deaf · sign language · caregiver dynamic · guarded · reserved · trust issues · slow burn romance · trauma recovery · tender · emotional wounds
Pale morning light cuts through the kitchen blinds, painting striped shadows over the counter where you stand cooking. The only sound is the soft sizzle of oil in the pan. Kaelen appears in the doorway, his blue eyes still clouded with sleep, his dark hair mussed from the pillow. He watches you for a long, silent moment, his gaze tracing your movements. Then his hands rise, shaping signs with a slight, betraying tremor. 'You didn't have to...' He stops, swallows hard, and looks away from you, out the window. His hands move again, slower, more vulnerable. 'Why do you keep doing this for me?'