Here's the final chap everyone!
Since this is the last ending, I want to give my biggest thanks all of my reviewers; your comments meant the world to me, to all the people who fav, follow, or simply read my story. You guy are all so wonderful, and your support is the best thing a writer could ever have.
Well, what are we waiting for! I know you are all dying to see how this end! Have fun everyone! And again, thank you so much! ^^-
Disclaimer: I don't own IE (GO)
Chap 4: Together
The next day, when Kirino asked the girl where she wanted to go, he was caught off guard by the innocent reply.
"I want to see daddy's soccer!"
The pink hair male could feel cold sweat dropping down from his face.
How can she remember? She was only three back then…
"Can I can I? Can I see you play?"
And with that, the former defender had no choice but to shake away his reluctance and take the girl to the soccer field. Luckily, official practice wouldn't begin until two weeks later after the coach had already finished all the paper works. So there would no problem if he were to borrow the field for a mere day. At least that was what he hoped…
They arrived at the stadium to see it was completely empty. The boy let out a breath in relief. It would be troublesome if anyone saw him play soccer, after all, he was just another normal trainer to the people here…
He let his daughter down so that she could sit on the bench and watch. The defender smiled when he heard her enthusiastic cheering. The boy then turned his eyes back to the ball in front of him, suddenly remembered how good it feel to be in the soccer field as a player again. He flipped the ball up with his feet and started to fling it up and down slowly at first. As the boy speeded up his movement, bringing the ball higher and higher on the air until it flopped onto his shoulder, his daughter's face lightened up with excitement too. Kirino smiled and passed the ball through his shoulders with an elegant move before bringing it down to his chests. The pink hair male was having much more fun than he thought that he didn't realize three pair of eye just spotted him from behind the door that led to another hallway.
"Is that…"
"Kirino senpai!"
The brunet called out in surprise as he looked at the sight with amazement in his eyes.
"And he's playing soccer too! I knew he wouldn't just give up!"
"Hey… is that little girl…" The tiny goalkeeper said when he heard cheering sound from the bench. All three of them widened their eyes the very next second…
"HIS DAUGHTER!?" The two eager players blurted out with thrill, leaving the dark striker to sweat drop at their sudden enthusiasm. Tsuguri however, only watched the older boy for a while before turning to the brunet besides him.
"Tenma… can you do something for me…?"
The brown hair boy looked at his friend questioningly but nodded nevertheless.
Meanwhile, Kirino continued to perform his tricks with the soccer ball effortlessly as his daughter watched with happiness in her shinning eyes. However, the boy suddenly stopped when a sharp wind suddenly flew passed them, almost knocking him out. He squeezed his eyes shut for one moment before opening them again, only to find the soccer ball on his leg gone. The boy turned around and widened his eyes when he saw the one that stole the ball from him.
"Tsuguri? What are you-"
However, before the older male could say anything else, the dark striker had already advanced at him with a lighting speed. The pink hair boy barely had time react when the other ran passed him with the ball again. After that, the ex-Seed once again stopped in his track and looked back at his senior.
"Stop me."
It was much closer to an order than a simple invitation for a friendly practice. When Kirino realized he had no other choice but to do as the other asked, the boy finally shook his hesitation off and stood in his defending position when the forward zoomed at him again with the ball.
I can't embarrass myself in front of her now can I…
A silent smile made its way to his face.
Shindou was sitting in front his piano, in his very own spacious house, playing a melody with his eyes closed. It had been three days ever since the boy found out that he had a daughter, and his best friend, whom he was in love with, had been the little girl's father for no less than five years… When his thoughts floated with the melody and somehow wandered back to the image of the shy manager in the wedding picture, he flinched sharply and his fingers were slam into the keys, creating a loud noise that echoed through the entire resident.
The brunet panted out heavily in silence with his head lowered. Ever since that day, it had always hunted him… the thought that he couldn't do anything for her. And when he found out that she was no longer in this world, his guilt had only increased since then…
He couldn't even come back to attend her funeral. And now, to discover the pain that she had to go through, the burden that she had to shoulder because of him and his irresponsibility, the boy felt like hundreds of shameful needle were shot into his chest, just like the day when he left her alone with her tears…
What should I do…?
What can I do…?
I…
SLAM!
Shindou jumped out of his thoughts when he heard the loud sudden noise. The boy swung his upper body back to see a familiar boy panting heavily at his door.
