Hey there all you happy readers!!! This is my very first fanfiction! YEAAA!!! I hope you like it. Of course it’s Trowa and Quatre. (Such a sweet couple don’t you think? ::makes puppydog eyes at readers::)

Anyhow…standard disclaimer here…don’t own ‘em! Wish I did. They belong to a much higher power than little ole me! Don’t sue! No money! I probably wouldn’t show up in court anyway. : )

Thanks to Esha, Melissa, Helen, May, Kaitlin, and the gang for introducing me to this wonderful series!!!

Soooo enjoy the fic! Feedback pullllleeeezzzz!!! I CRAVE attention!!! (It’s my first fic after all) ::winks:: Firefly867@aol.com WARNING :EXTREME SAP AHEAD!!!!! (really...sooo sweet your teeth will hurt!)

The sun filtered through the window in streams to gather on Trowa’s sleeping face. The usual frown was gone from it. Instead, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Quatre?" he turned. Finding himself in bed alone, the Heavyarms pilot abruptly opened his eyes. A slender hand emerged from beneath the sheets to gently run over the abandoned space beside him.

"Cold." He sighed, pulling himself into a sitting position.

[You pushed him away, Trowa]

"No. Quatre wouldn’t leave unless it was important"

[You aren’t important enough to wake up to?]

"He’s stayed every other morning. Maybe he was called out for work. He is running the family business now."

[Perhaps…Or perhaps he gave up on you.]

"Nani?!? No, he wouldn’t leave. He loves me…"

[Precisely. He loves you! But do you feel the same?]

"Of course I do!"

[You do what? Why can’t you say it]

"…"

[Oh, so now you’re giving ME the silent treatment?!?]

"…..who are you?"

[::sigh:: The voice of truth, Trowa.]

"And just what is the truth?"

[That he loves you. That every ti

me he says it, he loses a piece of himself because you can’t say it back…] "He knows how I feel."

[But it’s not the same! He wants to hear you say it so badly. It hurts him that you can’t…or won’t]

"I know I hurt him. It’s the last thing I want to do. But the words just wont’ come out. I’ve tried so many times, but it’s like it gets caught in my throat and I can’t make a sound."

[Tell him, Trowa. He needs to know.]

"Shut up! You’re driving me crazy!"

[Too late for that. You’ve been talking to yourself for the last hour]

The voice slowly faded from Trowa’s mind.

"I need to tell him."

Slowly he got out of bed and dressed himself before heading downstairs.*******

Quatre was quietly sipping his morning tea in the kitchen. In between sips, he pondered many things, but mostly his relationship with one very handsome banged Gundam pilot. Trowa’s so quiet. He smiled slightly

It’s a wonder I was able to get through to him at al. I love him so much, though. He shifted uneasily.

I know he loves me, too, of course. I just wish he could say it. Quatre sighed.

I’m not expecting too much am I? No. Other couples say it to each other all the time. Why is it so difficult for Trowa?

A sudden thought occurred to Quatre. He set his tea cup down and tipped his head to the side thoughtfully. A slow smile crept across his face until even the glowing kitchen lights were outshined by it’s brightness.

"If he can’t say it…" thought Quatre aloud as he stood slowly. "I’ll find another way for him to express it."

The blond Arabian shot out of the room, tea forgotten, and proceeded out the front door of the Winner Mansion. Stumbling down the steps three at a time, he ran to the nearest store.

********

"Quatre?" called a puzzled Trowa as he entered the kitchen.

Everything seemed perfectly in place…except for the cup of tea, half emptied, sitting on the kitch table. Trowa walked over and picked it up gently.

Still warm.

He smiled and sat down to wait for his koi.

*******

Quatre returned to find Trowa sitting at the kitchen table, the half drunk cup of tea in front of him. His surprise quickly turned into a smile.

"Oh, Trowa, I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?"

"Not really," replied Trowa with a slight shrug, green eyes gleaming at blue. "Did you go shopping?"

Blue eyes widened, then glanced down at the brown paper bag held tightly in his fist.

"Oh, yeah," the smaller boy laughed.

It was cut short though by Trowa’s next statement. "We need to talk." At first Quatre was worried.

Does Trowa want to end this? End us?

But even with the serious tone, the gentleness never left Trowa’s eyes. A softness he only showed to the slight Arabian.

Quatre quietly took a seat next to his koi and waited.

"Quatre…" the banged pilot began, pausing, uncertain on how to finish. Quatre waited patiently for him to go on.

"Quatre it’s so nice being with you. Seeing your face every morning when I wake up is like a dream come true." He stroked the other’s blond hair lovingly. Trowa hesitated before pulling the boy into his lap and wrapping his arms around the slight shoulders.

"I know you care for me," Trowa continued. "I-I never tell you how I really feel though." He took a deep breath, Quatre was motionless, waiting."

"Quatre…….I…I…" Trowa began to shake. The effort of the words emptying his strength.

"Shhh." Quatre placed a small finger over his lover’s lips. "I know how you feel, Trowa." The blond gave a slight smile. "I know it’s hard for you to say it," he paused. "But there are other ways."

He reached into the bag he had brought home and removed a small, white box.

"Would you like to see what I bought?" Quatre asked shyly. Trowa nodded.

Quatre held the box close so both boys could see the contents before carefully removing the lid.

Trowa stared. Inside was a small collection of plastic rings, hoops really, each about a half inch in diameter. Each one was brilliantly colored in either yellow, red, purple, green, blue, or orange. Resting on top of them all lay a tiny silver chain. Small, but beautiful.

"The rings are for you, Trowa. The necklace for me." Quatre paused in his explanation to gauge Trowa’s response. Passive as always, but with a hint of….surprise? Quatre swallowed down the lump quickly forming in his throat and continued.

"This is how you’ll tell me that you love me," he whispered now. "Each time you wish to let me know, you give me a ring, any color, and you can be assured I’ll understand."

Trowa picked out a blue ring carefully. The color reminded him of Quatre’s stunning eyes.

"So the more rings you have around your neck, the more you know I care?"

Quatre nodded.

Trowa took the silver chain and slowly began to string the colored loops. When the box was empty and all the rings in place, he turned to his koi, still perched in his lap.

"This is how much I care," said Trowa as he fastened the chain around Quatre’s neck. "But I love you even more."

Quatre’s eyes widened in shock. He didn’t even try to stop the flow of tears as they took hold of him, and he wrapped his arms around his taller lover.

"Oh, Trowa," he whispered, his cries set off by the steadily growing smile. "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Angel." The banged pilot actually smiled as he fingered the colorful new necklace adorning his love’s neck.

"And now you know just how much…"

*******

"Hey, Quatre!" Duo called, running over to the small boy on the park bench. Duo stopped in front of the blond and whistled.

"Nice necklace ,Quatre buddy! I’m a big fan of plastic too. Is it new?"

"Hai," Quatre blushed, hand going up to softly touch the hoops.

"…Well what does it mean?" Duo pressed. "What is it?’

Quatre stood slowly, fingers still entwined in the plastic rings.

"It’s Trowa’s love," he said quietly before turning and walking away.

Duo stared after the blond boy who was fingering the necklace thoughtfully with a smile that would shame the sun.