Hiei paused in the act of dropping his cloak on the floor and blinked at him. It was clearly not the greeting he had expected. His expression wavered, then settled on a guarded frown. "Why?"
"I thought as much. I have water right here." He indicated his desk, where he had set a full pitcher next to a bowl and towel. "Take your boots off, then come and have your hands washed."
The youkai's obstinate gaze said as plainly as words that he thought the fox had lost what little brains he may once have possessed. Kurama smiled. "You might as well do it," he advised, closing the window firmly. "You're not escaping tonight." He would make *very* certain of that. He had waited far too long for such a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how enjoyable a bit of play could be.
Hiei glared a moment more, probably trying to puzzle out why he had been summoned to face what must seem a bizarre and pointless request. Kurama hadn't revealed what he had planned, just that it would be a treat. At last the fire demon relented, breaking eye contact to tug off his boots and leave them by his cloak.
"Now," the redhead instructed, picking up the pitcher, "hold your hands over the bowl."
"Why?" Hiei persisted, still suspicious.
"Because, silly, we're going to be eating, and Enma only knows what you've touched recently." He dipped his fingers in the warm liquid and flicked a couple of drops in his friend's direction. "See? It's harmless."
Hiei apparently decided it wasn't worth arguing--or perhaps he considered the reason to be a good one--because he did as he was asked. Kurama poured out some of the water, then reached into the bowl for the sliver of soap he had left there. He worked it into a lather and began gently massaging the youkai's dampened hands with it. He didn't speak; he focused intently on each movement instead, silently hinting at what else he could do if given the chance. Their more-than-mere-friendship hadn't grown quite that physical yet, though, and so he satisfied himself with each simple contact.
By the time he finished, the fire demon had almost completely relaxed his taut wariness. Kurama captured both smaller hands in one of his, rinsed the other in the water that the bowl had collected, and then used the clean hand to pour the remainder of the pitcher's contents, washing away the last of the soap. "There," he murmured, transferring their joined hands to the drying cloth, "that wasn't so bad."
Hiei continued to watch him carefully, but the suspicion had been replaced by amused curiosity. He might balk at first in an effort to maintain the protective barriers he had built around his heart, but he had never outright rejected any of the youko's advances. During their private encounters, he visibly struggled against admitting the weakness that a need for intimacy represented, and yet once he experienced a sample, he couldn't bring himself to turn away.
Kurama vowed that he would one day slip past those barriers and bask in the light they sheltered, the intense brilliance of which he had been able to glimpse only a few, treasured times. The path toward that goal was difficult at best, but he savored every step.
He gave the towel one final stroke and laid it aside. He had wanted to suggest his bed for the next activity of the evening, strictly in the name of comfort, but that would send the wrong message. He wasn't going to seduce the youkai--not yet, at any rate--just have not-so-innocent fun with him. However, he couldn't ask his friend to sit on the bare floor, even if it was no real hardship; that wouldn't set the right mood. He had eventually managed to come up with an acceptable compromise.
"I'm going to fetch the treat I promised," he said. "I'll be back in a minute. While I'm gone, take my blanket and lay it out here for us. Make yourself comfortable." He tossed back a wink before closing the door.
It wasn't long until he returned with the two bowls he had prepared earlier in the day and left chilling in the refrigerator. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the fire demon had folded the blanket into fourths rather than spreading it out flat. It was a positive sign that he was ready for the closeness the arrangement forced upon them.
The kitsune sat facing his friend, setting the containers slightly to one side instead of between them, not wanting any more of a buffer than absolutely necessary. The youkai peered inside and frowned. "Fruit?" he asked. "What's so special about fruit?"
"It's not what they are that's important," Kurama answered, picking up one of the bright red strawberries, "...it's what you do with them." He held it out, offering. When Hiei began to reach for it, he shook his head. "Not like that," he corrected softly. "Here." He moved it forward until it nearly brushed the fire demon's lips.
Hiei's eyes narrowed as he started to understand. He hesitated, showing a flicker of uncertainty, then opened his mouth, allowing the fox to feed him. After he swallowed, he nodded at the second bowl. "What about that?"
Kurama grinned. "That's whipped cream. It's a topping, for enhancing taste." He made a beckoning motion. "It's your turn. And don't worry. Half the fun is from sharing time alone together. You can't do anything wrong, so just enjoy it."
"Hn." The youkai considered the contrasting bowls. He selected one of the strawberries and scooped the tip of it through the whipped cream, coating it with the fluffy white stuff. He lifted it up to the redhead, who eagerly accepted it, closing his eyes to concentrate on the cool sweetness. Hiei chuckled. "You're so damn dramatic."
The kitsune opened his eyes again, running his tongue over his lips. "That's the *other* half of the fun," he explained slyly. He repeated what his friend had done, decided he had too much cream, and licked some off before surrendering it.
The fire demon raised his eyebrows, but he didn't seem to mind. On his turn, he chose one from the top of the pile. Kurama darted forward, taking the fingers into his mouth as well as the fruit, sucking deeply before letting them slide out. He detected only the merest trace of the soap he had used earlier, not enough to be disagreeable.
