Chapter Eighty Two: Takeaway Or Bust

Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21.

Song Playing: New Music from the musical Songs From Ragtime.

Theme 28: Deliver

Football fame was weirder than he thought it was going to be.

He had only lasted a few great playing years before retiring but even though he was no longer in rotation and he had moved back to Japan he was still getting fan mail. They were mostly from children but there were some from adults as well. Fans had seen him back in high school. Women had less interest in him as a player and more in him as a man. There were also the companies calling looking for a spokesman. Teams with offers of management positions. Television hosts wanting an interview.

Not to mention he still didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. If he thought about it all too much it began to feel a little overwhelming.

Luckily he knew exactly what to do to clear his head.

He grabbed his cell off of the table and dropped it in his pocket. In no time at all he had shoved his shoes onto his feet, thrown on his jacket, and was jogging down the steps of his building house keys still jangling in his hand.

xXx

It wasn't often that Mamori allowed herself to indulge in takeout food. For the most part she liked to cook but tonight she just couldn't be bothered. Too physically exhausted from moving into her new place closer to the school and too mentally exhausted from grading papers she had finally caved and had phoned in dinner.

The knock on her door announcing the arrival of her takeaway actually woke her up from an impromptu nap. Hair a mess and creases from the couch still pressed into her face she grabbed the cash from the table and opened the door.

To find herself staring into the familiar smug face of Hiruma.

The only reason she didn't immediately slam the door in his face because she was too stunned to do so. Her brain was failing to form a coherent thought. So all she managed to get out was a very confused, "Hi?"

"Hey." He looked entirely too comfortable while she felt this awkward.

Her eyes suddenly caught sight of the large paper bag and narrowed at the realization of what was in it. She really hope it wasn't what she thought it was. "Is that my dinner?"

"This?" He held up the bag, giving it a little shake. "I think you will find that since I paid for it this is technically my dinner."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What? Were you lurking around the corner waiting to ambush the delivery guy?"

"No." He lowered the bag back down to his side. "I was walking down the hallway when I bumped into your delivery girl. I offered to take the food off her hands since I was heading over here anyway." There was a brief moment of silence. "I also tipped her very well."

"Glad to hear that." She stood there and he made no effort whatsoever to move from his current position. "Are you seriously not going to give me my food?"

"As I said before I did pay for it-"

As a general rule Mamori considered interrupting another person rude: doubly so if it was to yell at them. But she was hungry and confused and this was Hiruma. The rules propriety that she followed when interacting with everyone else had never applied with Hiruma. "But I'm the one who ordered it!"

The look he gave her told her there was no way she was winning this one. "Yet I'm the one currently in possession of it."

If this conversation went on much longer she was going to rip the handle off the door, beat him with it, and take her food. Ridiculous violence aside she had no idea what was going on anymore.

It definitely showed because his smug face just got smugger. "I could be persuaded to share my dinner if I was asked nicely enough."

He couldn't be serious.

She stared him down and he didn't so much as blink.

Shit, he was completely serious.

With more self-control than she thought she had in her she managed to keep from grinding her teeth together as she asked in the most even irritated voice that she possessed. "Would you like to come in and have some dinner."

"I suppose I could spare an hour or two." Then he waltzed in like he lived there.

Mamori glanced up and down her street, extremely frustrated and utterly perplexed by the entire situation. She was also slightly concerned about one very important detail. "How do you know where I live?"

She shut the door behind them.