Newt/Thomas Sangster Oneshots

Acceptance (AU)

I sit on the couch with my best friends, Minho and Newt, and my brothers, Ashton and Connor. We all somehow managed to squish ourselves onto the couch in the living room of our apartment. All five of us live together, since it's cheaper then us all renting separate apartments. I'm crammed in between Newt and Ashton, right in the middle. I'm holding the popcorn while Connor sets up the movie. Finding Nemo.
"Again, Connor?" I whine. The boys nod in agreement.
"Hey, if you didn't want to watch it, why did you let me pick?" He points out. He's 23, but still loves the cartoon. Ashton's 21 and Newt, Minho and I are all 18. I grumble something unintelligent about how he needs to learn about variety. I smush myself back down into the space between Newt and Ash, leaning a bit closer to Newt. He's one of my two secrets:
1. I'm legally deaf, but I can read lips and speak normally.
2. I love Newt.
No one knows about either one if these, except Connor and Ash, who know I'm deaf. I wonder about what the boys sound like. I lost my hearing in a tragic accident when I was two. Watching movies is really funny, especially when they're cartoons. Luckily, my big brothers always look out for me. They told my friends that our TV is broken (we brought it with us) and that the subtitles are stuck on. I kick Newts leg absentmindedly and watch the movie, speed-reading the subtitles.
"Popcorn!" Minho squeals, like the child he is on the inside. Connor takes a handful and throws it at Minho, seeing as I didn't see his lips move. Newt hugs me gently, and Ash puts an arm around me, cuddling me like the perfect brother he is. Once the movie ends, we all pry ourselves out of the couch and go off to our respective rooms. My brothers in one, my friends in the next and mine in the middle. My room is connected to Minho and Newts room by a bathroom. When we first moved in, I would bring all my pillows into their room and we would have sleepovers. I would laugh and talk to them, but I made them keep the lights on so that I could read their lips. I sleep like a log. Tomorrow's a very important day.

"Adrienne! How are you?" My doctor inquires.
"Good thank you," I respond.
"So, I have some good news. Recently, as you know, a procedure was developed that could allow you to regain a small amount of your hearing, at least enough that with hearing aids, you'll have close to perfect hearing. We've finally been able to gain access to that procedure. We could preform it as soon as four months from now. What do you think?"
"Sounds great! I can't wait to hear everyone for the first time," I sigh.
"Great! We can schedule the surgery for... five months from now? You'll just need to decide whether you're gonna pay all at once or five small payments."
"Wait, how much does it cost?"
"$500,000. You can pay $100,000 every month, or all at once as soon as possible." I nod, but I feel sick to my stomach.
"I'll pay small portions." I am gonna need help. I go home and flop on the couch, letting tears well up in my eyes. I feel someone sit down by my feet and rub my back. I look up at them. Newt. I examine his deep eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asks. I can feel his compassion.
"It's nothing. I'm fine," I squeak, wiping away my tears. He hugs me tightly.
"Good. It was killing me to see you sad," he smiles. My instincts take over and I do the unthinkable. I kiss him. So much for keeping that a secret. He freezes for a second and then kisses back, gently, as though he doesn't want to break me. I pull away.
"I need $500,000," I sigh.
"What?! Way to kill the mood," he laughs.
"Sorry, but that's what I was upset about."
"Why do you need it?" I shudder. I don't want to tell him my secret. He won't like me anymore.
"I can't tell you. I just can't."
"You can tell me anything. But if you don't want to, that's fine." I hug him tightly.
"Thank you," I whisper. I can't having him leaving me. Not now.

FLASHBACK
"Eric? What-why?" I cry. Tears roll down my face. I'd been dating him for two years, and now that I finally tell him about my hearing, he's leaving me?
"I don't want to date you. What if a thing shows up, and you want me to pay for it?" Looking back, that was very accurate.
"I'd never do that to you!" I'm sobbing now. Eric pushes me down, and walks out. That does it. I don't bother moving. I just cry. Ash comes out. At this point, it's only me and him. Connor is in France and I haven't met the boys yet.

