saint in the city;

( AUSTIN P. MCKENZIE. THEY/THEM. NON-BINARY ) Did I just see ( FINCH ROBEL)? This ( TWENTY-FIVE ) year old ( TRANSLATOR ) has been living in Chicago for ( TEN YEARS ). Some say that they are ( ARTICULATE + CHEERFUL ) as well as ( INDECISIVE + NAIVE ). If they had a theme song, some might say that it would be ( SAINT IN THE CITY BY THE ACADEMY IS… ). All I know is that I can’t wait to see what they bring to the Windy City. @hocstarters​

David touched a hand to his heart and smiled before signing, “Thank you. I appreciate that. It’s a fresh start and I’m looking forward to getting to know Al more and spend a lot of wonderful days together.” The way Finch spoke about Iain was inspiring, reminding David of how he felt about his ex. He knew that he would feel it again for someone else, possibly even his boyfriend one day. Time would tell, but in this moment he was just happy that he and his best friend both had lovely men they could gush over together. “Funny is a positive emotion typically, so I understand,” he giggled. “I’m so happy for you. I know how happy he makes you. “I will cry at your wedding, guaranteed.”

Finch was very excited for David to discover and experience more things in his new relationship-- it really did seem like he what he felt for Alastair was deep. No matter what happens, they would always be there for their best friend. “When I make those jokes to people sometimes, they worry too much. But my heart does skip a beat when I see him. And I visit him every day at his work... I learn so much about flowers and Draco and Wren get to play together!” That was always the best part of their day. “Davey, you always cry! I would be surprised if you didn’t.” The translator teased.

“Well, I didn’t really know I was ace in high school. Sex didn’t come up, so I didn’t have to worry about that with my girlfriend,” David explained. “Anthony never really asked me what I was okay with… he just assumed I was comfortable with everything and would want to do everything once we were getting married.” He giggled when Finch poked his dimple, nodding to them before standing to grab another straw. He poked it in his cup once he returned and put the other one he exchanged it for aside. “How are you and Iain though? Enough about my love life.” He signed, not wanting the whole conversation to be about him.

“Well, that’s just a dick move on his part. I always knew I didn’t like him. But now you have Alastair and that’s all that matters, doesn’t it?” David was happy and that’s all that mattered to Finch. Their best friend deserved their happiness. And they were relieved that Al was the one that took initiative to ask because that showed that he knew and respected David’s sexuality. “Iain makes my heart feel funny. Not the bad way though! He’s absolutely precious and I know it’s probably way too early to say but I’m getting married to him. I’m absolutely sure of it.”

“No, not at all. The opposite, actually. He asked me about my boundaries, like what im comfortable and uncomfortable with so I told him. It feels good to have a boyfriend who would ask without me having to say it,” David explained. He was relieved for that, because now he could be his authentic self in the relationship without feeling like a problem. He could release all of those bad feelings from the past and start something new. “Oh yeah… I am even more giddy around Al. He’s just so sweet and handsome I can’t help it!” He covered his mouth as he giggled, then asked: “You need anything? I’m gonna grab a new straw.” He showed the one he had bit out of habit, smiling innocently after.

David shrugged to his question, honestly unsure how to answer. He wouldn’t have to think about it, hopefully. He couldn’t imagine ever having to find out. He nodded, signing back: “It is a good thing. I wouldn’t say Anthony had a blow out when I first told him… he was confused but he wasn’t hard on me because he thought it was just while we were dating. When we got engaged, he expected me to start being intimate with him because we were getting married. He didn’t understand that it doesn’t change.” He sighed, not wanting to think of that. His expression lit back up at the thought of hanging out with his boyfriend and best friend. “I will. I know he will want to meet you. I look forward to that.”

“You haven’t seen me with him, silly,” David teased the other. Even so, it was reassuring to hear from someone that he could be a good partner regardless of his sexuality or anything else. He tilted his head when Finch was bringing up the possibility of things going south with Al, not wanting to think about that. “No worries. I know he is a wonderful man and he respects me. I promise.” He chuckled at the observation and nodded. “True, but still. I’d love either you or Daisy to give him a sign name when the time is right. That’s important to my family, and of course my friends.” It was true, because he had been part of the Deaf world from a young age, because of his aunt and sister.

