Chapter Text
Maybe it was the way everything had changed when she lost her hearing that had her so gloomy. Of course around friends, she’d be a sputtering ball of sunshine, all giggles and grins. But out in public alone, everything was different. No, nothing bad ever happened. It was just the weight of indifference or disappointment on people’s faces forced the same look onto hers. Sure, smiles were here and there but they looked forced and lifeless. Everyone’s eyes held a sort of longing and bitterness that she wouldn’t have noticed before. Maybe losing her hearing was a good thing. Since she had to spend more time focusing on the speaker’s face and lips, she could see the little twitches and alterations of their expressions and it filled her with a sort of unnerving pity. Happiness never really showed in their faces and all true joy had lost its spark in people’s eyes. She could feel herself losing it too as she plucked mindlessly at her stockings with her free hand. The other was occupied with a cup of coffee, the warmth of it long faded as time had passed. She couldn’t recall how long she’d been sitting here on this bench, staring at people’s faces as they passed by, following the continuous flow of the bustling city, moving on with their pointless sad lives.
The fact that she sat alone didn’t even concern her, though she would’ve liked the company. She was freezing and though her sweater kept her torso at a moderate temperature, her skirt, a poor choice for such cold weather, hardly kept what little thigh it covered warm. Meulin sighed and cast her gaze to her coffee, contemplating whether or not she should take a sip. As her eyes flickered down, she noticed a black and white blur of movement to her right, causing her to look back up instinctively. The light breeze sent strands of her long, dark hair wisping over her face, obscuring her vision. She pushed it away and blinked, now focusing on the source of movement.
The boy that stood before her looked like he stepped right out of Grease, with that cliche greaser style. His hair, a lighter shade than her own but still a deep brown, was slicked back to perfection with nary a single hair out of place. His clothing consisted of faded jeans that looked to be a little too short, a plain white T-shirt and an oversized leather jacket. Leather? In this weather? she thought to herself. She allowed her eyes to move up to his face and paused, eyes widening slightly. His eyes, an odd shade of dark blue, actually had a kind curve to them though the look that dwelled within wasn't as pleasant. His gaze was raking over her small frame, a smirk twitching at the corners of his lips around his unlit cigarette, obviously satisfied with the way the short girl's body curved. She felt herself leaning forward slightly to get a better view, though thankfully he didn't seem to notice. She just wanted a better look at him, wanted to see the planes of his gorgeous face and check if there was a faint blush across his cheekbones or if she was just imagining it. Fascinated was a good word to describe how she was feeling. She was never one to really be drawn to another by physical attraction as her old boyfriend painted his face in a bit of a frightening way. She pushed thoughts of him aside as the handsome stranger in front of her opened his mouth.
"Hey, doll. What're ya doin' here all by ya lonesome?" His words were hard to make out at first, especially with that cancer stick bobbing about in a distracting manner, but she managed. She was a bit puzzled by the way he seemed to stutter over that 'w'. She shook it off as she parted her thighs, nestling the cold coffee between them as she rose her hands. With a small set of simple, slow gestures, she told him of her disability. Well, not told exactly, more like she cupped her hands over her ears and shook her head slowly until he got the point. When he did, his smirk faded, instead replaced by a look of surprise accompanied by an up-raised eyebrow.
"So ya can't hear, huh? Real sorry about that, kitten," he murmured, dropping his earlier questioning. The look of hunger that had glazed over his gaze was now gone, his eyes instead holding a look of sympathy. Not pity, she noted. Though she wasn't sure how he could sympathize with her.
The next thing that drew her attention was that little pet name. Kitten. He probably called any girl that but for some reason it stood out to her. Sure her family had a bit of an affinity for felines but she didn't think that had anything to do with it. Either way, she enjoyed being called that and for the first time since she sat down, her lips quirked up into a smile, which seemed to catch him by surprise.
"I can still speak just fine," she blurted out happily. By the way he winced, she assumed she had been a bit loud once again. There were definitely some downsides to this disability, which is why it's called as such, like having difficulty controlling the volume of your voice. She lowered her tone, mumbling out an apology as her smile faded.
His smile returned as he shook his head, seemingly dismissing her apology. "Don't worry about it. Ya can't help it and I don't mind really. You've got a lovely voice. The louder you are the easier it is to hear it." He leaned toward her again, his expression turning more sultry. A mixture of discomfort and excitement rolled around in her stomach, sparking confusion in her mind."I know a few ways I can make you talk louder, probably more like scream, if ya catch my drift here."
Her mind scrambled, trying to grasp onto his meaning. The way he'd worded it seemed off to her, sending her thoughts into a whirlwind of confusion as she tried to put together his metaphorical puzzle. As he flicked his tongue out, the last piece slid into place and she flushed more so than she already had been.
He quirked a brow, a faint smirk playing at his lips, telling her he'd noticed the blush. She blew it off with a shake of her head. "I'm cold, " she mumbled, glancing away from him. As if the word triggered something, she shivered, finally starting to feel the chilly air seeping into her skin. He must've noticed that as well, for in a split second, he'd managed to pull her up and drape an arm over her shoulder. She blinked, a bit surprised and tilted her head up towards him.
He was smiling, the sensuality now gone and replaced by something more kind. She fought back the blush threatening to invade her cheeks again. It was a bit embarrassing, to be in public with him hanging on her, to be so aware of the way he smelled and how, even through the leather of his jacket heat seemed to radiate from him. The unnamed boy rose his hand, now occupied by her coffee, and shook it slightly. "This isn't gonna warm ya up. Now I might be able to but it'd be rude if I didn't take you out first, right? " He leaned away slightly, tossing the cup into a waste bin before turning back to her.
"Now how about we replace that coffee, huh?" She opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it. He was being kind and, unlike most, he wasn't constantly acknowledging her disability. After arguing with herself, she nodded, finalizing her decision to give him a chance.
"Sounds good to me," she said softly, settling into him.