Damn, don’t stop. Sway remembered those strong, capable hands quite well. It all flooded back to him while sitting in the expensive car getting hypnotized by a neck message. Sway didn’t bother to stop his moans of pleasure or desire. From the moment he’d met Brian, the second he’d come up behind him and confidently claimed him in that club, he’d known of his unique influence over him. Sway wondered if it was because Brian used his actions as his words, spoke with his hands, by feel, so everything Brian communicated was amplified to the tenth power because he added his touch.

Sway didn’t budge until Brian removed his hands and not a moment before. They sat in silence, in the darkened parking lot in front of the Dragon Bowl and stared at one another. He wanted Brian to put his hands back on him and not even in a sexual way. It’d been so long since he’d had someone do anything to care for his needs. All day everyday he cared for others, whether at work or at home caring for his mom. Sway’s whole life was about taking care of others and he loved it very much, but he hadn’t known ignoring his own needs could possibly burn him out. He hadn’t realized he was starved for touch until he’d met Brian. It was chance he’d found a man who communicated with exactly with what Sway needed.

His stomach rumbled again. This time Brian winked at him and climbed out of the car, swiftly getting around to his side to open his door for him. As he watched the hunter, Sway’s mouth became a desert. Brian moved so stealthily, with fluid ease as if his massive size was an asset not a hindrance. Sway had to push down on the front of his jeans. Damn, when was the last time he’d had such a strong, almost animalistic attraction to a man? That answer was easy… never.

Even though the parking lot was relatively empty, he felt like a star when Brian held his hand out to assist him out of the sweet sports car. He noticed how Brian’s dark eyes surveyed the place before he put a firm hand at the small of Sway’s back and led him towards the entrance. Sway went where he was led.

The server was quick to bring them a couple of menus. She was dressed in typical waitress attire, black pants, white shirt, black apron, and slip resistant shoes. What caught Sway’s attention was the colorful rainbow stickers and equal signs she had decorating her server pad. He’d eaten here many times but he didn’t remember her. She also was the only staff member who wasn’t Asian, so Sway definitely would’ve remembered her.

“Hello.” She sang with a bright smile. She had a piercing in her eyebrow and her makeup was bold and over-the-top. “Welcome to the Dragon Bowl.”

Sway chuckled. “Thanks. You must be new, I come here a lot.”

Her smile got impossibly wider, stretching the dark green lipstick across her face. “I am. It’s my first day. My girlfriend Ushi, is a cook here.”

Sway smiled and nodded. That made sense. He could see her with the quirky cook who kept half her head shaved and the other half with whatever color she felt like dyeing it that month. It’s why he’d chosen this place, not only for their outstanding noodles but he knew this was a safe place for him and Brian to have their date. He wanted to make sure Brian was comfortable. “Well we’re gonna be your easiest customers today.”

“Sounds good to me.” She beamed, with her pen poised ready to write whatever Sway ordered. “What would you like to start with to drink?”

“I’ll have hot green tea, please, with lemon.” Sway saw that Brian was waiting. But he wasn’t going to just jump in and start speaking for him. Brian was extremely capable, and Sway wouldn’t try to emasculate him.

Brian’s eyes bored into him, then he slowly raised his hands as if he was hesitant to ask. “Would you mind interpreting?”

Sway couldn’t stop his smile. He pulled off his fingerless gloves and tossed them on the seat beside him. He knew his face was colorful and his hands probably shook a little as he did, but he signed to Brian. “I don’t mind at all.”

Brian’s reaction was what he’d hoped for. A slight breath of relief and a haze of adoration that shaded his sharp eyes. Sway had signed it instead of speaking because he thought it showed more intimacy. Really, there was no reason for him to sign back to Brian. He could hear just fine so Sway wouldn’t take that away from him by not talking. But, there were some times where he felt it showed more feeling if he communicated in the same language. He was just so grateful that he could and he could tell Brian was too.

Brian flipped the menu over. “I’ll have water and hot tea too.”

The waitress watched their interaction with curiosity. Brian probably got that a lot. Sway told the young server Brian’s drink and asked for her to give them a few minutes on their food order.

When the waitress walked away, Sway brought his attention back to Brian to find himself the sole focus of those dark eyes.

