"May I help you, sir?" she asked politely even though he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't sure if he was 'safe'.

"I need to see Lebeau Remy."

She blinked at him. "Do you have any English, sir?"

He rubbed at his forehead, found the right words. "I need to see Remy Lebeau, please."

"Is he expecting you, sir?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Name?" she asked once more as she picked up the phone and dialed.

"Tsuzuku Ryudo."

It took all of his will power not to lean down and rest his forehead on the cold marble of the counter top as they both waited.

"Mr. Lebeau doesn't seem to be in, Mr. Ryudo. Do you want to leave a message?"

"Please."

She handed him a pen and a piece of paper. His hand was trembling so badly that his English lettering was almost unreadable. It was a simple message, just his name, address and phone number and the request to get in touch. It wasn't eloquent, but it was the best his abused mind could come up with.

"I'll make sure he gets it, Mr. Ryudo," she folded the paper and put it into one of the unnumbered pigeon-holes behind her.

She gave him a hard stare as he hung onto desk edge and tried to formulate what to do next. He would go outside and wait for Remy to come. There was a little park area with benches and lots of cool shade just to the right of the broad pathway that led to the front doors of the building.

"Remy Lebeau?" a voice called softly from the shadows under the trees.

Merde! Which one of the fans had found him this time? He eyed the distance between himself and the safety of the front door and the guard there. He could make it if need be. He turned to face the person and almost dropped his bag as he recognized the lithe figure, the patchy sunlight making his dark auburn hair flicker like flames. Mon Dieu! He was here!

He did drop it as Tsuzuku Ryudo attempted a bow and went to his knees. He caught him by his shoulders. Tsuzuku put his hands on his forearms and pushed himself back onto his heels, then let go and sat up straight, taking his shoulders out from under Remy's hands.

"I apologize, Lebeau-san. I seem to be...unwell," he kept his eyes down, embarrassed.

"S'all right, Chere," Remy's hand went to his forehead before he could turn away from it.

"Chere, you be burnin' up! Come on!" Remy rose and took a hold of one elbow and pulled him to his feet. "You able to walk?"

Tsuzuku gave a little nod, then listed as that movement made the pain in his head flare and his vision narrowed. Remy was beside him, one arm going around his waist, the other guiding his arm around his shoulders.

"You lean on me, Chere. Only a few steps to the elevator and then I get you a nice cold drink and a cold towel and you can lay down, neh?"

"Domo arigato, Lebeau-san. I would appreciate that very much," Tsuzuku managed to get out as his senses reeled.

Then all he could do was concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other and keeping the wave of hot, rushing darkness at bay.

Remy's mind was spinning as he kept up a soft litany of encouragement as he supported Tsuzuku through the lobby and waited impatiently for the elevator. Their Dragon was in a bad way. What had happened?

Tannis, Lov, you choose the worst times to be away! he grumbled to himself as he fumbled with the key and the knob and the effort of keeping Tsuzuku upright.

Finally they were in and he guided the dragon to the sofa and let him down carefully. He kept his arm behind his back as he quickly tugged the loose pillows that formed the back and arranged them so they would support Tsuzuku. Their Dragon focused on him, his pupils so huge that there was barely a rim of emerald around them.

"I don't mean to be so much of an inconvenience, Lebeau-san," it was nothing more than a soft whisper.

"You don't worry about it, Chere! I be right back with some cold water, neh?"

"Hai. Domo-arigato."

Remy left him and hurried to the kitchen. He grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables and wrapped it in a dish towel with one hand while he held a glass against the dispenser for the refrigerated water. Tsuzuku had passed out by the time he got back.

Merde! He put the glass on the coffee table then gently laid the improvised ice pack across Tsuzuku's forehead and headed back for the kitchen. He returned with a bowl of cold water and some more dish towels. He put the towels in to soak and started to unbutton Tsuzuku's shirt. He was undoing the last one before the shirt disappeared into his waistband when the young dragon groaned softly and arched up to press against his hands. The slight rock of his hips brought Remy's attention farther down to the bulge under the fabric along his groin.

