at a time until you reach your limit."

Shin thought that over for a few moments before nodding. It was a reasonable suggestion and it would keep his progress moving forward. Looking back at the smaller running back, who was at the moment picking up the scattered stones and putting them back in the playground.

"Do you not train with your team?" he asked after a moment.

Sena looked over at him, half bent over, embarrassed with a hand rubbing at the back of his head. "Well, our manager does not know I am Eyeshield 21 and she would try to keep me from playing if she did. So I can't train like I want to when she is around unless I am in uniform." He smiled gently, showing he wasn't resentful at all. Shin fell silent and continued to watch him as he deposited the last of the stones and brushed his hands off on his pants.

"Come run with me." He heard himself say suddenly. Sena's head snapped up and stared at him with those big brown eyes so there was no turning back now. "Come run with me in the mornings before school."

"Really?" Shin could see the surprise and hope building in the teen.

He just nodded in return. The blooming happiness clearly visible in the running backs face nearly mad the linebacker frown. Why was Eyeshield's happiness making Shin feel so proud? Mentally shrugging it off Shin turned away. "Meet here again tomorrow at 5 am."

Before he got out of hearing range he heard the cheerful 'Hai!' and the light running footsteps of his departure. Again that slight swelling in his chest appeared in his chest before he ignored it and ran back to the dorms.

The entire situation began innocently enough. The two of them running together in the mornings of the weekdays and Saturday nights. They would have small conversations, mostly one-sided on Sena's part, that started out all about football but later became more personal s questions started to pop up and they learned more about each other. At times, while continuing a topic, the two would wind up eating breakfast together before heading off to their respective schools.

In Sena's life, no one really noticed a change other than to comment that he seemed a lot happier than usual. Although there were times when he had seen Hiruma grinning at him in that knowing way as he ran off on Saturdays or came in early on school days.

Shin's team, however, noticed the change right away. It was far easier to see when you lived with someone, especially a crowd of curious teenage boys. Takami was the one to point out that Shin was slightly less stoic than usual. When they tried to tease him about possibly finding a special someone that he was willing to spend his free time with, his simple answer of 'yes' floored them. To Shin that statement meant spending his free time training with the man he saw as his rival.

In the end, the whole conversation spawned the "Find Shin's Girlfriend' mission, which was why they could be found hiding in the bushes one early morning, having followed Shin to the meeting point.

A large yawn made Sakuraba's jaw crack painfully. "Takami," he whined, "why'd we have to stalk him so early in the morning?"

"We are not stalking him, Sakuraba," the quarterback stated as he fixed his glasses, "we are investigating his new interest. It is purely out of friendship and concern that we do this."

"Then why are we sitting in bushes?" the receiver deadpanned.

Takami coughed lightly, "This is so that we don't interfere and drive her off. She must be a bit odd to be willing to meet him this early in the morning."

"Don't they meet at night on Saturdays? Why can't we watch them then?"

"Because this is the shift we pulled, now hush. Some one is coming."

Tiredness suddenly gone, all of their attention was now focused on their teammate who had straitened from his position against a tree. Both men blinked at the small smile that spread over Shin's face. They had never seen shin smile before. Once the shock had faded they turned to the approaching figure that had jogged up and smiled at the stoic teen.

It was long after the two runners had left that the Oujou players had managed to pick up their jaws.

"He's dating a guy?" Sakuraba squeaked, jumping up from the hiding spot and starling a passing jogger and his dog. Quickly apologizing, Takami dragged the receiver away from the park.

"Not only is he dating a guy," he whispered, "but that as the Deimon team's secretary, Kobayakawa Sena."

Shin had noticed the odd behavior of his teammates over the past couple of weeks. Some skirted him carefully while others, like Sakuraba and Takami, had come up to him randomly and had stated that as his friends, they would support him and his choices. Assuming that they were talking about his newly adjusted training and his dive to win future games, he thanked them accordingly.

"My thanks to you. I shall work hard to attain victory. Your support is appreciated."

Sakuraba blinked at the teen and he glanced at Takami who was just as surprised, "You mean you haven't… you know… um 'won' yet?"

The linebacker's head tilted slightly in question, "No. There are many obstacles to overcome before I attain that goal." He frowned slightly, thinking of his rival and how quickly he was growing stronger. "Sena is a formidable opponent. However, he is a challenge that I will never refuse to face."

By now the two teammates were misty eyed with thoughts of how much Shin must love that secretary.

Takami clapped his kohai on the shoulder, "Don't worry Shin, I am sure that Sakuraba and I, as well as the entire team, will support you in reaching your goal. All of us will help you win over Sena." The quarterback stated proudly, Sakuraba nodding along beside him. Shin was slightly confused but happy for their dedication to reaching the Christmas Bowl.

And so began the misguided and only vaguely helpful attempts from Shin's team. Sena would come to school to find gifts left in his school and change room lockers, with no names on them, that were obviously meant to woo him. He received a dozen roses wrapped in blue paper with white horses, from Takami and Sakuraba, that had been deposited on his home room desk and had the girls gushing over the sweet gesture. From the linemen he got a long winded and highly confusing poem that mad no sense but he had read diligently. Other, various, gifts embarrassed Sena something fierce.

