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“Yo! Bakugou! What’s up man?”
The blonde didn’t turn around and Kirishima rolled his eyes. What was Bakugou ignoring him for this time, he was not sure.
He cautiously approached his friend, wrapping an arm around the boy as they made their way to class. Kirishima didn’t miss the way the boy jumped slightly at the contact, turning to glare at him.
Kirishima grinned back. “Dude, why were you ignoring me?”
“Cause you’re fucking annoying.” Bakugou didn’t mess a beat, his scowl growing and his voice a little too loud for the hallway. All of this was normal Bakugou behavior, so Kirishima didn’t falter.
“You’re so mean to me.”
Bakugou rolled his eyes and shoved Kirishima’s arm off. “Fuck off.”
The blonde disappeared into the classroom before Kirishima could say anything.
It was normal, routine even.
--
But soon, the normal became louder. Bakugou started screaming more, ignoring Kirishima’s shouts, jumping more when someone touched him.
It was not normal anymore and it scared Kirishima.
--
Bakugou was losing his hearing.
Bakugou, his best friend, the strongest person he knew, was losing his hearing. And fast.
Kirishima felt stupid for not having put the pieces together. Bakugou’s explosions probably had some drawback and the signs were all over the place, blaring constantly at Kirishima.
God, he felt stupid.
“Why are you telling me this?”
He looked up at Aizawa, ever the bearer of bad news, lips drawn into a thin line.
“Because you’re important to him. And he won’t admit it, but he needs comfort. Though it might be in your best interest to not clearly state that you were told.”
Kirishima nodded slowly, uneasily. It was a lot to take in. He knew quirks had drawbacks, he knew in the way his skin would crack and splinter even once his hardened form was gone. He knew in the way he knew Midoriya’s bones break like twigs and Tsu can’t handle the cold and Aoyama got stomach aches.
“There’s nothing I can do,” Kirishima said, quietly. He knew he was making this about himself but for a moment, he allowed it. But just as quick as it came, Kirishima dispelled it. “I got to do something.”
“Kirishima you can’t just fix deafness. That’s not how it works-”
“I know, I know. But I can be there for him, right? At least-” He stopped himself, collapsing onto the desk. “I should’ve seen the signs. He’s my best friend! I should’ve seen it, said something!”
Aizawa sighed, the sound as hollow and tired as the man himself, and rested a hand on Kirishima’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Bakugou is- he’s complicated. But he respects you, whether he wants to admit it or not.”
The words settled between them until Kirishima puffed up his chest, wiping away a loose tear. “Thank you for telling me.”
Aizawa nodded.
And as he left the classroom, Kirishima knew what he had to do.
--
The following weekend, Kirishima stuck to his room. His friends had all offered to hang out with him, but he had refused. He had even refused seeing Bakugou, which seemed counterproductive, but it was truly in his best interest.
During that weekend, Kirishima looked up tons of videos of signs, of things he could learn.
Kirishima was determined to find a way to communicate with Bakugou.
So, that weekend, stuck in his room, Kirishima poured over books and websites and videos. He learned everything he could.
--
Bakugou knew he was going deaf. He had known since the day he had come to U.A. He knew that his explosions would take away his hearing. But he refused to let that stop him. And at first, he had thought the doctors wrong. He had thought he could defeat it through willpower.
But then, the second semester hit and his hearing deteriorated rapidly. The sounds around him were muffled and his own voice was becoming a distant memory.
He refused to be scared, because fear was for people who weren’t going to be number one. But sometimes he thought about a world without sound. No music, no voices, no laughter.
It pained him because when was the last time he had heard his own laughter? Would he be able to recall it when he wanted? Would it be imprinted into his memory? The answer, unfortunately, was probably not.
--
“You’re getting hearing aids.” It was a statement.
“I don’t need them.”
“Katsuki.” His mother’s tone was a warning, teeth bared just slightly.
Ever since his family had found out about his hearing, they had taken up signing classes. It helped, though Katsuki wouldn’t admit it, when they signed and spoke. When he was able to look at hands when a word escaped him, or read the lips when he got tired of seeing hands moving.
Right now, his mother’s hands were moving rapidly as she spoke.
“You need hearing aids.” His father signed this, but his lips didn’t mouth the words the way his mother’s would. That irritated him.
