{Girls Can Play Too}{Hiruma Yoichi}{Eyeshield 21}{30}

Disclaimer: Hiruma and the rest of the Eyeshield 21 cast belong to Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. Fanart by: Chalice~

---

Kris woke up to a horrible pain in her left shoulder. She whined as she sat up, careful to support herself with her right hand. "Mother effing..." Kris growled, massaging her left shoulder. She only noticed that she was still in her football pants when she also stumbled over her cleats on her way to the bathroom with the nagging hope that a hot shower would ease her shoulder pain.

Kris came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, painless and finding Hiruma Yoichi laying on his back in her bed reading her journal. She yawned and ran her fingers through her hair before finally noticing what he was reading.

"The hell...?" She hopped onto the bed and snatched it from his hands. He sat up quickly but not in a rushed manner.

"Hey I was re-" Kris cut him off when he had to block her from hitting him. "...reading that." He finished, matching her glare.

"You're a nosy bastard." She accused, trying to get her right hand back from him.

"You're terrified of the damn dread." Hiruma countered, his hand locked like a vice around her wrist. Kris felt her glare soften as she remembered the terror and helplessness that she had felt in the dream, so realistic; so similar to what she felt in real life with her first meeting with Agon that she wanted to cry.

"You had no right to read that." She growled, breaking away from his gaze and looking down.

"I 'don't have the right' to do a lot of things that I do anyway." Hiruma stated, letting her wrist go. "It's time for practice."

"I'll be out in a bit." Kris said evenly, watching Hiruma stand and walk out of her room. Kris grabbed her journal and flipped to the page that Hiruma had been on, the very end of the Agon dream. Was he going to say anything later? How much of the journal had he read? Did he just think it was some deranged fantasy or that she was psychotic? "My brain hurts..." Kris mumbled, feeling the familiar sick grumble in her stomach that signaled stress and worry. "Whatever." She finally decided on. "Guys have never made me worry before and I'm not starting now." She growled before grabbing her cleats, tying the laces together and slinging them across her shoulders and heading out her door. Her school bag was at the school, as was her uniform, cell phone, keys, money, construction clothes- all in her duffel bag which also was located at the school.

"... and you're sure there's nothing to worry about?" Kyle's voice came from the kitchen.

"Stop asking me the same fucking question." Hiruma snarled back. "The answer's the Goddamn fucking same." He turned to Kris and she saw the aggravated expression that he had etched in his over-expressive face ease slightly. "Finally fucking ready?" Kris nodded.

"Well, I guess it's time for another day of your training from Hell." Kris sighed and waved to Kyle. "Don't miss me if I never return."

Kyle's eyes were transfixed on the paper and he gave her an undeterminable grunt.

"That seems... optimistic?" Kris tilted her head questioningly at Kyle, but when he didn't respond she shrugged it off and headed for the door with Hiruma following her. "You have extra uniform pants, right?" Kris asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"At the club, yeah." Hiruma nodded. He suddenly pulled out an AK-47 and snapped a clip in. "Let's run." He smirked and Kris immediately took off with bullets peppering the ground just behind her.

"You don't have to shoot at me to get me to run!" Kris complained. "It's too early..."

"Che, to get you to run faster I do!" He answered back, a bullet nicked the heel of her sneaker and she quickened her pace. Kris was silent except for her breathing and the odd expletive the rest of the way to practice.

"Kris-chan!" Kurita hugged Kris ecstatically. "So you're shoulder is alright?!" He grinned enthusiastically and Kris nodded, unable to breathe.

"Damn porker, we still need her for practice! Kill her afterwards!" Hiruma kicked Kurita, causing him to relinquish his hold on Kris. "Ah, sorry." Kurita smiled apologetically when Kris rubbed her left shoulder.

"No problem." Kris smiled and accepted his hand up.

"Go get fucking changed for fucking practice, dammit!" Hiruma kicked Kris in the butt, earning himself a glare. He smirked at her and blew her a sarcastic kiss before turning to yell at Sena and Monta who were just arriving. Kris jogged around to the club room and waved brightly at the construction crew before darting inside and changing into her pads and a pair of uniform pants that were lying on top of her jersey in her locker. She grabbed her helmet and snapped it on before walking back out to practice just as Sena and Monta were walking up with Mamori.

