Hello again!
This is the second part of my series "Something Wonderful."
This story is posted in honour of Hobbit Day and Tolkien week. Happy Birthday Bilbo and Frodo!
Disclaimer: None of these lovely characters are mine.
Chapter 1
10 August 2007
Thorin is still trying to get the hang of dating a deaf man. He never thought it would be so different to dating a person with normal hearing.
It is not only the communication that's different. He is still struggling with sign language so all of their conversations are still held on paper, except for the odd "please" and "thank you" signed at the dinner table. Eight weeks into the sign language course and Thorin is still not able to sign the alphabet properly. Most of the other students mastered the letters after the second session.
Bilbo helps him by pointing at random objects and then showing him the sign for said object. But you can only talk so much about cars and houses and trees. And flowers. The curly-haired man loves his flowers and taught Thorin the name and sign of every single flower in his garden.
Having to rely on a pen and paper whenever they are together frustrates Thorin greatly and he often wonders if Bilbo feels the same.
The communication issue is not the only thing that bothers Thorin though. Spending more and more time with a deaf person has made him realise how frustrating it can be to live in a world that heavily relies on sounds.
They went to the cinema once. Bilbo had suggested it because there was a new film coming out that he really wanted to watch. It was sometime after Bilbo had made the suggestion that Thorin had wondered how a trip to the cinema could be in any way pleasurable if you cannot hear what is being said on the screen.
Luckily Bilbo quickly provided him with the information about showings with subtitles. Thorin didn't know that cinemas offered showings with subtitles, but then he had never had the need for one. It had sounded great on the theatre's website but when they arrived at the cinema and the film started, there had been no subtitles. The employees of the theatre had profoundly apologised for the software glitch and had handed out free vouchers for another showing of their choice.
Bilbo hadn't seemed too surprised at the outcome and he told Thorin that this hadn't been the first time he had gone to the cinema only to be disappointed.
Now they usually watch DVDs on Thorin's flat screen while snuggling on the soft carpet on his living room floor. Bilbo has a thing for that carpet apparently.
The part that Thorin is struggling with the most however, is the silence. He has never spent so much time in silence than in the last couple of weeks. It isn't just their quiet conversations on paper with a few common signs thrown in now and then.
Bilbo is a very quiet person. He can move so silently that he is able to walk up and stand right behind Thorin without the other man noticing that he is there until Thorin turns around and gets the shit scared out of him. It is ironic how a person that is not able to tell whether he is making any noise or not, is so quiet. It is slightly eerie at times.
Whenever Thorin opens one of his kitchen cabinets to get out a pan or a mug he usually causes a whole lot of noise because his carefully constructed tower of kitchen utensils comes crashing down on him. Bilbo manages to create a three-course meal in Thorin's kitchen without the other man hearing a single sound from where he is working in his study.
Thorin has never been someone to sit alone in his flat. He is used to the loud hustle of his office and the constant chatter of sister and the wails of his young nephew. To spend time with someone as deathly quiet as Bilbo freaks him out sometimes.
He usually puts some music on or turns the telly up just to have some background noise. There is also a brand-new radio sitting on a shelf in Bilbo's kitchen now for when Thorin comes over.
The two of them are currently spread out on Bilbo's favourite piece of flooring in Thorin's flat. The curly-haired man is running his fingers through the thick fabric of the carpet while his eyes are trained on the flat screen. They are watching a pre-season football match, one of the few programs that does not require subtitles.
Thorin is propped up behind him, one arm supporting his head while the other is gently running through Bilbo's thick curls. Now and then he grumbles at the players on the screen before leaning down to press a kiss to Bilbo's pointy ear tip. The shorter man shivers every time he does it.
Bilbo is starting to lose track of the match as Thorin's treatment of his ear is building up pressure in certain parts of his body. He rolls over to face the taller man and tugs on the long dark strands of hair to show his irritation.
Thorin only chuckles at his annoyed expression and pulls him closer so that Bilbo is hovering above him. The curly-haired man huffs before he relents and presses his lips to Thorin's for a passionate kiss.
Suddenly Thorin pulls away with a groan and rolls his eyes.
Bilbo looks up at him questioningly. Thorin lifts his mobile off the coffee table and holds it up for the shorter man to see. Bilbo nods with understanding when he sees Dwalin's name on the screen before he lays his head onto Thorin's chest, his face turned towards the telly again.
"Dwalin, what do you want?" Thorin grumbles with irritation. He really doesn't want to talk to his friend right now. His fingers absently play with one of Bilbo's honey curls.
"Why so grumpy? Am I interrupting a good shag?"
"None of your fucking business. What do you want?" The curl is twirled around his forefinger now and Thorin inspects it with great care. Bilbo huffs as one of the players on the screen misses a perfect opportunity to score.
"The Goblins are in town next month." Dwalin doesn't have to say anything else. The Goblins are one of his and Thorin's favourite bands. All rock and drums and bass guitars. Just the way they like it.
"Count me in. What's the date? Do we have to take days off work?" The last time the two of them had gone to a concert, they had to stay home for two days to recover.
"It's a Saturday. The twenty-second of September. Might have to-" Dwalin is interrupted by Thorin's loud groan.
Bilbo looks up when he feels the rumble in the taller man's chest and raises his eyebrows in question. Thorin glances at him for a second before giving him a reassuring smile.
