Work Text:
Inumaki Toge really was just here to pick up his meds and go home. Simple in and out, grab his antidepressants and the throat numbing spray he uses when he talks too much, and then get out. Maybe grab a drink. As a treat. Dr. Pepper sounded good. That was his entire goal for the day.
His day's plans did not include helping a random person after they passed out. Why was this his life?
He's trying not to listen to the conversation at the other desk because hey, it's a pharmacy, privacy, and he tries to be respectful. Sometimes. At least with stuff like this. So he's ignoring the conversation and the associated muttering. Or at least he’s trying to.
“I'm dizzy,” says the guy next to him as he slides to the floor. And Toge, like a respectful human being- his friends would laugh- looks away. The pharmacy tech has for it, surely. Instead he slides over his phone, a prewritten message ready to go.
<Picking up
Inumaki Toge
10-23-2001>
The pharmacist nods and smiles at him, points towards the store of meds and disappears. She said nothing through the whole process but nodded eagerly and put together he can tell from her behavior she assumes he's deaf. It’s a common misconception he gets. To be honest, he doesn’t really mind, because it involves less talking for him altogether. He sighs, waits for her to return, and does not pay attention to the person next to him.
The pharmacist has asked him to sit in a chair instead of on the floor and asked him if he needed water. The guy had complied, and stared blankly in the distance. Yeah, the tech has it. He's fine. Toge shouldn’t be getting all up in his business.
The other pharmacist returns with his meds, pointing at the labels instead of saying their names and Toge doesn't care enough to explain, just nods and takes his meds. She taps a few things on the screen and he waits, only slightly impatient shifting foot from foot. He's ready to leave and go home when the guy who wasn't feeling well falls to the floor, head hitting the ground roughly.
Toge winces at the impact, and the pharmacy techs make horrified eye contact with each other as one rushes out the back over the person's side.
“Are you okay?” He asks, shaking their shoulders a little too roughly. Toge winces again. Come on, really? The guy begins to stir.
“Wuh?” he says.
“Are you alright?” The tech says, explaining nothing, and then, “I’m taking your pulse.”
Toge is fully listening now, ignoring people and privacy be damned. Someone just passed out. Plus the tech who’s supposed to be helping him seems to be watching them instead and Toge can’t leave without paying for his meds. So he waits, and watches.
“Huh,” the tech says, “your heart rate is pretty normal. Let me get you some water.”
He returns with the water quickly and the guy is still there, slowly sitting up as he takes the offered water, staring ahead.
The tech then… disappears. Goes back to filling meds and just leaves the guy. Toge watches, waits for the tech to come back to check on the guy's head or offer him a snack or something or to take his blood pressure, blood sugar, anything. He doesn't. He just fills meds.
The other pharmacist that’s helping him taps the payment screen and Toge scans his card, not really paying attention to the price. It’s the same time every time anyways. The payment goes through and Toge backs away, walks over the guy that's just passed out.
He crouches in front of him, pulls out his phone and types, quickly handing it over.
<Hey are you okay? Can I get you anything?>
The guy stares at the phone for a second and Toge studies him. He's tall even while sitting- very tall, certainly taller than Toge and he has short black hair. He's thin with dark blue eyes and pale skin as he continues to shake and shiver. And the tech just left him like this, with hands that shake bad enough he can barely hold the extra large pill bottle the tech has filled with water for him.
“Uh,” he says, “I just passed out.”
Toge takes his phone back.
<Yeah,> he agrees, <fell out of your chair onto the floor.>
“Oh,” the guy says, still processing it all, “That's not great.”
<Do you pass out often?> he types quickly, handing it back.
“No,” the guy says. His teeth chatter and his legs jerk lightly. He's still shivering. This has to be an overwhelmingly negative experience.
Toge holds up a finger, waits until the guy processes it, and gets up. He goes to the front of the aisles where they have little snacks and stuff, quickly finds a Gatorade, some salty chips, and some fruit gummies. He pays, and rushes back.
