genshin impact — using their real name (zhongli, tartaglia, and xiao)
How do Zhongli, Tartaglia, and Xiao react to you saying their names?
Content Overview: Xiao and Zhongli’s are spicy. Minors please DNI.
“Morax”
“I haven’t gone by that name in awhile—“ Zhongli broke off, his head falling back as his fingers tightened around the armrests of the chair. “But if it keeps you on your knees, I suppose I can make an, ngh, exception.”
“Ajax”
He smiled. “Only my family calls me that.“
Catching your hand, Childe ran his thumb along the band of your engagement ring and pressed a kiss to the gem. “But since we’ll be family soon, I think it’s a perfect fit.”
“Xiao”
“I’m here.”
You jumped at the sound of Xiao’s voice, yanking the sheets up to cover your exposed skin. What had he seen in the half dark of your bedroom?
“You called me. What do you need?” Xiao took a step closer, clearly waiting for a response.
“I, uh…” The white-hot pleasure coursing through you only moments before had turned to ice in your veins.
✰warnings: deaf/hard of hearing bakugou, mentions of blood in the beginning, injury, some angst, oral sex (fem and male receiving), unprotected sex
✰word count: 6.3k
✰A/N: thank you to @doinmybesthere for checking my trash grammar and making me laugh with her notes! and @cxnicalsweetheart and @dollfacedwithadirtymind for letting me pick their brains so i can accurately attempt to portray a deaf/hard of hearing character.
The first thing Katsuki notices when his head hits the ground is the high pitched ringing in his ears. It’s deafening, making him curl up and grab his head with a groan; the earth spins and bile rises in his throat. It’s louder than the pounding in his heart, louder than the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Ignoring the hot knife going through his head and the pain spreading down to his jaw, he tries to stand but not before stumbling back down; his world spinning as dust and debris settle around him. He’s terrified, everything around him lolling around as if he’s on the deck of a ship mid storm, carelessly thrown around by the waves. He feels nauseous, straining his eyes, attempting to keep his vision steady. The last thing he sees is Kiri running towards him, his mouth is moving but no words are coming out. His vision blurs and he feels himself sinking into darkness. ————————————————————————
When he wakes, the ugly shade of yellow they chose to paint the room he’s in practically slaps him in the face; the color reminds him far too much of old and peeled paintings haunting the hallways of the museums on grade school field trips. He takes a moment to look around, the trail of tubes sticking from his arm, the monitor showing the thin green line that tracks his heart silently. He feels heavy, trying to lift his head and shift his body in an effort to get more comfortable but the room spins and he holds back the acid rising in his stomach.
He jumps when he turns to the doctor at his side. He didn’t hear him knock or walk in. When Katsuki speaks up to greet him, he can’t hear his own voice. He can’t hear anything, can’t hear his own panicked sobs; can’t hear the words fumbling out of the doctor’s mouth as he thrashes in the hospital bed; can’t tell what the nurse is saying as she pushes a needle in his arm, making everything go black as he sinks again into sleep.

When he wakes up the doctor is at the foot of his bed, next to Kirishima. He can see their lips moving, but he can’t hear the words coming out. He grumbles out something, words that he’s not even sure are even spoken; the only acknowledgement that he spoke is Kirishima’s eyes flashing towards him, and the bob of the doctor’s adam's apple moving.
Kirishima stands close to him while he reads the note from the doctor, telling him he’s now deaf in his left ear permanently, and there’s a slim chance of his right ear healing but it’ll never be at complete hearing ability again.
Kirishima clasps his shoulder tightly as Katsuki processes this, the only thing running through his head: nothing will ever be the same again.
————————————————————————
You wrinkle your nose at the paper telling you that your newest student is Katsuki Bakugou, a pro-hero known for his stubborn pride and short temper. You love your job most days, and you already know as soon as you open the door that you have your work cut out for you. You stare at him, his arms crossed on his chest and a childish pout on his face. You can tell he knows you’re there, the way his jaw tightens as you slip your shoes off at the entrance of his apartment; he refuses to even glance at you, sinking impossibly deeper into the couch. You sigh, already hating being here, for extending the kindness of getting him groceries. You’ve dealt with cases similar to his, knowing that most people who are adjusting to a new way to life don’t eat.
You crouch in front of him, forcing yourself into his space. “Have you eaten, today?” You sign to him, tilt in your head as you look at him.
