Work Text:
Till didn't quite remember what happened, he had been running down Banga's sandstone streets with a bag of art supplies, he hadn't seen a cart coming down the road, he had only reached to pick up the pallet knife that fell out of his bag.
When he awoke in a hospital, he saw his mother at his bedside crying with a shaking smile looking down at her, he opened his mouth trying to speak, but no sound came out. She gulped and looked down at him, "Till please... Don't try to speak, you'll only open the wound." she warned him, he touched his neck, feeling the bandage on his neck, he was silent as he processed the bandage on his neck, What is this? He looked around the room, met with the familiar white walls, the walls being painted with light blue flowers painted in pretty patterns on the walls.
He looked toward his mother, he reached up to her as he attempted to communicate with his eyes to ask her what happened, his eyes getting teary eyed, she held his hand as her eyes grew teary, "I am so glad you're still here. I didn't know if you'd make it when I heard that you were hit and a pallet knife made it through your throat!" she sobbed as she looked at him. His eyes widened as he realised what happened, my pallet knife went through my throat...?
He slowly sat up and he looked at her as she enveloped him in a hug as she sobbed, he slowly returned the hug, he was in a state of shock as tears soaked into his hospital dress, so many questions ran around in his head as he tried to figure out the state of his vocal cords and how he ended up in this situation.
When he was alone in the hospital, he was staring at the ceiling, he hadn't exactly had time to himself, he touched his throat, My vocal cords were damaged huh... He hissed as he considered it, So I'm stuck to silence. How fun. his thoughts were interrupted by the door creaking open, he sat up fast, Who the hell is coming over so close to the end of visitation hours? He raised a brow as he saw a dark haired young man come inside into the room, he placed a book on Till's bedside table. When he turned his head to face Till, Till recognised him, Ivan?
Ivan looked at him before he spoke in a tone casual enough to make Till forget about his injury, "Till, sorry for coming late, I had to ask your mother for permission to visit." he sighed softly sitting down in the visitor seat, he looked up at Till, who shook his head smiling a little, Well obviously the hospital wouldn't want some guy visiting a patient. He looked at the book and pointed to it, Ivan picked it up, showing the cover.
"Sign language for beginners."
Till stared at it and lifted his head as he looked at the book, Ivan spoke, "I heard that you wouldn't be able to speak like you used to... So I decided to bring this for you so you can start learning right away." he handed the book to Till, "Signing is faster than writing on paper." he smiled softly, the other looked up at him and smiled back, Well ain't that sweet. He shook his head as he looked down at the book that was now in his lap. He opened it to the first page, noticing the lack of a library seal.
He raised a brow looking over at Ivan, who shook his head, "I didn't want to spend too long running around the library." he got a squint in response, Ivan deflated a little, "I didn't want you to have a time limit?" a head tilt. "OK I may have bought it because I wanted for you to be in no rush to learn. Your mother liked the idea." Till nodded, accepting that answer as he flipped a few pages, the first few signs were simple greetings. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the pictures, Ivan checked the time and stood up, "Well that's the end of my visitation, get well soon." he smiled and waved before he left.
Till watched him as he left the room, the door shut, leaving Till alone in the room with his thoughts and the book in his lap, Well. This is definitely going to help me. He looked at the drawing showing how to sign 'hello', he narrowed his eyes as he copied it with his left hand, holding the book with his right as he looked at it, while desperately trying to ignore how uncomfortable the bandages were on him. It was insanely itchy for him, he fought himself not to tear off the bandage, he knew better than that, he'd likely open the wound on his neck and likely not be as lucky as he was the first time. Whoever started to help me after I passed out is a god send. He shook his head as he smiled at the thought.
The days went on similarly, his mother visiting him every day and talking with him through the use of a notebook and pen, after 3 weeks be managed to make it home, he looked over at the neighbouring house absent mindedly, Ivan having been outside tending to the lawn weeding it as Till walked past, he considered it and looked at the rock on the road, he picked it up and tossed it at Ivan who looked his way after a jab of sharp pain against his back, he narrowed his eyes briefly before he lit up smiling at Till, "You're home!" he smiled happily as he discarded his tools and work gloves going over to Till. "How's your neck?" he pointed to his own to make a point, Till reached for his notepad in his pocket, before Ivan spoke again, "I've been studying some sign language if you want to try telling me with it instead."
