FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The last thing he expected to receive was a plant. To be more precise, a sunflower. When someone gift you a flower you think of a rose or something beautiful that might die in a couple of days but will look nice in your living room. But a sunflower? He couldn't think of any meaningful story or anything related to a sunflower. Maybe something from his past? No, it would be on his board. And not a single of his anecdotes are flower-related. Still, Policho accepted the gift the red crocodile gave him before he left. And not for pure courtesy. He was actually puzzled by it, and something in his guts told him there was a real meaning for it, and that all he had to do was wait for the right moment to figure it out.

The sunflower sat in front of the window in his room. Lambert told him to always keep it close. "Think of it as my way to make you company," he said with a giggle, as if giving a sunflower was completely normal for him. The window, of course, had perfect access to sunlight from sunrise to sunset. It was a natural choice, as if that precise window was made precisely for that task.

Regardless of the strange nature of such a gift, the sunflower was particularly nice. In its own way. The petals had a golden tone that none other sunflower he saw on the internet could imitate. And the center part was relaxing to the view. A perfect circle where the disc florets lie in a spiral-pattern. Despite not having the usual beauty associated with other flowers, it had its own style and gave his room a better look. While puzzled, Policho was glad he received a cute gift like that.

"And he hasn't told you what it means?" Evo asked him the day after the con ended. He wanted to check the rest of the menu of a new place they just found. The red bear was as confused as his boyfriend. And he actually asked where he got the flower in the first place, since Lambert never left the convention hotel and they never saw a flower of any kind in his room.

"Not a single word. He hasn't even asked how it is."

The blue dragon took a sip of his mocha frappe. Sweet. Maybe too sweet. He looked at the cold beverage, where the cookie was slowly disappearing into the whipped cream. Looking back at the red bear sitting in front of him, he continued.

"As if he never gave it to me in the first place."

"Have you tried asking him?"

"Would you like someone asking you why you gave them a gift?"

"Well, maybe not asking, but you can casually mention it. Something like, 'Hey, that sunflower is growing nice' or 'it makes me start my day with a smile'," he waved his huge hands in the air with every example. "I don't know, you're the writer. Being good at conversations should..." he stopped.

"Go on," Policho said, a smug smile on his face.

"No. I sense I made a mistake of some kind."

The dragon waved his head and chuckled. Still, Evo's idea wasn't that bad.

"We know Lambert is weird," he continued. He wiggled his wings a little. "These fucking chairs."

"I told you we should go outside."

"No, thanks. Not with those idiots smoking," Poli cleared his throat. "Anyway, we know he's weird. And he likes a lot of weird things. Surprisingly none of those are bad. So maybe the flower is just his own weird and personal way to show affection?"

"Are you asking me or...?"

"I am just as confused as you, hun."

"Well, he did say he wanted to get closer to us," Evo added, tilting his head to the left.

"Right. We shouldn't discard that's his intention. It might be rude to ask for an explanation."

"Maybe you're right. Good thing it was you who received it. I might have asked him at that moment," Evo blew some steam away from his coffee and took a sip.

"Say, he didn't give you something, did he?"

"Nope, and he apologized for it. He said he has something but wasn't ready when he came."

"Maybe he'll be sending it later," Poli yawned, still tired after all the work done during the weekend.

"You should have stayed to rest. I told you this could wait."

"I'm ok. I'll have enough time to rest later. I wanted to be with you a little longer."

Poli freed the cookie from the whipped cream only to throw it into his maw. He giggled, imagining the weirdest thing Lambert could give to Evo in order to make him go nuts for an answer. It was a fun mental exercise, and he was sure that, regardless of what he could imagine, the crocodile would surpass those expectations.

Luckily the mystery wouldn't last for that long. And not because Lambert revealed the secret. Poli stopped thinking about it. The sunflower was nice looking. In the end, receiving something nice from a friend, whether it was weird or not, was the important part. He thought about it when he arrived home later that day. After taking off most of his clothes, he sat in front of the flower, laid his head over the desk, and smiled. It was a cute flower. And the dragon fell asleep with that thought in mind.

The mystery faded as the days passed on. The sunflower became another part of his room. A lovely view when he started his day, a welcoming sight after getting back from work. He watered every day; even when he wasn't sure about it, it was just something he felt necessary. And when he was getting ready to sleep, he told him about his day. And his goals. And his dreams. And his fears. And his insecurities. And about the little details and secrets he never shared with anyone else. It was something he could trust.

Poli's intimacy has been something he shared with his closest friends. He respected how freely others were about their sexuality, but for him it was something more delicate. That, of course, didn't stop him from thirsting over certain males that fell into his personal taste. Males like the kangaroo selling flowers in the park.

