Taste of Love—Eighty One through Ninety
by taitofan
Rated PG-13 for yaoi and potential incest
Disclaimer: Was Melt playable? Was Lezard a recruitable alchemist? Did they confess their sweet love in the end of the game? No? Than obviously I don't own Star Ocean 3!
Author's Note: You may want to read a few of these out of order, mainly the three related ones listed below, though you can still piece together what happened if you read them in the order they come in. Also, yes, it is what you think it is. I'm a horrible person, I know. …Just one more set after this!
drabbles100 themes: #81-90; related drabbles: 85, 83, and 84, in that order, and sort of 86 and 90.
Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 03-26-08
081. Blind (133)
"Are you truly that blind to his feelings?" Lucien's head was reeling. He'd just been arguing with Dribe, which was far from unordinary, when he'd suddenly run off. Melt's question didn't help matters.
"What?" Roger muttered something about him being an idiot before he took off after his friend. Even Lezard was shaking his head and asking himself how he 'ever managed to have a brother as stupid as you.' …Well, at least Vellion looked confused too.
"…The next time someone calls you a word you don't understand, do not assume it is negative. Pulchritudinous is not a bad thing. Though I'm surprised Dribe even knew it…" Melt slowly shook his head before turning and heading after his friends, leaving Lucien to wonder what had just happened…and where he could find a dictionary.
082. Deaf (120)
"W-what did you say?" Melt questioned, completely dumbfounded. The fact that he was stuttering should have tipped off Lezard that he must be extremely confused, but the young alchemist was far too distressed to take notice of any subtleties.
"Are you deaf, you fool? You heard what I said! I don't know why I even bothered to tell you! I should have known better than to—" Melt quickly pressed a finger to his rival's lips, effectively cutting of the ranting before Lezard burst a blood vessel.
"I heard what you said. I just didn't imagine you felt that way…" He paused and smiled, removing his fingers from Lezard's lips and instead cupping his cheek. "And I love you too."
083. Lost (166)
Lucien wasn't quite sure how to respond when his brother broke down crying right before his very eyes. Lezard didn't cry—or, at least, not where anyone could see him. And not just him, but five people could witness the event…they were in the midst of a Real Man contest after all.
"L-Lezard? Why are ya cryin'? Jeez, I just scraped my knees, I ain't dead…" Lezard looked up at him, tears streaming behind his thick glasses.
"W-when you fell I thought… I thought I'd lost you big brother!" He threw himself at Lucien, clinging to him and sobbing like he'd disappear otherwise. Lucien was shocked. Lezard hadn't called him big brother in years. Not since…
When the epiphany came seconds later, he wrapped his arms around his brother and held him close.
"Don't you worry about me… Yah ain't losing me that easy." Those three little words he was thinking went unspoken in front of their stunned audience, but he was sure Lezard knew anyway.
084. Found (184)
Lezard's heart almost stopped as he watched his brother slip and fall off the cliff. Immediately, he and the others scrambled down to help him. He couldn't help but fear for the worse… And if he lost Lucien, he'd never forgive himself. The contest had been his idea, and he'd known it would be dangerous. If Lucien died, it would be his fault and he'd never know how much he cared…
When they found him, Lucien was fine other than his pants tearing and his knees being scrapped. Relief immediately kicked in, and Lezard couldn't help it—he began to cry.
"L-Lezard? Why are ya cryin'? Jeez, I just scraped my knees, I ain't dead…" That, of course, didn't help.
"W-when you fell I thought… I thought I'd lost you big brother!" He threw himself into his brother's arms, almost immediately being hugged back. He hadn't called Lucien that in years. Not since that day…
"Don't you worry about me… Yah ain't losing me that easy." He didn't say it, but Lezard knew what he meant. And through his tears, he managed to smile.