Newt cradles me in his strong,charm arms. I sit and pray that I'll never have to tell him. I hop up.
"I'm going to talk to my brothers," I cry, running to their bedroom. I burst in and hop into Connor's bed.
"Wha?" He mumbles groggily.
"I need $500,000 for the procedure," I sob.
"Crap. That's a lot." I nod.
"Will you and Ash help me?" I cry. He nods and kisses me on the head.
"Of course we will, kiddo."
"Thanks. We'll need about $100,000 every month until the procedure," I sigh.
"Are you sure you don't want to tell Newt or Minho? It would make it easier to save up," he suggests.
"No."
"Why?"
"I don't need another Eric Episode," I sob, recalling the crappy memory.
"They aren't like Eric. They'll accept you."
"And if they don't?"
"Then screw them. We can kick them out."
"Fine," I comply. We get up and he squeezes my hand to comfort me. He's such a good brother.

Flashback
"I can't do it Connor!" I cry, looking up at the big roller coaster. He's eleven and I'm six.
"You can!" He squeezes my hand and looks down at me.
"No! I can't!" He squeezes my hand again.
"I'll be right here. You can hold my hand the whole time, I promise." Ashton squeezes my other hand. He's about nine.
"Just remember, don't look down!" He smiles.

"Don't look down." Connor smiles at me as we walk into the kitchen. I look at Minho and Newt, who are grabbing sodas and chatting.
"Guys?" I mutter.
"Hi Adj! Wassup?" Minho laughs.
"Are you okay?" Newt says kindly.
"No. I - I need to tell you something," I stutter. I'm shaking. Connor squeezes my hand.
"What is it?" Minho inquires, now concerned as well.
"I'm. I'm," I begin. I stop and burst into tears. I can't.
"Crap, Adrienne! Please tell me your not like pregnant or dying or something!" Newt cries out, hugging me tightly. Minho comes forward and hugs me too, with Connor joining in as well
"You can do it," Connor whispers.
"I'm d-d-d-d-" I stop.
"Spit it out! We'll support you, no matter what!" Minho encourages me.
"I'm deaf!" I cry.
"Thank god!" Newt cries, hugging me tighter. "I thought I was going to lose you!"
"I need $500,000 for a procedure that'll let me hear again," I explain.
"Since when were you deaf?" Minho asks.
"Since I was two." The boys hug me tighter, Newt sneaking a kiss on my forehead, Minho squeezing one of my hands and Connor squeezing the other. We set up a bank account where we'll deposits all left over money we have from a day.

Time for the first payment to my doctor. I go to the bank and check my balance. $140,000. I have enough, and then some. I write out a check to my doctor and pay him. I'm psyched. In just four months, I'll be able to hear for the first time in sixteen years.

THE DELORIAN (four months later)

I walk into the surgeon's office. My brothers, Newt and Minho came to support me. Newt kisses me softly on the lips. He can sense my nerves. We've been openly dating for two months, overall dating for three. Today I'm getting the surgery. The receptionist hands me a giant stack of paperwork. I fill out all the questions, I'm told to use the bathroom (they don't want me to wet myself during surgery) and then I'm called in. My surgeon, Dr Paula Marx, explains the procedure to me.
"Whenever you're ready, we can go in." I swallow my fear, kiss Newt, squeeze everyone's hands and then walk into the O.R. The anesthesiologist explains what he's going to do, then places a mask over my face and tells me to take ten deep breaths.
One
Two
Three
Four
I wake up in an unfamiliar room. I bolt upright and look around. There's an IV in my arm and a blood pressure cuff on my bicep. Newt is sitting next to my bedside with Minho.
"She's awake!" He calls. I hear a dull noise. It's not so good, but it's more then I've ever heard before.
"Newt! I can hear you!" I squeal. I hear my own voice.
"Good, it worked," Minho sighs. I hear him too. Newt's voice has a strange tone to it, different then Minho's and mine. A nurse walks in and hands me some hearing aids.
"Here, put these on," she gestures to her ears. I put them in and turn them up.
"I'm going to play a series of sounds. I'll raise my hand when it's done, and you raise yours if you didn't hear it," she explains. I nod. I don't have to raise my hand, not even once. I hear everything. I put my hands to my head in joy. I realize that they shaved my head. I have no hair.