Despite being the same route he had been taking for years on his way to work, he never saw him before. Tall and muscular, his clothes gave him a 50's look, like those boys selling the newspaper in the street. He even had the bowler hat with a feather. But the most interesting thing was the peculiar tone of his skin. A blue as vivid as the sky above them, the same tone that covered Poli's scales.

He swallowed. And before he noticed his legs were leading him to the kangaroo. It wasn't his idea to talk to him, having no clue what he would say in the first place. But for some reason, his body wanted to approach the stranger.

"Good afternoon, sir. Have any of my flowers caught your attention?" the roo said as soon as Poli was close enough.

"I'd say you caught my attention," and as soon as the words were out, Poli covered his mouth in shame. The roo just giggled. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that! Not in that way!"

"It's fine," he said, taking a white rose from his stand. "I hear that quite often. People seem to like my outfit. And I'm happy to see it works."

He cut a lavender flower from a bouquet and put it in Poli's yellow mane, next to his right horn.

"And there. It looks good on you," the roo leaned his head and smiled like someone that has been by his side for years. He had such a pure and lovely expression. And the smell coming from him was delightful. Poli could imagine himself...

His cheeks were burning even before he finished that thought. He tried to return a smile to the kangaroo, but even that simple act became too hard for his brain to process.

"T-thanks!" he mumbled before rushing away, fighting to not look back at the roo.

It was a strange encounter, and Poli couldn't get him out of his mind on the way back home. What a powerful image it was. How could he didn't see him before? There was no place for him to hide--or at least, not every day. And he walked through the park on different hours, so it was impossible Poli crossed when the roo was resting. The answer evaded him, and so did the time it took him to get back home, as the dragon walked into his bedroom after 30 minutes that felt like 3.

The sunflower was looking at him. Poli sighed, both from exhaustion and confusion. He picked up the lavender flower that had fallen after he took off his shirt. The smell relaxed his entire body, and he fell to the bed. He had a funny feeling in his tummy.

"He's cute," he said.

Poli fell asleep with the image of the roo still floating in his mind.

The roo was in the park the next morning, and the morning after that, and every day after that. And every time he saw him, Poli forgot how to do the simplest of things. Talking, walking, even breathing required a huge mental effort from him. And it became notorious for the roo, who only chuckled and waved, before going back to selling his beautiful flowers.

His charming smile stopped being the only thing invading his mind. At any given moment, he found himself imagining the firmness of his arms and how the rest of his body was under those lovely clothes. He drooled over the idea of his aroma. His body trembled when he rubbed his own crotch, thinking it was the roo's. In his entire life, he couldn't remember lusting over another male like...

"And he hasn't told you what it means?"

The question startled him, and the roo disappeared from his mind in an instant as he looked at Evo at the other side of the table.

"W-what?"

"The sunflower. Hasn't Lambert say anything?" the red bear took a bit of his burger, his eyes still fixated on his boyfriend.

"Ah... no, I haven't talked with him," now back to his senses, Poli looked at his food. It was the same burger he ordered the last time.

"I guess he has been busy. He hasn't responded to my messages. I don't know why he doesn't talk about what he does more often," Evo made a pause.

Poli chastised himself in his mind. Did he really dissociate that long for fantasizing with the roo? He couldn't remember when they sat down to eat.

"I assume it's still alive."

"Y-yeah. It's sitting in my window's room. It's looking at the sun pretty much all day. I like to talk with him," Poli wasn't thinking about saying that. The words suddenly came out of his mouth.

Evo gave him a curious look before taking a huge sip to his drink.

"Talking with plants it's good. I read it makes them grow quicker and better, although I didn't understand how it works. But don't start ranting with it. Might do the opposite," he then giggled. The same way he always did. But...

"That might be the last thing I'd do."

"Good. I wanna see a huge flower in the garden. Maybe then Lambert is gonna tell us what it means."

"I don't believe it means anything in particular. Maybe he just followed a hunch. Or wanted to do something random like the auction's piece I put in the bathroom."

"Can't believe you actually did it. Not that it doesn't look good there. But," he scratched his chin, pondering the idea, "yeah, maybe he was expecting you to put it somewhere weird."

"Too bad he didn't consider my house's layout."

The couple laughed, and it was a recomforting feeling. It warmed his heart. It reminded him how much Evo meant to him. It reminded him how much he loved him. And yet...

"Anyway, we should start making plans for the next trip. We both need some time away from the city."

"Yeah, definitely."

The idea of not seeing the roo suddenly came to his mind. And he didn't like it. Because he was getting used to his charming smile everyday coming to and from work. And he didn't like that.

