(A.N. so I forgot about this book, but I have a lot that's just written on google docs so I'm just gonna post that and try and split it up the best I can, no editing.  Posting it as is on google docs and then from there the book will be completed that way.  Disclaimer, when I wrote this I knew nothing about deaf people or being deaf so I apologize for inaccuracies or offensiveness)

I spun around to see Akaashi's mother "Oh it's just you Bokuto, sorry I didn't recognize you from behind" She laughed but there seemed to be a bit of tension

"What happened to Akaashi?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows with concern, her face fell

"He's lost his hearing.....," he started "We don't know why it happened, it just did"

"W-What?" I think my heartbeat may have stopped in that moment

"His father is deaf as well so it's not like this was some crazy phenomenon we just didn't expect it like this" She frowned

"How is he taking it?" I asked looking back at Akaashi, he hadn't moved from that spot and still hadn't noticed us

"Not well" she muttered looking into the room at him "But I think he's more concerned about playing volleyball than anything else" she laughed awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck "But he should be resting instead of looking out the window" She furrowed her eyebrows brushing past me into the room. I couldn't find the courage in myself to continue into the room

"Akaashi sweetie" his mother started softly putting her hand gently on his shoulder, Akaashi cried out in surprise turning around, his eyes were red and puffy like he was crying "Honey you should be resting" I was confused, I thought Akaashi couldn't hear but he nodded slowly. He walked past his mom and just now saw me standing a step into the doorway.

"Bokuto.....," He muttered his eyes widening with surprise

"Akaashi" Was all I was able to manage, Akaashi sat down on the bed pulling one of his knees to his chest stretching the other one out. (A.N. it took me 3000 words to figure out how to spell deaf.....,)

"Akaashi can read lips hon" His mother explained a soft smile on her face

"You can read lips?" I asked with awe, Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows, waving me closer

"I can't see your mouth from that far away idiot" he explained

"Oh" I muttered forcing myself to walk the rest of the way to the room, I went up to his beside

"Repeat what you said now" He instructed

"You can read lips?" I repeated, he clenched his jaw and stared at me for a while before he finally spoke

"I've been doing it since I was little" He finally explained

"That's so cool" I exclaimed

"Not really......., not now I actually have to" he chewed on his lower lip, a habit that I've noticed him do when he was nervous.

"Akaashi" his mother started but paused "Yeah this is gonna be hard to get used to with him" she rolled her eyes tapping Akaashi on the shoulder, he jumped and turned to her

"What?" he asked

"You know you can use sign language" She explained

"I would prefer not to" he insisted

"Why's that?" she raised one eyebrow, he frowned and turned away

"You know sign language?" I asked but Akaashi wasn't looking at me

"His father is deaf so he's had to learn at a young age" his mother explained knowing that Akaashi wasn't looking

"oh" I muttered, Akaashi looked up at me

"Akaashi when are you going to be back at practice, are you still going to be able to play volleyball?" I asked questions coming to my mind quickly, Akaashi looked over at his mom

"Mom can I talk to Bokuto in private please?" He asked slowly, his mother hesitated but seemed to understand

"yeah" She nodded and left the room shutting the door quietly behind her

"What'd you need to talk to me about Akaashi?" I asked making sure I was facing him though what I didn't expect was for Akaashi to start crying. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, he covered his face tears dripping from between his fingers

"Whoa Akaashi what's wrong" I asked quickly forgetting that he couldn't hear me, this would be hard to get used to. I sat down on the edge of the bed my eyebrows furrowed with concern. He looked up rubbing the tears from his eyes but they just kept falling.

"Akaashi" I reached my hand out not even realizing what I was doing. I cupped his cheek in my hand, he covered my hand with his closing his eyes. He eventually calmed down enough to speak, his eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his cheeks were red and tear stains ran down his face

"What's wrong?" I repeated now that he was looking at me, tears started falling down his face again

"I-I'm S-Sorry" he choked out, I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't think of anything to say. "B-Bokuto I-I'm so s-s-sorry" I cupped his face in my hands

"What are you sorry for this isn't your fault" I told him though every time that I spoke it seemed to make him even more upset, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to make him feel better, I didn't know what was wrong, I didn't know anything. Akaashi always knew what was wrong with me without me even saying anything but I couldn't even know what was wrong with him and he was right in front of me crying.

