mute | stenbrough AU

2

A/n- the way I wrote bills speaking pattern is simply based on my own stutter

Few people understood Stanley Uris, although few really tried. Being mute from birth, the young boy was despised by his parents. Treated as nothing but a mistake, and so he lived out his days in the orphanage. However, his only solace remained to be the glass walls of the Aviary and Bookstore on the corner of smith street and 8th. It was owned by a sweet old woman who wasn't from Derry, Miss Penny, she let Stan loiter around her shop. He wrote down notes about each bird in a leather bound notebook with yellowing pages. He barely had any friends, until one day a lanky boy walked into the aviary. The bell on the door chimed as he entered and Stanley heard miss penny gasp in shock,"goodness, son what happened to you"
Stan crept through the shelves and cages to see a boy around his age, covered in bruises and blood. Derry was a small town, and it was not the first time a child had found their way to the shop while running from danger. "It was that Henry bowers wasn't it",penny sighed, grabbing the first aid kit. The young boy began to speak,"nuh-n-no you d—do-don't have to h-hh-help me ma'am" but the older woman simply laughed,"oh it's not a trouble dear","Stanley fix this boy up while I put on the kettle",she continued,handing Stan the familiar white box.
Bill sat on one of the cushioned chairs, turning his head to reveal the knife slash on his cheek.
Stanley worked in silence, cleaning up the wound before sealing the deal with a band-aid.
"I'm buh-bb-Bill denbr-br-denbrough"
Stanley didn't want to ignore the boy but had no way to express that fact. Soon enough miss penny came back with cups of tea on a platter and Stan went back to his nook.
From the back of the store he could just barely hear the words being spoke.
"That Stanley's a wonderful boy",Penny spoke fondly
"I duh-d-dont think he luh-likes me",Bill replied.
"Oh of course he does, dear, he simply can't talk",she explained
Silence followed, presumably bill nodding.
The chirps of the birds were the only noises left as the sun silently set over Derry