Mayuzumi finds himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He isn't sure if he's completely aware of his environment, with all the distorted shapes and colors dancing in his vision. To say that he's confused would be an understatement. This feels like he's having a goddamn stroke. He's somewhat in control of his own actions, and yet he isn't at the same time. There's something heavy pressing upon his consciousness that he can't get rid of, like an itch that he can't scratch.
Not only that, but his hearing is weird as well. Garbled and muffled noises pass through one ear and out the other, and are just as difficult to understand as his vision.
It's like his vision is tunneled, and he's left hallucinating sounds that may or may not be there.
He isn't even certain if this is frightening, or if this is just another weird dream thing to prevent him from waking up. Or both.
The only thing he knows is that this is far from normal, and he has to find a way to fix this. Fuck, if only he could feel like he's got his head on right, then maybe he could begin to resolve this.
He hears something like a person's voice, and his first hunch is that it's Kuroko.
Kuroko.
No, maybe the woman's voice?
He feels someone's presence looming over him, and all of his instincts tell him to attack whoever it is. There's something that tells him that this is the natural reaction, especially since he's already so befuddled.
He hopes that whatever his problem is, it'll be solved soon.
Kuroko rolls the bottle of silver vine with his thumb over his palm, flicking his eyes back and forth between the bottle and the irate cat behind bars.
The kind merchant had given this bottle to him free of charge, which he is very appreciative of. On top of that, she gave him general directions to where she believed the spring was located, their final destination. She had even explained to him how to use the powder inside, and what effects it would have upon Mayuzumi. Apparently, this substance is similar to catnip, and would induce a drunk-like state from the cat, which in turn would quell his anger.
Except Kuroko has been sitting here on the grass just on the outskirts of the town boring a hole into the bottle, dubious that "it works wonders," as the merchant had claimed. He would've made his way straight to the spring, but he'd rather not carry this cage with Mayuzumi growling at him the whole way. Which may or may not even be the correct way.
It's not that Kuroko doesn't trust the merchant, but more like he doesn't trust himself not to royally screw this up and have the silver vine backfire upon Mayuzumi. Even after the merchant's many attempts to assure him. And...okay, maybe he knows he can't blindly put all his faith in the merchant. What if this made the cat sick? Or worse, even kill him?
If only the closest veterinarian wasn't a day's walk to the next town over, then maybe Kuroko wouldn't be stuck here doubting himself.
Mayuzumi now sits peaceably within the cage, although any attempts to talk to him have ended with the cat's face pressed up against the cage, arm clawing at Kuroko.
Kuroko doesn't need to use this silver vine, anyway. He's almost one hundred percent confident that Mayuzumi will come to his senses sooner or later, if Kuroko just waits patiently enough.
This is okay. Mayuzumi is okay. Completely fine. Just peachy. Couldn't be better.
He lets his face fall into his hands. That was probably the worst attempt at convincing himself ever. He must be more out of it than usual, although that's nothing surprising. Just staying alive right now is a struggle, and dealing with the repercussions of injury or stress is yet another battle.
His thumb turns the bottle over again in his hand, the powder inside looking like any plain old dirt found on the ground. It certainly doesn't look like anything special.
Slipping off his gloves, Kuroko pops open the bottle, and then sets the lid down. He pauses momentarily, thinking about how he can go about this. The merchant had said to infuse a toy with the powder, despite the fact that he had no toy for Mayuzumi to play with, and the only thing that might be sufficient would be his gloves.
For now, Kuroko decides that he'll test the powder in his bare hand first before anything else. All he needs to do is sprinkle some out and hold it out for Mayuzumi. It should be a piece of cake.
He tips the bottle over his open palm and shakes a bit of it out.
Without opening the cage, Kuroko hovers his hand out next to Mayuzumi, seeing if it will elicit any reaction besides an angry hiss.
Mayuzumi's nose twitches, searching for the source of that smell. His head perks up, interest piqued.
Facing the hand with some caution, he inches towards the open palm with apprehension. His eyes are wide with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, looking like a kitten meeting its new owner.
Mayuzumi's nose pokes out from in between the bars, twitching excitedly from that strange, but pleasant smell. It's enticing, drawing him in and sealing him in tight. The idea of escape has never seemed so impossible. Whatever it is, it's captivating, so spellbinding, and positively intoxicatingthat his mind blocks everything else in order to pin down that scent.
He wants, no—needsit.
He doesn't think he's ever had a craving this bad, this intense.
His paw reaches forward through the bars, coming so close that he's just a hair's breadth away…
And then it moves away and out of his reach, his paw falling just short of attaining his goal.
He swipes at the air in front of him desperately, the scent being his only connection with clarity. He can't see or hear what it is, but surely his nose can tell.
Shapes sway in his vision, making him squint to make sense of it all.
He thinks he sees a humanoid shape in front of him. This human is toying with him.
Cruel. This human is the cruelest. And on second thought, they're not even human. They're definitely a demon. He can see the demon horns upon their head, expression filled with the most wicked of intentions, and hear the nastiest of cackles pour out from their mouth.
