Quiet | BTS ✓

40

The sun peeking through the window causes Yoongi to come back to consciousness, his brown eyes fluttering open and taking in his surroundings.

He sees Aria's instruments as well as her scattered sheet music; he sees her backpack carelessly tossed onto the floor, the contents spilled onto the carpet. Most importantly, he sees Aria herself, sleeping soundly next to him.

She looks like an angel; her peaceful expression is illuminated by the rays of sunlight shining on the two of them. He sees those perfect hands of hers resting softly next to her face, and he smiles lovingly knowing how much art those hands have created.

Yoongi takes a few moments to admire his ethereally beautiful girlfriend, knowing that he will never get enough of her.

Silently and slowly, Yoongi gets out of Aria's bed, being careful not to wake her. He's not sure if she has morning classes on Fridays, but since she is still sleeping, she either doesn't have classes or she's decided not to attend them today.

After one last look at her peaceful expression, Yoongi leaves her bedroom and freshens up in the bathroom before making his way downstairs to make some breakfast for the two.

When he reaches the kitchen, however, he finds Hoseok leaning against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee.

"Hello there," Hoseok says, wiggling his eyebrows while he hides his grin behind his coffee cup.

"Shut up," Yoongi says, smiling and rolling his eyes.

"So," Hoseok says, "what happened last night, hm?"

Yoongi smiles softly as he grabs his own cup of coffee. "She gave me a gift that I never expected to receive."

"The diary?" Hoseok asks, one of his eyebrows quirking up. "She didn't let me read it, but I knew of it."

"Well, yes," Yoongi says as he takes a sip of his coffee. "But she gave me something else as well."

"Oh?" Hoseok asks, his head cocked to the side. "Let me remind you that Aria is basically my sister and I would tread carefully on what you tell me next, Yoongs."

Yoongi laughs loudly, rolling his eyes and leaning against the counter across from Hoseok. "She mouthed a sentence for me."

Hoseok's gaze immediately turns serious and he places his coffee cup down on the counter behind him. "She did? Really?"

"She did," Yoongi confirms.

Hoseok's eyes immediately fill with tears. "I can't believe she actually did it. I had finally convinced her to start going to speech therapy. Her doctor is hopeful that with regular therapy sessions that she could gain back some of her verbal abilities. It won't ever be completely back to normal, but he thinks that speech therapy could help her re-learn how to say basic things so she's not completely mute anymore."

"Really?" Yoongi says, eyes widening at the possibility of being able to hear Aria's voice, even if it is only through a handful of words.

"Yes. She refused for the longest time. She wanted nothing to do with it; she just wanted to focus on learning how to play instruments, and she just let herself get lost in that. But now that she's met you, she's been actively trying to be better- in every way. She's started going to speech therapy and I guess they've been working on her forming the words with her mouth before they try to bring out her voice," Hoseok explains, wiping his tears from his cheeks. "I just never expected to know that she's actually doing this. I had given up on her trying to improve on it, and it's just so heartwarming to hear that she's making progress."

"So she really could speak again?" Yoongi asks, gripping his coffee cup tightly.

"Maybe," Hoseok says. "The accident damaged her brain; it caused her brain to basically forget how to form words verbally. She can understand what we are saying and she can still write coherently, but she can't get her brain to verbally express what she's thinking. Her doctor thinks that, through speech therapy, she could basically re-learn that skill in some way. They explained that though she will never be able to speak normally, she could learn how to say simple words so that maybe her life will be slightly easier than it is right now. She still has a voice- she just can't use it. And honestly, I feel like a part of her is afraid."

Yoongi hums in response, his mind going into overdrive at the thought of Aria speaking even just a single word to him. Ever since he met Aria, he's realized just how precious words really are and how so many people take advantage of their ability to speak their mind and use their words. Aria lost that ability, and found a new way to speak. She speaks through her instruments and her music. Yoongi thinks that Aria was maybe afraid to try to go to the speech therapy because she was afraid it wouldn't work. Maybe she was afraid of getting her hopes up and being let down by words again.

So she decided not to even let herself hope. She walked away from that part of her life and closed that door, deciding that she would not, and could not, let herself feel hopeful for something that may not even happen.

But something changed. Something inside her realized that if there is even a chance, she should take it and she should do everything she can to get back part of what was taken from her.

Maybe she finally realized that it is what her parents would want of her.

Maybe she finally realized that Hoseok and his parents would love to hear her voice again.

Maybe Yoongi unconsciously convinced her through his love and patience.

Maybe the music coaxed her into wanting to use her real voice again, knowing that there are some things that the music cannot say for her; there are things she has to be able to stand up and say herself.

But maybe, just maybe, she is doing this for herself. Maybe she is doing this because she wants to hear her voice again. Maybe she is done being quiet.

No matter the reason, Aria's family will support her and cheer her on lovingly as they always have; whether that be from a place beyond the earthly bounds, or from a family that is not hers by blood but hers nonetheless, or from a man who loves her endlessly and hears her even when she does not speak.

Though she is quiet, she is not alone.

And maybe, one day, it won't be so quiet anymore.