Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean: The Last Hope nor do I profit financially from writing this series of one-shots.
Warnings: Male/male relationship, meaning guys kissing guys and having an implied sexual relationship. It also transcends the physical components into something deeper and more profound. You are sufficiently warned on this. Any and all flames will be used to burn marshmallows. Once I buy some. ^_^

Prompts come from the 30kisses/30-kisses communities at livejournal.

Theme #02 – news; letter

When Edge received the news Crowe was to be promoted to Captain, a torrent of emotions washed over him like the waves on a sandy beach that he only dreamt of seeing. Happiness for his best friend and lover coursed through him – after all, Crowe definitely had worked his butt off to accomplish such a promotion at such a young age. Edge wanted to celebrate with his red-haired friend and in more ways than one. Whether they would find the time for a personal celebration remained to be seen, but Edge at least could pretend they could share a private moment.

Still, other emotions overshadowed his happiness and his elation for Crowe. When he compared himself to his best friend and how much the other man accomplished in such a short amount of time, his happiness and his desires to celebrate with his best friend vanished. Crowe no longer appeared the best friend type in Edge's mind but rather the rival who needed to be overcome and bested, and he hated himself for feeling the way he did. Edge couldn't help it, however. He wanted, he yearned to be at the top, the same as Crowe, not only as best friends and lovers but as equals. Still, he'd failed in that respect, and it ate at his insides the way acid ate away at metal. Edge wanted to punch something or someone, if only to alleviate the churning of emotions within him. So preoccupied in his thoughts, he failed to hear the door to his room opening and closing.

It hadn't helped that the news came from Reimi, who was now baking a cake for their mutual friend. Edge wished he'd heard the news directly from Crowe. The news might not have stung nearly as much if it had.

"Yo, Edge."

He jumped at the quiet tone of Crowe's voice, and he whirled around, his eyes wide and his heart beating against his chest in an effort to leave. His best friend, rival, and lover stood several inches away, uncertainty etched onto his face. Edge could only stare into those large green eyes of Crowe's, could only stare as a fire ignited within those green eyes, a fire mixed with hesitation. He knew what Crowe desired. He knew it as sure as he felt it coursing through his blood. Somehow, the two of them resonated with each other, more than what Edge had ever felt with another person. He wanted Crowe with every fiber of his being, desired him as much as he desired to hit the other man for surpassing him.

"Crowe," he managed. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"So Reimi told you, huh?" To that, Crowe exhaled. "She can be so good at keeping secrets sometimes and others . . . not so much."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Crowe said quickly. He crossed the distance between them. "I had wanted to tell you the news myself. Somewhere . . . not here."

"Oh?" Edge folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I'll show you." He held out a hand . . .

xXx-Crowe-xXx

Nights under a full moon were rare.

So were the moments when he and Edge could slip away from the rest of the world and to the surface, to the war-torn skies and land, and simply enjoy each other. Cool air kissed his naked flesh. Crowe, however, didn't mind. Life for him had changed a long, long time ago.

Next to him, Edge lay curled up under a blanket, his green eyes closed. Crowe glanced at his left shoulder, the faint glow of his crest coming to life.

"Seed of Hope, huh?" he whispered. He closed his eyes. "Nice idea. Too bad they didn't give us much of a choice."

Nothing responded to his words. What could? What life remained on the planet's surface roamed several miles away, keeping away, and the rest of the human population didn't even know. Even Edge remained oblivious to his powers. Those who did know slept in troubled peace. Crowe glanced at his slumbering companion.

"One day," he vowed, "you'll know the truth about the Seeds of Hope Project, Edge. In fact, I promise I will tell you the truth myself. No one should have to live in ignorance that way. I just . . . can't. Not tonight. Call it me being selfish. I'm okay with that. I just don't want to ruin this night any more than what it already has. I can only hope I made it up to you."

He leaned over and kissed Edge on the cheek.

Tomorrow was a new day. Crowe curled around his companion and closed his eyes.

xXx-Edge-xXx

Edge awoke to sunlight blinding him . . . and to someone's teeth nipping along his back. A low moan escaped him, and he turned around to face the offender.

"Really, Crowe?" he asked.

"Really," came the cheerful reply. "Besides, I can tell that you're not even upset by it. You never are."

It was true. He wasn't upset by Crowe's actions. However, they'd already had their fun. They couldn't stay on the surface for too much longer. The air itself turned acrid and choking, and, without the proper equipment, they wouldn't make it for too much longer. Plus, they had the SRF duties to attend to.

"That's beside the point," Edge retorted. "You know we can't stay up here for too long."

"And we won't," Crowe murmured, his tone husky. He pinned Edge's hands above his head. "We haven't ever stayed up here longer than we've needed to."

"Crowe . . ." All of Edge's thoughts were starting to scatter. "We can't be late . . . our duties . . ."

"Will still be waiting for us when we get back. We still have time. Relax, Edge. Nothing's going to happen. Nothing bad, anyway." Crowe chuckled a little darkly at that.

"Crowe?"

"Do you trust me, Edge?"

The question threw him for a loop, and Edge blinked.

'Why would he ask me that?'

"Of course, I trust you," he answered. "Why wouldn't I?"