He will not cower at the sight of this demon. He's never been afraid of the supernatural, and he won't be now.
In truth, Kuroko had pulled his hand away because he figured he could let Mayuzumi out now.
Sprinkling the silver vine in his hand onto one of his gloves, Kuroko then places it at the front of the cage.
He unfastens the latch, and then pulls back the cage bars.
As expected, Mayuzumi leaves the cage with some uneasiness, but upon taking a whiff of that potent scent again, all of his attention zips straight towards the glove.
He can't pounce quick enough upon the glove, attacking it, rubbing his face against it, kneading it, and anything else he can do to reflect his excitement.
Mayuzumi is gone. Whatever this substance is, he's so far gone that he has forgotten all about the demon next to him.
He just can't get enough of this addicting scent.
While the cat is on cloud nine, Kuroko watches in amusement, enjoying how enthusiastic Mayuzumi is. If only he had a camera on him, then maybe he could snap a few photos for safekeeping. He'd find some way to transfer the photos from inside his head to real life.
For now, he'll happily preserve this memory for as long as he can.
After watching Mayuzumi roll around with the glove a moment longer, Kuroko picks up the bottle of silver vine again.
Now that he thinks about it, if the cat is reacting to the scent, just what does silver vine smell like?
He lifts the bottle up closer to himself, taking a small sniff. It's fragrant, like some sort of tea.
He's about to set it back down and cap the lid upon it, until all he sees is Mayuzumi face in front of him.
With a startled yelp, Kuroko falls onto his back as Mayuzumi leaps on him. The bottle slips out of his hand and spills onto his chest. Panicking, he hurries to brush it all off, only to have Mayuzumi stop him by rubbing his face right below his collarbone.
Oh.
Well, this is a surprising turn of events. Not only has Kuroko succeeded in both calming Mayuzumi down, but he's got the other to willingly seek his attention (and dare he say affection?).
Kuroko would normally be plucking the cat off of him to sweep off all the silver vine, but this opportunity is too good to pass up. There definitely would be no other chance for him to pet Mayuzumi without the other cursing up a storm.
He's about to place his hand upon the cat's head, only to pause as he turns this decision over in his mind.
The cat would remember this, wouldn't he? Or would he possibly have no recollection? He considers this as Mayuzumi continues to rub and paw at him right beneath his collarbone.
Kuroko eventually decides that it wouldn't matter whether the other remembers or not. In fact, if Mayuzumi does remember, then Kuroko could use it to tease him. He'll just need to brush aside all the anger and sulking, which is easy enough.
Kuroko begins scratching behind his ears with one hand, unable to prevent the smile from forming on his face. Mayuzumi responds by nuzzling Kuroko's palm, his tail drumming on Kuroko in contentment. Bringing another hand up to pet the smooth fur upon Mayuzumi's back, Kuroko has to resist pulling Mayuzumi into a hug then and there. Don't want to push the other too quickly, now.
And is that purring that he hears?
Sure enough, if he listens closely, low purrs emit from Mayuzumi. Kuroko blinks in amazement. It's just one surprise after another. Now he really wants a camera. And some cat toys. If he couldn't record this, then at least some toys would be helpful. It's quite unfair that when Mayuzumi was a human he could create anything he wanted.
Kuroko sighs in disappointment, but easily returns his focus upon the cute cat. He shifts from scratching Mayuzumi's ears down to his chin, which in turn intensifies the purrs. Unable to withstand the temptation to pull the cat closer, Kuroko wraps his arms around Mayuzumi and moves to sit up.
This might be the most enjoyable moment Kuroko has had since these lucid dreams started. Mayuzumi is terribly cute as a cat, and a small voice tells Kuroko that he may enjoy petting the cat twice as much because it's Mayuzumi. Cold and aloof Mayuzumi, who goes out of his way to ignore everyone.
At least both of them are happy with the outcome of events, or at least Kuroko would like to believe that Mayuzumi is happy. The cat continues to rub his cheek against Kuroko's upper torso, smooshing himself closer even when there's no more room.
Looking down at the overexcited cat, Kuroko admires the adorable image of Mayuzumi clinging to him like a koala to a tree. So cute.
As Kuroko reaches his hands towards the cat's face, Mayuzumi gazes up at him while he gently pinches Mayuzumi's cheeks.
Cheeks so squishy. He could squish them nonstop. Kuroko hadn't known that cat cheeks were so squishable. Him spilling the bottle of silver vine was the best mistake he's ever made.
This will definitely be a useful piece of info for when he wakes up. He does need to go shopping for pet care anyway, with Nigou returning soon. He'll just make an extra purchase of silver vine next time. Then maybe he'll track down all the stray cats just so he can pinch their cheeks.
He could be here all day squishing the adorable bundle of fur, but Kuroko knows he's got to get a move on. At least now he can carry Mayuzumi in his arms and the other won't complain.
Kuroko gathers everything up. As much as he wants to not have to carry the cage, he fears that Mayuzumi may act up again, though he doesn't want to believe so.