“Fuck you.” He bites at you, vermillion eyes flashing as his nostrils flare. You know he learned basic sign language at the hospital, but you didn’t think they’d teach him something so crass. You bite the inside of your cheek, holding back the urge to let him know he’s getting to you.
“I assume that’s a no.” You respond, pursing your lips as you stand. You grab the groceries you brought, making your way to the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing?” He yells. His voice is loud, clumsy. He’s not used to speaking without hearing himself. He knows he’s too noisy, can feel the familiar rumble in his chest as he speaks; recognizes shouldn’t be yelling at you, that you’re just trying to help. But here you are, stuck teaching him how to maneuver and communicate a world without his hearing, and it’s much easier to yell at you than to face the fact that he might never hear again.
“Making you some food.” You look at him as if it’s obvious because to you it is. What else would you be doing in his kitchen, his refrigerator door open as you grab eggs out of it? He doesn’t say anything, just nods and stares straight ahead, pretending you’re not there anymore. You roll your eyes, searching his cabinets for a frying pan, preparing tamagoyaki for the two of you. When it’s done, you find two plates to put it on. They’re surprisingly pretty, eggshell blue with small waves detailing the outside.
You walk the two plates over to the table, catching Katuski’s attention with your movement. “Come eat.” You gesture at the food on the table.
“Not hungry.” He responds, turning around on the couch so he can’t see you.
You sigh, wondering when your job ever turned into babysitting. “Just come eat.” You respond exasperatedly, standing in front of him.
“Not hungry.” He signs more forcefully, his jaw clenching and nostrils flaring as he looks at you as if you’re a nuisance.
You throw your hands up in the air exasperatedly, “Why are you doing this?” You’ve seen newly deaf people act like this before; you know that this change is hard, but can’t fathom why he would just want to stay like this. Why he would refuse to do anything to help himself, to make his way into the world and learn to communicate.
Katsuki says nothing, just avoids your gaze and stares out the window, his garnet eyes dark and dangerous as he forces his mind into a different world.
“Today you’re learning a new word.” You crouch again in front of him, attempting to take his hands in yours to guide him. He takes his hands back reflexively, sneering at you. It hurts you briefly and makes your eyes sting; you’ve only wanted to help him, you can’t consider yourself to be a good teacher if you don’t, despite how reluctant you were to come here. You sigh, standing up and asking him where the bathroom is. He gestures vaguely down the hall at you and you try not to run to it, wiping the sudden tears from your eyes as you lock the door.
When you come back from the bathroom Katsuki is at the table, using his chopsticks to push around half eaten tamagoyaki. He looks up briefly when you come in before looking back down at his food, his mouth set in a thin line. You realize that since he can’t hear, he probably kept staring until you returned. It makes you feel odd when you notice this, a strange warmth tugging at your heart; not sure of what to think of Katsuki waiting for you to come back. It makes you wonder, for a brief moment, if there’s more to him than anger issues and stubborn pride. You walk over and gently sit in the chair next to him, picking up your chopsticks to eat.
You can’t help but smile at him, can’t help the flicker of hope that grows in your chest that maybe his walls can crumble down eventually. He signs, almost making you drop your chopsticks. “What’s the new word?”
You hold your hands out, motioning for him to give you his. He stares at you for a moment, hesitant and distrusting before he reluctantly puts his hands in yours. Gently, you guide him through the motion of the word, letting go of him after a few times and signing it yourself as Katsuki clumsily follows along with you.
“What does this mean?” He asks, a confused expression on his face.
“Hero.” you spell out for him. He frowns, shifting his eyes back down to his food. Uncomfortable and reminiscent. You tap his shoulder, motioning for him to look at you. “You’re still a hero, Bakugou.” He doesn’t respond, just goes back to pushing food around on his plate, corners of his lips twitching downwards.
He nudges you after a few moments, his face twisted in an unreadable expression, still guarded in the way his eyes flicker towards you. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
—————————————————
It’s not technically in your job description to clean your students apartment, but there’s something about Katsuki that makes you want to do this. Maybe it’s the constant look of sadness in his eyes, the way he’s always fumbling with his hands in his lap before he responds to you; the subtle effort he makes when you teach him. How defeat radiates off him in waves, suffocating you with him, and threatening to drown you both. It could be the way he almost looks eager this time when you walk in the door, before expertly hiding it behind a stony expression.
