Page 46 of Touch In Excess

‘I dragged you in here,’ Skye clarified. ‘I didn’t even say hello.’

Rami blinked, and then he burst into laughter and leaned forward until Skye was forced to take him into his arms. He didn’t say anything, didn’t sign anything. He just rested there in Skye’s embrace for a long, long moment.

When he finally pulled back, he stood and offered his hands to Skye, who heaved himself up off the ground. ‘I cooked you dinner.’

That wasn’t what Skye was expecting, but he was grateful for something that felt a little normal. He let Rami take him by the hand, leading him through parts of the house he hadn’t seen yet. They passed a little archway that opened up to a kitchen with the same yellow lights.

“It’s nice in here,” Skye said aloud.

Rami turned his head, frowning. ‘Don’t understand.’

“The lights.” Skye gestured upward. “It’s not like most kitchens.”

‘That-that,’ Rami signed. ‘When I was little, I had a hard time with bright lights. They hurt my head. My grandfatherinstalled these so I didn’t get headaches when I stayed with him.’

It took a lot of context for Skye to understand what Rami was saying, and he felt a surge of frustration because he wanted to be better at this. He knew every time he gave up and put his hearing aids on, it was only going to take him longer in his fluency, but tonight, he wanted to understand all of it.

He needed to understand all of it.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his hearing aid case, stopping only when Rami grabbed his wrist and squeezed.

‘I can sign slower.’

Skye smiled and shook his head. “It won’t help. I never use it at home, so it’s not sticking, and I want to understand everything you say to me right now. I want to know you.”

Rami bit his lip, then nodded. ‘I understand. Put them on. We can practice later.’

Skye did, and while he didn’t enjoy the way his head flooded with noise after an already long day, being able to hear Rami’s voice more clearly soothed that ache. “Say something.”

“Hi,” Rami said.

Skye laughed and tugged him close. “I don’t mind being deaf. People never believe me when I say that. But I do enjoy your voice a lot.”

Rami hummed softly and pushed up onto his toes to steal a kiss. “I like yours. And I like your hands when you sign. I like everything about you.”

Skye closed his eyes and basked in those words before letting him go. “Can I help set the table?”

Rami shook his head. “It’s set. I don’t know if you’re going to like what I made. I’m only good at cooking Lebanese food. Well, I can cook eggs pretty well. I really like breakfast eggs. But we didn’t eat anything else growing up, and I thought it was normal until I moved out. I’m sorry if you think it’s weird.”

Skye grabbed Rami by the waist and tugged him away from the counter. “I like all kinds of food. I’m really excited to try yours.”

“You’re not lying to me,” Rami said. It wasn’t a question.

Skye shook his head. “No. This is part of you. I want to know it.”

Rami licked his lips, then gestured for Skye to take a seat at the table, and he did. There were plates and serving spoons but no utensils. There was a plate of bread—large rounds, thicker than pita, and covered in a very strong, fragrant layer of herbs.

His mouth watered.

“My friends call it finger foods,” Rami said as he set three dishes down on the table. “It made sense to me because we don’t have to use forks.” He settled in the chair beside Skye and began to dish out portions without explaining what they were.

Skye supposed he could ask, but he found it easier to just copy what Rami was doing. He tore the bread, swiping it through something that looked like ricotta cheese covered in olive oil, but it definitely didn’t taste like it. It had a tang of yogurt to it, sitting heavy on the sides of his tongue. With the bread, it was amazing.

He recognized hummus, and there were slices of pickled lemon on his plate, along with spicy and very fragrant meatballs, which he began to devour after his first bite. He caught Rami watching him, his smile growing every time Skye swallowed down a mouthful.

“You like it?”

“Love it,” Skye said. His nerves made him full quicker than usual, and he sat back in his chair, watching Rami finish off his plate. The only thing that was a bit much was the lemons, but it brought him almost irrational joy watching Rami devour them like they were candy.I could love you, he thought to himself.I could do this every day and every night if you let me.

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