The Shape of Silence || Tsukishima Kei x Reader

Chapter Four: She Sees Stuff Differently, Ya Know?

Like always, he was looking forwards to volleyball practice, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.

He walked through the hallway with his gym bag on his shoulder, the other first years walking with him. He wasn't really paying attention, but Hinata's whine managed grasp it.

"Whaaat? She got into your class?" He complained. "I wanted to be in the same class as her!"

"Can you even read sign language, Shoyo?" Yamaguchi laughed, then laughed harder when both Hinata and Kageyama pouted.

"Why were you two so excited to have her in your class, anyways?" Tsukki asked them, regarding the two and furrowing his eyebrows.

"She's new!" Hinata explained like it was the most obvious thing. "And it would be so cool to have a different person in the room! She sees stuff differently, ya know?"

"She's smart, though. Of course she sees things differently than you." Tsukishima pointed out, and Hinata and Kageyama gave him an offended look. Yamaguchi sighed, though grinned through it.

Through practice, though, Kei realized the little tangerine had a point. Of course she saw stuff differently. Maybe even a little more simply then he saw things.

He swelled on that until he got to the locker rooms.

~~~

Tsukishima didn't know what came over him when he went home that evening after practice, but instead of studying like he normally did, he pulled out his laptop and searched up sign language.

Just the basics, he thought. 'Hello.' 'Good morning.' That sort of thing. It wasn't long until he found the signs for colours, and animals, and directions as well.

Her world was small, Tsukki thought. Maybe he could open it up–at least just a little–for her.

"Kei," His door swung open, and he literally jumped and slammed his laptop shut.

His brother stood in the doorway, slightly confused. "Don't tell me you were looking at–"

"It was a panic response." Kei interrupted evenly, surprising judging from the scare he was just given. "I didn't expect you to come in, and the general panicked response for a teenager-"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all sciencey on me. Just teasing you." His brother waved his hand airily. "Suppers ready."

"Could've just knocked on my door..." Kei mumbled, but his brother didn't seem to hear.

"So I hear you have a new disabled kid at your school?" Akiteru asked as the two plodded down the stairs. "They must be very smart to get into a class with you and your friend."

"I wouldn't say disabled." He caught himself defending her, and found it slightly odd. He continued. "She's just challenged. She seems to be pretty good friends with Yamaguchi already."

"She?" Aki picked up on the word, and Kei gave him a glare. Aki chuckled. "Teasing, teasing."