The dishes are piling up. It’s not a good learning environment, you tell yourself as you scrub at the plates; the hot water keeping your thoughts grounded. Katsuki went to his room as soon as you came in, leaving you alone.What else are you supposed to do with someone who clearly doesn’t want to learn? You might as well clean up his space, at least your time isn’t wasted doing this. Being productive, being helpful. You sigh through your nose, hyperfocusing on a stubborn spot that just refuses to come clean.
You jump slightly when you feel his warm hand on your shoulder, gently moving you. He picks up a towel, motioning with his hand to give him the wet plate. He dries it, setting it in the dish rack before extending his hand again towards you. You stay like this for a while, comfortable silence between the two of you as you both work together; cleaning up the dishes as if it can fix what’s happened to Katsuki. It won’t, you both know this, but you’re both okay with pretending. Okay with the game the both of you are playing. You put a spoon under the faucet, the water pressure too high and you get sprayed, soaking the front of your sweater.
You’re shocked when it happens, staring at the water soaking your sweater dumbly and cursing internally. You forget your irritation when you hear a noise. It’s warm and bubbling, and it feels like healing. It’s Katsuki’s laugh, a loud and boisterous sound you’ve never heard and it feels magical. Feels like a step in the right direction, feels like things are changing and you can’t help but laugh with him; your giggles starting out low and building into a full laugh, the both of you doubling over clutching your sides until tears leak from your eyes.
Before you leave, he tells you to call him Katsuki.
—————————————————
“We’re going out today.” You tell Katsuki this morning. He looks at you irritatedly, but the curiosity in his eyes gives him away. A spark of who you imagine he used to be.
“What do you mean?” He responds, a questioning look on his face.
“I mean we’re getting out today. You’ve been cooped up too long. Let’s go somewhere else. There’s someone I want you to meet. It’s not far, we can walk there.” He stares at you, his resolve slightly crumbling at the insistence in your eyes. “Please?”
“Who the hell is so important that I have to go and meet them? Can’t they just come here?”
“Bakugou-“ You roll your eyes at him, irritation threatening to boil over and ruin today’s plans.
“And I told you to call me Katsuki, dammit.” He huffs.
“Katsuki,” You beg again, slightly stomping your foot. “please?”
He stares at you for a moment, trying to decide if this is still worth fighting. “Fine.”
It’s cold today -much colder than you realized as you walk down the street- Katsuki looks miserable, but at least warm; wrapped up in a scarf that covers half his face and a puffy jacket that matches his eyes. He catches you staring, noticing the red on your cheeks from the biting wind. “Dumbass, it’s cold out. Didn’t you bring a scarf or anything?”
You shake your head at him, wondering when he became so concerned for you. “The trains are warm, and not far from your apartment. The wind wasn’t as bad this morning so I dressed lighter today.”
He stops on the sidewalk, rolling his eyes as he takes off his scarf. You tilt your head, hands raising to ask him what he’s doing before he’s wrapping it tightly around your neck, making sure to cover the parts of your face the wind has started to chafe. His mouth is twisted in concentration, but his eyes are soft and full of concern. “Idiot.” He signs. “I’m freezing just looking at you.” You feel warm instantly. “You didn’t bring gloves either? Are you always this underdressed?” You can hear him sigh in frustration, holding out his arm. “Wrap your hand around my arm. I’ll keep you warm.”
“Thank you.” You tell him as you hook your hand around his arm, grateful that the scarf covers your smile and the heat that creeps up your face. “It’s not too much farther, just around the corner.” You nod in the direction as Katsuki starts to walk forward, rounding the corner in a companionable silence. You wonder if Katsuki hates the cold, if it limits his quirk. You make a mental note to ask him later, to teach him how to sign his hero name and the names of quirks.
You nudge him when you both find yourself in front of a small home. It’s quiet, a nondescript place that he probably would’ve never noticed. You walk up the cracked steps, knocking on the door. Fate itself is at work, when Kou opens it. He grins at you, his eyes growing to the size of saucers and his hands moving at an incredible pace when he sees Katsuki next to you. “Kou!” You laugh. “Slow down, and let us in. It’s cold out here.” He nods, moving out of the way so you both can enter the doorway, the warmth of the home enveloping your body.
