Klaine One Shots

How The Deaf Boy Fell In Love

AU in which Kurt is deaf and him and Blaine meet at McKinley.

Kurt Hummel doesn't remember the accident that took away both his mother and his hearing. He's told that it was the result of a drunk driver. He's told that it took a couple days for the injuries to take his hearing. He's told that it took a week for the injuries to take his mother.

The biggest loss after his mother was probably singing. Kurt loved to sing, but when he lost his hearing, he lost his desire to sing. Part of it was his lack of ability to hear himself, but most of it was the fact that if he couldn't sing with her, who would he sing with? Who would he sing for?

The first question people often ask is if Kurt remembers what it was like to hear. He remembers bits and pieces, but the way an airplane flying overhead sounds has long since been lost in his memory. He couldn't recall what his father's voice sounded like, and learning that seemed like a tragedy to many people.

Burt Hummel was a determined man. When he learned his only son wasn't able to hear anymore, he put both himself and Kurt in sign language classes, learned all that he could about Deaf Culture, and transferred his son to Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus, Ohio. That's where Kurt spent the majority of his education. He would lived in the campus dorms with his friends during the week, and tried to come home for a weekend or two every month. But his senior year was different. His senior year Burt decided he wanted Kurt to attend the mainstream public school called William McKinley.

"Dad? Why are you doing this to me?" Kurt signed rapidly to his father upon learning of Burt's plan. Burt sighs, watching his son's face slowly transfer from angry to betrayal.

"You need to experience life at a hearing school, Kurt. If you are still planning on going to college, you need to understand how to interact in a dominantly hearing school and world," Burt told his son. Kurt sighs angrily.

"But all my friends are at OSD! It's my senior year!" Kurt tries again, trying to get Burt to change his mind. But like his son, Burt Hummel was a stubborn man.

"You can still talk with them. Now you have the chance to make new friends," Burt tries to put a positive spin, but this only seems to make Kurt angrier.

"New friends? Have you forgotten what hearing people are like when they meet me? Who would want to make friends with the deaf kid who doesn't even speak!" Kurt twists his face in disgust as he signs, trying to get his father to understand he is condemning him to a year of isolation and loneliness without his deaf friends.

Burt slams his hands on the table, causing what Kurt is sure to be a resounding thud, if he had been able to hear it. "I am done with this conversation. You will be going to McKinley next week, period," he says, his face clearly expressing his anger. Kurt sighs, understanding that there is no way to get around this. He glares at his father, mustering all the anger he has into that sharp look, and without another word he gets up from the table to stomps to his room, leaving Burt alone in the kitchen. Kurt sighs as he collapses onto his bed, looking at the pictures of him and his friends on his nightstand. He doesn't know how he's going to get through this year.

********

Kurt looks around the hallway as he hesitantly walks into the school. Surrounding him are many people, talking animatedly with one another. Down the hallway he sees multiple boys in varsity jackets wrestling with one another, drawing a small crowd who watches. Friends chat, talking endlessly about something. Kurt sighs, not being able to understand anything that's being said. After all, they were all talking, not signing.

Kurt feels someone tap on his shoulder and he turns around, seeing two adults walking up to him. The first one was a shorter Indian man wearing a suit. The second one was taller, with long blonde hair, who wasn't wearing a suit but still looked more dressed up than some of the teachers Kurt has already seen was wearing.