Barrier

The Learning Experience

 *sheepishly accepts crown and title of "Queen of Forgetting to Update".* Sorry guys! I've gotten a really great response to this story on fanfiction.net and a decent response to it on wattpad, so I really should remember better... XD. Oops! 

Chapter 7:

The Learning Experience

A month had passed since all of this occurred.

Yami had been practising his lip reading every day, and could now understand almost anything that anyone said to him. He could read Yuugi's lips and tell the exact words he used; an especially good exercise, since Yuugi's vocabulary was quite expansive.

All the hard work had its downfalls, though. Since he was constantly improving his talents, watching internet videos to help, watching Mai's lips as she spoke, and generally spending time bettering himself, Yuugi was pushed off to the side. Despite how much he wanted to spend every moment he could with him, (they had grown even closer in the second month Yuugi had spent at the hospital) Yami had to learn to speak, for him. Once he finally did, he could surprise Yuugi with it, and then, they could start spending more time together. He could observe and practice with Yuugi. All the missing him was practically driving Yami insane, though.

At least they still had nights. Yami would get up sometimes, (he just had a feeling of when he should, he couldn't explain it, but it was always right) and walk through the hospital, faking drowsiness, to Yuugi's room. He'd lightly tap on the door if it was closed and Yuugi would stumble around with his cane for a little while until he found it, hands fumbling for the handle as he tried to open the door. Once he finally succeeded in his task, Yami would step through and immediately hug him. Sometimes, he was happy. Other times, he looked sad, as if he'd been crying again.

That was another reason Yami couldn't wait to talk to Yuugi. He knew that Yuugi was sad; he just didn't know why. He wanted to learn everything about him, including his troubles, and try to make them better. Yuugi clearly needed comforting, and Yami knew that he wouldn't talk to a stranger about it. He only hoped that Yuugi would find them close enough to talk to him about it.

As for right then, Yami was laying in Yuugi's bed next to him, the television turned onto Supernatural. Yami was focusing on reading their lips for the most part, but relying on the subtitles for phrases or words he didn't yet know. He'd been instructed to carefully look in the mirror each day and try to mouth words to himself, even trying to actually say them at times. He had to copy everything just right; the way the lips moved, where the tongue went, the actual talking part. It was difficult, and he'd just started the stage a week ago, but he thought he was getting along good so far. He had decided, though, not to ask Mai to help him with that part. He knew it was cheesy and cliché, but he wanted Yuugi to be the first one to hear his voice.

He reached over, no longer paying attention to the TV, (well, technically it was netflix. They had to start over so Yuugi could see (well, hear) the whole thing) and ran his fingers gently through Yuugi's hair, snuggling closer. Yuugi nuzzled in to his hand, giving a small smile. He reached up and grabbed Yami's hand from his hair, intertwining their fingers together. Yami felt his breath catch in his throat as Yuugi's smile lit up his face.

This was another new development. Yuugi no longer had any reservations concerning physical contact; he would reach out and grab Yami's hand all the time now, whenever he felt the urge. It had started about a week ago, and despite the countless times it had happened, it never failed to take Yami's breath away. He felt so happy and light, in a way he'd never felt before. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how someone he'd known for only two months had managed to become such a prominent part of his life. It was a little disorienting, honestly.