One Direction: Sick-Fics

(AU) Niall, Deaf

"Um can you maybe do one where Niall is deaf and really innocent and adorable? They are all still famous tho."

REQUESTED BY :- StevenUniverse_Lapis

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Niall Horan had started out just as most people do, he had gone to school just like everybody did, and he had household rules that he needed to obey or risk getting in trouble by his parents. The only difference between him and most people was that he had actually managed to achieve and see his wildest dreams come true.

Niall had taken a chance when he was sixteen and had auditioned for a talent show, even though his individual journey had been cut short he had been grouped with four other people. In a group of five he would achieve his dream of being a singer, playing his guitar and singing on stage for millions, the only problem was, he was losing his hearing.

It hard started off so slowly that it hadn't even bothered him at first, sometimes he would turn his head or focus really hard on something and it would be like his left ear would mute for a second. He usually forgot about it quickly: especially since the only time he really focused on a sound was when he was tuning his guitar, and he didn't have to do that all that often. He had been seventeen when it started, and until he was eighteen he had barely given the glitch in his ears much thought.

By the time Niall was eighteen he missed most of what was said to him, he had to be looking at the person who was speaking and focusing on their lips to work out what they wanted, pretty much all sounds had started to sound as if he was underwater. He wasn't going to lie the more he lost his hearing the more it terrified him, and as much as he wanted the answers he was too afraid of finding out that there was something majorly wrong with him. Also the more he lost his hearing the more he tried to hide it from his band mates, he loved what he was doing, and so far he was managing it, even if his world was mostly silent these days. He was not only terrified of why he was losing his hearing; he was also terrified of being kicked out of the band.

A lot had changed though, since the band first started, and his band mates had noticed these changes. When the band had first toured Niall was the first one up and out of bed, he had once been the person to spring out of bed and start to wake the others up in preparation of whatever long and busy day they would have ahead of them; now though Niall was usually the last to wake, being unable to hear his alarm. Instead of waking the others they now woke him, usually by stealing the covers or tickling him. This had been the first red flag for the boy's; they found the change in the adorable Irish lads sleeping routine concerning, they had once had a discussion about it, having been worried that he may have been suffering depression, they quickly came to the conclusion that he was way too happy and energetic for that to be the case.

It was none other than Louis Tomlinson who noticed the second red flag, the boys had been sitting in the van on the way to an interview, he had been sitting in the front with Liam sat next to him, while Niall was sat in the next row of seats behind him, Harry sat next to him and Zayn was in the very back.

"Nialler?" Louis called, thinking nothing of it when he didn't get a response, he figured that he had probably just fallen asleep, the boys usually had quick naps in the car between events, however turning around to prove his assumption correct he was surprised to find the blond boy awake. Louis reached his hand back lightly slapping his leg to get his attention "Niall?" he questioned again, looking right at him.

"Yes Louis?" Niall responded, it had been a couple of months since his hearing had almost completely gone, being unable to make out more than just random bits and pieces of what was said around him he had started to teach himself how to read lips. This was also a technique he had picked up for on stage, when he needed to work out his turn to sing, they got pieces of paper when a song came out, detailing who was to sing what, so by remembering who came before his bits he could usually detect when it was his turn to sing.