Crowe's eyes glittered and darkened. Edge recognized the warning signs a little too late. Pain erupted in his lower back, and golden spots danced in his vision. A sharp gasp escaped him while Crowe growled. Edge reminded himself to relax. The pain never lasted very long anyway. Crowe simply wasn't like that.

"Because right now," the older man panted. "I kind of need you to hate me."

"And why would I do that?" he shot back. He struggled to free his hands at the same time he leaned up and bit Crowe on his shoulder.

"You never make things easy, do you?" Crowe grinned and laughed a little. "All right then. I need you to hate me. It's the only way you're going to improve on anything."

"Like I didn't know that already."

"I'm not playing around this time, Edge." The darkness in Crowe's eyes intensified. "There are things you don't know yet, things no one's bothered to tell you, and you must know them. Now. But I swear, if it goes to your head . . ."

He trailed off, the threat imminent. Edge panted and nodded, this side of his lover scaring and thrilling him at the same time. He knew the words he needed to say next, and he knew, once he said them, he needed to live up to them.

"I . . ." Edge winced at a particular painful stroke and shuddered, his pleasure nearly skyrocketing. "I promise that I won't let whatever you tell me . . . go to my head. I promise."

"What? I didn't quite hear you." Crowe whispered in his ear. "Say that again."

"I promise . . . I won't let anything go to my head. I promise. I promise. I promise." His thoughts were a jumbled up mess by this point, but his words rang clear through him, binding him.

"Good. Because I can't keep this a secret any longer," Crowe sighed, relieved but not finished with his ministrations. "And it isn't right for you to not know anymore."

"I don't understand . . ."

Strong arms wrapped around Edge's waist, and Crowe buried his face into the crook of his neck. He spoke softly, gently, tenderly about something called the Seeds of Hope, about how there were three survivors from the entire thing, and how they were among them. There was one other, but who it was, wasn't for Crowe to say. Anger surged through Edge as he listened to his best friend's confession.

"You should have said something sooner," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm saying something now," Crowe retorted. He kissed Edge then bit his lower lip. "That counts for something."

"Not much." Edge raked his fingers along the older man's back in an effort to cause him some pain. The truth hurt, at least a little, and tears stung at his eyes.

Crowe laughed, a feral, carnal sound.

"That's why I need you to hate me," he said. "Because I knew, because I didn't say anything right away, because I kept hoping someone else would. Everyone who knows about this has kept you oblivious, Edge. If you need to hate anyone over it, hate me."

Edge could only stare at his best friend and lover. Red hair blew in a hot wind, eyes glittered with determination, lust, and love, a halo of sunshine over his head. There were no doubts guilt wracked Crowe over that knowledge, something Edge wanted to ease in his partner. The wild nature in which they were coupling electrified him.

"No," he replied. "I'm not going to hate you."

"And why not?" Crowe was close.

"Because I want you to make it up to me." Their eyes locked together. A slight grin appeared on Crowe's face.

"As long as you want me to," he murmured. He pressed his lips to Edge's once more . . .

xXx-Edge-xXx

A sigh of blissed relief escaped Edge the moment the hot water hit his back. Sleeping on the ground left him with knots and cramps along his back, and the dirt in his cuts and scrapes didn't help anything, either. He and Crowe had had to hide the evidence of their excursion from Reimi.

The water ran over his head and helped to calm and clear his thoughts. Crowe's confession about the Seeds of Hope project had stung. It still hurt, but Edge found he couldn't be mad. Not for very long. His father's death when he'd been a child had taught him life was too short to be angry all the time.

'But what do I do?' he wondered. 'I want to ask questions about this, about all of it, yet no one's even bothered to tell me at this point. Do I confront the Saionjis? They're the closest things I've had to parents since Dad died. I don't want to lose that.

'But who said I needed to do anything with what Crowe told me,' he reasoned. 'He doesn't want it to go to my head. Maybe . . . maybe I should pretend he never said anything at all. Let whoever wants to come out with the truth.'

He scrubbed himself clean, feeling better for it and for his decision.

'I'll let Crowe know what I've decided when we get a moment,' Edge told himself. 'Besides, I don't want this to mar my last days on Earth. In a few days, we'll be heading for Moonbase to finish our training. I want to make the best of my last days here. Who knows when I'll get to come back?'

He finished his shower and dried off. When he stepped out of the shower, Reimi was waiting for him.

"It's about time," she said with a pout.

"About time for what?" he asked. He glanced around for the nearest clock.

"That you showed up! Seriously, Edge, what am I going to do with you? You disappeared last night, and . . ."

"Crowe came over," he interjected before she could go much further. "He and I had some things to discuss so we left."

"Really, Edge?" Reimi shook her head. "I swear you two like to fight and for no reason at all. Why can't you just admit that he's your best friend and get it over with?"

"When he stops being such an ass-hole," Edge replied automatically. Best friends and lovers aside, he still wanted to be Crowe's equal in every way.

"Oh, Edge . . ."

"We better get going or we're going to be late," Edge said. "And I know how much you hate being late."

"Edge, we have . . ."

"It's almost 8 am," he said.

Reimie's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, I'm not even ready yet! Wait here!"

She ran off to her bedroom, and Edge exhaled a breath of relief.

'The things I do to preserve our relationship, Crowe. You owe me for this one. Big time.'