"Oh! Kris-chan!" She gasped and pulled her aside. "I... uhm... I'm not one for gossip really, but... I've heard something and I'd like for you to-"

"Fucking mutt! Get your ass over here and start warm-up laps!" Hiruma's voice cut Mamori off. She gave a roll of her eyes and shook her head.

"Never mind, it's preposterous anyway." Mamori smiled suddenly. "Go practice and let me know if your shoulder hurts!" She yelled as Kris ran off.

'Gossip...? About what I wonder...?' Kris thought, thinking back to anything that she might have done that would bring her any unwanted attention. She drew a blank and shrugged it off before starting two warm-up laps around the field while Hiruma goaded the three Brothers with the word 'photos' to show up in the 'next five fucking seconds'.

Practice passed uneventfully, they learned the 'Dance From Hell' via Hiruma and his inspiring Sten Mark II sub-machine gun. and Jumonji finally learned how to get balance from his footing and took Kris down 'correctly' according to Hiruma.

When Kris opened her duffel bag to get her school uniform out she smelled lemons. "Er... why does my uniform smell like lemons?" Kris asked, looking at Hiruma.

"The Home Ec. class joyfully washed it. They'd just finished a 'soap making' course..." He informed her, popping his gum.

"... okay then..." she shrugged and re-zipped her duffel bag before heading for the gym to shower before Homeroom.

On her way to Homeroom Kris felt many pairs of eyes glance over her then look away, heard whispers that she was sure had something to do with her.

"You look edgy." Hiruma commented, not looking up from his laptop as she took the seat next to him.

"I'm probably just paranoid..." Kris shrugged and glanced over at his laptop screen. "You're e-mailing Nick?" She asked, recognizing his e-mail address at the header and her eyes trailed down to read what Hiruma was typing. The laptop shut and Hiruma looked over at her.

"You're a nosy bitch." He accused and then smirked at Kris's undoubted blush at remembering that he had read her journal.

"Shut up." She turned back to the front of the class and crossed her arms.

---

"Hey, Mamori-chan?" Kris asked, walking out of the club in her construction clothes for afternoon practice. Mamori looked over at Kris questioningly. "What were you talking about earlier, before Hiruma cut you off...?" She asked curiously.

"Ah... uhm... there were rumors going around school all of yesterday that... well..." Mamori flushed and looked around as if wanting a distraction, but she found none- Hiruma wasn't even around bullying Sena. "... that you and Hiruma were a, erm... couple." She finally bit out.

"Oh. Okay." Kris shrugged and turned to go to the site of construction not two feet away from them.

"What do you mean 'Oh. Okay.'?!" Mamori asked yelled in shock.

"What the fuck are you two fucking yelling about?!" Hiruma snapped, suddenly standing behind Kris.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!" Kris turned, a growl in her voice. Hiruma smirked and ruffled her hair, pushing her toward the construction site.

"You think I'd keep track of that? Go fucking make yourself useful." Hiruma stated and started talking to Mamori who was gesturing around wildly when Kris looked back. Hiruma cackled evilly and said something that made Mamori go wide-eyed and flush before she turned away and walked off with a huff. Hiruma stood cackling until Mamori was well out of sight and then turned, smirking toward the construction site and a curious Kris. "You don't look useful." Hiruma stated as he passed her, grabbing the collar of her shirt and dragging her with him.

"That's because... what did you say to Mamori-chan?" Kris asked, fumbling with his hand. Hiruma chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing." He said finally and let go of her. He nimbly climbed the scaffolds that led to the top of the new locker room. Kris rolled her eyes before climbing up after him to help with the roof.

---

The rest of the week was spent on finishing the minor details such as lighting and paint inside the locker room- Kris had 'accidentally' splashed Hiruma with white paint, and although it really was an accident, she got an entire bucket over her head. It was also spent working even harder at gaining better physical strength and skill. She was amazed at Yukimitsu's work ethic during practices. Even though he was lanky and weak- even though he stumbled and fell more often than ran, he still got up again and ran with the rest of the team.

When in the weight room while doing a menial task that required as much thinking as breathing- sit ups- on every up she found herself watching Hiruma over Mamori's shoulder, his determined look and the sweat that dripped from his face as his muscles strained to work harder at performing one handed push-ups... Kris quickly shook her head and let the back of her head slam unnecessarily into the mat to clear her mind of the loose thoughts that had been running through it. Mamori had asked her if she needed a break, but Kris shook her head and went back to doing the fifty sit-ups she had left, her mind seemed to wander to Hiruma quite a bit during that week.

