DISCLAIMER - I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

WARNING - Homosexuality

RANT - I have been rather interested in several fields of human study for a while and decided I'd like to start moving in to new subjects I don't see being used often. In this fiction, I'm going to be using some characters who are deaf- which includes the main character. I'm not saying I'm some expert on those with hearing loss, I'm certainly not. At all. I merely thought how it's ashame how there aren't many stories or fictions depicting someone who is deaf finding love despite certain barriers... that DOESN'T involve them somehow regaining their hearing through some operation. I hope things don't get too confusing, which they shouldn't... But just in case they do, please feel free to ask me about ANYTHING.

Also, the title is cheesy I know, but it fits well. xD

"Alright, you've been through the basic training classes, so today we'll go over how the tables work." Began a tall brunet with large muscles, a man by the simple name of "Leon"- or so said his large font nametag. He had both his hands up, waving them around his face and moving his fingers quickly. From afar or to anyone who wouldn't recognize the motions, they'd have thought he was simply the type that had to move his hands as he spoke... In truth, he was signalling to the younger male he was speaking to. As he spoke, he was repeating his words to make sure he was being understood using this other language. The one he spoke to was a younger brunet, one who was paying full attention to the bigger man's hands. "Alright, follow me."

The two brunets began to walk out of a tiny office, the door also labeled with the name "Leon" on the front of the glass. Leon stood out of his office with the door open for the smaller male, waiting for him to exit before letting the door close- as it did, automatically shutting as soon as Leon let go without even having to swing the door. He dusted off a black apron he had around his oddly small waist and neck that was covered in what looked to be flour, the exact same kind of apron (without the white powder) he moved to grab off a wall with clothing hooks. Leon tossed his small friend the apron he had jerked off the hook.

"Here, Sora, put this on."

Sora stumbled slightly as he had the apron practically thrown at him by his new frowning boss, immediately putting it on after he successfully caught it. He looked up at Leon in question, tapping his shoulder gingerly as the bigger male began to walk away again. At first, he had hesitated to stop his new employer, as the man was very scary... But he knew he had to be brave and ask questions, or he might not be able to get the job right. Once Leon turned around, he shakily lifted his hands.

"... The apron?" Leon asked in return, his hands moving fluently. "Even though you don't technically begin until your schedule is made, I'll be taking you to see the whole cafe. We bake our own desserts, so in order to try and keep your clothes somewhat clean in case of accidents, and because you have to hang on to the apron and take it home anyway, I just prefer you to wear it until you leave."

Sora smiled in return, tapping both hands with fingers erect against his chin.(1)

"No problem. Now come on."

Sora followed Leon obediently, walking behind him by at least three feet. They walked from the back of the shop and down a hallway. To the left was a small classroom of sorts, where a group of people were being taught about the items on a menu. That was where Sora had been the past two weeks. On the right was a simple break room, the door branded with a non-smoking sign.

They walked into the next room, which was a small bakery. There was only five cooks there today, each doing something different. Some were kneading dough, some were baking cakes, and others were laughing and throwing jokes back and forth as they did the last preperations on dishes. All either gracefully moving their hands about or reading each other's lips. One cook among the five was talking normally, his voice clear and crisp. He was blond and blue eyed, and though he smiled and laughed when the others joked- he actually did not speak that often himself.

Leon waved to this well speaking cook as he and Sora approached, causing the blond to suddenly stiffen- quite visibly- and grow pink in his cheeks. The blond smiled up at Leon, looking shy and so happy to see him... But the brunet didn't seem to notice it, turning to look at Sora without so much as returning the affectionate expression.

"Sora, this is Cloud. He's one of the cooks you'll be seeing most often. He runs the bakery back here for me and also preps the dishes for sending out. If there's a problem with the food, you talk to him. If there's any alterations with the orders, you talk to him. Unless he's busy, anything food is related to him- and if he is busy, then simply come to me or Yuffie. Yuffie is the girl who taught you about the menus, she's my manager over the waiters. You'll be meeting her again on your first day."

