Work Text:
Scratch, scratch.
The charcoal dragged across the tiny wooden plank, slowly spelling out a word. It wasn’t "help" or a quick "hi", there was no need to write that down. A quick wave of the hand usually got the point across. If anyone knew that, it was a mute guy stuck in a cafe surrounded by people who didn't know a single sign of sign language.
But anyway, things got a whole lot trickier than just “wave a hand” with less obvious words or with names, dish names for example. That was precisely why the hooded one was sitting in the dusty little closetroom again, carefully scribbling "pancakes" onto a piece of wood.
Sudden? Maybe. Confusing? Absolutely. Seemingly pointless on the surface? Just as much as the fact that he kept his hood up everywhere he went. Indoors or outdoors, didn't matter. Not like there was a huge reason for such clothing either, considering he was already wearing a balaclava underneath that hid his face just fine and felt way lighter. Though who knows, maybe he was freezing because of a literal endless winter going on right outside? At least he was chilling in a comfy hoodie instead of a heavy jacket.
Either way, while we were looking at his fit, he'd already finished writing. The hooded one tossed the charcoal aside and scooted out of the room, rushing towards the kitchen. Lucky for him, even if it was right off the main hall, it was just ten steps away. Literally.
Stopping right at the door dividing the cafe’s main hall from the little kitchen, the guy knocked gently. Inside was their local cook, just about to start making breakfast.
"Hm?" The blonde turned around toward the door. "Oh, hey, Taph! Need something?"
Pale fingers, that are usually tucked away inside gloves, pointed at the wooden plank.
"You want pancakes today? But..." While Elliot tried to piece together the thought, the younger one began frantically gesturing. Pointing at himself, pointing back at the word, waving his arms around, doing whatever. "...Ah! You wanna make them together?" The hooded head finally nodded up and down. A soft smile broke out on the cook's face. "Just let me double-check a couple of things with Mister Builder first, alright?"
Another nod, and Taph was left alone. Well, as long as standing in a kitchen with a giant window looking out over a bustling hall can be considered that.
Some folks were pacing around, others were carrying around some supplies, and a few were just chatting, like Elliot and Builder over there. There were way too many people in here; It was probably a miracle the Taph’s ears hadn't started ringing yet. But whatever! The chef came back in a moment later, looking even happier than before, and offered to get right to business.
By sheer luck, there was already a pre-made pancake mix in the storage room. Whatever bizarre miracle left it stocking the shelves, it sure saved a lot of time. Who knew how that chemical mystery mix would actually taste, but they were not in the position to complain.
Anyway, the stove flared up, and the frying pans clattered down onto the burners, while the two little chefs got straight to work. Even if the puncakes Taph made turned out a little burnt, undercooked, or somehow both at the same time, it definitely couldn't be called inedible.
After a while, the plates were piled with “delicious towers”, and the table was set for all residents housed in this diner, that stood in the middle of a snowy nowhere.
Slowly but surely, everyone took their seats, each having their own reaction to the sudden treat. Some were thrilled to finally get a taste of something sweet, while others were trying to guess how and where did all that appear from. Someone even said that pancakes were their favorite.
By the way, that someone was none other than Roblox. Yeah, who knows what was going through his parents' heads when they named the poor guy, but either way, he’d been living with Builderman since he was a little kid. Maybe that was the magical reason behind the pancake mix, Builder was the owner of this place after all.
Whether that theory was true or not, Taph was just happy his plan worked out. Yep, because of that one guy Taph decided to surprise the hall with a nice breakfast in the first place. The reason? It was Roblox’s birthday.
Taph had overheard it very early in the morning, noticing that Builder handed his kid a gift somewhere with the least of people. And of course the hooded kid didn't want to be left out. The only problem was that looking for a decent present in less than a day was just impossible.
Everything lying around in the cafe was either shared property, completely useless, or just plain ugly. And stepping outside into the frozen wasteland alone was a total death wish. So, he had to improvise something else...
Though to be fair, coming up with a backup plan wasn't all that hard! Ever since they first ended up under the same roof, Roblox loved talking his ear off about literally everything under the sun. And that, of course, included all his favorite things and random hyperfixations.
And Taph, being mute, wasn't exactly able to tell him to stop. Besides, it was actually pretty entertaining to listen to. Those speeches kind of felt like podcasts or stand-ups playing in the background. The guy with the prosthetic arms was surprisingly interesting, with a genuinely polished way of talking.
No idea where he got skills like that, but the dude for sure had some good charisma. Or maybe it just felt that way compared to the exhausted, miserable adults around the place who only knew jokes from the stone age. The more interesting folks usually just never bothered the hooded one.
So over time, whether Taph meant to or not, he ended up learning pretty much everything there was to know about the guy. It almost felt like a real friendship, which was a huge milestone for Taph! That’s why doing nothing for Roblox’s birthday wasn't an option, but making a massive scene or throwing a party when the birthday boy himself hadn't said a word about it... yeah, that could turn out awkward.
So, that’s how he, currently tugging down the bottom of his balaclava to eat, landed on pancakes. Plus, everyone else got a tasty meal out of it too, sounds great, doesn’t it?
Still, before long, the food on the table was completely gone. Someone in the background asked Taph to wash the dishes. Whether he actually felt like doing it didn't really matter. He gave a nod before he could even realise anyway. His body responded to requests on autopilot at this point. Except-
"I'll help!"
A familiar voice chimed in with suspicious determination. How was he planning to wash the dishes with prosthetics? Besides, Roblox wasn't exactly known for being a fan of hard labor. He never volunteered to take on chores out of the blue. But despite the sudden offer, the others let him go ahead.
Soon enough, the mountain of plates was sitting by the sink, and a pair of eyes darted nervously from under a hood toward the guy standing beside him. Where was all this sudden nervousness coming from? It wasn't like they hadn't hung out side by side before.
"It was your idea to make the pancakes, right, Taphy?"
Taph, already tensed up, flinched like he’d just been caught doing something he shouldn't have. His eyes flicked over to Roblox, landing right on that confident, smug smirk.
"Knew it~" The chatterbox stepped closer, putting an arm around the other’s shoulders, who froze dead in place. "Only you could come up with such a silent, but elegant way to wish me a happy birthday without saying a single word..." The talking one paused for a beat, then added quickly with a smile, "...and only you would need to use wooden signs for that." The unoccupied wood-and-metal arm gestured toward that exact little plank with the word still scribbled on it, laying just a few feet away.
Oh. Taph’s hands landed on the edge of the sink, his breath catching in his throat. He was supposed to get used by now, considering Roblox touched him all the time, but the mute one still froze up every single time, as if he was scared. Exactly like right now, as a “metal” hand... reached into the hood and tilted the face toward him?
The dishes were completely forgotten now, and so was the huge kitchen window that faces the main hall. Roblox was standing way too close to ignore. If it weren't for all the heavy layers covering the face, a bright red blush would've been seen on Taph’s cheeks.
But the surprise from the warmth in his face instantly changed to shock at what the guy next to him did. The prosthetic fingers curled in a fist, the artificial palm tapped the forehead and then touched the chin.
..."Thank you." He just said, well, signed, thank you... Someone in this house besides Taph actually knew sign language.
The fabric of the balaclava started to soak, and Taph instantly threw his arms around the guy with the prosthetics. Roblox couldn't even squeeze out a word. He just wrapped his arms around the other in return. Safe to say, this birthday officially became one of the best ones of his life, even without a proper cake or candles.