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Peter groaned loudly, “Wade I told you that this was NOT a normal car sound.”
“Baby boy I’m a car expert it’s fiiiiine!” Wade drew out the i in a nasally valley girl mockery. “I can afford the best mechanics money can buy! If all else fails we’ll just buy another car to juice up and make pretty!”
Wade was giddy for gods sakes. Yeah, his car was breaking down and sounded like the souls of a thousand muppets being tortured was trapped inside his hood but hey! Car things! He can do anything if he puts his mind to it sticks on a maid dress.
“Petey look! There’s a town coming up soon!” he squinted, “With a population of 19,864 …. Petey we watch waaay too many horror movies together for me to be comfortable with this. Hawkins is definitely the name of a fucked up place.” He was teasing, but the sound was killing Peter, plus the motion of the car, and just the paranoia of being in a death machine. Logically all parties know Wade means well, his head just fucking hurts.
“Wade just fucking pull off! You know I love you,” he sucked in a large, hopefully calming, breath, “but this is too much . It’s driving me crazy, and I’m getting hungry to the point of my head hurting,” his voice strained a little, and his patience was wearing thin the longer the sound continued, “the stupid ass muppet sound is killing my brain cells, and I’m a college student.”
A tear welled in his right eye, “Wade know I’m not mad at you and I love you so so much and I.. I l-love traveling with you, but please remember this stuff drives me to the, the end, the final, to the point where I can barely handle it.” Peter was at his limit, beyond it, and Wade felt fucking awful. A few of Peter’s tears slowly fell, a few getting caught between his glasses and cheek making a tear moat.
He’d been so happy about being with Pete and traveling he should’ve been more attentive, because Peter has moments like these. Usually when things get too much they can whisk each other away before it gets awful. Peter knows when things are too much, but sometimes he pushes himself. Usually Wade notices because he’s paying enough attention and can help Peter because pushing it isn’t good for him.
Wade was glancing a little frantically around the stop sign, making sure he wasn’t in the way for anyone else in the intersection. He rummaged in the back seat, and pulled out Peter’s ear guards. He forgets sometimes, especially in the car, he pushes himself because they can’t sign super safely while Wade drives, and he wants to listen. Wade hands over the ear guards. Fuck he’s worried because he got so caught up he couldn’t help Peter before tears started falling.
He signs, “I very sorry. Sorry sorry. Lecture later. I love you. Sorry.” He hears Peter sigh and then scoff a little. Wade knows he’s mocking him and probably rolling his eyes, and he hasn’t been so happy about Petey mocking him since he called him pathetic last week during se- (Okay! We can hear the loud boos in the audience) However, someone has pulled up behind them, and Wade continues the search for a mechanic or fairly empty looking autozone.
Soon enough in this mediocre looking town - voila! Hammond’s Auto Shop! It looks fairly desolate and there is an open sign clearly switched on. Wade pulls into the open spot and quickly realizes, he sees no one. Upon closer inspection, a paper sign on what he presumes is an office door reads “Please press button for service, deaf mechanic. Have pen and paper ready to communicate! ☺”
Wade turns to Pete, “Car off. Talk with people about car,” he frowned, “How are you?” Peter gave a big smile, some pearly whites showing, “Better. I love you. Everything OK.” Wade stepped out and shut the door gently, pressing what looked like a doorbell beside the door to alert whoever of his presence. Realistically he knew it would be something like a flashing light, but boy the thought of a bassed out doorbell chime rocking the building made Wade giggle.
Faintly there was a “ Shit! Billy, there’s a customer.” Thin auto shop walls, what can he say, he’s nosy ok? Out emerged the most hair metal 80’s stereotype Wade had seen in a while . This man was decked out ok? He had a blonde curly mullet full of volume, a lowkey pornstache, honestly his greasy uniform added to it. His name tag read in curly letters ‘Billy’ he wondered if the whisper would emerge as well.
Wade plastered on a smile and began with, “Hello!” an attempt to be kind before he fixed whatever hellish car problem ailed him. Billy seemed a little surprised that he was signing. Whenever he reached the sound portion of his problems, Billy frowned and signed “ Wait please.”
Out of the office door emerged another man with brown tousled hair, wearing a sweater and looking exhausted . “So can you let me hear the sound it’s making?” he seemed very polite. Maybe he worked here and was off-duty. Wade had a creeping suspicion this was hair metal’s boyfriend though. “Of course! Give me just a second and I’ll get it started for ya!”
Wade walked over to the door and opened it slowly, noticing Peter had his ear guards off. “Hey Petey baby? I’m going to start the car so this nice young man can hear the sound it’s making. Promise to tell you when it’s back off and quiet again sweetie!” Wade spoke softly, he hadn’t been checking on Peter to know how long ago he had taken off his ear guards. Peter slowly stuck them back on and munched on a few crackers, taking a good swig of water to combat the dryness and unpleasant clump to his teeth.
Wade started the car back up, and the brunette man grimaced. Wade turned to peek back at Pete, and as he turned back around he caught something like “Be glad you can’t hear it.” being signed. Wade snorted a little and asked, “Can I turn it off?” The man seemed glad and raised his voice a little to be heard, “Definitely.”
Mystery dude started explaining to Billy the sound and what it was like, along with his ideas of what Wade's ailment might be. Wade quickly interjected, “I’m sorry, but is it gonna be quiet for at least a while? Can you guys tell me when it's about to get loud?”
The man shrugged and repeated the question to Billy who signed “Yes, quiet.” Wade walked back over to Petey, opening the door and sitting down softly, giving a quick thumbs up and “Quiet.”
Peter removed his ear guards and half smiled. “I’m sorry about earlier baby. I was snapping, and it wasn’t supposed to be at you sweetie.” “Pete no no no it’s ok, I should’ve thought about it. Petey you know your limits, please trust yourself snookums.” He frowned and continued quietly, “ I know it’s hard baby boy, I know you want to listen, but it’s ok when you need breaks.”
Wade moved his hand from his lap and ghosted it over Peter’s, letting him decide the touch. Peter’s hand came up to meet Wade’s and he slowly ran his thumb in circles over the back of Wade’s hand. “I know you are capable, just I got so worried when I hadn’t caught how overwhelmed you were.” Wade gave a deep frown, “Those tears are world destroyers Petey.”