Chapter 5: So I'm Making You Listen

Joey found himself parked in front of Seto's house. He didn't know what Seto would do when he told him his decision, nor Tea. However, Tristan was right. This was Joey's life, not theirs. He sighed loudly as he stepped out of his worn-out truck and saunted to the front door. It felt funny knocking on his own boyfriend's door, but he wasn't in the "boyfriend" mood at the moment, so he knocked, and rang the bell just for good measures. Secretly, he just like pressing buttons.

"Joey?" Seto opened the door, as if he'd been waiting on his lover, and stepped aside for him to enter.

I need to talk to you, Joey stepped in, about the implant...

Seto closed the door and led him into the living room. They sat on the sofa, and even though the noise could never bother Joey, Seto found the clicker and turned off the television. They sat in utter silence, both in hand in voice, before Seto could take no more. He took Joey's chin in his hand and turned it towards his own face. Joey's eyes moved down like a puppy who'd just torn up an important homework assignment.

Did you decide, well, did you decide you want to try it? Seto tried to hide the hope in his eyes the best he could, but it was extremely difficult.

Joey leaned on his boyfriend and said in his slightly off-cord tone, "It may not work."

Seto wanted to sign to him, to tell him that anything was possible, but he didn't want to move either. If they could stay like this forever, on the sofa, just the two of them, he'd do it in a heartbeat. He thought Joey might be expecting him to reply, but instead, the blonde continued.

"I talked with Tristan," it broke Seto's heart to hear him pronounce his own best friend's name in a funny way, "and he said I need to decide what's best for me."

Seto finally removed Joey's head from his shoulder so he could communicate with him.

What do you think is best, Joey? He brushed his lips against the smaller boy's and signed, what do you think you need to do?

Joey brought their lips together again, more firmly than Seto had, and he clumsily parted to say, "I don't want it."

Seto could feel his heart drop into his stomach and dissolve into mass disappointment. For so long, he was so sure Joey would jump at the chance to hear again. To hear his friends, to hear music, to hear his lover, to hear his own voice. He had dreamed about Joey's eyes lighting up hearing the doctor say the procedure was a success. He had dreamed it so vividly, he had almost been in tears. Now, he felt tears brimming for a different reason. A not so happy reason...

"Why?" He didn't have the willpower to move his hands.

Joey shook his head briefly, looking away, then he stood up and and signed, Because I know what it means to be deaf, and it's not me. Deaf is when you can't hear, and I can't hear noise, but I can hear, Seto, I can hear everything.

It infuriated Seto. He knew that purple-haired twit, Tea, was behind this. She'd probably gave him some gronola-head, happy-sappy speech about acceptance just like she'd done him. She had tricked Joey into thinking he was normal just so she could go on being Miss Universe, always helping the needy. Needy like Joey. Who didn't even know he was needy. He frowned and shot up to face his boyfriend, gripping him by the shoulders.

"You don't even have a fucking clue!" He yelled, ignoring the tone wouldn't affect Joey one bit, "You don't even know what you're talking about! If it's about Tea, she doesn't give a damn about you! She cares about Tea! She-"

Joey shoved him off.

"She does too!" He said, quite articulately, actually, "you both do, but you don't seem to understand that I care about me too!"

"You can't hear!" Seto yelled, "you can't even talk!"

"I'm talking now!" Joey felt tears beginning to fall, "I am fucking talking now, Seto!"

"Then why won't you accept the chance to hear?" Seto felt his tears brimming even stronger.

I do want to hear, Joey signed now, God knows I want to hear, Seto! But if this operation fails, what was anything worth? Tea's help? My friends learning SL? Me accepting deafness! What would any of it be worth?

It would be worth a try, just like the operation...

They stared at eachother for a long time, then flung themselves into eachother's arms. In a matter of minutes, their clothes were tossled and their hair was matted and wild, their lips enterwined, their hands searching for anything but words. After a long, tongue-twisting ten minutes, Seto kissed Joey's forehead and said, "Let's go to bed, and not speak another word about it tonight."

Joey nodded...

C'mon, Joey, Tea signed as she spoke, irritated by Joey's tardiness, I don't want to be late!

"Hold your horses," Joey said, tugging his shirt over his head, pulling at the wire that connected to his hearing-aide device, "I'm going as fast as I can."

"The others are going to be upset," the purple-haired girl wagged a finger at him, "especially Seto, he said if you're late to a movie one more time then he'll never take you again."

"What does he care?" Joey snapped bitterly, "we're not dating anymore."

Joey, Tea helped him with his tangled wire with one hand and signed with the other, you guys can still be friends

"I don't want to-"

Yes, you do, she tapped her watch, now let's go, the previews are probably already over

"Tea," he grabbed her wrist, do you really think-

She sighed and replied, "don't start. Let's save that for another time, okay?"

The previews were already over, but Yugi and the others had already saved the two seats. Joey awkwardly sat next to Seto, and they gave eachother small smiles of acknowledgement. Joey had accepted the cochlear implant, but Seto had coldly admitted he didn't want to continue dating. He told Joey, who was shocked to hear those words first, that he only wished to give him the ability to hear again, and his work was done. The blonde was hurt, but he pretened it only frustrated him. In reality, it did much worse.

The movie was supposed to be funny, but the jokes were old and the whole thing was tedious. Nobody was really paying attention, except Tristan who had a fetish for stupid films. Joey yawned, and nearly jumped when he felt flesh touch his hand. He looked down to see it was Seto's hand.

S-O-R-R-Y, The older boy finger-spelled into his palm.

W-H-Y? Joey's fingers loosened as he spelled back.

Seto looked at him and signed, I didn't mean it. I thought you were happier now, now that you could hear. I didn't want to be your crutch.

You were never a crutch, Joey signed and whispered at the same time, you or Tea

Can we, Seto looked flustered, "Be friends again?"

Joey sighed through his nose and leaned on his shoulder. He took Seto's hand in both of his and played with his calloused fingers.

"Do we have to be friends? Can't we be in love again?" He whispered in a whimper.

There was a long pause from the other boy before a quiet, "I'd like that."

Ditto, Joey signed, holding up Seto's palm so he could feel it.

The End...

A big thanks to everyone who kept up with this story! And I'm so sorry for not updating in so long! AP tests, laziness, and a job can do that to you...anywho, big, big, big thanks to all of you! I hope you enjoyed the final chapter, and I love you all!

and to:

Lilith Snape: So sorry for not continuing sooner!

Shadowy Fluffball: You're motivating, all right. I love you!

Mantha-Kaiba: So sorry! Especially to you! Is this better?

FireieGurl: Do you think Jou made the right choice? Thanks for reviewing!

CircleKV12: Final chapter! Thanks for keeping me on my toes, even after a while...

KakashiLvr: Yah, I haven't been good with action lately. Is this good for action?

daughteroffanubis: Any good? Sorry for not updating sooner!

ChibiSmiles: So sorry! Especially to you! Is this ending any good? So sorry! You reviewed a lot