"Oi! I hope that was not you climaxing. I don't like it when people shag while I'm on the phone with 'em."
Thorin rolls his eyes. "That's Bilbo's birthday."
"So?" Dwalin apparently doesn't get the hang of this whole dating business yet.
"I have things planned." Bilbo watches with a furrowed brow as Thorin talks.
"Like what? You can fuck him afterwards. Or before. Or you can bring him along. But no shagging!"
Thorin releases the curl around his finger and pokes Bilbo's button nose.
"Doesn't make sense to take a deaf man to a concert now, does it?"
The silence he gets in response tells him that his friend didn't think of that particular detail. It takes Dwalin a while to come up with a response.
"But it's The Goblins! You don't wanna miss that, man!"
Thorin sighs. "I'll talk to him. Maybe we can work something out."
"See that you do, mate. It's gonna be fucking awesome!"
They bid goodbye and Thorin presses the end-call button before putting the phone back on the table. He rubs his eyes in frustration. Of course he wants to go to the concert. But he also does not want to leave his boyfriend behind on his birthday.
Bilbo watches him patiently before leaning up and pressing a soft kiss to his lips to chase away his obvious discontent. Then he raises his eyebrows in a silent question.
Thorin sighs and gently pushes himself and the man on top of him into a sitting position. Bilbo hands him the ever present pen and paper with a smile before kissing him again.
The taller man sighs and grabs the offered items.
That was Dwalin. One of our favourite bands will give a concert next month.
Bilbo raises his eyebrows as he doesn't see the problem and waves for Thorin to go on.
It's on your birthday though...
Thorin passes the notepad over and watches for Bilbo's reaction. Surprisingly the shorter man only shrugs before grabbing the pen.
What band?
Thorin assumes the other man is just being polite by inquiring about his musical preferences.
The Goblins
Bilbo's eyes widen in delight and he basically rips the notepad out of Thorin's hands.
I LOVE THEM!
When he looks up, he notices Thorin reading his words with a very confused expression on his face. The dark-haired man raises his hand and clumsily signs, "You are deaf."
Bilbo nods at the profound statement and then grins before writing an explanation.
They use a lot of bass. I can't hear the music but I can definitely feel it. The louder the better. I've never been to a concert though. That must be amazing.
Understanding replaces the confusion on Thorin's face and his lips curl into a smile. He pulls the notepad closer to himself.
Want to come? My birthday present to you.
Bilbo nods enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that Thorin is worried he'll snap his beautiful neck. They kiss and then separate so Thorin can grab his mobile. He shares another kiss with Bilbo while he waits for his friend to pick up the phone.
"Did you promise him a good fuck so you can go?" That's Dwalin for you. No greeting or niceties.
Thorin pulls a face and the short man next to him giggles before kissing him.
"Why are you so obsessed with my sex life? Must be because you don't have one."
His friend takes a second to reply. "I bet I've had more shags in the last 8 months than you had in 8 years."
"You wanna bet on that?" Thorin trails his forefinger along Bilbo's jaw line. The shorter man is once again curled up next to him with his head resting on Thorin's chest, watching him intently.
"Talking about sex, are you coming? To the concert?" Thorin snorts at his friend's words and brushes his thumb against Bilbo's lips which immediately pucker to press a kiss to his fingertip.
"Yes, I'm coming." He pauses for a second. "And so is Bilbo."
Dwalin has to process this for a second. "But he's deaf." Both of them seem to be able to state the obvious.
"I know. But he likes them, apparently. He told me he can feel the music and he's never been to a concert before. Takes care of the birthday present problem."
"I thought you had things planned." Damn Dwalin for always remembering the wrong parts of conversations.
"Well, certain things I had planned but I had no idea for a present yet."
"You had the birthday sex planned then." Dwalin is laughing now. He is right of course.
Thorin grumbles a quick "Goodbye" before he rings off and clunks his phone onto the table with a little more force than necessary.
Bilbo lifts his curly head to look at him properly. He wriggles his body around until he is laying on top of Thorin with their bellies pressed together and their faces only inches apart.
The curly-haired man is beaming. A dream is finally coming true. He had always wanted to go to a concert. He had spent hours and hours feeling the vibrations of the music running through his body when he was younger, the stereo turned up all the way when his parents were out. Sadly he hasn't had a chance to do that ever since he moved out of his childhood home because he has always lived in close proximity to other people. Even now, although his parents had bought him a tiny house after he graduated from university. His neighbour live way too close to be safe from busted ear drums and they are way too uptight to appreciate the greatness of The Goblins.
Bilbo leans down and licks Thorin's slightly parted lips with his tongue before he goes in for a full-blown kiss.
Note: My experience with deaf people and the Deaf culture is very limited (non-existent to be exact). This entire scenario is based on research, lots and lots of research. So if there is anyone out there that has more experience than me and finds something that doesn't make sense or is complete bollocks, please do not hesitate to contact me. I'm very motivated to learn more about this topic, not only for the sake of these stories, but to broaden my horizons and satisfy my personal curiosity.
As this series goes on, there will be more and more sign language used.
British Sign Language is in no way related to the English language and has its own grammar and sentence structure. Since I am not fluent in BSL and for the sake of the reader, the parts that are meant to be in BSL will be translated into English to not disrupt the flow of reading.