Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance. The idea for the story belongs to RainyDayz.

Chapter 1

The rain fell, its soft melody filling the night air as it landed on the roofs of the buildings, sliding down only to be caught in the rain gutters and falling to fill the streets below. Small rivers ran alongside the curb, splashing up to drench pedestrians as the cars drove by.

A fire demon sat huddled in a tree, watching the scene below him for lack of anything better to do. Not being able to leave the city due to the terms of his probation, he was forced to find what shelter he could to wait out the storm. He cursed as the leaves above him gave out under the weight of the water, pouring the rain they had collected upon his head. A ningen walked underneath him, the Jagan glowing softly as he put a suggestion in her mind to check the time. 11:27? Kurama's human mother should be asleep by now, he thought, jumping from the tree and quickly making his way to the fox's house.

The house was dark when Hiei arrived, so he quickly climbed up the tree just outside of Kurama's bedroom and moved to the window. It opened easily, as always, and the fire demon slipped inside, shutting the glass pane behind him. Small puffs of steam rose as he unconsciously raised his body temperature, drying his clothes. He glanced over at the bed, noticing for the first time that Kurama was not in it. A foul odor wafted across his nose, accompanied by a faint noise coming from down the hall. Sensing the kitsune's energy coming from that direction, the koorime went to investigate.

He stepped out into the hallway, seeing a light coming from a room further down. He stopped in the doorway, recognizing it as the bathroom. Kurama was kneeling in front of the toilet, his face ashen. His eyes were closed; sweat glistening on his forehead while tears clung to his eyelashes. One hand clutched the porcelain rim of the bowl and the other held his hair back as he vomited. His body convulsed, forcing him to support himself with both hands and allowing his hair to fall forward. Without conscious thought to do so, Hiei crossed the room and caught the hair, holding it back and out of the way as the redhead retched again.

Kurama spit out the residue left in his mouth before raising a shaky hand to flush the toilet. He turned his head, green eyes widening slightly in surprise when he saw who was behind him. "Thank you, Hiei," he said, his voice slightly raspy as he pushed himself to his feet. He leaned heavily against the sink as he wiped his face with a damp washcloth, also filling a cup with water to rinse his mouth out.

"Hn. What's wrong with you, anyway?" Hiei asked, mildly curious as he watched Kurama slowly walk back to his room, leaning on the wall for support.

"I'm sick." Kurama paused, realizing that his friend would probably not know what that meant. "Basically, I have an upset stomach and I'm having a hard time keeping any food down. This is coupled with a headache and fever, as well as dizziness when I try to walk," he explained, all but collapsing on his bed.

"And that makes you 'sick?' " Hiei asked, taking his place at the window.

"Yes," the redhead replied, snuggling deep into the covers.

"Hn. Just one more thing that makes ningen weak."

Kurama ignored him, not feeling up to an argument with the fire demon. He closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. However, sleep did not come easily. He turned away from Hiei, kneading his fingers into his scalp as he tried to massage away the pain. He soon gave up as it wasn't doing any good and pulled the blankets more tightly around himself, trying to ward off the pervasive chill that plagued his body. A tickling sensation in the back of his throat made him take shallow, controlled breaths in the hopes of staving off the coughing fit that was sure to follow. His entire body tensed, trying to quell the urge.

Hiei's crimson gaze shifted to his friend. For some reason, it sounded like the redhead was having difficulty breathing.

Unable to suppress it any longer, Kurama gave in, allowing the spasm to overtake him. His entire frame shuddered as the coughing fit wracked his body. Each cough felt like a spike through his skull. Instinctually, he rolled onto his side, curling slightly as if to protect himself. After what felt like an eternity, the coughing subsided. Kurama fell back limply against the mattress, feeling drained. His gasping breaths were the only sound breaking the silence.

Hiei turned away, directing his gaze out the rain-streaked window. He didn't like seeing the kitsune so weak for no apparent reason. I should leave. Spending the night outside in this miserable weather would be better than staying here. Kurama wouldn't want me to see him like this, anyway, he thought, one hand resting on the window frame. The soft rustle of cloth caught his attention and he turned, glancing across the room.

Kurama pushed the covers off himself, carefully standing. He closed his eyes briefly as his head throbbed, firmly repressing a piteous moan. I do not need to seem any weaker than I already do, he thought, walking slowly across the room. He could feel Hiei's gaze following his every movement. He paused at the doorway, leaning against the frame. Darkness flickered around the edges of his sight as he berated himself. This is ridiculous! I should not be so tired from walking across the room! Oh well, it doesn't matter. I should be able to get down to the kitchen, he thought, pushing off the door frame. He took a few staggering steps, reaching out to the wall to steady himself. He heard Hiei's voice; but couldn't understand what was said, the words seeming to be coming from far away. Vertigo hit him as the blackness completely swallowed his vision. He was unconscious before he felt himself falling.