David placed his hands on his cheeks, which felt warm after Finch’s sweet compliment. He poked his dimple and giggled, moving his hands away from his face to sign. “You’re so wonderful… thank you. That means a lot to me. I told Al that I want to be as good to him as he is to me.” He smiled warmly at his best friend, never taking for granted how kind they were. “Sometimes I go a little overboard, but it’s a good thing so I guess it’s fine! Oh no… how are you going to scare him?” he asked, furrowed brows with the sign but then they raised in curiosity. His expression softened when he continued on. “We can all hang out together sometime, we just need to plan it. You can give Al a sign name maybe… that way we don’t have to keep fingerspelling.” 

“Yes, but we all know that you already are good to him.” David seemed to find his match with Al and really, that’s all they ever wanted because their best friend absolutely deserved it. The thought of threatening Al if he decides to think about hurting David came up but it didn’t seem like the lawyer would do that with the way David had described him. “I’m going to kick him in the balls if he even thinks about hurting you.” The translator replied simply, taking another sip of their drink. “Yes, but it’s not like it’s hard to just finger-spell either, it’s just two letters.”

“As much as I wish that more medical professionals could consider being inclusive towards their patients, it’s kind of a harsh reality that we’d have to live with.” Dimitri admitted with a sigh. Having a childhood best friend who was congenitally deaf, the surgeon had made it his mission to learn ASL the moment he moved to across the pond. As important as his surgical training had been to him, he had always known that it would never be enough. Clearly, he had been right about that. “Of course, I’ll be sure to tell her that.” Dimitri stated with a warm smile. It was truly humbling to know that a former patient of his was still appreciative of him. It made him realize that he must have done something right as a doctor. There was no doubt about that. “I’m so happy for you, Finch. You seem a lot happier. You look well.” 

“Well, beggars can’t be choosers especially when one is close to the brink of death all the time.” Finch joked, shrugging their shoulders because it was true. It was either get treatment or don’t, and they most definitely need it. The thought was a bleak one but then again, what were they supposed to do? It was weird not having Dimitri as their doctor but they would have to live with that now. “I really am happy, Dimitri. I think-- I think Iain is the love of my life and I don’t want to let him go. He’s absolutely perfect.”

David touched a hand over his heart when Finch asked about how romantic the moment was to him. He nodded, sighing dreamily before he started to sign to reply. “Yes, of course! I had dreamed of kissing him for a while so to finally be able to it felt surreal. I felt like I was dreaming the entire day… it’s like that when you like someone so much and you find out they like you back, you know? You feel like it’s too good to be true. I still can’t believe he’s my boyfriend. I am so lucky,” he went on, unable to keep from gushing over Al. He sipped on his boba tea and then added, “Sorry to go super mushy on you… I just am so happy. You did ask though.” 

“So you get the feeling I get when I see Iain.” Finch pointed out, seeing that their best friend was very happy with Al. They’ve never met the guy but they already liked him because he made David smile and have that carelessness back again. “I think he’s quite lucky to have you. And don’t tell me I’m being ridiculous because it’s true!” Finch might be biased but everyone was truly lucky to have David, whether as a friend or a boyfriend. “You should never apologize for that! Mushy looks amazing on you. I’m really happy for you though. But you need to tell me when I can meet Alastair so I can scare him.”

“So rude!” David signed with a feigned offense expression on his face. As easy going of a person as he was, it truly didn’t bother him that deeply that the others teased him. He found it amusing, most of the time, because he knew that they were doing it to have fun with him rather than be mean spirited. He was eager to drink his tea, the boba popping on his tongue. He hummed at the flavors of the passion fruit, but his focus shifted when Finch asked about Al. he became visibly giddy, a bright smile on his face as he blushed. “Well what do you want to know?” he signed with a chuckle. “Well, I think I have an idea so I’ll just go. We were walking around looking at the art and I saw a piece that I really liked. It was the asexual flag but done in a galaxy sort of style, with the stars and everything. He noticed me looking at it and asked if I was interested in it… so I sort of told him without actually telling him that I’m ace. He was really sweet and supportive of it and he even wanted to buy me the painting. I was just so overwhelmed by it all that I kissed him. And he kissed me back.” He allowed his friend to take it all in before he would add anything else.