“I don’t need shit.” Katsuki knew he was yelling, could feel it in his body. His hands were in fists, not moving, not signing.
“Katsuki please. It’s only here to help you. Stop being a brat and realize that!”
Katsuki hated the way her hands slipped and shook with frustration as she tried to sign. He hated the way he could barely hear her words.
He hated and hated and hated.
--
--
Bakugou was going to be the number one hero.
It wasn’t a matter of if but when.
And to be number one, he had to face the facts. He needed hearing aids.
So, begrudgingly, he got them.
But it took time and it took adjusting. He refused to wear them near his peers or in class. He started out slow, only wearing them with his family until they got familiar.
--
It had been a week since Bakugou had first gotten the hearing aids. He still refused to wear them in U.A.
It had been two days since Kirishima had started learning signs in the comfort of his room.
Now, the two of them, on a normal Tuesday afternoon, sat in Kirishima’s room, studying.
Kirishima was reading through the textbook, or at least pretending to, and Bakugou was diligently working on math problems.
Now or never , Kirishima thought as he set the book down and turned to Bakugou. He tapped his shoulder to get his attention. The other boy scowled, obviously annoyed at being interrupted, and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m hungry.”
Bakugou stared at him. Well not at him, but at his hands.
Suddenly, Kirishima felt stupid. Stupid that he had put some much thought into it and that was the first thing he had signed. What if he had signed it wrong? Or made a complete fool of himself?
“What the fuck.”
“I’m sorry! I just- I thought-”
“Where the fuck did you learn that.”
It was a demand, not a question, and his voice was loud and it caused Kirishima to wither.
“The internet?”
He didn’t sign this time, but made sure he said the words fully and clearly so that Bakugou could read his lips, something he had read on the internet.
“What the fuck.”
Kirishima noticed, distantly, that Bakugou’s ears were red with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry but-”
“You learned a whole ass new fucking language what the fuck. Who the fuck does that?” Bakugou was yelling again, his voice faltering over a couple of words in his rush to get it all out.
Kirishima wasn’t sure what to say. He dared move his hands again, hoping the sign was correct, as he signed a quick yes.
“Fucking shit-”
The air was tense, Kirishima’s eyes closed now as he waited for another explosion.
A moment passed and when Kirishima opened his eyes tentatively, he found Bakugou staring at him through narrowed eyes.
“Let’s go get food,” Bakugou finally said. Except, this time his hands were twisting along with his words and Kirishima recognized a couple of the signs.
--
After that, Bakugou started wearing his hearing aids around Kirishima.
The first time Kirishima had seen them, he had grinned, complimented the color, and continued working on their assignments.
Bakugou was so grateful, he almost smiled. But he didn’t, instead huffing and grabbing a rolled up paper to hit Kirishima over the head with.
--
Soon, Bakugou was wearing hearing aids all the time.
No one dared comment on it, but more and more people started signing around him.
At first he found it annoying, a reminder of what he was losing. But it slowly became the norm, a moment of rest from lip reading, and a way for open communication.
It wasn’t until later that Bakugou found out Kirishima had been teaching everyone the basics.
--
The first week of second year, Bakugou and Kirishima found themselves on Kirishima’s balcony, staring at the stars.
It was peaceful, the breeze hitting Bakugou enough to make him shiver, but not actually cold.
There was a light tap on his shoulder, effectively gathering his attention.
Kirishima was smiling down at him. Over the year, Kirishima had a huge growth spurt, now towering a good 3 inches over Bakugou. It would’ve irritated him, if he didn’t find it so alluring.
There was a moment when Bakugou and Kirishima were just staring at each other. Bakugou had half the mind to think that his hair looked like a red halo, disheveled from a long day.
“Can I kiss you?”
Another beat and Bakugou realized he had been asked a question.
Not sure how to answer, Bakugou grabbed Kirishima’s hand and pulled him close.
Bakugou’s first kiss was under a starlit sky with a boy who had learned a whole new language for him.
--
Now whenever they cuddle, or whenever Kirishima needed intimacy after a hard day, Bakugou would grab his hands.
Hands used to communicate. Hands that were soft when they held him. Hands that could harden when he needed protection. Hands that spoke.
He would grab Kirishima’s hands and lift them to his lips. And he would kiss every finger tip.
And when Kirishima would fall asleep, Bakugou would grab his hand and press words into the palm.
--