Love-go by AmberFox

(Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!! Here's a little something for all those Hiruma/Mamori fans out there!)

It was another day, another lunch and another training session for the Devil Bats team. The only thing strange was that Hiruma wasn't there, training with them. He was in the clubhouse, checking up on their latest opponents on his laptop while the others worked. But just because he was gone didn't mean they were let off that easy. Everyone knew the pressure of fighting a new team. After the defeat from the Nasa Aliens/Shuttles an American team called the Rocky Racoons issued the team a challenge. In 3 week they were to face them with as little knowledge about them as you can get. And that was why their captain split from the team to get research while the others toiled under the noon sun it full gear.

"Daikichi-kun, your working too hard." His master and idol, Kurita, told him softly over the broken blocking dummy. "Training hard is alright, but if you don't rest it could damage your muscles."

The little, red-nosed boy nodded, eyes to the ground.

"Cheer up! I'm proud that you were strong enough to crack the dummy." The chestnut boy said with a smile. "But you're gonna have to get another one from the clubhouse."

Daikichi nodded vigorously and with a "Hai!" took off towards the clubhouse as fast as he could.

Half-way through his sprint he stopped. He felt like such a bone-head! Kurita-sensei told him to take it easy! A man of his strength and wisdom should be obeyed and here was he, running off like some fool! Composing himself Daikichi walked the rest of the way, hoping he didn't cause damage to himself and make his master sad.

If the little man had forgotten his sensei's words he wouldn't have noticed it at all. In fact, he probable wouldn't have heard it in the first place, as he would have ran straight trough the door, disturbing the occupants of the HQ. But since he had slowed down and walked towards the clubs door he just so happened to catch it.

As he was about to open the door he hear Hiruma say "huh."

This little noise from the quarterback made Daikichi stop in his tracks. He stood shock still, hand half-way to the handle, his eyes opened as wide as dinner plates and his mouth unhinged to the floor. Did he hear right?!

"Keh." Hiruma muttered to himself as the sound of board keys clicked.

His eyes grey wider! He had heard correctly!

Without so much as another though, the boy turned tail and fled back to the field faster then he had ever ran before.

Sena and the others watched as Daikichi returned to Kurita in a panic, jumping and pointing towards the clubhouse, wheezing something as he did this.

"What's wrong?" Monta asked the frantic boy.

"Calm down Daikichi-kun, We can't hear you." Kurita tried to calm the boy. "What's happened?"

"O-o-others!!!!" the boy finally manage to say, still jumping around. "House!!!"

Everyone looked at Kurita for translation.

The large man frowned. That can't be right! "Show me…"

"Why are we hiding under the window?" Juumonji whispered as the group crouched low under the window-pain of one of the clubhouse windows.

"To find out if it's true." Kurita hushed back before peering over to look inside.

"What's true? We don't understand Powerful-go." Togano said from behind his manga.

"Daikichi-kun said that Himura-kun said something to Mamori-chan." Kurita told the group.

"What did he say?" Sena asked. It was true that Hiruma foul-mouthed everyone and they all were use to it, so what could he have said that sent Daikichi running like a pack of Cerberus's were on his tail?

"It wasn't in Japanese, nor in Powerful-go, so he's not sure it's right." The chestnut-headed boy told them.

"Again!" Daikichi whispered sharply.

"???" The group looked at the two in confusion.

"If he insulted Mamori-chan he's gonna have to face my Fist-Max!" Monta told them, punching the air until he hit the wall.

"Baka." The three brothers muttered as the monkey shock his fist in pain.

"Shuuuushhhhh!" Kurita hissed. The group peered over the window to watch.

Hiruma, ever vigilant in his search for info was typing furiously on his laptop, face in concentration on his usual corner perch. A little way aways Mamori was busy at work cleaning the locker-room and whatnot. Not a word was spoken.

