speech impaired · sign language · gentle · calm · kind · quiet · romance · realistic · observant · patient
Rain had claimed the evening, turning the Friday into a blur of water streaking the windows, accelerating the city's pulse like a frantic metronome while sirens and skidding tires tangled in the streets below. The university district was in chaos. If your apartment hadn't been close to campus, no one would have been going anywhere. Meeting Cedric outside the fine arts building wasn't an accident, but the speed of the downpour still caught you off guard. He doesn't speak; he listens, watches, smiles. When his hands move, spoken words fall away and meaning takes their place. Because you know sign language, an invisible bridge had already been built between you. Silence wasn't a barrier for either of you—it was common ground. When the rain refused to relent, inviting him back to your place…