A Rose of Passion

Crêpes and Tears

I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I love …

Antonio shook his head. He was sitting in his bed in Francis' huge house. The guy was from a rich family so, even when studying abroad, he could afford a huge house which he gladly shared with his two friends. Antonio had gone to bed after having been teased into admitting his unknown feelings for one of his pupils: Arthur Kirkland.

I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I lo …

Antonio slapped his face. How was it that, after having so much difficulty admitting his feelings the first time, he now couldn't stop expressing them? 'I love him'. Those words … he never would have thought of them a day ago, and yet, here he was now, in his bed, barely waking up and all he can think off is 'I love him'! How illogical was that?

If that were the only problem … After escaping the other two's teasing by locking himself in his room, Antonio had gone straight to bed in order to forget everything. Not only did he not forget but it seemed as though, overnight, he had jumped from 'I just realised that I love him' to 'I am so fucking, madly in love with him! I love him! I want him! I can't think of anything else but him! I can't wait to see him at school! I want to see him all the time! Touch him, hold him, hug him, kiss him, fuck him, love him every single second of every single day! Fuck, I'm obsessed!"

As he was lying in bed last night, Antonio hadn't been able to fall asleep. The understanding of his true feelings had been such a shock; he had stared at the ceiling for hours, fidgeting in his blanket. He would sometimes even imagine seeing Arthur lying in bed next to him and would stuff his head in his pillows while trying to erase the image of a sleeping Arthur in his arms. And when he finally fell asleep … well, the images of Arthur became more … intense. His imagination exploded! He couldn't stop dreaming of Arthur. Arthur smiling softly at him. Arthur grinning at him, his green eyes sparkling with tease. Arthur glaring like a wild cat at him. Arthur caressing his face with a soft and gentle hand. Arthur laughing while hugging him tightly. Arthur kissing him lightly on the cheek, then a peck on the lips, then a deeper kiss, then … Arthur staring at him with emerald eyes sparkling with love and lust … Arthur moaning his name … Arthur caressing and stroking his body … Arthur kissing and licking him … Arthur whispering his name in his ear… Arthur crying out his name … Arthur making love with him, his sparkling eyes staring at him with hungry lust … Arthur kissing him so much and moaning his name like a true lover … Arthur looking at him with his beautiful eyes … looking at him with such desire … looking at him with so much love … Arthur whispering to him those words … Arthur loving him … Arthur … Arthur … Arthur … Arthur … Arthur!

When Antonio woke up all sweaty an erected in his bed, with vivid images of Arthur making love to him in his head, he knew that something had gone terribly wrong! How is it possible to switch from unbearable hatred to obsessive love? Worse! How could he have been so turned on by the same guy he had hated several hours earlier? He just realised that he loved the English boy just hours ago and he was already dreaming of … that! It's like an unknown switch in him had suddenly been activated. Antonio shivered. His mind was starting to stir up the dream from last night and he knew if he remembered, he would never be able to face the blond boy at school … School! What was he doing? Thinking about Arthur when he should be getting ready for school!

Antonio snatched his alarm clock in panic to check the time. He relaxed when he realised that he had woken early and his alarm clock still hadn't rung. That was unusual! He's usually a very lazy person and would have difficulties waking up in the morning, making him always arrive late for class. His erotic dream had, at least, given him the advantage of waking him up. Antonio got out of bed and went for a shower to wash away the sweat and other fluids off his body. In the shower, eyes closed, the hot water helped him clear his mind. It was so peaceful and relaxing … he wondered if Arthur was also taking his shower right now. Antonio's mind could clearly imagine Arthur's slim, slender and fit naked body, the water drizzling down on his smooth skin, his golden wet hair falling gently over his face and Arthur brushing it backwards, revealing his green sparkling eyes. Antonio's eyes snapped open with panic. What was he thinking all of a sudden! And why was he suddenly so hard? Antonio calmed down and pushed away the thought of a sexy and arousing Arthur in the shower. He did a few breathing exercises while letting the water clear his mind once again. He should not be thinking this kind of stuff! He hated the guy only the day before! And now, he was imagining him in the shower! And it made him hard!