085. Missing (164)
Lezard looked all around for it. Under the beds, behind the bookcase, in every room of the house… But his journal was missing. That certainly wasn't good… But who could have taken it? Who could have known that he hid it under his mattress? Who…
Suddenly he froze, then seconds later he was out the door.
"Big brother! Where are—" He stopped, seeing Lucien sitting on the dock outside their house straight away, and in his hands was a familiar book. "Big brother…" Lucien looked up, a disturbed expression on his face.
"Is this true…?" Lezard slowly nodded. He knew he should be mad that Lucien had stolen it, but he was far too worried for that.
"Yes." Lucien quickly stood up and threw the book at his brother's feet, refusing to look him in the eye.
"It's wrong Lezard… Ya know that…" And with that he walked away, leaving his brother with a book full of unrequited dreams.
"You're so foolish…Lucien."
086. Choices (155)
Becoming a young adult brought many choices, and Melt had decided on quite a few. He would be staying in Surferio for the time being, honing his skills as a compounder. Eventually he planned to leave for Aquios and join the inventor's guild, with a certain cat humanoid at his side…
He just wasn't sure which one.
Lezard was his intellectual counterpart—they were constantly at a battle of wills, matching each other's moves in a graceful manner, almost like an exotic dance. They were both inventors too; if they teamed up, they could change the world. But Lucien was rather…lovable once he'd gotten out of his rebellious stage. He was sweet, always trying to win Melt over. It backfired a lot, but it was the thought that counted.
They knew they were competing for the seer's affections, but Melt honestly didn't know who to choose… But then again, who said he couldn't choose both?
087. Life (131)
"For the life of me, I can't see what he sees in that boy…"
"For the life of you? That's rather ironic." The man shot his wife a look that she purposely ignored. "Besides, you don't need to understand it. I really don't either… But if it keeps our son happy, then so be it. He's been through so much since he was a child… Don't you think he deserves this happiness? And our blessing?"
He looked upon his son and his son's chosen and nodded after a brief pause.
"Yes, you're right. As long as he's happy." She smiled and took his hand, and together they vanished.
Melt and Lucien slept on peacefully, though in the morning Melt could swear he felt the lingering presence of spirits in the room.
088. He (108)
The sight of his brother and his rival together served as a constant reminder of the mistakes he had made. Every single day he saw them together and every day he wished he'd done things differently. He wished he hadn't taken his brother for granted and said all those horrible things about him. He wished he hadn't hurt his rival all those years, both physically and emotionally. But most of all, he wished he'd told them how much he truly cared for them both…
That night, when Lucien came home and told him that Melt accepted his proposal, Lezard couldn't decide which case of unrequited love stung more.
089. She (134)
She'd never thought it was possible, not in a million years. They'd hated each other for so long…or so she'd thought. They'd certainly been rivals; that much she was sure of. But perhaps their rivalry hadn't been based on hatred after all. Maybe it was jealousy, maybe it was teenage rebellion, or maybe it was misplaced sexual tension.
…As much as the thought unnerved her, the last one made the most sense in retrospect.
At the end of the day though, she was happy for them. They'd found love, true love, which would last them for the rest of their lives. And what more could she possibly want? Forte watched as her son kissed his groom and cheered. She might not have thought it was possible, but Roger and Lucien had proved her wrong.
090. It (144)
"…What is it?" Lezard and Melt shared a look as Lucien stared at the object they'd found in the brothers' parents' room. They'd been looking for some matches to light some candles when they'd happened across it. Melt was very glad their parents weren't home.
"Don't touch it, you excitable fool!" Lezard yelled, smacking his brother's hands away.
"Well why not? Ya won't tell me what it is!" Melt sighed as they argued, wondering, not for the first time, what he saw in them…
"Calm down you two. Let's go back to my home. Lucien, I'll show you what…it is there. I have my own." Lezard's cheeks instantly flushed at his words.
"You do?!" He smirked at the looks of confusion and disbelief he was met with.
"Verily."
By the end of the day, Lucien decided that he liked what it was, very much.