And there he was. Again. Poli found himself once again walking towards the handsome blue roo, on his old-fashioned clothes and the funny hat and his lovely expression. But something was different this time. When Poli tried to pass by his side, the roo stood in front of him suddenly. The dragon barely had time to stop, landing mere inches away from the flower vendor.

"Sorry if I'm being too direct. But I've been seeing you for a couple of weeks and, well, can't deny I'm a little intrigued by you."

"Intrigued? How exactly?" Poli managed to say after a lot of effort.

"Oh, I wanna know the name behind that cute face, for a start."

If his cheeks could talk. But Poli only felt the boiling blood in them. After a nervous laugh, he looked away from the roo to find something, anything, that helped him to get away from that situation. Thing is, deep inside he was grateful for finally having that chance.

"My friends call me Policho, or Poli. I mean, it's not my actual name, but I'm more used to it."

"Poli. That's a gorgeous name."

Something in his voice felt odd. He hadn't been the first male that tried to make a move on him, and the experience taught him to find the lust in his voice. And there was none on the roo's voice.

"I'm Bernard. I'm happy we're no strangers anymore."

Bernard. Poli smiled at the sound of that name. He excused himself to avoid doing something embarrassing, and left repeating his name in his head over and over again.

That day, when he arrived home, he remembered what Evo said. He sat in front of the sunflower and looked at him, following the spiral pattern in the center of it.

"It's super weird feeling like this again, don't you think?" The flower didn't answer, and Poli felt like an idiot for even waiting for an answer. "I mean, I barely know him and I'm just happy whenever I see him. And he has a lovely name. Bernard," he sighed, not looking away from the center of the sunflower. "Bernard. He looks like one. And he's so nice and cute with me. He gave me another lavender flower," and he picked it from his mane. The smell reached his nose. Relaxing. "Isn't that...?" But Poli couldn't finish the question. It wasn't the appropriate word. "I don't know what I'm doing. This isn't right. But I can't stop thinking about him. And I know I should, but he's so handsome. There's something in his smile that I can't explain. I don't know why I feel this way about him. Am I being..." yet another question he couldn't finish. The idea of it made him feel a knot in his stomach. And he quickly convinced him that he hadn't done anything bad up to that point. "Why am I acting like a child again? I would expect this from a teenager. But not even in those years I reacted this way over another male. I can't talk or react properly when I'm around him. And I barely know him! That might change from now on. He wouldn't have told me his name otherwise. Would it be ok to allow him to get closer? I mean, I know I can stop him if he tries something more."

Poli reached the center of the sunflower with his eyes.

"I told him I wouldn't rant with you. But you probably don't understand anything I'm saying."

The sunflower went down. The last sunray entered through the window. Poli started to feel sleepy. Tired as he was from a hard day at work, he couldn't even find the strength to reach his bed. Using his arms like a pillow, he laid on his desk, glancing at the sunflower. Still lost in the spiral pattern...

Bernard held him in his arms, trapping him between his massive muscles. Poli felt the warm skin, his breath, and the strong heartbeats matching his. He swallowed, trapped in the charming eyes of the roo, who looked happy to have him by his side. Before he could do or say anything, Bernard kissed him with passion and desire. The dragon melted in his embrace and kissed him back as if he was the first love he hasn't seen in years.

Bernard was over him. His sweat fell over his faceas the roo continued pounding his hole. A slow and steady pace, Poli moaned with every inch invading his insides. The pleasure was already unbearable, despite the tender way he made love to him. He wanted him to continue like that, and craved at the same time to be rough and dominant.

And the more he fucked him, the more Poli felt disconnected from reality, wanting nothing more than his seed and his sweat and his scent all over him. And when he thought the roo was about to finish, he was in another position, trembling from the intense pleasure.

Poli woke up covered in sweat. It was too livid to call it a dream. But it was a dream. He jerked off to the memory of it, and sighed in frustration when his excitement didn't change after his orgasm. He wanted more, and begged for more than just his own hand.

The dream repeated the next night.

"You're not looking too well, hun."

Evo held his burger midway to his mouth. Clearly concerned by the look Poli had but not enough to jump into conclusions. He knew how hard his boyfriend could work sometimes.

"Just... I've been having trouble sleeping. There has been a lot going on at work."

"Yeah, I thought so. You shouldn't press yourself like this. It's not like you have to prove something."

"I have to prove I'm still good at what I'm doing."

"You know what I mean," Evo chuckled. "You need to take some time for yourself now and then."

