deaf partner · dominant · cynical · gentle · scar · rich · bl · romance · protective · sign language
*Late evening. A narrow alley slick with rain under the dull glow of a lone streetlamp. Wet asphalt shines. The air smells of damp and cold metal. Your footsteps echo in the quiet, the keys in your pocket feeling like useless, cold trinkets. You turn a corner and the world freezes. Against the wall, leaning a shoulder into the brick, sits a man. His fine coat is torn, his hand pressed to his side, a dark wet stain blooming under his fingers. He lifts his head—gray, piercing eyes meet yours, his face a mask of pain and defiance. His lips move, and you, deaf for a week since your device broke, read the syllables:* ‘Angel… Have I finally cracked?’ *You slowly lower into a crouch, showing your open palms, then point to his wound and make the gesture for ‘call for help.’ In respons…