Work Text:
Henry Stickmin could not speak. Charles wasn’t sure if it was from selective mutism or absolute mutism, but he didn’t care. Henry had his own ways of communicating.
Morse code definitely came in handy during the Airship debacle, whenever Charles asked for what Henry thought he should do, and following that, sign language proved helpful in the initial conversations, but as time went on, Charles found that this was unnecessary.
It started with them hanging out, and Charles passing items over when Henry got his attention without specifically being told what to pass. ‘Thank you,’ Henry would sign, opening a bag of chips or a bottle of soda before going back to the movie or game.
Then it moved onto missions, where Charles would suggest something and know from a single movement or expression what amendments Henry had. What weapons Henry would rather use, when he felt like performing a risky maneuver versus a tried and true one- they did not need to talk to know what the other was thinking.
Charles continued talking, anyway. It was nice to have someone to talk to.
“Hey Henry, did you hear?”
A curious glance.
“The zoo near your house is getting a new bird house. Think we can find the time to go?”
A blink.
“Yeah, you’re right. With all the overtime we’ve put in, they probably can’t say no. I’m just worried that they’ll need us.”
A shrug.
“ Henry! If they need us, it could be something important!”
A roll of his eyes.
“What if someone tries to replace the Toppat Clan? We’d be their best bet in stopping them!”
A raised eyebrow.
“...yeah, I guess you’re right,” Charles chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “...maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
A nod.
“...so… Saturday?”
A nod.
“Right. Okay. Saturday.”