Hiruma had cackled uproariously when he had opened the silk boxers, with little red devils, in the clubhouse. He had opened the rest at home after that. Finally, he decided to talk to Shin because it was obvious that it was someone from his school, and he would see if his friend was willing to help him find his suitor.

It was a rainy Saturday evening when he worked up the nerve to broach the subject. They were nearing their departure spot when Sena stopped them.

"Shin-san," Sena called over the rain as they got under the cover of a bus station for a brief rest.

"Yes?" Shin asked as he tried to ring out a bit of his sweater.

"Recently I have been getting… well, gifts," Sena started awkwardly, "from someone at Oujou."

That made Shin pause, "Gifts? Such as?"

"Roses, chocolates, poems…uh underwear." He blushed deeply at the last one. Shin had not noticed his knuckles had gone white around his sweater.

"Courting gifts." He concluded, his voice slightly rough.

"Ah," Senna agreed, red faced and eyes averted. "But they have not left a name. I-I was wondering if you might help me find them."

"You wish to meet with them?" inexplicable anger seemed to well up in Shin, who ignored it to listen to Sena's reply.

"Hai, I would like to meet them. If only to refuse them properly to their face. Rejecting the gifts alone with out answering would be rude. Not that the person sending them is a bad person, but I don't know who they are and I don't feel comfortable accepting things like this." As the running back babbled nervously, Shin's anger dissipated, though he could not understand why.

"Do you have any ideas as to who it might be?" he asked calmly.

"Ano… I have not met any one from Oujou other than the football team so it is likely one of them." And that strange anger was back once more. He looked into the rain to calm himself, only to notice how bad the weather was and how late it had gotten.

"It is too dangerous for you to go home in this. Come to the dorms with me and call your parents from there." Sena followed his gaze and nodded.

"There is no school tomorrow so it should be fine." Placing their hoods back on, they ran the last few miles to Oujou carefully. Shin silently led Sena to the public phones and listened as he got permission to stay.

They anger he had felt all the way to the school dorms grew the closer they got to the common room. The cracking as the door broke off of its hinges, when Shin tried to open it, silenced the room beyond. Shin stood in the doorway like a Shinigami, face shadowed by his hood and his body tense, ready to spear tackle someone into the ground.

"Who," his voice came out in an almost unrecognizable growl, his expression harder than it had ever been, "sent Kobayakawa Sena those gifts?" Those not on the sports team pointed at the guilty group and the Amefu team gulped as one.

Sena poked his head around Shin's formidable body to see. "The whole team?" he squeaked, blushing. Every last member of the team leaned back when Shin's eyes narrowed. They would not have his rival.

"He rejects you all." He stated bluntly, "I have claimed him s desist in your attempts."

Everyone gaped at the brazen statement but Shin paid them no mind as he stalked away form the door. Sena looked from the room to Shin and back again, unsure. Finally, he bowed formally.

"Gomenasai." He said softly and took off after the linebacker.

Takami was the one to break the silence. "Did no one put Shin's name on the gifts?" all he received was blank looks.

"Well is worked out, didn't it?" Sakuraba pointed out shakily, "That was Shin-the jealous boyfriend-Seijuro we just saw."

"That was the scariest thing I have ever seen." One of the regular dorm students gasped out. The room as a whole nodded their agreement.

"So…" Sakuraba spoke up again, "What do you think he meant by 'claimed'?"

Everyone blushed.

"Shin-san?" Sena asked quietly from the attached bathroom. Shin, who had just stripped off his wet shirt, turned towards him. All that was visible of the smaller teen was his damp head and a bare pale shoulder but the milky white skin captivated him momentarily.

"May I borrow a shirt?" Sena asked, oblivious. Without a word, Shin handed him an old, but warm, long-sleeve shirt. "Arigato."

He forced himself not to look at the teen when he passed him for the shower, only taking a pair of sweatpants with him. His shower was quick and efficient as usual, but unlike usual he found his mind locked on the image o that pale shoulder instead of mentally practicing football plays.

Upon exiting he was greeted by the sight of Kobayakawa Sena sitting on his bed in an overly large shirt that revealed that same pale shoulder, and left his legs up to his thighs bare. Sena had not noticed him yet so he took his time to study his rival. Crystal like droplets fell from the soft brown hair and onto that tempting shoulder. He followed the trail of a single droplet as it slid along the sharp collarbone and soaked into the hem of the soft shirt, darkening the fabric. That same shirt hung off the thin frame, bunching at his hips where he sat on the bed. Just the edges of soft grey boxers were visible under the blue shirt. Bare to the world, however, were the toned legs that had defeated him. They were stronger than they had been then, he could tell, and he suddenly had the urge to feel them. He wanted to touch the muscles as they bunched and flexed under his hands, feel the strength as they wrapped around him and pulled him closer.

