Author's Note: This story is officially dedicated to RoseJustice for inspiring me to write more. Now this is a series of one shots revolving around Hiruma sharing various normal moments with the other members of the Devil Bats.
Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21.
Summary: Yukimitsu begins to understand a new truth….
Pairings: These are all friendship pairings.
A New Understanding
By: Bar-Ohki
Yukimitsu Manabu was without contest, the weakest member of the Devil Bats. The only person slower on the team than him was Kurita, who was also the most powerful person on the Devil Bats. Yukimitsu did hold the record for lowest bench press; even Sena, whose only strength was speed, pressed more than he did. That was Yukimitsu's reality.
But even a weak player like Yukimitsu had strengths. He was one of the most determined people on the team, often continuing to practice after the others had left. He was also extremely smart and very good at studying. Hiruma had had him studying plays and routes since the beginning.
After the Fall Tournament ended, Yukimitsu felt more desperate. He had to get stronger, he had to be out on the field with everyone else.
So the studious teen found himself in the weight room two hours before practice started. Yukimitsu had done some research on resistance training, which would help him build a little more power. Methodically Yukimitsu set up the bench press, making sure nothing was out of place.
Yukimitsu laid down on the bench and put his hands to the bar, about to make the lift, stopping before he started.
"I can't do press without a spotter…." Yukimitsu muttered, defeated. The door to the weight room opened and shut, unfortunately Yukimitsu was too busy being miserable to notice. He did notice two hands wrapping themselves around the bar on either side of his own hand. Yukimitsu looked up to see Hiruma looking down at him with an unamused expression and a raised eyebrow.
"Fucking baldly," Hiruma began, "what the hell are you doing?"
"…I wanted to get some extra practice in, so I thought I'd do some resistance training." Yukimitsu admitted. "But I can't press without a spotter." Hiruma's expression relaxed into one of faint amusement. The devilish quarterback removed his hands from the bar, but remained hovering over Yukimitsu.
Neither boy said anything, but the message was clear enough: Hiruma was spotting, so Yukimitsu could now press.
Yukimitsu's expression grew serious and he began to lift the bar. Up, down, up, down, each time harder than the last. When he reached his last lift, his arms felt like jello and the bar felt like it weighed triple what it actually did.
"Grah!" Yukimitsu grunted, finding himself unable to make the last lift.
Hiruma said nothing and placed the palms of his hands underneath the bar, pushing up with barely any pressure. Yukimitsu let out another grunt and managed to lift the bar one last time. Hiruma kept his hands on the bar to make sure that the bar was guided properly back onto the rack.
With a clang, Yukimitsu's pressing was over, leaving the boy heaving with effort.
"You've improved." Hiruma observed. It was as close to a complement as he ever got, which is why Yukimitsu smiled, full of pride. The studious boy hauled himself off of the bench, still smiling like a fool.
"I'll spot you." Yukimitsu offered, not entirely sure where the impulse to do that was. Hiruma smirked in approval.
"Are you sure you can handle it, baldy?" Hiruma teased him as he added more weight.
"I can handle anything you throw at me!" Yukimitsu announced. Hiruma cackled in response.
"Ke ke ke! Very well then, I'll make your practice wore than Hell today." Hiruma assured him, his eyes lit up with mischief. Hiruma laid down on the bench and waited for Yukimitsu to get in position. When everything was ready Hiruma began his pressing.
Like Yukimitsu, Hiruma had pushed himself to his limits, finding his arms shaking with effort on his last press. Hiruma growled when the bar refused to rise anymore.
Wordlessly Yukimitsu placed his palms underneath the bar and pushed up lightly. Unlike with his press, Hiruma was unable to move it anymore, in fact it started dropping. Hiruma let out a feral cry as the bar began to lower. Yukimitsu grabbed the bar and despite his spent muscles, began to pull up. After a few tense moments the bar began to slowly lift again.
Both boys let out beastial cries when the bar reached its designated height. They carefully guided the bar back onto the rack.
Hiruma and Yukimitsu met eyes and shared smiles.
There was another truth about football: receivers met nothing without quarterbacks and quarterbacks met nothing without receivers. Together, a quarterback and receiver could do anything on the field.
It was that day in the weight room that Yukimitsu really began to understand that.
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