Thanks for the reviews!

Pairing: Kirihara

Rating: Dark T

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"You want us to what?" Marui exclaimed shock written all across his face, green bubble gone back into his sugary mouth

"I want us to lose the first two matches we have during Nationals"

"But Yukimura!" Jackal began, why?! Why the hell would they lose!? After they had gone through hell and back to get there as Champions of the Kantou?

"Let me finish" turning his blue eyes to his shocked teammates, the captain began to explain "I only want the doubles the lose, make it believable"

"Why" Niou spoke from far behind the group, his ice blue clashing with sapphire

"I want Akaya to grow"

"Grow?"

"Yes, lately I've seen Akaya grow as a player more and more, but-"

"But?" Yagyuu was the one who spoke this time, his eyes hidden behind thick glasses seemed to be ever watchful of his captain.

"He isn't getting stronger mentally"

"…." the team stood silent.

"His strength is powerful, his control and ability to analyze his opponents are showing in his way of playing, but unfortunately I still see him relying on that monster in him, more than often" that was true.

Everyone of them could see from time to time their babies eyes would turn bloodshot at the slightest form of annoyance, it was annoying at most….but deep down it was sad.

Sad to see their baby was not getting stronger in the way they did, it was sad that Akaya was still the same demon he was a year ago. It was sad….and it hurt.

"You want us to play the part" Sanada spoke up, his deep voice resounding through out the large clubroom.

"Yes, lose hope, scream, cry, anything to make him believe we are truly losing" it wasn't often the team heard their normally kind buchou's voice hard and cold, so withdrawn and heartless.

"We're not to tell him are we?" Yanagi said calmly opening his eyes, letting the sun dance in his light brown orbs- sharp and just as cold as his captain.

Everyone turned to their captain, each face cold and heartless, turning with his back to them and to the window, looking at their baby picking up balls outside with a growl on his pouting face, Yukimura nodded

"No one dare tell him" turning his head slightly in a profile, a wind blew outside and the sun shone through the window, bathing their captain in a light deserving of his name.

"He will find out himself." If only they knew how right he was.

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I-impossible!

Staring with wide peridot orbs, Akaya watched as he stood planted to the ground as a foreign player wiped the floor with one of his senpai right before his eyes; and he couldn't do a damn thing!

6-2, their lose. What a disgrace! Akaya cursed clenching his fists in anger as whispers of his Yagyuu-senpai The Gentleman lose, it made his blood boil; but what could he do?

Tightening his hands around the small green fence keeping him from his senpai-tachi on the courts, Akaya wanted to ask, scream, yell at the quiet teen. Who gave a damn if the guy was his tutor! Why did he have to lose?! And to such a pathetic lot of foreigners!

"Yagyuu-senpai" keeping his voice in control of his emotions, Akaya's green eyes met with the glint of glass

"Yes Kirihara-kun"

Opening his mouth to speak his mind, the second year felt his teammates look at him, almost daring him to speak. He closed his mouth and cast his eyes to the ground, dishearten but still angry.

"Nothing, good game"

"…Thank you" walking away, Rikkai watched as their doubles went up. Akaya held his breath until the final point.

6-1, their lose…again. Damn it all! Why the hell are they losing this badly?! Akaya pressed himself to the fence tightly, bending the metal until it fell to his body; it hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt watching Marui-senpai and Jackal-senpai loses to those bastards!

Those white faced bastards were taking what they, Rikkai, had spent years trying to perfect! This was suppose to be their third year winning Nationals, he's be damned to hell if they lost here, when they were so close!

"Senpai-tachi!" the second year yelled, grabbing his teammates attention, jumping over the fence from the higher grounds onto the court Akaya made his way to his captain and two senpai. "Why the hell are you guys playing so weak!"

"Akaya"

"No! we're suppose to win Nationals! That is our goal, how are we going to win if you guys keep losing!"

"Akaya!" Yukimura spoke raising his voice just above a yell, his normally calm face slight twisted in frustration and anger. "Show respect, you out of all of us should know how it feels to lose"

He knew. And for a moment he hated himself, "…hai, I'm sorry Marui-senpai, Jackal-senpai, buchou"

"It's fine" Jackal spoke as he walked away, Marui followed whispering into his kouhai's ear

"Beat them dead Akaya"

"I plan to senpai" it would be his greatest pleasure, and his worst nightmare.

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It wasn't suppose to be like this. This wasn't what he wanted, nothing of the like! Yukimura clenched his fists feeling his body go numb at the sight that stopped his heart. His baby, the one person who he treated with the utmost care and love, his kouhai, the reason he had told everyone to lose…was bleeding, blood red from the fence above him.

"Akaya" he could barely hear himself murmur that name, as the team pressed themselves against the side fence, fear and anxiousness in their faces. It was plain to see they were feeling the same as he was

"Akaya g-get up!" he heard Marui yell, fear making his voice stutter

"Wake up Akaya!" Jackal's voice rang raw throughout the now silent courts. Everyone watched as the second years blood-bathe body detached itself from the metal fence, now broken and twisted like the corpse it had let go of.

