A/N: Bonjour

I'm sorry that its been a while since the last update. I've been super busy all week, what with a lot of homework and my birthday. Speaking of birthday... I got a laptop! It'll make updating much easier, except for the fact it doesn't have microsoft word... but it has another word like thing, so I hope it works.

Also, how did you all guess that I've been reading Homestuck?

Thank you for all the lovely reviews! It really makes my day when I see all the positive feedback this gets!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned, but sadly I'm not that awesome.

"Speaking"

'Signing'

'Thoughts'

'Text on a screen.'

I think y'all know by now that... sentences... like... this... mean that poor Artie isn't getting everything.

Chapter 10

The next day, they didn't have Chemistry. But they did have history, which Francis had never noticed until last week.

Maybe it was because he actually noticed Arthur.

Anyway, Gilbert and Antonio were already sitting at the back when Francis entered. They waved frantically and patted his usual seat, which today was thankfully not taken by Lovino. The Frenchman was about to go and sit down when he saw Arthur in the front seat, scribbling in his notebook.

He paused.

Should he sit with Arthur, his new friend who he was almost certain that he liked more than just a friend? Or should he go with his old friends, his best buds who he had started many pranks with in his time?

This thought process took around a second, and eventually Francis decided on the latter. He saw Arthur almost every day, and sat next to him in one lesson. He decided that he could wait a little longer. And besides, the Brit seemed to be ignoring him anyway.

He slid into the seat between Antonio and Gilbert. The albino turned to him, as did the Spaniard.

"So...?" Gilbert asked, leaning back on his chair. "You totally paused up there."

"I did not." Francis protested.

"You did, amigo." Antonio said.

"You're so in luuuurrrrvvveeee." The albino

"How did you get that I was in love from the fact that I paused before coming to sit with you?"

"It's not just that." Gilbert started.

"You keep on talking about him. More than you talk about us." the Spaniard stated.

"Even more than you talk about your hair. This guy's got to be something special." The 'Prussian' interrupted.

"Secondly," Antonio continued, "you were seriously worried about him that day he wasn't at school. You even made us go to his house."

"And yesterday when he broke down you looked pretty scared. It was like he was dying."

"Also last night you called us and said 'I think I'm in love with Arthur.'."

He had forgotten about that.

Francis slumped in his chair. "It's true!" He moaned. "I'm in love."

"Now don't worry Franny." Gilbert patted his back. "Now all ya gotta do is ask him out."

"Easier said than done there Gil."

"No amigo, think of the benefits! What if he says yes? What if he likes you back?"

'What if he doesn't though. Then what?'

"You have to ask Arthur out so awesomely that he'll have to say yes!" Gilbert shouted. A few people turned around and started to mutter to each other. Miraculously, at the front of the classroom, Arthur himself didn't seem to hear.

"Gilbert." Francis hissed. "Could you quiet down a bit? You're ruining my reputation."

"Sorry." The Prussian muttered sheepishly. "But anyway, you've still gotta ask him out in a super awesome way."

"I agree." Antonio nodded. "You have to be very romantic. Guys dig romantic things."

"Isn't that normally girls?"

The Spaniard shrugged. "Guys too."

"Okkkayyy." Francis muttered.

"But you have to ask him out!" Antonio swung his arm around Francis' shoulder.

"And luckily you've got us to help you do so!"

Francis sighed. It was going to be a long lesson.

~oOo~

Arthur was reading in the library when his phone vibrated. He swung it out of his blazer pocket with one hand and turned the page with the other.

Green eyes scanned the screen.

'Meet me on the field after school? x

He wasn't familiar with text speak, so he had no idea what the fuck the little letter x meant. Whatever, it's not like it mattered. Francis wanted to meet him on the field after school. It was probably to see if he had the memory stick or not. Arthur had brought it with him today, just in case something happened to it at home. He was glad he did.

'You are seriously stupid. He wants to bash your head in.'

'Shut up Dave. I bet he's going to ask you out!'

Arthur was more inclined to go with Dave on this one.