Katsuki stares at the 7 year old, still trying to piece together why he’s here as he slips off his shoes. He watches you laugh with the boy, 2 sets of hands moving faster than he can comprehend.
He looks away when you catch him staring, his arms folding as if to ask you why he’s here. “Katsuki, this is my nephew, Kou. He’s deaf and you’re his favorite hero.” Hero. There’s that word again. It feels like something he lost his hold of; like he’s stuck watching as it sinks further and further away from him.
Kou looks at Katsuki awestruck, staring at him with big and expectant eyes. Katsuki waves at him, squatting on his haunches to be at eye level. Kou’s boldness disappears in that moment, taking to hiding behind your legs. You smile at him encouragingly, nodding your head towards Katsuki. “He’s still learning, Kou. Go slow.”
“I heard I was your favorite hero?” Katsuki asks him, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips; his face softening slightly, almost looking like the person that you used to see on tv broadcasts.
“Not was,” Kou responds indignantly, his eyes bright and excited as he grins at Katsuki, “you are my favorite hero. I wanna be a hero too.”
Katsuki realizes in this moment what your plan was all along. Is he going to tell this child, this kid that idolizes him, that Dynamite isn’t a hero anymore because he’s deaf? Is he going to put a limit on his dreams, tell him that heroes need to have all 5 senses to save someone, even though Katsuki believes that about himself. Vermillion eyes flash over to you and you squirm under his piercing gaze, not realizing that he would’ve pieced it together so quickly. You shrug slightly at him, finally meeting his eyes as if to dare him to answer.
“You can be anything you want to be, kid. No matter what.” Katsuki tells him firmly, believing it more for Kou than he does for himself.
Kou beams at him, as bright and blinding as the sun, soaking up Katsuki’s belief in him. “Do you really think so?”
Katsuki looks at you again, his face almost morphing into a grimace; brows furrowed and lips twisted in a frown. You feel bad for a moment, wondering if this is too much too soon. Wondering if you should’ve been the one to make Katsuki face this. Your heart stops when Katsuki’s hands start moving again, quieting all the doubt you had and watering the seed of hope in your chest.
“Yes, Kou. I really think so.”
—————————————
You broke a plate today.
It was an accident, of course. The plate was hot with the breakfast you had cooked for Katsuki, slipping effortlessly out of your grasp. What you didn’t realize, not until he stared at the plate broken and shattered on the floor, was he turned at the sound.
“You heard that?”
“Yes.” He nods, looking slightly out of breath, hope threatening to break through on his face. The doctor told him this might happen, told him that there’s an off chance of healing. He’s still scared of it though, scared of yet another change taking over his world and shattering him; scared of the flicker of warmth that grows in his chest, taking a hold of his throat like a noose.
“Your ear canal is healing.” You tell him dumbly, treading carefully and gauging his face for reaction.
“The doctor said this might happen. That my right ear could heal a little bit. I barely heard the crash, despite how loud it must’ve been.” His signs lazily, sloppily. His hands are shaking as he looks at you. Almost scared and helpless. He’s hoped for this, ached for months over this. But now it’s happening, a metaphorical rug being ripped out from underneath him again and now he’s unsure what to feel.
“Hey, whatever happens, happens. I’m still here to help you maneuver through the world.” You smile at him. It’s simple, carefree, as effortless and free as floating in a pool mid summer. He knows it’s true, that you mean it. There’s something so pure about the way you look at him, something that makes him feel less alone during a new beginning. Katsuki feels full of hope, an emotion he’s always considered dangerous. But it seems safer for him to feel when you’re feeling it with him.
———————————————
“Why are we here?” Katsuki asks you, his eyes camouflaged through garnet colored frames. It’s nice today, the first day that actually feels like spring and you practically dragged Katsuki to the beach, hoping that the news of his eardrum starting to heal would make him more open to going out.
“It’s nice out. And I haven’t been to the beach in a while.” You respond simply, peering at him from the corner of your eye. He looks unsure, his eyes moving from you to the waves that crash against the sand. Brutal and all consuming, dragging everything with it as it moves; too much like Katsuki, the way you feel him wash over you, all consuming and gently powerful. Despite working with Katsuki for a few months now, the intricacies of his mind are still a mystery to you. As unknown to you as the secrets at the bottom of the ocean, making you feel like something, as if you’re more than a void to fill.
“How’s Kou doing?” He asks you suddenly, breaking you from your thoughts.
