Title: Give Your Soul to Me
Pairing: Akira Kamio/Akaya Kirihara
Tags: Angst, Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Summary: The Invitational Junior Selection Camp gives rise to new drama. Kirihara is haunted by the violent nightmares of his past, while Kamio can't seem to forgive him for hurting Tachibana and the others. However, Kirihara is hurting more then he lets on and Kamio may just be the key to his salvation.
AU: The three invitational teams don't interact with each other outside of practice (the exceptions being when Tezuka arrived and Atobe/Sanada's match the next day).
Notes: Title inspired by the lyrics Inside The Fire by Disturbed.
BETA: TheSupernova
Chapter 1: It Starts Now
Kirihara vexed Kamio off to no end. His confrontational attitude and enjoyment of getting a rise out of people was not something Kamio held any patience for. Though how much of that aggravation stemmed from his own anger rather than as a result of Kirihara's taunting, he wasn't sure. What was Kirihara like when he wasn't ridiculing people?
After the match between Kirihara and Ryoma concluded, Kamio could fully admit that yes, the man had changed. Not once did he injure Ryoma—the exact opposite. Kirihara seemed to be intentionally aiming away from the body. Suddenly Kirihara's previous insults and insistence over having a tennis match made sense. Kirihara wanted to show he had changed without actually conceding to anything. Knowing Rikkaidai, this was probably a weakness.
Kamio still hadn't managed to apologize, since Kirihara seemed to persist in grating his nerves, which inevitably led to non-stop altercations. It was exasperating.
Kirihara was not the most popular person outside of Rikkaidai. Case in point: Kirihara's would-be roommate moved in with Kamio and Sengoku on the first day. At the time, Kamio completely understood the need to stay as far away from the bastard as possible and was more than happy to accommodate them. Until he realized his two roommates snored like alternating chainsaws snoring through a loud speaker. Not even Kamio's music could drown that out.
"Kamio," Ryoma said, "still not able to sleep?"
"No," Kamio answered in a huff. He sat down at the lunch table, and proceeded to stab his food angrily with his chopsticks.
"Hmm."
"What?" Kamio asked, when Ryoma didn't respond.
"Look." Ryoma pointed across the cafeteria towards Kirihara. "I wonder if he's lonely. We haven't been able to hang out with the other teams since we got here."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Kamio said, focusing on his food. Kirihara deserved it, for all the things he's done.
"Didn't you want to apologize?" Ryoma said offhandedly, swirling the spoon around in his soup bowl.
"He talks a big game," Oishi added, "but maybe that's all it is. Maybe it's what he's not saying that you should listen to."
Kamio didn't respond. He looked at Kirihara. What if Oishi and Ryoma were right?
The next morning, he sat a few chairs down from Kirihara, which earned him suspicious glances from his teammates, as they were 90% positive this was a scheme of his which would undoubtedly end in him and Kirihara brawling around on the lunchroom floor (again). Kamio decided to take the high ground and ignore them.
Not two seconds after he sat down did Kirihara begin a crude tirade about Tachibana and Fudomine being a school of cowards, or some such. Kamio wasn't paying very much attention because he had determined early in that he wasn't going to let himself be goaded into his usual hotheaded hysterics.
"Coward," Kirihara said, returning his attention back to the breakfast tray.
When lunch arrived, Kamio continued to sit near Kirihara, roughly the same distance away as before.
Unsurprisingly, Kirihara tried baiting Kamio again, this time referencing Kamio sitting here out of pity and some crass remarks about Ryoma and the others. From what Kamio could tell, it basically boiled down to: I'm suspicious of your reasons for sitting here, Kamio, so tell me why or I'll keep trying to find ways to piss you off so you'll leave me alone.
"Because I want to," Kamio answered apropos. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Hmm," Kirihara said, eating some noodles from his tray while thinking over his response.
"Not really," he muttered quietly.
Kamio placed his ear buds in his ears, turning on his music. Kirihara didn't make any further remarks and they finished their meals in peace.
Right before lunch break was over, Kirihara tapped the table in front of Kamio. He took out one of his ear buds.
"Hey," Kirihara said, "play a match with me."
"Sure," Kamio responded. "But I don't think you'll be able to keep up with my rhythm. Sorry to say, you don't stand a chance. Not with my new Jazzed up rhythm behind me."
"Ha. We'll just see about that," Kirihara replied, licking his lips. "We'll see."