Pack Means Family

Night Time Comfort

Yamada frowned as he stirred. Every sound around his was muffled without his hearing aids, but his nose wasn't. The blond opened his eyes to find his smallest child sniffling and whimpering near silently into his pillow. He could smell the tell-tale scent of an accident and reached a gentle hand to brush Izuku's bangs from his forehead.

Terrified green eyes turned to him, the small body tensing. Yamada offered a smile and sat up, offering his hand to help his son. There were no words exchanged, just a papa tending to his son.

He was glad Izuku had agreed to continue to wear pull ups - which Hawks had been so kind to bring in their son's size - to bed just in case. It saved a messy clean up and even more embarrassment for his son.

The blond rose and let Izuku come to him, climbing into his arms. Yamada carried him to the bathroom, letting his son sniffle and softly cry against his shoulder. He paused to grab the book and his phone. He used the phone to light up the bathroom instead of the bigger, overhead light. Once they could see, Yamada set his son down and opened the book to common phrases. The blond just smiled and tapped "It's okay" and "love you."

Izuku sniffled again, rubbing his eyes. He then tapped "nightmare."

Yamada smiled and nodded. He tapped the "It's okay" and "love you" once more, then began to help his son get cleaned up. He felt Izuku's eyes on him as he offered silent comfort. Once his son was clean and more comfortable, Yamada looked back up at him.

Izuku studied him, then pointed at his throat. The child tipped his head, a slightly look of curiosity.

Yamada was confused for a moment, then flipped the book to a little dry erase sheet they had added when something couldn't be pointed to. He wrote a simple, 'I'm not wearing my ears.'

Izuku read it and looked completely confused. He glanced at Yamada then then pointed to the side of his head.

Yamada laughed softly. He erased the sheet and wrote 'ears = hearing aids' and 'they help me hear.'

Izuku read it and seemed a bit less confused, but still uncertain. It seemed like he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

Yamada erased the sheet and offered it to his son.

Izuku tucked Usagi under an arm and carefully wrote out 'you can't hear now?'

Yamada smiled and nodded. He wrote under his son's note, 'See? Your book can help me too.'

'No ears = no talk?' Izuku wrote back.

'I don't like the feel,' Yamada responded. He enjoyed passing the book back and forth.

'The feel?' Izuku asked.

'The vibrations a voice makes,' Yamada answered.

Izuku read the note and considered it. 'Where?'

Yamada smiled and tapped his throat. He gently took Izuku's hand and set it against his throat. "Proud of you," he said aloud.

Izuku's eyes widened, studying Yamada. He took his hand back and put it on his own throat. "Proud of you."

Yamada clenched his jaw to swallow his squeal at the sound of Izuku's whisper. Those were the first words Izuku had said in days at this point. He watched the child seem to study the vibrations the three words made.

Izuku took the book back and wrote, 'Feels weird.'

Yamada laughed. 'It does. So no ears = no talk. Dad and I use JSL.'

'What?' Izuku wrote back.

Instead of writing, Yamada signed, 'It is sign language. Talking with your hands.'

Izuku's eyes went wide in awe. It was the brightest his eyes had been in a long time.

Yamada picked up the book and wrote, 'Want to learn?'

Izuku nodded. Yamada smiled and showed him the sign for dad. He then wrote 'This means dad or papa. I bet dad would love to see it.'

Izuku gave that soft smile. He practiced the sign and got a hug in return. A quiet chirp escaped the boy before he tapped "I want to" and "bed" in the book.

Yamada nodded, nuzzling his son. "Proud of you," Yamada whispered in Izuku's ear before they headed back to bed. The blond watched his pup snuggle into his brother before he fell back asleep. He turned and saw Aizawa watching him.

Aizawa signed, 'Everything okay?'

Yamada nodded and stole a kiss before he settled back into his place on the other side of the pups.