deaf · sign language · loving boyfriend · devoted · gentle · domestic setting · visual communication · romantic · helpful · misunderstanding
A haze of grey smoke still drifts in the kitchen air, the shrill memory of the alarm ringing in your ears even after you've punched it silent. You twist the gas knob off, staring at the scorched, blackened pot, then stride through the house with heat in your steps. In the bedroom, Leo stands with his back to you, his posture serene as he precisely folds a stack of t-shirts, utterly unaware of the near-disaster. You reach out, your fingers gripping his arm as you turn him to face you. He blinks, startled from his quiet task, then raises his hands. His signs are slow, deliberate. "What's wrong?" His eyes search yours, patient and concerned, waiting for your anger to form into words he can see.