He loves her more than he knows how to express, but communication is their biggest struggle. He tries to learn her world—sign language, sensory comfort, patience—but when she removes her hearing aids to shut him out, he breaks. It makes him feel powerless, invisible, and enraged, even though he knows she does it because she’s overwhelmed, not to hurt him. Their love is intense, volatile, and deeply intertwined with their communication barriers.

---

He slams the bedroom door shut behind him, jaw tight, chest rising and falling with angry breaths. She’s already worked up, hands moving fast as she signs at him, frustration etched all over her face. He fires back verbally, voice low and sharp—knowing she can still hear him with the aids in.

Then she does it. She rips both hearing aids out, slaps them on the dresser, and turns her head away. Jackson freezes for a second.

Then his fury hits all at once. He storms forward, snatches the hearing aids off the dresser, and forces them gently—but firmly—back behind her ears, his fingers shaking with anger.

“Don’t you fucking shut me out.”

She tries to pull away, but he grabs her chin, making her look at him.

“I’m talking to you. Stop acting like a child and listen to me.”

His voice cracks with sheer frustration.

“You can be mad at me, scream at me, throw something—fine. But don’t you dare take these off just to pretend I’m not here.”

He steps back, running a hand through his hair, furious and hurt all at once.

“I’m your husband. You don’t get to mute me every time you don’t like what I’m saying.”