Due to a playlist named "The Friggin Crossfire Duo", which consists of all Miyano Mamoru songs and Nojima Hirofumi songs I have, ddthe rest of this chapter was pooped out in a few days' time.

There will be slightly graphic content, so, my younger readers, beware… XD

Just kidding~ This is still rated T!

So.

I don't own Inazuma Eleven or any of its characters. I only own my perverted brain and retarded plots. Thank you.

Let us begin!

Fubuki woke the next morning to the warm pressure of something on his back, and something around his body. He roused himself mentally to turn towards the pressure.

It was Gouenji, his head propped onto his back, arms encircling his body.

The flame ace was asleep, the normally blazing dark brown eyes closed, his chest rising and falling gently in his sleep. A few strands of platinum blond hair fell over his face, which for once, lost its fierce, cool expression, instead, a calm, tranquil one replacing the fiery façade.

Fubuki smiled mentally, nosing the messy, un-geled hair of his crush affectionately. Gouenji smelled peaceful, content, deep in his slumber.

He threw the clock at Gouenji's bedside table a glance. 6:30 am.

Oh why.

Why so early again.

Not like he was wide-awake anyway.

And Kudou's promised them a holiday today, which meant that he could sleep in.

Making himself comfortable on the flame striker's bed, he rested his head on Gouenji's rump, falling asleep once more.

OoOoOoOoO

"Together…"

"We'll be perfect!"

"YEAH~"

A low rumbling interrupted the twins' cheer.

The Fubukis all looked frantically out of the car, to see the fatal blanket of snow flow down the hill.

"Avalanche!" His mother screamed. "Shirou-chan, Atsuya-chan, get out of the car!"

Shirou could just sit, frozen in his seat as the avalanche descended upon the family of four, ready to take them away from this world.

"Onii-chan! ONII-CHAN!" came Atsuya's shout.

The next thing Shirou knew, his seatbelt was unbuckled, and the door at his side of the rear seat had opened with a click, then he was tumbling out of the car, rolling down the gentle slope covered with snow.

When he finally slowed down, stopded a rock, all he could see was a pile of snow over his family.

Nothing more.

Later, the doctors and nurses told him that his family was gone.

He'd lost his family.

He could never be perfect.

He was alone.

He was-

"…ubuki… Fubuki. Fubuki~"

A familiar voice jolted Fubuki out of his nightmare. A deep, reassuring voice.

He opened his eyes to see Gouenji propped up on his elbow on the bed, messy platinum blond hair falling over his eyes, smiling ever so slightly.

Then Fubuki realized that he was still resting his head on Gouenji's backside. "S-sorry…"

"Is fine. It's already 8:30. Way past the time you'd usually get up. Are you okay?"

Fubuki shifted into a curled position at Gouenji's side, putting his chin between his paws instead. "Uh… yeah."

"You were whimpering in your sleep."

Fubuki mentally cringed. "It's nothing."

"You can't lie to me. You know that," Gouenji returned.

"Really. It was nothing."

"My guess is that you're having a nightmare," the flame striker said dryly.

"… yeah. And I'm fine, okay?"

"Whatever you say."

OoOoOoOoO

"SHOPPING~" The three managers squealed together, before grabbing their purses and rushing out of the door, leaving the boys' mouths hanging open.

"Okay then," Kudou sighed. "You guys take care of your own lunch. Don't get hurt, it's just a week until our match against Unicorn, and I want you all to be in your best condition."

"Yes sir!"

With that, Endou had Kazemaru and Hiroto running after him out into the soccer field, Kidou and Sakuma off into town, Tachimukai, Tsunami and Toramaru down the beach for surfing, and everyone else just basically returning to their rooms to read, or off to the living room for a few rounds of Inazuma Strikers without Hiroto around.

Gouenji and Fubuki's eyes met, and the flame striker gave a crooked smile, jerking his head towards the door. Fubuki nodded, and he bounded out the doorway and onto the path, wagging his tail as fluidly as possible, to signal that he was just playing.

Gouenji chuckled, and jogged out of the door after him, and Fubuki padded down the road, looking back everyone now and then to check that his fellow striker was following him closely.

He led him to the edge of the forest.

"Let's go in." Gouenji said simply.

