It was silent in the house as Cry sat on the couch, watching the television on mute. The subtitles ran across the bottom of the screen. He glanced to the arm of the chair, seeing the small Swede sit there, truly enthralled in the movie. It made him smile. He gently reached to stroke the man's back but drew back as Felix jumped. He turned around, chest heaving with breath as he looked up at Cry before letting out a sigh of relief. Cry looked down and Felix frowned, grabbing Cry's finger and holding it, making the American look up from his feet. Seeing Felix's grasp, he nodded, making Felix smile lightly and nod as he let go of Cry's trapped appendage and turn back to watch the movie. Cry gently ran his finger along Felix's back, feeling the small form relax under him. A sad smile spread on his face as he ran his finger up and down the small spine and soon, a sob escaped him. It was soon followed by more as his body shook and trembled greatly with his sadness, tears flowing freely and whines escaping his mouth yet he focused all his willpower on keeping his hand still, allowing it to keep soothing motions on Felix as he sobbed and screeched loudly.

Felix didn't hear a thing.
Because he couldn't.

His hand soon trembled, only the slightest but Felix knew something was wrong. He whipped around before Cry could even attempt to quieten himself and panicked. Instantly, he tapped Cry's hand repeatedly, trying to get the taller's attention. Cry's breath hitched as he looked to the small Swede. Small hands moved quickly, signing out basic words to display his distress.
"Why sad? No sad" He signed quickly. "No sad" He repeated the sign, trying to get Cry to calm down. He wasn't that great at sign and Cry didn't blame him.

He'd learnt a lot in a week.

Cry wiped his eyes furiously and smiled brokenly to Felix.
"All okay now" He signed clumsily, trying to calm himself. The Swede wasn't as easily fooled, causing him to frown. He traced his fingers along Cry's palm, running fingers along the lines that creased the skin. Panicked breaths slowed down, returning to normal. Cry smiled and glanced to the clock, making his smile fall. He had to record. He moved his hand slightly, making Felix look up and cease his actions. Cry shot him a shaky smile as he stood and moved towards the game room. Felix followed along idly, not noticing where he was until he came to the carpet that indicated it was the games room. He froze and Cry noticed. In an instant, he was down and clamping a finger over the Swede's mouth before stroking the back of his head, calming him down. They stayed that way for a while, Felix clinging onto Cry while Cry just shushed Felix silently. They didn't use words anymore.

The house just sat in a deafening silence.

Felix finally escaped Cry's grasp, marching into the games room but Cry could see Felix's body locking up. He sighed and lifted the Swede, taking a seat on the chair and letting Felix sit in his lap. He slipped the headphones on and plugged them into the computer directly, eyes glancing to the empty spot where the speakers used to sit. He threw them out the day it happened. The day he screwed up.

The day Felix lost his audible connection to the world.

It was never intended. It was never expected to happen. The night before, Felix and Cry had been holding a party with their most trusted, Russ, Scott, Red and any others who were offered the choice to appear on the stream often. The music had been cranked from the powerful speakers on the computer and it had all been fun but the next morning, Cry had forgotten to turn them down as he surfed the net. Felix had been sitting right next to the speakers when one of those cursed autoplay ads blared through the speakers. It was loud, filling the house instantly but not as loud to Cry's ears as the scream that soon pierced the air. The web browser was instantly closed, cutting off the blaring advertisement as he scrambled to comfort Felix. His screams were loud and Cry struggled to muffle them as he ran to the car, quickly driving to Daryl. His worst fears had been confirmed when Daryl knocked Felix out to check on him.

Felix's hearing was gone.

What broke his heart the most was the fact Felix didn't realize. He spoke but his voice was a monotone. That was when the Swede knew something was wrong. He spoke louder but still no sound reached his ears. Then he screamed but still, just a silence ringing in his ears. Cry had started bawling as he tried to sign to Felix that he couldn't hear anymore. It left his movements shaky as he pointed to the Swede, made a no action and pointed to his ears.

It broke Felix more than any mistreatment ever could.

From that day on, even in such a short space as that week, he watched Felix withdraw. He didn't play, he didn't laugh or try and speak anymore and without his antics, the house fell into a silence. One Cry was not willing to break. It was as if the very air was mourning for the loss of the Swede's voice on it. The air seemed to grow stale with disuse as even Cry locked away his words except when recording.

A impatient tap on his leg took him from his thoughts as he looked at Felix. The Swede stared up, arms crossed expectantly. Cry flashed a smile, slightly cracked but somewhat real as he moved to play his game. His cursor hovered over the record button but he couldn't find the ability to click. Felix looked up at him, concerned for Cry as he began to clamber up to his shoulder, wary of his headphones but pushing the fear aside as he snuggled in close to his neck. Cry sighed, clicking a button on the side of the chair and causing the back to move completely horizontal, letting him lay straight on it. Felix took advantage of this, lying on Cry's throat and letting his ear be pressed against his vocal chords.

"I'm sorry. So sorry. I shouldn't have let any of this happen but I'm stupid like that" Cry said, arm draped over his eyes. He needed to let it all out. "I screwed up by leaving the volume up like that and letting you sit there. I shouldn't have." He finished, pausing and just clenching his eyes shut, closing out the world.

"It's not your fault"
The words made Cry's eyes snap open. Felix. He had felt every word. His heart sped up and he felt emotion well inside him.
"I sat there. I turned up the music that night" The monotone voice just made Cry even more upset. He moved a finger to stop the Swede speaking, keeping it there to stop his precious voice escaping. Each word filled with such lackluster enthusiasm just ruined Cry more.

Felix bowed his head, accepting the fact he had been silenced but something in his mind persisted and his voice rose again.
"Once upon a time there was a tall tall man whose head sat up in the clouds" He said, pausing after. A deep rumble rose in Cry throat, sounding like laughter.
"And once upon a time there was small small man who watched as the grass was his shroud" Cry said. Felix smiled, knowing the vibrations well from the many times they had told the story, even if it made no sense.
"And one cold day the man huddled down seeking refuge in a old toy store" Felix continued, his voice managing to hold onto the old tone it had when he could hear, making Cry grin.
"And that tall tall man looked in the small house and got more than he bargained for"
"The small man screamed and the tall man yelped as they backed away, falling on the floor" Felix was grinning now and Cry swore that it was like the old days
"But then the tall tall man and the small small one made friends forever more" Cry said. He would have stopped but Felix kept going.
"And then the small small man had a accident and he hearing was no more" His voice dropped slightly and Cry felt ill. "But the tall tall man still loved him lots so Felix didn't care anymore"

It was then that Felix noticed the rumbling in Cry's chest was loud wailing. He looked up and frowned deeply, clinging to the American. A hand came to settle on him and Felix felt safe as he snuggled against it. The wails slowly dulled in volume as Cry felt the weight on his throat go limp, falling asleep. Ending with sniffles, he sighed before closing his own eyes. Felix was right. He still loved him and that was what mattered. He remained on that thought as he fell asleep, letting his mind wander and rest.

The house wasn't silent anymore
Just filled with the comfortable unsaid words.