The storm announced it's intentions against him with a snarl of
thunder. It was one of those full of lightnings and treacherous winds that
drove the rain in horizontal sheets and whipped and twisted branches. By
the time Hiei reached Kurama's house he was a sodden as the Youko he
carried. He crouched on a swaying branch in the tree outside Kurama's
window and pushed the bandana up to scan the house. The woman wasn't there,
which was the first break in the foul luck he'd had all day. He opened the
window and climbed over the sill.


	The first thing Kurama became aware of as he drifted up out
pleasure filled dreams was the sensation of extremely wet and ruffled fur.
It was an unpleasant shock and he voiced his displeasure, loudly.

	::I'm WET!::

	"So Am I," Hiei's voice snarled back at him.

	The next thing Kurama became aware of was that he couldn't move.
His whole body was unresponsive. He fought the instinctual panic of feeling
trapped and realized Hiei's scent was all around him. That implied a degree
of safety and he relaxed a little. He also discovered that though he
couldn't move, he could feel, acutely. He was very conscious of the
discomfort of his wet fur, most of which was ruffled the wrong way.

	There was another scent, very faint and sweet. Even as faint as it
was, it still made his mouth water. Foxbane. He'd come across a wild growth
of Foxbane in full flower, he remembered that. But how had that Makai plant
gotten into the Ningenkai? He thanked every deity he could think of that
Hiei had been following him. If he hadn't...he shuddered mentally. Foxbane
was narcotic and slow acting poison all in one pretty package. It trapped
the Youko in pleasure and sweet dreams, paralyzed for the hour the flowers
needed to recharge their pollen, then the youko would repeat the pattern
until enough poison was in it's system to kill it. It took no more than
four doses, and then the Foxbane would have it's meal.

	He had another unpleasant shock as fingers closed on the scruff of
his neck just as he figured out that he must be in Hiei's shirt and pulled
him out.

	::Put Me BACK!:: he demanded as the chill air instantly found it's
way through his damp fur.

	Hiei held him up to eye level and fixed the still limp fox with a
glare.

	"Stop screwing around. Change."

	::Can't,:: Kurama glared back.

	"Why?"

	::The flowers. They mess up Youko powers.::

	"Is that why you're all limp?"

	::Yes,:: there was embarrassment in the Youko's voice.

	"How long will you be this way?" Hiei asked as he put Kurama on the
floor out of range of the puddle that was seeping from the bundle of
clothes and his waterlogged coat.

	::'Till it wears off.::

	"And just how long will that take?" Hiei added acidly as he
finished getting out of his wet clothing, dropping his shirt and pants onto
the top of the pile.

	Kurama took in Hiei's natural state with a repressed sigh of
appreciation and annoyance. Of course this opportunity would have to come
when he was helpless to do anything about it. He closed his eyes and
concentrated.

	::Did anything move?::

	"One of your ears twitched."

	Kurama's mental sigh was frustrated. ::A while still. Hiei, I'm
cold and very wet. Would you mind getting a towel and drying me off?
Please?::

	Much to his surprise, Hiei picked him up carefully and held him
against the warmth of his chest as he padded to the bathroom. Hiei wrapped
him in one of the towels and set him on the counter then took another and
went over himself with a quick efficiency, ending with a fast and furious
toweling of his wiry hair which even the fury of the storm hadn't been able
to flatten. Even after that toweling, it was still in place. Amazing. Then
he picked up Kurama and sat them both on the floor. Kurama managed a feeble
yelp since he couldn't scream as Hiei repeated the fast and furious part on
his drug sensitized body. He was still somewhat dazed as Hiei unwrapped him
and it took him a second to place the look on Hiei's face. It was
definitely amused.

	::What?:: Kurama managed to get out as the daze slipped into
definite discomfort.

	"You're all fluffed up like a scared cat!"

	Then the amusement fled to be replaced with a scowl as Kurama
whined softly.

	"What?"

	::My fur! It's all ruffled and standing on end and it's driving me
CRAZY!!!::

	The distress in Kurama's mind touch and the tone of his whine made
Hiei do something that he would never have let himself do under any other
circumstances. He ran the fingers of his good hand through the Youko's fur
and began combing it back into place. It was incredibly soft and felt
wonderful as it slid through his fingers. He had always wondered what
Kurama's fur would feel like to pet.

	Kurama sighed in relief, and pleasure, and relaxed.

	Hiei blinked in mid stroke as Kurama changed. His fingers were now
in red hair as soft as Youko fur.

	::uuum...don't stop!!!:: Kurama half purred/half pleaded, then
frowned as he realized his mind touch hadn't...touched.

	That meant he had changed back into his human shape. He opened his
eyes and gazed up at Hiei who was looking at something with a strange
expression.

	"Kurama, why are you like that?" Hiei sounded truly puzzled.

	"Like what?" Kurama wondered back.

	"All swollen and hard," Hiei answered as he leaned and stretched to
touch, innocent in his curiosity.

	Kurama jerked like he'd been hit by lightning as he connected. Hiei
flicked his hand away, still puzzled. Kurama had responded like he'd been
hurt but his aura had flared with pleasure colors. It just didn't make
sense!