*Peeks around corner*
Is it... safe?
*Very carefully shuffles closer* is it really safe?
I'll take my chances. WELL HELLO GUYS HOW ARE YOU I KNOW IT'S BEEN WAAAAAAAAAAY TOO LONG but I had a writer's block. I'm only getting my inspiration back the last few weeks and I wasn't planning on updating for a little while longer BUT-
Archie's sick and I wanted to cheer her up. So, girl, this is for you and get better soon!
ANYWAY onto the reviews ^.^
Luminous Kushina: Thank you, I did! Glad you like Pegasus, he'll be showing up a lot ^.^
Sonia Kumar: Been a long time, huh? Yes, I love cliffhangers, they're very amusing MUHAHAHAHA- anyway, yeah, Tenma's really starting to trust Raimon now. I hope Aphrodi can show up more often later on, but I'm not sure yet (currently writing the movie – finally). Tenma's still trying to protect his team, besides, he's not really thinking straight right now (which will become obvious later on). The Resistance… ah, yes, the next few chapters will be quite different from the anime itself, I had a lot of fun writing it. Soar's getting a real big role too (just not in this chapter, but soon)! Tenma's Keshin… muhahahahaha… Yup, Keshin Charging, Armed, and another one called Shielding that has yet to show up. My holiday was quite relaxing, which was nice, but school's annoying now – it's funny, because I finally got my inspiration back now! I wasn't planning on updating for a few more weeks yet, but Archie's sick and I wanted to cheer her up. Besides, I've written enough now to be able to pass a few months, so I think I'll manage! XD
Coco Baldwin: Thank you! I'm glad this story can help you feel better, that really means a lot to me, and sorry for the long wait! Please enjoy!
FlameRaining: Well, you're not wrong XD Raimon would do that if they had the chance- I mean, Raimon has absolutely nothing to do with Fifth Sector's sudden collapse, whatever are you talking about? :'D And Pegasus at the end, hilarious! XD
Eeveeobseser: Two years is a pretty long time, huh? XD No idea how I managed it. Love protective Raimon! They're adorable (and they'll only show up more now!) Not sure yet about Shindou and Tenma, since they're already pretty close, but they might have that scene, yes. About Tenma becoming captain, that's a little complicated – I haven't quite decided on it yet. He will play captain several matches, but I don't yet know if it'll be permanent or not, but who knows? Your idea might inspire me! Keshin Charging, yasss! And thank you, my holiday was really nice! And don't mind the name thing XD
Ryuamy: Thank you very much, I appreciate it a lot! I had a great holiday!
Guest: Good question, although I don't really know yet!
Jack87: Thank you, I'm glad you like it so much! Enjoy!
LaLaLa: Don't worry, I figured it was you (recognized your writing style) XD But yes, Raimon can be extremely dense, you're right about that. Fair enough… they should have figured out Shuu might've had something to do with Fifth :'D ''such a dad'' never thought a Keshin of all things would be described like that, but okay, there's a first time for everything XD He's Tenma's self-preservation, he's totally Tenma's self-preservation. Watch out for overprotective!Raimon, amiright? I'm glad you like it, though! Their friendships are so adorable and I'm just weak for fluff XD My vacation was really nice, thank you!
Fuwuwu: ''It can't be that bad'' have you actually been reading my stories until now or- emotional rollercoaster, you can say that again XD and I regret NOTHING MUHAHAHAHAHAHA! Well, better late than never, right? Just like this chapter… ahahaha… why did I take so long to update oops… honestly though does soccer even /have/ logics?
shiho59: Thank you, you're making me blush with all the compliments! ^.^ Lots of things will be happening this chapter, and in future chapters, so I really hope you enjoy it! Thanks again, I had a great holiday, unfortunately got a writer's block after that. That's why it took so long to update. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Guest: Sorry for the wait, I had a writer's block! But enjoy!
Guest: Hai hai, sorry for the long wait XD
Guest: Sankyuu!
Sai Og Us: I mean… it might be…
Disclaimer: don't own, the usual, we all know how it goes!
Now, enjoy!
Accidental Reverse Arc 3
Raimon finds themselves in their club bus, twenty minutes after the match against Genei Academy has ended. They barely had time to change into their training suits and grab their stuff before Kidou was directing them towards the vehicle, and now it's a chaotic mess of finding people to sit next to.
