Title: Betting Men
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Kamio Akira, Kaidoh Kaoru
Prompt: 014 - Green
Word Count: 1174
Date finished: 07/06/2007
Rating: G
Summary: Kamio's father gets too far into debt.
Author's Notes: This is... not my best work. It's fractured and the characters are way out of character, and I really don't like the ending much. And I almost forgot the prompt. Taken from the Crack Generator, chosen by my friend Colleen (lj user asongforcrows): "Kaidoh Kaoru/ Kamio Akira - Money".
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

This was, Kamio Akira decided, one of the worst situations he'd ever been in.

Okay, so it was tennis. Not that big a deal.

He was going to have to play doubles. Well, he could do that, and could only hope that whoever he was partnered with could, too. So, out of his hands.

People were going to be betting on this. As far as he knew, people were betting on every game he played (usually against him, at least at first, but that was another thing all together. He was sure the game against Hyotei, at least, had involved some money - and most people had lost on that one).

To lose would be bad. Yeah, it usually was, but this time it involved his life. Not good. And any protest he'd made had been shot down or, once, had gotten him a fist in the face. He didn't have to look pretty to play.

He hadn't mentioned that seeing was important, however, no matter what Fuji-senpai did. He was a tensai. Akira was not. But he'd been able to open his eye by the time his match had come up, and he'd won. Barely.

There was movement behind him, and he turned to meet the man he'd be playing with. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Fshuu," the other man said, eyes narrowed.

"Ma… uh, Kaidoh," Akira stammered, not really wanting to get on his bad side. As opponents, it had been fine - but he needed to get along with him. "I think I'm actually glad to see you."

"Why's that?" Kaidoh Kaoru growled.

"Because I have some idea on how you play - and I know you can play doubles." Might as well be honest.

Something in his face eased, and he nodded. "Likewise," he said.

They fell silent. Akira wished - not for the first time, or the last, most likely - that he had his ipod. But they'd confiscated it when he'd shown up, and when they'd given his racquets back, it hadn't been with them.

"How'd you get pulled into this?" Kaidoh asked after a moment.

"I think my dad sent me to pay back a debt or something," Akira said. "He just told me to come. You?"

"Same," Kaidoh muttered. "They told me I could go if we win this one."

The surge of jealousy was almost too much. "Lucky," he said, his voice thick with it. "They told me if I lose, they had no more use for me."

Kaidoh stared at him. "No more use…. You been losing?"

Akira shook his head. "No. Just not making enough money, I guess."

"I plan on talking to my father about this. If I find out Hazue is here…." He trailed off and hissed again.

"Younger brother?" Akira asked.

Kaidoh nodded.

"Hey! You're up!" a familiar voice called - Akira didn't know his name, but he'd heard those words in the same voice since the beginning.

They stood - warmed up and ready - and walked together down the hallway. "Maybe they expect this not to work out," Akira muttered. "But if you're getting out, I'll do my best to help you."

Kaidoh hissed softly. "Thank you."

The bright lights made them both flinch, and Akira tried to find their opponents even though his eyes burned from the light. It wasn't possible; he couldn't even see to the net. Lights were shining in their faces on purpose.

The loudspeaker was incomprehensible - Akira didn't even know if the words were Japanese. He glanced at Kaidoh, who'd pulled his bandana low over his eyes. "There they are," he said, and gestured almost negligently toward the opposite coaches bench. "No one I know."

That was a relief. He didn't know if they had the same threat hanging over their heads, but he didn't want to cause the demise of anyone he knew. Or anyone, really, but if it was a life or death situation….

The next words were familiar; the two pairs were introduced (and he didn't recognize the names), and Kaidoh was to serve.

It was a grueling game. He would have enjoyed playing with Kaidoh if it hadn't been so serious, if the consequences hadn't been his life or his partner's freedom. One thing he did know about his partner, though; they both had stamina. Maybe they could outlast the other pair.

In the end, they won, to a mixture of applause and boos. Sometime during the fourth game they'd found their pace, found how to work together, and it had been easier after that - he felt he'd only had two opponents instead of three.

The men - familiar, hulking, in charge - brought Kaidoh's things to him and one of them escorted him out. Akira watched, willing himself not to show the bitterness he felt, and waved when Kaidoh looked back at him.

"Nice game," one of the men said, and Akira turned to look at him.

"Thanks," he said firmly, and waited.

"Which was more important, his freedom or your life?"

It was said so casually, that Akira spoke without thinking. "His freedom," he said.

The man smiled, and Akira stepped back, unnerved. "Really?"

Akira swallowed in a suddenly dry mouth. "Yes."

His head tilted, and he regarded Akira with narrowed eyes. "Why?"

"Because no one deserves to be here."

"Your father offered you as repayment for a debt."

"He should be here," Akira said bitterly, not surprised to find his guess was right. "Not me. I don't have a debt with you."

"You're part of the family."

"I'm a child," Akira snapped, frustrated. "I want to go home, to my mother's house, and go back to school."

The man held up a hand, stopping his words, as someone else joined them, speaking so softly that Akira couldn't hear. He looked away as well, not wanting the man to think he was trying to see what was going on, but he still caught sight of green - money? American dollars? - in the new arrival's hand.

"It seems," the man said softly, pulling Akira's attention back to him, "that the sum left over after your partner had paid off his father's debt is enough to absolve your father of yours. You, too, are free to go."

It hit him with the force of a sledgehammer. "I… what?" No way had he heard it right. No way. They'd just told him they'd kill him, and now he was free?

He was not a fool. He was not going to question this. "Thank you," he said before the other man could say anything. "Thank you."

He took the bag offered him, tucked his racquet back inside, and followed his guide through halls - some familiar, some not so - and outside.

This was familiar, too, and he grabbed the first bus that came along for home.

Next time he saw Kaidoh, he'd have to thank him - and then ask to play again. It'd be nice to see how they worked together without so much on the line.

After he did something about his father, though. His sister wasn't going to have to deal with that.

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