Chapter 2
"Great show, Kise!" Kagami smiles as he firmly sets a hand on his shoulder.
Kise glances over his shoulder in surprise and then lets a warm smile creep up on his lips as he realizes who it is. "Kagamicchi!" He perks, and his eyes light up as though seeing Kagami is the greatest thing ever. Kagami retracts his hand after obtaining Kise's attention, and returns the smile with less intensity.
"Kise-kun," the familiar flat tone unexpectedly calls out, and in turn, causes Kise to leap a bit.
After calming down from his slight panic attack, Kise returns to his prior cheery self, and chirps, "Kurokocchi!" in response.
For whatever reason, Kise likes the two of them. Support is always appreciated by Kise, and despite having only known them for less than a week, there's something about the two that makes him feel exceedingly cheerful. If Kise was a dog, he would be wagging his tail and barking in sheer content.
Tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, he turns around to face his guests. "Thank you for coming, it means a lot," Kise states as he flattens his palm on the back of his neck and begins rubbing at the exposed flesh diffidently. "At first I was a bit nervous that you two wouldn't show up. But sure enough, you were occupying the seats I reserved for you," he chuckles. "I hope I didn't disappoint."
"No, not at all," Kagami assures. "You and that guitarist make some pretty awesome music. When you're all big and famous, I better get a personal copy of your first album!"
Laughter is shared between the two before Kuroko finally speaks up. "You have a very pleasant voice, Kise-kun." And although his tone of voice is unwavering, Kise can tell that he's the type of person who's straightforward and honest with his words. It makes Kise's grin spread wider, like he's being praised by a famous critic rather than some guy who's aura is close to dim.
It isn't long before the room is filled with music from the band scheduled to play after Kise's performance, and the three of them continue their conversation over a few drinks at the provided bar.
The rest of the night is pleasant for Kise. The music, the people, the night life… it's what he loves most about what he does. But as Kagami makes wild hand gestures towards the bartender to catch his attention and call him over… Kise can't help but to feel as though something is missing.
Sleep has never felt so nice—that until the prior night when Kise finally managed to drunkenly set his head down onto the mount of pillows displayed on his bed. As soon as his eyes shut, he slipped into a deep slumber that could have lasted him the whole day… well, if it wasn't for the subtle shaking of his bed, like a premature earthquake, that unwillingly pulls him from his slumber.
"Ryouta," a stern voice repeats until Kise finally springs conscious and slowly opens his eyes. The room is bright, and it causes him to squint in attempt to shield his honey-brown eyes from the intensity of the light. His mom was hovering over him, a small smile gracing her lips as she realizes she succeeded waking him up. Kise returns the smile, though it's scarcely visible and a bit forced.
It's day already?
Kise brings a hand up to his face and languidly rubs at his swollen eyes, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
"Took you long enough. I was starting to get worried that I would never be able to get you up," she states before sauntering over to his blinds and pulling them open. "Could you take Buster out for a walk?"
It isn't often that he's asked to take the dog out, but even so, she seems to ask on the least preferred days. A soft hiss emits from Kise as the light in the room enhances, and he instantly throws his arm over his eyes. Although it had been wishful thinking, Kise planned to sleep through his hangover.
"Yeah," Kise responds, his voice still hoarse from having just woken up.
"Thank you. You slept through breakfast, but there's still some stuff leftover if you want to heat it up," she informs.
"Okay, thanks."
He's finally able to open his eyes entirely, and he stretches his limbs before sitting up from his spot. His mom exits the room not too long after, leaving him half-awake and a bit unsettled from the throbbing pain pulsing through his forehead. It's in these moments that Kise is glad to be moving out soon.
After hopping out of the shower and taking a few pain relievers, he heads out the door with slightly ruffled hair and Buster on a leash. Kise pulls out his phone to discover a few unread texts asking if he made it home safely. He tells them that he's fine, and even adds a silly emoticon at the end to assure that a few drinks and a harsh headache can't bring him down. Even so, the warmth of the sun seems to help resurface his liveliness, and he feels his hangover slowly coming to a rest.
Buster trots in front of him at a steady pace, occasionally stopping by familiar landmarks to sniff them out. It's usual of him to stop by the gates of the basketball court at the park to pee, having marked the chain fence as his territory. And as Kise waits, it's usual of him to watch the group of people on the other side of the fence run back and forth on the basketball court.
Kise is watching the scrimmage as Buster handles his business, when his eyes roam over to a familiar tanned male; his skin glistening from sweat and his chest rising and falling slowly from his steadied, heavy breathing.
"Aominecchi!" Kise instantly calls out, and begins waving his hand in his direction with enthusiasm.
Shit.
