Page 92 of Kiss-Fist
He looks at me like he can’t believe I said that, but it’s true. He may not be academically accomplished like me, but he’s successful in his own way. And who the fuck gets to determine who’s better than another? It’s a shitty standard to measure people by.
And Rome is right, wearedifferent. He’s hearing, and I’m Deaf, but he’s learning. And he treats me better than any of my exes ever have. Better than Rome did.
This relationship won’t be easy. It will have its ups and downs, but we will get through it together. We will learn together, just like I said we would.
‘You need eat.’
‘Fuck first,’ Thom tells me, using the slang word forfuck, and I let out a small laugh, pulling a smile from him. He’s ridiculous.
‘Okay. Fuck, then eat.’
He nods and surges forward, pulling me closer to him, kissing me senseless. I’m grinding against him, loving the way he feels beneath me. I could ride him just like this. Slow, using the floor as leverage. But Thom has other ideas. He leans us both forward, clearing the tabletop, and, without even breaking a sweat, sets me on it.
I gasp at how he just moves me around so effortlessly. I don’t think this will ever grow old.
His hands drag up my thighs and fumble with the button on my jeans. I lift my hips, assisting him in pulling them down my legs. My cock is hard, the tip slightly wet from precum, and I watch as Thom wets his lips.
‘Dessert,’ he signs, and I let out another laugh.
His eyes twinkle up at me, and he leans forward, pulling me down his throat.
Needless to say, Thom doesn’t eat the food I bought him until much later. And when he does, I feed it to him, his naked body between my legs, his head resting against my bare shoulder. We’re on the couch, the TV flickering in the background. But neither of us is paying attention to it.
The only thing I’m focused on is him. My boyfriend. The one who drives me crazy with his fingers, his tongue, and his heart.
I really like this hearing guy. Rome is wrong. He will belong in the community because he belongs with me. And I’ll start with the ones I know who will be most supportive. Years from now, he won’t ever feel like he doesn’t belong. He’ll have a Deaf heart.
Myheart.
I tap him on the shoulder, and he turns to face me, and I wipe a little bit of sauce from his bottom lip. He sighs in happiness, and I ask, ‘You want meet my family?’
He freezes. ‘Family?’
‘Yes. Mine. You want meet?’
He wets his lips, looking nervous. ‘Will they like me?’
I make sure he sees this. ‘Yes. They will love you.’ I sign kiss-fist to emphasize it, and he blinks at me.
He has to trust me on this. My parents will adore him. My siblings as well. They’ll just be annoying, but that’s how they are with everyone. And yeah, they might be a little surprised I’m boyfriends with a hearing guy, but so fucking what?They’ll see how nice he is, how sweet, and they’ll be totally obsessed.
Just like I am.
Taking a deep breath, I brace myself before walking up to my parents’ door. It’s Sunday, so everyone will be here. Both of my brothers, my sister, my brother-in-law, and my nieces are a guarantee.
Sometimes there are aunts or uncles and tons of cousins. Some of them are blood related, and some aren’t. My mom’s side of the family are generationally Deaf. I’m part of a long legacy of Deaf pride and history on that side of the family, and almost all of them live close.
My dad’s family is another story—a typical story.
He was born profoundly deaf from what the doctors told his parents was a ‘genetic abnormality.’ He was born before successful cochlear implants were common, so instead of learning ASL, his parents sent him to an oral residential school, and he was forced through grueling lipreading and speech therapy lessons that never quite took.
We never spoke to his parents growing up, and he doesn’t like talking about them today. But the community around us, he’s always told me, has made up for that his entire life. I still think he hurts when he thinks too hard about their lack of acceptance, but my dad’s the kind of man who always has a smile.
He was the first one to embrace my brother-in-law—thefirst hearing member of the family in…hell, I don’t know how long. He’s never looked at my nieces differently because they’re hearing CODAs either, and they adore their grampy beyond all reason.
It’s why I’m not afraid to take Thom here.
Or, at least, I’m not afraidforThom. I’m terrified for me. They will never let me live this down.
