A/N: Dear fans, sorry for the delay. I went away for the weekend and my beta is slightly busy. Surprisingly I'm ahead on writing, but it may be a few days until I get the other ones up. Also, was being stupid yesterday and wouldn't let me upload. Oh well. Anyway, REVIEW again and let me know what you think. Criticism is welcome as well.

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It was a few days later when Mamori came to practice with the terrible news.

"'American Football Monthly' wants an interview. They're coming all the way from America to research the best teams playing this year…" She trailed off, looking at a white piece of official looking paper. They had just finished practice and were getting ready for school when she began talking about it to the few permanent members of the team. "This is a big deal, right?" she asked, looking around for someone else to say something. Everyone except Hiruma looked either confused or surprised.

"Fuck yes." Hiruma swiped for the letter, but Mamori dodged out of the way, reading the note again.

"Let's see… they say they are a little short on time, so they can't interview all the players… I don't know how we would get Eyeshield 21 to come, but they also asked for Hiruma… and the manager?" She quoted the last part curiously. "That's me…" Mamori stated, even though everyone in the room already knew it.

Sena took a second to process the entire thought and then was hit with a sinking feeling. After what Mamori had told him yesterday, he didn't want them to be alone no matter what. But if he went in his Eyeshield uniform then Mamori would definitely find out. That would be cutting it far too close and then Hiruma wouldn't be happy either.

Said quarterback was frowning at the letter, finally able to steal it from Mamori.

"Hmph," was all he replied, then tossed the letter so it slowly floated to the ground. As Monta leaned over to pick it up and then share it with Sena, the captain made his way into the locker room to change, still not saying anything. Sena knew he wouldn't give up on such a worth-while chance, though.

He was really trying to understand for the team, but the strange part of him that had woken up in the last month was raging, trying to devise some way to keep them from going. Together. Just the two of them.

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He couldn't come up with anything.

Well, anything suitable.

Sena had thought of poisoning Mamori's boxed lunch, but he couldn't quite bring himself to.

They had just left for the meeting, Mamori following closely behind Hiruma, who was brooding with his hands in his pockets. Sena was watching them from the club house door, school and practice having long been over. He had been talking with Hiruma a bit when Mamori had interrupted and taken him away. Sena felt like an idiot again because he felt so sad. It wasn't that he didn't trust Hiruma, it was that he didn't trust Mamori. She was pretty bull-headed and probably wouldn't give up without a fight. One that Sena would definitely have to be a major part in.

He stepped back into the club room and plopped down on one of the chairs, content with staring at the wall. Sena's head was filled with images of Mamori kissing him, holding his hand, telling him she loved him, and many more horrific things that Sena would ever admit to anyone. It was probably an hour before he blinked, dazed, and turned his head to the door to look at Monta (who had just walked in.)

"Sena! Lucky-max! I'm glad you're still here! Wanna go get some ice cream?" he asked, peppy as always.

"…Sure…" Anything was better than sitting here all night. Maybe it would even make him feel better.

Monta walked across the room, leaning over and looking Sena straight in the face. "Something wrong?" he asked, frowning a little in worry.

Sena didn't respond quickly enough, so Monta pulled up a chair across from him, the feeling in the air changing into 'let's have a long talk.'

Without thinking too hard about it, Sena decided that confiding in someone would probably help relieve some stress. And who better than Monta?

"…Well," he started, looking at his hands distractedly. Monta nodded to urge him on.

"I'm sort of dating someone…" Sena continued, trying to be as vague as possible. "And recently-"

"Suzuna?" Monta asked, cheering up now that Sena was talking. He grinned a little, pretending it was a guessing game.

"No. Anyway, this person-" Sena tried to move on, but Monta didn't want to.

"Mamori? I really hope not since she's going to marry me." That time it sounded a little offended, like he didn't want to make the guess but it was the next most likely on the list.

Sena scratched his head and smiled (just barely.) He really doubted Monta would guess.

"No. It's not her."

"Oh, relief-max!" He paused, looking thoughtful.

Suddenly a look of mixed horror and suspicion crossed Monta's face.

"It's not… me, is it?" Sena's own expression of worry turned into a full out laugh.

"N-no, Monta… I think you would know if we were dating…"

His friend looked offended for a second, then realized his mistake.

"Oh, that's right…" he laughed at himself, too, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

A moment of silence later Sena added "But you're closer, if that helps." Monta brightened up, apparently not phased by the face that Sena was dating a member of the same gender.

"Juumonji?" Was the next guess. Sena looked surprised and raised his eyebrow. Where had that come from? He shook his head back and forth for the answer.

"Erm…Hiruma?" Monta cringed a little, probably fearing it was the right answer.

Surprise, surprise.

Sena didn't say anything, but instead blushed and began playing with some items on the nearby table.

Monta reacted a mere three seconds later.

"WHAAAAAAT?!" He jumped out of his chair, arms raised over his head like some sort of ancient ritual. Monta seemed angry or something, but Sena giggled. This was one of his way over the top reactions, which meant it wasn't really that bad.

Sena waited for Monta to stop throwing his fit and retake his seat, much calmer.

"He bullied you into it?" his friend suggested in a neutral tone.

"He suggested it, if that's what you mean," Sena replied, still a little smile-y. He was relieved that it had gone over this well so far. Maybe Monta could give him some advice.

Monkey-boy looked thoughtful.

"How long?" Now he sounded suspicious, like he didn't believe Sena was sane.

"About a month or so."

"I see…"

There was a thoughtful silence.

"So what does this have to do with you being sad?" Monta added 'MAX' as an afterthought, since he hadn't said it for a while.

"He went with Mamori to that interview today…I'm a little jealous, I guess…" Sena was blushing again, ashamed for the stupid reason he had. Monta didn't think so, though.

"Oh yeah, me too. Mamori shouldn't have to go with that brute…" he said without thinking, then smiled at Sena nervously and added. "No offense-MAX."

Sena just smiled again and shook his head. He was so happy that Monta didn't think he was weird or something along those lines.

"He's been really busy, too…" Sena added after a silence. "I hardly get to hang out with him…" Monta looked sympathetic, nodding.

"Since he pretty much runs the football team… At least now we have a coach so he doesn't have to do that, too…" Monta sounded surprised about what he had just said. Maybe Hiruma had taken on more than the football team was aware of. It's not like they saw him much outside of school/practice.

The silence this time was a little awkward, Sena being unable to think of anything to respond with.

"Yeah… Anyway…" Monta scratched his head and coughed. Maybe now that they could both think about it, it would become strange? Monta probably thought Sena was a freak now, even though he wasn't letting it on.

"So, who else knows?" the receiver asked, probably just to make conversation.

"Uh, just you that I know of…" Hiruma didn't seem like he desperately wanted to keep it from everyone, but the times that they met were conveniently when no one else was around. "I haven't really told anyone…" Sena sighed, almost forgetting that his boyfriend was out with a girl who liked him all alone.

"I'm honored-MAX--but really you shouldn't keep stuff like this from me. You know I'm totally cool with anything!" He gave Sena a big thumbs up.

Sena tried not to look a little disturbed, but smiled and said "thank you" anyway.

"So ice cream?" Monta suggested again, and this time Sena nodded fervently.

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