Chapter Eighty Nine: Tea Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21.

Song Playing: If You Were The Only Girl In The World by Dick Haymes.

Theme 24: Happy

So far the fucking manager hadn't returned one of his calls or texts. All his plans required her to be there for them and it seemed like she had dropped off the face of the earth. His knocks were insistently sharp as he planted himself in front of her home. He was half tempted to let himself in with the spare key she certainly hadn't given him but the last time he had been that brazen he had gotten a hard whack to the shins with a mop handle. The resulting bruises had been impressive to say the least and he was convinced that she had cracked a bone.

It was an experience he wasn't exactly eager to repeat.

Therefore he forced himself to wait impatiently outside. Hands shoved in his pockets, he could hear soft footsteps approaching. He was prepared to drag her along to the train station, explaining his detailed plan along the way when the door opened-

-And that wasn't her.

Instead there was a pretty middle age woman who looked like an older Mamori. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun and she had on an apron that didn't have a speck of food on it. Overall she had the appearance of the ideal housewife.

No doubt about it. This was the renowned Mrs. Anezaki.

According to his file on her she wasn't even supposed to be home right now, but apparently something had happened to her weekly cooking class because she was standing right in front of him.

He didn't have the chance to even try to do the polite thing and introduce himself before her face split into a wide grin and she was ushering him enthusiastically inside. "Oh I had hoped you would stop by sometime. I was just getting ready to insist that Mamo invite you over for dinner."

Well, that was odd. People who actually knew him never hoped he would come over. Let alone for a meal. The truth was they tended to avoid him at all costs, including but not limited to literally fleeing to a country with strict no extradition policies.

"Please take a seat." She had already fluttered her way into the kitchen and he could hear her bustling about in there. Moments later she floated back in with a pristinely made tray worthy of an emperor. "I do apologize for the presentation but you did stop by without any notice."

Normal people certainly didn't offer him tea and snacks.

Or chastise him, however gently, for his actions.

Wordlessly he accepted the cup of hot tea and the rice ball she offered him. Gracefully she slid into the seat across from him. Her own cup held delicately between her small hands. She smiled at him warmly. He couldn't get a proper read on her, a feat unheard of until then. "It's so nice to finally meet you in person, Hiruma-kun. Mamo's told me so much about you that I feel as though we already know each other."

It was official. As safe and sweet and serene as Mrs. Anezaki appeared, she was most definitely not normal. He had foolishly counted her as harmless with a great potential to be a future ally. Mentally he moved her into the far more dangerous unknown entity category.

"You've been a part of her life for quite a while now and there's something I've wanted to tell you since the two of you were in third year." The peaceful look on her face hadn't shifted in the slightest.

Not trusting himself to speak in such uncharted waters, he nodded at her.

She took a small inhale and breathed out a, "Thank you."

Whatever he had been expecting her to say it certainly wasn't that.

"Mamori is a good girl." Here Hiruma actually had to physically bite down on his tongue to prevent a very sarcastic No shit from escaping. "She's had good friends, gotten good grades, and has had things planned out since she was eleven. As her mother I'm very proud of the lovely young lady she is turning into."

She paused momentarily to take a sip of tea and Hiruma fought the urge to squirm in his seat from how very personal this conversation had gotten.

"But I worry." This took him back a little. Anezaki was every parent's dream child, the one kid you didn't have to worry about because they always did the right thing. "I worry that she plays things too safe. Since she's the one who's doing the planning or making sure that everyone else is having a good time I'm afraid she forgets to have fun herself. I used to think that I'd feel better if she got into trouble once in a while, stayed out a little late, or did something outside her studies that truly interested her. That way I could be sure that she was really experiencing the thrills of being young before she started to settle into university and starting a family.

"Then she joined your sports club." Her tone wasn't full of accusations or fear like most peoples were when they mentioned his team. Instead it sounded almost fond. Proud even. However she said it, it made him sit up a little straighter. "Since then she has been out at all hours, gone cross country in a semi-truck across America, and become friends with some of the oddest most well-meaning assortment of people I have ever seen."