Poli melted into the chair. He had some pretty rough nights, seeing Bernard in his dream and on the street. Calling him. Pulling him closer and closer. The casual encounter turned quickly into an obsession that had been messing with his head. It was as if all he could think about was the roo, and time just vanished whenever he fantasized about him. But that was a thing he couldn't bring to the table, although he couldn't quite say why. Was it shame? Fear? Or something else?

"I'm gonna call for vacations, then," Poli gave Evo a smile to dismiss whatever doubt his silence might have provoked. "Stay at home all day. You could stay with me. Or we could go somewhere else."

"That sounds like a nice plan. I could use some time out from work."

Some ketchup spilled over Evo's shirt after his clumsy hands pressed his burger too hard. He looked at the stain and quickly tried to clean it, only to find dirty napkins over the table.

"Shit. Give me a moment."

Poli nodded and continued eating. He had barely touched his own food, sunk deep into his own thoughts and doubts. Suddenly, the same hamburger didn't look that appetizing. Neither did his drink. Neither anything he ate over the last few days. In fact, he hasn't been enjoying a lot of things recently. There was an odd feeling about all of it. Memories lingered in his head, but he couldn't make a story out of any of them. To think he could become that obsessed over someone...

"Someone's looking down," the familiar voice made him snap out. Standing besides him, Bernard smiled with the same charm as always. "Having a rough day?"

Poli couldn't answer. He shouldn't be there. He shouldn't be there with him. The park was too far from there and there was no reason why he should be standing right next to him. But there he was. And Poli's heart tried to jump out of his chest with every beat.

"I was on my way back home. Didn't expect to find you here. But I'm glad I did. Been liking our little encounters everyday."

He took a flower from his basket and left it in Poli's hand. A little smile, and he left without saying more. The dragon couldn't explain what happened. So many feelings bottled up inside him. And a maddening lust trying to get control over him. He tried to say something, but when he actually got the words in his head, the kangaroo was too far to stop him. And Evo was too close to do anything else.

"Isn't one enough for you?" He asked, looking at the direction the roo took. Whether he noticed something else, Poli couldn't say it. Now he was puzzled by what the bear asked.

A sunflower. That's what Bernard gave him.

"Is one of those guys who gives free stuff to people? I like when they do what. Wish they were giving food, though."

But Poli didn't listen to him. He was looking at the sunflower. Big. Radiant. And with a peculiar and familiar shape in the center. It wasn't natural, and at the same time, it felt ok to have it. It was like gazing at Bernard. At his smile. At his eyes. At his body. The roo was like a sun, dazzling him whenever he looked directly at him, but impossible to ignore. And the sunflower also dazzled him the more he looked at its center. Golden. Shiny. Spiral.

"Say... Did Lambert tell you already what it means?"

"What?"

He was back in his room. Sitting in front of his desk, he still had the sunflower in his hand. In the same pose he was at the restaurant. But he didn't remember when he arrived.

No. He did. He came back with Evo. They talked a little more. And then he left. Then he sat down and thought he needed a new pot for the sunflower, but instead stayed there admiring it.

Poli shook his head and left the flower to walk down the kitchen for a glass of water. He couldn't put it in the same pot with the first one, it might not be good for the rot. But he didn't know if the sunflower needed water. Still, he put it in a glass deep enough to hold it and left it in the same window. Now both flowers were looking at the sun setting in the distance. And they shone more than ever.

"What's happening with me?" Poli muttered. Bernard was really messing with his head.

Poli started neglecting a lot of things since the day he met him. Only until that day he noticed the dirt all over the floor. And how humid the room felt. He slapped his cheeks with both hands and started cleaning, despite the hour, in hopes that could keep his mind distracted.

It worked for a moment, but the roo's image lingered in his head. And whenever he saw the flowers he thought about him. Why him? Of all the males he met before, none had ever turned into an obsession like him. And there was nothing he could consider special or unique. Not his body. Not his voice. Not even the gleam in his eyes. And yet, there he was, unable to take Bernard out of his head.

The sunflowers evaded his gaze, as if they were ashamed of being responsible for his intense obsession. Well, one of them was for sure. But the other, the big one Lambert gifted him had nothing to do with Bernard. Unless he got it from him... and by doing so, somehow arranged the encounter between them. But it was unreal to think about it.

Poli sat again in his desk and looked at the sunflowers. He thought about Bernard until he fell asleep.

He felt the rough grip around his wrists. Saliva and sweat falling over his face pulled him out of the dream. There he was, the handsome roo riding his cock with sheer intensity and desire. Even in his position, he was clearly in control of the situation. And Poli swallowed, and let the stud take the reins.

The dragon squirmed under his weight. His insides were warm and tight, almost virginal. He moaned as the roo squeezed his shaft. The pleasure built up with every second, yet never got close enough to his climax. Poli closed his eyes and failed to kept his mouth shut. His moans were loud and long.

