Danny felt his heart skip a beat at the casual contact, electricity weaving its way through his fingertips. He chanced a glance at Kavi, who seemed oblivious to the effect he had on Danny. The way that smile lit up Kavi’s face made Danny forget all the rehearsed lines he’d practiced for this moment. But before it had even started, it had ended.
Kavi’s crack at being deaf lingered in Danny’s mind. Danny felt a strange mix of emotions—was it appropriate to laugh? Was his way of making light to it? He wasn’t entirely sure how to navigate the humor surrounding Kavi being deaf. “You know, I—” he started, then hesitated. How could he express his uncertainty without minimizing the seriousness of his circumstances? Instead, he shook his head saying, “Wait, Aashvi’s here?” he asked, his eyes lighting up. “I’d love to meet her!”
“Y-you do?” Kavi stammered, then quickly regained some composure, though Danny could see the flicker of surprise in his eyes. There were moments when Kavi would stutter just a bit, which Danny found charming—an adorable reminder of how real and raw emotions could be. He looked away as Kavi continued, if not to hide his own cheesy grin.
“Right? I just wanted to grab my guitar and write a whole ballad about it right now—then and there!” Danny—he wanted Kavi to understand that the inspiration was him, that somehow, the way Kavi said things, the way he engaged with the world, sparked something in Danny that he hadn’t felt in a while. But something deep in his soul—no, more like up in his head, kept him back. Kept him from really reaching out. His smile faltered only for a second.
Danny tried his best at a recovery, he really did, but his voice never reached that pique excitement it had moments ago. “I’d love to watch you work,” which was honest. Danny just hoped his tone hadn’t implied something else. “Then we should totally try some food together!”
@Caticorn | Kavi | I couldn’t wait, hope I didn’t bring down the mood 