Merde! He jerked his hands away. He knew suddenly what was wrong with their Dragon. He was in a Blood Heat. He needed Tannis! He glanced at his watch as he worried his bottom lip. Even if she left right now she was still at least four hours away. He grabbed the phone and hit the programed button for the gallery where Tannis was setting up her show and held it between his shoulder and ear as he wrung out the first towel and laid it across Tsuzuku's chest, careful not to come into contact with his skin.

He had finished with the third and was re-wetting the first when Tannis finally got to the other end.

"Tannis, Lov, guess what?" he tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

"What's wrong?" Tannis demanded as she picked up on it anyway.

"We got a visitor. He's here, Tannis! And in trouble. He needs you!" he draped the towel and made a soothing noise as Tsuzuku shifted restlessly.

"Tsuzuku's there?!"

"In the flesh, Lov! You be needing to come home now! He be all hot and bothered."

There was a pause as she digested that.

"O.K. I'm on my way. Remy," there was another pause and he knew what she was thinking, he was thinking about the possibility of having to do it too, "I love you. I'll get there as fast as I can."

"I love you to, Tannis! Hurry, but be careful, neh?"

"I'll see you in a couple of hours." The line went dead.

It would be more than a couple of hours. Even if she could open the Jag up to its limit, traffic would slow her down. It would be at least four, maybe up to six hours before she got here. He touched the first towel with light fingers. It was warm. He took it off and dunked it and started the cycle once more.

Forty minutes crawled by and the cold compresses weren't doing any good. In fact, Tsuzuku was getting hotter. He was soaked in sweat and had started muttering in Japanese. Remy knew that their Dragon wasn't going to make it until Tannis came home. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his thoughts and feelings uncertain and anxious. He needed to decide, and soon.

He had no desire for men. Only one had ever brought about those longings and until two nights ago, he had thought him nothing but a dream. Well, his dream was now a living, breathing and distressed reality. And distressed enough that if he didn't get some relief soon, he was going to Change.

Change. He had seen Tsuzuku do it twice in dreams, had shared his agony and fury and terror at the first. The second had been better but still awful. He was taken with an involuntary shudder at the memory. And if he Changed now, it would be like the first time. He would do anything to keep their Dragon from going through that again. Anything. He opened his eyes and studied the young man before him and felt himself color. It wouldn't be unwelcome experience.

He knew how to do it. He had had dreams of this kind of love-making, but it was in a far away time and another place when he hadn't been Remy Lebeau and Tsuzuku Ryudo had been a ruling Dragon-of-Heaven. That was also how he knew what was wrong with the Dragon. He had seen it happen before in his dreams. He went into the bathroom off of his and Tannis' bedroom and started the shower, then stripped and wrapped a towel around his waist.

He went back to Tsuzuku and took off the compresses and then the third bag of almost thawed vegetables. First off, he was going to douse him in a cold shower and see if that might not help with the heat. Tsuzuku twitched and shivered as his hands came into contact with his skin as he worked on getting him undressed. Done with that task, he slid his arms under Tsuzuku's knees and shoulders and lifted him into his arms. Tsuzuku's arms went around his neck in instinct and he heard and felt the Dragon sigh as he rested his hot cheek against his shoulder.

They both gasped in shock as the cold water hit them as he took them into the shower. He turned Tsuzuku toward him as he let his legs down and kept him upright and against him by locking his arms around his waist. Tsuzuku clung to his neck and leaned against him. Remy pressed his cheek against the sweat darkened hair and waited to see if the water would help.

The shock of the cold water against his skin snapped him out of the pain-tinged and fire-filled chaos of his dreams. He gasped in shock at the coldness, then again as he realized he was naked and leaning against naked flesh. Male. He looked up. Remy. Fire-tinged lust flashed through him, frightening in its intensity. He pushed away and staggered a few steps back, struck the hand that reached out to help him away.

Remy dropped his hand and regarded him with quiet eyes. Tsuzuku reached out and leaned against the wall for support as the water rained down.

"What are you doing?" he bit out.

"You be needing to cool down, Chere. This be the last way I could think to do it," Remy crossed his arms and leaned against the back tiles of the shower stall.

"You be burning with the Blood Heat, Tsuzuku Ryudo. You got all of two choices as far as I can see. You take care of the problem or you Change. Tannis not getting home in time to help you. I wouldn't do this for any other man but you, Chere. But if you don't want it, you tell me now and I'll get us a taxi and we get you to someplace safe for you to Change."

