Your Voice

Chapter 12

Aristotle POV

I never answered that question. 

I was just lost and confused. I thought it was a question that wouldn't matter. But, the more I hung out with him the more I felt weird. Was it normal to like someone. To like someone of the same gender. It never happened in Puerto Rico I never saw anyone of the same sex. But, apparently here in America it wasn't popular but it was there. 

I walked into the living room where my papa was watching a game on the TV. "Hey papa?" I asked. "Yeah Ari" he responded looking at the TV. Papa was American so it would make sense to talk to him instead of my mama. Plus I want to speak English. 

I sat down on the couch and fidgeted with my hands. "How do you know when you like someone?" I asked. I heard silence. He had turned the TV off. "You just know" he responded. "When you are willing to give up anything for that person. When you see a future. Like how I feel about your mama" he said looking at me. 

I was quiet. "And... What if that person is a man" I said looking up at him. I could tell he was surprised by the look in his eyes. I was surprised myself. Our family never had a problem like this. It never crossed my mind till I met Natsu. 

It was quiet. I heard stories about people coming out to their parents and getting the wrong reaction. I don't know that I'm gay. All I know is I have feelings for Natsu. "Do you truly like him?" my dad asked. "I-I don't know. I've never liked anyone let alone of the same gender. I've never met a same gender couple," I said. 

"Then give it a go. Ask him out and see where it goes from there and if you end up liking him or not that's fine," he said. 

He was right. He accepted me for liking a guy and pretty sure he knew who since I was only really close to Natsu at school. I looked down at my phone seeing a location sent from Natsu. Right I told him to pick a spot to hang out today. "Thanks papa" I said and got up. I left the living room and put my shoes on heading to the location. 

I sat on the bleachers looking at the place. A baseball field. Why a baseball field? And with nobody around. The place wasn't there to get by car luckily I just rode my bike. I heard steps as I looked over seeing Natsu. 'Hey' I signed at him. 

'Hey. Sorry you probably live closer than me to here' he signed back. "Guess we'll never know" I said switching to speaking since it was just us. I watched up walk over and take a spot next to me. I looked at him and waited to speak till he looked at me to read my lips if I did speak. "Why a baseball field?" I asked.

"Reminds me of the past" he responded. 

Since I've gotten to known him he wasn't as quiet as before. I mean he didn't know what his voice volume was so maybe he never realized he was quiet. 

"I lost my hearing playing baseball" he suddenly said. Shit... Really? "Playing baseball. You played?" I asked looking over at the field. "I was number one in the state even. There was an accident. The ball hit me and damaged the part of my brain that controls my hearing," he said. 

There was an accident. It never occurred to me that Natsu could hear before. I just assumed he was always deaf. "So why come to a place that reminds you of turning deaf," I asked looking at him. "Reminds me of when I was normal" he spoke. 

"Normal. You are normal," I said confused looking at him. Shit. Did I upset him? He looked like he was about to cry. "No one... Has said that before, sorry I'm getting emotional," he said wiping his teary eyes. He wasn't even fully crying but seeing him upset hurt me. I felt my heartstrings tighten. "Just because you are deaf doesn't make you broken you know. I know the way Nasumi talks about you. Just wanted you to know your special," I said feeling my face heat up.