"T-Tenma! What are you-"
"Captain! You have to go…! Now!"
Without waiting for the other's reaction, the younger boy stormed to him and started pulling him away from his spot.
"Tenma! What is going on?" The older male asked with a confused voice when they reached the main door leading to the outside.
"Kirino senpai! He's on the field! He's playing soccer again! And his daughter is there too!" The boy yelled back with a grin as he went on pulling the fellow brunet with his hand.
What…? Kirino is playing soccer…?
"W-wait!"
The prodigy finally said as he yanked back his hand. "I-I can't…! I can't go… I don't deserve-"
"Shindou senpai!"
The wavy hair male flinched slightly at the other's tone. The younger boy looked at him with determination in his eyes as he grabbed the other's hand again.
"If you don't go now… You will lose them, forever."
The playmaker widened his eyes in surprise. "How did yo-"
"Tsurugi told me… He was the one that sent me here. You talked to him two days ago didn't you…?" The brunet added with a grin, reminding the other about the night when he asked for Tsurugi's advice.
"More importantly, I know that you want to be with them, senpai… The problem is, they don't. And if you keep hesitating like this, they will never know… he will never know…"
Shindou fully knew who the younger boy was talking about. After a moment of silence, the playmaker lowered his face as he finally let his voice out. "I… I don't know what to do… Everything was so sudden that it almost seemed like a bad dream…"
The boy hesitated to continue. The thoughts in his mind was still so much like a blurring mixture of both guilt and pain, the prodigy could only stand there as he tried to battle out his real emotions.
Tenma stared at the older male as he kept silent too. His senior looked so hurt that the boy couldn't help but look at him with sympathetic eyes. After a while, the passionate boy finally decided to do something that he had never done before…
"… Shindou senpai, I-I… "
The boy struggled with his words, not knowing how to set them straight. However, when he noticed the other wasn't even looking at him, he took in a deep breath and gathered all the courage he had and…
"I LOVE TSURUGI!"
The loud and clear statement yanked the prodigy back from his thoughts unbelievably fast. The older male almost fell down when he fully comprehended the sentence his junior just yelled out.
"H-huh?" Shindou let out when he saw the boy's completely flustered face and heavy panting. After he successfully got the other's attention again, the passionate boy took some time to adjust his own breathing before he could continue. "I-I don't know what to do either… A-And when I found out, I was confused too… I didn't know what to do, or how to think anymore… B-But…"
The boy took in a deep breath again…
"What I do know is that I don't want to lose him." He looked straight at the other's widened eyes. "And that is enough for me to know that I cannot avoid him any longer…"
Shindou looked at the other in amazement as the boy finished with a grin. Suddenly, the playmaker could feel the weight that had been pulling his body down was lifted away. The boy was immediately was reminded of the first time he met the fellow brunet, when he put his hand over his chest and show him the right way to go. The older male lifted his hand to where his heart was again and finally smiled.
That's right. He had always known the answer in here. He was just too afraid to follow where his heart led him…
Not anymore.
"… Let's go Tenma."
However, when they finally reached the stadium, the pink hair male and his daughter were no longer there. There was only Tsuguri who was standing there with a sore face.
"What took you guys so long…?" The dark striker grumbled when he saw the duel coming. "He already went away…!"
Tenma widened his eyes in surprise. "Eh…? I thought you said you were going to delay him…?"
A slight blush could be spotted on the forward's face when he heard the statement. "That was because you guys were as slow as snails…" The boy resorted to complaining. There was no way he would ever admit that he had lost the ball only after the defender's third attempt, especially not to Tenma…
"Did he say that he would go home…?"
"Not really…"
"I see… I will go and look for them now."
Shindou was about to zoom away but suddenly stopped when he remembered something. The older male turned back to his friends and smiled gratefully.
"Tsurugi, Tenma… thank you." And with that, he swung and dashed to the door of the stadium, leaving behind his two friends who were both smiling silently at their senior too.
"Go get them, Shindou Senpai…"
Kirino was walking home slowly, carrying his daughter gently with his hands. A day full of excitement had taken away all of the young girl's energy, and she ended up falling asleep in her father's arms. The pink hair male had walked around the neighborhood for hours now, reluctant to actually go home, knowing that this might very well be the last time he could be with her like this.