Blood Heat? Tsuzuku shook his head gingerly and tried to get his mind to work. The ice of the water was helping a little. Tannis. Tannis must be Lee-san. Change? He couldn't. Take care of the problem? His sex drive was causing this? Gods! He looked at Remy who was waiting for his answer.

The memory of the feeling of the man's skin pressed against his own burned along his nerves. But did he want to do this most private thing with Remy? He knew the answer before he asked himself the question. It was hentai, and frightening, but he wanted the feel of Remy's skin against his own once more. He lowered his eyes, embarrassed to the very core of his soul.

"I don't want to Change," he whispered.

Remy pushed off the back wall and came to him. He stopped six inches away. Tsuzuku closed his eyes as the kiss came. It was a soft, tentative thing.

"There. That not so bad, neh?" Remy grinned at him as he opened his eyes. "Turn around, Chere. Get all of you cooled off, neh?"

Tsuzuku did and tried not to twitch as Remy's arms went back around his waist. The hands intertwined gently across his stomach and Tsuzuku slowly relaxed as he leaned back against him. They stood unmoving for a few minutes then Remy kissed, then nuzzled the side of his neck. It sent a tickle filled quiver all the way down his body. He tensed.

"Relax, Chere. Relax," Remy whispered in his ear, then nibbled on his ear lobe.

He tried but couldn't. Remy sighed behind him.

"You all right to be in here by yourself for a bit? I'm getting out to dry off."

Tsuzuku nodded, relieved and yet not that Remy was leaving for a moment. He put his hands against the tile in front of him and leaned so the spray beat against the back of his shoulders. It drove the headache from agony into something almost tolerable and let him think a bit more clearly once more.

This is insane. I'm not inclined towards men! His gaze went against his will to the lean muscular shape of the man drying next to the glass of the shower stall. What was it about him that he found so attractive? And it wasn't just from this thing that ailed him. He had thought Remy sexually desirable from the first time he had seen him.

"Ready to come out, Chere?" Remy called.

Tsuzuku turned the shower off and slid the door open. Remy nodded encouragement as he stood for a moment. He stepped out, held his hand out for the towel, then gulped as Remy shook his head and started to dry his body gently. It was one of those brushed cotton ones that felt like velvet. It was one of the most erotic things he had ever experienced. He wasn't sure when the towel had been dropped and the caress had changed to Remy's hands.

Remy was behind him again and his hands wandered up the sides of his back, over and across his shoulders then onto his chest. The rough feel of the tips of those string-hardened fingers was a strange counterpoint to the feather light touches. He had a passing thought that Remy was playing him like his guitar. He shuddered as those fingers brushed across his nipples, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His whole body was buzzing and tingling. He leaned back against Remy's chest as those fingers stroked the plain of his stomach, blinked and felt the heat of his face grow more intense as he realized what the hard throbbing pressure against his rear was. He was about to move his hips out and away a little when Remy's hands found his erection. He threw his head back as the pleasure-filled shock swept through him. The touches were light and teasing. Then the hands were gone as Remy stepped away from him. He turned, wanting Remy and his hands back.

Remy smiled and took his hand and led him toward the big canopied bed. It was a fairy-tale thing draped with gauze and covered with silk. Remy put his hands on his shoulders and steered him to sit on the side. The silk was cool and smooth against the underside of his thighs.

"Lay down, Tsuzuku," Remy told him as he reached for the lotion dispenser that Tannis kept on her side table and rubbed some of the lotion into his hands while Tsuzuku leaned back to lay rigid, once again full of anxious tension.

He sat next to him and leaned to kiss his forehead, then the tip of his nose. Their Dragon's lips were tense and unresponsive under his first kiss. He tried again and smiled as Tsuzuku's mouth relaxed. The young dragon kissed back tentatively under his coaxing yet he would not part his lips to let his tongue in. Remy gave a mental shrug as he straightened, ready to move on. Tsuzuku flinched violently when he put his palms against the ripple of muscles over his stomach.

