This had been in my head all night so I typed it up…
AU: First meeting
Sign language was an art form, Holly loved watching the fluid motions people made as they silently conversed with each other. How their expressions seemed to perfectly mirror their movements telling a story.
The café had opened up a month ago, run by an entirely deaf staff. They had the best Coffee within 15 miles of Holly's studio, as a medical student she lived off coffee and she only settled for the best coffee when she studied.
Holly had learned vital signs, she knew how to order a double shot espresso and chocolate muffin, she knew how to finger spell, and she knew the signs for emergencies, police, hospital, and bathroom.
She wished that she could converse as fluidly as some of the patrons in the café, they seemed to perform an intricate ballet with their hands, and they understood each other and were understood in return.
Her want to learn the language was new, and purely selfish. A beautiful blonde had moved into her building, with short hair and piercing blue eyes and a range of expressions that Holly found playing out in her dreams.
The few times that Holly had seen her new building mate, she had been accompanied by Evert, the deaf boy who lived three doors down from her, she loved the way Evert's face lit up when the blonde spoke to him, the way their hands moved at a dizzying speed.
Holly knew two things for certain, the blonde was in fact gay because she had seen her in a 2014 Toronto pride t-shirt, and that the blonde has to be out of her league because they had no way of communicating with each other.
These facts however did not stop Holly from gaining the courage to google a list of signs when she saw the blonde sitting alone in the café with a book and a large coffee.
High or delirious from her 6 hour lab and 4 hours study group Holly walked up to the blonde's booth and nervously wiped her sweating hands on her jeans. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked up at Holly and gave her soft confused smile, her eyes questioning why she was standing there.
Quickly and nervously, Holly signed her question, asking the blonde for her number to hopefully meet up for coffee. The woman sitting before her shook her head before reaching out for Holly's hand, she demonstrated the signs to Holly before motioning for her to try again, waiting patiently.
With trembling hands, she asked her question again slowing down to make sure her hands were right positions, Holly ended her question by fingerspelling her name happy to have at least mastered that skill. The blonde smiled and spelled out Gail before pointing to herself, Holly whispered her name under her breath and smiled finally have a name to call the blonde.
Confused Holly watched Gail slide out of the booth slinging her bag over her shoulder; it had all been for nothing she thought to herself as the blonde dug into her bag. She was about to declare defeat and return to her booth when Gail held out a business card and nodded. Holly took the card and watched as Gail left the café with a new determination to learn sign language.
The card read The ASL Group, Gail Peck with her phone number and an e-mail address; she clutched the card triumphantly as she sat back in her booth.
Holly sat in the booth nervously watching the time on her phone; she had learned 50 new signs this week, all in hopes to impress Gail who would be joining her for coffee and minuet now. After a short text message conversation, Holly had asked Gail on a coffee date to which she agreed.
Holly glanced up at the door when Gail walked in; Gail quickly scanned the café before making her way to Holly's booth with a smile. Holly smiled back and signed hello as Gail glanced at the notepad and pen sitting on the table.
"I'm going to put you out of your misery." Gail laughed, sitting across from Holly, all too amused by the confused expression on the brunettes face.
"You can hear?!" Holly gasped, staring at Gail with wide eyes; she quickly covered her mouth "You can hear?" Holly whispered this time gaping at the women in front of her.
"Is that a problem, or do you have some type of deaf girl fetish?" Gail asked, licking her lips as Holly's cheeks turned a deep red.
"Why didn't you say something when I made a food of myself?!" Holly pouted staring down at the table wanting to disappear. Not only had she messed up her signs the first time, but she had also whispered some comment about liking Gail's name.
"You never asked if I could hear, and you sat in your booth and practiced those signs for 20 minutes, I thought it was cute." Gail shrugged ordering two coffees while Holly stared down at her hands. Honestly, Gail had wanted to talk to Holly for weeks but couldn't work up the nerve to make the first move.
"I feel like an ass." Holly sighed, meeting Gail's eyes; the butterflies in her stomach taking flight seeing Gail stare at her so openly.
"I thought nerds were smart." Gail rolled her eyes Holly quirked and eyebrow unsure if the comment was meant to be an insult. "My card says call or text because I would love to hear from you." Gail shook her head as Holly fumbled in her bag searching for the card Gail had given her, sure enough the card said to call or text and under Gail's name it read introductory instructor.
"You are kind of a jerk." Holly mumbled trying to glare at Gail, the women she had only known in fleeting conversations had flustered her and all she wanted to do was smile.
"A cute jerk though. We can speak in only sign language though. I assume you tried to learn the entire language in three days, I'm sure I can decipher it if you want to try." Gail asked trying not to laugh, as Holly's blush deepened.
"Maybe we should start over." Gail nodded, holding her hand out to Holly. "Hi, I'm Gail Peck, a Hearing sign language teacher, and you are very cute when you're embarrassed." Gail blushed watching Holly stare at her extended hand.
"Holly Stewart, pre-med student who both literally and figuratively cannot read the signs." Holly shook Gail's hand and rolled her eyes.