His hand immediately drops back to his side, and he can feel a burning sensation creeping up onto his defined cheekbones. He hopes that maybe… just maybe, no one notices him attempting to call out to a man who can't hear. But just as he's tugging Buster away from the fence to stealthily make his exit, a man taps on Aomine's shoulder and points in Kise's direction. Aomine glances over in his direction, and as they make eye contact, Kise flashes him a wide smile and waves at him once again.
Aomine rolls his eyes and averts his gaze.
After being disregarded, Kise swiftly moves his hand to his earlobe and begins fumbling with the silver hoop earring—an attempt to hide the fact that he had been waving. He huffs, and then continues forth with tugging on Buster's leash. It's nerve wrecking… to think how easy it is for Aomine to make him feel stupid.
It's when he finally gets Buster to turn his attention away from the fence that he hears the familiar voice that has a way of causing his throat to go dry calling out to him. "Hey!"
Kise's eyes immediately snap in the direction of Aomine's voice to see him slowly jogging towards the fence, and it's then that Kise feels the palms of his hands becoming sweaty. Aomine stops on the other side of the fence, and laces his fingers through the chain links. They are both silent, mostly because Kise isn't sure what to say… and even if he did, he isn't sure how he would say it. Because how will Aomine hear him?
"What do you want?" Aomine finally breaks the silence.
Kise smiles nervously. "Nothing," he responds habitually, and then lets out a huff as he realizes his words are rendered useless.
And then it dawns on him.
He pulls his phone out from his pocket, and pulls up the new contact menu; handing it to Aomine in hopes that he will understand what he's trying to infer. Aomine narrows his eyes, and he looks as though he's against the idea, which Kise can understand. But after a few seconds of hesitation, and uncomfortable staring, Aomine actually takes the phone being handed to him through the fence, and begins entering the needed information. Kise smiles, and excitedly turns his gaze down to Buster like the dog actually has any idea with what is going on.
"Here," Aomine says as he pushes the phone through one of the holes of the fence. Kise grabs it, stares down at his new contact with an expression that shows too much enthusiasm, adds his usual suffix to the end of Aomine's name, and then begins typing a new message.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 14:02
Msg: Are you busy?
Aomine pulls out his phone and only glances at the screen before answering out loud. "No…"
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 14:03
Msg: I was just going out to get lunch, would you like to accompany me?
"No," Aomine responds too quickly for Kise's taste.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 14:03
Msg: I'll pay…?
A sigh escapes Aomine's lips, and he turns his gaze elsewhere. "Why are you trying so hard?"
Kise's face twists up into a scowl, feeling slightly offended with the inquiry. He's frustrated, and he knows the fact is obvious with the way his brows pinch together and mouth presses into a straight line. And just as he begins slamming his fingers down on the screen of his phone to write a lengthy message claiming how sick he is of Aomine's attitude, Aomine lets out a grunt.
"Don't bother answering, I don't want to know," he takes a step away from the fence. "Wait right there, I'm going to go grab my things."
Before Kise can manage a response, Aomine jogs off. It takes a few moments for Kise to realize that he's accepting his invitation, and when he finally does, he begins beaming just as happily as the dog standing at his feet. He backspaces his unsent angry message, and casually stuffs his phone in his pocket like he's hiding evidence.
Aomine makes his way around the fence, and as he reaches Kise, he kneels down and begins running his fingers through Buster's fur.
"I think he likes you," Kise states. And then his smile slowly diminishes as he remembers once again that Aomine can't hear him. It's something that he's going to have a hard time adjusting to, being that Aomine is the first deaf person he's ever met.
He lets out a sigh, and kneels down, reaching out to pet Buster as well. Their fingers brush, causing the both of them to quickly pull their hands away. Kise mutters a few apologies that Aomine can't hear and stands back up, stuffing the hand Aomine touched in his pocket.
They walk to Maji Burger in silence. It's a bit unbearable on Kise's part. He's usually the type to talk a person's ear off, definitely during times such as these where they're provided with nothing other than conversation…
And silence.
Attempting to dim the unpleasant silence between them, Kise begins humming a tune that his mom used to sing to him when he was a child. For Kise, humming has always helped alleviate stress.
Once they reach the restaurant, Kise ties Buster's leash to a post right outside of the window where it'll be easy to keep an eye on him, and then grabs Aomine by his arm and drags him into the building. Aomine states that he wants a teriyaki burger and nothing else, and Kise nods to assure he's keeping his word and paying for the both of them. They sit at a table next to the window beside Buster, no means of communication being made the whole time. It's when Aomine grabs his burger and mutters, "thank you," that Kise's silent demeanor fades, and he perks up in his seat.
He pulls his phone out, and begins quickly typing a message to Aomine.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 14:46
Msg: No need to thank me! It's what friends do (。)ノ
Aomine scoffs. "Friends?"
Kise nods and then brings his burger up to his lips. Instead of responding verbally this time, Aomine actually types a message back. Kise watches him move his fingers over the screen of his phone with anticipation, slowly chewing his food.