The guy is staring at the ground but as Toge approaches he looks up, eyes lifting just slightly. His shoulders relax, and Toge feels bad for leaving him alone. He hands over his spoils, then realizes how much the dude is shaking and takes the Gatorade back, unscrewing it, breaking the seal, before putting the cap back on and handing it over.
“This is for me?” the guy asks, and Toge nods.
<Don't know why you passed out, but electrolytes, salt, and sugar will cover a lot of the bases. Can't hurt,> Toge types, taking a minute on it, as the guy takes a cautious sip of Gatorade. He hands his phone over and the guy reads it and lets out another soft ‘oh,’ and takes another sip.
“Thanks,” he says, and sniffles a little.
Ah damn. Poor dude.
“I just got my flu shot,” he says, “I'm not even scared of needles, I just, I'm an anxious person in general. I don't know why I passed out.”
Toge shrugs, tries to convey that this isn't that big of a deal and he'll be okay. He tries ti be confident because this guy is obviously totally lost and no one else is fucking helping. At least he's looking significantly better after just a few minutes, no longer shaking bad enough to spill his drink and able to look around a little more clearly.
“I hit my head,” the guy says, plain observation as he sort of understands and processes the incident.
Toge nods.
“Hurt?” he asks in sign, and then repeats himself through his phone.
“A little,” he admits, and then pauses, “yeah. Actually. Yeah. It does.” He presses a hand against his head and when it makes contact he winces.
<You should take some meds when you get home,> Toge suggests and the guy shakes his head.
“Not supposed to with the vaccine,” he offers and Toge makes a face. He didn’t know that. That’s a thing? The guy shrugs, ducks his head, opens the chips. He nibbles on a chip slowly and Toge wonders if he's nauseous. He looks around, taking note of the people in the area and then looks down again, hunching his shoulders. Toge does his own look at the area. There's quite a few people around, but only one or two are actively looking at them.
<Most people aren't paying attention,> he soothes, <and the ones that are are just worried.>
The guy winces, but nods. It can’t be fun to pass out and have people looking at you. Especially in some random pharmacy when you’re already an anxious person. Jeez this guy's luck sucks. Toge watches as he takes a deep breath in and out. He takes another sip of the Gatorade. It’s about half gone now. He’s not really sure what to do now, so he sort of just sits there.
“You’re uh, pretty good at this,” the guy offers, and Tige shrugs. “Seriously,” he continues, “Do you work in the medical field or something?”
There’s a little bit of joy he gets at that, of this guy assuming he can work instead of most people who kind of just assume Toge can’t do anything just because he can’t talk. But mostly, he is filled with humor at the idea of being part of the medical profession.
He shakes his head emphatically.
<I have a friend who has POTS, so I’m used to this stuff,> he explains through his phone again.
The guy frowns at his phone.
“POTS?” he asks, and Toge takes his phone, exits out of his notes app, opens a google page and hands it over once more, allowing the stranger to scan through the symptoms. After a moment he makes a note of acknowledgement and Toge nods.
“Okay,” he says and takes another deep breath. He screws the cap back onto the Gatorade bottle and Toge notes his hands aren’t shaking nearly as much.
<How are you feeling?> Toge asks.
“Uh,” he considers for a moment, “Better?”
But it’s very obviously a question. Toge nods, still not great then.
<Do you live close? Can you call someone to pick you up?>
The guy shakes his head.
“None of uh, none of my friends have cars,” he says, “But I think I’ll be fine to take the bus soon. I don’t live too far.”
Toge nods.
“You don't have to stay now,” the guy then proceeds to stay, “Thanks for your help.”
Toge nods again, scrawls out another message on his phone.
<Do you want me to stay? I don’t mind.>
Toge had been planning on just going home, playing some video games, and ignoring some homework on his day off. He’d prefer to be back doing that, but he’d feel really shitty if he just left this dude here, especially with how the pharmacy staff is treating him- or not treating him. He doesn’t know why he cares, but he does, and he wants to make sure this random stranger is oaky. If that means waiting around a little longer, so be it.