But no more weird voices in Arthur's head. That joke exhausted itself a long time ago. Anyway, the Brit checked the time on his phone before stuffing it into his pocket. The time read 3:30. Seeing school ended at four, he only had half an hour until he had to meet the Frenchman.

Might as well try to finish a chapter or two.

~oOo~

The bell rang and Arthur made his way out of the school. He walked the ground that was just beginning to harden slightly. Golden brown leaves fell from trees. Summer was turning into autumn. Good. He liked autumn a lot more than summer. Summer was too hot.

There, on the field, was Francis. He had his school bag slung over his shoulder and a guitar in his hands, which was weird because Arthur had never ever seen him play the guitar before. Hell, there hadn't even been a guitar in his room when he was over there. No sign of any guitar anywhere.

Weird.

When Arthur reached him, Francis smiled a grin so perfect it made his heart flutter slightly.

'Hahahahahaha my heart would never flutter. No, totally didn't just happen.'

Francis beamed at him. "Bonjour."

"Good afternoon." Arthur nodded. "I assume this is about the memory stick. I'll have you know I have it right-"

"This isn't about the memory stick." Francis interrupted.

"Then what's it about?"

"Arthur, I have something very important to ask you. Promise me you won't interrupt me while I'm doing so."

"I promise." The Brit said, confusion entering his voice.

"Right." Francis took a deep breath. "Here we go."

'Calm, Francis, Calm. Deep breaths. You can do this. Just like we practised. You only learnt the song and how to play Antonio's guitar today, but you can do this. It'll be fine. Everything is going to be-

SHUT UP AND PLAY THE GOSH DIDDLY DARN GUITAR ALREADY!'

The Frenchman poised his fingers over the guitar and began to play.

The notes were relatively simple. Well, according to Antonio they were. To Francis, who had never played a guitar before today, these notes were as hard as fuck.

Francis didn't look at Arthur as he played, strumming the guitar frantically. He just hoped the notes were right. They sounded right, but he really couldn't be sure.

Why was he singing this again? He didn't even know what an OTP was. Gilbert said it would 'catch him like a fish' and that Arthur 'liked all this shit' but he really didn't know. The more he thought about it, he didn't know that much about Arthur at all.

"Will you be the John to my Sherlock? Will you be the Cas to my Dean? I'll be Kirk and you can be Spock. And we'll beat all the other tag teams."

The hell if he knew what any of this shit meant.

~oOo~

Arthur was wondering what Francis was doing with a guitar and what he was saying meant when the Frenchman put his fingers onto the guitar and began to play.

His technique was awful. He wasn't holding the instrument properly and his fingers looked like they were clutching the fingerboard as if it was life or death. If Arthur had to guess, he would say that Francis had never played a guitar before.

But Francis, the guy that he totally didn't like, was playing the guitar, for him.

Then the Frenchman began to sing

His mouth opened and formed words. Words that Arthur couldn't hear. Words that he would never hear.

Tears pooled in green eyes. Francis was playing the guitar for him. Francis was singing for him. And he couldn't hear any of it.

Francis finished the song with a final strum. He looked up.

"So Arthur, what do you say? Will you go out with me?"

The Brit was standing there, tears forming in his beautiful green eyes. Then, all of a sudden, he fell to the floor crying.

Francis rushed forward, pulling Arthur into a hug.

"What's wrong?" He asked, staring into Arthur's eyes. "Did you not like it?"

"I... I didn't hear it..."

"What was that? You didn't hear it?"

"No! I didn't hear it!"

"Do you want me to sing it again?" Francis queried. He could probably sing it again.

"No! I don't want you to sing it again! I won't hear you! I've never heard your voice before, and I never will!" He was yelling now. Thank God most people had gone home, although Francis knew for a fact that Gilbert and Antonio were hiding behind a nearby tree.

"Why?" He wondered.

"Do I need to spell it out to you?" Arthur shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I'm deaf!"

A/N: Annnddddd... end it there.

Cliffhanger for you guys! I hope this chapter makes up for the lack of updates!

Please review? It would make me super happy! Well, I already am super happy because I got a Castiel coat at the weekend, but this would make me ever happier! Pretty please?