Flaming Youth

A/N: Happy bday Nic! I hope you enjoy this little ficlet. Blame your girl, YogaGal for the picspiration!

Muchas gracias to Yoga and Zigs for their beta eyes. Any mistakes remaining are all mine.

As always, these boys belong to SM, I just like to play with them.

Edward finished drying off, and tossed the towel on the floor. Padding naked across his childhood room, he snickered as he stared at the Star Wars poster with its prominent picture of Luke and Leia. He remembered the first time he found himself fantasizing about the defined chest and arms exposed by the way Luke clutched the light saber, as opposed to the leg Leia was showing through the slit of her dress. Unlike most of his friends, by the time he saw Return of the Jedi, he knew it wasn't Leia's slave-girl costume that was getting him hard, but the way Han's ass looked in those snug pants, and the militant look of his jack boots.

He opened the top drawer of his childhood dresser, and laughed again to find some of his old socks and underwear. Didn't his mom ever throw anything out? God, he was twenty-eight years old, home for his ten-year high school reunion and his room looked just like it did the day he left for college. He hadn't thought about it much over those early years, particularly since he was only home for a few days, maybe a week at a time, but it had been six years since he'd been back and the realization that his parents had left his room untouched in that time was a little sad.

He shouldn't have stayed away so long.

He laughed once more at the sight of his old KISS poster, remembering with slight horror the crush he'd developed on Gene Simmons, or more specifically on that wicked tongue of his. Once he found out what the man looked like without his make-up and leathers, even that tongue could do nothing for Edward. Besides, Edward had figured out a long time ago that he much preferred a different type of look, one that more closely resembled Luke Skywalker.

In fact, he preferred a particular someone that looked like Luke Skywalker, although that was neither here nor there. Though he and Jasper had been close once, distance and time had strained their friendship. But that wasn't what had killed the friendship. No, that had been Edward's doing. After that Christmas break during their junior year of college, Edward had begun to pull away. He just couldn't take the heart ache anymore, the wistful longing, the never ending desire to be the one in Jasper's bed, in his heart; a desire that could never be fulfilled. It was easier, instead, to cut off contact, to bury himself in his studies, and then in his work abroad.

It had been a long time since Edward had seen Jasper, and life had moved on. There'd been several lovers in those intervening years, and although Edward hadn't found the "One" yet, he was hopeful that someday he'd find him. Shaking his head, he looked down to see that he was clutching a pair of his old socks, and with a chuckle, he pulled them on, laughing at himself in the mirror – naked but for a pair of striped gym socks.

He flopped down on his bed, grimacing a little at the uncomfortable, old mattress. He didn't recall it being quite so lumpy. Then a memory struck him. He reached his hand under the mattress and found his old magazine stash. He laughed looking at some of the silly Playgirl covers, although the one of Marky Mark wasn't that silly at all. He thumbed through them for a minute before shoving them back in their hiding place.

Lying back down, Edward realized he was more than a little nervous about going to the reunion. In fact, truth be told, he was terrified of going. He wasn't embarrassed to see his former friends and classmates—he'd made quite a successful career for himself as a foreign correspondent, gaining a peculiar sort of celebrity status during the Second Gulf War. No, he was scared because he didn't know if Jasper would be there.

He closed his eyes, remembering the last time he saw Jasper. They were at Mike's house, enjoying an impromptu get together with several old classmates, and using the Newton's indoor pool. Edward could see the way the water rolled down Jasper's skin as he surfaced and grabbed the edge to pull himself up and out of the pool. He remembered the way Jasper's hair had been slicked back, instead of hanging in his face and obscuring his cerulean blue eyes. Edward remembered wanting to trace the strong jaw with his tongue, and feel the soft pillow of Jasper's lips against his.

Eyes still shut, Edward's hand drifted down to...[EDITED] SEE NOTE IN PREVIOUS CHAPTER...He imagined that they were alone that day in the pool, imagined that he swam over and positioned himself between the set of strong legs that languidly kicked the water as Jasper sat on the edge. In his mind, those legs wrapped around him and pulled him close, close enough for Edward to lick the drop of water that was sliding down Jasper's chest. Edward's...

[EDITED] SEE NOTE IN PREVIOUS CHAPTER

..."That was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen."

Edward's eyes opened again and regarded Jasper warily. He was completely exposed, physically and emotionally. "Why are you here?" he asked.

Jasper took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I heard you were in town for the reunion, and your mom let me in. I wanted to see you . . . to talk about . . . to understand what happened, why you ran away. But I think . . . I think I might have my answer."

Turning his head, Edward felt the blush rise in his cheeks and across his chest. Then the bed dipped and warm fingers were on his chin, forcing him to look at Jasper.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Edward barked a laugh. "Seriously? You're straight, Jasper. You had a girlfriend. What was I supposed to say? Sorry, but I think I'm in love with you and want you to fuck me into the mattress? I'm sure that would have gone over like a lead balloon."

Jasper's eyes widened at Edward's statement, and Edward could feel his cheeks heat up more as he realized what he'd just admitted.

"Idiot," Jasper told him. "Such a fucking idiot," he repeated before leaning down to claim Edward's mouth in a searing kiss. When he broke it off, he leaned his forehead against Edward's "I broke up with Alice the day I got back to school after break . . . right after I realized I was in love with my best friend."

Jasper pulled back, looking at Edward. Now he was the one exposed.

Heart pounding in his chest, Edward couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why didn't you say anything?" he whispered.

"I was afraid. I'd just realized that I was gay, and then you pulled away and I thought you hated me . . ." he trailed off.

Edward shook his head. "No, I never hated you. I was . . . I was running away from you."

Jasper's fingers brushed a fringe of hair off Edward's forehead. "No more running, Edward."

Nodding his head in agreement, Edward whispered, "Never again." He reached up, curving his hand behind Jasper's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "Never again," he murmured before their lips met once more.

As their tongues slid against each other again and again, and their mouths began to map one another, Edward thought that the reunion was going to be much more interesting than anyone anticipated.

Much more interesting.

a/n: Flaming Youth is the name of a track off of KISS's 1976 album, Destroyer.