"How good is it, my boy?" Bernard asked without flinching.

Poli looked up at him. His perfect body covered in sweat jumped up and down in the same quick, hypnotic pace. He swallowed and look for the strength to even mutter a word.

"It's... perfect..."

"Is that so?" Bernard smiled and led Poli's hands to his hips. "Touch me, dear. Enjoy the body you've been craving for so long."

He couldn't answer. His hips had the perfect shape. And the skin felt so firm and smooth. So hot. So tempting. As soon as Bernard left out his wrists, Poli followed the lovely shape of Bernard's body, going up until he had his pecs at reach. It was even better than what he imagined. Huge and strong, and extremely sensitive judging by the now visible pleasure in Bernard's face.

"Squeze them. Hard," the roo commanded.

And when Poli obeyed, Bernard moaned without control. And Poli loved it. The more he squeezed, the louder Bernard moaned. And the harder he rode his cock.

"Harder! Harder I said!"

And Poli obeyed. Looking at the golden eyes of the roo. Getting closer and closer to his climax. And closer...

And closer...

And closer...

He woke up in his desk again. He was trembling, victim of the post-orgasm exhaustion. He noticed immediately how wet his pants were. After so many years, Poli had a wet dream. One that felt too real to even consider it a dream. But he knew he was. Because there was no roo when he looked around. There was only deep claw carvings all over the desk.

There was even more dirt over the floor.

"What is going on with me?"

Days had felt like an eternity. Poli's dreams with Bernard became more frequent and vivid. And more personal. It was no longer sex, but something passionate, almost feral. Like something he needed to live.

And whenever he saw him on the park, he lost control of himself. That dumb, huge, handsome kangaroo played with him by doing some simple hand gestures or smiling. He always tried to gather the courage to speak with him and put an end to that obsession, failing misserable and talking about himself instead. Just like in his dreams, he was never in control when the roo was around.

"What is going on with me?" He repeated.

The sunflowers, turning his back to the sun to face the dragon, said nothing in return. Remember to talk with the flowers, that's what Evo said. And despite how dumb and crazy it looked, the golden flowers felt like the only two things who could listen to him.

"This has been going on for too long. I barely know him, but he already knows everything about me. I mean, I'm always rambling about my life and my work and my friends and Evo. And he just listens to it. And he actually cares about what I have to say. I shouldn't even take that as a sign that he's into me! I don't even know what I want with him. Or if I even want something."

And it was true. Despite his dreams and the dozens of fantasies he had, did he really want something with him?

"That's the most fucked up part of it."

Poli swallowed.

"I'm gonna put an end to it."

He skipped work the next day. He knew it was time to face the kangaroo. He gathered all his courage and invited him to have a meal with him. Bernard smiled and accepted his invitation without thinking, as if he had been expecting that.

And Poli sat in front of him, in the same place he went with Evo before. And looked at Bernard playing with his latte, waiting for the first move. He looked so cute, oblivious of the mess he had made in Poli's head. And the last thing the dragon wanted was to make him feel responsible.

"We've been seeing each other a lot over the past weeks," Poli finally said.

"We do. I like when you're around. You might be my best customer, even if you don't buy anything."

Both chuckled. It made things harder for Poli, hearing the naivety in Bernard's voice.

"I do like having you around, too. Maybe too much. And that's probably what I don't like."

"What do you mean?"

His voice almost cracked with everything he said. For some reason, Poli thought that was the end of his non-existent relation with Bernard, that after that, both would go back to being strangers.

"Well... you've been putting a lot of things in my mind. Things that I can't fully explain." Bernard waited for him to continue. Poli didn't want to. "It's probably not good for me to allow things to continue this way."

"You like me, isn't it?" Bernard's expression remained calm. He took Poli's hand and sighed in relief. "I mean, it would be easier to say that. Because I like you, too."

"W-wait..."

"I don't think it would be right to use the word love. But there is chemistry. And I'm curious about where things could go."

It was the first physical contact he had with Bernard. How warm his hand was. And how safe it made him feel. His reason told him to move it away and leave. But he couldn't. Even when Bernard wasn't putting any strength in the grip, Poli simply couldn't move his hand away.

"W-where things could go?"

"I'm not close to a more intimate contact. Something tells me that's what you look forward." He pulled his hand to kiss it. Poli shivered. "I wouldn't mind if that's the only thing you want."

"No! I mean... I..."

Bernard laughed. It was obvious the jittery dragon was amusing to him.