He knew that if he fought against her grandparents, he would definitely lose. The court would never trust him, someone who wasn't even related to her, over the people of her own blood. Akane's parents had more than enough money to hire a lawyer to support them legally in these things. And the old couple wouldn't hesitate to take him down if they had to… Mr Yamana's eyes had already said that more clearly than any word could ever express...
And even though he didn't want to lose her, the last thing he would do was making her see how her father get destroyed by her own loved ones…
I can't do that to her…
When the sky started to get dark and the freezing wind began to overtake the air around them, the boy had no choice but to head toward his house after seeing his daughter shivered her body slightly. Kirino squeezed his arms around her more to keep her warm, but the closer he was to the little girl, the harder it was for him to think about tomorrow. His azure eyes stared sadly at Utau's angelic sleeping face before he closed them down and he tightened his embrace.
A pain expression slit through his face...
Why…? Why does things have to turn out like this…?
"Kirino…?"
The pink hair male froze at his spot when he heard the familiar voice. The boy raised his face up to see a shadow standing in front of his home.
"Kirino, you are here."
The figure called again as he stepped out of the dark. And the moment his suspicion was confirmed under the moonlight, the defender widened his eyes.
God… Why did you send him here now…?
The boy took a step back when he felt the other advancing. A surprise expression ran across Shindou's face. However, before the taller boy could come any closer, Kirino lowered his head and let out with a broken voice. "You are too late…" The brunet stopped in his track in confused. He watched as his best friend kept his face away with a painful expression…
When Kirino finally looked up at him again, his azure eyes were filled with tears as he said with a sad smile.
"It's too late…"
However, the very next moment, Kirino had already found himself the brunet's arms. The playmaker whispered into his ears as he held both him and the little girl tightly. "Let's just go in first ok… You are freezing…" Only now did the defender realize that his hands were shaking slightly around Utau's body. He was so worried about the young girl to actually notice that his body was becoming vulnerable the cold too.
"Please… Kirino…"
The pleading tone in his friend's voice made the pink hair male unable to refuse. So he just nodded slightly and let go of the subject for now.
After he tugged his daughter into the bed, Kirino closed the door behind him and went back to the living room where his friend was. The boy stopped at the door as he watched the brunet silently.
Why did I lose control of myself like that…?
He thought when he remembered what just happened at the front of his house. The next moment however, the playmaker turned back and saw him. The brunet was a bit surprised at first but then his face softened and the boy gave him a tender smile before walking towards him.
"Are you ok…?"
Shindou asked when he reached out to hold his best friend's shoulder gently. However, the boy just lowered his face and fixed his eyes on the floor without saying anything.
"Kirino… I-"
"If you come back for her, it's too late…"
The prodigy widened his eyes at his best friend's firm statement. The pink hair male looked up again at him.
"Akane's parents… they will come and take her tomorrow."
… Shock would be an understatement. Shindou was speechless at the sudden news. He looked at the pink hair boy in pure wonder. However, the playmaker's eyebrows narrowed the very next second when he noticed something didn't seem right.
"And you are ok with this…?"
The defender's body stiffened at the question. Nevertheless, the boy refused to let the other overwhelm him with his sharp stare. It took him a while, but the boy finally managed to let out an almost inaudible yes… He was about to spring away but the brown hair male immediately held him still by the arm.
"Don't lie to me Kirino…"
"I told you I'm fine! What else do you want me to say…!"
Kirino's voice was starting to raise out of control. The boy tried to yank his hand away, not wanting to continue this soon-to-be-argument with his friend, but his every efforts was fruitless as the other kept his grip firmly on his arm.
"Let me go Shindou!"
"You are not alright…! Stop saying that you are fine!"
There was nothing Kirino wanted more than to escape from the brunet right now. The last thing he wanted was to burst out his true feelings, showing his vulnerable side to the one he loved. But the more he tried to get away, the more determined the other became to rescue the boy from his own shell. And soon enough, his mask finally cracked open.
"Fine…!"
The pink hair male said as he finally threw away his efforts and stopped jerking his arm. Shindou was a little taken aback by the boy's sudden give in. But he was even more stunned when he saw tears starting to come out of his friend's eyes.
"What do you want me to do…?" The pink hair male asked silently as he lowered his face.
"Someone like me who isn't even related to her… how can I say that I understand her feelings when we don't even look alike… how can I know what to say if she comes home one day, insecure about her appearances… she… she doesn't need me… I'm not her real father…"
By the time he spoke the final words, the boy's tears had already streamed down across his face. No matter how much he tried, Kirino just couldn't stop them from overflowing from his eyes.
