Deafening Silence
A/N: Recently I have been learning ASL and it has inspired me to write this fanfiction. This is my first one-shot. Jerza-ish. Enjoy :)
He was sitting in her office once again. He wouldn't have to if he hadn't lost his hearing.
Ever since a friend of his recommended him to attend a Deaf Counseling Center called Fairy Tail, he couldn't help but feel curious about seeking help here. Fairy Tail was such a warm and content-filled place, and he enjoyed everyone's hospitality. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when remembering the reason why he needed therapy.
Before his weekly visits to Fairy Tail, Jellal was a well-known pianist. He had traveled abroad with his violin accompanist, Ultear, to perform at several occasions. Due to their increasing popularity, many were sure that Jellal and Ultear would hit number one on the charts. Not too long ago, Jellal and Ultear attended a lavish banquet in honor of their success. It was a shame that security wasn't as tight as it should've been; a man named Simon, jealous of Jellal's opulence, snuck in and attempted to shoot him.
The bullet didn't reach its desired target.
Jellal stared down at his now clasped hands, sweating as he remembered the night his accompanist lay dead in front of him. He couldn't hear anything after that. Acoustic trauma. That's what they called it.
He looked up to see his therapist, Erza Scarlet, walk into the room, and was mesmerized by her long, red hair. She smiled and ushered him to sit in a more comfortable chair. Erza then took a seat across from him. She overlapped the tips of her fingers, and proceeded to fold one arm as well as bend her other arm towards her while mouthing "good morning" to him. Jellal mirrored her movements.
He didn't understand why she even bothered teaching him sign language when they could just exchange notes to each other. It wasn't fair. Although he didn't speak much to her, at least she was able to hear his voice. Hell, he can't even hear his own voice!
I want to show you something, she signaled to him. Without warning, Erza gently took his hand and led him out of the room. Jellal had no idea where this woman was taking him, but he did nothing to resist her. They arrived at a guest room, to Jellal's horror, there was a small, electronic keyboard at the very center.
"No..." Jellal slowly back-pedaled out of the room. Erza pushed him a little forcefully towards the keyboard despite his attitude towards the instrument.
"Never again, never!" Jellal cried while grasping onto Erza's arms. "I will never touch that thing ever again!"
Erza made a quick gesture from her forehead and brought her hand outwards in the letter "y" in sign language while mouthing "why".
He didn't gesture back to her. "Are you okay?" Erza pointed at him and then transitioned her hand into a thumbs-up position while rotating it clockwise.
"I can't do this anymore," he said abruptly, causing Erza to stiffen. "I wish I just died back there. I'd rather rest in peace rather than go through all of this." He didn't know his voice was shaky, he just couldn't tell. Maybe.
Her smile vanished. Jellal stared back at her, unable to comprehend what she was trying to tell him. Even with sign language, he couldn't understand her. At last, Erza gestured to him to wait for her, and she exited the room. She returned with a small box in her arms and a dry erase board.
I know how frustrating this may be, but you have to trust me, she scribbled. If you're willing, I have a surprise for you. She pat the box now beside the piano. It may or may not change your life forever.
Jellal gulped. He began to step forward, but only managed to back pedal from the instrument that brought back his gruesome memory.
Alas, he settled himself on the piano bench with proper form and softly touched the keys. Its smooth texture nearly shocked him, but his familiarity with the instrument made it seem more bearable. As he pressed down the keys, he felt the vibrations of sound travel up to his fingertips along with a flurry of exhilaration. He could have sworn that Erza was twirling to his music behind him.
"Well done!" Erza clapped after writing what she had said on the board. She set down the board and held up the box and revealed its contents. She gave him a questioning look. He nodded.
Erza walked up to him and placed a hearing aid behind his ear and carefully inserted the ear-tip into his ear canal. She repeated the same procedure with his other ear. She took a step back to see his reaction.
Jellal slowly moved his hand upward to touch his right ear.
"I..." He stopped and stared at Erza with wide eyes.
"Hello Jellal Fernandes," Erza smiled as he covered his mouth in surprise. "How do you feel? I'm sorry it took awhile to get my hands on these."
He couldn't believe his ears; literally. Tears started to tip-toe down his cheeks. He just couldn't help it. Her voice was so warm and full of compassion, and yet he had initially been so bitter towards her.
"I'm... sorry."
"For what?" Erza smiled the most radiant smile Jellal had ever seen on anyone. "I hope you consider returning to the world of sound. It's calling you."