Amit’s smile widened, almost surprised as he gave Derek a look, then turned his attention back to Basil. ‘Good. Lucky.’
Basil shrugged, but he glanced over at Derek and his face was telling. He was happy, and Derek had done that. ‘Two drinks. Whatever,’ Basil told him, and Amit gave a wink before he wandered off. ‘Is that okay? I let him choose for me.’
Derek nodded with his own soft, easy smile. ‘Whatever you want.’
Basil stepped in closer, bringing one of his hands to Derek’s waist, holding him tight there. ‘Thank you,’ he signed with his other hand. ‘Tonight was good.’
‘Yes,’ Derek signed in response. He fought the urge to take Basil’s face between his hands and kiss him, but he didn’t want to make a big show of it. When Basil licked his lips though, Derek couldn’t help himself and he leaned in, just brushing their mouths together for abrief moment before pulling away. ‘You’re beautiful.’ His bladder decided to join in on the fun right then, so he sighed and stepped back. ‘Bathroom. Wait for me.’
Basil pointed out the restroom sign, and Derek made his way around the tables to the small hallway. Like most men’s bathrooms, it smelled like old piss and axe body spray, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as some places, and there were private stalls which always helped him feel a less anxious than the open urinals. He took his time, mostly gathering himself and he was happy to note his anxiety hadn’t overwhelmed him too much in spite of subverting his routine to the point he no longer recognized his day. But it was good. It was wonderful. It was the perfect end to the shake-up, and he couldn’t regret a second of it.
As he stepped out to wash his hands, he came to an abrupt halt at the sight of a man standing against one of the sinks, arms crossed, very obviously watching him. Derek swallowed thickly, feeling an urge to confront the stranger, and to turn tail and run warring equally in his head. After a beat, he broke eye-contact and walked to the sink.
“Haven’t seen you here before,” he said.
It was a fucking cheesy movie-line opening and he felt a rush of irritation build in his gut. “You got a problem, man?”
“I just saw you come in with Basil and I thought I’d introduce myself. Save us all from an awkward conversation at the table you probably couldn’t follow.” The guy’s tone was smarmy and a little threatening which told Derek he was either an ex or an interested party, which he was so not in the mood for. Tonight had been going so well, he didn’t know why the universe wanted to test him after all this.
“Look, man, if Basil wants to introduce us, that’s fine with me,” Derek told him.
The guy held up two hands. “Hey, I don’t have a problem with it, I just noticed your signing is a little…slow.”
Derek fixed him with a flat look as he finished scrubbingoff his hands, then brushed past him for the bin of paper towels. He debated answering, debated trying to defend himself, but what was the point. This guy was going to act superior either way, and Derek wasn’t going to defend his territory like some piss-happy alpha trying to protect his boyfriend.
He fixed the guy with a last, quick stare, then pushed the door open and walked out. As much as the urge struck him, he determinedly didn’t look behind him. He could tell, though, from the look on Basil’s face when he glanced up from his conversation with Amit, the guy had followed him out.
Derek shook off his irritation and affected a smile instead, reaching for the second, untouched beer waiting for him on a little coaster. He downed a third of it, and by the time he set the pint glass down, he could feel the guy behind him, his arms moving in rapid signs. Derek was still learning about the Deaf Community, but he was fairly sure the guy was breaking some sort of social etiquette by doing this where Derek couldn’t see.
At least by the look on Basil’s face, he knew it wasn’t going to be well received. ‘Not now,’ Basil signed, and Derek recognized that one, even as fast as Basil signed it.
From his place behind the bar, Amit caught Derek’s gaze and offered him a wink and smirk of solidarity. ‘No worries,’ he mouthed.
Derek cleared his throat, then stood up and backed away so he was no longer the physical barrier between the guy and Basil. ‘Sorry,’ he signed. ‘I met him in the bathroom.’
Basil’s hands flew, and Derek caught, ‘What,’ and ‘you,’ several times.
The guy’s hands were just as fast, his gaze flickering to Derek with a smug grin because he knew Derek had no hope of following. This had to be the guy from Basil’s bad date—the guy who’d ruined his night right before things had changed between them.
‘Should I go?’ Derek asked.
Horrified, Basil’s full attention was back on him. ‘No. I’m sorry, please don’t go.’
Derek reached for him, touching his arm gently. ‘I’ll wait at the bar if you want to finish talking to him. I can’t understand, so you can fill me in later?’
Basil fixed him with a fierce, determined look and nodded. ‘Yes. I promise.’ He gently pulled away from Derek, but then as an afterthought, surged forward and kissed him, one slow kiss followed by lingering pecks as he pulled back. ‘Soon.’
Derek nodded and as much as he wanted to look back at the guy, he snagged his beer and moved to the end of the bar instead. Amit was already there waiting for him, leaning in close as he kept one eye on Basil and the dickhead who moved to a quiet corner.
“Do you want me to fill you in?” Amit asked aloud, his voice startling Derek after so much voiceless conversation.
Derek couldn’t help a grin, but he shook his head all the same. “Basil told me he’d let me know everything when he was done. I trust him.”
Amit considered him a long moment, then shrugged. “I think I like you. I mean, I was pretty sure I liked you before, even if we didn’t properly meet, but I’m glad I was right. Do you want something else to drink?”
“No. I have to drive back,” Derek told him. He was watching as subtly as he could—which wasn’t really subtle at all—and he was fascinated by the way both men’s hands flew. There were no spoken words exchanged, but Derek could all-but feel the way they were shouting at each other. He could see the guy’s face getting redder, getting more insistent, could see Basil holding his ground. “Do you know that guy?”
“Not before he went on his one shitty date with Basil,” Amit confessed. “I think he saw Basil meet me here one day, but when he realized I was hard of hearing, he backed off. With you though…”
