The Sweet Smell of Roses

Sometimes, Kaoru would dream of roses.

He was never afraid, in his dreams. He'd step outside, let the sunlight and warmth wash over him, and start walking - he supposed he knew where he was going, because he'd always end up in the same place, a small walled garden filled with all kinds of roses. Red ones, yellow ones, rare blue ones (he'd been surprised to see those at first) and his favorite, the pristine white ones. He felt like he could spend hours there, surrounded by their beauty, and perhaps he did; he had no idea how much time would pass with him simply walking around the circular garden, breathing in the sweet aroma that filled the air and feeling truly happy for once.

Sometimes, he would be Endrance, and Haseo would be there. There was a bench at the back of the little garden, the only object other than the ground that wasn't covered in glossy green leaves and brilliant spreads of color, and Haseo would always be sitting there, the carefully-dethorned stem of a rose (Kaoru could never quite remember which color) held between the finger and thumb of his gloved right hand. He would look up, and he wouldn't smile, but he would reach up and wind the stem into soft blue hair when Endrance-Kaoru sat down next to him, and that single gesture always said more than any expression or words ever could.

But when he met Ryou, his dreams changed.

It was still the same little garden, the same dizzying array of roses spread out across timeworn walls of white wooden latticework, but something was different. Perhaps the sunlight was brighter, or the fragrance of the roses was stronger and more intoxicating; he couldn't put his finger on it, though it served to make the dreams more vivid and real, and the first time, he was overwhelmed. Feeling faint, he sank onto the empty bench to catch his breath and found it empty no longer - there was a presence beside him, warm and comforting, and gentle arms wound about his waist and pulled him close and there was a soft voice at his ear that whispered. "Kaoru," it said, a wash of breath over his ear, and a shiver thrilled its way down his spine. "Kaoru." And he recognized the voice then, but he could not speak the name of its owner, for soft, sweet lips closed over his and took away the need to say anything with that one shy but loving kiss - a kiss he couldn't help but return and smile into as happiness unfurled itself in his heart, just like the petals of the roses that bloomed around them.

He dreamed nightly from then on, and every time, the dream progressed farther - the first time, it had ended at the kiss (and Kaoru had awoken quite upset that he was no longer in the dream), but with each consecutive dream, more of its delights unfolded to him. They moved on, from such a simple kiss to a much more enthusiastic one that stole his breath away, from soft embraces to hands that roamed, touching and teasing, though they never once passed the barriers of clothing, and it wasn't long before he found himself waking aroused and unsatisfied every time, ashamed to touch himself but needing it too much not to. Yet, still, he longed to dream, fell into his bed each night waiting for sleep to overtake him and transport him to his beautiful sanctuary, and he was never disappointed.

Then, one night, it changed again. Gone were the simple kisses, the soft caresses; instead, lips, tongue and teeth made their way down his jaw and neck, sucking and biting in ways that made him squirm and moan, and the gentle hands worked busily to strip him of his clothing, letting it fall aside and exploring the newly-bared skin with eager curiosity - he felt ashamed, suddenly, to be so exposed even in a dream, but shame soon made way for surprised pleasure as he was drawn down onto the grass and an equally naked body covered his own, that wonderful voice whispering at his ear again. "You're beautiful, Kaoru," it said, and his lips were seized in a gently biting kiss that stole the air from his lungs before he could respond, his body arching and writhing under the sudden pressure of slender hips against his own, hips that rubbed slowly and teasingly and created a delicious friction that left his head spinning and his voice lifted in desperate, pleading cries. He was certain he would shatter, crumble away into nothing, if he were unable to find release soon, and for the first time he moved - dared to reciprocate for the actions done to him, his hands finding their way to those surprisingly strong hips and grasping at sun-warmed skin, pulling the other closer even as he laid a kiss of his own on lips that suddenly trembled with surprised delight and parted to emit a soft, gasping moan. They were moving together, then, in a rhythm that seemed awkward yet pushed their bodies neatly together like two pieces of the same jigsaw puzzle, and just when Kaoru was sure he was going to burst the friction stopped and he felt the warm weight leave him, heard a soft rustle as the other dropped to the grass beside him.

He was going to protest, but then the voice was at his ear again; "Kaoru, let me touch you."

A hand closed around his erection, slowly stroked, and he came with a cry that startled even him.

It wasn't long before there was a similar, but much lower cry at his ear that made him shiver (he supposed that wonderful hand had been pleasing its own body after leaving his) and he felt a sated arm wrap around his waist, pulling him closer as a soft kiss was laid on his lips. "I want to meet you again, Kaoru," drifted breathlessly to his ear. "Let's meet again--" and he felt his mouth twitch inexorably upward in a soft, affectionate smile in response to the words. Yes, he definitely wanted another meeting...not in dreams, this time, but in real life.

He woke soon after; it was later than he'd expected, the sun streaming in his window and laying in gentle lines across his bed, and he blinked sleepily in the illumination for a moment before pushing aside the blankets, dimly noting the mess he'd made in his boxers (he was a little surprised; it was the first wet dream he could remember having in years) and reluctantly changing into a clean pair, not even bothering to get dressed before he dropped to a sitting position in front of his computer, reaching for his headset and slipping it on.

The instant he logged into The World, he sent a message to Haseo, three simple words:

Let's meet again.

~owari~