5.

Title: Ace
Universe: Eyeshield 21
Theme/Topic: fifth theme of five from the challenges Shiroro gave me. DONE!
Rating: PG-13
Character/Pairing/s: JyuuxSena
Warnings/Spoilers: None I can think of? Just some OOCness I guess. O.o
Word Count: 855
Time: Meh, probably an hour. brain is dead
Summary: Jyuumonji is imagining things.
Dedication: kshi- haha last one! 3
A/N: God I like to make Sena such a wimp. Probably because I think he'd look cute crying. XD Anyway… yes. Here be Sena wimpage! Enjoy. XD
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish constantly. Also, the five themes aren't mine either, so if you wanna use them, please contact kshi first.
Distribution: Just lemme know.

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It's the end of the game and he hears over the radio in his hospital room that Deimon won after all.

He wishes he'd been there to celebrate it with the rest of the team, but the doctor wouldn't let him leave right after he'd gotten his head wound bandaged, the old man stating that they were going to keep him around a little longer for observation, since he was very slightly concussed.

When he'd tried to get out of that, the damn manager had pushed him back down to the bed and told him to rest, eyeing him as she'd stated that Eyeshield-kun would probably be very upset if he learned that Jyuumonji wasn't properly seeing to the injuries he'd received for the runningback's sake.

He supposes that had gotten him to quiet down a bit, and satisfied, Mamori had returned to the field to update the rest of Deimon on their teammate's status.

Jyuumonji, having been alone in the hospital since then, sighs and relaxes back into his bed, thinking that they'd better let him watch TV at least, if they're planning on keeping him here for very long.

He feels fine really, and the bleeding hadn't been anything worse than what he'd experienced in fights with Toganou and Kuroki before.

It's nothing to worry about.

"Jyuumonji-san!"

He wonders if maybe he'd spoken too soon when he suddenly sees Sena standing in the doorway to his room, the smaller boy looking as if he'd run here straight from the field, without even bothering to change out of his equipment beforehand.

At the sight of a panting runningback calling his name, the blonde can't help but remember reading somewhere that head injuries sometimes cause very vivid hallucinations.

So he blinks at what must be his imagination's manifestation of his teammate, the one who's standing in the door looking like he's about to cry or something.

When the mirage comes forward and he is crying, Kazuki forgets about the fact that he's obviously hallucinating and panics instead.

He's never been good with tears, on real or imagined people.

"Oi…don't cry, stupid!" he shouts hastily, wide-eyed.

"S-sorry!" Sena murmurs, wiping at his eyes ineffectually with his sleeve as he takes a seat at the blonde's bedside. "I'm just glad you're okay!"

Dreaming or not, something about seeing the little idiot with his eyes full of tears unsettles Kazuki in a big way. He looks away, uncomfortable. "I'm uh, I'm fine," he says, gruffly. "No big deal."

Sena hangs his head anyway. "I didn't even notice him," the smaller boy murmurs after a moment.

The lineman snorts, recalling very well that Sena hadn't seen the other team's huge #78 when it counted most, and turning back to the shrimp, mutters, "I know you didn't see him, ya idiot. 's why I jumped in. Be more careful next time!"

Jyuumonji remembers how he'd felt when he'd seen the routes of #21 and the opposition's #78 set for a collision course during his last play of the game, remembers how his heart had jumped into his throat for a moment before he'd blindly rushed forward to intercept. If that beast creature had managed to pop the lineman's helmet off when they'd crashed into one another, he doesn't even want to think about what would have happened if all 370 pounds of that monster had hit wimpy little Kobayakawa from his blind side at full speed.

Belatedly realizing how worried he must have sounded just now, the blonde adds, "Tch. You have to avoid injury you know. You're Deimon's ace. That demon quarterback will kill you if you get hurt," by way of explanation.

"Sorry!" the smaller boy apologizes again, more tears gathering in big brown eyes as he looks on guiltily. "I… I didn't…"

Good god.

Jyuumonji really can't stand the sight of him crying.

Sighing, the taller boy reaches out impulsively, drawing his thumb over both of Sena's eyes and catching the moisture there before it can fall.

The runningback blinks at him, startled at the action. "J-jyuumonji-san?"

The blonde, embarrassed, looks away. "Che. Just stop crying, would you? You don't have to worry about me."

"B-but, but you…"

This hallucination is frighteningly real for how it's getting on his nerves like the actual Sena does, and clenching his teeth, Kazuki decides that if he's going to have to put up with it, he's going to put up with it on his own terms.

Sena makes a startled noise when he feels a big arm wrapping around him, dragging him down like a lead weight so that his face is buried against his teammate's chest. "Jyuu…Jyuumonji-san?"

"I said stop crying, didn't I?" the blonde reiterates, vaguely irritated. "Che. What would the other schools say if they knew Deimon's ace was such a baby?"

Sena sniffles, relaxing into the other boy's embrace. "Sorry."

"Oi, don't wipe your snot on me," Jyuumonji warns, before letting the issue drop.

Sena sighs then, one hand unconsciously bunching the material of Kazuki's sleeve. After a moment, he whispers the words he should have said the moment he stepped through Jyuumonji's door. "Thank you."

END