Gemotions

The flickering candlelight cast long, dancing shadows across the bedroom wall as Elias listened. He perched on the edge of the bed, his knuckles white against the floral bedspread. The muffled sounds drifted from the living room, a low murmur he couldn’t place. His stomach churned. He’d told Liam, his boyfriend, about his family’s language, a dialect of Cantonese, years ago. He thought Liam had been mildly curious, nothing more. Now, these late-night whispers felt… wrong.

He rose slowly, his legs suddenly heavy. Each step across the wooden floorboards creaked loudly in the stillness, amplifying the anxiety that coursed through him. He reached the door and hesitated, his hand hovering over the handle. He wanted to call out, to demand an explanation, but the words caught in his throat.

He pushed the door open, just a crack, and peered into the living room. Liam sat on the sofa, bathed in the glow of a laptop screen. He was speaking, and the words… they were something Elias recognized. A rush of disorientation made his vision swim.