today's the time for courage, babe, eyeshield 21

[derwent_f]

Title: today's the time for courage, babe

Fandom: Eyeshield 21

Pairing: Kongo Unsui/Hiruma Youichi

Characters: Kongo Unsui, Hiruma Youichi, Kamata "Sanzo" Genjou

Rating: G

Summary:  Three times Unsui misunderstands Hiruma’s gesture, and the one time he finally gets it. With help from Hiruma, of course.

Notes:

• In response to a prompt by yelp in the lbdmadness2021 collection.
• Title from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds's 'Sweetheart Come', which despite being too romantic in its wording, the sentiment definitely fits this pairing.

3

After that night, Unsui passes his days with a cool, detached determination. Like an automaton, he goes to classes, he goes to practice, he completes Shinryuji’s admission process, and everything else expected of him – and tries his best to ignore the feeling of being trapped in a cage that insists on creeping up at every waking moment.

Of all people, it’s Hiruma who breaks through the fog in his mind and drags him back to earth.

The guy appears out of nowhere on Unsui’s way home after practice. For once, he’s completely still – no snide remarks, no mocking tone, not even his trademark smirk.

“Did you know?” He asks without preamble. His voice, too, is quiet. Their eyes meet, and Unsui almost recoils from the pure, cold rage in those green eyes. It’s the kind of rage that burns steadfast, and it reminds him of stories of the eternal flame, faithfully tended to by devotees for centuries.

He feels a pang inside him, followed by, irrationally, a flash of jealousy at Kurita. To have a friend that will defend you – but no, he stops himself from falling down that path.

“I heard,” he says. He’d heard talks, from the Shinryuji people and the other amefuto players, and connected the dots. It’s no consolation to realize that he wasn’t Agon’s only victim.

He didn’t think he’d ever see Hiruma again, not after the whole debacle. He regrets it a little, because he did enjoy going to matches occasionally with him, even though he knows Hiruma only does that to piss Agon off. It’s … fun, listening to Hiruma’s commentary and debating strategies with him.  

“We’re going to Deimon. It’s the only school fucking fatass can get into.” Hiruma pauses for the briefest moment. “We’re starting a football team. Can always use another player.”

The ground disappears from beneath Unsui’s feet. Hiruma can’t possibly mean what Unsui thinks he means, right?

But it’s the only way his words make sense. They want him. Him. Something foreign blooms in his heart – a promise of something new and warm and bright.

… So this is what temptation is like. His nails dig into his palm. Unsui focuses on the pain, a familiar friend after all these years.

No.

The only thing worse than physical weakness is mental weakness, and Unsui won’t, can’t, become even more pathetic than he already is. He can’t do anything about his lack of physical talent, but his mental fortitude he can work on. He’d talked briefly with Sendoda about his intention of making Agon the greatest amefuto player, and the coach promised to have a private discussion as soon as the semester begins.

He inhales, holds his breath, exhales. His voice is steady when he answers, “I’m going to Shinryuji.”

Hiruma looks at him with something like disbelief in his eyes. But Unsui doesn’t give him any time to respond. He turns and walks away, the frantic beating of his heart filing his ears.

 

---

 

2

He finally gets the room for himself. Agon and Ikkyu went downstairs an hour ago, the latter inviting him to join the farewell party for the youth delegation. Unsui turned it down, not wanting to endure either polite attempts at conversation or pitying, awkward glances from the other Team Japan players.

The cold wind bites into his bones, but Unsui, who has sat underneath the Shinryuji waterfall for hours, welcomes it. It’s why he’s sitting on the balcony instead of the warm, quiet room. The pain is a friend he knows all too well. It’s preferable to the company of others.

The door swings open. Probably Ikkyu, needing a lie-down after drinking the alcohol smuggled into the party. After that final match, even the official chaperones will turn a blind eye to such antics.

“Should’ve been there today, fucking monk.” Hiruma plops down into the other chair. He’s dressed in his customary black shirt and jeans, a rifle slung across his slim, well-toned body. Only a small round table stands as a barrier between them.

Unsui doesn’t bother asking how he manages to get in. Knowing him, Hiruma’s got blackmail materials on the entire hotel staff.

