weekend in a tent somewhere.
But it wasn't like Grizzly Adams at all."
Kira laughed. "Grizzly Adams? Is that what you thought?" I nodded, and he shook his head at me. He handed me a plate with a sandwich and salad, and smiled kind of sadly. "I don't want to leave either."
"Can we come back?" I asked.
"Sure can," he nodded. "Next time we have time off together." And I felt better already, knowing it wouldn't be our last time here.
We ate our lunch, and he told me about how his parents came up here every chance they got. He told me his dad always joked about how peaceful it was here.
I nodded, agreeing completely, and Kira blinked.
"Uh, Matt?" he said flatly. "Dad's deaf. He can't hear how peaceful it is. It was a joke."
I laughed at myself for missing the joke completely, and Kira rolled his eyes. As we tidied up after lunch, I asked, "So you've always known sign language?"
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Kira nodded. "Since I could talk. I learned to talk and sign like it was normal."
"Would you teach me?" I asked, and Kira stopped and stared at me. So I quickly explained, "I'd just like to be able to do it, you know, so I can try and keep up with conversations with your parents."
For a few long seconds, Kira just stared at me. He blinked and nodded slowly and then looked at me in a way that made me nervous. Not nervous in a bad way, but nervous in a heart-thumping-funny kind of way.
He crossed the kitchen floor and pecked me on the lips. "Thank you." He said it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.
He was thanking me? "What for?"
"For asking to learn. For wanting to know," he answered. "Some people just ignore my dad and exclude him, because he can't hear."
I shrugged. "Well, it's their loss. I like your dad.
He's funny." Then I smiled at him. "Plus, I'd like to know what you three say about me behind my back."
He laughed, grinning hugely as he showed me the basics, folding my fingers accordingly: hello, goodbye, please, sorry, thank you. I practiced, and he kissed me softly. "You don't have to do this, you know," he said quietly.
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"I know," I told him. "I want to."
He took my right hand, and he stared at it for a long moment. He swallowed thickly, and just as I was about to ask what was wrong, he folded my fingers down. He straightened out my thumb, forefinger, and little finger, but the other two were still folded against my palm.
He wouldn't look at me. He was just staring at my hand, but I could see his chest rise and fall as his breath quickened.
I looked down at my hand. He'd formed it that way deliberately. "Kira, what does this mean?"
He was still staring at my hand, but he whispered the words so quietly it took me a second to register what he said.
"I love you."
I love you…
My head jerked up to look at his face instead of my hand, but then he covered my hand with his, like he was trying to hide his words.
My heart was thumping against my ribs, my
stomach was knotted, and I couldn't seem to speak. He finally looked at me. His dark eyes were afraid and hopeful, and his voice was quiet. "Before we came here, I thought you were too good to be true." He shook his head, "I thought this weekend I would see some part of you that
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didn't make you so perfect, something that I didn't like, but there's nothing. You're just everything I could ask for." He was rambling. "Coming here with you only sealed what I already knew. I'm falling in love with you. I know we've only been together for six weeks, and it's too soon, but I…
I, I just wanted you to know, and I don't expect you to say it back."
I pulled my hand out from under his, and, keeping my fingers like he showed me, I held my hand up, palm facing him. Without saying a word, I told him I loved him too.
He looked at my hand, then into my eyes, and the smile he gave me was fucking beautiful.
His eyes were wide, almost disbelieving. So I gave him a nod, and he
But it wasn't like Grizzly Adams at all."
Kira laughed. "Grizzly Adams? Is that what you thought?" I nodded, and he shook his head at me. He handed me a plate with a sandwich and salad, and smiled kind of sadly. "I don't want to leave either."
"Can we come back?" I asked.
"Sure can," he nodded. "Next time we have time off together." And I felt better already, knowing it wouldn't be our last time here.
We ate our lunch, and he told me about how his parents came up here every chance they got. He told me his dad always joked about how peaceful it was here.
I nodded, agreeing completely, and Kira blinked.
"Uh, Matt?" he said flatly. "Dad's deaf. He can't hear how peaceful it is. It was a joke."
I laughed at myself for missing the joke completely, and Kira rolled his eyes. As we tidied up after lunch, I asked, "So you've always known sign language?"
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Point of No Return
NR Walker
Kira nodded. "Since I could talk. I learned to talk and sign like it was normal."
"Would you teach me?" I asked, and Kira stopped and stared at me. So I quickly explained, "I'd just like to be able to do it, you know, so I can try and keep up with conversations with your parents."
For a few long seconds, Kira just stared at me. He blinked and nodded slowly and then looked at me in a way that made me nervous. Not nervous in a bad way, but nervous in a heart-thumping-funny kind of way.
He crossed the kitchen floor and pecked me on the lips. "Thank you." He said it so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.
He was thanking me? "What for?"
"For asking to learn. For wanting to know," he answered. "Some people just ignore my dad and exclude him, because he can't hear."
I shrugged. "Well, it's their loss. I like your dad.
He's funny." Then I smiled at him. "Plus, I'd like to know what you three say about me behind my back."
He laughed, grinning hugely as he showed me the basics, folding my fingers accordingly: hello, goodbye, please, sorry, thank you. I practiced, and he kissed me softly. "You don't have to do this, you know," he said quietly.
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Point of No Return
NR Walker
"I know," I told him. "I want to."
He took my right hand, and he stared at it for a long moment. He swallowed thickly, and just as I was about to ask what was wrong, he folded my fingers down. He straightened out my thumb, forefinger, and little finger, but the other two were still folded against my palm.
He wouldn't look at me. He was just staring at my hand, but I could see his chest rise and fall as his breath quickened.
I looked down at my hand. He'd formed it that way deliberately. "Kira, what does this mean?"
He was still staring at my hand, but he whispered the words so quietly it took me a second to register what he said.
"I love you."
I love you…
My head jerked up to look at his face instead of my hand, but then he covered my hand with his, like he was trying to hide his words.
My heart was thumping against my ribs, my
stomach was knotted, and I couldn't seem to speak. He finally looked at me. His dark eyes were afraid and hopeful, and his voice was quiet. "Before we came here, I thought you were too good to be true." He shook his head, "I thought this weekend I would see some part of you that
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Point of No Return
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didn't make you so perfect, something that I didn't like, but there's nothing. You're just everything I could ask for." He was rambling. "Coming here with you only sealed what I already knew. I'm falling in love with you. I know we've only been together for six weeks, and it's too soon, but I…
I, I just wanted you to know, and I don't expect you to say it back."
I pulled my hand out from under his, and, keeping my fingers like he showed me, I held my hand up, palm facing him. Without saying a word, I told him I loved him too.
He looked at my hand, then into my eyes, and the smile he gave me was fucking beautiful.
His eyes were wide, almost disbelieving. So I gave him a nod, and he
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