#nonverbal!reader

ziggy & chris hcs 𖤐ᝰ.ᐟ𖦹₊⊹

so i know this isnt exactly what you requested, but i couldn’t make up my mind on who to choose, so i did both!!! hope you don’t mind 🫶🫶 happy late valentines dayyy<3

a/n: i wrote this with full respect and care, so if i offend/upset anyone please tell me!!

chris.ᐟ

* he meets her because he trips. not metaphorically. fully eats it on uneven ground while trying to look casual walking past the dock. she’s sitting there, sees the whole thing, and just stares at him like he’s a nature documentary.

* he pops back up and goes, “that was on purpose! i was testing gravity.” she just blinks at him. no pity. no laughter. just calm observation. somehow worse.

* he keeps talking because silence makes him spiral. he narrates the lake like it’s haunted. he makes a joke about how if he dies first in a horror scenario he at least hopes it’s cinematically interesting. she keeps watching him like she’s studying a strange but mostly harmless animal.

* later someone casually mentions she doesn’t speak. at all. and he just freezes mid sip of juice. oh. oh. that explains why she didn’t laugh. or respond. or tell him to shut up.

* instead of getting weird about it, he gets determined. not in a savior way. more like in a “i would like to not be the most embarrassing person she’s met today” way.

* next time he sits near her, he doesn’t perform. he just points at the lake and makes a dramatic face like something is about to emerge. she looks. nothing happens. he shrugs. she does this tiny shoulder twitch that might be a silent laugh and he feels like he just won an award.

* he starts noticing everything. how she taps her fingers twice when something’s funny. how her eyes narrow slightly when she’s teasing. how she leans in a little when she’s actually interested. suddenly communication feels like a puzzle and he is weirdly invested.

* he googles basic sign language and absolutely butchers it at first. he signs something that is supposed to mean “hi” and accidentally looks like he’s swatting a fly. she raises an eyebrow. then gently corrects him. he has never felt more humbled in his life.

* the crush creeps in when she starts choosing to sit next to him. not because he’s loud. not because he’s the funniest. just because. and he becomes hyper aware of how close their knees are.

* he’ll still make jokes, but now they’re softer. more for her than for the room. he’ll pass her little notes with doodles of “us surviving the slasher because we’re obviously the final two.” she keeps folding them carefully instead of throwing them away. he notices that too.

* he realizes he likes her when he almost makes a joke and stops because he doesn’t want to break the quiet between them. that’s new. he likes the quiet now. it feels like being let into something private.

* when she bumps her shoulder against his after he signs something correctly for once, he goes completely still and stares at the lake like it personally offended him. internally he is screaming. externally he is pretending to be normal. he is failing.

ziggy.ᐟ

* he notices her because she doesn’t react. that’s it. he’s used to at least a smile, a nod, a phone coming out to record him. she just watches him play like she’s evaluating the structural integrity of the song.

* obviously this becomes a challenge.

* he plays louder. more emotional. he does that thing where he closes his eyes dramatically on high notes. he peeks to see if she’s impressed. she’s just… there. calm. neutral. devastating.

* when he finds out she’s nonverbal, he has a brief internal crisis. not about her. about himself. because he realizes he’s been treating her like an audience instead of a person and that does not fit the sensitive indie persona he has crafted.

* next time he plays near her, it’s different. softer. no lyrics. he pretends it’s casual but he’s very aware of her presence. she taps the bench twice in rhythm. he almost misses the chord change because he’s so focused on it.

* she communicates with small gestures and notes on her phone. the first time she types something and turns the screen toward him, he braces himself like it’s a review. it just says, “that part was good.” no emojis. no exclamation points. he feels that compliment in his bones.

* he starts playing things just for her reactions. not applause. not numbers. just to see that tiny nod when she likes something. it becomes embarrassingly important.

* he catches himself mid rant about followers and stops because she’s watching him with this steady look that says she sees right through it. she doesn’t need to talk to make a point. he sighs and goes, “okay, yeah. that sounded bad.” she gives him a small approving nod. he feels corrected. gently. it’s weirdly nice.

* the crush hits when she reaches over and stills the guitar strings with her fingers because she wants him to pause. no one ever interrupts him like that. he looks at her. she holds his gaze. he doesn’t pull away.

* he starts writing melodies that are less about being impressive and more about feeling honest. he doesn’t post them. doesn’t even mention them online. they just exist when she’s around.

* one afternoon she leans her head on his shoulder while he’s mindlessly picking at chords. he freezes for half a second, then keeps playing softer so he doesn’t disturb her. no commentary. no joke. no “this would make a great lyric.” just quiet.

What're we thinking creepnation??