She gave him a careful look, something bright shining in her gaze as she sized him up. After a moment, she shook her head and shrugged. “He’ll take one look at you and me together and realize I told you all the dirty details. He expects it. I’m an asshole.” She moved to the counter and hit a button a few times, which made the back lights blink. “He’ll be out in a moment,” she told him with a grin.
Derek began to sweat profusely, holding the canvas with one hand so he could swipe his other on the top of his jeans. He waited, his heart hammering in his chest, and then the door swung open. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt when Basil walked out. Time stopped for a second, and then, when the guy gave him a tentative smile, he felt like he could breathe again.
‘Hi,’ he signed.
Basil’s smile twitched a little bigger. ‘Hi.’
Derek stared down at the canvas in his hand and then, like anidiot, shoved it at Basil so hard it made the guy stumble back a step. “Uh…”
“Oh my god,” he heard Amaranth mutter under her breath.
Basil seemed to recover quickly, taking the canvas from Derek and gently setting it down against the counter. He crouched to look at it for a long moment, then looked back up at Derek. ‘Beautiful.’
Derek stared for a second, then saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Whatever Amaranth had signed, Basil shook his head and told her, ‘No.’ He stood back up, leaving the octopus where it was, and approached Derek slow, like someone might a wounded animal.
Derek realized he sort of was that. The last and only time Basil had seen him was when he was having a panic attack in a closed room, so it was only fair he think Derek would freak in any circumstances.
‘His name is Kevin,’ he signed, then pointed at the octopus.
Basil stared blankly, then his shoulders began to shake with his near-silent laughter. ‘Kevin?’ he spelled, mouthing along.
Derek flushed. ‘My friend,’ he signed, but that was as far as his ASL skills extended in explaining James’ asshattery.
Basil held up a finger, then pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to type. Your friend name octopus?
Derek sighed and took the offered phone.
Yes, because he’s a dickhead, but it stuck. It’s been hanging in the shop for a few years. But you can name it whatever you want to.
Basil grinned at him as he typed.
I like Kevin. When Derek gave him an incredulous look, Basil laughed louder. It look like his name. You bring here why?
Derek felt a little more embarrassed and he shrugged before answering.
I work down the street, over at Irons and Works. It was safer this way. I know for sure it wouldn’t get fucked up in the mail.
When he looked up, Basil was smiling at him. ‘Thank you,’ he signed.
‘You’re welcome.’ Derek desperately wished he’d listened to Tony months ago about the classes, that he’d paid better attention, that he knew more than ‘want milk’ and ‘sleep’ and ‘mommy’. He wanted to talk to this man in his own language, to give him an avenue to express himself in a way that was natural and comfortable. Fidgeting, he took the phone back.
I’d better let you get back to work. I have a client coming in soon.
Basil took the phone, and before Derek could move away, he seized his arm and ran thin, elegant fingers along some of the grey-scale six-fingered hand he had extending up from the wrist. He released him and signed something, and before Derek could ask, Amaranth voiced it. “I like this. Chamsa?”
Derek smiled and didn’t look away, even as Basil’s eyes moved over to see his sister interpreting. “My mom was Jewish, and uh…” he licked his lips. “as kids, my brother and I weren’t allowed to participate in the faith or anything, especially after she died. My father…” He stopped, the words feeling like they were choking him, and it must have shown on his face because Basil reached for his wrist, squeezing as his thumb rubbed gently over the top of his ink. Shaking his head, he took a breath and managed a tight smile. “It’s a tribute to part of me that I wasn’t really allowed to have when I was younger.”
When Basil looked at him fully, there was something in his eyes—sympathy, maybe—but it was nothing like the oppressive mothering he got at the shop. It was just understanding and comfort. Hewanted to turn his hand and link his fingers with Basil’s, but he let that moment right there be enough.
His other hand raised, and he tipped it from his chin. ‘Thank you.’
Basil squeezed his hand once more before he dropped it and signed for Amaranth to interpret, “Thanks for bringing this by. You were right before, it’s wrong no one wanted it. Kevin will have a good home here.”
Derek blushed but nodded, took one last look at the octopus, then hurried out without glancing back.
CHAPTER SIX
Derek walked into his place, arms full of shawarma boxes and foil-wrapped pita, and immediately unloaded it all onto the coffee table. Sage had been there for a while, having texted Derek when he got in, and he was sitting on the couch with socked feet up, looking better than he had the year before which Derek counted as progress.