Tenma's scanning his teammates, trying to spot Tsurugi or Shinsuke – surprisingly hard, considering they all wear the same thing – when someone gently grabs his good arm and pulls him into a seat. The brunet blinks, a little dazed to find himself suddenly sitting instead of standing amongst the cluster of teenagers, and turns to face the person who low-key kidnapped him.
''DQE-senpai?'' he asks in surprise when he recognizes the older boy.
Shindou sweatdrops and smiles at that. ''Are you ever going to tell me what that means?''
Huh. Seems like his cold behavior from before has been replaced by his usual kinder one.
Tenma ignores the question in favor of raising an eyebrow. ''Why'd you kidnap me?''
The captain's eye twitches.
''I did not kidnap you.''
The time traveler tilts his head. ''But you did. Just be glad I didn't bite you.''
Shindou seems to regret his decision of sitting next to the younger brunet for the ride to the Resistance HQ, but seeing as they're already moving, he can't escape. ''If you-'' then he groans and runs a hand through his hair. ''You know what, forget it. I'm not starting this discussion with you.''
Tenma grins cheekily.
His friend's eye twitches again, but he pushes his exasperation aside and turns serious. ''I wanted to ask, how are you feeling? I saw Tsurugi support you on your way back to bench,'' his voice sounds quieter, worry swirling in his brown gaze.
The time traveler smiles softly at that, touched by the concern. ''I'm fine,'' he tells him simply. ''A little worse for wear, but nothing to worry about.''
Shindou doesn't seem reassured by his words – rather, he seems only more disconcerted, staring the younger teen down with a harsh look. ''You're too reckless,'' he says, a hint of anger in his tone – barely enough to be noticed, but Tenma knows him well enough. ''How many times are you going to put yourself in danger?''
''Is that a rhetorical question?''
The captain glares at him, balling his fists. ''I'm serious, Tenma!'' he lowers his voice again. ''You keep putting yourself in danger, it's like you have no self-preservation at all!''
(The time traveler is reminded of Shindou's future self. While Tenma never went as far as he's doing now, he certainly didn't avoid trouble.
''You're like a trouble magnet, Tenma, and the worst is that you don't even try to walk away from things! You simply have no self-preservation!''
''That's ironic coming from you, Takuto-san.''
''Don't try to change the subject now. This is about you, not about me – and dammit, stop laughing! How am I supposed to stay angry when you keep doing that!'' and then finally, a slight smile.)
Tenma can't completely fight off the hint of a smile that curls on his lips as he thinks back to that particular day – he's not sure what he did, exactly, but after Takuto finished scolding him (which… probably took longer than it really should've, considering the younger teen kept making funny faces and distracting him) he treated him to ice cream. That'd been fun.
''I'm like a trouble magnet, senpai,'' he echoes the words of Shindou's older self, grinning slightly. ''Always have been.''
Brown eyes narrow in frustration. ''But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and take care of yourself,'' he argues stubbornly. ''You keep getting hurt… I don't think you really know what that feels like to us. You have no idea how the team is when you're in Fifth's custody,'' he adds quietly, the anger leaving him, replaced by weariness. Tenma swallows, hating the idea that he's the cause for that look. ''And this time, you were actually hurt really badly… I don't want to see you like that again.''
The terror in Shindou's gaze is painstakingly visible and Tenma grimaces at the heavy feeling of guilt that settles in his stomach.
Not knowing what to do to reassure the older boy, he does the only thing he can think of, and shifts a little closer so that their shoulders are touching. Shindou blinks out of his thoughts and instead stares at the younger brunet in surprise.
Tenma wants to shrink away – the older Takuto might not mind physical contact, even initiating it (the strategist, when older, is a huge fan of ruffling the younger players' hair or casually leaning against them during one of their regular movie nights) but his younger self might not be so open to it.
He's surprised when, before he can pull away, Shindou relaxes and his lips twitch up in something that is not quite a smile, but close to it.
''I'm sorry,'' whispers the brunet, halting in his attempt to pull away. ''I know I worry everyone, but I just…'' he trails off.
What could he even say to explain the whole mess?
So instead he just lowers his gaze until he's looking at his hands, fiddling with the strap of his bag, wishing the awkward silence would just end already.
A quiet sigh from next to him, but he doesn't dare look up, until a quiet voice catches his attention. ''Hey,'' says Shindou, smiling slightly when grey eyes finally glance his way, ''let's talk about this later, okay? We've arrived anyway.''
Tenma looks out of the window in surprise, only to find that the strategist is right – they're closing in on Teikoku Academy's intimidating structure, and with it, the Resistance HQ.
When Sakuma and Kidou have led the team to the main control room, it's about as different from the first time they were here as it could possibly be.
