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Cas was humming as he did the dishes. At least he thought he was. It had been a decade before, just before the wedding, when Cas’ doctor told him that there wasn’t anything else they could do to make his hearing aids useful to him, and only two years after that Cas had given up trying to use the aids at all.
Cas was just putting the last of the plates away when the lights dimmed for just a second before returning to normal. He turned to find Dean leaning against the counter, smiling at him.
I have a surprise for you, Dean signed.
Cas inclined his head curiously. It was only September; there wasn’t much call for surprises this time of year. Surprise?
Dean nodded. There’s a musical on Broadway right now that I think you’d enjoy.
A musical? Cas asked, caught off guard. They’d been to the movies and to live shows since Cas had lost his hearing, but it had been at least five years; Cas found it frustrating to have to read the words on a mirror aimed behind him or to have to watch an interpreter who was off to the side. Nowadays they waited for the movies to come out on DVD so they could watch with subtitles, and they rarely went to see anything live. I can’t hear, he added, as if Dean needed reminding.
I know, Dean replied. But I think you’d enjoy this one anyway.
Cas narrowed his eyes, suspicious. Am I going to have to trust you on that?
Dean sighed. It’s called Spring Awakening, he signed. He gave Cas a brief rundown of what the show was about.
Cas considered for a moment. He had to admit, the show seemed interesting. He could have sworn he had seen the title recently as well, though he couldn’t remember what for. Alright, he finally signed, a small smile on his face. Sounds like fun.
*~*~*~*~*
The flight to New York was uneventful. A few fans recognized Dean in the airport and, true to form, Dean was more than happy to take a quick picture with them.
They arrived two days before they were to see the show, so in the meantime they wandered around New York City. They had each been before (Cas once when he was a child, Dean multiple times as tours brought him through) but they hadn’t done much in their time there on previous visits, so they went to see the sights. Dean was recognized a few times, but mostly they were left alone to enjoy the sights.
For the most part, they avoided Broadway until they were dressed up and on their way to their show.
Cas had been wondering why they were avoiding going near the theaters, but when they were waiting outside the Brooks Atkinson, he could see why. There were posters up on the wall of the building for the musical, and Cas spotted one that said, among other things, ‘a production of DEAF WEST THEATRE.’
He turned to Dean curiously. Deaf West?
Dean nodded, a grin on his face. A lot of the actors are deaf or hard of hearing. They tweaked the characters a little and integrated ASL into the choreography.
Cas just stared at Dean, dumbfounded. He couldn’t seem to find the words he wanted to say. Thankfully, he didn’t have to; the doors had opened and they were carried through them with a crowd of people. They were each handed a Playbill, and as soon as they found their seats (Orchestra Center, row G) Cas was skimming through his, devouring all the information he could about the production.
Dean, instead of looking through his own, leaned closer to Cas so he could read over his shoulder. He poked Cas’ arm after a few minutes and signed, Good?
Cas laughed, probably a little too loud but he didn’t care. Very good. Thank you Dean.
Dean leaned forward and kissed Cas on the cheek. Any time.
When the lights flickered and dimmed, Cas took Dean’s hand and squeezed, his eyes glued to the stage.
It was the first time in a long time that Cas could understand what was being said while also being able to watch what was going on in the show. For once he didn’t feel like he’d missed a visual cue because he’d been reading subtitles or watching an interpreter; he felt like a part of the show again.
Intermission came quickly, and when the house lights came back on, Cas could feel Dean’s eyes on him. He felt Dean tug on his sleeve after a moment, and he turned to face Dean.
You okay? Dean asked. He reached out to brush his thumb across Cas’ cheek.
Cas brought his hands up to wipe at his eyes. He hadn’t even realized he’d been crying. I’m okay, he signed with a small smile. He laughed, wiping at his face. I can watch again, was all he could think to sign by way of explanation. Luckily, he could see that Dean at least partly understood what he meant.
It wasn’t long until the show started up again. Cas could feel Dean’s arm across his shoulders, and he leaned into his soulmate, his attention never leaving the stage.
Cas could only imagine how loud the cheers must have been in the auditorium when the actors came out for final bows. But a quick glance around showed him that about half of the people in the theater, instead of clapping and cheering and whistling, had their hands up in the sign for applause. He laughed to himself and raised his hands above his head as he stood with the rest of the audience.