50 Drabbles

can you hear me

It happened on a rainy night in early spring. Tetsuya had stayed late at his school, caught up with lesson plans and papers and emailing parents. He sent a text to Taiga, not that it mattered much -- Taiga usually worked late too.

It was already eight by the time Tetsuya started home. His umbrella protecting him from the rain, but the wind still chilled him to the bone, unhampered by his thin coat. Luckily (or not, since he had to walk) their apartment was only a few blocks away.

But he never made it.

He was crossing the street, thinking of warm clothes and good food and cuddling in bed, not paying much attention to his surroundings. In his defense, the driver wasn't paying attention either, too busy one-handedly texting to notice the figure in front of them.

Kuroko remembered a jarring impact, intense pain and people screaming before it all faded to black.

-

The hospital called his parents first, and they in turn called Taiga.

He was the first to get there, and, after waiting for hours in tense silence, the first to start a fight over not being allowed to see him.

"I'm his boyfriend!" Taiga yelled at the lady, but she only gave him a pitying look.

"Family only until the doctors say otherwise."

"I am family!"

Tetsuya's mom rubbed his back and whispered soothing words until he sat back down, almost in tears. He watched dejected as she and her husband were lead away.

He stayed there all night. When Mr. and Mrs. Kuroko came back out, they said that he was asleep the whole time, but he looked pretty bad. They said they would be back tomorrow, and wished him a good night.

"Get some sleep," she said, giving him a tight hug before leaving.

He couldn't sleep at all.

-

Tetsuya had 2 broken ribs, a severely broken left leg, some internal bleeding, and had taken trauma to the head, resulting in minor hearing loss. Taiga hadn't found out until then when he read the papers. He was lucky he didn't lose his leg, the doctors said. Lucky he didn't lose his life.

Taiga cried when he got to see him, from relief and sadness and sympathy of Tetsuya's pain.

And Tetsuya cried with him.

-

Tetsuya's head wounds and bleeding had to be watched, and they didn't let him go home until nearly a month later, wrapped in bandages and a cast -- and wearing a hearing aid. The doctors said that he could have loss hearing all together, and to be grateful he didn't need surgery.

Taiga had no problem with it, but Tetsuya was less than thrilled.

"I feel like a grandpa," he had complained when they first put it on.

"It's sexy," was Taiga's attempt at raising his spirits.

Tetsuya had fixed him with a look. "How so?"

"Well, uh, sexy in that you would wear that while having sex?" He turned Tetsuya's head to the side then back facing him, and added. "You don't even really notice it unless you're looking for it, and if you grow your hair out a little it'll be like it's not there at all. It helps you hear, right?"

"Yes..."

"So don't worry about it. It helps you, and that's all that matters." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Tetsuya's for a moment.

-

Tetsuya got used to it after a while, and it became the least of their problems.

First and foremost on Taiga's mind was that Tetsuya be able to rest and get better. So, since Taiga was at work most days and he didn't want Tetsuya to strain himself, he was staying with his parents during the day and would come home when Taiga got off.

Both of their parents pitched in to help with the hospital bills, which Taiga was grateful for. With what they had in savings and what Taiga was bringing in now, they wouldn't be too bad.

Tetsuya's students began sending in cards. Being kindergartners, it was mostly just pictures with bright colors and glitter, but stuffed into the empty spaces was "get better"s and "we miss you"s with varying degrees of sloppiness.

One student, who had been very attached to Tetsuya, had a parent type out a long note on everything that had happened in class since he's been out. It had ended with a hand written "I miss you!!! Mitsuko"

(Tetsuya almost cried as he read it, though he had a fond smile on his face. He told Taiga he couldn't wait to get back to school.)

-

Taiga woke up with Tetsuya in his arms and a faceful of hair, but he couldn't have been happier. By now, Tetsuya was almost back to normal and teaching again, though he still had the hearing aid (on his first day back in class, he told them that he was trying to become a robot, but it was taking a long time because he had to do it little by little.)

Tetsuya seemed lighter lately, more present and smiling and Taiga couldn't get enough. Each grin and kiss and touch left him wanting more and he hoped that never changed.
Tetsuya shifted, yawning and scooting closer.

"Can you hear me?" Taiga asked, mouth next to his ear. Taiga could never be sure how loud he had to be when Tetsuya had his aid off, and he knew how much Tetsuya hated accidentally ignoring him.

"Mhm," he replied.

"I love you."

He could practically hear Tetsuya's playful grin.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I love you."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Once more."

"I love you."

Tetsuya looked up and kissed him, and Taiga just barely registered the "me too" whispered against this lips.