“I was there.” He keeps his tone level, refusing to take the bait.

“On the fucking field.”

“Wouldn’t have made any differences.”

He expects Hiruma’s brand of sardonic reply, but the other man is uncharacteristically silent. Unsui risks a glance. Hiruma’s looking at him with a hard, disappointed face. Unsui doesn’t understand why.

He doesn’t understand why it bothers him, either. He’s used to people being disappointed in him. Why is it different when it’s Hiruma?

“And you call yourself a fucking football player. How many more years are you going to fucking waste?”

Hiruma’s gone as fast as he’d come. Unsui sits there, feeling as if he’d just stepped off a cliff.

 

---

 

1

His phone beeps. He knows who it is before even opening the message.

“Hiruma again?” Sanzo asks quietly. Not that the others in the bus, still high from their victory against Ojo, are likely to pay any attention.

“Yeah.” He felt Hiruma’s eyes on him throughout the game. Perhaps that’s why he’d taken more chances on the field, picking a more aggressive, risky strategy than usual.

“Seems overly invested for someone who can’t play anymore.”

Unsui shrugs. “He’s always been the Devilbats’ unofficial coach. Always working for the long-term goals as well.”

Sanzo takes a second to get it. “Right, college. Still, though.”

Unsui leans against the bus window. “It’s a way to mess with Agon, I reckon. He used to do something like this back in middle high too, inviting me to watch games, knowing it would piss Agon off. It means Hiruma had less time for their blackmailing scheme.”

Sanzo chokes on his tea. Unsui takes over the bottle he’s holding and hands him a paper napkin from his bag. Strangely, he’s looking at Unsui with exasperation.

“Unsui-kun.” Sanzo’s speaking very slowly, as if Unsui were a particularly dimwitted child. “Let me get this right: back in middle school, you two used to go to games together. Then you stopped speaking after Agon did … what he did. And then he showed up that night after youth world final and confronted you. Now you two are back texting.”

“Like I said, he knows it’s a surefire way to mess with Agon.”

To his surprise, Sanzo reaches out a hand and begins patting his shoulder, with more force than necessary.

“Er, Sanzo?”

Sanzo shakes his head. “Just – let me do this, okay?” He lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, Unsui-kun.”

He endures it for a minute before gently shrugging Sanzo’s hand off.

“By the way, it reminds me.” Sanzo raises one exquisitely-shaped eyebrow. “What about your plans for college? Still going to Saikyo?”

Unsui glances out of the window at the passing view. It’s a question he asks himself every day.

 

 

---

 

+1

The air is warm with joy. Yamabushi and Kurita are hugging each other, tears running down their faces. It was Yamabushi who asked Unsui to go with him to Deimon’s graduation ceremony. Unsui’s happy to do so – given that Kurita’s going to Enma too, it just seems right for Unsui to go along.

“Enma, huh?”

Surprisingly, Hiruma’s wearing a toga. Take away the guns, and he’ll look just like any other students.

Unsui nods. He feels calm – not the pre-match kind of calm, nor the meditative calm he’s learnt in Shinryuji. It’s a different kind of calm, something new that he’s only recently begun to become acquainted with. A serenity that’s weightless, free from any burden. He likes it.

“Took you long enough, fucking monk.”

He shrugs and smiles. “Had to do a lot of thinking the past year.” Unsui turns aside. Hiruma’s grin is softer than usual. In others, Unsui would call it a smile.

“You do realize this means we’ll still be rivals on the field?”

“Yeah, I do.” Unsui says. “Why, you’re bored?”

“Of fucking course not. Let’s see how you’ll handle Dragonfly now that it’s being used against you.”

A shiver runs through Unsui. “I can’t wait.”

Hiruma’s grin widens. Unsui braces himself for a kick to his ass, Hiruma’s way of showing approval.

But instead Hiruma steps forward, so close to him. His green eyes flashes, and then he’s kissing Unsui.

For a second, Unsui stands shocked. Then he closes his eyes. Everything finally, finally falls into place.

The kiss ends. Unsui blinks, certain that he looks as amazed as he feels.

“What? You thought I’d let you waste another four fucking years figuring this out?”