“Good.” You tell him. Truthfully he’s never been better, constantly pretending to save you from villains, his dream of being a hero renewed thanks to Katsuki. “He’s been asking when he’ll get to see you again. He’s my nephew, but I think he likes you more than me.” Katsuki says nothing, just gives you a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement as he watches the sun turn once white clouds into beautiful sherbet shades of orange and pink.
“Can we go soon? I can’t hear anything, the waves are silent, despite my healing ear. What’s the point?” You hear him huff, the corners of his mouth threatening to turn into a frown.
You take a moment before responding, the setting sun reflecting on the ocean and threatening to blind you. There’s something about sunset that’s always captivated you, something magical about the way it holds the world in limbo.“There’s still the sun. The way sand feels on your body. The salty scent of the ocean. Hearing isn’t everything.” You bump into his shoulder with yours, making his focus snap to you again.“Will you go back to hero work?”
“You can hear the children screaming in the distance, but I can’t. Despite it not being too far. My ear is healing but tones are hard to differentiate. I have to focus on everything just to hear a sliver of what comes easily to you. How could I be a hero?” Katsuki’s mouth is in a thin line, his face setting into stone. “You’re so bright and hopeful, it’s almost naive. You really think I can do anything, do you?”
“Yes,” you respond simply. “I do.”
He doesn’t acknowledge your words, just frowns slightly. “I’ve been an ass lately. Hardly worth teaching.” You’re taken aback for a moment, wondering when Katsuki started to feel safe enough to show these sides of himself. Wondering if he knows how brightly he shines to you. He pushes his sunglasses up onto his head, his eyes looking like they’re on fire as the last rays of light hit them.
Your hand moves on its own accord, taking his gently. You’re surprised when he doesn’t move away or flinch. You stare at it, your fingers tracing the lines on his palm. “Never. Not if it’s you.” You mean it, truly. Hoping that maybe one day you’ll see all the layers of Bakugou Katsuki; the inner workings of his mind and the softness that lays underneath.
You both watch the sunset in silence, his hand never leaving yours.
——————————————
“I got you something.” You tell Katsuki when you enter his apartment that night, the gift delicately held in your hand. It’s a small flat box, wrapped with bright orange paper and tied with a black bow, keeping its contents secret and safe.
“Why?” He looks at you with a frown, his eyes staring at you intently.
“It’s nothing big,” You tell him, handing the small box to him with a smile. “It’s something just in case you ever go back to hero work. You get your hearing aids tomorrow. Maybe you’ll feel differently.”
He’s distrusting when he holds the box, his eyes hesitant as they flicker to yours. He cradles it in his hands for a moment, staring at it intently. “What if I never go back? What if I’m never ready?”
“That’s okay too.” You tell him, the corners of your lips turning upwards as you place your hand in his. He squeezes it once, twice before letting go, returning his focus to the box in his lap. He unwraps it gingerly, not even tearing the paper apart as he unwraps it. His face falls when he opens the box -it’s his hero mask, modified with strings down the sides to have attachable ear plugs- and you’re scared for a moment if he hates it. If this was an awful and painful idea, before both of his hands reach out to grab you and pull you tight to his chest. Your eyes water immediately, soft chuckle escaping your lips as you tuck your head under his chin.
“Are you hungry?” You ask, wiping away your own tears and pulling away from him.
“Yes.” He smiles at you. “Do you want help?”
“Absolutely.” You beam back at him, momentarily shocked at his willingness to help you.
You never knew that Katsuki would be so helpful in the kitchen, expertly dicing up vegetables with ease. It’s nice like this, companionable. Dangerously domestic as he places his hand on the small of your back to gently move you around.
“What kind of cheese is that?” He asks as he slices some carrots while you cut up pieces of cheese.
“Manchego. It’s a sheep cheese from Spain, one of my favorites.”
“Can I have some?”
“Of course.” You thinly slice a piece for him, holding it in between your thumb and index to him. You expect him to grab it from you but he doesn’t, opting instead to eat it out of your hand; his lips brushing against your fingers for a brief moment. You can’t help the warmth that rises to your face. When his half lidded eyes raise to meet yours, all you can do is blink owlishly at him before a grin slowly crawls over his face and you reflexively grin back at him. The both of you smiling at eachother, almost looking stupid and full of warmth. You’re the one that breaks eye contact first, returning your focus back to cutting slices of cheese and fruit.