Instead of a sense of calm and order, there is complete and utter chaos.
People rushing around – a lot more than last time they were here, too – and Sakuma immediately leaves them in favor of… doing something. Kidou takes a few seconds to direct the teenagers to a corner of the room, where they probably won't be in the way, and instructs them to 'stay put' before following his white-haired friend, taking Aphrodi – who decided to tag along – with him.
It's a token of Raimon's much-improved adaptability when the only thing they do is share a few looks, shrug, and then sit down on the metal floor.
Tenma, somehow having ended up between Midori and Kurama, doesn't bother paying attention to the chaos around him and instead leans against the wall, eyes closed.
The exhaustion that plagued him on the field has come back, now that the distraction from Kidou's declaration and the following bus ride has faded away. If it was bad before, it's much worse now – his head is pounding and he feels chilly, not enough to really be cold but making him uncomfortable nonetheless. The drowsiness in his head and the soreness in his limps does not make it any better.
And that's without counting the burning of his arm and hands, sharp stings he can't ignore and that only grow worse the more he focuses on it. He's trembling with the effort of ignoring the pain.
A sudden, gentle hand on his shoulder has him snapping his eyes open to find the source and he locks eyes with a dark, worried gaze. ''Senpai?'' he mutters, and it takes a second too long to make the connection, the daze of his mind keeping him from thinking clearly.
Kurama's eyes only tighten in concern when he notices how out of it the other player is. ''Midori,'' he says quietly and the manager on the brunet's other side looks at him. The striker only needs to nod towards Tenma for the redhead to turn her attention to the younger teen between them, and she curses softly under her breath.
Midori places a gentle hand on the time traveler's forehead, sighing. ''No fever, it seems,'' she mutters under her breath, sharing a look with Kurama. ''Just really out of it. The stress must be catching up to him,'' she adds and the other third-year nods.
If it were any other situation, Tenma would say something about 'talking like he isn't there', but right now his mind is a mess of half-finished thoughts and the headache isn't making it any better.
''Come on, you should lie down a bit.'' Kurama's voice is uncharacteristically soft and he pushes lightly against the brunet's shoulder. Together with Midori, they gently help Tenma into a lying position, his head resting on the soft fabric of his sports bag instead of the cold hard ground.
Part of the time traveler tells him to stay awake and focused, but a much larger part has him closing his eyes and relaxing as much as he can, the exhaustion too much to push away. He can hear soft voices around him and he absentmindedly places the words enough to realize the rest of the team must be asking if he's okay, but it slips away easily.
He's not sure how much time passes – he doesn't sleep, not really, but he can't say he's really awake either. Eventually, though, he can feel himself slowly drift back to present time, becoming more aware of his surroundings. The bone-deep exhaustion from only a while ago seems to have disappeared, for now, although he's pretty sure it'll come back later.
Grey eyes open slowly, blinking against the artificial light. It takes him a few moments to shake off the haziness in his mind, but when he does, the brunet carefully pushes himself up, smiling in thanks when Midori immediately grabs his shoulder to support him. ''Thank you, senpai,'' he chirps cheerfully, settling against the wall behind him.
''You seem to be doing better,'' comes Sangoku's amused voice and Tenma glances up at him and the rest of the team. They're sitting in a circle, having made themselves comfortable, and the keeper has a notebook with what seems to be different training regimes on his lap, more notebooks lying in the middle of their circle.
Kurama, who is still sitting next to the brunet, grins. ''All you needed was a nap, huh?''
Tenma merely rolls his eyes fondly at that comment and then answers Sangoku. ''Yes, much better,'' he agrees, taking a look outside of their circle and into the rest of the room. It's almost completely empty now, save for a few people the brunet recognizes as some of Endou's teammates. ''So, anything interesting happen while I was out?''
''Nothing much,'' answers Shindou, lowering his voice even though it's unlikely the Resistance members will overhear – rather safe than sorry. ''About forty minutes ago, everyone who was supposed to be at this 'meeting' arrived and they went to a meeting room. From what we've heard,'' he inclines his head towards the people working at the computers, ''they shouldn't take long anymore.''
Tenma nods thoughtfully, humming under his breath. ''I see,'' he mutters, throwing a calculating look at the room outside their little circle. ''Any idea why we're here, other than our safety?''
This time, it's Kirino who responds, shaking his head. ''Nothing yet, they haven't bothered us at all.''