He pockets the bottle, and then takes the bread out of his bag before stuffing the cage and gloves into his bag. Throwing the bag over his shoulder and adjusting the strap for more comfortable carrying, Kuroko stands up with Mayuzumi in one arm, bread loaf in the other.
Ripping the plastic wrap back from the bread, he's about to tear a piece off for Mayuzumi to eat, then remembers that cats don't benefit from eating grain.
But the cat is swatting at the food with a paw, seeking it out. Probably still out of it, as Kuroko thinks that cats shouldn't want to eat bread either.
…
One piece wouldn't hurt, right?
Kuroko tears a tiny piece off, and then holds it out for Mayuzumi. The cat takes it without hesitation, eating it whole and swallowing it all in one go.
He must be hungry.
Kuroko is in need of food as well, though much less than he thought he would be. The last thing he remembers eating is Aru's soup, and that was nearly three days ago. Or he thinks it was three days ago. He may not have a huge appetite like Kagami, but three days without food is too long for an average person.
Dream mechanics are weird.
Taking a large bite out of the bread, he begins to journey towards the direction where he believes the spring is.
Kuroko really hopes he's going in the right direction. And now he actually wishes that Mayuzumi were sober so that he could consult him.
He scratches the top of Mayuzumi's head absentmindedly, and with no word of indignation from the other, he knows the other's still gone.
He can't be going the right direction. As he's traveled, the foliage has just grown thicker and thicker, until he funds himself at the edge of a swamp. The tree trunks are submerged within the water, while the surface is covered with enough moss to hide the water itself. Patches of lily pads decorate the water as well, which are all huge, diameter spanning almost as large as he is tall.
He doesn't suppose that maybe those are his way across? They don't appear to be able to hold his weight, though.
Setting both his bag and Mayuzumi down (the cat wouldn't leave his arms, but he managed), Kuroko pulls the water currents toward himself with a wave of his hand, allowing for a lily pad to float its way over to him.
Crouching down, he places his open palm upon the top, testing its ability to stay afloat. Which, to his surprise, is actually rather sturdy. He stands up to place a foot on it just for good measure, confirming that it's an adequate substitute for a boat.
Good, he would prefer not to try and part the swamp waters like Moses, as he isn't sure he could focus long enough to walk through. Drowning doesn't sound fun.
"Mayuzumi-san," he calls, making his way back over and holding out his arms for the other to jump into.
Mayuzumi complies almost too enthusiastically, bowling hard into him like he couldn't bear to be separate from Kuroko.
This draws a smile out from Kuroko, who then picks up his bag before returning to the lily pad.
If this does fail, then maybe Kuroko will have to do some surfing. With no actual waves. That doesn't sound too fun either.
His arms tighten around Mayuzumi in worry. Let's just hope that he'll reach the spring soon.
Climbing into the makeshift raft, Kuroko feels it wobble underneath him, the sensation not unlike a waterbed. Odd is all he can say.
This is it. Time to solve Mayuzumi's cat issue once and for all. He makes sure that Mayuzumi is comfy and cozy.
Sweeping his hand from front to back, he begins propelling them forward across the swamp.
"That's unfortunate to hear."
A pause.
"I'm afraid not. I have my own teammate that is also in the same situation. I will try to squeeze in some time."
Another pause. The voice on the other end of the call questions him, imploring him to share more.
"Mayuzumi. He may not be officially part of the basketball team anymore, but he's a friend too. He is also currently in a coma."
The other person is silent for a moment, before offering their condolences.
"It is strange, but maybe not unheard of."
The other throws an innocent thought out, possibly just to make small talk.
"As much as it seems like it, no. I doubt it."
They agree, before finally bidding him farewell.
"I will. Thank you."
Akashi ends the call and places his cellphone on his desk. Sparing a glance at the clock in his room to note that it's almost time to call it a day, he returns to his work.
He types away at his laptop, the knowledge of Kuroko being comatose weighing heavy in the back of his mind. He'll need to book a flight to Tokyo during his day off.
While he finishes everything up, he thinks back to the question that Midorima had posed. For some reason, Akashi is unable to take his mind off of it.
Do you think these events are related?
They couldn't possibly. Such an idea is out of the question. The chance is as slim as him losing in any competition.
He's already visited Mayuzumi a day ago in the hospital, his somber teammates in tow. All of them had not enjoyed the visit, albeit he and Mibuchi hid their feelings better than the other two. He was even surprised that both Hayama and Nebuya had even agreed to go, though it was not unappreciated.
Kuroko would also have his many teammates go visit him, Akashi is sure of that.
Preparing himself for bed, he runs through his list of responsibilities for tomorrow in his head, already knowing that his schedule would be as packed as ever.
He would find time.
The only thing he can do now is wait.
A/N: This chapter was uncomfortably short for me, but it was either this or you guys having to wait like two months before another update and I really don't wanna do that.
But fluff! Yay yay you guys deserve some fluff because I've just been dishin out pain lately hAHA.
As always, thank you for reading!