Fubuki complied, and stepped into the woods. Leaves rustled as Gouenji stepped onto the ground. It was a lot noisier with Gouenji beside him in the trees, the pure human's footsteps cracking twigs, crunching on leaves, or occasionally kicking aside small stones, sending whispers of soil skittering over the ground. But it was okay, in a way, that the sounds let Fubuki know that his best friend on the team was following closely.

He brought Gouenji into his clearing, and they sat down together in the center of the patch of soft grass, back to back, basking in the warm morning sun, enjoying the quietness of the moment, the calmness of the scene before them.

There was one brief moment when they leaned against each other, and Fubuki could feel Gouenji's slow, steady heartbeats.

For the next few minutes, they were silent, just occasionally shifting from their positions on the grass, either stretching cramped joints or releasing a sigh or two.

Half an hour later had Gouenji lying flat on his back, shoes kicked off, Fubuki curled up at his side, like a dog would beside his master. The flame striker's right hand was deep in Fubuki's neck fur, and he was surprised at how good it felt to have the large, warm hand at the roots of his fur, slowly and gently rubbing that particular spot that sent pleasure rippling from his neck to the tip of his tail.

"Fubuki," Gouenji says, the first to break the silence. "Tell me. What's it like to be a wolf."

"You get to see things in a different perspective."

"I see."

"And… you realize things you usually don't."

"… huh."

"Un."

They were silent again, quietly enjoying each other's company.

"I miss you being on the team. I miss talking with you," Gouenji suddenly said.

"But I'm talking to you-"

"You don't understand," Gouenji interrupted. "Ever since the FFI, Toramaru's been sticking to me like leech, and you've got yourself Hiroto. We hardly talk properly like this."

"I thought you liked having Toramaru-kun around," Fubuki whispered. "Don't you like Toramaru-kun? You were too… busy to make time for me anyways. I don't want to be alone, so why not make a new friend?"
"Give me five good reasons why I want Toramaru around."

"He's a strong player. He seems really outgoing and fun to be with. He's a kind person. He's cute, I guess. And…" Fubuki trailed off, flicking his tail and turning away, refusing to meet the flame striker's eyes.

"And what?" Gouenji asked quietly.

"He loves you. I know that. You know that. Everyone knows."

"So?"

"Of course you'd like to have him around. Well, his company would be better than mine, at least."

"Why would you think so?"

"He's definitely more interesting than I am. So I'd better get out of the way. Hiroto-kun's alone without Midorikawa-kun too, so why not get closer to him? You've got Captain, Kidou-kun and Kazemaru-kun. I thought you'd have forgotten about me. I'm not someone worth remember anyways."

"Fubuki Shirou." Gouenji's voice was deadly calm. "Are you out of your mind?"

"What if I am? What if I'm not? Not like anyone would really care."

"Fubuki-" Gouenji started, but Fubuki couldn't control all the words bottled up inside him, and feelings were raging out of control in him like a blizzard.

"I've always been just part of the scenery, part of the team of people you're working with to the top of the world, right? It wasn't until I suddenly snapped into this stupid wolf form, that you suddenly started getting close to me. Is it just because this form is more interesting than my human one? Are you just scared that I'll suddenly lose my humanity and randomly attack someone on the team, so you're just there to keep an eye on my sanity? Or is it because I'm constantly on my own in the forest, that you're worried for me?" The last part came out as a half sneer, half snarl, mocking and animalistic at the same time. It was nothing like is usual tone; being in his wolf form made controlling feelings hard as instincts took over.

"I-" Gouenji cut in again, but Fubuki was on his feet in a flash, pouncing onto Gouenji's chest. He let out a growl and bared his teeth, somehow morbidly relishing in the shocked expression the legendary flame striker now wore.

"Oh, scared now, aren't you? Scared I'll injure you and render you useless for our next match? Or, are you scared I'll scar you forever, rendering you unable to court your Toramaru-kun with a handsome face?"

"Are you jealous?" Gouenji asked softly.

"…!"

"Are you jealous?" Gouenji repeated.

"Maybe I am," Fubuki whispered, gaining control over himself and slowly stepping back onto the ground, curling up again, facing away from the handsome platinum blond. "I guess I'm just being really jealous. Jealous that you have so many friends, jealous that you never seem to get injured in matches, jealous that you can be so calm even in the most tight situations. Everyone one wants you to be their friend, Gouenji-kun. They all want someone to confine their troubles and thoughts in, they all want someone that is strong and reliable like you. And," Fubuki continued, "they all want someone so gentle and caring and loyal as a friend."