''Then what have you been doing all this time?'' asks the brunet curiously, throwing a look at the notebooks on the ground. He reaches out for one, and he takes the lack of protest as a sign to grab one and look through it, his eyebrows rising higher the more he sees. ''Why were you looking at our match results so far? And are these team and individual stats?''
His teammates share a few sheepish looks. ''We've been analyzing the team!'' Shinsuke pipes up, already reaching for a sheet of paper to show his friend. ''You've gotta see this! So Captain was thinking, if we-''
Tenma grows steadily more impressed the more he learns of his team's previous conversation. It takes only a moment for the others to join Shinsuke in explaining everything and what follows is the Great Team Debate, where ideas are thrown in left and right, training menus build up and picked apart, hissatsu techniques analyzed so thoroughly it wouldn't be surprising if there'd be a steady rise in Raimon's successfulness using them, and much, much more.
It's… surprisingly enjoyable, really.
They all have something to offer, whether it's a crazy idea that turns out to not be so crazy after all, supportive criticism to help improve whatever they happen to be talking about, or a whole new viewpoint.
If the smiles and light joking thrown in are any indication, Tenma isn't the only one enjoying himself, and by the time the Resistance meeting has ended and the adults are leaving the meeting room, a mess of loose sheets– with half-finished training schedules, lists for individual player improvement, and way-too-deep hissatsu analyses – randomly opened notebooks and some crumbled papers are surrounding the entire team.
''-it'd never work. For one, it would require crazy ball control, and then the insane amount of energy that needs to be contained and tuned to do exactly as you want,'' Kirino is saying, completely ignoring the arrival of the Resistance members, glaring stubbornly at Shindou. ''One person could never handle that strain.''
The strategist in question grimaces as he quickly scrabbles something in the notebook in front of him. ''What if you used Keshin energy?'' he mumbles quietly, throwing a look at their resident Seedling. ''Tsurugi, is that possible? I mean, technically Keshin energy is more precise, right?''
The striker lazily glances up from the paper he is inspecting, chewing on his lip in thought. ''Hm, probably not,'' he answers, eyes going back to the messy words scrabbled on the paper sheet, ''considering Keshin energy is way too instinctual for that. Controlling it is possible, obviously, but with such amounts? You'd have to get every last scrap and that's impossible to fine-tune correctly when you have to focus on not letting it escape.''
Shindou frowns stubbornly, still not giving up on the subject. ''But there must be a way, I mean, theoretically it's possible…''
''You could always combine Keshin,'' Tenma chirps, shrugging when Raimon's strategist raises a confused eyebrow. ''I mean, it's possible to fine-tune more Keshin until they've pretty much reached the same frequency, especially when the players know each other well. That way, you'd only have to give part of the needed energy – let's say a third, or maybe a fourth – and the control part wouldn't depend on one person, but on three or four. Much easier.''
Shindou immediately starts grinning, shooting Kirino a victorious look, and the defender rolls his eyes with a fond smile at the captain's child-like excitement. For how composed he always seems, whenever there's a possibility of learning something new – especially when it's soccer-related – the midfielder seems to lose all of it in favor of acting like a kid in a candy shop.
''We should definitely try that once,'' says the captain, throwing a look at Tsurugi – the striker's interest has obviously been piqued, if the way his gaze is switching thoughtfully between Shindou and Tenma is any indication. ''Think we can do it?''
The brunet immediately nods at the question. ''Yeah, definitely. I mean, if you look at how Pegasus reacted to Maestro and Lancelot even when it was still fully Chained-''
He's interrupted when someone clears their throat.
The Raimon team, as one, stops their discussion in favor of finding the one who interrupted them.
Kudou, surprisingly, is staring at them with his usual indifferent look, although the amusement in his dark eyes seems to contradict that. Behind him, there are other people the team recognizes, all part of the Resistance – Hibiki, Hirai, Midorikawa, Hiroto and surprisingly, Natsumi and her father, amongst many others, most of them former teammates of Endou.
''Is something wrong, Kudou-san?'' asks Shindou politely once it seems the man isn't about to say anything, while the other Resistance members seem to be at a loss for words.
''Your discussion seemed quite interesting,'' comments Kudou, his voice unreadable. ''Mind telling us what it was about?''
Shindou shares a look with his teammates, his eyebrow raising just a tiny bit. While it's barely visible, the meaning is clear – should we tell them?
Tenma narrows his eyes, a frown working its way on his face. When did his team get so… distrustful of the Resistance?