Antonio sighed and left the shower. As he dried himself, he examined his wardrobe. What should he wear today? If students had to wear uniforms, teachers didn't and that pleased Antonio very much! He liked the way the pupils looked in their uniforms though … he found it cute and a bit classy! Arthur looked especially good! He always wore his uniform well-arranged almost like a soirée suit and it definitely made him look classy! He looked so responsible and well – mannered and so sexy! Although, Antonio would definitely want to see him in casual clothes once … he was sure that no matter what he was wearing, the English boy would always make it look good with his gentleman attitude … he looked so cute! Wait! What was he thinking again? He's not meant to think about Arthur's clothes but his own! That's right! What was HE going to wear! Not Arthur! Focus!

Antonio surveyed rapidly his various clothes, picturing in his mind various combinations. His eyes suddenly stopped of a light orange shirt with red laces at its large V shaped collar. He tried the shirt on and judged himself in the mirror with only the shirt and his boxers on. The shirt fell nicely on his shoulders, revealing the shape of his hot body, the top of his chest slightly uncovered where the V shape went down and the laces hanging loose giving the whole a sexy and casual look. The light orange colour suited his tanned skin and his dark curly hair, it also emphasised his bottle green eyes. Antonio stared at himself critically then, like in a trance, he went back to his wardrobe and found a pair of tight black jeans and a sharply cut, dark blue jacket. Antonio slipped the jeans and jacket on. The tight jeans moulded nicely his attractive body, and showed off the shape of his perfect ass quite nicely. The jacket, sharper and with a closer cut to it than an average suit jacket, covered the shirt elegantly while still leaving enough of it to be seen. It accentuated the curves and sharpness of Antonio's body in a sexy and manly way. Antonio, put on some sharp and impeccably shinning clean, Italian, black shoes. He critically eyed his mirror reflection before grinning slightly. Yes, he did look hot! He wondered if Arthur will like his outfit … suddenly, Antonio realised that he had only chosen clothes that emphasised on showing off his good – looking body and that each time he had picked something he had thought of Arthur! What was he doing dressing up like that for just one pupil? Was he trying to impress the boy? Antonio scolded himself but eyeing his clothes once again, he decided to keep them. After all, they did look good on him … just not very academic … and he did NOT choose them for flirting purposes! No, he did not! Well … maybe just a bit … it might work … NO! Antonio shook his head to clear his mind. This feeling was even worse than his hatred. It made him act all weird and unlike him!

After grabbing his bag and papers, Antonio went to grab breakfast in the kitchen. Francis was already preparing them all some crêpes. He looked up at Antonio with surprise, looked down at his watch then back at Antonio. The Spaniard smiled timidly, hoping that Francis would have the decent consideration to not bring up last night's delicate topic. Francis did not. Instead, he brought his friend a large plate with a 'crêpe flambée à l'écorce d'orange' which he knew Antonio loved and a cup of coffee. He, himself, has a 'crèpe au chocolat noir fondu avec de fines tranches de poire' and a cup of coffee too. Antonio could also smell the sweet scent of French viennoiseries in the oven. Francis really was an amazing cook! The Frenchman smiled softly at his friend.

"You're up early today! Are you feeling better? From last night?"

Antonio shook his head without uttering a word. He simply ate his crêpe in silence.

"Ah! I'm sorry Antonio if I 'ave upset you. I was just trying to understand. I didn't mean to …" Francis apologised, worried he might have caused more harm than he had thought.

"I know." Antonio whispered in a breath.

He looked up at a confused Francis and felt tears rolling down his face. Why? Why was he crying? Why did he dread the moment he'll see him at school while at the same time looked forward to it?

