"Man, I know we're training for nationals, but I'm beat!"
Flopping back on the cool green grass of the school yard, Sugawara let out a tired moan and squinted as he held a hand above his head to shield his eyes. The large tree he'd collapsed under provided plenty of shade, but beams of sunlight shone between the leaves like scorching lasers.
It was noon on a Saturday, and the team had practice in order to cram in as much training as possible. That was the plan, despite practically melting to the gymnasium floor as the heat crept into the building and stole their will to live. Even Daichi was having a hard time staying hydrated as they sweat uncontrollably, and it was his insistence they practice on the weekend. He had compromised by allowing water breaks every 15 minutes, and after two hours of heavy breathing and receiving drills, the Captain granted them a half hour intermission to cool down and rest before diving into the last hour.
"You're the Vice-Captain, should you really be complaining so loud? You'll set a bad example for the other guys." Daichi chuckled, coming to join Suga under the tree and tossing a freshly filled water bottle at him.
Grunting as it landed on his stomach, Suga grabbed the water lazily and let out another groan as he rolled onto his side, jutting his chin out in a petulant pout.
"Don't use my title against me, it's the only thing I have these days. Not all of us can be big, tough, bully captains who run their team into the ground on a 90-degree day. Some of us are tired vice-captains who may have stayed up too late watching horror films."
Daichi snorted and shook his head at his friend who still laid on the ground, laughing lightly as the silver haired boy rolled onto his back once more and gave a dramatic yawn.
"You knew we had practice at 10, whose fault is that?"
"Still yours."
"Ah, sure it is."
Lowering himself onto the ground beside Suga, Daichi took a long drink from his water bottle and wiped his mouth on his forearm as he watched the rest of the team running about, dumping water on each other. He grinned as Tadashi made to splash Tsukishima, then stopped in his tracks with a sheepish laugh as the blond boy shot him a glare that hinted at certain death. The genius wing spiker really could use some lessons on how to lighten up. Daichi was quiet for a moment as he shook his head at the others and their antics, but then peeked over his shoulder to look at Suga with a little frown.
"I'm not really running everyone into the ground… Am I ?" The brunette worried.
He might act like a warden, but Daichi really was a kind person. He wanted them to win with every fiber of his being but would pull back on the training if he thought they had reached their limits. They were more than just teammates after all, they were his friends too.
Eyes turning amused and soft, Suga reached out to pat his long-time friend on the knee and gave a wink.
"Don't worry Captain, I'd let you know if we were fed up with your tyranny."
Skin creasing at the corners of his eyes as he smirked in return, Daichi laughed again.
"Of course you would."
CAW! CAW! CAW!
Suddenly a cacophony of noise exploded behind the two third years and Suga sat up abruptly as a murder of crows screeched, chasing after a poor fleeing cat. Hissing and batting at the large birds as they dove and pecked, the tan striped feline darted past Suga and Daichi before the flock descended upon it.
Lurching to his feet in alarm, Sugawara was running to the animal's aid in a heartbeat as Daichi looked back and forth with startled eyes.
"Hey, cut it out! Leave the poor thing alone!"
"Suga, don't get in the middle of it! You're going to get attacked, wait a second!"
The brunette tossed his water bottle to the grass as he too jumped to his feet, chasing after his reckless friend as the setter dove right into the mob of pecking and clawing, using his body to shield the cat as he hunched over it. Wings slapped at Suga's ears and beaks pecked the exposed skin on his arms, neck, and legs, but the silver haired boy kept his head tucked down and refused to let go of the fluffy animal hiding beneath him.
Daichi had no idea what to do as the horde of birds attacked his teammate, looking around for something he might use to beat them away and groaning frustrated as he came up empty handed.
"How do you get into these kinds of situations, like seriously?!" Daichi demanded as Suga let out a yelp, curling tighter in a ball as he yelled a response.
"Is now really the time for questions? Just do something! OW-"
"Like what?!"
"Something!"
Grabbing his head as he shook it in exasperation, Daichi thought for a second and then gripped the hem of his shirt to pull it up and off. Using it as a weapon, the captain began swatting at the black birds, beating them away as he shouted.
"Go on, get out of here! Shoo! OUCH- Stupid bird, shoo!"
After pinching the arm of the interfering boy, the crows finally began to cease their attack, and took off angrily into the sky to get away from the shirt Daichi wielded like a sword. By this point, the rest of the team had gathered and was crowding to see what the heck their captains were doing.
"What the hell did you guys do to piss off a bunch of crows?! Steal an egg or something?"
Daichi panted with his hands on his knees as he shook his head at Tanaka's question, jabbing a thumb at Suga who was still crouched in a ball.
"Why don't you ask Mr. Jump into a horde of angry birds, ask questions later? Honestly Suga, you're gonna be the death of me." Daichi grumbled, catching his breath.
"Don't listen to him, he's glad you're safe too…"
The boys gathered round as Suga spoke in a soft soothing tone, peeking at the bundle of creamy tan and black fur he held in his arms. Moving slowly, the vice-captain unfolded himself, sitting back on his heels as he held the cat gently to his chest. He didn't seem to notice the angry red marks or scratches he sported on his arms and legs.
"Is that a cat?" Hinata asked, crouching down and taking a closer look at the furry creature.
"No, it's an aardvark." Tsukishima muttered dryly.
"An aardvark? What's that."
"It's a type of boat, dumbass." Kageyama interjected, and Yamiguchi snickered.