You can’t help but wonder as you cut, your brow subconsciously furrowing as your lips press together in a hard line, at how sustainable this is, how you can keep teaching him as these feelings bubble up in your chest. Katsuki tugs on you by the belt loop in your jeans, breaking you out of your thoughts.
He kisses you, softly molding his lips with yours, warmth spreading down to your toes as he brings his hands up to entangle with your hair. You groan when he tugs on it, your mouth opening to give him the opportunity to slide his tongue in, gentle and exploring. When he pulls back, a little trail of saliva connecting the both of you, his eyes half lidded and blown with lust as he silently asks for more. You nod at him, half dragging him to his bedroom. It’s the first time you’ve been in here. It’s nice, the room is only occupied with a large bed and two barren nightstands. Your attention is brought back to him when he pulls you close by your hips, swallowing you in a desperate and hungry kiss. You sigh into his mouth, your hands pressed gently onto his chest and guiding him to the bed.
You feel clumsy and unpracticed when your hands unbutton his jeans, he has to help you, lifting his body to shimmy his pants down as you sink down to your knees, his cock springing out freely. It’s impressive, thick with veins running down the sides; his tip red and pretty as a bead of pre rolls off the top. He whines when you tease him with a gentle kitten lick across the tip, damn near looking like he’s going to cry. You take his cock in your mouth, fitting as much of his impressive girth as you can; your hand wrapping around what you can’t fit. You hollow your cheeks, and bop your head up and down as he throws his head back with a hiss, his hands moving into your hair with a low grunt as he bucks gently into your mouth. He shudders when your tongue traces his veins, his grip tightening in your hair almost painfully before he pulls you off of him.
He picks you up with one hand, unceremoniously throwing you onto the bed and crawling on all fours to you. “Please.” He begs, vermillion eyes soft and pleading. “Let me take care of you.” You nod, allowing his calloused hands to gently pull your panties down. He makes eye contact briefly before he laps at your folds, his tongue dipping into your soaked cunt and moving your essence around. His hand holds your hips in place, gentle yet firm as his tongue runs circles around your clit, the motion sending little jolts of electricity running through your body. He tentatively places two fingers inside your cunt, humming with satisfaction at how easily he’s able to slide them in, his fingers finding that perfect spot inside you so easily. It doesn’t take long for you to come undone around him; your toes curling in the sheets as you gasp, body spasming around his fingers. He sits up, looking almost smug as he wipes your essence of his face, a cocky smile you haven’t seen him don in a long while.
He lines his cock up with your entrance, pumping it with one hand as his eyes meet yours; silently asks for consent. You nod, wiggling your hips in an effort to entice him. He smiles softly, plunging into your aching pussy with a hiss. You both collide in that moment -his hand entangled in yours- the way every thrust in you he makes and your hips eagerly raising to meet his communicate every unspoken word held between you. He’s gentle, how much he cares for you being shown in every gasp and sigh that escapes from his lips, the low groans that come from deep in his chest when your hips meet his. How hungry he looks down at himself plunging back and forth into you. His pace quickens after a few moments, becoming eager and more hungry as his other hand entangles in your hair, pounding into you as he whimpers softly in your hair. When he cums, you cum with him, both of your bodies spasming and throbbing together in tandem. You both lay like this for a moment, Katsuki still inside you as you both catch your breath, never willing to break apart. You feel empty when he finally does, motioning for you to stay put when he leaves the room after carelessly throwing on some sweatpants. It takes you a moment to realize you hear a bath running. He comes back, gently stroking your brow and cradling you to his chest when he lifts you.
Katsuki treats you like porcelin when he sets you into the bath, noticing how your face relaxes as the heat envelopes you. He takes a rag, dunking it into the water to wet it and begins scrubbing at your skin, carefully washing away all the cum dried to your body. You tug at his shirt “Join me?”
You both know he’s not good at saying no to you, so he does; slipping off his clothing as you move forward to give him room to sit behind you. He pulls your back to his chest, continuing to scrub at you. He can feel your contented hums vibrating on his chest as he works, can smell the apple scented shampoo in your hair as he presses his cheek to yours. Your eyes are half lidded as he works his way down your arms, your chest and legs, using a touch so gentle it almost feels like a ghost is touching you. It’s amazing to you, all the small miracles that lead you to this moment, the little things that brought you here today. He plays with your hair, making a small braid as he hums some song only the two of you will ever know. You start to fall asleep, surrounded by him and the lingering warmth of the bath. Katsuki picks you up, gently cradling you in his arms like you’ll break as he lays you in his bed.