"I-I can't-" he trailed off letting out a choked sob, he covered his mouth with one hand muffling another sob

"You can't what?" the guilt was crushing me, I felt so bad that I couldn't understand anything that was going on

"I-I'm s-s-sorry Bokuto......., I-I-I c-can't...., I d-don't know w-what....., I don't know w-what you're s-s-saying" he sobbed "I-I c-c-can't understand" I furrowed my eyebrows a confused and concerned expression mixing together on my face. I pulled out my phone pulling up a note and started typing 'You can read lips?'. I handed him my phone. He closed his eyes tears soaking into the bed sheets between us

"I-I can I-I've been able to s-s-since I was a child, e-ever since I could t-t-talk" he explained slowly keeping his eyes closed "I-I-I always r-r-relied more on t-that than I h-have actually listening t-to people," he rubbed his eyes with one hand "T-Though when I met y-y-you I found it......, I-Impossible to read y-your lips, you t-talk with such l-l-large exasperated mouth movements" He let out another choked sob "I-I-I could never keep up i-i-it frustrated me that I-I had to listen to y-y-you more than o-others b-because I couldn't r-r-read your lips" My eyes widened with surprise, could that have been the reason why he's always grumpy with me? "b-b-but now....., I c-c-can't listen to you......, I c-c-can't read your lips....., I-I-I-I'm so lost, I d-don't know what to do......, everything i-i-is like a blank emotionless v-v-void, people a-are going around living their lives....., it's barely been a d-d-day but......, I feel d-d-disconnected from e-everyone else" His shoulders trembled with every shaky breath that he took "I-I-I d-d-don't know what to d-d-do B-Bokuto" I thought for a moment, he was struggling just because of the way I talking. I sighed, I was the cause of this breakdown, just by talking. If it meant that he would feel better even just a little bit I would do it. I tilted his head up to look at me I furrowed my eyebrows concerned

"Akaashi look at me" I started slowly using all my willpower to talk normally without exaggerating everything "Can you understand me better?" he froze his lips parted slightly tears rolling down his cheeks silently

"I.....," he started his eyes wide with surprise

"I'm sorry that was a stupid idea I don't ever have any good ideas" I looked to the side halfway through my sentence

"Stupid don't apologize" He exclaimed "And don't look away while you're talking"

"You can understand me better this way?" I asked with a smile

"I can.....," for the first time in a long time Akaashi smiled, a genuine bright happy smile which was almost as bright as mine was on a good day. I was shocked beyond words

"Good" I wiped the tears from his eyes, he smiled pinching my cheek

"Maybe now you'll learn to calm down?" he asked jokingly

"nope that will never happen" I insisted

"it better not" he threatened

"if It ever gets hard for you to understand me let me know because talking normally is gonna take a long time to get used to" I told him

"I will I promise" He told me

"Are you two done talking, visiting hours are almost over" Akaashi's mother asked coming back into the room, she smirked as she saw us sitting on the bed about as close as possible without Akaashi being in my lap.

"Yeah Mrs. Akaashi" I nodded

"I see you made my son cry even more than he was before" she raised one eyebrow putting her hands on her hips

"I'm sorry I don't know how to talk properly and it made Akaashi upset" I apologized bowing to her

"I'm kidding I'm kidding I'm glad that Akaashi has such a good of friend as you and by the looks of it there might be a bit something more going on between you two" She started wiggling her eyebrows "Maybe like a little love?" My face turned a dark shade of crimson and so did Akaashi's as he caught the last bit of the conversation.

"Mom how long am I going to have to stay here?" Akaashi asked trying to change the subject

"I think the doctors said that you've gotta stay for today but I think you're allowed to be discharged tomorrow morning" she explained

"I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight" He whined

"You'll be fine Keiji" his mother insisted with a laugh

"Ughhhh" he groaned

"I should go Akaashi my mom will get worried by now I didn't tell her I was visiting you in the hospital" I explained making sure that Akaashi was looking at me

"Yeah you need to tell your mom next time" he scolded

"I'll call you tonight" I told him out of habit

"Bokuto" Akaashi started furrowing his eyebrows

"Yeah?" I asked

"I'm deaf" Akaashi explained wearing a blank expression on his face, it took me a few seconds to completely process that

"Oh my god Akaashi I'm so sorry I already forgot" I exclaimed scratching at the back of my neck, Akaashi laughed

