Title: Worlds and Dreams (Chapter 2)
Warnings: Not much, most of the need for warning was in the first chapter. This chapter only has confusion and a lot of doubt.
Disclaimer: I'm sure you've read it all the same including in my last chapter, however, I'll repeat, I don't own Kaidoh… or Prince of Tennis. Kaidoh belongs to Inui in my mind. ;)
Summary: Kaidoh is thrown into confusion as he realizes that all that he thought was a reality was a dream. Though was it really just a dream? (Very lame summary, but it's the best I can come up with, sorry.)
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A voice shot through his ear, causing him to gasp. Pain seemed to rip through his body from that gasp, forcing him to clench tightly and scream in pain. He gasped out even more. Suddenly he couldn't breath, suddenly he panicked, he wanted air, he needed air.
"Kaidoh!" He heard and suddenly air filled his lungs. He suddenly became aware that he was being held down. In confusion he fought against the hands that held him down.
"Kaidoh, calm down, Kaidoh!" He heard a voice yelling at him. It was worried, but so familiar. He gasped as the face of Inui came into mind. His eyes snapped open. With gasps he hastily looked around. Blurred images of Oishi, Eiji, Ryoma… everyone came into view.The closest was Inui's, his glasses were off and his green eyes were full of worry.
Was this real? When did they all get here. He heard a loud scream and winced at how loud it was. Wait… that was him, he recognized his own scream… why didn't he hurt anymore? What was going on.
"Kaidoh, calm down! It's okay! It'll be okay!" Inui's voice cut through his thoughts. He was holding tightly onto his right arm.
"W-w-what-what's g-going…" Kaidoh couldn't finish it. It felt as if he had to rip the words from his throat. But if Inui said it'd be okay than it would.
"Kaidoh listen, you're having a panic attack, I'm not sure why, but you need to focus. You're fine, nothing's wrong, just relax." Inui says.
Nothing's wrong?! Than why did it hurt so much? But… it didn't hurt… not anymore… what's going on? His body, it felt so much pain before, why isn't it now? Through all of the confusion Kaidoh slowly slipped into darkness again, but this time an unaware darkness.
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Light… Kaidoh winced, closing his eyes again. He didn't even realize he had opened them. It was so bright right now. He was so confused… what was going on?
Kaidoh slowly moved his hand, testing to see if he would feel pain, but he didn't. Cautiously he slid up into a sitting position. Nothing hurt, he felt fine, just as any other morning would feel. He hastily threw his shirt off and looked over his chest and arms. There wasn't a single scratch on them. What was going on? How long did he sleep? He knew for sure that he had cut himself with that rock… was it all a dream?
He looked around, noticing the room. Everything was normal, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Did that mean he hadn't told Inui he loved him? That he hadn't told his parents about his dark secret yet? Would that really happen if he did tell them of his disgusting secret?
"Oh, I see you're awake." He hears a familiar soft voice cut into the silence. He looked up, surprised to see Inui there.
"Inui… what's going on?" Kaidoh asks confused. Inui frowned, his brows creasing a little as he sat down next to Kaidoh's bed.
"How are you feeling?" Inui asks.
"… confused." Kaidoh says softly.
"… to be truthful I'm not sure what's going on either. You seemed to be in so much pain before you blacked out. Do you feel any pain now?" Inui asks, feeling his forehead with the back of his hand and pressing the same hand to his own.
"… I don't understand… was it all a dream?" Kaidoh says softly, drawing his knees up into himself. Inui frowned, this wasn't very characteristic of Kaidoh.
"What was? Are you okay?" Inui asks. Every single bit of data on what had occurred that day pointed to some sort of mental distress. It was very possible that a dream could have done that… but it must have been a horrible dream.
"I-Inui… Did… where did you find me? Was I at the river?" Kaidoh asks confused.
"Find you? What do you mean?" Inui asks.
"I was at the river, but then I woke up and saw all of you guys and then I blacked out again and now I'm back." Kaidoh says.
"Kaidoh…" Inui frowns. The river? Was that in Kaidoh's dream? Was it possible to have a dream so fast?
"Listen Kaidoh… You weren't at the river today. We were practicing and I guess the hot summer air got to you. We were at the school when you collapsed for a few moments. That's when you saw us, you started to panic for some reason." Inui says with a frown.
"W-what…" Kaidoh says softly… but all of it… it was all so real? Just how much did he dream? It all fit together, how could that possible be a dream? Did he dream leaving the courts, practicing and everything? How was that possible.
"N-No…" Kaidoh says softly. Maybe this was a dream, maybe he was dreaming right now… but it seemed so real too.
"I'm Kaidoh Kaoru right?" Kaidoh asks.
"Of course." Inui says softly.
"I'm in my second year of High school and on the tennis team right?" Kaidoh asks. Inui frowns even more.
"Yes… why are you asking this?" Inui asks.
"… It just seemed so real…" Kaidoh says softly.
"Tell me." Inui says persistently. Suddenly Kaidoh found himself telling him everything, but stopped when he came to the part where he talked to Inui.
"Then what happened? What made you panic Kaidoh?" Inui asks, knowing there was more.
"I-I… I ended up at the river and fell in, I drowned." Kaidoh says the last part softly. Inui frowns.
"Kaidoh, there's a 99 chance that you're lying right now." Inui says softly.
"I-I'm sorry… I just can't…" Kaidoh says even softer, not looking at him anymore. Inui sighs.
"Alright, I get it, I'll back off." Inui replies softly but with a soft smile. Kaidoh looked to him, confused. Inui never really acted like this before.
"H-Hey Inui-Sempai… what are you doing here?" Kaidoh asks. Inui chuckles.
"I brang you back after you collapsed. Then your mom offered me something to eat and I couldn't pass that by… besides… I was worried Kaidoh." Inui says softly, pressing his hand against Kaidoh's back. Kaidoh blushed looking away, but it almost brang tears to his eyes.
It was so different, was this real? Inui frowned, usually Kaidoh did blush when he showed his concern but he could almost swear he looked sad as well. Did that dream have that much of an impact on him?
"Kaidoh, it's only logical that all that was only a dream. Don't let it get to you." Inui says softly. Kaidoh blushes softly before nodding.
"Good… I can stay a while longer, but I'll have to go home soon. Will you be okay?" Inui asks. Kaidoh blushes again.
"I'm sorry Inui-sempai, you can go if you want. I'll be fine. I'm sorry to have worried you." Kaidoh says with a frown.
"It's not an inconvenience to me Kaidoh, I want to stay." Inui insists. Kaidoh blushed and looked down again. His black hair did well to hide his face from Inui.
"… H-have you always been like this?" Kaidoh suddenly asks after a moment of silence.
"Like what?" Inui asks, genuinely confused.
"So nice?" Kaidoh asks, though he truthfully wasn't sure how to word it.
"… I am acting as I've always been… why?" Though there was a high percent that it was because of Kaidoh's dream, Inui couldn't help but want an answer from Kaidoh.
"I-I guess I've just never noticed." Kaidoh says with a blush. Had Inui always been like this? He had always been friendly, but there was something in the way that Inui was looking at him that was different from the Inui he knew.
Was it possible that this was the dream? Did his mind just make up this world so that he could be happy? No, he couldn't think like that. As Inui said, it's illogical. He should just accept that he had had a nightmare about rejection and continue on with life.
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Well, that's the second chapter. The plot is somewhat coming together now and hopefully I'll be able to update soon as well as with the rest of the fanfiction I've posted. So for now, I hope you've enjoyed reading. All comments are welcome. :)