"If it's one of those 'go' languages you can translate, right?" Yukimitsu asked over his hat. For the sake of the mission the group literally forced him to were it, for his big shiny head could jeopardise the mission! He would have objected, but the thought of Hiruma catching them slacking pushed that idea aside.

They also bound and gagged Taki and tied him to the goalpost. They would tell him everything later.

"I'll try." The large boy continued to watch the two going about their business.

During her cleaning spree Mamori put the coffee pot on. As she did so she took out a small pot of ground beans, looked at Hiruma, spooned the coffee in and grunted.

Kurita made a sound like a trodden mouse. Covering his mouth, he sat on the floor in horror.

"What?!" The ten boys all but yelled. Daikichi nodded to master and patted him on the back as if to say 'See, I told you so. It's OK. I'm here for you'.

"What is it?" Sena asked.

"In all my years of knowing Hiruma-kun I have never known him to speak Heart-go before." Kurita smiled at his student reassuringly.

"The language of the heart?" Musashi translated.

Kurita just nodded.

"So he actually has a heart?!" Kuroki stated in shock.

"Shush!" Togano told his friend. "They might hear us."

Everyone returned to watch them.

Mamori was cleaning the counter as the coffee maker finished its cycle. Picking up a small cup she took the glass jug with the dark liquid and made her way to Hiruma.

Hiruma looked up from his work as she set both containers down. He nodded with a 'hunph' as she turned away to clean the coffee maker.

"Translate!" The group hissed.

"Umm… 'Oh gentle lady I shall drink anything you have created with your delicate hands'." Kurita told them.

Everyone looked on in shock.

Hiruma took one swig of his coffee before spitting it out in a rage. "What the hell is this Shit!!! It tastes like my shampoo!"

Everyone looked at Kurita.

"Heart-go is very complicated." The large boy said meekly.

"The man said your coffee was sold out so he gave me this one instead. So you owe me an extra 150 yen." Mamori said from the sink. Shaking her head, she tisk'd.

"'Tho I could not forfill your desire, I wish only the best for you so please except my unworthy offering.'" Kurita continued translating.

Hiruma growled low. "I ordered it especially! How could they not have it!" He fumed.

"'I shall reap revenge on those who have wronged you on the wings of fiery angels.'" He continued.

"Well they didn't have it so I got you vanilla instead."

"Vanilla!!!! Who drinks Vanilla! Hell! Who makes Vanilla!" The quarterback said in uproar.

"It was that or decaf. Those were the only ones in your brand." She shouted back.

"Ever heard of French Roast!"

"I'll get it later, OK!" Mamori scowled humphed and continued cleaning.

"'Oh , beloved. I wish to rapture in your sweet embrace. Why must you shun me so.'"

Hiruma sneered at the coffee in disgust. Silently, he sipped in again, made a face and continued with his work.

"'I shall drink a thousand cups of this monstrosity just to see your angelic smile.'" The boy continued.

They then continued working in silence.

"What the hell was that all about?" Jumonji whispered. "This makes no sense."

"Heart-Go is the language of the heart, it's not suppose to make sense." Kurita told them. "Our deepest desire are told in Heart-Go and understanding it is very difficult and it can be in one word or many. I'm surprised Daikichi- kun managed to hear it."

"Let me guess… Hiruma-kun's heart only calls for Football or violence, right?" Musashi asked his long time friend.

"Sometimes both." Kurita nodded.

"Nooooo!" Monta wailed softly. "He's gonna steal Mamori-chan away!"

Visions of a cowled Hiruma kidnapping Mamori like in some cheesy old vampire film rushed over their heads.

"Find anything yet?" They heard Mamori ask, making her way to Hiruma.

"Heh. Those bastards think they're so big. They even posted a website about themselves." The long-toothed teen gestured to his screen.

"'Come close to me my angel so that I may chance a wisp of your sweet scent.'" Kurita translated to the wide eyed troop.

"No, Mamori-chan!" Monta almost sobbed. "He'll take your innocence!"