“Uh,” he hesitates, not committing either way. He looks to the side. “You probably have stuff to do.”
Toge just shakes his head, shrugs. He really was just planning on going home and playing games.
“Alright,” the guy says, “If you’re sure. It would be nice to not uh, be alone right now.”
Toge nods.
Panda always feels shitty after moments like these and he’s used to them. He can’t imagine passing out in a public place, hitting your head, and then practically everyone around you seeming not to care as you try to just get to a baseline of okay.
“Oh, I’m uh, Okkotsu Yuuta,” he offers, “sorry I didn’t introduce myself.” He opens the packet of gummies, puts one hesitantly in his mouth, sucking on it lightly.
<Forgiven,> Toge allows, <You were in the middle of passing out. I’m Inumaki Toge.>
“Nice to meet you Inumaki,” Okkutsu offers and Toge nods.
“Same,” he signs, and Okkotsu frowns, narrows his eyes.
“That means ‘same,’ right?” he asks, “I took like two years of ASL in high school.”
Toge nods. Okkotsu nods back. They both sort of sit there for a minute.
“My boss is going to be so mad at me,” Okkotsu says pitifully after a moment, head dropping once more.
Toge gives him a look and types out a one word question, <Why?>
“Ugh,” Okkotsu says, tipping his head back instead of forward for once and immediately wincing.
Toge gives him a moment, and he breathes deeply, evenly.
“I have to get my flu shot for work,” he explains, “and I’m already behind and I was supposed to ask for the papers or something but I forgot because I got really dizzy super quickly after. And now I don’t have them for when I go back to work and my boss will be all upset.”
Oh. Well that’s not too bad. That’s a solvable issue.
Toge gets up, holds a finger up again, and then strides off to the vaccine check-in desk. He can feel Okkotsu’s eyes on him. He waits at the desk for a moment, the same tech who had largely not helped Okkotsu eye’s passing over him, returning to meds, and then finally pausing to come over to Toge after a minute passes.
“Are you here to check in?” he asks, and Toge’s already typing.
<My friend-> and it feels a little weird, a little bad to refer to Okkotsu as a friend but it’s much easier and more foolproof then ‘stranger I just met because he passed out and you did nothing-’ <Forgot to get the paperwork for his vaccine. Can we still get that?>
He looks at him bored, then looks past him to see Okkotsu still on the floor.
“Was he a walk in?”
Toge doesn’t know. He turns around, and Okkotsu is looking over, close enough to have heard. He shakes his head, Toge nods, and turns back.
He shakes his head in turn, and the tech stares at him for a moment but then nods himself.
“It was sent to him right after then, you don’t pick up anything physical.”
Toge gives a half hearted thumbs up and turns away. He crouches back at Okkotsu’s side.
He sighs and tilts his head to the side. He looks uncomfortable here, on the ground, not even the wall close enough to lean against.
“Thanks,” he says, “one less thing to worry about.”
He doesn’t really sound less worried though.
Toge shrugs. It’s no problem really. He doesn’t mind.
<Do you want to try sitting in a chair now?> Toge asks.
Okkotsu takes stock of his body, reflects internally for a moment, and then meets his gaze with Toge again and nods. Toge offers a hand and he carefully gets to his feet slowly before sitting back into the metal waiting chair provided in the pharmacy. Toge sits next to him. He leans over, picks the forgotten Gatorade off the floor and offers it back to Okkotsu. Okkotsu takes it again with a quiet thanks and unscrews it once more, working on finishing the second half.
“Ugh,” he complains, “this sucks.”
Toge nods.
“I’m pretty sure they just think I’m scared of needles,” he confesses, “And that’s not it, I swear.”
<Doesn't really matter why, they should be doing better,> Toge comments, and Okkotsu doesn’t look happy about it, but he nods in agreement.