From: Aominecchi
Saturday 14:51
Msg: i suppose…
Although there seems to be uncertainty in his message, Kise can't help but feel content with just that much. It means he's making progress, and perhaps Aomine doesn't hate him as much as he thinks he does. Kise's eyes trail out the window, and he watches as a few people stop to pet Buster. His mind wanders off as he begins mindlessly eating his food, and he doesn't notice until his phone vibrates against the tabletop. Curious, he glances down at the screen, and a soft chuckle escapes his lips.
From: Aominecchi
Saturday 15:01
Msg: how was ur concert, friend?
Kise brings his gaze up to Aomine, who has a brow quirked and seems to already be done with his food. The glint within his blue eyes is warm and show traces of curiosity rather than animosity and disinterest. It's a sight that causes Kise's stomach to turn. He remembers…
He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been a bit disappointed to see Aomine had actually decided against going to his performance. And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been searching the building in hopes to see him in the crowd. Although he knew that the possibility of him showing up had been small, he couldn't help but hope. Which was something he was doing a lot of as of late.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 15:03
Msg: It went great! You should have gone… we had a lot of fun after my performance.
"I was busy," Aomine says out loud. The way he averts his eyes exposes the fact that he's possibly lying, and Kise's smile falters a bit. Though, he doesn't let the fact bother him, because he can understand how the subject can be a sensitive one for the tanned male. He recalls his response when he had initially been invited, and how offended he seemed to be that anyone would even ponder asking him such a thing.
I can't fucking hear the music, so why would I go?
Kise swallows over the forming lump in his throat, and nods comprehensively, showing that he understands. He then decides to turn the subject from him, and being that he's curious about Aomine and his inability to hear, he begins bombarding him with questions that he hopes he has no issue answering.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 15:06
Msg: Do you mind me asking, have you always been deaf? And I thought deaf people couldn't talk? Is sign language easy to learn? Can you lip read? Because I really like to talk and this texting thing is getting a bit tedious… Sorry for all of these questions, I'm really curious. And I want to hear more about you. If you don't feel comfortable talking about that stuff, then you can tell me how your day went… What's your favorite food? Also, your favorite animal? I'm guessing dogs, you seem very fond of them. How long have you been playing basketball? And do you like ice cream? If yes, what's your favorite flavor?
He makes sure to put everything he wants to say in that text. A humored scoff escapes his lips as he reads it, and he shakes his head in a seemingly disapproving manner. Kise chews his bottom lip in anticipation, hoping he hasn't upset or offended Aomine in any way. Aomine shifts in his seat, and brings his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. There's a brief pause between them, though Kise has grown accustomed to it. The silence is no longer or uncomfortable, but rather, in a way, peaceful.
"I was born with a slight auditory defect. So I was able to hear all the way up until I was seventeen. That's when my hearing declined almost completely. I say almost, because occasionally, I can hear some sounds, but I can't make out what they are. I grew up speaking, so I know how to speak. If anything, the idea of all deaf people not being able to talk is a stereotype. Though, I prefer sign language. It's much easier for me to communicate that way. As far as it being easy to learn, it depends on how fast of a learner you are. Lip reading is extremely difficult, so no. I can pick up a few words if I really try, though," Aomine sighs after stating his last sentence, and then looks out the window.
"My day was fine, I didn't do much. Teriyaki burgers are my favorite. I do like dogs, but I've always thought panthers were pretty cool. Basketball… I'm not sure. Been playing ever since I could pick up a ball. And I'm not very fond of ice cream. Though, I do like Gori-gori-kun popsicles… Is that all, singer-san?" He turns his gaze from the window and back to Kise as he finishes answering his series of questions.
In all honesty, Kise is surprised. He glares at the other with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open in awe. Aomine seems to be a reserved person, someone who chooses to keep to himself and doesn't often reach out to others. So hearing him respond to the questions with such ease, as though he had no problem doing it at all, Kise couldn't help but feel… ecstatic.
He wants to know more.
To: Aominecchi
Saturday 15:08
Msg: I do have more questions, but I'll save those for later (´`ʃƪ)
"Later?" Aomine quirks a brow and keeps his half-lidded gaze set on Kise as he stands from his spot and begins picking up their trash. All Kise can manage is a smile and a half nod, because he's too excited to type out his response. He hopes Aomine can see his eagerness through his actions. Kise doesn't expect this to be the last time they hang out, and as he tosses their trash into the waste bin, he realizes he doesn't mind the fact that communicating with Aomine will be difficult.
Aomine stays seated with his chin resting in the palm of his hand as Kise throws away their trash. As Kise returns, Aomine glances up at him with an expression that causes Kise's smile to widen and he extends his hand out as an offer to help him up.
They can discuss things later, he decides. Besides, he was craving a Gori-gori-kun popsicle.