Tsukishima deadpanned.
"You're both idiots."
"Shut your stupid mouth! Why don't you say that to my face?!" The redhead yelled embarrassed.
"I just did. Idiot."
"Knock it off guys, you're gonna scare him." Suga hissed in a hushed voice, throwing the first years a warning look that instantly cut off Hinata's retort.
"You did it to save a cat? Why were those crows chasing it?"
Crouching down next to the silver haired setter, Yamiguchi rested his arms on his knees and leaned his head on them to he gazed at the animal.
Tilting his head to look down into the feline's face, Suga shrugged.
"No idea. Wow… Look at those eyes. It's almost like they're glowing…They're so green and..."
Taking in a short breath of surprise, Suga stared entranced as the cat turned its face up to him, something like a trance falling over the ashen haired boy. The slits in its eyes were so narrow it was as those there was no pupil, just two luminescent globes that bore into Suga's, giving him the feeling his mind was being read. For a stray, it was a very regal looking cat, soft pink in its light tan ears with sharp black stripes that formed an M of sorts on its forehead. A short tawny mane circled its neck and a long-haired black tipped tail swished back and forth idly as it watched Suga.
"And what?"
Daichi had managed to catch his breath and was curious as to why his friend had stopped talking. Coming closer, he knelt beside Suga and reached his hand out to pet the animal.
"Let me get a look at this trouble making furball."
MROWW!
Striking like a cobra, the cat suddenly bit down on Suga's arm and leapt from the setter's hold, taking off across the school grounds.
"OUCH! Hey, Come back!"
Slapping a hand over the bleeding teeth marks on his forearm, Suga glared at Daichi and jumped to his feet.
"You hurt his feelings!"
"What? It's a cat, it can't get it's feelings hurt!" Daichi argued, looking exasperated as he took his friend's arm, wanting to make sure the bite wasn't too deep.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm gonna go catch that cat. There's something really weird about it, maybe I'll try to convince my parents to keep him." Suga said distractedly, breaking free from Daichi to jog after the feline as it ran toward the gymnasium.
"Keep it?! It just bit you, Suga!"
"Because you insulted him! Come on!"
"Insulted a cat, you've got to be kidding me."
Daichi shook his head in disbelief, still gripping the shirt he'd taken off as he watched his friend chase an animal that had made him bleed. Letting out a sigh, the brunette quickly fetched his and Suga's water bottles before running after him.
"Let's go, I'm going to need help talking sense into our ridiculous Vice-Captain." Daichi muttered, various team members snickering in amusement as they obeyed their orders.
Not far behind the fleeing creature, Suga stopped in his tracks as the cat suddenly paused outside the gym doors, looking back at him over it's shoulder as if to make sure he was still following. Holding his hands up in an innocent gesture, he slowly crept closer and whispered to the cat.
"Here Kitty kitty… Don't you want to come home with me? I'll buy you the nicest little bed, I'll even let you cough up hairballs on Daichi's shoes when he's over."
One of the cat's beige ears twitched at Suga's proposition, looking back at him intently, but then it turned forward once more and trotted through the open metal doors into the gym.
"Hey, where are you going?" Suga frowned, following his feline friend inside as the rest of the team caught up to him.
Entering the gym, he was intrigued to find the cat sitting on the court waiting for him. Tilting his head perplexed, the Vice-Captain furrowed his brow in confusion as he slowly walked toward it, lustrous jade eyes watching Suga's every move as he tiptoed.
"Suga, this isn't a good idea…" Daichi warned from the doorway, the rest of the team gathering behind him.
"Shh, it's fine…"
Reaching out a tentative hand, the silver haired boy crouched as he continued his mission, each step bringing his fingertips nearer the enigmatic cat who stared back at him, completely unmoving as if it were a statue.
"That's right… Stay right there… Easy…"
Just as Suga touched the top of the cat's head, it lunged forward and suddenly the gymnasium was bathed in bright blinding light. Letting out a startled cry as the other boys gasped behind him, he closed his eyes and covered his head, enduring the strangest feeling that washed over him, something like being turned inside out.
Just as quick as it began, it was over.
"Suga! Where did you go…"
The setter was confused by Daichi's question, how could he not see him in the middle of the empty gym? Hearing the stampede of footsteps that sounded far too loud, Suga blinked wildly as he realized he was tangled in something and fought his way free. Some kind of cloth fell away from him, and then he was staring up at… Giant versions of his teammates?!
"Woah, why do you guys look so big? What's going on?"
"I-It can talk!"
Yamaguchi pointed a finger at the setter aghast, making Suga pull his head back in befuddlement.
"What are you talking about, of course I can talk." He retorted, looking up at Daichi's disturbed expression, noticing the rest of the team gawking at him just the same.
"Why are you all looking at me like that… You're freaking me out… Daichi?"
Suga looked to his friend for answers, wondering what was going through his head as he leaned down and squinted, rubbing his eyes as if his vision was bad. Finally, he spoke, but it did nothing to rid his confusion.
"You're- You're a cat."
Staring back at the brunette for a moment, Suga blinked.
"I'm sorry, what-"
"Suga's a cat!"
Cringing at Hinata's high pitched yell, the fluffy grey and cream cat puffed out it's tail and shrunk down to the floor. In the place Sugawara had been, a pile of clothes that matched what the third year had been wearing was sitting on the ground, a delicately colored round-eyed cat atop it.