"Well, aren't you funny? I've been waiting for you to finally say something. I do want to sleep with you. From the first moment I saw you, I've been wanting you. And knowing you want the same makes things a little easier."

Suddenly, Poli was face to face with Bernard. His warm breath tore apart any defense the dragon still had.

"And don't worry. We can invite that cute little bear too. As long as I have the honor to be alone with you first."

He moved to give the first kiss, one Poli had been dreaming of. Just one single kiss it's all he needed.

"No!" He turned his face at the last minute. Breathing heavily, he held both hands in front of him. "This isn't right. I don't know why, but every time I'm close to you, I can't control myself. And it's not healthy! I shouldn't be so obsessed with someone. And I know it's gonna be worse if I let this happen."

Bernard, however, remained calm. He reacted as if that was what he expected to happen.

"I see."

His cell-phone rang. Poli came back to his senses and answered, only to be greeted by the familiar voice of a red crocodile.

"Hey, how's my derg doing?"

"Lambert? W-why are you calling me?"

"Just checking if you're still alive. And curious about how my little flower is doing? You haven't answered my message!"

"What...?" He looked at the street, as if that could give him more privacy.

"I hope it's still alive. It's not that hard to keep a sunflower alive."

"Uh... yeah, it's still alive."

"... you doubted."

"No, sorry. I haven't slept well. And this isn't the right moment. Can I call you back later?"

"None of us slept a lot this weekend. But anyway, I just wanted to check out. Did you like it?"

Poli looked at Bernard. "Don't worry," the roo mumbled.

"Yeah. I'm just curious about it. Even Evo asked if there was any particular reason for a sunflower?"

"Did he?" He asked with a slight tone of surprise. "Huh, well, I see. There's no reason for it. I just like it. It's a nice shape, don't you think? And the color it's lovely too. I like warm colors. It made me feel at home. At peace."

"I think peace it's what I need right now."

"I have one at home, did I tell you?" Lambert's voice felt different. Distant. "It's huge! I got it a couple of years ago. It's been sitting in the garden since then. On a sunny day, I like to sit in the grass and look at him, following the sun with its gaze. If there's no clouds around, I swear he shines like actual gold. And it's the most beautiful thing in the world. Are there any clouds right now?"

"Not that I see."

"Try to look at him, then. It came from one of his seeds. So it should shine just like him."

"Really Lamby, this isn't a good time," puzzled and desperate, Poli turned to face the peaceful kangaroo, staring directly at him.

"C'mon! Just do it. Does he shine too?"

Like two golden eyes.

"Yes..."

"Relaxing, isn't it? I like to think it's the way he says he likes you too."

He couldn't move his eyes away from Bernard. Shining little suns in front of him. Blessing him with their light.

"Are you at peace now?" Bernard asked him.

Poli snapped out. He was still at the restaurant. Evo was in front of him eating his burger.

"Wakey wakey," he said.

"What?"

"Jesus, you really didn't sleep last night, huh?" He made a pause to take a sip from his drink. "Well, you did a great job with the convention. You deserved the after party more than anyone. But you should have stayed at home, hun. We could have come any other day."

He remembered that. He had been there before. Just... when exactly?

"Are you ok?" Evo put down his food and looked concerned at Poli. "Did you took something you didn't tell me last night?"

"Something's wrong."

"What?"

"I-I-I don't know, but something's wrong."

There was a weird feeling in his head. Despite being there before with Evo multiple times, that particular evening felt different. Familiar. Like if he was reliving a memory.

"We've been here before."

"Well, yeah? We just came yesterday with the guys. And I told you I wanted to check the rest of the menu."

Poli looked at Evo as if he was the crazy one. Yesterday? With the guys? How would that be possible if they all left weeks ago. But the expression on Evo's face was too serious to even consider that he was lying. And he knew Evo wouldn't play him a joke in that state.

The dragon looked around. Everything was out of place. He couldn't see other people's faces. The buildings curved at the top of them. And the sun shone fiercely above his head. And the ground was covered in dirt. The only thing that remained unchanged was Evo's face.

"Love, is everything ok?"

It wasn't. Poli pushed the chair as he walked away from the table. His hands were shaken when he looked at them. A cold sweat ran down his spine. He had been there before, but not with the bear. He was with someone else. Someone... someone...

Before Evo could do or say anything else, Poli ran away to the only place that came to his mind.

Even when he knew how far the park was from there, he ran as fast as he could. Pain quickly took over his legs, but he continued, evading people and cars and the fading voice of the bear asking him to stop. He barely felt the tears washed away by the wind. None of that made sense, and the more he tried to understand, the more panic he experienced.

