AU: deaf!wook

With a large yawn, the small figure rolled out from under the comforter of the king-sized bed, letting his feet drop to the floor. He stumbled over to his closet, finding something to wear other than his giraffe-printed pajamas and making his way toward the bathroom. He quickly changed, washed his face, and brushed his teeth; after running a hand through his messy hair, he made a face at the mirror and practically skipped back out to the bedroom, a smile stretching across his face.

Today was August twenty-fourth and it was one of Ryeowook’s favorite days of the entire year.

He’d managed to get the day off (his boss wasn’t terribly strict anyway, so it hadn’t been much of a challenge) and was planning to use his free time in the most productive way possible; getting ready for that evening.

First on the list: decorations.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have much of anything on hand, so he grabbed his wallet and house keys, locking the door behind him as he started off toward the small party store a little further in town. It was about a thirty minute walk, but he really didn’t mind. Walking gave him time to think and plan out what else he needed to do. He breathed deeply, the slightly musty smell of the air hinting at the rain that was sure to come later that day and he quickened his pace.

He waved happily to the clerk when he entered the store and immediately ducked toward the back shelves, which were filled with brightly-colored streamers and festive hats and all of the balloons he could have ever wanted. He bit his lip, examining each and every piece to find the perfect decorations. When he’d finally made his decisions, he paid for his purchases and headed back home, a bag in one hand and three balloons trailing after him, bouncing in the wind.

Once back in the house, he got to work setting up the banner he’d bought and carefully setting out the festive plates on the dining room table. He tied the balloons to the back of his boyfriend’s chair before running up to his bedroom; he returned a moment later, placing two boxes gently on the left side of the table, making sure to leave enough room in the middle for Jongwoon’s favorite dessert. Ryeowook took a step back, putting his hands on his hips as he examining the scene, a bright smile stretching across his face. Satisfied with his work, he turned and headed for the kitchen: time to get started on the most important task of the day.

---

It wasn’t long before the kitchen was filled with the delicate but distinctive smell of Jongwoon’s favorite chocolate cake as it baked to perfection in the oven. After cleaning up most of the mess he’d made in the process of making the cake batter flawless, Ryeowook had gotten out the icing he’d made the day before and the food coloring and was beginning to mix together several different colors, making sure each shade was impeccable and complimented the others just the way he wanted them to. After nearly thirty minutes of mixing and perfecting colors, he paused, breathing deeply, then rushed to the oven, checking on his cake. He pulled it out carefully, poking it gently; he grinned, obviously happy with how it had turned out and placed it on the counter to let it cool down.

He disappeared for a moment, reappearing with a sketch pad and pencil in hand; he climbed onto one of the bar stools at the island in the middle of the kitchen and began to slowly and methodically sketch out design ideas for the cake. He smiled to himself, loving the feeling of his pencil catching slightly on the paper and the way the ideas in his head suddenly came to life on the page. He liked drawing. He liked the way a few of a pencil could produce something beautiful and so alive. He liked the way that he could express what was in his mind without having to worry about language barriers. To be honest, he liked drawing almost as much as he liked baking. But not nearly as much as he liked Jongwoon.

Ryeowook sketched out a couple of ideas before he finally settled on one he liked; by that time, the cake had cooled sufficiently and he carefully pried it from the pan, placing it gently on a clear, glass plate so that he could start icing it. He clapped once to himself, then grabbed a bowl full of icing and got to work.

---

Jongwoon had to work overtime on his birthday.

It hadn’t happened on purpose, necessarily. He had actually been planning to leave a little bit early that day, but when one of his coworkers didn’t show up to work, he’d had to take on an extra shift because no one else could. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, but he knew Ryeowook was waiting for him at home and it made him antsy and desperate to get away.

When he stepped through the door at slightly past nine thirty, he was immediately hit with the smell of his favorite chocolate cake and he felt his spirits lift immediately. He didn’t like doing anything huge for his birthday, but Ryeowook always liked to do something special for him and he couldn’t help but be a little excited to see what he’d done this year. He followed the scent, heading toward the dining room and stopping in his tracks when he saw what was there.

Ryeowook was sitting at the table, his head resting on his folded arms, his eyes closed but his eyelids moving slightly with his dreams. The banner, happily proclaiming “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” in bright, polka-dotted letters, hung behind him between the windows; the balloons danced slowly as the air conditioning blew cold air toward the younger man; the cake sat, proudly decorated, in the middle of the table and two small boxes, wrapped carefully in a light and dark green striped paper, were placed just a little off to the side. Jongwoon smiled down at his boyfriend, who had worked so hard to make his birthday a special one. He gently scooped him up in his arms, heading for their bedroom.

Ryeowook stirred when he was halfway up the stairs and immediately grabbed a fistful of Jongwoon’s shirt, tugging on it slightly.

‘I made you cake,’ he signed sleepily, nestling his face into the older man’s shoulder; Jongwoon just smiled, placing the smaller man onto their bed before signing ‘I saw. Thank you!’ back to him.

Ryeowook stubbornly pulled himself into an upright position, about to climb off the bed and go back downstairs; it was his hyung’s birthday and they were going to celebrate! With a shake of his head, Jongwoon pushed him back against the pillows, lying down behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. He slowly slid his hand under Ryeowook’s shirt, signing ‘In the morning; I’m tired’ against the soft skin over his stomach as he buried his face in his hair.

The younger man, after a minute or two of battling with himself, gave in to the request, nestling back against his hyung’s chest. He was about to fall asleep when he remembered something and suddenly rolled over, surprising Jongwoon as he propped himself up on one elbow. He cocked his head to the side and stared into the other’s eyes as he began to sign, one letter at a time, ‘Happy Birthday, Kim Jongwoon.’ He smiled brightly when he was done, leaning forward and kissing him softly, letting the rest of his statement (a heartfelt ‘I love you’) be felt physically instead of through a hand sign or two.

Jongwoon fell asleep a few minutes after his boyfriend did, a smile still gracing his lips.

Having Ryeowook by his side was the best birthday present he could have ever asked for.

Happy Birthday, Kim Jongwoon~!!! <333