"I can't do this… I can't do this alone Shindou…"
Kirino let out desperately as he leaned against the wall behind him. The words that he just uttered took away all of the strength he had. Every feeling, every insecure thought that he had spent two years trying to keep hidden under his mask now came bursting out along with his tears. He didn't even care to hold them back in front of the brunet anymore…
The boy was so overwhelmed by his emotions that he couldn't notice his friend was slowly closing their distance. Before Kirino even realized how close his friend was, the playmaker had already pressed their lips together gently.
Shock was not nearly enough to describe the pink hair male's feeling in that moment… He was completely stunned. His azure eyes still widened even when the brunet had pulled back from the kiss. However, before the defender could figure out what just happened, Shindou had already pulled the completely dazzle boy closer to his body.
"I didn't come back just for Utau…"
The prodigy breathed out quietly as he held the other in his arms.
"… I… I came back for you too Ranmaru…"
His embraced tightened when he uttered the boy's first name. How long had it been since the last time he could say it like that…?
Kirino could feel tears running from his eyes again when he heard those words. The defender wrapped his own hands around the other's back, buried his face into the boy's shoulder as his tears drench the fabric of his friend's shirt. Yet, it didn't stop him from crying even more.
"She loves you… She doesn't care whether or not you guys are related… You are her father, that's all she knows and that's all she needs Ranmaru… And you are not alone… from now on, I'll always be here..."
The pink hair boy opened his eyes when a hand lifted his face up and caressed it gently. Shindou ran his fingers across the boy's cheek, brushing whatever left of his tears away. The brunet once again leaned in and pressed his lips on the other's forehead.
"Let's be a family together..."
The playmaker finished with a tender smile, looking at his friend lovingly with lightened up eyes. Kirino closed his eyes when he could feel the burden in his chest were lifted away magically at the other's words. No expression could be enough to describe the warm feelings that were spreading through his entire body right now… finally knowing that there was someone he could rely on, someone that he could share everything with, that he wasn't alone.
Their lips met again in a passionate touch. A whispering ok was heard when the former defender parted away for air before the other pulled him close again with happy smile.
"I'm sorry…"
The playmaker opened his eyes when he heard Kirino's voice.
"About what…?"
The brunet asked tenderly as he brought a hand up to the boy leaning on his body and ran its fingers through the pink lock there, finding himself enjoy the feeling…
"About what happened back then… with Kariya…"
Brown eyes widened a bit at the sudden confession, but the boy still waited patiently for the other to continue.
"I… I loved you… a lot. But you never seemed to notice my affection… even though we were close, I never thought that you would return my feelings… and Kariya… he was always there…"
Now that the playmaker thought about it, the blue hair boy never wasted even a slight chance to snatch the defender away from him back then. And as annoyed and bothered as he was, he was being too much of a coward to actually do something until...
"That night, was just a weak moment… I never thought that it would break us apart like that… t-that's why I broke up with him afterwards… But by then, you were already…"
The pink hair boy's voice halted midway as he stared at the floor with sad eyes. The defender looked up, however, when he felt two arms circling themselve around his waist and pressed him even closer to the other's chest.
"I'm sorry too…"
This time, it was Kirino's turn to eye his best friend curiously. "For what…?"
The brunet only smiled as he lifted the boy's chin up and pressed their lips together.
"For being an idiot and not daring to say I love you too…"
He said when they finally parted, making the other freeze for one moment to process the words before letting out a quiet laugh in relief. Shindou smiled too, tenderly at his love.
"Let's go together tomorrow…"
The defender closed his eyes and smiled.
"Alright…"
The next day, the two of them asked their friends to look after Utau and came to see Akane's parents together. After a moment of silence, Kirino finally told them about his decision. And of course, the older couple didn't want give up without a fight. They argued for hours, using all kinds of persuasion, insistence and eventually even threats. But no matter what was thrown at him, the pink hair male didn't waver even a bit. And during the whole time, Shindou never let go of his hand.
But the grandparents were just as stubborn. They refused to let go of the idea. Just as the conversation was about to reach its peak, the door was slam open, startling all of them. And walking was a certain dark striker and Tenma, who was carrying the little wavy hair girl on his back.