"He's not a vampire, you moron." Musashi scowled.

"Shuush!" Yukimitsu told them.

Hiruma sneered as he scrolled down. "These losers are a waste of time."

"But they won most of their games. Even against the Shuttles." Mamori leaned close and pointed to the screen.

Hiruma's nose twitched slightly. Everyone was horrified. "Heh, that's because they knew the Racoons record, and were intimidated. We don't. Those shits are so full of themselves they'll loses for us."

"'Ah, such an aroma is to be liked to perfume from the heavens.'" Kurita continued.

"But these guys are bigger and stronger then the Shuttles." Mamori said, edging closer to the quarterback.

"'To be near you warms my heart. Your moist warm breath upon my skin
ignites the flames within.'"

"Stupid Manager. They use their strength as intimidation to lower moral. They don't know that we can see right through their ploy and attack them mentally." He tapped his head. "Football is not always physical, after all."

Mamori beamed.

"'Your duty to your men is as great as your mind is sharp.'"

Hiuruma quirked a brow.

"'Your face lights up like a thousand suns with the light of the heavens.'"

"I guess the game's in the bag then." She smiled at him.

"As long as we don't get as arrogant as those trash, we have about a 75 chance of winning." He said. "But that only leaves the 15."

"Try to be more optimistic." Mamori told him, rolling her eyes.

"'If only you could look at me with as much desire as you do with that that amuses you so..'"

"She said that!" Sena spluttered with the rest.

"There's also a 35 chance that if we beat those guys, we'll get other challenges from the States." Hiruma said thoughtfully.

"We would have more teams to practice with." Mamori agreed as she turned back to her work. "But not enough time to play with the rest of the Japanese teams for the finals."

"Then we'll have to wipe the floor with these assholes and get it over and done with!" Hiruma told her sternly. "We'll have to train harder."

Mamori whipped round. "Oh, no you don't!" She argued. "Everyone's already trained since 2 in the morning every other day! If they train harder, they might get sick or lose studying time for next year!" A mop suddenly appeared in her hand and she waved it threateningly.

"I didn't say that stupid!" The boy growled. "We just have to add more weights! Keh."

"'Your rage brakes my heart, but I must be strong and maintain my image for the team.'"

"'Oh, my dark knight why do you shun me!'"

"This is just like 'The Young and the Friendless'." Togano muttered.

"… You actually watch that stuff?" Kuroki looked at his long time friend.

"Well, I read it's manga."

"…It has a manga?" Jumonji said stunned.

"Hey, my mum has that." Monta commented. "About when Lucy-Li took up with Tristan at the-"

"OK, that's enough." Jumonji told the three.

"Sena? Are you crying?" Yukimitsu asked. Everyone turned to see the short boy's face turn slightly red.

"If Hiruma marries Mamori-chan…" He didn't need to finish.

Visions of small gun welding children with sharp teeth ran ramped in their imaginations. They all shuddered.

"Those brats better have finished their training by now." Hiruma said darkly.

"I'll check." Mamori told him as she headed towards the door.

"RUN!" Musashi hissed.

The group didn't need to be told twice.

"So, all we need is to push them hard at the beginning of the game, pull out all the stops, and we should win this." Hiruma told them. The boys were all crowded around the laptop in concentration. Well, It looked like concentration. In fact they wanted to look anywhere but at their leaders face. Having sprinted to the field, they had enough time to realise Taki before Mamori came round the corner to tell the team to go at the clubhouse for a debriefing. As they walked some of the boys held back to tell an extremely eager Taki the situation.

"Any questions?" Mamori asked the team.

Taki raised his hand with a bright smile. "When's the wedding?!"

END.

(So? What do you think? Pretty cute huh? It's a bit late, I know, but I wanted to see all the other Valentines fics before I posted this. Turns out there aren't that many in the ES21 category, so I'm looking forward in being the first. It has to start somewhere! Ja ne for now!)