Finch was giggling move, covering their mouth when they looked at David and saw the offended look on his face. It was always funny and they hoped they could capture that expression right now and send it to Daisy, whom they were hoping she would be here too. But Finch also remembered they were here to talk about David’s new boyfriend. Looking at their best friend with a ‘really?’ look, they didn’t have to wait before he started signing. They saw the excited look on David’s face and smiled widely because they’ve rarely seen the other like this, especially for a partner. “Was it romantic for you, Davey? All that fireworks and stuff?” They teased.

“Too bad,” David turned to start signing to his friend then. He let out a laugh, winking at the other playfully. “And no stealing my bags! I already have to stop you from taking my figures on my shelves and bringing them home with you when you come over.” He couldn’t help but tease the other, though they had that relationship where they could. He handed Finch their drink once it was up and then took his. He spotted a table in a secluded spot, so he went to take a seat there. “Enjoy your extra boba.” He grinned, taking a moment to hang the purse from the back of his chair and sticking the straw into the plastic cup. He took a sip from the tea and hummed in satisfaction. He was glad that he had a boba partner in crime to take care of the cravings as they came.

Finch laughed loudly, knowing that they were probably being too loud but they didn’t care about that at all. “It’s always fun to wait until you notice which figures or bag is missing from your collection! Daisy helps me out a lot when she’s over too.” They were always scheming against David and it was always amusing to see how he would react. They’ve managed to bring home a few tiny figurines with the help of the girl. Sitting down, they poked the straw through the cover and took a sip. “Thank you, David!” The interpreter signed once they finished chewing and swallowing the boba pearls, placing the cup on the table. “Now tell me everything, David.”

David listened to his friend, chuckling at their order because he had to hand it to them- they were always thinking outside the box. “Yes, treat yourself with boba! You do deserve them. And you’re right, I can get taro tea and then pair it with the passionate fruit boba so I can have both. Thanks for saving me from myself,” he said, eyes crinkling when he smiled. He went ahead and ordered his tea as well as Finch’s, wanting to treat his best friend. He was carrying a cute little Gudetama crossbody purse, quickly dipping his hand into it to grab his wallet and card to pay before Finch could say anything about it. He grinned innocently at the other before heading to the end of the counter to wait on the drinks.

“I’d drown in all the boba and I’d die a happy person.” Finch joked as they looked at the menu even though they knew what they were going to get already. The one cup they got with the extra boba was quite indulgent for them already and they were happy with that because they would get to enjoy the drink with their best friend. “You know, that’s the bag I really wanted to steal from your collection.” The translator replied and was reaching for their wallet already but immediately stopped and narrowed their eyes at David. “Hey, I was gonna pay!”

“Aw well, that’s really sweet of you to say. I miss having you as a patient, Finch.” Dimitri admitted, genuinely. Finch was one of those people that he was glad to have known. “At least, that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping to help a lot of people.” Nodding his head, he chuckled softly as what the other said next. “Of course, I’ll let them know.” He stated, accepting the flowers from them. “Unlike me, my mother’s not all that fond of flowers, so it’s fine. But I’ll be sure to let her know that a former patient of mine sends her their regards. She would be delighted.” He admitted, honestly. “But enough about me. How are things going between you and your partner, hm?” 

“This doctor can’t even bother to sign a hello or a how are you when I visit.” Finch let out a huff. That wasn’t supposed to be a basis of whether or not the doctor was good, but it still irked them nonetheless; they supposed that it wasn’t fair for them to compare Dimitri to their new doctor since they were both capable. “Yes! Let her know that her son is amazing and I’m sure that’s a reflection of her parenting too.” The translator said before a much bigger grin appeared on their face. “Iain is amazing! I love him, I really do. I hang out in his flower shop all the time.”

David: This shouldn't really be a surprise... 😬

David: Of course I do, but we just started dating. I only want them all to meet when Al is ready.

Finch: I CAN'T WAITTTTT

David: Oh goodness... I may not be squealing right now but you know what I am doing? Blushing! 🙈🙈

David: 😅 We're not there yet so don't make me nervous lolol

Finch: DAVEY BABYYYY