** Disclaimer: Slam Dunk characters do not belong to me. These are only dragon dreams written down for fun.

** To all who have reviewed, Crescent Quetzalcoatl, sLL, Nakkie, Tina Caps, Devil, and Rivers. You have given me courage to go on with this insanity. I thank you.

Bath

Kaede lagged behind some of his fellow players. His eyes automatically searched for a patch of red then remembered that Hanamichi had gone ahead because he had been impatient to take a shower. The redhead had fallen into some slush that afternoon and hadn't been able to take most of the muck off his hair. All through practice Kaede would see him try to sniff his hair and wrinkle his nose. Adorable really. Kaede's musings were interrupted by a loud—

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

Everyone in the hall covered their ears and stopped. Kaede took only a moment to wince before sprinting into action.

It was Hanamichi. Only he could be that loud. Hanamichi was alone in the locker room. In the darkroom where evil things lurked! Evil things that might be hurting his d'aho!

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!"

Oh no! Hanamichi was being attacked by the evil sentient slimeball made up of smelly socks and dirty jockstraps!

Kaede wrenched the door of the locker room open. Hanamichi was—

Hanamichi was standing in the middle of the room, dripping wet and with only a towel around his body. Kaede's mouth went dry.

"Hanamichi!" Ryota shouted as he pushed Kaede aside. "What the heck were you shouting for?!"

"THERE'S NO GODDAMN HOT WATER!" Hanamichi bellowed. "I opened the shower and all I got was cold water! I thought the taps were broken but when I turned the red one full force, all it gave me was more friggin' ice water! And then one of the p-p-pipes burst and there was c-c-cold water everywhere!"

Hanamichi was by then shivering from the cold.

"D'aho it's just water," Kaede said to make up for his slight lapse a moment before.

"J-just water! It was fre-fre-freezing!"

"Waitaminute! Did you say one of the pipes burst?" Ryota butted in. "Aah! The whole place will be flooded!"

The new captain quickly led the others into the shower room. Meanwhile, Hanamichi walked crab-like to his locker and hastily put on some clothes.

"I'm outta here!" he called out.

"Oi!" Ryota screamed while holding a mop and a bucket in his hands. "Where're you going? Help us here! Ha-na-mi-chi!"

Kaede quickly put on his jogging pants and sweatshirt, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the place before Ryota could stop him. It took him several minutes to catch up to his lover.

"Oi."

Hanamichi was still shivering as he walked briskly, managing only to nod at Kaede. The brunette looked around and cursed silently. It was too public. He could even dimly recognize some of the students milling around them. He was still looking around when he noticed that Hanamichi was headed for a different direction.

"Oi, d'aho that's not the way to your house," he called out. "Have you lost what little sense of direction you have from that cold shower?" he added as he stood rooted at the intersection.

"Bastard!" Hanamichi gritted out. "The shower at home is broken too so I'm going to the public bath house at the end of this street."

Kaede's eyes narrowed.

Public.

Bath.

Practically naked Hanamichi being ogled by stinky old men.

Over his dead body.

Kaede grabbed the hood of Hanamichi's parka and pulled hard.

"Then you're taking your damn shower in my house," he growled.

"But kitsune! You're house is so far!" Hanamichi whined. "And I'm cold. And wet. And freezing. And—"

"I am not letting some dirty old guy see your body!" Kaede hissed.

People began giving the two glaring boys a wide berth. They moved even further when the redhead suddenly laughed maniacally.

"Wha—but all the other guys—in our team see—when we—everyday!" Hanamichi managed gasp out.

"That's different!" Kaede stubbornly countered. "I trust them! Except maybe those new ones…but still they're different from those dolts in those public bath houses!"

Hanamichi just kept laughing until he was leaning on Kaede for support. The other boy frowned then decided to change tactic. He cleared his throat before leaning close to the other's ear.

"Besides, I've got a hot jacuzzi and some bath oils in my house."

The redhead quickly shut up. Kaede internally gloated. And now for the coup de grace.

"C'mon Hanamichi, let's go take a bath" he lowered his voice to a seductive notch, "together."

-end-

Some notes: The part where Kaede thought Hanamichi was being attacked may seem OOC but have you ever noticed just how crazy your thoughts can be when you think that your loved one is in trouble—real or imagined?