“I hit my head,” he comments and Toge nods again.
“What if I have a concussion?” Okkotsu asks, and Toge looks at him.
<Does your head hurt that bad?> Toge asks.
Okkotsu hesitates and shakes his head. As he does, Toge looks at his eyes.
“I don't think I have a concussion,” Okkotsu admits, and Toge agrees. He nods firmly.
“Yeah,” Okkotsu sighs, “I had one as a kid and it definitely hurt way more than this does. I think it was just y’know, scary.”
Toge waits, lets him talk it out.
“Sorry,” he eventually blushes, some color returning to his cheeks, “I don’t mean to like- you’ve been super helpful. Sorry.”
Toge shrugs.
<I don’t mind,> he types, <Seems like you got the short end of the stick anyways.>
He laughs, nods. Now that he’s sitting in a chair he can tilt his head back against the wall. He breathes softly. He closes his eyes for a second, and Toge taps his foot a few times, waiting, wondering if there’s anything else he can do. He remembers Okkotsu’s comment about taking the bus.
He types out a new question, and waits for Okkotsu to open his eyes, but even after almost a minute he doesn't, so Toge lightly taps him and shows off his screen.
<I can get my friend to take you home,> he offers, <she has a car.>
Almost immediately he shakes his head, and then winces at the movement.
“No,” he says, “No I don’t want to make your friend do that, it’s okay.”
Toge shrugs.
<She wouldn't mind.>
Which is an oversimplification because Maki would probably mind, or at least pretend to mind because that’s just the way she is. Regardless, she’ll say next. Toge will just owe her a coffee or something. It’s how their friendship works.
He hesitates this time, wide eyes staring at Toge before disappearing again as he gives another small shake.
<Where do you live?> Toge prompts, and Okkotsu answers. Toge tries to think of how to get there but can only think of routes with transfers.
<What bus do you take?> he asks.
“39 to the 11,” he explains, tilting his head back once more as Toge takes back his phone.
Toge snorts, and shakes his head no, and Okkotsu peers down at him.
“No,” he snaps in sign, and his fingers click-clack against his screen quickly.
<Let my friend take you home. That will take you forever. It’s a much shorter drive.>
He hesitates again, on the hard metal chair, still shivering lightly.
<I swear she won’t mind,> Toge promises. He hesitates again and then finally, finally nods. Toge’s heart soars at the acceptance and then he starts to wonder why he cares so much. Okkotsu is doing fine enough now, why is Toge doing this? He doesn’t need to be as involved as he is. He could be at home playing Stardew Valley.
But Okkotsu’s nice and Toge feels bad and he’s just trying to be helpful. It doesn't have to be anything deeper, does it?
Toge shakes off the thought and pulls out his phone to text Maki.
Toge: Can you pick me and someone up?
Toge: *location pin*
He doesn’t get a reply quickly, so he shrugs, and presses the video call button as Okkotsu watches.
“You don’t have to call-” he insists, but then Maki picks up and he falls quiet.
“What, dick?” she asks him, and Toge smirks.
“Pick-up me and man him,” he asks in sign.
She frowns, squints, and looks around at his background.
“Where are you?” she asks.
“Pharmacy,” he answers easily, and begins to explain the whole situation. He was picking up meds, Okkotsu was getting a vaccine, he passed out, not one of the techs fucking did anything to help, so Toge stepped in. Now they’re both here, recovering, and need a ride home.
Maki frowns at him.
“Is it in the city?” she asks, and Toge nods.
“Fine, send me the address. I’ll be there in ten.” She hangs up, and Toge gets the exact address from Okkotsu, sending it over to her.
“If she’s busy or- I mean she doesn’t have to, she seemed upset maybe, and-”
Toge shakes his hand, puts out a hand to get him to stop.
<Maki’s just like that,> he promises through his phone. Okkotsu gives a nod, and it’s hesitant but it's there. He slowly begins to collect his things- his dropped bag and makeshift water cup and gets to his feet carefully, as if testing the ability to stand.
