Emre watched Leon, and honestly didn’t know how the big man did it. He wasn’t sure how long Leon had been living on this island, but he assume it was long enough to know how things worked. And the fact that Leon didn’t just throw a complete wobbly and knock every one of these talking, hearing people down on their arses in sheer frustration - and sense of isolation - was beyond him.
Emre mentally added one more item to his list of things he needed to learn quickly: sign language.
At least, just enough so that Leon wasn’t the one doing all the work.
And when the Dad stomped off, Emre was left alone with Leon. He didn’t bother going along to plead his own case to Matthew. Emre figured whatever happened, happened, and he wasn’t about to make a case of it, before a judge.
Instead, he got chastised by Leon, and Emre nodded, waving a hand. “Yeah man, I know, I know. No fighting. He came after me. I was just protecting the farm, like Tomas asked.” Tomas never asked this of Emre. Emre had just taken it upon himself, instead.
He was surprised, when Leon elaborated on Emre’s off-the-cuff observation. Leon actually had an answer for it - it had once been his actual job. In Liverpool no less, and Emre broke into a grin.
“Oi! I didn’t know you was English! Finally. Not another Yank, yeah?” Emre pat Leon’s big bicep in a chummy way. “I’ve been up to Liverpool a couple times.” He held up two fingers, but realized he shouldn’t elaborate. It wasn’t like the trips were for fun.
Instead, Emre recalled what Iyaz had taught him - that one move to make in sign language, before they started to argue again.
“Anyway, erm. Yeah. Thank you, mate,” Emre said, feeling awkward and silly, and hoping Leon didn’t think he was trying to insult him.
Leon let out a sigh. The situation could have gone much better but at least it hadn’t completely derailed into an all out brawl between Emre and the pissed off dad. It might even be called a ‘win’, since ultimately a big tussle didn’t take place.
He turned towards Emre and nodded slowly along his words, reading everything from his lips and frankly, agreeing with his stance on this matter. The farm was crucial to everyone’s survival on the island and it was a noble thing to try and protect it. «Next time don’t hit the kid, even if he was being a tosser,» he signed in response. Leon had already gathered that the boy hadn’t been innocent in all of this, but hitting him had been... a bit out of line, if anyone asked him.
Emre seemed content to discover he was a fellow Englishman and Leon accepted the pat with a small smile. Would he treat him differently now that he knew they came from the same country? He had no idea, but at least Leon could appreciate the sense of commonality he felt a moment. He didn’t get that often. «My accent is hard to get across,» he responded with a shrug, a remark that came off both somewhat humorous and serious at the same time. It was the sort of fun he poked at himself from time to time. He didn’t even recall what a scouser accent sounded like, having lost his hearing in his earliest of years. He sometimes liked to think that if he ever spoke, his words would come out in that distinctive cadence, that he would have that special little something to identify him as that particular part of the big whole of who he was. But he hadn’t used his voice in ages, had no clue what it might sound like, had no clue how he was supposed to sound like as a man from Liverpool.
For a moment there, Leon saw Emre as the other man admitted to having been in Liverpool before. For some reason his mind wandered back to a particular chaotic occurrence at his cousin’s club a few years back. Having seen Emre throw fists just a few minutes ago, he seemed to Leon like someone who could have been at Vinny’s back then. Or at the very least he was reminding him of one of the men he had to drag out of the club. Leon found himself frowning a little, but ultimately pushing the faint memory aside.
His hands moved together as he signed «No problem». He even smiled a little when Emre integrated some sign language as he spoke. It was always very welcomed when someone else tried to communicate Leon’s language. «Let’s not make a habit out of this, yeah?» he signed, mouthing along. He wasn’t trying to be judgy or anything, but Emre certainly came across as someone who didn’t shy away from a fight. Who knew if he might have to break off more fights in the future.