The roo had his back towards him when he arrived. Poli stopped just enough to recover his breath. Somehow, he knew Bernard could fix all of it. He could bring some sense to whatever was going on at that moment. And when he touched his shoulder, a brief relief invaded him, glad to know he was real.

Bernand had no eyes or mouth when Poli made him turn. The dragon screamed and tripped over as he walked away from the lifeless mannequin that was the roo. It staggered for a moment before falling to the floor. Its arms and legs detached from its body.

Trembling, Poli slapped himself across the face in a poor attempt to wake himself from the nightmare. And again. And again. But the pain was too real. And so were the huge paws he stumbled upon while crawling away from the mannequin. Begging to find his teddy bear still by his side, he looked up.

There was no malice in Lambert's smile. In fact, he looked as if that was completely normal.

"Are you at peace now, Poli?"

Poli opened his eyes. All his fear and terror vanished in the instant he looked at the board decorated with the badges and stickers from previous conventions. He was back in his room, but something was different. It was almost in darkness, except for some sun rays coming through the window. He couldn't move at first, binded by something rough and cold. He was too tired, but still gathered strength to loosen up the bindings until they snapped.

The chair broke under his weight and the effort, and Poli fell to the ground of his room. A cloud of dust forced him to cough. He waved it away with his hand, and felt the uneven ground under him. Poli couldn't notice it at first, but once his eyes got used to the lack of light, he saw roots all over the floor. And, as he followed them with his eyes, found them in the walls and the roof.

The sunflower sat in its place in the window. The pot, destroyed by the roots. The golden flower shone as soon as Poli put his eyes over it. A soothing sensation took over, alleviating the pain from the fall. His survival instinct activated and he swiftly tore the flower apart, snapping out of the trance.

"What the fuck is this?"

Covered by the roots, Poli saw his cellphone. The screen blinked to life after announcing a new message. He took it from the table and saw a notification from Lambert's chat.

The latest message said: "Guess it awoke earlier than what I expected."

Another message from the day before said: "Thanks for the convention. It was a blast! I hope you like the gift. Sorry I couldn't give you all the details, it won't work otherwise. Just follow his lead. It'll be easier that way."

"What the fuck did you gave me?"

Only then it clicked. It was Wednesday, according to his cellphone. Lambert gave him the flower on Sunday. He had a meal with Evo on Monday. And that same night he stayed on that same desk contemplating the flower until he fell asleep...

A sunflower blossomed from between the roots in the wall. It shone like the sun to attract Poli. The dragon turned his back to it and ran towards the door, only to find the roots blocking it. Another sunflower blossomed. And Poli started to tear apart the roots to make his way out. The handle didn't bulge, so he started to kick the door until both roots and wood broke under his strength.

He walked out and crashed against the wall. The roots covered the hallway too. Poli moved across the uneven floor, as more sunflowers slowly blossomed as he advanced.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," said a familiar voice. He couldn't pinpoint where it came from. It scared him to think it came from within the walls. "I was not expecting you to fall this quickly under the Dream."

Poli didn't answer. The stairs were destroyed, leaving little space for him to walk down.

"You are angry. I can see that. It's not a surprise. But do not blame me, for the fantasy was made by you."

The voice continued.

"That was but the representation of your lust. It's not what you desire or what you truly look for, for the basic instincts have no wish to fulfill. Bernard was nothing but a thought that crossed your mind and became real in the Dreamscape. It could and can be anyone or anything else."

More sunflowers appeared when he reached the end of the stairs. They shone when Poli approached.

"What are you?" He finally asked, covering the light with his hands.

"A traveler. You might not believe in my words, for my nature cannot be comprehended by most of your kind."

"Most?"

"Those who have seen the void are more familiar to us, and easier to reach. It is common to take them as our messengers. Do not blame your friend for doing what I asked. I would have reached you regardless. He just made it faster and easier for you. Otherwise, it could have been more... terrifying."

To think something could be worse than the entity that had taken control over his house. Poli felt his strength fading as the sunflowers shone with more intensity. He started to feel sleepy. But he knew falling asleep again would be his end. He would burn that thing down, no matter what!

Something grabbed his wrist and moved his hand away. Bernard stood in front of him, with that disarming smile and those lovely golden eyes. But Poli knew he wasn't real. Despite the strong grip around his wrist and the warm breath in his face, he knew Bernard wasn't real.

"You reject me. You brought me to life from a fantasy and now you reject me. Is it for fear? Or are you trying to be the better person?"

He wasn't real. He wasn't real. Poli repeated it in his head, pushing away the inner thought of jumping in his arms to feel his love once again. The kangaroo wasn't there. It was all in his mind.

"You're scared. You don't understand and it scares you. But there is nothing to understand. All I want is you. I crossed the universe looking for you."

