A birthday special for my friend @zombifiedbutstillliving since it’s their birthday. They asked me to write Springtrap for them. Disclaimer! This is a rare occasion! I do not write for Springtrap outside of this, so don’t request him. Maybe in the future though. Reminder that requests are still closed. Thank you!
The Animatronic/Springtrap
There was nothing joyful about the Entity’s Realm. It was only an endless cycle of pain and death. Birthdays didn’t matter anymore. At least, that’s what you told yourself anyways. However, something about being placed in the Withered Isle with Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza for a trial made it hard to ignore that it was your birthday. Everywhere you looked there were faded balloons, broken party tables, colorful banners hanging in tatters, and abandoned birthday cakes left to rot. It felt almost cruel.
You tried not to let it bother you. There were generators to repair and a killer hunting you down. But every now and then, your eyes would drift back toward the decorations, wondering how your friends and family were doing. Whether they remembered your birthday... or if they pushed it to the back of their minds to be long forgotten.
Springtrap noticed that you were distracted, but something felt off. You weren't making careless mistakes like most of the survivors usually did out of fear. You just seemed... absent. Every time he found you, he’d catch you glancing at the old decorations for a split second before forcing yourself to focus on the trial.
During one chase, you stopped near one of the colorful birthday tables instead of vaulting the nearby window. It gave him more than enough time to catch up. When he reached you, you didn't run. You simply stared down at the “rotting” cake sitting in the middle of the table.
"...You're giving up?" he asked, his voice crackling through his damaged voicebox.
You shook your head. "...No." After a long pause, you softly admitted, "...It's my birthday." The words were barely above a whisper. Admitting that somehow made you feel even more lonely than you already felt.
For a moment, neither of you moved. Springtrap simply stared at you through the cracked eyes of his rabbit suit. Birthdays. Once upon a time, they had meant packed dining rooms, laughter, music, candles... and mistakes that could never be undone. Memories he spent every waking moment trying to bury, yet somehow you'd managed to bring it all back to the surface with one sentence.
He didn't know what to say. Comfort had never been something William Afton was good at. Definitely not before the springlocks, and certainly not after them. "...You're still in a trial," was all he muttered, though it sounded noticeably less threatening than he'd intended.
You gave a small, humorless laugh. "Yeah... I know." You looked back at the decorations. "I just wish for the nightmare to end so I can be with my family again."
Your statement lingered in his mind for the rest of the trial. Every time he found another survivor, every time he heard a generator explode, every time he caught sight of you across the map, he kept thinking about it. I just wish for the nightmare to end so I can be with my family again.
As the trial went on, the other survivors slowly realized something was off. Springtrap was still relentless with them, but whenever he found you, the chase never seemed to last. Somehow, you always slipped away. It became obvious enough that even your teammates started giving you confused looks whenever you came to help them and had no signs of injuries.
When you became the last survivor, you fully expected your luck to run out. He had you in his grip. However, Springtrap walked past every hook before stopping in front of one of the abandoned birthday displays. He let you wiggle off his shoulder. After you were free, without a word, he brushed years of dust off the fake cake sitting on the table until the faded words Happy Birthday became visible.
You stared at the cake before looking back at him. "...You didn't have to do that."
He let out a low scoff, refusing to meet your eyes. "...Don't misunderstand." After a brief pause, he added, "...No one should spend a birthday completely alone."
He wasn’t doing it out of kindness, but from pure instinct after being a pizzeria owner for years. That’s what he told himself anyway. But coming from someone like him... it felt surprisingly genuine.
One of the old candles suddenly sparked to life (thanks Entity), casting a warm glow over the otherwise ruined table. Springtrap looked at it for a moment before stepping back. "...Go on," he muttered. "...It'll burn out soon."
You smiled for what felt like the first time in forever before making a wish. He pretended not to care... but seeing your smile made him feel warm inside. He’ll end up replaying the moment in his mind many times after the trial is over.
After that day, Springtrap made it his mission to always make your birthday feel special. Whenever it came around, the Entity would place you in one of his trials. He always had something special waiting for you. It was usually a freshly lit candle, a balloon that hadn't withered, or a birthday table that looked just a little less of a mess than the rest. He will never acknowledge it though, and you never push him to. Sometimes someone’s actions are louder than words.