For once, Gouenji was silent.

That had to be one of Fubuki's greatest feats ever, to render Gouenji Shuuya, ace smooth talker speechless.

"I'm jealous, Gouenji-kun, that Toramaru can catch your attention so easily. Jealous that he can butt into anything just because he's younger and cute. Jealous that he can have his own way in everything. It's not like I don't like Toramaru-kun, but I'm really, really, terribly jealous of him.

"I know I tend to become friends with girls, but it's always hard to try to befriend a guy. I don't really fit in, and when I do, I'm just part of the backdrop, unnoticed. I could just sit there, and become part of the scenery. It's been like that ever since Atsuya was gone. He's always been the social one, and his friends are my friends. But when he was gone, they were gone. And all those who're around me are girls like Konko-chan.

"I'm really envious at how you guys can just fit in easily, and lead a normal life like any other person. Perhaps you don't really describe your life as normal, but it has much more normalcy than mine. For more than half of my life, I've been possessed by my dead twin through his old scarf; more than 60% of my real friends are girls, and even though I get myself involved in multiple activities, no one seems to notice me. I haven't fit in since Atsuya was gone.

"I'm jealous too, at how you're strong and independent. At how you don't need someone to lean on, like me. I can stand long periods of time on my own, but in the end, I always need someone's arms to fall into.

"It hurts so much, losing my family, losing my friends, losing my identity, losing the hope that my crush would ever notice me, since so many other people can catch his attention better than I do! I'm just the backdrop, after all, right? It hurts, my past, my present, and probably my future too!

"I'm so damn jealous at how you don't seem to get jealous, Gouenji-kun!"

Silence fell uneasily again when Fubuki ran out of things to rant. He didn't even realize he was crying until moisture dripped from the sides of his face to the grass.

"I get jealous too," Gouenji finally said. "I'm jealous of how you get both boys and girls alike cooing over you without even trying."

"Wait. Boys?!"

"Someoka has the hots for you, and so do many girls all over the world, in case you haven't noticed. For your information, it's rumored that Hiroto is torn between you, Midorikawa and Endou. Please. And the person I want most to be cooing over me probably doesn't even realize I care so damn much about him that it hurts!"

Fubuki froze.

"And it hurts even more when I know that he is suffering from himself," Gouenji whispered. "It hurts so much that I just want to just hug him and tell him it's okay because I really care for him and I don't want him to be hurt." Gouenji paused, and Fubuki heard him swallow. "Fubuki, can I, you know, give you a hug?"

Quietly, Fubuki rose from his spot and padded over to where the platinum blond sat hunched over on the grass, nosing his arm wordlessly.

The corners of Gouenji's mouth hitched up, and those tanned, strong arms were around Fubuki, enveloping in him warmth that spoke of security and concern. Unable to return the gesture properly, Fubuki buried his muzzle into Gouenji's shoulder.

"Sorry," Fubuki mumbled, closing his eyes.

Gouenji made no reply, but his arms tightened around Fubuki, and that was all he needed to know that he was forgiven, and that, the guy the flame striker was so concerned for was him indeed.

OoOoOoOoO

That evening after dinner found Gouenji and Fubuki closer than ever, curled up together on the sofa, watching as Hiroto mercilessly beat Someoka up on Inazuma Strikers with hissatsu after hissatsu, chuckling as one when Hiroto won the match with the score 10-0, and Someoka fell to the floorboards, defeated, while Hiroto laughed manically, demanding a volunteer for Round 2.

Fubuki's jaw almost hit the floor when Gouenji stood up. "I'll try."

The team cheered when Gouenji walked forward calmly, taking a seat on the floor in front of the screen, picking up the remote and turning to the screen serenely. Fubuki watched as Gouenji picked his players for the team. Endou as the goalkeeper. Kazemaru, Kabeyama, Tsunami and Hijikata as defenders. Kidou, Fudou and Sakuma as midfields and, with a jolt, Fubuki realized he had Fubuki himself and Gouenji as forwards.

"Well then! It will be a match of Gouenji's Inazuma Japan verses Hiroto's Genesis!" The annoying sound of the commentary guy sounded from the speakers, and everyone looked on apprehensively.

Within the first five minutes of the virtual match, Hiroto had scored as Gran with Ryuusei Blade, turning the results to 1-0.

