Savoring Time

By Karu Leonnese

Notes: Cute lil one-shot of the Edgar x Locke persuasion. ^_^ Cuz I love it so much...

******

When you live your life darting from one place to the next, moments of comfort don't show up that often. So when they do, you've got to make them count. Gods only know how long it's gotta last you.

"You should visit more. You know I don't see you very often anymore."

I smiled. "I really try. It's not easy being a treasure hunter you know..." Edgar offered me a seat at the desk he was currently sitting at. Papers were scattered atop the finished surface of the wooden table. "Sorry if I interrupted anything..."

He looked at the papers and chuckled softly. "Trust me Locke, I'm always ready for a break from this annoying paperwork. Especially when it's from you...Although, you could just use the door..."

He smirked at me, then ran a hand through his blond hair. I winked mischievously and closed the window I had entered through. Shrugging, I fell sideways into the chair, my legs propped up on its arm. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, if I wind up trying to kidnap you, no one's seen me. I'll make a clean getaway."

"You know..." he mused, staking the pile of papers on one corner of the desk, "I'd come see you in Kohlingen, but I can't get away from here."

"Can't you ask Sabin to baby-sit for a day or so?" I asked, resting my arms behind my head.

"You know as well as I do that he could never..." he didn't finish. But I got it. Sabin didn't want to be there anymore than Edgar did. And though the younger twin might attempt to help his brother out, he couldn't take things over, even for as little as a few days. He'd go crazy. I'm surprised Edgar hadn't already.

I shrugged again. "Just thinking up some ideas is all..."

He finally shoved his neat stack of papers into the desk drawer. "So..." he decided to change the subject, "find any good dungeons to explore?"

Edgar loved it when I'd tell him about the caves and dungeons that I crawled through. Since Kefka's defeat, there'd been no other major conflicts, so he'd been holed up in the castle, trying to run things. I, on the other hand, had no such responsibilities, and was making a living winding through old caverns digging up treasure. I've offered to take him with me countless times, but he's needed here. I know he misses the adventure. I know I would if I was in his position.

"Been kinda slow as of late. I'm beginning to wonder if I've found them all," I laughed. No sense in rubbing it in...

He sighed and got up from the desk, moving to look out the window I'd come in from. "Sometimes I wish things had turned out differently..."

I turned to face him. "I know what you mean."

"It's very pretty..."

"Huh?" I sat up, curious.

He smiled. "Oops. The desert, I mean. At night. It's very beautiful."

"Ohhh..." I nodded. Of course it's not very beautiful while you're fighting a bunch of sand-crawling monsters, but inside the safety of a building it was rather nice.

He flopped down on his bed. Very restless. "I guess it's metaphoric, in a way..."

"Metaphoric? How so?"

"Even in circumstances cruel and unforgiving like the desert, you can still find something good if you actually try..." he propped his head up with his arms. "Or something like that...I dunno. Sounds awfully cliché poetic to me."

"It's nice though..." I smiled.

"Locke..."

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think..."

"Think what?" I prompted.

Silence for a moment. "Nothing." His voice cracked a bit, "Never mind."

I got up from the chair and sat on the side of the bed. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure..."

I didn't know what to say. I've never been good at heartfelt conversations. I've always been more about action. And right now all I wanted to do was wipe that sad look I found off his face and comfort him. Before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned down and kissed him. Simple and sweet.

Ice blue eyes widened. "Locke?"

"Don't worry..." I said, laying down next to him, "You did things right. And now I'm here to help."

"How did you...?" he stopped, then shook his head, "Never mind. We've probably got some kind of psychic link of something. For all I know, you can read my every thought."

I laughed a bit. "I think we're hanging out too much..."

"No..." he wrapped his arms around my waist, "I don't think we're hanging out enough."

I rested my head on his chest. "Edgar..."

He looked down at me. "Yeah?"

"Just don't move, okay? We'll just stay like this for as long as we can..."

"Savoring the moments...I have no intention of moving for a very long time."

I closed my eyes. "Good."

He laid his chin on my forehead. "You really should visit more often..."

"If it's gonna be like this, I suppose I'll have to..." I mumbled sleepily, "You know they're gonna come get you tomorrow morning..."

"Then let them. We've got plenty of time to kill right now."

I yawned. "I don't know a better way to lose time than this..."

"Me neither..."

When you're expected to hold yourself up, and all you want to do is let someone hold you, moments of fulfillment are hard to come by. So when they do happen, you've got to savor them.

Gods only know how long it's gotta last you...

******

^_^ How cute. Plotless and mega-cliché, but cute. Heh. R&R for my first ficceh in forever, yes? Pocky to those who do!!

~Karu