Forcing that thought aside for now in order to focus on the current issue, the brunet takes a look at his team. Shindou's hesitance seems to be shared by all of them, if the tightening of their expressions and the displeased looks are any indication. The message, perhaps not as obvious as the strategist's, is still easily recognizable. No way.
Shinsuke tilts his head, so then what do we do?
Kurama huffs quietly. Ignore them.
There's no mistaken the reprimanding look Sangoku gives the other third-year. That's rude. From the forward's annoyed grunt, he has gotten the message too.
And then suddenly, Hamano perks up, everyone's gazes moving to him. The midfielder seems to barely be able to contain a grin, but the mischievous glint in his eyes is impossible to miss. Mess with them.
Why would we do that? Deadpan look, this time from Hayami.
Hamano rolls his eyes. Why wouldn't we? Kariya next to him nods in agreement and the two share a devious grin and a fist bump.
(Tenma absentmindedly wonders when the team started communicating like this. He almost laughs when he imagines what they must look like right now to the adults – talking silently through looks, nods, frowns, shakes of heads, so naturally they don't even need to think about it.)
And then suddenly, Shindou is fighting a grin as well, turning back to their coach and the Resistance members, his expression smoothing out before they can see his face. ''Actually, coach, that's confidential.''
The deadpan only makes it better.
At the surprised stares he receives, Raimon's current captain raises a single, unimpressed eyebrow (huh, that looks a lot like Tenma's – his teammates are learning from him, he's so proud). ''Was there anything else?''
When did Shindou get so cheeky? It took his future self almost a year to start using this form of passive aggressive polite cheekiness!
Kidou, finally, seems to remember that he's Raimon acting coach and steps in. ''We've talked about the current situation with Fifth Sector and,'' he hesitates for just a split second, ''Soar-''
Tenma fights a cackle at that and someone – Midori – gently elbows him in the side, her slight glare saying it all. Stop that, you look like a lunatic. The brunet, dutifully, puts his poker face on again (hey, he has known Midori for three years and her punches hurt).
''-and we've decided that we'll be getting more involved in your safety, after what happened to Matsukaze,'' he tells them. ''We thought Fifth Sector wouldn't use direct attacks against you, but it's clear we were wrong.''
Something between the Raimon team shifts.
''And that wasn't clear the first time they interfered with us?'' growls Kurama lowly, but it's silent enough everyone hears it. ''One of us needed to get hurt for you to see that?''
Kidou's eyes narrow behind his goggles, but he isn't the one to respond – it's, surprisingly, Natsumi, all eyes moving to her when the young woman moves forward until she's directly next to Kidou, her lips curling into a gentle smile. ''You're right,'' she says, her voice apologetic yet kind, ''we should've foreseen it, but we didn't, and because of that, we want to make it up to you now. You are important to us, not only as our main team, but also as individuals. Your well-being is important to us and we want to make sure nothing like this happens again.''
Raimon seems wary of her, but they at least seem to accept her words, if the slow nods are any indication. Maybe they don't trust her – obviously they don't know who she is, since Endou oh so conveniently forgot to mention his marriage – but they're at least willing to put some faith in her.
Time for Tenma to ruin that.
He raises a hand, as if asking a question in class. ''Yes, hi, I was wondering if that applies to me too? Because I'm a trouble magnet,'' he says, grinning slightly at the bemused looks the Resistance gives him.
Shindou rolls his eyes, and the brunet gets the feeling his other teammates behind him do so as well. ''You're not that bad,'' mutters the captain under his breath.
Tenma shoots him a disbelieving Look, with a capital L. ''Senpai, please, I'm just a teenager and I need two hands to count all the near-death experiences I've had in my life.''
And cue the overly-worried looks and shouts.
''Wait, what?''
''Tenma, what the hell, when did you even-''
''What are you talking about?!''
The brunet stares at them blankly and, once his teammates have calmed down slightly, says, ''it's a very long story. Just know that only three of those times were directly my fault. The other four are… still debatable.''
(Yes, because the future Raimon is having a little trouble defining 'indirectly'. Tenma firmly stands by his point of 'three-year-old-me couldn't have possibly known he would've died or gotten badly injured when he saved baby Sasuke' but unfortunately, his friends don't agree with him.)
Raimon merely stares at him for a long, long while, until Ichino dryly remarks, ''should we be worried about you plotting another near-death experience anytime soon?''
The brunet seems affronted by that comment. ''Oh please, senpai, you honestly think I plan those kind of things?'' strangely enough, no one seems reassured by that.