---

"YA--HA--!" Hiruma shot through the wrecking ball, confetti and ribbons rained down on the Deimon Devil Bats and their new locker room. Kurita threw Komusubi in the air and everyone grinned happily. There were shouts of:

"All right!" and "It's incredible!" from all sides as well as a collective "wow!" once they looked inside.

"Everyone has their own space!" Kurita exclaimed joyfully as the team dispersed to find their nameplates.

"Awesome, I get one too?" Kris asked, shaking her head at the perenthesized name, 'Damn Mutt' beneath 'Kris'.

"Of course, you're a fucking part of the team." Hiruma ruffled her hair and she ducked away from him with a frown.

"How come the three of us have to share one locker?!" The three Brothers chorused. Kris smiled and was about to make a comment when Monta burst out.

"This is it!" Monta yelled, pointing at his name plate with his toe- as a monkey would. "I have something to say to everyone! Stop making fun of me by calling me 'Monta'..."

"I got it from Joe Montana!" Hiruma said with a devilish grin, showing all his teeth in the process.

"But he's a quarterback..." Kris muttered.

"He's one of the greatest superstars in NFL history. He's like a god. He'd use his skills to maneuver his many comeback victories... it was 'Montana Magic'." Kris watched Monta's face as his brain clicked and he stuck a pose just as she rolled her eyes and left to go change in the club room.

"Call me Monta!" was his ecstatic phrase. Mamori left the club room with some laundry just as Kris was opening her small, old locker on the other side of the change counter.

"Now that we have so much room... we can finally get everything in order." Mamori said happily. A shifting sound was followed by a plop of the magazine she had been balancing ontop of the laundry.

"Oh, Football Monthly... I haven't read this issue yet." Kurita said, Kris could hear the pages of the magazine turning. "The Football Monthly Bowl...? It's on the sixth of June... Wow! Someone gets to play against an American High School!" Kris's ears perked and she pulled on the clean shirt she had just pulled out of her duffel bag on quickly.

"But, didn't you say it's the week after next? Isn't that right in the middle of the Kanto tournament?" Mamori asked curiously and Kris walked in wearing street clothes while pulling on her sneakers.

"Anyone who's not playing in the Kanto tournament..." Kurita confirmed, scanning the article again.

"Someone who can't even make it to the finals would challenge the Americans?" Monta asked edgily.

"Nobody's that crazy..." Sena nodded.

"I already sent in our application." Hiruma said nonchalantly as he pulled on his uniform jacket.

"You're crazy!" The whole team burst out.

"Who's the team?" Kris asked, grabbing the magazine and plopping next to Hiruma on the bench. She blinked at the article and suddenly rolled up the magazine and slapped Hiruma's upper-arm with it. The whole team ran for cover outside while Mamori concluded that Kris could handle herself and scuttled out to make sure Sena wasn't scared. "You've got to be fucking with me!" Kris growled, looking at the article again and reading through it.

"I'm not." Hiruma shrugged and grabbed the magazine when she went to hit him again. "Are you feeling a little abusive?"

"Why would you want to play them? Why?" She groaned and relinquished the magazine, slumping over onto his shoulder. Hiruma rolled up the magazine and popped her on the back of the head with his arm crossing in front of her.

"Because I knew you'd love it." Hiruma smirked and Kris glared at him, straightening and scooting away from him.

"You're not going to win." She stated with a frown.

"You doubting me, fucking mutt?" Hiruma's eyes flashed and Kris found herself nodding solemnly.

"You know that there is no chance of winning." She stated and crossed her arms.

"Says you." Hiruma frowned and stood.

"Yeah, says me." She stood with him and followed him out of the locker room. "I..."

"You know every player on the team." Hiruma finished her sentence when she trailed off to find the right words. "Your dad is the head-assistant coach for the High School and head coach for NASA Middle School." Hiruma supplied in a monotone as they turned out of the school gates.

"Y-yeah... but, c'mon... you know that there's not chance of wi-" Hiruma turned on her and pulled her closer to him by her waist.