However, Gouenji retaliated with passing the ball to virtual Fubuki, who scored a goal successfully with Wolf Legend, and everyone laughed at Genesis' goalkeeper's downtrodden expression on the screen.

There was some furious fighting for the ball for the next few minutes and no one dared to speak to break the two's concentration.

"AAAAANND SCOOORE!" The voice screamed from the speakers as Virtual Gran scored once more with Ryuusei Blade.

"Gouenji-san! Switch me in!" Toramaru butted in.

"Or Kogure in defence!"

"Tobitaka may work!"

"Or Hiroto in Inazuma Japan form…?"

Gouenji ignored them all and turned back to the screen, taking matters into his on virtual self's hands and getting a goal in with Bakuentsu Screw.

The team went wild from their respective positions all over the lounge as the first half ended with 2-2. No one, except Toramaru, perhaps, from sheer luck, had ever been neck to neck with Hiroto. Wait. Wasn't it rumored that Gouenji sucked at video games…?

"WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, MAY THE SECOND HALF BEGIN!"

"Shut up," Fubuki heard Fudou mutter.

"Gouenji-kun," came Hiroto's growl. "Eat this."

And so Supernova made it into the goal to many of the spectators' horror, and, worse, Endou ran out of TP, and had to be replaced by Tachimukai.

Luckily, to more than half the team's delight, the next goal was made by Gouenji, using Crossfire. It was Gouenji who was smiling in satisfaction and Fubuki blushing mentally.

Sweat was visibly beading on Hiroto's forehead when Genesis's goalkeeper Nero was thrown into the net by the sheer force of the shoot.

There were more frantic clicking of buttons, hisses, groans and cussing under breaths, a struggle for control.

"Go Gouenji-san!"

"Hiroto!"

"Gouenji!"

"Hiroto!"

"Gouenji!"

"Smash 'em, Gouenji!"

The team took a collective breath as virtual Gouenji snatched the ball just when Hiroto pressed the wrong button, heading up for the goal once more.

"Crossfire!"

"Time wall!"

"GOOOOOOOAL! Gouenji and Fubuki has scored with Crossfire! The score is now 4:3, Inazuma Japan in lead!"

Suddenly everyone was holding their breaths.

"TIME'S UP! The score is 4:3, Gouenji's Inazuma Japan wins!"

Hiroto was kneeling on the floor in defeat, Endou and Kazemaru standing over him, consoling the redhead.

Fubuki, apparently, did not miss the satisfied smirk on Gouenji's face.

OoOoOoOoO

Later on that evening, when everyone had come down from their highs, Gouenji and Fubuki mutually agreed on staying in Fubuki's room for the night.

"It was a good game."

"Yeah. I had fun."

"Say, Gouenji-kun, I thought you didn't like video games. I never saw you play, after all, until earlier tonight."

"I just never bothered playing. I get a lot of practice at home with Yuuka, you know. I like it. Hey, I'm still a teenager, mind you."

They both chuckled, and fell silent a while later.

"Ne, Gouenji-kun?"

"Hn?"

"You haven't answered my question."

"Which?"

"The one concerning Toramaru-kun. This morning."

"Which one."

"If you like him or not."

"In the friends' way, yes. In the romantic way, no."

"… I shouldn't have said all that stuff."

"Why?"

"I might've hurt you."

"It did hurt, but it let me know the truth, so it's okay."

"Truth?"

Gouenji shifted to look directly into his eyes, a crooked smile gracing his features. "The truth that you like me."

"W-wha-" Fubuki spluttered, ducking and feeling the familiar burn of embarrassment heat up his fur.

"It's obvious," Gouenji smirked, ruffling his neck fur playfully. "It's near impossible to get so jealous without liking someone. And ah, fearing rejection and competition, huh."

Fubuki whined and covered his eyes with his paws. This was so embarrassing. Even worse than slipping up in his ice-skating competition last year.

"I see that someone is embarrassed," Gouenji teased, stroking his left ear. "But hey, no need to be so embarrassed; I'm feeling cheesy here too."

Fubuki choked out a chuckle.

"You know what," Gouenji whispered. "You might'vegotten your crush's attention. He thinks he likes you too."

"Gouenji-kun, please, please, don't joke with me…" Fubuki said weakly. "It's not funny."

"I'm serious now," Gouenji's voice was now steady, deep and quiet, all traces of playfulness gone. "I think I like you."