“I’m so glad to have you, Katsuki.” You say, your hands clumsy as sleep starts to take over you.
He knows you mean it, that you mean everything you tell him. He trusts you, even more than he even trusts himself. It’s terrifying to him for a moment, that he’s unknowingly placed so much of his heart in your hands but looking at you, your soft eyes and kind smile he knows he has nothing to be afraid of. He decides if he could keep one moment to last forever, it would be this one with you safe and delicate as Katsuki presses you into his ribcage; warm and comforted in between the creases of his skin. There’s a silent promise between the two of you in this moment: you’ll keep him safe, and he’ll keep you warm.
————————————
“Are you ready?” You ask, searching his face for doubt. He swallows thickly and nods at you.
It’s overwhelming when your delicate hand flips the switch on his hearing aid. Everything is so loud to him, the worst type of crescendo reaching his ears; the squeals of children playing in the park, the agonizing barking of the dog across the street and the roar of cars driving by. It’s awful, something once familiar terrifying him and overwhelming him. He brings up a shaky hand, practically ripping it out of his ear as he takes deep breaths. He’s been dying to be the person he was before the accident, before his world sounded like everything was under water and he was sinking along with it. Katsuki hates this, hates this weak feeling in his stomach, the overwhelming sound plaguing his ears and threatening to make his head split from the brutal attack.
“Are you okay?” You ask him, grabbing both of his hands in yours as you search his eyes. You’ve never seen him so scared, he looks like a child leaving home for the first time. Terrified. Alone. Experiencing a world that moved on without him, a place that never went silent. You bring your hands up to his cheeks, gently coaxing him to look at you.
“It’s so loud.” He signs back to you clumsily, blinking fast to keep tears of frustration at bay. “Can we go somewhere quieter?” You nod at him, taking his hand and leading him into a patch of woods at the edge of the park. You trudge deeper with him, your hand clasped firmly in his until the sounds of the park are far away.
“Are you ready?” You ask, the hearing aid in your hand weighing the both of you down. It feels like the end of something and for some reason you’re scared too, scared of a world that’s loud with him.
He nods at you to put the hearing aid in, telling you with his eyes yet again he’s too scared to do it himself. You place it gingerly in his ear, shaky breaths escaping his lips when he feels your fingers. When you flip the switch, Katsuki feels like he’s finally coming up from water, like he can finally expand his lungs and breathe.
There’s so many sounds he never realized he’d forgotten; the sound of leaves crunching under your feet as you back away from him, the way the wind caresses the trees, and birds. God, he can’t remember the last time he was so happy to hear the sounds birds made, these sounds of nature that he took for granted everyday. He can hear cars rushing down the street, the giggles of children playing and the creak of the swings.
“How….how are you feeling?” You ask. It takes him a minute to realize that the voice he is hearing is yours, a voice he’s been so desperate to hear that sounds so much better than he’s ever imagined. He looks at you, your eyes full of water and he realizes that he was even able to hear your smile, the concern lacing your words as you watch him.
He opens his mouth to speak, feeling gravel in his throat when he tries to form words but he doesn’t know what to say. You watch him collapse, the sound of his knees hitting the floor of the woods sounding so loud and in this moment he’s never been more grateful for a breakdown. You hold him, collapsing with him as waves crash over him. Building and breaking down as he sobs against your chest. Making him feel safe, warm, comforted and most importantly whole. He clutches into your shirt until his knuckles turn white, holding onto you like he’ll sink without you, like you’re a lifesaver that’s been tossed to him in the middle of the sea. He’s a mess, sobbing into your shirt and muttering thank you, over and over again like a mantra, like he’s forgotten how to say anything else. As if you saved him, pieced him back together every time he broke apart but the reality is that he saved you as much as you saved him. You’re both broken people crashing into each other over and over again just looking for a hand to hold in a vast sea as waves threaten to drown you both. Maybe this is what you needed, what you both needed; to be washed over and broken, only for the waves to pull back so you can both piece yourself together.
“It’s okay, Katsuki.” You whisper into his hair, wiping your tears away with your sleeve. “I’m here.”