"Relax, Chere! I not be going to bite! At least not yet!" he gave a roguish wink as he ran his hands down the flat plane of Tsuzuku's stomach slowly, giving him time to become re-accustomed to his touch.

The dark auburn curls that surrounded Tsuzuku's hardness was like feather down under his calloused fingertips as he brought his hands together. Tsuzuku's silk covered length throbbed and gave little jerks as he massaged the cream into it with long, soft strokes. His gaze went to Tsuzuku's face as the Dragon made a muted sound of longing. There was the whisper of fabric as his fingers knotted into the silk of the bedspread and his hips rose slightly in welcome to each touch.

Mon Dieu! He is so beautiful! Remy thought in amazement as their Dragon tipped his head back and pressed it into the pillows and closed his eyes, his lips now half-open as if inviting the deep kiss he would not let Remy have earlier.

Remy debated the best way to go about this as he readied them both. Those of the dragon-blood, male and female, needed penetration to achieve release. Tsuzuku was more than ready, but how to go about it? He was going to have to be the initiator and that was hard to do from most of the positions he knew of. Finally he settled on one that should work.

He moved his caress back up to Tsuzuku's chest as he moved to straddle him above his hips. He put his hands on either side of Tsuzuku's head and left a trail of lingering kisses along his tipped jaw and down the arch of his exposed neck. He kissed the hollow of his throat as he reached back and guided Tsuzuku's tip to the right spot.

Tsuzuku was lost in sensation. Remy seemed to know just where to touch, where to kiss. His whole body thrummed with pleasure that was almost unbearable. He was aware that Remy had moved to straddle him but hadn't put the reason behind the action. The soft exhale of breath after each lingering, moist kiss along his throat was like being touched with ice and made his whole body shiver as the brush of the ends of the long black hair against this chest joined the sensation to create a breath robbing tickle.

They both groaned as Remy slid onto him. Tsuzuku froze as his length was engulfed in tight heat and the sensation radiated through his frame. He stared up in wonder at the face above him. Remy opened his dark, silver flecked eyes and smiled back as he moved himself up, and then back down. Tsuzuku remained frozen for a few more slow rocks as the pleasure took him higher and higher until he couldn't stand it any more. He grabbed Remy's hips and began frantic, fast thrusts until he arched and drove deep, his whole body quivering as the orgasm rolled through him.

He came back to his senses to the awareness of light fingers brushing his sweat dampened hair off of his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and with effort. His whole body was limp and relaxed and strangely heavy. Remy was lying on his side next to him, propped up on one elbow.

"Better, Chere?" he asked with a grin and quirked eyebrow.

Tsuzuku took fast stock of himself. Yes, he was better. The heat that had been burning in his body was dissipating and the headache had vanished. The absence of that pain was almost a shock.

"Hai, Remy-san. Much better," he answered with a blush as he met the man's eyes.

"Good. You rest now," Remy ordered softly, the touch of his fingers against his brow hypnotic.

Tsuzuku felt his eyes start to close, then forced them back open. Hajime was some where close. He could 'feel' his brother's presence.

"I have to talk to my brother!" The tone of his statement was firm in his mind but came out of his mouth as a mumble.

"I'll take care of it, Chere. Tell me your number and I'll call."

Tsuzuku frowned. That wasn't what he'd meant. But Hajime's presence was moving away at the moment, and moving fast. He tired to figure out what that meant but his exhausted mind would not form a coherent solution. Perhaps Hajime had 'felt' that he was all right now and would be waiting for him to call the apartment. That made sense. He tried to dredge the number up but couldn't think clearly around the exhaustion that pulled at him.

"It's on a paper I left downstairs for you."

"You don't be worrying about it no more, Chere. You just rest now, neh?" Remy's voice was soothing and low and Tsuzuku found he could not resist it or the caress that accompanied it.

Matsuri had been so upset and apologetic when he had gotten back to the apartment. He had assured her that it wasn't her fault. It was his. He should have stayed home. He had known that something was wrong with Tsuzuku and her quick recounting of his brother's terrible fever and near Change had scared him. That Tsuzuku was sick was something he didn't know how to deal with. They didn't get sick! At least they never had, not even a cold. If Tsuzuku had struck out in delirium or Changed he could have serious injured or even killed Matsuri!