"I guess I'm a pretty good actor huh?" He asked laughing again "Because I literally cannot hear a word that you're saying"

"I'm glad you're in a better mood Keiji at least enough to make jokes" His mother cooed smiling, I turned to his mother

"Oh he never makes jokes at school, he's really grumpy at practice" I explained

"Really? He makes jokes over the dinner table" she exclaimed

"Oi I know you're talking about me Bokuto you've got that look in your eyes" Akaashi exclaimed "just because I can't hear you I can read your body language"

"You're too good at that Akaashi" I frowned

"You're too easy to read" He crossed his arms in front of his chest

"You couldn't read my lips" I furrowed my eyebrows

"At least now I won't have to listen to you constantly shouting my name" He insisted

"Now I can be even more annoying" I challenged

"Wait is that what you needed to talk to him about Keiji that you couldn't read his lips?" His mother asked putting her hands on her hips "You kicked me out for that"

"He was crying" I whispered covering my mouth so that Akaashi couldn't see

"OI" Akaashi exclaimed

"Keiji you were really crying about that?" His mother asked pursing her lips

"N-No" he insisted his cheeks flushing red

"I'm kidding I'm kidding" she laughed

"He was" I whispered snickering to myself

"Well Keiji me and Bokuto should go visiting hours are almost over goodnight I love you I'll pick you up tomorrow morning" his mother waved to him

"Bye love you too" Akaashi called

"Bye bye Akaashi" I waved as I followed his mother out into the hallway, she shut the door behind us and we walked down the hall side by side

"Thank you" she muttered as we got into the elevators

"What?" I asked raising one eyebrow

"I have to thank you" She insisted

"What...., what for?" I asked genuinely confused

"You make my son so happy even if he doesn't show it right away" she smiled to herself pressing the button for the first floor

"What do you mean" I asked "at practice he never seems happy to see me"

"That's just because he's not very good at expressing himself" she explained scratching at the back of her neck "But earlier when I visited him this morning he was depressed, worse than I've ever seen him act, he looked scared out of his mind and looked like he's been crying for hours, he would stare at me directly when I spoke to him just like when he's trying to read your lips but he looked at me with just, confusion, like he couldn't really fully process it" she looked down at her feet the elevator coming to a stop "I came again around lunch time just to check up on him making sure that he was eating and stuff," we walked out of the elevator and down the hallway to the lobby

"How was he then?" I asked

"he was pretty much the same though he seemed to have fully grasped what was happening by then and was able to understand me pretty well though he didn't really say anything, I think he was scared of not being able to hear his own voice or something like that" His mother explained chewing on her lower lip, did Akaashi get that habit from her? I couldn't help but notice "I couldn't stop myself from coming back after work even though he seemed to want to be alone" she forced out a faint laugh "I didn't expect his friend to be there and I don't think he did"

"He still seemed pretty grumpy with me though" I muttered with a frown

"That's just how his normal state comes off as because he never learned how to properly express himself" She explained "but when you first came in you saw him standing by the window?"

"Yeah" I nodded

"He wasn't looking out the window, he had his eyes closed, he was trying to hear things" She sighed "His father does the exact same thing"

"But what does that have anything to do with me?" I asked

"What year are you in? You're a third year right? Akaashi's a second year so he's one year younger than you?" she thought to herself

"Yeah I'm a third year" I nodded

"You may have made Akaashi cry just because of the way you spoke but afterwards, he was smiling and joking, if he just smiled that would have been the most I've seen out of him all day but he was laughing and joking, you just seem to bring good feelings wherever you go" She looked up at the sky frowning at the grey clouds drifting in front of the sun "You make him happy I wish I could say the same for myself"

"Your his mother, of course you make him happy, even if not even he notices, that's just a mothers natural aura, it makes people happy" I explained smiling at her, she smiled back

"You know Bokuto you're pretty good at cheering people up, you've got a happy sunshiny aura to you yourself" she patted me on the back "Don't ever change"

"Thank you Ma'am"

"Oh please just call me Yoko" she insisted with a laugh "It looks like it's gonna rain I'll drive you home"

"Thank you Yoko" I bowed to her

"Oh stop with the formality" She scolded "I can tell it's not a natural thing for you as well" I felt my cheeks growing hot at her comment

"Sorry it's not I'm not the best when it comes to being formal" I scratched at the back of my neck

"It's fine" She led me over to a car parked somewhere in the middle of the parking lot