In fact, Shindou goes as far as to sag against Kirino next to him, something that could either be a sob or a whine leaving him, the pink-haired defender glancing at him with a mix of exasperation and amusement. ''Kirino,'' mutters the captain, ''is it illegal to kidnap overly reckless freshmen and put a leash on them so they can't accidentally destroy the city?''
''Yes, Shindou, I'm afraid that is illegal.''
The strategist sighs. ''Thought so.'' Then he straightens, all signs of his existential crisis having suddenly disappeared, and turns back to Natsumi and the other Resistance members. ''Tenma is right, though,'' he says, all amusement having left his gaze to be replaced by a cold wariness, ''Fifth Sector is targeting us. We have no idea what will happen, and considering everything that already has happened, it would be irresponsible to underestimate the task of protecting us. Excuse my rudeness, but I want to know – can we really trust you?''
The directness of his words takes the entire Resistance aback.
Raimon, however, seems to agree with their game maker, moving closer to each other without even thinking about their actions.
(They may not have known it the first time around, but it became clear later – and it seems, with Tenma's meddling, it has become obvious to them much, much sooner.
Raimon stays together.)
For a long, long time, the adults stay silent. It may be partly out of shock, but the looks of consideration that are shared between them contradict that notion. Natsumi doesn't seem sure what to say, hesitance showing on her face, but before she can make up her mind Kudou steps forward.
''Do you believe yourself to get into trouble in the future?'' asks their former coach quietly, but his voice no less strong than usual.
Raimon is, decidedly, not impressed by his question. ''Coach Kudou, please,'' deadpans Kirino, ''we have Tenma.''
The time traveller in question snorts. ''I'm not sure if I should be offended or not,'' he chirps.
''Shush you.''
Shindou ignores both Tenma and Sangoku and instead keeps his attention on Kudou and, by extension, the rest of the Resistance. ''Fifth Sector isn't suddenly going to leave us alone now,'' he says, his voice sharp, ''not even if we were to resign from the tournament now. We already are in trouble.''
Kudou gazes down at him, his dark eyes piercing and unreadable, and Shindou honestly deserves some credit for meeting the man's stare without hesitation.
Whatever the coach is looking for, he seems to find it, for he nods slowly. ''Very well.'' Then he half turns, in order to see both the team and the Resistance members, ''everyone knows their tasks?'' at the nods, he narrows his eyes. ''Get on with it, then.''
The adults don't need any more hints and scatter, probably to do the 'tasks' Kudou spoke of. Kidou stays behind, joining the older man in front of the team. It's in the chaos that follows that the elevator suddenly dings, the doors sliding open to show-
''What- Tobitaka?'' Kidou asks, his mouth slightly agape as he stares at his former teammate.
The man in question just gives him and Kudou a slight nod, before he holds up a hand in greeting. ''Yo,'' he tells the Raimon team and moves towards them to place a delivery box down in front of them. ''Here's your order.''
Raimon's current coach seems completely speechless as he stares blankly between his friend and his team.
Kudou, however, slowly lifts a hand to his face and massages his forehead, a sigh breaking free from his lips. For a few moments, he simply stands like that, and then his dark eyes find the Raimon team as he lowers his arm.
''You ordered ramen.''
It's not a question. Some of the Raimon members shrug in answer anyway.
Kudou's eye twitches. ''Let me rephrase that. Whilst hidden at one of the most secure buildings in Tokyo – for your own safety, might I add – because a powerful, ruthless man is after you, you ordered ramen.''
The teenagers share a few silent looks. ''Pretty much, yes,'' says Kurumada eventually.
Their former coach sighs again, although it sounds more like an exasperated groan. Only because no one else is talking can they hear the barely audible ''oh my god, Endou where the fuck are you when you're needed'' he mutters and that is the last straw for Tenma.
He starts cackling.
It's only because he's starting to get out of breath and pain races through his hands and arm that he eventually stops and when he does, he wipes at the tears that have gathered in his eyes. Still not able to contain his grin, he looks at Kudou. ''First of all, I had no idea they did this.'' Then he turns to his team. ''Second of all, have I recently mentioned how much I love you guys?''
His friends grin in answer and Midori – gently – punches his shoulder. ''The sentiment is returned,'' she tells him, before reaching over to ruffle his hair, her gaze moving to Kidou and turning sharp as she does so. ''These guys have just played an exhausting match. Tenma's hurt. They all need food and since no one seemed to bother with that, we decided to take matters into our own hands. If that's wrong, maybe you should have arranged something – we are your responsibility, after all.''