Till paused and considered it before he slowly signed, "I'm... Still... Not... Good...signing..." his cheeks burned and his hands shook slightly as he signed his first sentence, he felt foolish signing so slowly, What am I doing?! I look like an idiot! He looked up at Ivan who smiled, "It's OK to not be perfect at signing, we can practice together when you're free!" he offered his hand tilting his head, Till looked up at him and nodded taking his head and shaking it. Maybe it'll be easier learning the right speed then. He thought before he looked back at his home and he looked at Ivan, "I... Go... Home..." the dark haired man nodded, "Alright, just knock on my door when you want to practice." he picked up his gloves and returned to his work weeding.
Till quickly walked over into his house and made it inside, his mother smiled at him, "Catching up with friends?" she asked with a soft smile, she giggled a little, he blushed a little and nodded before he fled over to his room, he looked inside and he noticed a small mirror placed on his desk, his room was as he left it besides it. A single bamboo bed with a thin mattress and thin blanket and pillow which were a pale teal, his rug a simple black one. His canvases and canvas boards leaning against the walls and stacked on the floor, an easel standing proudly with the work he had been working on before he had gone out to get more supplies.
The mirror placed on his desk was something he requested in the hospital, I'll be able to look at myself now when learning... He took a deep breath as he moved his bag down and took out the book on sign language out of it, he placed it on his desk and flipped through the pages. Practice makes perfect. He took a deep breath as he looked at the mirror and slowly started to do the sign for 'please' he narrowed his eyes as he glanced between himself and the book as he carefully copied the image in the book.
.
.
.
The next day Till tiredly looked through the many pictures, How the hell am I supposed to learn all of these? He hissed through gritted teeth as he moved back looking toward his canvas, What was that project anyway? He thought about it before he stood and walked over, his fingers rolling over the raised acrylic on the canvas, the images on the canvas being rough, only the start of making a painting with a lion as its center piece, only the start of it was started before he had found he was missing paint he needed and deciding to pick up a random pallet knife he saw on the shelf in a size he didn't have.
If I didn't do that...
He shook his head.
He couldn't change that now, and now he didn't feel like being alone. He headed out of his room and to the doorway, he glanced and saw that his mother was still at work, I probably cost her a fortune... He sighed before he made it out and locked the door behind himself before jogging over to his left, to Ivan's front door, he knocked a few times before he waited, listened, trying to figure out if Ivan or anyone else in his household was home. He absentmindedly looked at the sandstone building, seeing the mural his family had painted on the walls, a bright set of red flowers, stylistically rimmed by a sharp striking black.
He sighed a little before his attention was brought to the sound of the door opening, Ivan smiled at him, "Come in!" Till accepted the prompt and walked inside, he followed him, "My room is here, want some tea? We made some ice tea a little bit ago," Till considered before he signed, "Yes" Ivan nodded, "I'll be right back!" he left the room, leaving the other alone in his room, Till looked around, it was a simple room, many pieces of various shades and sizes of paper and some sticks of charcoal lying around, a bed, a dresser, a desk and on said desk Till noticed, a stack of books on sign language, ones that had a lot of colorful tabs, the books clearly read closely and studied.
He smiled softly before he sat down on the bed and noticed some of the charcoal drawings, he picked one up, it being a study of the human form, sketchy and fastly made, Must be from class. He looked at the other ones and smiled a little, They're pretty good. He placed it back and turned back to the door as Ivan returned with two glasses, he handed one to Till, "Thank you." He sighed as he started to sip at the drink, it was a sweet peach tea and ice cold. He looked toward Ivan, "Alright so have you got finger spelling down?" the other nodded, he nodded back, "Great! I did my best to learn as many signs as I could so that I can help you pick them up too." he looked at him as he placed his glass on his desk, Till placed his own next to it, "Where do you want to start?" he asked smiling.
Till thought and signed, "I W...A...N...T... To... Say... I... L... O... V... E... You to... My... Baby." He looked at Ivan waiting, the dark eyed man spoke, "You want to know how to say 'I love you' to your... Baby?" he chuckled a little, Till went bright red, "I know you were trying to sign mom the sign just looks like this," he signed, "Mom." He smiled at Till, who copied, "Mom." He smiled slightly, he chuckled a little, he shook his head, "OK and as for signing 'I love you' it's really simple!" he smiled and brought his hand up, "You put down your middle and ring finger." Till looked at his hand and put down the fingers in question, "Turn it to face the person you're saying to!" Ivan smiled as he turned his hand to Till, "And that's it!" he smiled, Till nodded.
He looked at it and smiled, "Thank you." he signed as he looked at Ivan, who nodded in return, he still held the sign, "I love you." He didn't put it down until Till started to sign for him to show a new one.
If only you knew...