❛ Your laugh makes me want to do dumb things just to hear it again. ❜
They were sitting close—closer than they usually did. The kind of quiet between them wasn’t heavy like it used to be, not sharp with grief or silence or ghosts. Just soft. Familiar. Safe.
Stiles had said it so casually, in that way only he could—talking through a smile like he didn’t know he was setting off landmines in Boy’s chest.
❝ Your laugh makes me want to do dumb things just to hear it again. ❞
Boy’s breath caught halfway through his nose. He hadn’t even realized he’d laughed. It was rare, still. Foreign. It always startled him, like it didn’t belong to him at all. He didn’t move at first. Just sat there, staring at the floorboards like they might say something instead. Something easier.
His fingers twitched at his side before he lifted them slowly, signing with care. ❛ I didn’t mean to. ❜
There was a beat of quiet. He risked a glance at Stiles—only to find him watching, soft around the edges, like he didn’t expect an answer at all. Boy looked away again, heart thudding in that nervous, stupid rhythm he hadn’t felt since before everything fell apart. His hand hovered a second longer before he signed again—quieter, slower, almost shy. ❛ But … thank you. You make it easy. ❜
His ears burned. His whole face, probably. He turned further away, ducking his head, like the shadow might hide it. But he knew it didn’t. He could feel the smile creeping in, helpless and small. He signed one last thing, barely lifting his hand this time. ❛ I like when you say things like that. ❜
And for once, he didn’t try to hide the way his chest felt warm. He didn’t even want to.
