Pairing: Shinji x Kamio (IbuKam)

Warnings: Shonen ai.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did, there would be even less tennis played than there currently is.

The above holds true for this one-shot, and the subsequent ficlets to follow. They can all be read as stand-alones, the only thing linking them will be the fact that Shinji and Kamio have a completely different take on the subject matter. Enjoy.

Part I: Spray

Shinji didn't use hairspray.

He had decided, after a traumatising incident when he was younger with his sister who had decided that she wanted to be a hairdresser, that his hair would benefit more from a natural look. It stayed soft that way, and it wasn't like he had little annoying strands that stuck up at odd angles anyway as his hair fell to his shoulders. He liked the natural feel of his hair, and he liked the way it sat perfectly neatly without the use of over-priced styling products.

Kamio swore by hairspray.

He even carried a miniature can in his bag in case of emergency while he was school. His style was quite demanding, and took a good twenty minutes each morning to fix over his eye and ensure that it would stay over his eye all day, even throughout tennis practice. He often worried that the immense effort that went in to his hair went unnoticed by his team mates who half of, to be brutally honest, probably didn't know what a brush was.

-

Shinji sighed (loudly) and flipped the page in his magazine (loudly). Unfortunately Kamio's iPod was louder and the subtle acts to illustrate his annoyance passed unnoticed. Having given up actually reading the magazine Shinji peered over the top and tried to crane his neck so that he could see around the slightly ajar door into the bathroom.

He had originally been supposed to meet Kamio at the red heads house and then the two were going to see a movie followed by lunch and finish off by beating the pants off an unsuspecting doubles pair at the street courts. However, Shinji had forgotten to factor in one tiny thing…

"Sorry Shinji, I'm nearly ready."

Shinji grumbled and angrily flipped the page, even though he hadn't read a word. Kamio had said that twenty times already, and Shinji didn't see any reason to believe him now any more than he had the last time.

Over the static beat of Kamio's MP3 player Shinji could hear the sounds of bottles being opened and set down, and the sound of Kamio's feet delicately pattering as he tried to stop himself getting caught in the music and dancing. Shinji almost smiled at the thought of the sight, but frowned when he caught sight of the digital clock on Kamio's bedside table.

"We're going to be late, and it's going to be all your fault. I really wanted to see this movie too, Ishida said it was supposed to be good and it's got my favourite actor in it, too. The newspaper only gave it three out of five stars, but I still thought the plot sounded good. It seemed interesting not like the weird movies you like with explosions and car chases and music so fast it blurs into one note. They move too fast for me, I like a nice paced movie and this sounded just right and now we're going to miss it because of you."

Kamio popped his head out of the bathroom door, a frown on his face and one of his earphones dangling by his waist. "Did you say something, Shinji?" The indigo haired teen gave a non committal shrug and Kamio sighed before going back into the bathroom and replacing the earphone.

Shinji was silent for a few moment, the slightest of blushes staining his cheeks. "…He really should have a shirt on by now, we're never going to get to the cinema. I think he's doing it on purpose. He didn't want to see the movie because nobody dies and the soundtrack doesn't have electronic music. So unfair, all of the horror movies I've sat through with him, too, even though he knows that I don't like them and he ends up in my lap when he gets scared…okay maybe they're not that bad, but I still wanted to see this movie."

When Kamio still didn't emerge from the bathroom Shinji threw the magazine to one side and made his way over to the adjacent room. He stepped into the room and was about to say something when he caught sight of Kamio (who had still yet to locate his shirt) peering into the mirror and delicately flicking at a few strands of hair that were already immaculately placed. A sweet scent of body spray hung pleasantly in the air, and when combined with the image of his half-naked boyfriend in front of him Shinji suddenly forgot what he was going to say.

Seeing the mirror reflection of Shinji enter Kamio grinned sheepishly and pulled out his earphones. "I'm sorry, I'm done. I'm out of hairspray anyway." Shinji finally managed to nod dumbly, still dazed and transfixed at the sight of Kamio's pale toned chest. Kamio sighed and stepped past Shinji into his bedroom where he picked out a shirt.

Shinji finally found his voice and forced himself to glare. "You don't want to see this movie anyway; I don't think that you're sorry at all." Kamio smiled and shook his head.

"True, but I want to go. Because you want to go. I'm not that selfish, Shinji, seriously I just got a little carried away trying to make my hair look presentable." He lowered his voice and ducked his head as a light blush covered his cheeks. "I just wanted to look good for you."

Any argument Shinji had concocted immediately disintegrated at his boyfriends words. Shinji felt a small smile tug at his lips and he shrugged, glancing at the clock. "We're not that late; if we get going now we'll probably only miss the previews. I don't like the previews so I suppose in a way it's a god thing. We're not going to have time to get snacks, though, so Kamio had better make it up to me at dinner afterwards. Though Kamio never eats snacks during movies anyway, probably why he's so thin, maybe we should take snacks with us. Or we could-"

Kamio stepped forwards and kissed Shinji gently on the lips, breaking away and staring into the sapphire eyes. "At this rate you'll be the one making us late." Kamio grinned and snatched up his jacket, taking Shinji's hand and pulling him along behind him.

"-just skip the movie and go back to kissing?"

Owari

Please review.

Completed: 28th April 2007

Mayoki