City of Roses
Original



Warning: Bloody themes and gay male coupling

He had never seen anything so beautiful.

Roses upon roses...as far as the eye could see, swaying lazily with amazing loveliness as some unseen goddesses breathed softly on them from above. The smell was almost overpowering, but so lovely that it only brought tears to his crimson eyes. Yami inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and allowing the intense smell of roses to cloud his mind... It was so peaceful... and something else... so... so... so empty?

With a start, the demon opened his eyes, and as he did the roses began to wilt, as if his sudden revelation had embarrassed them and sent them crumbling away with sadness.

Yami took a step backwards in horror, and as he did he felt the dried roses crunching below his feet. He gasped in spite of himself and whirled around, expecting nothing, but instead, saw his love lying peacefully in the wilted flowers.

Kaelins' golden locks stretched away from him in shimmering stands of perfection. His lavender eyes were closed, and he seemed peaceful, as if completely unaware of the gradual deterioration of the sea of roses about him. And his skin... it was such a soft pale creamy white that he seemed unreal--almost like a doll. He seemed so delicate... so fragile.

"Kaelin!" Yami yelled, crunching through the roses towards him. "Kaelin!"

Kaelin stirred, and turned his head towards the voice, and mumbled something. Frightened at the lethargic state of his love, Yami pushed himself faster and upon reaching his side collapsed beside the Elf. "Kaelin!" He yelled, shaking him. "Kaelin, wake up."

"Mmm...Yami..." The blond muttered softly, reaching up slowly to cup the mans face with his soft, lithe hand.

"Kaelin... Wake up... We need to go." The demon looked away and as he did, he felt Kaelins' hand slip away. Unconsciously Yami caught the retreating hand with his own and continued to stare distractedly at the roses--they were almost completely stripped of the wilted petals now. The wind had began to pick up and was tearing the petals from the stem. It was unnerving... What was happening?

It was in that moment that Yami realized how cold Kaelins' hand had become. His eyes widening, the demon slowly turned his gaze back to his love. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could hear the blood pumping in his ears. With trembling hands, Yami placed both his hands to Kaelins'. "Kaelin...?" He whispered softly, fearfully.

The wind was tossing the elves blond locks like how it had tossed the wilted petals... as if trying to strip him of his beauty. "Kaelin...?"

His hands were shaking so badly he could no longer even hold Kaelins' hand, so slowly he placed it against the wilted flowers. It was becoming harder to breathe, harder to see. He felt nauseous and dizzy. "Kaelin...?" He whispered again, letting his eyes search the pale, hauntingly beautiful still face. Yami touched the sides of his loves neck, alarmed by how icy it was at the touch. "Kaelin..." He said again, "Kaelin, please. Please wake up... Please..."

He was crying now, but was hardly aware of it. At least, until he realized it wasn't tears. He had an inkling feeling it was something far worse. He reached up with both hands to touch his cheeks, and when he pulled them away they were covered with blood. Yami reeled back with surprise, eyes searching his bloodied finger tips. What was happening? What was this?

"Kaelin!" He yelled, forcing his eyes away from his hands and to his lovers prone body.

Yami felt his heart skip in his chest, and his breathing caught in his throat. His vision abandoned him for a moment and he collapsed forward, catching himself on his hands and his long black hair jolted forward to curtain his face. He struggled to gain control of his body again, struggled to understand what he had just seen. Slowly, he raised his blurry vision to Kaelin, and when he did he felt his heart shudder with despair.

Kaelins' body was nothing more than a bloody corpse now. At first glance, Yami had thought the red had actually been rose petals--but after a moment he had known better. Kaelins' chest had been stripped of the flesh, sawed down the middle and the ribs had been peeled back and his heart lay exposed; motionless and broken. Blood soaked his lavender robes and his hair. More shockingly though was the utmost expression of peace that still touched his soft pretty face.

For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was when they had first met--when Kaelin had tilted his head slightly, smiled and in a light voice responded, "I wear my heart on my sleeve, of course."

Except this time, his heart was on display.

"No." Yami whispered, shaking his head in denial. "No. No, this isn't happening!" The demon was beyond reason now, beyond hope, beyond reaching. He screamed, but couldn't even hear the harshness in his own ears. He shook his head in denial, grasping at his loves hand, "Kaelin, please! No, you're not---you're not dead! You're not! You can't be! I need you! I need you, Kaelin! Please!" Then with a helpless sob he pressed his face into his loves hand and began to scream.

"KAELIN!"

"Yami! Wake up!" Kaelin said, shaking his husband. He knew one shouldn't be awakened when suffering from a nightmare since if they solider the entire episode they were less likely to remember it. Kaelin, however, could no longer stand to watch his husband thrashing about in agony. What was worse, was how he continually begged for him to reply... And no matter how hard Kaelin tried to reassure his husband that he was there--Yami seemed not to hear him.

Kaelin was about ready to shake his husband further when;

"KAELIN!" Yami screamed, bolting upward. His chest was heaving, his crimson eyes wide with terror, his hands gripping the sheets with a death-like grip.

"Yami." Kaelin said softly, though he was afraid to touch him, afraid to startle him further.

Yami slowly turned his gaze to his husband, and a look of utter shock seemed to twist his features. Slowly, his expression began to soften, to turn blank even. Tears, however, welled in his eyes until the spilt down his pale cheeks in a steady stream. "Kaelin..." He said blankly, his voice very far away.

"Yes, Yami. Kaelin." The elf agreed softly, and very slowly reached out to take his loves face in both hands. "It was just a bad dream, Yami. Nothing more. I'm here." Then he gently guided the older mans head against his chest and began to softly stroke the black locks, rocking him gently. "Everything will be all right, Yami. I'm here for you."

Yami let himself be held, and numbly listened to the steady beat of his husbands heart. Visions of before--that beat-less heart flashed before his eyes and he felt woozy. Why...why such a dream? Why such a dream of such horrible detail?

Absently Yami reached around his husband and closed his arms about him, pressing his face hard against the mans chest.

And bless Kaelin, he only held him tighter, resting his face against the top of Yami's head, stroking his hair softly and said nothing.

They stayed like that all night.

[Ramirez]



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