Julian:
It felt like I'd been asleep for 10 minutes when there was a tap on my shoulder.
"Carter. Hey." I winced a little because Zac was always loud and in this small room, his voice echoed even more. Wait...
"Zac?" I blinked my eyes open and he grinned at me.
"Saint texted me to come get you. He's a little busy right now, but he said you can wait in the car with Peter."
"Oh..." I sat up slowly and he rocked on his heels as he waited for me to move.
"You good?" He asked when I wobbled getting my bag from the floor, but the dizziness passed quickly and I gave him a nod.
"All good." I breathed and he walked with me to the front entrance of the school where Peter was waiting. "Zac..." I called as he wwas turning away.
"Yeah?"
"Are you really OK with...you know...me and Saint?" He turned back to me fully and shrugged before shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Of course I am." He replied. "I mean, to each his own, right? Also, I'm kinda relieved." He chuckled.
"Relieved?"
"Less competition." He grinned. "Most girls usually hang with me to get to him. Now they don't have much of a choice." I gave him a small smile and he lifted his hand to wave as he walked backwards. "It's all good, little dude. I'll see you later."
"Bye, Zac" I ducked into the car and greeted Peter as I tucked my bag under the seat by my feet.
"Afternoon, Mr Carter." I wanted to giggle at how formal he always sounded, but no amount of pestering Peter to use either my or Saint's given names had gained much traction.
There was a tray on the seat next to me and a note to eat if I was hungry, but I was still feeling a little nauseous so I ignored the food and laid my head down.
I don't know how long I dozed for, but it wasn't too long before the door opened and a tired looking Saint slid into the car.
"Julian." He smiled at me when I sat up. He looked different.
"You're not wearing your jacket." I said in shock. He was in a very properly pressed school blazer and his hair was actually combed back for once.
"My father likes to parade me around sometimes to his friends. Future donators." He sighed and reached up to pull off the blazer. "Makes him look good."
"I don't llike it." I mumbled with a pout and he smirked in my direction.
"Yeah?"
"No." I blinked and he dragged me close so he could press a kiss to my cheek. He even smelled different.
"You want to head home? I can help you with your homework." He rumbled right into my ear and I felt a blush creeping up the side of my neck. There was something about the way his lips brushed against my ear that gave me butterflies.
"Yeah." I breathed and I got another kiss on the cheek.
The ringing in my ears started up again later that afternoon and Saint gave up trying to force any sort of homework into my head.
"You want to try some new signs?" He asked me when I rubbed at my ears uselessly.
"OK." I sighed and he pulled up the app on his phone. It was definitely much more fun learning with Saint than it might have been learning alone.
'Boyfriend.' He signed and I snorted.
"What?"
"Nothing." I snickered and he tilted his head at me.
'You. Boyfriend.' He signed again and I laughed again.
"What?" He chuckled and moved closer to me on the couch. "Julian." He said and I giggled when his hands started tickling my sides.
"Stop it."
"Tell me." He said and I tried to get away from him.
"Saint." I gasped but he didn't let me go.
"Julian." He rumbled in my ear and I opened my mouth to answer but he stiffened in my arms and moved back slightly.
"What?" I asked.
"Your mom is back." He smiled at me and sure enough, a few seconds later the front door swung open.
"Jules...oh." She stumbled into the living room and I tried not to blush when her eyes zeroed in on Saint's hand in mine.
"Mom."
"Mrs Carter." Saint said with a smile and stood up, letting go of my hand.
"Saint, was it?" He nodded slowly and took a few steps towards the door.
"Yeah. I was just about to leave. It was nice seeing you again, Mrs Carter." He said and waved at me before he disappeared out the front door. My mother and I watched the door in silence for a moment.
"I was going to ask whose car was out front, but I guess that answers it." She said, turning back to me. I rubbed my hands nervously on my pants but she didn't say anything else about Saint. Instead she pulled out a big envelope from her handbag and placed it on the table in front of me. "Your test results are back."
"Really?" They were much faster this time around. My mother had a strange superstition about opening envelopes addressed to other people, so she sat down next to me so I could open it. A thick folder of papers fell out onto the table and I sighed as I sat back to read it carefully. My mother took the sheets with my scans and was holding them up to the light like she could understand them. Maybe she could now. It had been how many years of the same tests? And she was a nurse now too.
"No tumours." I muttered as I read. Well, at least I knew there wasn't a ticking time bomb in my skull.
"Your neurons look healthy." She replied and I went back to reading. It was a lengthly report of well...nothing. There was still no definitive cause for why I was losing my hearing so early.
"Julian..." My mother said softly and I tossed the papers at her for her to read too.
"It says it's probably hereditary. I mean, it could be right? Since I have no idea who my real father actually is." I grumbled and she winced.
"Julian, please..."
"Did the new hearing aid come as well?" I asked and she looked at me for a long time before pulling the package out of her bag as well.
I was actually excited about my new hearing aids this time. When they'd asked me if I wanted it in nude like I usually did, I'd been quick to put in a request for a different colour this time. All the times before I'd been ashamed of my hearing loss amd wanted to make sure no one could see my hearing aid. Now it was just a hassle to explain it to people. Something brighter might actually be the key.
I grinned when I opened the box and saw my brand new pink hearing aids nestled inside. Saint was going to die when he saw them, I chuckled and fitted the one made for my left ear in. It was snug and the controller curved nicely over my ear.
"Sweet." I whispered and adjusted the volume experimentally.
"Pink again." My mom said and I blinked at her amplified voice in my ear. No static. Better quality.
"It's my favorite color." I said stiffly and her brows raised in surprise.
"Since when?"
"Since now." I grunted and gathered up my things. "I'll be in my room."
"They suit you." Saint smiled down at me as I lay my head in his lap.
"You think?" I asked, fiddling with the volume button again.
"Mmm." He hummed and I closed my eyes when his fingers began carding through my hair lightly. "I like it."
"Me too." I said and he chuckled. After a few minutes he sighed and stopped playing with my hair.
"Come on, we're supposed to be doing homework."
"Uh uh." I groaned and Saint trailed his fingers down my cheek. When my eyes blinked open he signed,
'Homework. Now.'
"I thought having a boyfriend was supposed to be fun." I mumbled and he giggled happily.
"Oh, so now you admit I'm your boyfriend?"
"I never said that." I scoffed and he held me down when I tried to sit up.
"Yes, you did."
"Prove it" I said and he snorted, leaning down to kiss me lightly on the nose. He brushed his thumb over the spot and leaned down again to kiss my cheek. That small touch again. Then my lips...
I latched onto his lips and curled my arms around his neck so he couldn't pull away from me. The soft moan he let out when the kiss deepened sent the butterflies in my stomach alight and the buzz traveled all the way down to my...
"Homework." Saint muttered against my mouth and I pouted when he let go of me.
"Saint..." I whined and his eyes darkened. There was a second where I thought he would kiss me again and my chest pinched in anticipation...but he just wiped my lips and ran his fingers through my hair again.
"Later." He whispered.