"There's someone who you guys forget to ask for opinion…"
Tsuguri said simply as the brunet let Utau down on her feet.
"Utau chan, tell them what you told me earlier ok…"
The brown hair boy told her with a smile. The little girl looked at him with her ground lavender eyes before nodding obediently. She then ran to Kirino's side, flinging her arms around his neck as he picked her up.
"I want to live with daddy…!"
Utau said with her most cheerful voice as she squeezed herself against the warmth of her father. And that became the end of their discussion. No matter how dead set they were about the idea, the grandparents just couldn't force their innocent grandchild to live with them against her will.
After they came to the brunet's home (since it was closer), the couple said their thank you to their juniors. And Shindou dropped some hints for Tsuguri about a certain someone's crush, making the fellow brunet blush silently behind his back. As the new family walked into the prodigy's house, Tenma whispered to Tsuguri.
"Uhm… when are we going to tell them about the coach's decision to invite Kirino-senpai into the National Team…?"
"There's no need to…." The dark striker said simply. "The old man already saw what he could do yesterday. It won't be long until he sends him the official letter. And then, Shindou will take care of the rest… Right now I'm worrying about something else though..."
"Huh…? What is it?"
The brunet asked, titling his head to a side. However, the boy flinched when he saw the striker swiftly swung back and glared at him.
"You can tell Shindou, but you can't tell me!?"
"H-huh? T-Tsurugi, W-What are y-"
"Don't play dump with me...! That guy's attitude just said it all! Do you know how long have I waited for you? And now, you are telling me you can tell a guy whom you just met again after six years, and still can't say it to my face!?"
The Ex-Seed blurted out with a more-than-just-annoyed expression as he quickly advanced at the other, making the boy step back with cold sweats dropping down from his face. But by the time he realized he realized he was being cornered, the taller male had already slammed his hands into the wall to trap the boy in.
Tenma widened his eyes when the forward said with a serious face.
"I'm not going to wait here for eight long years like that guy… Not when I know that your feeling is the same."
The same…?
That was the only thought that could go through the brunet's mind at that moment. He was completely speechless and confused. What was Tsurugi talking about…? Was he talking about his own feeling? Than does this mean…
"Agh! Screw this...!"
The striker had already reached his limit before the other had time to probably work out his thoughts. He quickly pulled the boy in and pressed their lips together deeply. The smaller boy widened his eyes for one second before squeezing them shut, clutching his hands onto the other's shirt.
When Tsurugi finally pulled back, the smaller boy's face was already decorated with an enormous blush. His eyes stretched out in daze when the forward squeezed their body together again, holding the boy tightly in his arms.
"I-I- I-love you…"
Tenma finally stuttered out. The red marks on his cheeks intensified even more when the words escaped from his mouth. The boy was too embarrassed to actually look into the other's eyes, so he hid away his face into the striker's shirt.
Tsurugi finally smiled.
"Idiot… What took you so long…?"
He said quietly into the other's ear, making the boy's blushes reddened even further at the reply.
"… I love you too…"
"Has she fallen asleep…?"
Shindou asked as he opened the door silently to walk into room. The pink hair male looked up at him with a small smile. "Yeah… This is the first time she sleeps in such a spacious bed after all."
The boy stood up from his spot, turning the light off before he walked out with his boyfriend and closed the door behind them.
After Shindou changed his clothes, the playmaker looked to the balcony of his own room to see the defender standing outside, looking up to the dark sky that was lightened by stars. The brunet walked silently behind Kirino, circling his arms around the other's waist, making the boy let out a small tender laugh.
"What are you doing out here…?" The taller male asked, holding his friends in his arms.
Kirino answered with a quiet voice. "Thanking…" The boy widened his eyes a bit in amuse. He gently turned the defender around so that he would face him, caressing the boy's face lovingly with his fingers as he asked again with a small smile.
"For what…?"
Azure eyes softened at the other's tender touch. "Bringing your daughter into my life…" He cupped the hand on his face with his own. "... and leads me back to you."
"Our daughter…" The brunet corrected his love softly, bringing the boy to laugh silently in agreement. The pink hair male then closed his eyes and leaned in. And Shindou accepted it happily, squeezing his arms around the other to bring him closer.
As they parted away for one moment, Kirino confessed quietly into the brunet's ear.
"I love you... Takuto…"
The other replied with a smile before kissing his love again.
"I love you too…"
…
Let's be a family, together this time.
… yes