Unspoken Communication

Hello! This not only my first SakuAtsu fic, but also my first time ever writing Sakusa and Atsumu! If you have a second, please leave a like or comment about these two as they help me to improve. Enjoy!

NOTE- This hasn't been proofread yet! If you see a mistake just let me know and I'll fix it; I'll be able to proofread it at a later time.

Sakusa hadn't been deaf for his entire life, but he had never heard properly. It was almost a relief when he went completely deaf. It sounded terrible, but there were no more disorienting noises that he couldn't distinguish, no more struggling to hear what someone was saying, and no more random, weird noises that would freak him out. It was a struggle to adjust to a fully deaf life, but he found a way. Volleyball and his romantic life took the biggest hits. It took an adjustment period, but his team had adapted fully to his new lifestyle. They gave small hand movements, head bobs, flashes of smiles, taps on the shoulder, whatever they needed to do to ensure one of their own could continue down this path with them.

His romantic life was exceedingly more frustrating, however. His previous partner who he'd been with for years left him after he fully lost his hearing. To him, it wasn't worth it to be with someone he couldn't talk to. Sakusa had brushed him off and continued with his life, but his ex-boyfriend's words would creep into his mind at every failed relationship after that. How was he supposed to be with someone he couldn't communicate with? No one had been willing to find a way, so eventually Sakusa stopped looking for people.

That's when he was found.

There was one man who was willing to try. He struggled, embarrassed himself with the wrong words, and failed miserably at times, but he never gave up. It didn't matter how many times he hit an obstacle, Miya Atsumu was determined to find a way into Sakusa's heart.

Atsumu had spent months staying up late, watching YouTube videos and reading books just to learn sign language so he could properly "speak" to Sakusa. He had surprised him one day by taping Sakusa on the shoulder and asking him in sign language if he wanted to go out to lunch. To this day, Sakusa couldn't believe he had even said yes, but he had been so shocked he nodded. That day, Atsumu's face split open with a blinding smile as he grabbed his bag and they walked out together.

Miya Osamu and Suna Rintaro had shared a look as they two walked out. Osamu had no idea that Atsumu knew sign language that well and Suna couldn't wrap his him around those two going somewhere together.

Now years later, no one could ever imagine anything being any different between their little family. Sakusa signed happily as he slow danced around his shared apartment with Atsumu. He couldn't hear the beat, but he trusted Atsumu to guide him properly. They twirled and spun around in circles, easily flowing together as they stared into each other's eyes. Sakusa was content to stay that way but after another minute, Atsumu passed as the song changed. Once he got a feel for the beat, he took off again and pulled Kiyoomi with him. At some point, Sakusa has rested his head on Atsumu's neck as they continued to spin around the apartment. Atsumu felt how close he was and started humming along to the song. This action allowed Sakusa to feel the beat through the blond as they kept dancing late into the night.

It wasn't until several years later that Sakusa got a cochlear implant. It wasn't perfect, but it allowed him to hear his surroundings again. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear, and often gave him a headache if he wore it for too long, but he wouldn't give it up for the world. Finally, Kiyoomi was able to hear the voice of the man he loved so dearly and could hear the roar of the crowd on the court once again. When he first got it, it was overwhelming to have so much information invading his ears, but Atsumu was always by his sides to help him through it. He would patiently wait when Sakusa needed a break or would put his headphones in to muffle the noises. Sakusa always wanted to leave his implant in so he could hear Atsumu's voice, but the other man always reminded him to take breaks and helped him remove it. Eventually, they found a system that allowed Kiyoomi to split his time between the outside and Atsumu without getting overwhelmed.

Part of their system involved them developing non-verbal communications. They quickly established a meaning behind the small kisses they would share daily. Now, before bed, Atsumu would kiss him on both eyelids to tell him goodnight. In the morning, he would kiss his temples to help wake him up and say good morning. Atsumu's favorite kiss was also for the worst reason. Every time they had to part, whether for classes, a trip, or even simply to go to the grocery store, Atsumu would kiss Sakusa on the forehead right next to his two moles. Sakusa used to be self-conscious of the two spots on his face that always seemed to stand out no matter what he did, but Atsumu loved them so much, eventually, Sakusa had fallen in love with them as well.

Sometimes, Sakusa still got overwhelmed in public whether he had his implant in or not. Whenever this happened, Sakusa would cling to Atsumu's arm to ground him, and feel for his pulse on his wrist. The first time this had happened, it was an accident. The raven had gotten overwhelmed so Atsumu hugged him in an attempt to help. When that didn't work, it was actually Osamu who had an interesting thought- a heartbeat. The heartbeat of your lover was so calming, but Sakusa had no way of hearing it. Atsumu had stared blankly at his twin for a moment before Suna aggressively pointed at his own wrist and it all clicked. While signing that it was okay, Atsumu guided Sakusa's hand to feel the pulse point on his wrist. The raven visibly relaxed and gingerly held his lover's wrist between both of his hands while looking into his eyes. It became another way of their own unique language. If Kiyoomi ever started struggling, he would grasp Atsumu's wrist and the steady beat would immediately bring comfort and calm him back down.

Another way of their communication was writing. It might seem obvious, but they did it in a different way than one might expect. Instead of writing with a pen and paper, they would trace the letters into the other's skin. It was an intimate, and precious form of their language shared only between them. The soft touches would travel across the palms of their hands, all the way down their legs, and anywhere in between. Kiyoomi gave a small smile as a memory flooded his mind.

Atsumu and Sakusa had both come home from a long day of classes and practice and they both craved nothing more than to collapse into their soft bed. Sakusa's implant was out, and he signed that he was going to bed when he saw Atsumu enter the bedroom. The blond waved his hand in front of him to keep Sakusa's attention as he crawled into the bed beside him. He moved his hands slowly, carefully forming each word.

"I.....love...." Kiyoomi started to smile at him, he could predict where this was going,"..... cheddar cheese." He finished, with a proud look on his face that was clearly trying to hold in his laughter. Sakusa knew that wasn't a mistake and rolled his eyes and body over in the bed to face away from him.

"You."

Kiyoomi shivered at the soft touch of Atsumu's fingers against his bare back.

"I love you." Atsumu traced the letters across his back. He didn't stop though, continuously repeating the motions. After a few more times, Omi rolled back over to face his boyfriend. He tapped him under the chin and Atsumu moved his head closer to Kiyoomi. The raven closed the distance between them and kissed the blond on the lips.

"I love you too." The kiss told them. It was Kiyoomi's favorite kiss they shared. He stilled signed the word dumbass at Atsumu's grin that broke across his face but tapped him under the chin again for another kiss.

Who said you needed words to speak to someone? They had their own form of unspoken communication.

I have hearing loss myself, so this was fun to write. If you'd like more Haikyuu stories, check out my profile! See you next time! ~Kiera540