He looked down to pick his third, and when he brought his gaze up again he found the space separating them had vanished, the youkai sitting so close they practically touched. He suppressed a delighted laugh, afraid to break the spell, but he knew his eyes were shining. He kissed the tip of the strawberry and drew it slowly along the line of his friend's jaw, lightly teasing. The sigh he evoked from the smaller demon was unexpected, filled with longing and very erotic. He swallowed, his heart rate increasing as the red fruit traced the narrow lips, delivering his kiss to its intended destination.
He cupped his hand, releasing the strawberry to tumble into the concave center. The youkai bowed his head to pluck it up, lingering to tickle the upturned palm with his tongue. The fox shivered, reveling in a sensation that ended all too quickly.
Hiei didn't even pause to check the bowl; he took the first one that connected with his searching fingers. Eyes half-lidded and smoldering, he placed the fruit between his own teeth. The challenge was plain: If you want it, come and get it.
Kurama wanted it.
He covered the fire demon's mouth with his own, one hand dropping down to the blanket for balance, the other bracing on his friend's hip. The ill-fated strawberry wound up being crushed as they wrestled for possession of it, its flavor shared between them, heightening their ardor. The youko finally managed to succeed in winning it, but he didn't pull away until he had probed the other's mouth one more time for good measure.
"I think you're getting the hang of this," he whispered, not trusting his voice for anything stronger.
After a moment to regain his composure, he selected one of the larger strawberries of those remaining and, deciding the whipped cream had been neglected for too long, loaded it with a generous portion. He moved it toward the youkai's lips--and deliberately missed, dabbing it against the curve of the chin. "Ooops," he said, his tone not at all apologetic, "I guess I'll have to fix that." He proceeded to lick away the sugary white mark, beginning with a slow, careful stroke and finishing with a series of swift touches.
He drew back and studied the fire demon's face, wondering where else he should strike. Noting his regard, Hiei gave him a half-mocking smile. "How bad is your aim?"
"Absolutely dreadful," he responded with feigned regret.
"Maybe you need a bigger target." The youkai tilted his head, baring his neck.
Kurama couldn't stop it this time; a melodic laughter bubbled up out of him as he obligingly painted a swath down the exposed skin. Hiei held tightly to his shoulders as he followed the sticky trail with hungry kisses. He could feel the other's breath coming fast and shallow.
It wasn't until he reached the hollow of his friend's throat, however, that he noticed the trembling. "Hiei?" he asked, putting the strawberry aside so he could hold the fire demon with both arms. "How are you doing?"
Strong fingers dug into his shoulders. "Give it to me," he demanded quietly.
"What?"
"The fruit." The grip relaxed along with the answer, as if some threat had been avoided. "Give it to me."
The kitsune understood. If he didn't complete his turn, if he didn't obey the rules, then it stopped being a game and became frighteningly real. He had too much respect for his friend to push once a line had been drawn. He retrieved the rather messy piece of fruit, and the youkai ate it without complaint.
Instead of calling an end to the evening, as the youko halfway expected, Hiei chose another strawberry. He turned it over in his hand a few times, scowling at it as though daring it to reveal any flaws. He poked at the top end, from which the stem had been removed. Finally, his inspection concluded, he took the fox by the wrist and tucked the red fruit into the open palm as if it were a precious gem. "It's not perfect," he said, his face expressionless, "but you can have it...if you still want it."
Kurama nodded solemnly and tasted it. After chewing and swallowing thoughtfully, he polished off the whole thing, making sure he didn't lose a drop of the juice. He caught and held the fire demon's gaze. "Just the way I like it."
Then, taking advantage of the distraction, he dipped a finger into the whipped cream and dotted it on his friend's nose.
Hiei blinked, startled. His eyes crossed in an attempt to see what the fox had done. He looked so utterly stunned at the audacity of the move--not to mention the sight of the little white puff on the tip of his nose--that Kurama once more lost himself to laughter.
The youkai growled at his hysterical friend, scrubbed the mark away, and without any further warning, knocked the redhead to the floor and sat on him. "You," he snarled, leaning down so that their faces were only millimeters apart, "are living very dangerously."
Kurama wrapped his arms around the other demon's waist and lifted his head so they rubbed noses. "I have to," he shot back, "when you're the danger."
Hiei wriggled down to rest his cheek on the youko's chest. "Kurama..."
"Shh." He smoothed a hand up and down his friend's back. "It's all right. I told you, you can't do anything wrong. Besides, strawberries taste best after waiting for them to ripen." He brushed at the black hair tickling him. "When you're ready, you'll know, and I'll still be here."
"Hn." He shifted position, bringing his lips to the kitsune's ear. The murmured comment was so low, Kurama nearly missed it. By the time he managed to recover, the youkai had snatched up his belongings and vanished.
He sat up, lightheaded and grinning like a fool. "Next time," came his heartfelt agreement. He glanced at the small bowl beside him and chuckled. "Looks as though I'll be needing a *lot* more whipped cream."