That thought and the image of his fever-stricken brother wandering around in an unknown city preyed on him as he hurried as fast as he could without attracting undue attention. Where was Tsuzuku going? Why had he left? Was he frightened of hurting Matsuri? Finally he zeroed in on his brother and took as straight a path as possible as he followed the feeling uptown.

He ended up at one of the very high class apartment buildings. Tsuzuku was on one of the upper floors. He paused for a moment under one of the trees that lined the broad pathway that led to the building and thought. He eyed the doorman and the uniformed guard just inside the sliding glass doors. He knew they wouldn't let him in unless he had legitimate business with one of the residents and he had no idea why Tsuzuku had come here or who he could be with. He walked around the building and stopped to count the floors to the place where Tsuzuku's presence was the strongest. Seventeen. He could climb it easily and each apartment had a convenient balcony. And then he would have the option of surprise if need be.

He prayed that no one had seen him and called the police as he eased over the steel guard rail and crouched into the shadows of the many plants that decorated the balcony. He waited a few moments then slunk to peer into the first set of doubled sliding glass doors. He could see a dining room and beyond that a bit of a living room. Yet no one was in sight. Where was Tsuzuku? He slid along the wall to the other set of doors at the far end of the patio.

He stopped his blow to take out the windows a hairs breath from connection as he realized what was going on. Heat rushed to his face. At first glance he had thought that the unknown man had Tsuzuku pinned under him on the bed. Truth be told, he did. But it wasn't a struggle of violence. It was one of passion. He stood and stared in numb shock as his brother grabbed the man's hips and went into the final, frantic rhythm. By the time he got over enough of his shock to move, Tsuzuku was slightly arched off the bed, his hands keeping his partner pressed firmly against his hips while his body jerked with little spasms as his release went through him.

Hajime turned and leaned back against the wall. What should he do? If his brother was still feverish, he should stay and make his presence known. But what he had just seen was a private thing and Tsuzuku would be terribly embarrassed to know he had witnessed it. He peeked around the edge of the sliding doors once more and pulled on a bit of power to sharpen his hearing. The man was laying next to Tsuzuku, his back to him and keeping his brother from his sight. He heard the strangely accented voice ask Tsuzuku if he felt better and felt relief when he heard Tsuzuku's, "Hai, Remy-san. Much better."

Remy. Who was Remy? Obviously someone with dragon-blood. Well, whoever he was, he seemed willing to look after Tsuzuku and his brother had said he was feeling better. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to leave and wait for Tsuzuku to call or come home. He knew where he was now and he appeared to be safe. He looked out over the railing to check to see if the coast was clear, then vaulted over and fell to land in a crouch. He stood and gave one last look to the balcony, then turned and hurried for home.

Images of Tsuzuku and his lover locked together in their passion kept coming to the fore of his mind while he walked and that led his thoughts to something that he had been trying very hard to repress. Until his Change he had thought of Matsuri as nothing more than cousin. A very much loved cousin, but loved in the same way he loved his brothers. But after re-living some of the memories of that other time and place he found his feelings had subtly changed. He now found himself looking at her in a new and different light and no longer could he view her as only his cousin, though God help him, he tried.

He shook his head to dispel the new images that came to him. He was not Hakkei and Matsuri was not Taishinoufujin. He might have Hakkei's memories and powers but he was Ryudo Hajime! His own unique person! Yet in his dreams he would re-live Hakkei's memories of their love-making and wake hot and hard with need. And four nights ago he had woken standing next to Matsuri's bed with no memory of how he got there. But he knew why he had come and had fled from her with soundless steps. That had shaken him and he worried that it would happen again.

Yet what could he do except command himself every night before he went to sleep that he would not go to her? They were all trapped here in this tiny apartment. He stood for a moment and frowned at the run-down building that they now called home, then sighed. He took the stairs two at a time until he hit the third landing and came upon one of their neighbors. The frail old man was wheezing with exertion as he struggled with his bag laden, two-wheeled shopping cart.

"Good afternoon, Ichen-san. Let me take this for you," the look of gratitude that came across the old man's face embarrassed him.

"Thank-you, Ryudo-san," Ichen gave him a low bow as Hajime took the basket by the back and picked it up enough to clear the stairs.