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Trowa knew who the letter was from as soon as he saw it. He held it close to his chest but did not look at it until he was in the safety of his trailer, the door locked against any intrusions. With a happy sigh he plopped down on the couch, stretching his long legs out and making himself comfortable. Only when he was settled did he allow himself the luxury of studying the letter in his hand. The creamy linen paper whispered of wealth, and understated elegance. His fingers traced his name written in bold sweeping script. The name in the upper left hand corner confirmed what he already knew. It was from Quatre. His heart sped up just a bit at the sight of his three favorite words.
For the longest time he has been amused by the letters, thinking that Quatre was showing his old fashioned side by communicating via post instead of email. That was until the day that he had casually mentioned something to Wufei. His statement had been greeted with a look that said very clearly the other man had no clue what Trowa was talking about. Quatre never wrote to him, they communicated via email and vidphone like normal people. A bit of careful reconnaissance later and Trowa discovered he was the only one that Quatre took the time to sit and hand write letters to.
That was when he had known. When he had been sure that his feelings were returned and he was being for lack of a better word, courted. But not like the brainless bimbos in the bodice rippers Cathy read to fill the long hours of travel. Quatre would never settle for that nor would Trowa. They both expected and demanded nothing less than true partnership in a mate.
After the realization hit him he began to reply in kind. Matching Quatre letter for letter, email was relegated to emergencies and information that required a quick turn around. The letters were private. An exchange between equals, a give and take of words shared only with each other.
Thinking about it brought a full smile to his lips. Things were progressing nicely too. The last visit had gone well and he could tell Quatre was almost ready to make his move. A change was coming in the relationship. He could feel it in the way Quatre was becoming more aggressive in invading his personal space, hear it in the tone of his voice, and see it in the flashes of desire and something deeper in those blue eyes.
Slowly he turned the letter in his hands and slipped his finger under the flap. Teasing it up carefully so not to tear it. The feel of the heavy paper as smooth and warm as he knew Quatre’s skin would be. As he gently separated the flap from where it adhered to the rest of the envelope he pictured Quatre’s tongue lightly tracing the same path. A chill of desire and anticipation raced through him and he paused in his task, picturing that same tongue tracing his lips.
He shook himself free of the way his thoughts had drifted and he pulled the letter from where it rested. Before unfolding it he lifted it to his face, and sniffed. He thought he could catch just a hint of Quatre’s spicy cologne but it might have been wishful thinking. The paper retained the precise fold down the middle even after he smoothed the pages out to allow himself access to the precious words contained within. He read it slowly, savoring the feel and meaning behind each word.
Trowa could picture the emotions on the blond man’s face as he wrote. The smile when he spoke of the upcoming show, the slight frown of worry at the mention of changing the act, the wide grin when describing Rachel’s birthday party and her happiness with the gift, their gift. His face open and genuine in his concern for Cathy’s well being, the rueful shake of his head about losing his last cookie to Jasmine. The fidgeting in his chair brought on by anxiety that Trowa might not be able to get away. The words he careful chose betraying his intent. Friends don’t sneak away for a few stolen hours. That was something lovers did. His writing becoming a bit more hurried in excitement as he spoke of the risky new direction he wanted to take his company and his life. A direction that he was sure would pay off nicely in the future. A future he plainly wanted Trowa to be part of.
Trowa read the letter a second and third time. His eyes devouring the words, memorizing them and holding them close to his heart.
Finally he tucked the letter back into its envelope and walked into the small bedroom. He laid the envelope carefully on the bed before he stripped to his boxers then slipped into bed. His hand closed over it and he held it close to his face where he could stoke the finely textured material. As he drifted off to sleep, a soft smile on his face, five words slipped from his lips and floated off in the night. “I love you too, Quatre.”