"That's the thing." He said, his grey eyes glaring into her green. "There is a fucking chance. And as long as there's a 1 chance..." he let his lips meet hers briefly and any doubts she had in him flew quickly away. "... then there's a chance that we can win."

"You need to win the lottery first..." Kris muttered, looking down and guessing that there was a slight blush across her cheeks.

"That's already in the bag." He nodded and let her go. Even though it was summer, Kris felt slightly cold when Hiruma's body heat moved away.

"Yeah... it probably is." The inability to doubt him when he spoke like that and the inability to logic a reason that he could be wrong, seeing as the fuzzy feeling she had inside wouldn't go away and let her think, left Kris with a small frown as she followed him to the shopping district of Deimon. "Will you not do that?" Kris asked finally.

"Do what?" Hiruma asked innocently, a few people shied away from him on the sidewalk and some completely crossed to the other side.

"Kiss me when I'm trying to argue with you." Kris growled and bumped into his side. "It doesn't work as well as you think." Kris lied. Hiruma glanced over at her before grabbing her hand and pulling her into a restraunt.

"I bet it does." Hiruma said, sitting at an empty table. "I'll bet it would work even better if it lasted longer." He smirked at Kris's glare and grinned mischievously. "But then that's probably what you wanted in the first place."

"No!" Kris defended herself, leaning back in her chair. "It's just unnerving that you can gain the upper hand so easily when I wanna win... and I'm right."

"You can't be right all the time." Hiruma stated, ordering water for both of them. "Besides, that was only the first test to see if it would work." He smirked and Kris opened her mouth in a retort but ended up without one until their drinks came.

"Hey, look. Your brother is fucking skipping work... or he got off early." Hiruma smirked and cupped his hand around his mouth just as Kris turned.

"Hiruma-kun... that's not-!" Kris was cut off when Hiruma yelled across the restraunt.

"Hey, fucking Wolfe! Skipping work again?" He crossed his arms and blew a bubble of gum as the man who he had assumed was Kyle turned, but Hiruma was not fixed with the green eyes of Kyle, but rather light brown eyes set in a slightly older looking face- his gum bubble popped sharply in surprise. Kris scooted down in her seat and raised a hand to her eyes.

"Hiruma... that's not Kyle." Kris half groaned as she heard the heavy thud of boots that had been alien to her since she'd left the Houston airport.

"You have a problem with me, sir?" A steady drawl asked in English, that is how Hiruma had addressed him in the first place.

"No... but apparently your fucking daughter does." Hiruma smirked and cocked his head to the side.

"Who the hell do you think you are boy?" The way Coach Wolfe said 'hell' made it sound like 'hail' and 'boy' ended up 'bo-ah'.

"I dunno... who the hail do I think I should be... damn Coach Wolfe." Hiruma kicked Kris under the table and she slid back up into her seat. Coach Wolfe didn't look very happy.

"You don't know anything about my daughter, I'll tell you that much." He growled and Hiruma decided that the growling must be a family habit.

"Oh really?" Hiruma gave a demonic smirk. "Try me."

"Daaaaaaddy... that's a great way to say hello to your one and only daughter whom you haven't seen in... a month." Kris cut in.

"Kris! Didn't see ya there." A huge grin spread across his face.

"Noticed." She smiled back and Hiruma kicked out the chair that Wolfe was standing behind with an elaborate rolling of the eyes.

"Don't fucking stand there all day." Hiruma stated, gesturing to the seat.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't use that kind of language around my daughter." Coach Wolfe narrowed his eyes slightly and sat. The waitress that had been serving Hiruma and Kris placed their menus in front of them and brought Wolfe his cup of coffee from the table he had previously sat at.

"I'll fucking speak however I fucking want, when I fucking want to... fucking got it?" Hiruma stated and opened his menu.

"... he's... not that bad once you get to know him?" Kris laughed nervously when her dad looked at her. She glanced over her menu before setting it down again. "Coffee?" She asked, looking at the cup and trying to change the subject.

"Back in America, where my mind is, it's either late or early." Coach Wolfe replied to her skepticism and took a sip of the black liquid.

"Dunno how the heck you two can stand that stuff without anything in it." Kris winced at the strong, bitter smell of the 'pure' coffee.

"You drink it straight, too?" Wolfe looked at Hiruma and Hiruma shrugged as the waitress came to take their orders.

"There's no point in adding crap to it." Hiruma pointed out before ordering.