Toge stands with him, hovering softly, ready to move in and help catch him if he falls. Not that he’d be much help considering he's at least half a foot shorter than Okkotsu. At least.
But Okkotsu stays steady on his feet and Toge backs up a few paces. It’s then a question occurs to Toge.
<Why were you even getting your flu shot here, it's so far from where you live?>
And really it's not that far, but still there has to be somewhere closer providing flu shots than this. Really.
“Oh, uh, I go to school,” he says, and gestures in the direction of the university.
<You go to uni?> he asks, <Me too.>
“Oh cool,” Okkotsu mutters. Toge gestures towards the way outside and they begin to walk, slowly.
“What are you studying?” Okkotsu asks and Toge just looks at them as they walk. He waits for oi to click for Okkotsu. It does after a moment, and he blushes.
“Oh, sorry, yeah typing, reading, walking all at once, probably not the easiest,” he mutters, filling the empty air with noise. Toge nods. It’s really not that big of a problem, fairly simple to read and reply to a text why you’re walking but the whole handing a phone back and forth makes it all the more difficult and Toge usually doesn't bother.
“You could sign it?” Okkotsu offers, “I know some, and I definitely remember fingerspelling.”
Toge has his doubts, but he tries anyway.
“Speech, Language, and Hearing Science,” he signs, and then fingerspells it for good measure.
Okkotsu stares.
“Uh,” he offers and Toge laughs.
Okkotsu gives a sheepish smile in return.
“Guess I have to brush up on my sign, huh,” and Toge nods firmly. People often think learning a signed language is easy, that it's just a mirror of their own, but it's really really not. Different words, different slang, different grammar. It’s an entirely new language and much harder to learn than just a session or two. People will study for years and still not be fluent. His friends certainly aren’t, even though they’re much better than most people Toge knows.
“I know it’s a whole language,” Okkotsu says, and good at least he’s self aware, “But I didn’t think I had forgotten that much.”
They exit the store, automatic doors opening in front of them, and slide outside. Toge leads them over to the side where it;s a little less busy and a better spot for pick up. He tells Maki where he’s at and flips over to his notes again.
<I study Speech, Lang, and Hearing Sciences,> he writes, and adds on, <ironic ik :P>
He’s gotten so much shit about being a mute guy in speech and language classes and he really can’t be bothered anymore. He has his reasons and desires and that’s that.
“No that makes sense,” Okkotsu says, “You have personal experience, obviously. I kinda did the same thing. I um, I’m majoring in Social Work for a really similar reason.”
Toge quirks his eyebrows up, doesn’t bother writing the question out.
“Why?” Okkotsu guesses, and Toge nods. Okkotsu brightens at getting it right, and then immediately after his face falls.
“Oh,” he says, “Uh…”
He shifts on his feet and looks down and away and usually Toge wouldn’t care that much about making someone slightly uncomfortable because usually his existence by itself is enough to make people uncomfortable but Okkotsu hasn’t done anything wrong and Toge is the one that asked so…
He waves a hand in an attempt to brush the question off.
“No, it’s okay,” Okkotsu says firmly, “I just… When I was younger a friend of mine died. I want to work in grief counseling for kids because of that. It was… really hard.”
It’s bold. It’s vulnerable and real and not what Toge expected from a practical stranger. He didn’t know what he expected but it definitely wasn’t that and Toge wants to take the question back but Okkotsu has already shared and Toge knows from his own experiences that he hates the word ‘sorry,’ so he just gives a firm nod and a deep blink, and hopes the sentiment is felt.
He thinks about sharing his own experience in turn, the accident, years of speech therapy and being forced to talk even when he hurts. He could share about learning sign, learning that nonverbal communication was an option, learning about AAC but well, Toge isn’t quite as vulnerable on first meetings as this guy seems to be. He stays quiet. He’s good at that.