''Besides,'' adds Akane, her smile innocent and beaming, ''Tobitaka-san is your friend! He can be trusted! Right, Tobitaka-san?''
The man in question spares her a small smile and a slight nod, before turning to Kidou and Kudou. ''Teenagers need food, especially after matches like the one they just played.'' He glances at said teenagers. ''I saw it on TV. Good job.''
Raimon doesn't even try to hide their grins, and when Aoi innocently tilts her head and asks, ''it's no problem, right?'' they collectively lose it, sagging against each other as they try and fail to stifle their laughter.
Kidou throws his hands up, a silent hiss leaving his lips, and gives the team a withering look. ''You know what? I am done.'' With that, he swirls around, his long jacket flapping at the movement, and stalks away.
That, decidedly, doesn't do much for Raimon's composure.
(Dun dun duuun, and here, the return of the drama family!)
Once they finally, finally manage to get their laughter under control, Kudou barely seems to hold back a glare. ''Shindou,'' he says, his voice just shy of an angry bark, ''what is the meaning of this?''
He may just have meant the food, but it's obvious that isn't all.
Raimon's captain recognizes that easily and straightens, all his humor fading. His team draws closer around him, and it could be just a coincidence that the first-years are pushed towards the middle of their group protectively. ''Tenma has been taken by Fifth Sector twice and the Resistance did nothing,'' says the game maker quietly. ''Now we're here, without any explanation, and he hasn't even gotten any medical attention yet. What's the meaning of this? We're just looking out for each other, like a team should, because clearly, no one else is going to.''
At his friend's words, Kirino reaches out to place a hand on the midfielder's shoulder and pull him closer to the rest of the group.
The message is clear and Kudou's eyes soften almost unnoticeably, his anger melting away as if it never existed in the first place. For a few moments, he just stares at the teenagers – huddled together defensively on the ground, staring up at him with guarded eyes – and then he turns away from them, his voice somehow quiet yet still loud enough to be heard when he calls, ''is my daughter here yet?''
''She will arrive shortly,'' answers Sakuma, walking up to the older man. ''Should I tell her you're waiting for her, once she's here?''
Kudou nods. ''Please do so.'' When the white-haired male has left, the coach gives his former team a quick look, oddly reassuring. ''My daughter, Fuyuka, is a nurse. She will give Matsukaze a check-up. If the rest of you would come with me, there are some things we would like to discuss with you.''
''No.'' Shindou's voice is void of any humor and their former coach raises his eyebrows, taken aback. Raimon's captain glances at Tenma behind him, reaching out, and the brunet automatically responds by shifting closer. The game maker curls his fingers around the younger midfielder's wrist, both relaxing slightly at the content hums from both Maestro and Pegasus. ''You're not separating us.''
Before Kudou can respond, Tenma gives Shindou a reproachful look. ''Senpai, I'll be fine,'' he says quietly.
The captain's answering stare is harsh, but the concern underneath it is almost palpable. ''Last time you said that, you came back covered in bl- bandages,'' he corrects himself, unable to get the first word out. ''Don't- we couldn't go through that again. Please.''
Tenma gives in at that, because wow, guilt really sucks, doesn't it? He gives his older friend a short nod, allowing himself to relax to show them he's not going to leave them. The reaction in his team is immediate, the tension flowing out of them like water and leaving only weariness behind.
Kudou watches it all with unreadable eyes.
When Shindou looks at him again, their former coach pauses for a moment. Then he gives a slight nod. ''Very well, while you eat your,'' he glances at the ramen box still waiting for them, ''lunch, Fuyuka can take a look at Matsukaze. We'll debrief you after that, is that acceptable?''
For the first time since arriving, Raimon seems to agree with the Resistance. ''More then,'' answers Sangoku quietly, scanning all of his teammates before settling his gaze on the coach again. ''Thank you, sir.'' His team echoes him quietly.
Kudou hums quietly, barely audible. ''The team has changed, hasn't it?'' his sudden question attracts only confused looks and he shakes his head, turning away from them to hide his solemn eyes. ''Never mind.''
It's a little under half an hour later that Fuyuka arrives, Raimon having finished their lunch in that time. Seeing as the main control room is crowded with Resistance members, the nurse quickly arranges for them to move to the Teikoku field – currently one of the only places they won't be interrupted.
It's weird, seeing the stadium so empty. Their voices echo if they talk loudly enough and the ceiling is so high up that it's hidden by shadows. The teenagers take a few balls from the club's storage – Kidou probably won't mind – and start some easy exercises to pass the time. Fuyuka directs Tenma to one of the benches, smiling kindly as she introduces herself.