His thoughts ground to a halt as he realized exactly what he was thinking. Shin was not ignorant an any sense. He had attended the sexual education classes and, just like in all of his studies, he had investigated further on his own. He had never wanted to put his knowledge into practice, however, until now. Thinking back, this actually explained quite a bit about his strange feelings towards the running back. He wanted Sena, as more than a rival or a friend. He wanted Sena. And with that goal finally acknowledged, he set to work achieving it.

The lock on the shared bathroom clicked into place, alerting Sena of his presence. Brown eyes watched in confusion as he locked the main door too. "The others confuse the rooms sometimes." Which was true, but it did not happen often.

"Where shall I sleep tonight?" Sena asked nervously, fiddling with one of the sleeves of his borrowed shirt.

"If you do not object, we can share the bed. It is large enough." He nodded to the double that Sena was sitting on.

"Ah." Sena blushed again. "I don't mind but I do not want to be a bother."

"I have offered so it can not be considered a bother."

"H-hai." Sena glanced at him briefly and quickly looked away again.

Confused, Shin approached, "Why will you not look at me?"

The red on his cheeks deepened a shade, "Well, ah, Shin-san is… is shirtless and…" the younger male trailed off embarrassed.

"You are not wearing pants and I am looking at you." He pointed out stoically, fighting off a smile when Sena blushed brighter and frantically tried to pull the shirt down to his knees. He had never understood the childish need to tease the one you like until now. He knelt down in front of him, hands to either side of him on the bed. "May I touch you?"

The quiet question brought brown eyes up to meet his black ones. His confusion was clear even if he almost missed the quiet exclamation of 'What?'.

"I like you." Shin stated firmly, surprising the teen. "I wish to be with you. May I touch you?" He waited patiently as rich brown eyes searched him. He withstood the scrutiny until he got the answer he wanted in that same soft, unsure, voice.

Slowly, as if to calm a wild animal, Shin ran a hand up Sena's left calf. He smoothed his hand over the pale, near invisible hairs on the leg, fascinated by the texture. He mimicked the movement with the other leg and, unable to resist, he cupped the left leg behind the knee and raised it gently. Sena gasped lightly as he pressed his lips to the inside of the joint. His other hand drifted up the right leg to a pale thigh until it reached the material of the grey boxers. Two fingers slipped below the fabric and down his side to trace the curve of Sena's buttock when he reached as far as the material would allow. All the while he let his lips and tongue map out map every tendon and muscle around his left knee.

Glancing up, he found Sena leaning back on his hands, flushed and panting, and it filled him with satisfaction. It was the glazed brown eyes that caused him to harden further in his loose sweats. Abandoning his knee, Shin cupped the smaller man's behind and urged him further onto the bed. The teen complied with a soft moan at the contact. Shin knelt on his bed and took in the sight of his rival and friend spread before him like an offering. Glowing and waiting for him. He knew in that instant that he would never get tired of this sight.

He rolled out of bed and unlocked the bathroom, surprised at how much his muscles burned, not having realized how much of a work out sex could be. Picking up the sleeping Sena, he carried him to the shower and, once it was at a comfortable temperature he stepped them both under the spray. Through the whole ordeal of showering and drying and being carried back to bed, Sena did not wake up, but Shin was content to settle in beside him and pull the covers over them.

"Ne, Seijuro," Sena's voice surprised him, though he was obviously half asleep, "what does this make us?"

"You are my rival, my friend and now my lover. Is this not the same for you?" he asked seriously. He did not want Sena to give up on the Christmas Bowl because of this.

"Mm." He could feel Sena's smile on the skin of his shoulder. "I've loved you since after our first match, when you knew who I was no matter what I wore," his voice was a little slurred, "IT never stopped me from giving my all in a match and it wont now. We are equals." He mumbled the last bit and Shin relaxed, the words easing his mind enough to let him fall asleep.

Sunday morning was awkward for any of the boys in the dorm rooms above, below or around Shin's room. Not a one could look at the oblivious couple without a touch of awe and a hefty blush. It was odd enough for the football team to have an amiable and chattier-than-normal Shin eating breakfast with them and the ever happy Sena. Not to mention that the conversation had nothing to do with sports at all. What made them sure that Shin was some sort of Pod person, or at least something similar, was when he whispered something into Sena's ear.

It was not Sena's bright and cute blush that threw them, no, it was the brief but sinfully wicked grin that flashed across Shin's face that had them choking on food and spitting their drinks.

"Sei-kun!" Sena's mortified cry and Shin's monotone, yet oddly innocent, "What?" sent the rest of them in to fits of laughter.

Hiruma cackled outside the Oujou cafeteria, sitting in a tree by the upper windows. His notebook in one hand, a high focus camera around his neck and a pocket full of used film. He had known that suggesting that the pipsqueak train in that park was a good idea but he had not known just how good it would turn out. Once the squirt came out to the masses as Eyeshield 21, last night's pictures will be worth a fortune. Especially to the yaoi fangirls the midget was sure to draw.

Jumping out of his tree, Hiruma rubbed his hands together. The next target was waiting. All he had to do was figure out a way to get the eldest Huh-Huh brother to get trapped somewhere with the Kid.

End.