The weather was fierce and untamed as its ice cold rain hammered down onto the gloomy city below; drenching the buildings and

The weather was fierce and untamed as its ice cold rain hammered down onto the gloomy city below; drenching the buildings and streets in its pure, righteous essence. People, who were less worried about the weather and more worried about their business, hurried along the slippery sidewalks, pushing past one another without a word. Annoyed drivers honked the horns of their vehicles as the rain tapped endlessly at their windshields.

Seto Kaiba stood quietly outside, standing clear of the rain under the overhanging of a small building that was closed down for the day. His only company was the rain and its merciless tone. His mind was lost elsewhere as his ice coated eyes stared into the sheets of oncoming rain.

"Seto!"

Blinking, Seto was taken from his thoughts; he moved his eyes ahead, searching through the rain for the vessel of that oh-so-familiar voice. It was Kouga. He was standing there about sixty feet away, soaked through; breathing hard. A determined look was plastered to his somewhat tan features. The wolf's fists were also clenched.

Seto could only watch in silence as Kouga approached, his athletic figure neatly outlined from his damp clothes being weighed down by the wet.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seto asked, trying to hide the slight surprise he was feeling bubble within him.

A smirk started to play almost tauntingly at Kouga's lips as he stepped under the overhanging, a trail of water following his every step on the dry concrete. "I thought you might be here," he stated, ignoring Seto's question.

Seto frowned, his icy blue orbs never leaving the wolf. "Are you trying to catch a cold or something?" he suddenly blurted, removing his long white overcoat. Tossing that to the ground, the human started to remove his shirt, gesturing for Kouga to do the same.

Raising an eyebrow – but making no complaints – Kouga started to remove his drenched shirt, sneaking a peek at Seto and his body.

Seto neared Kouga, extending his arm to the demon. "Dry yourself off with this," he said smoothly, giving Kouga his dry black turtle-neck.

Kouga nodded as the young man took his wet shirt, ringing the water out of it. When Seto went to hang the wet article of clothing over a safe bike rack, the wolf turned away, breathing in the scent that was still clinging to Seto's clothing. Then, slowly, the wolf started to dry himself. He gently dabbed the warm cloth to his cold skin.

Seto stared at the wet shirt for a little bit before turning around to face Kouga. He paused. For some reason, the human could not take his eyes from the other man. He could not take his eyes from the long dark strands of hair that clung to Kouga's back; his shoulders; his face.

"You still haven't answered my first question," Seto said suddenly, his tone cold. "Why are you here?"

Kouga hesitated, the turtleneck resting on his neck and cheek. "I wanted to see you. Is that so bad?"

Seto felt his heart skip a beat at those words, and he continued to watch as Kouga started to dry himself off again. No words were able to take flight from his tongue.

"Since you have that new tournament and all…I figured you'd be so busy that I wouldn't get to see you as much." Kouga then fell silent as he started to dry himself again.

Seto quickly tried to make eye contact with Kouga as the demon moved again.

"I feel bad," Kouga started, turning to face Seto. "Now it's all wet…" He held out the turtleneck towards Seto. "Thanks."

Not saying anything still, Seto took his shirt from Kouga, turning to place it with the other. As the human adjusted the clothing to dry, Kouga neared the building wall. He sat down, leaning back against the sturdy structure with a sigh. "It sure has been raining for a long time now."

Returning from the bike rack, Seto joined Kouga. Instead he stood, though, leaning back against the wall. The shirtless men watched the rain in silence for what seemed like hours. When the rain started to pour down even faster and harder, Kouga spoke.

"Looks like we're going to be stuck out here for a long time." A small smile made its way to the demon's face. "But that's okay. It only means we'll be together for a while longer."

Seto still said nothing, staring out into the rain. But his mind did soak in Kouga's words. Every single one of them.

Five more minutes of silence trudged along. The two boys continued to wait. Kouga was somewhat losing his patience first, though. An anxious feeling was consuming him from the inside out as the tip of his tail started to twitch. He didn't like the fact that Seto was so close – and so bare – but he wasn't making any moves to touch the human.

Seto stood in a comfortable position, seeming to be patient. His fingers played with the card shaped pendant on his necklace that held a picture of his baby brother within. The man's threatening eyes still watched the rain with a frown. He could just call Rolland right now to come and pick him up. But for some reason, Seto didn't want that. Deep down, perhaps, he liked being out there; alone with Kouga. As awkward as it was.

"Ah, forget this." Kouga stood, throwing his arms above his head and stretching. He stood and took a step towards Seto. The wolf reached out, gripping the human's wrist; he started to pull Seto with him out towards the rain.

Instantly, Seto's body protested. "What are you thinking? We just got dried off!"

Blinking, Kouga nodded slightly, looking back at the still damp clothing. Releasing Seto, the wolf went to gather up the three articles. Tucking them away under his arm and ignoring Seto's questioning, the demon once again snatched the man's wrist and forced him out into the rain.

"You fool! Release me!" Seto snarled, trying to pull away.

"It's useless to resist," Kouga pointed out with a smirk, his hair once again soaked and sticking to his features. "Besides, my place isn't that far from here."

Seto almost had to strain to hear Kouga's calm words through the ferocity of the rain. But he understood and decided that arguing wouldn't get him to any successful position.

Smirking again, Kouga pulled Seto along through the rain. "Let's get going before we really do catch a cold!"

. . .

It didn't turn out as expected. Well, not for Seto at least. He had walked right into Kouga's little trap. At first he tried to free himself from the wolf's grasp, but he soon gave in, no longer protesting.

Kouga, of course, couldn't control himself. His desire to have this man was overwhelming. It was almost like a sick and twisted fantasy come to life. Sure drugs and alcohol were soothing substances that pleasured the wolf's body, but it couldn't pleasure him the way Seto could. This was an addiction that was inescapable.

As soon as the two men reached Kouga's untidy apartment, Seto found himself in a tangled mess on the wolf's couch, their legs and fingers twisted and linked into each other. The desire to tear himself away from the demon was strong, but his desire to kiss Kouga again was stronger. Whenever they did this together, Seto seemed to lose sight of himself. Of everything. His plans, his tournament, his brother, and the mumbo-jumbo about Millennium Items and ancient Egypt and such – the list goes on forever; as far as the eye can see.

Sweat mixed with cool rain water, black into brunette, tan to light skin, rough to hesitant, icy blue to icy blue – these feelings and these emotions were inescapable.

Seto could deny all of this later, but there was no way that he could truly forget or escape it. He had let Kouga do this to him more than once before. Perhaps this inescapable situation was an escape in itself. An escape from the endless work, lack of sleep; headaches.

Maybe that was why Seto let Kouga have his way. This was his escape.

He wouldn't admit it, but it was an enjoyable – confusing – escape.

After the hundredth, passionate kiss, Kouga pulled back, breathing heavily. Seto still lay helpless beneath the wolf, eyes shut tight and his breathing heavy and uneven. Kouga couldn't help but smirk at the faint red decorating Seto's cheeks, his prize.