Everyone watched with strained anticipation, hoping, wishing that the boy would move even one damn finger!

"Get the hell up Akaya" it was Niou. He was concerned too….that had to mean something, something even Yukimura didn't want to think about.

The courts were still as every eye watched for a slight movement from the unconscious boy, time slugged its way into Rikkai's mind passing with such dull slowness it bordered on madness.

"Akaya" Sanada.

"Kirihara-kun" Yagyuu.

"Yukimura, is this what you wanted?" Yanagi asked, his voice dark daring his captain to answer. No one wanted to see this to its disgusting end, their baby lay drenched in his own blood, crippled on the courts he loved so much; and it was all their fault….because they wanted him to grow…such a God-forsaken damn stupid reason!

No, it wasn't suppose to be like this at all.

"Akaya…please"

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Blood. Red hot blood was all he remembered. Oozing from his flesh, burning his skin, his heart ached, his body screamed to rest…sleep that was all he wanted.

Akaya opened his eyes and nothing but darkness filled his sight, it was deathly quiet and he didn't mind; this was heaven from the hell he was enduring. When suddenly voices called to him, and then images of the faces those voices belonged to

Marui.

Jackal.

Niou.

Sanada.

Yagyuu.

Yanagi.

….Yukimura.

Neon green drowning in hot red opened to glare, slowly as if he were watching from someone else's eyes Akaya watched as his body got up from the bloody ground, and obliterate his opponent, casing him in his own blood. Flashes of color and light raced pass his eyes, his horror stricken teammates, the fear and relief in his senpai's faces, each and every repulsive look of his opponents team. It was perfect.

Akaya could hear his mouth open and a voice speak, raw and painful, declaring Rikkai's assured win, the weakness of everyone else…that laugh. It was sordid.

This...this demon was back, stronger, harder to control and so painfully a mirror of himself, Akaya closed his eyes wishing it all away, he didn't want to see this anymore he didn't want to be reminded how sickeningly weak he was. To be reminded of how much he had to go to even be on the lowest stage his senpai were on, and how little he had grown.

It hurt.

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At the end of the day, Rikkai won and they were passed onto the finals of Nationals. It wasn't until they were back at school did Akaya let himself go.

"Y-you b-bastards!" screaming at his so called friends, light peridot turned over to deep emerald, glaring at the group of silent third years.

No one spoke.

"Answer me, why! Why the damn hell did you do that! You all played me! Y-you played me and.…and that monster came out again!" damn it, he could feel tears coming; Akaya cursed himself even more, why was he so weak!?

"To make you grow" Marui's quiet voice spoke up, as everyone flinched and looked away; almost as if they were ashamed….they had right to be.

"Grow?! You all, my friends, cheated me to make me grow!?" slamming his clenched fist to the wall behind him, some of the team jumped.

"You're our kouhai Akaya, it was only for your benefit" Sanada spoke, his face dark under his hat

"What did it benefit me fukubuchou t-that monster came out a-again, after I tried so hard to control it!"

"…."

"Why didn't anyone see- c-couldn't any of you see how hard I was trying to grow on my own-n?"

"…."

"I didn't want to go back to that thing! I didn't want- I- waahhhh" the tears came and they came remorseless, covering his flushed face with clear bitter water. Turning his head away, even as he stood there wounded and alone Akaya still had pride; when he felt a pair of strong arms around him, tight, warm, comforting…and guilty.

"I'm so sorry Akaya, I asked everyone to do this, it was my fault mine alone" there was truth in his gentle voice

Clenching the other boys sleeve, hard and full of hurt, in a moments heart beat Akaya did the unthinkable, he punched Yukimura in the face sending him to the ground

"Yukimura!"

"Akaya!" the room rang with both the boys names, then all stood quiet.

"…why buchou…I- I wanted- I hoped you of all of them to see me!" bowing his head, the boy fell to his knees, tears still falling from his twisted face "why did it have to come back after I progressed so much!?…why am I so damn weak!" he screamed into the ground shaking his head, tremoring violently; when again slowly and more gently the same pair of arms held him.

"…I'm so sorry Akaya, this- that thing wasn't suppose to come out….not like that" running his hand through the boys hair, pulling him closer Yukimura closed his eyes praying the sounds of his babies cry would stop. "I'm so sorry"

Before long slowly Sanada came and fell to the floor hugging his captain and kouhai, Yanagi and Yagyuu followed, slowly Marui and Jackal came falling to the ground making a large circle around their captain and kouhai, Niou came in last, no smile on his face but a faded stream of water running along his face.

And there they stayed until dusk, until everyone became hoarse, until Akaya finally forgave them, his friends.

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Me- I loved this one! Wow I didn't think this chapter would come out so beautiful! Its from POT's OVA 18-19 only different, hope it wasn't too OOC (out of character) with Akaya

Please read and review!