Sora nodded at Leon, looking to Cloud and offering his usual grin. He gave Cloud's face and clothes a quick glance, able to note a hearing aid in the blond's ear he hadn't been able to see until he was up close. Cloud seemed to have deflated when he went ignored by Leon, making Sora feel rather bad for him. He smiled all the same, spread his hands out, then used the tips of his middle fingers to flick off his lower chest.(2)

"Not much..." Cloud replied quietly, making an almost dismissive hand move away from his neck.(3)

Sora chuckled. He then turned to look at Leon as the older brunet gently tapped his shoulder, now waving him away from the chef tables and over to a case hanging on the wall. Sora looked up at the case first, seeing the flickering lights of these black boxes that looked almost like beepers attached to what he assumed were chargers. Leon opened the small case, pulling an available beeper-thing out and showing it to Sora. The small brunet looked directly at him for instruction.

"Ninety-percent of our workers are either deaf or have hearing problems, that's the point of this cafe. You know that part already." Leon began, turning the beeper on. It bleeped to life. On one side of it was a number pad, in which Leon typed in his I.D. number. He showed Sora the screen afterwards, allowing Sora to watch as the black box logged him in.

"First you will put in your I.D. and password, which you will receive the next time you come back. Then you will be assigned tables, the numbers will also be typed into your box." The screen, after logging him in, simply asked "Table No.:", now awaiting a table number. Leon looked over to a dry-erase board right beside the box of chargers where a chart of tables had been drawn in. "Every day, your assigned tables will be set up here. Waiters will sometimes have their tables switched, depending on the time of day, so be sure to keep checking the chart. To make it a little easier, these babies are programmed so that no two waiters can have the same table typed in."

Sora nodded to indicate he understood, even shook his head no when asked if he had any questions.

"Follow me to the floor, and be careful of the waiters."

Leon walked Sora out from the back of the shop into a rather cozy setting. There were around twenty-odd tables on the floor, which was wooden. Each had comfortable chairs with large cushy pillows for sitting. The windows had thin blue curtains, casting a soft blue light around the room. Though some of the other customers were doing what Sora had to do to speak most of the time, many others were talking and drinking coffee- completely casual around the deaf despite not being deaf themselves. Some soft music was playing, though Sora couldn't hear it.

The large brunet brought Sora over to a fairly empty section, as the cafe was only half filled at the moment. Not a very busy time, apparently. He stopped before one of the tables, placing a hand on another black electronic device that was attached into the table's end to show Sora what he was about to talk about. He then typed in a number on the beeper, number nine- as it read on the device. He then lifted his hands as he began to explain.

"This is what these little connectors... well, connect to. When a customer presses this button..." There was a button that was only an inch wide, bright red. It was the only button on the table. He placed the beeper into Sora's hands, then pressed this red button on the black device attached to the table. Sora laughed, having jumped from shock as the beeper began to vibrate. It didn't simply tingle either, as a phone might. It shook around in his hands, demanding attention. Sora looked at the beeper, noting the bright red lettering that said "Table 9! Table 9!".

Leon waved his hand before Sora to regain his attention. "Do you understand?"

Sora made a fist, lifting it up so the knuckles faced toward Leon, then moved it as if knocking on a door.(4)

"Good. Well, that's all you'll be needing to know for now..." Leon began, clicking the beeper back off, then moving a hand to rub his chin in thought. He looked about the cafe, his face twisted in thought.

"Hmm... I guess that really is it." He turned back to Sora. "I'll be sending your schedule via email."

Sora nodded.

Leon reached out a hand, which Sora took politely. They shook, then Leon signed the words:

"Welcome to the Quiet Cafe'. I hope you enjoy working here."

1.) Sign language for "Thank you".

2.) Sign language for "What's up?"

3.) Not necessarily considered sign language, but understood to be something like "Whatever" or "Hey, I guess...". Just a symbol of dismissing the person, so to speak.

4.) Sign language for "Yes".

What'cha think? The whole idea is actually pretty cute to me x3

Read, review, NO FLAMES. And no copying! NO STEALING THIS IDEA.