Fubuki was absolutely, completely frozen to his spot. His ears must be malfunctioning. There was no way Gouenji would've really fallen for him, out of all the other people he could've chosen. Like their ever-optimistic captain Endou, or Kazemaru, maybe, he was definitely pretty; or Kidou, calm, cool, collected and handsome, or Toramaru –

Gouenji's words broke his chain of thoughts.

"I've always liked being around you," the flame striker began softly. "Ever since we met in Okinawa. I can't ever recall being so… attached to someone since Yuuka. No," Gouenji said as Fubuki opened his mouth to speak, cutting him off. "No. Not even Endou."

Fubuki found himself unable to respond properly without sounding stupid.

The flame striker continued when Fubuki didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure if you understand, but you're deeper than many people I've met. I like the way," Gouenji hesitated, something very uncommon for him, "how we're almost on the same wavelength. I felt it through every single of our encounters, especially when we did Crossfire for the first time. We just… did it. No cooperation or discussion needed. I like it."

"But have you ever noticed we're polar opposites?" Fubuki questioned quietly.

"Of course. But hey, we can always work out, if we balance each other out," Gouenji replied, smiling that particular smile that made Fubuki melt down from the core.

Silence stretched on.

"Fubuki…" Gouenji murmured, and Fubuki raised his head from between his paws. "Yes, Gouenji-kun?"

"I love you."

Gouenji confessed. Gouenji confessed to him. Gouenji Shuuya, legendary flame striker, had confessed to him, Fubuki Shirou the werewolf freak.

Hesitation flickered across the tanned, handsome face when Fubuki sat rooted to the spot, his wolf face probably blank; his brain unable to process it all.

"Fub- Shirou…?"

Fubuki swore that his fur was smoking. "I-I l-lo-v-ve y-you t-too," he stuttered.

"I'm relieved to hear that," Gouenji whispered, smiling and blushing lightly. And he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, right between his two pointed ears.

Warmth coiled in the center of Fubuki's chest at the contact, growing hotter and hotter with each passing second. The heat spread to every single inch of his body, heightening in temperature still, to the point Fubuki could no longer open his eyes. He could barely hear Gouenji's gasp of shock.

And suddenly, the heat faded as quickly as it came, and he was lying on the bed again next to Gouenji.

The first thing he noticed was Gouenji was staring very hard at him. No. Staring was the wrong word. Rifling through his mental dictionary, Fubuki decided on ogling.

"Shirou, you…" Gouenji started, but stopped.

Completely mystified, Fubuki sat up, and found himself taller than before. He looked down onto himself and gasped.

Stretched out before him were perfectly human legs, completely bare. Tentatively holding his paws up, he found that they weren't paws anymore, but familiar human hands he'd lived with for most of his life.

Then he realized that he was naked.Flushing, he determinedly pulled his knees up to his chin, refusing to meet Gouenji's eyes. "So… I changed back."

"Not really," came Gouenji's light, teasing voice.

Fubuki watched as Gouenji reached to the top of his head and traced the edge of his ear. Wait. Ear on top of his head…

His own hands flew to touch the appendages.

Wolf ears.

Oh lord.

"And you still have your tail." Gouenji's tone was amused.

Twisting around, a grey, furry extension of his backbone greeted his eyes. He never noticed that his tail was so long.

Fubuki's face now probably was rivaled with the colour of a tomato. "T-this is embarrassing."

"This is cute," Gouenji corrected, smiling and patting his head gently. "And you know what?"

Fubuki could only stare at Gouenji, listening to both their heartbeats' rates increase. His wolf senses haven't left him yet.

"I get to kiss you properly." Gouenji's face was merely centimeters away from his.

The next thing Fubuki was aware of, Gouenji's lips were on his, he was engulfed in Gouenji's scent, and that he was clutching to the front of the flame striker's shirt, kissing back enthusiastically, despite his impossibly hot face.

They broke apart when they ran out of air, Gouenji's warm arms still around his bare torso, Fubuki still clinging to Gouenji's shirt.

"I love you… Shuuya-kun…"

"I love you too."

"Shuuya-kun?"

"Hm?"

"I… I'm still naked, you know…"

Gouenji promptly fell back to the covers, eyes rolling back, blood trickling out of his nose.

"I shouldn't have said that."

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOOK WHAT I DID TO GOUENJI.

XD

Riiiiight. Thank you for reading, and remember to review, so I'll know what to do to improve more! Until next time!