Seeing Antonio cry made Francis panic.

"Antonio! Ça va? Qu'est – ce qu'il y a ? Why are you crying? Did I do something bad? I'm sorry! Pardon! Forgive me!"

"No se preocupe. Está bien Francis. Lo siente. I'm a bit ... I'm not feeling like myself right now."

"Is it because of what Gilbert and I said yesterday?"

"Un pocco. I … I don't understand why I'm feeling this. I used to hate him so much and … and now … I can't stop thinking about him and I keep repeating to myself that I love him! Why Francis? Why am I so crazy about him now?"

Francis relaxed slightly realising that it wasn't because of him that Antonio was crying. He wrapped his arms around his friend in a comforting hug and let Antonio cry his heart out on his shoulder.

"Ça va aller Antonio. You're not changing; you're discovering a new feeling. You already were crazy about Arthur … but you never realised it. Now, you will want to see 'im more, to be with 'im, to be loved by 'im. And I will support you, mon ami."

"I … I dreamt about him … I kept seeing his face … feeling his touch … hearing his voice … I … ¡Dios mío! Francis! I dreamt that we were fucking! I woke up erected! After, when I tried to focus on other things, I kept thinking of him all the time! In the shower, I imagined him naked! When I was choosing my clothes, I chose them while thinking of seducing and pleasing him! I'm going crazy! Francis! I'm … I'm scared to go to school! I want to see him but … I'm scared of what I might do if I see him! I'm so scared! I love him but I can't understand how I came to love him so much in just one night!"

"Ça … ça va aller … You'll be fine … you just 'ave to stay calm and control yourself. Try not to zink about 'im too much."

"I can't! I tried but I can't!"

"… Well, try not to let it show. Right now, your relationship wiz 'im is a disaster. 'e probably 'ates you from what you've done to 'im before."

At that, Antonio cried even more and Francis wondered how he was going to help his friend with such a complicated problem. He didn't expect Antonio to be so in love with the boy after only realising his feelings the day before. 'I guess all his hate turned into love. Talk about passion! This is going to be troublesome to deal with.' he thought to himself while gently patting Antonio's head.

"Shhhhh … Don't worry! Even if 'e 'ates you, we can still change zat! We'll arrange your relationship and zen maybe you'll be able to seduce 'im. It'll take some time to change 'is 'ate into love but wiz ze Love Expert François at your service, we will not fail!"

"Hic … but … but … but …" hiccupped the sobbing Spaniard.

"But what, Tonio?"

"But … he's … he's my … my pupil! I … can't … do that! I'm a teacher and …"

"It will be fine! I'm pretty sure it will take at least a year to make Arthur fall in love wiz you. It's 'is last year of school, right? So, you just 'ave to wait until 'e graduates from school and 'e's all yours. Of course, we will start by making 'im to like you as a friend during zis year. ze loving part can come after zat."

"But …"

"And don't even zink of arguing about your age differences! 'e's what 17? 18? And you're turning 22 zis year! zere are only three or four years of differences! It's nothing!"

Antonio stopped sobbing and wetting Francis' shirt with his tears. He had felt so confused but now he wanted to trust Francis and try to win Arthur's heart. He was done crying! He wanted to laugh again carelessly like he used to … before meeting Arthur.

"Now, let's finish our crêpes and enjoy ze viennoiseries I baked! It will cheer you up!" Francis said to brighten the mood.

"Si, gracias." Antonio replied earnestly.

He loved Arthur. Arthur probably hated him. And he was going to change this. How hard could it be to make someone fall for you? He was Spanish after all! It couldn't be that hard!

"Hey! Frankyyyy! I smell crêpes! I'm starving! Let's eat!" Gilbert shouted as he entered the kitchen, a wide grin on his face. Both Francis and Antonio smiled at him as if nothing had happened. And they all ate their crêpes together without a care in the world … well, almost.