When Japan wakes, the first thing that he takes notice of is that he smells something. This something is not what his house normally smells of. Usually, his house smells of cherries and tea or sometimes shampoo when he washes Pochi the day before. What he is smelling now is completely different. Now he smells seawater, olives and some odd smell that is associated by him with cats. He doesn't own cats and even though his land is surrounded by water, his house has never smelt of seawater. He blinks his eyes, trying to rid himself of morning fogginess. Now he notices that the ceiling is also different from his house's. At his house, there is nothing on the ceiling and it is a plain, dark coloured wood. This ceiling however, is white around the edges and in the middle of it is painted a gorgeous mural of cherry blossoms and ancient shrines. Beautiful, he thinks, but not his.
He thinks back to yesterday, and because it is only morning, he cannot remember much. What he does remember is that he and Heracles talked and they went to Greece so Kiku could rest awhile. Greece was concerned that Japan was over-working himself and he suggested a vacation that Japan reluctantly agreed to. Now he knows that he is in Greece. Where in Greece specifically, he has no idea. Now he sits up and finds that there is a weight on his hips and a fairly warm draft around his body. He decides that he needs to know what the weight is first so he looks down to find an arm. Japan's left eyebrow raises itself in question. This arm is nicely tanned and muscled even nicer. He knows this arm very well because it has kept him safe through light battles with Turkey, it has kept him warm in the cool nighttime of Japan, and it holds him affectionately when he wants it to. This is Heracles' arm.
Now to investigate the strange draft. He runs a hand through his jet black hair, effectively allowing him to see his surroundings easier. Now he sees that he is in some type of Parthenon, like in the Acropolis but this one is a great deal smaller without being too small and it is also round. There are, from a passing glance and estimate, about seven or eight pillars. There are no walls between them, allowing the sea-scented breeze to flow freely around him and Heracles. It is not a cold breeze, thankfully, and he welcomes it as a morning greeting from Heracles' god Zeus. He leans over and presses a sleepy kiss to Heracles' cheek and goes to walk to a pillar. He spectacularly fails and is forced back onto what he guesses is a bed.
He then notes two more new things. One: there is an excessive amount of pain in his butt and lower back, and Two: there is a breeze where there should not be. He looks down and has practically stopped breathing. He is stark naked. If there is one thing he hates more than being touched in public, it's being naked when in someone else's presence. Embarrassed, he gathers a white sheet and wraps it sloppily around himself like a strap-less dress but with excess room for his legs and walks painfully to the pillar he had his sight set on in the first place. He is astonished to find that this little temple-like structure is on a cliff above the town and surrounded by a calm ocean. He wraps an arm around the pillar to his side, still gazing at the ocean as the sun begins to show more of its self.
The sky is painted with orange, red, pink, yellow, and all the warm colors that he can think of. He now remembers this as the place where he and Heracles finally confessed love for each other after so many years of keeping it to themselves. It is such a beautiful memory, it lights up his eyes and brings heat to his cheeks as he thinks of it. He hears the shifting of something behind him and looks back, finding his sleepy Greek boyfriend sitting up in the round bed in the middle of the structure. Heracles looks at him as if he is a goddess, and he smiles slightly. He loves the way that no matter what he looks like to himself, Heracles always seems to find beauty in him. The Grecian stands and walks to him. Kiku turns slightly, the sheet around him parting a little to reveal one of his pale, feminine legs all the way up to his hip but still covering his genitals.
Heracles leans down, touching a shy morning kiss to his lips. Kiku was astonished that no matter how many times they kissed, a spark of electric heat shot through him without fail every time. With another press of lips, the memories of last night come flooding back. They had made love. Kiku remembered it as clear as if it had just happened minutes before. He remembered the gentle kisses and hot breaths, the shy touches and shockwaves of deep pleasure that rippled through his being. Heracles lifted a hand to Kiku's face, cupping his blushing cheek in his palm and stroking it lightly with his thumb. As the sun finally pulled the last of its body into the sky, they kissed again. But this time, it wasn't shy. It was deep and passionate, promising a beautiful future for both of them. Kiku couldn't help but think that what he had lived was not life until he had met Heracles. Only Heracles' love could make eternity seem like not long enough.