Please don’t look at me like that. Sway was having a hard enough time keeping his erection under control. His pants only allowed for so much extra growth.

“Thank you for doing that. Where’d you learn how to sign?”

“My one and only aunt is hearing impaired. She’s my mom’s twin.” Sway chuckled, with no humor behind it. “Twins run in the blood.”

Brian nodded.

“Anyway. She lived around the corner from us, so she was always around. My mom learned to speak to her sister and I wanted to know how to too. That was when I was kid.” Sway shrugged as if the rest was history. “Don’t laugh if I mix up a word. I might be a tad rusty.”

Sway bit his bottom lip, wondering if his next question was stupid, but he wanted to know more. “Where did you learn?”

Brian had the best poker face Sway had ever seen. If the question bothered him, he showed no sign of discomfort, not even a jaw clench. Instead it appeared he let the question sit in his mind as he carefully constructed a safe answer. “I learned four years ago at the VA Center.” Brian stopped, his hands dropping back to the shiny wood table top while he considered Sway.

Sway stayed quiet, he knew Brian respected that. He’d give Brian all the time he needed. He didn’t expect him to confess his deepest secrets their first time out, reveal every one of his enigmas and stories. But, Sway needed something. No matter the couple of encounters they’d had, no matter how perfect they seemed together, he was still blind to who the man sitting in front of him truly was.

Brian didn’t continue again until the waitress had dropped off their drinks and Sway ordered soup and entrees for both of them.

“After nine months of non-stop specialist, psychiatrist, speech pathologist appointments, I had to come to terms with the fact I may never speak. Although Ford never once believed that, still doesn’t. But, he didn’t like that we couldn’t talk. We’re as tight as brothers can be. He said he needed me to talk to him and not by using my phone or scribbling it. The mutism seemed to tear him up more than it did me. Maybe because I still had nothing to say then.” Brian made a huffing sound that might’ve been meant as a scoff, it wasn’t loud, but it could be heard. “At the age I was, having served my country for almost twenty years, I couldn’t take Ford being so disappointed with me. Him thinking I’d given up. So, I learned how to talk to him.”

“How much older is Ford than you?”

“I’m forty-four, Ford is forty-six. He really let those two years go to his head. He took the big brother title and ran with it. But he was really more of a father to me than my real dad ever was.” Brian quirked up one side of his mouth. Sway noted the fondness that softened Brian’s rough features when he talked of Ford. Even Dana painted his boyfriend as an all-around GI Joe hero, always going on about Ford’s heroics when they went after a bounty.

“There’d been a time when I was diehard against ever speaking a word again.” Brian looked as if he was struggling with communicating this and Sway suddenly felt bad for pressing into sensitive territory.

He took Brian’s hand in both of his after he set his water back down and battled to keep going. Sway appreciated what he’d been fortunate to receive. Talking about that time in Brian’s life couldn’t have been easy for him. Sway didn’t know a lot about military men and what they experienced when they left to defend America and he had even less knowledge about the tribulations they dealt with when they returned. One thing was certain—Sway always had an insurmountable amount of respect for servicemen and women. Sway swallowed roughly. “Thank you for telling me.”

Brian let him stroke the inside of his heavy palm for a few more seconds before lifting them again. “I may not be an open book, but I’m not dishonest. I want you to be comfortable around me.”

“I am comfortable.” Sway frowned slightly, wondering where that had come from.

“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

“W-what? I’m not. I just want us to be patient with each other. Take this at an easy pace.”

“My quietness usually runs men off.”

“Then they weren’t real men,” Sway growled back quickly. The thought that men had mistreated Brian hit him in his gut and triggered a hostile reaction. Defend him.

Brian hid his smile behind licking his firm lips.

“And I’m not running because you speak in a unique way.” Sway took a slow sip of his tea and licked the drop that lingered on his bottom lip before continuing. “A lot can be said in silence.”

Brian nodded, all while watching Sway with a mix of perplexity and amazement. “True, it can. Silence was how I survived in here.” Brian tapped his temple. “But, when I’d endured, and it was time to speak again… my brain never got the instruction. Not yet anyway.”

If Sway was understanding this correctly, Brian had gotten out of the military almost six years ago—and he hadn’t spoken one single word since.

Jesus Christ. Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Sway?

When he looked back at Brian, all doubt fled.