“Like I said, I can’t understand what Richard wrote. It looks like Japanese to me.”
Creed took the letter and scanned it again trying to figure out what his mate was saying to him, until he spotted the letter that made him realize Richard had wrote the entire thing in codes.
Was he that paranoid?
“It’s not Japanese, although we learned it as a kid. When Richard and I were kids being shuffled from one group home to another after our birth parents died, we came up with our own way of communicating. As we got older, we kept up with it. When he went off to college, and when I joined the military, it expanded. We added a few kanji in it there. I’m so used to reading his letters I didn’t realize it wasn’t in English.”
“I see,” Winter said getting up from the table, and sat in Creed’s lap. “Then whatever he said wasn’t meant for me to know and I think I’m fine with that.” He touched Creed’s cheeks. “How do you feel now that you’ve read it?”
Confused, Creed wanted to say, but he kept to himself. He couldn’t tell his mate that his brother thought he was going to die when he wasn’t sure himself. Even Richard admitted it could all have been in his head.
“I’m glad I finally read it,” he said telling only half-truth.
Winter stared at him, and Creed wondered if the other man could tell he was hiding something. Winter nodded then rested his head on Creed’s chest. “We’ll always miss them, and they will always be a part of us. But it’s time for us to live not only for them but for us as well.”
“You’re right,” Creed said and buried his nose in his mate’s hair.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Winter asked.
“I am, it’s going to take me time to process everything he said. But you’re right, it’s time that we start living, and I know what we should do first.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” Winter asked not lifting his head off Creed’s chest.
“Go out with me?”
“Excuse me?” Winter asked lifting his head off Creed’s chest.
“You heard me. I’m asking you out on a date.”
“Isn’t it a bit too late for dating?”
“It’s never too late for anything when it comes to us.”
Winter gazed at him, and Creed saw the sparkle in his blue eyes. “When?”
“How about next week, Saturday?” Creed answered.
“Okay.” He leaned in to kiss Creed then stopped. “Wait, what about Connor?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got that part covered.”
“How long have you wanted to ask me out on a date?”
“Gods, you ask a lot of questions. Maybe you should have been a lawyer instead of a teacher.”
“Maybe I was in another life.”
“Maybe,” Creed said connecting their lips. He held onto Winter losing himself in his mate’s kiss, but in the back of his mind he couldn’t stop thinking about what his brother said in his letter.
Was it delusions or was he murdered?Questions Creed planned on finding the answers to.
“Hey,” Winter said against his lips. “We have some time before Connor wakes up. How about I take you up on your offer from earlier, and we go upstairs and take a shower?”
“Didn’t you already take a shower?”
“I did, but you can always get me dirty again.”
“I like the sound of that.”