She gently placed her empty cup on the table and folded her hands elegantly into her lap. "She is also the happiest that I have ever seen her. So thank you Hiruma Youichi for allowing my daughter to be herself."

Before he had a chance to respond the sound of the front door and a familiar voice floating through the house distracted them both.

"Sorry I'm late but you wouldn't believe-" Mamori rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Hiruma sitting in her home with her mother without her knowledge or consent. "What are you doing in my house?"

Her mother's smile lit up the room. "Hiruma-kun just stopped by for a visit. Isn't that sweet of him?"

"Yeah, sweet." She was looking him straight in the eye and mentally telling him she didn't buy a word of it and he better have a damn good explanation as to why he was in her home without her or so help her she was going to make him regret getting out of bed this morning. The fact that he was able to read all that in a single look unnerved him slightly.

Either her mother didn't notice or didn't care that her daughter was mentally eviscerating their guest. Gathering the dishware and untouched snacks, she drifted into the kitchen. "Are you able to stay for dinner, Hiruma-kun? It would be such a pleasure to have you over."

The glare Mamori sent him said that if he accepted that invitation dinner would be many things and not one of them would be pleasant.

Shouldering his belongings, he stood to his full height. "I really have to be going. Thank you for the tea and snacks." She looked so disappointed with his answer that he couldn't help but add, "Maybe next time."

Apparently Mamori was feeling very talkative in her stare downs because her face practically screamed that a next time would be over her cold dead body.

"Next time would be lovely." Mrs. Anezaki positively beamed at him like he hung the moon and stars. Then she did something that caught him completely off guard and actually caused him to freeze on the spot. She ran a motherly hand through his mass of hair. "Do take care of yourself and don't be a stranger."

In a very rare case of emotions, Hiruma felt his throat tighten up. Not trusting his voice he simply nodded and began to slip on his shoes.

"Mamo," The team manager instinctively straightened at the expectant tone and stare her mother was giving her. "Why don't you walk your friend to the station? I'm sure he would like some company."

Any protests, and there were many, she may have had withered under the weight of her mother's expectations. Instead of grumbling like she wanted to do Mamori slipped back on her shoes, giving her mother a forced friendly farewell before practically kicking Hiruma out the door.

She had enough self-control to make it out of her mother's excellent hearing range before turning on him.

She didn't bother with any pleasantries and asked the question that had been hounding her the moment she caught sight of him calmly drinking tea with her mother. "So why were you at my house?"

There were very legitimate football business reasons for why he had shown up on her doorstep. Important, time sensitive reasons that they still needed to accomplish. However with her mother's words still echoing in his head and her eyes boring into his he found he couldn't voice them. What come out instead was, "There's a good Italian place just a few stations over."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I have a craving and was in the neighborhood." He lied right thru his pearly whites. "You said it was your favorite so I thought you'd like to join me. That's why I was over."

Mamori eyed him critically. On the one hand, he was right. Italian was her favorite and she had mentioned it. Of course she had said it practically forever ago but it was the truth. On the other hand there was no possible way he just happened to be in her neighborhood wanting to eat it. As far as she knew, Hiruma didn't have a preference for any kind of food. What was instant and in front of him was typically good enough. More importantly he didn't do anything on a whim. He planned things to the final detail no matter how inconsequential.

Therefore she felt completely justified in being apprehensive about this whole situation. At least she was until her stomach decided to make the choosing process a little easier by rumbling.

Not to mention she was a sucker for the desserts. Any culture that could perfect the art of filling perfectly cooked dough with cream was alright in her books.

"Fine." She pulled out her phone to let her mother know she'd be back late. "But no jabs about my eating."

He nodded. "Deal."

It wasn't the day he had planned but he found he wasn't too put out by it. In fact he was pretty darn pleased by all the things he had discovered. Not to mention he was very much looking forward to Anezaki's face when he cashed in on her mother's dinner invitation.