''I'm Kudou Fuyuka. My father probably told you I work as a nurse, right?'' she asks, her voice gentle as she gives him a sweet smile. ''I'd like to take a look at your injuries, if you'd let me.''
Tenma gives her a slight nod. ''That's alright,'' he says quietly, tensing only slightly when the young woman gently takes his injured arm, her touch featherlight.
''Don't worry, I'll be careful,'' she promises him and the brunet nods again, forcing himself to relax. Fuyuka quickly sets to work then, unwrapping the bandages and using lukewarm water to make sure the dried blood won't pull at it. Tenma distracts himself by shooting looks at his teammates when they sneakily try to glance at the two of them. It's touching, really, how worried they are, but the time traveller can't deny it's fun to grin at them when he catches someone looking.
By the time the bandages have completely come off, Raimon can't pretend to be unaffected anymore and Tenma gives a soft, fond sigh when his teammates gather at the bench. Their deep-rooted concern is impossible to miss and although they keep their distance to let Fuyuka work, it's clear they don't plan on leaving anytime soon.
The woman finally finishes cleaning the wounds again and gently turns the brunet's arm this way and that to inspect it. ''No stitches are necessary,'' she hums to herself and Tenma curiously takes a good look at the cuts for the first time.
There are five of them that he can see, the skin around it red from inflammation. They're an angry red, the blood having stopped flowing but not quite clotting yet, and Fuyuka frowns as she takes a closer look.
''You shouldn't have played in that match,'' she scolds gently, reaching into her bag for some ointment. ''But I suppose what's done is done. For now, I want you to take it easy for a few days. Have someone apply some of this,'' she holds up the tube, ''every night before you go to sleep and change the bandages daily. Understood?''
Tenma nods, wincing a little at her stern look. ''Yes, ma'am.''
''We will make sure he's careful,'' adds Shindou quietly and the brunet looks up at him, grimacing at his team's expressions. They're all pale, clearly shaken now that they can see the extent of the damage he received, and there's a weariness to them that causes his stomach to churn with guilt.
Fuyuka, taking a few moments to scan the Raimon team, seems reassured by what she finds. ''Please do so,'' she says, her eyes narrowing. ''The Resistance might want to push too much, so it's your job to make sure Matsukaze-kun gets the time he needs to heal.''
''You want us to go against the Resistance?'' Sangoku raises his eyebrows in surprise. ''Aren't you a part of it?''
The nurse shakes her head, pursing her lips. ''I support their goals, yes,'' she says after a moment of thought, taking out a new roll of bandages from her bag, ''but their methods leave much to be desired, especially when children are on the line. Please give me your hands, Matsukaze-kun.''
The brunet blinks and does as she asks, holding out both of his hands. Fuyuka quickly cleans them, revealing the deep scrapes underneath the dried blood. Once she's finished, she wraps both his hands and arm again. ''May I take a look at your head?'' Tenma nods, allowing her to work. He winces a little when she starts cleaning it, pain shooting through him, and he can see her grimace. ''Sorry,'' she says quietly. ''I wish I could take you to the hospital to be checked out, but the Resistance has forbidden it.''
Before Tenma can respond, he's distracted by his team's unhappy grumbling. ''Why?'' asks Kirino sharply. ''They knew Tenma was hurt. Why not go to the hospital to be sure?''
''Safety,'' sighs Fuyuka. ''My father said Fifth Sector will be looking for you, so it's safer to stay here. I tried to convince them otherwise, but they didn't listen.'' She grimaces. ''The only thing I made them promise is that, if the situation was really bad, I'd call a doctor here, but I don't think that's necessary.''
Raimon, decidedly, doesn't look happy.
Soon enough, Fuyuka finishes with the last injury and sets to gathering her things. ''I'll give Aki-chan some ointment before I leave,'' she tells Tenma. ''And take it easy. Trust me, I will know if you don't.''
(Suddenly, Tenma is reminded of Takuto's terror of this woman. He'd never quite recovered from his stay in the hospital.
''What she wants, she gets.''
Taiyou fully agreed with the dark promise, while Yuuichi just laughed in the background.)
The brunet nods in understanding, fully intending to keep his promise. Kind of. As much as he can.
Shindou's narrowed eyes is an added warning, too.
Well guys, I hope you enjoyed!
And Archie, hope you especially enjoyed it because this chappie was for you! ^.^
See you guys in a few weeks!
- Yara