Hiei caught the redhead, supporting his flaccid body. Crimson eyes widened slightly as he realized Kurama had passed out. This doesn't make any sense. The only times I've seen the kitsune pass out, were during the Dark Tournament from severe energy loss. Although his aura is a bit weaker than it normally is, that is not the cause. Could it be part of being sick? Why did he not mention that earlier? the fire demon wondered. He stood in the hallway for a moment, before carrying Kurama back into his room and laying him on the bed. He stood there, unsure of what he should do now.

The redhead stirred, opening his eyes. His gaze landed on the ceiling. I was... his thought trailed off as he looked to the side, slightly glazed emerald orbs landing on Hiei. "I passed out?" he asked. The fire demon nodded curtly, but Kurama thought he could detect the faintest traces of concern in the crimson stare. "One of the many joys of being ill," he said humorlessly, reassuring his friend that it was nothing to be concerned about.

"Hn. What were you trying to do, anyway?" Hiei asked.

"I was trying to go down to the kitchen," Kurama replied, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the pillow. Being sick wouldn't be so unbearable if my head did not ache so, he thought resisting the urge to massage his temples in front of Hiei.

"Why?"

"Because I do not have a stove to heat water on in my room and I would like to make some tea," came the tired reply. The redhead pulled the covers over him, not hearing the soft footfalls as his companion left the room. Kurama opened his eyes as Hiei came back into the room a few seconds later, surprised as a steaming mug of hot water was pushed into his hands. "Thank you, Hiei," he said, still a bit startled.

"Hn." The fire demon resumed his place by the window.

The redhead ran one hand through his hair, looking for the seeds he needed. How did Hiei-- he paused mid-thought, smiling at his momentary lapse. He's a fire demon. He doesn't need a stove, he thought, pulling out four seeds from his hair. Using a little youki, he caused them to grow; plucking one leaf off of each and watching the plants shrink back into seeds. Headache. Fever. Nausea, he thought, crushing each leaf between his fingers and dropping it in time with his thoughts. He held the last leaf up, a slight smile touching his lips as he repeated the procedure. And last, but certainly not least: Sedative, he thought, swirling the water a little bit. He held the mug in his hands to warm them while the medicinal properties of the leaves were infused into the liquid. He waited several minutes before drinking it, setting the empty cup on the nightstand and settling back down underneath his blankets.

Hiei stared unseeingly out the watery window as he listened to Kurama's breathing, noting when it evened out as the redhead finally fell asleep. You're stronger than this. You shouldn't be made to suffer through ningen 'sickness' with the rest of this inferior race, he thought, turning his head such that his gaze now rested on his friend.

Kurama shifted uneasily, drawing his legs up and curling into a ball, as if subconsciously trying to preserve his body heat. Not wanting the kitsune to wake, Hiei reached out with his youki, warming the blankets. It took a minute or two, but the redhead relaxed, his breathing slowing as he fell into a deep sleep. Turning back, Hiei continued to watch the blurry shapes through the window.

The next morning, Shiori was down in the kitchen cooking. "Shuichi, breakfast's ready!" she called up the stairs. When there was no answer she called again. "Shuichi?" That's odd, he's usually up before I am. Did he stay up late studying? she wondered, making her way to her son's room. She knocked, cracking the door open. "Shuichi?"

The room was dark, so she let herself in. Noticing a draft, her eyes strayed to the window. It was open about an inch, letting in the cold morning air. She crossed the room, closing the window before turning towards the bed. "How can you sleep with the window open, especially with the storm we had last night," she said, turning on the lamp on the nightstand.

Kurama squinted, blinking his eyes against the bright light. Shiori paused, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You don't look so well. Are you feeling all right?" she asked placing her palm on his forehead.

Well, I feel better than I did last night, the redhead thought, closing his eyes as she moved her hand down to his cheek.

"You feel a bit warm. Would you like to stay home from school today?" she asked.

"Actually, I would," he replied, his voice soft. I'm still feeling a bit drugged from the tea. It works wonders for those symptoms, but takes forever to get out of my system, he thought, half-lidded eyes watching his mother's movements.

Shiori nodded, standing up. "I'll bring you something to eat," she said, leaving the room.

The redhead listened as her footsteps faded before closing his eyes. /You left the window open,/ he murmured telepathically.

/Hn./

Kurama chuckled softly, expecting that response. He snuggled into the heated blankets, sighing contentedly. /Thank you, Hiei,/ he said sincerely.

/Baka kitsune./

The End