Okkotsu sighs, and shifts his posture. Toge hopes Maki will be here soon. He feels bad making Okkotsu stand this much after he just passed out.
Sure enough, Maki arrives soon enough and Toge gestures to the car, Okkotsu quickly following. Toge doesn’t bother with the front, sliding into the back with Okkotsu without a second thought and Maki looks at him weirdly through the rearview window. Toge gives her a thumbs up when they’re buckled and Maki rolls her eyes and pulls away.
Maki and Okkotsu chat a little as they drive, Toge mostly silent and watching them. It’s not super easy for him to chat in this position, especially with both of them. Maki can’t see him sign when he’s in the backseat, and Okkotsu doesn’t know his language.
“Toge’s not usually this nice,” Maki teases, “Guess you caught him on a good day.”
Toge scowls from the back and Maki has no way of seeing it but he hopes she knows.
“Really? He-” Okkotsu starts, and then turns to Toge, “You seem nice.”
Maki bursts into laughter at that and misses their next turn.
“Toge is anything but nice,” Maki insists, “He’s tiny but he’s terrifying. It's all passive too, he just passively sulks and looks generally unappealing and-”
“Ma’i,” Toge complains and it’s Maki and they’re joking so he doesn’t even think about replying verbally until Okkotsu startles and looks at him at the noise.
Oops.
It’s not that Toge minds talking in front of others, he’s not self conscious about his voice and how he can only pronounce half the sounds he should be able to. It’s been years and his voice is his own and he doesn’t mind it. One of his speech therapists used to push him, convinced it was a mental block that stopped him talking and not the physical condition of his tongue and throat being significantly damaged and numb. She was a bitch. So yeah, Toge doesn’t really care about how he sounds. What he does care about is people thinking he’s faking.
And the first time he says anything, no matter how fucking messed up the sounds are, people always thinks he’s faking. They feel personally attacked and tricked like they have some sort of right to Toge’s past and history. He waits for Okkotsu to do the same.
“Well,” Okkotsu says, and Toge braces for disappointment, “You did get that pharmacist to listen to you.”
Which is true even if it was literally the pharmacist's job to work with patients and why weren’t they more concerned about a guy passing out after getting his flu shot? Assholes, all of them.
And, and Okkotsu doesn’t say anything about his voice. Oh. That’s nice.
Maki gives it a rest mostly, if only sliding a few more barbs Toge’s way and it isn’t long before they pull up in front of an apartment building and Okkotsu gets out.
“Thanks again,” he says as he grabs his bag, “seriously that was- it really sucked and you made it a lot better. I really appreciate it.” He smiles, all teeth and genuine sincerity. He turns to walk away, heading towards the front door and- and Toge realizes he wants to talk to him more, doesn’t want him to leave.
His back is turned and he doesn’t know enough sign anyways so he calls out verbally.
“Wai’,” but his fucked up vocal chords also means his talking voice is about as loud as he can go. Fuck.
“Wait!” Maki calls out louder from his side and before Toge can thank her, Okkotsu is turning. Toge beckons him over, and Okkotsu listens, frowning as he returns.
“What’s up, did I forget something?” he asks, looking at his bag and Toge frantically taps at his screen.
<What’s your #?> he asks and Okkotsu's face cycles through millions of different looks before settling on a simple, slight smile with his lips dipping upwards.
“Oh,” he says, and then takes Toge’s phone and types something in himself before handing it back.
Toge looks down.
<555 645- 2748>
Oh. Okay, good.
“That all?” Okkotsu asks, and Toge nods.
“Okay,” he says, “bye.”
Toge offers a little wave, and watches as Okkotsu leaves.
“You dog,” Maki hisses at his side, “His number?”
Toge doesn’t bother turning towards her, at least not until Okkotsu is inside and the door is fully closed.
“Tell me everything,” Maki demands.
Toge smirks.
“Drive,” he signs, and watches as Maki splutters.