Bernard took him by the chin and Poli couldn't stop his eyes from looking at him. The huge kangaroo smiled as his lips came closer. Tears rolled down the dragon's cheeks as his reason desperately tried to retain control over him. But deep inside, Poli wanted that male. His arms. His pecs. His lips. He wanted all of him. Because he was right there. It wasn't just a fantasy.

Poli looked at the golden eyes, shining like the sun. He was real.

Green vines held Poli in place as the huge sunflower shone in front of his face. The dragon inhaled the spores, and his body trembled with desire. More vines came down through the roots. Some held his legs and wrists, while some others turned into a precarious swing, strong enough to hold his weight.

He was no longer on the ground. In his mind, Bernard was strong enough to carry him. The vines held him firmly, wrapped around his legs and chest. One more vine came from within the roots. Unlike the others, it had a slippery look and moved quicker. Like a serpent, it creeped over his leg and slided inside the tight black boxers.

It was Bernard's manhood. The huge and throbbing shaft he had been waiting for. Poli looked at the sunflower and nodded, gasping at the moment he felt him going in. The slippery vine slowly made its way inside the dragon's warm body, one inch after another. And the poor reptile did nothing but moan with pleasure, already on ecstasis for being taken by Bernard.

Despite his look, it moved slowly, careful not to hurt him. And Poli's body was more than happy to show off his gratitude in the form of a huge bulge pushing against the boxer. He tried to pull out his cock, only to find the vines--Bernard's hands--holding him in place. The kangaroo wanted it that way, and Poli wouldn't go against his wishes.

The pleasure was almost unbearable. Poli felt every single button--and even some he didn't know until them--being pushed as Bernard fucked him. How grateful he was. How happy he was! He wanted to kiss him, but the roo stayed out of his reach, looking down at him with the two shining suns he had for eyes. And the more Poli looked, the more dazzling the light became.

His cock was fully hard, desperately pressing against the boxer. Pre started to leak through the cloth. A couple of vines helped him, sliding in and tearing the boxer apart. His cock jumped out, throwing pre in the air, and only stopped when another vine wrapped around it. Bernard's hand was so big and strong, and the dragon almost came by the touch of it.

"F-faster... please, faster!" Poli mumbled. There were no words to describe the pleasure and happiness in his face. Taken over by the fantasy, his mind refused to say anything that wasn't the kangaroo making love fiercely to him.

His body twitched. He was reaching his own climax. The vine started to go even deeper, pressing his prostate harder. But he couldn't go beyond the veil that was his orgasm. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't in reach. Something held him back. And all he could do was crave from the intense pleasure that his release would bring. It was maddening. Every second felt like an eternity.

"I need it... please!" The dragon begged. "I'll let you take me every night but please!"

With desperation in his voice, he whimpered in Bernard's embrace. He loved every moment of it, and at the same time, it became too much for him to handle. But the roo just smiled.

"Would you take care of me?"

"Y-yes..."

"Would you provide me with all I need?"

"Yes!"

"And when the time comes, would you set me on my way to the next one?"

"Oh God, yes!"

"So be it."

Poli saw him for an instant. The spinning petals, each one with an eye fixated on him. And the spiral going down in the center of it into the infinity. And when his mind snapped, the dragon reached his climax, covering his chest with the seed he had been looking for. The pleasure ran through his body like a shock of electricity. Too intense. Too strong. Poli passed out seconds after.

Poli dressed up for work with the same tasteless attire of each day. It was one of the things he hated the most about working on bureaucracy. But the little sunflower in his pocket gave some life to his look.

It was a nice Thursday. A sunny day. It was meant to be a good day, that was for sure. He took his cell phone and called Evo, wanting to hear his voice so the day could be better.

"He just liked it," was the first thing Poli said as soon as the red bear answered.

"What?"

"The sunflower. Lambert just liked it. He thought I would like it too."

"Well, that's anticlimactic. But we really expect him to do something strange, so that's on us."

"I do like the flower. It looks nice in my room."

"Maybe I'll get one too."

Poli was in the same park where he met Bernard. As expected, there was no one selling flowers. But the dragon didn't care about that. He smiled at Evo's comment.

"I'll give you a seed from mine. Just wait."

The blue kangaroo saw him walking away. Oh, what a charming little boy he was, already ready to spread his influence. He took off his hat and bowed.

Somewhere very far away, a red crocodile stood in his garden. His sunflower had never looked so alive, glancing directly at the blue sky from where it came.

"Huh, I see you have no problems convincing him." He felt something dripping over his shoulder. On the roof, a black ooze dripped slowly. "Guess it's your turn now."