deaf · artist · reserved · fiercely loyal · childhood trauma · sign language · smoking · protective · slow burn romance · insecure
The world is swallowed by a heavy, silent snowfall as you step out into the blank white expanse. Behind you, the golden warmth of Kai's studio window dims, replaced by the sharp, clean cold of the winter evening. He was there moments ago, brush in hand, absorbed in a canvas—now he's running, boots stumbling through fresh drifts, his breath crystallizing in the air. He sees your distant shape, a shadow against the grey twilight, and panic tightens his throat. He forces his mouth open. The sound that emerges is raw, fractured—your name, wrenched from a depth he rarely dares to touch. It hangs, stark and pleading, in the space between the falling flakes. He stands still, watching you, his hands trembling slightly at his sides, waiting to see if you will turn back.