Henry Creel - Short Stories

Henry×Reader // The Dragonfly and the Spider

But you're not going to let him be alone again.
You lose count of the times you follow Henry to the principal's office where the hurt boys accuse him of any sort of crimes.
And you're always there to show the evidences.
You always grab Henry's hands from under the table and place them in front of the adults.
"Well, look at him. Does his hands look like he has been punching all around?".
So the victims can only cry for their misery and never dare to tease Henry again.
And after some time, also Henry gets less involved in violent discussions.

You are enjoying the fresh morning keeping your arms up to keep your balance as you walk on the garden's wall.
Henry is keeping an eye on you as he follows you below.
"You know, I think you're right. A spider and a drangonfly can make a deal and work together" he says and his words break your concentration, so you turn and he raises his hands to help you down.
You lower yourself and rest your hands on his shoulders as his hands grab your waist and take you down, back on the grass.
"You remember it" you say with a big smile.
He nods "You reminded me of a dragonfly as you walked up there".
That's the weirdest, but loveliest thing you've ever heard. You take it as a compliment.
And you think about how he loves spiders, so you associate him to a spider. But you don't dare to say it aloud.

"So, you won't go to the Snow Ball?" he asks faking indifference.
Thinking that the winter break will separate you saddens you.
"You need a partner to go. You can't go on your own" you remind as you walk by his side "And I don't like to dress up as a silly princess for a couple of boring hours".
"But you got several offers".
"From boys that no girl wants" you point out "So no, I won't sacrifice myself for them".
He smiles, and you're glad he seems to agree with you.
But after some silence, he looks bothered.
"You could come with me" he suggests, eyeing you to check your reaction "You can come as you are now. You don't need any new fancy dress or make up. Just be yourself. So we can experience something new before the break".
He had told you that his family is planning a trip through the whole country, so you two won't meet again until the school starts again.
"I guess your family won't let you stay at home for the Snow Ball" you say, still unsure on how to interpret his invitation. You know him enough to know that he dislikes that kind of events as you do.
"Exactly" he says with a shrug.
And you know that plenty of girls tried to invite him, since he is growing quite attractive, even with his introvert and scary side.
Hearing that he chose to invite you flatters you, but make you wonder about your friendship, like there's a dangerous line that risk to be crossed and you don't feel ready to test the consequences. You don't want to delude yourself.
"It's not just for that" he says, maybe mistaking your long silence. He stops and turns to you, making you halt and widen your eyes at him "It's not to make anyone else happy. I never went to the Snow Ball. But this year, I'd like to see what it's like. And I want to go with you".
The solution seems so easy so you reply "Then let's go to the Snow Ball".
You link his arm with yours and resume walking, glad to see that he is comforted by your gesture that saved him from the little embarrassment.
"I'm curious too, to be honest" you confess "To see the school as more than just the boring routine. I bet my mother will turn crazy when I'll tell her. She won't let me wear anything comfortable".
He chuckles "You can come even dressed as a clown. It'll be fun anyway".
You laught bitterly at the idea. You definitely will look worse than a clown, but you imagine how Henry would look in a suit and your mouth dries.
You hope that he links your blushing to your laughing.
He stops again and you feel the muscles of his arm turning rigid.
"Can I tell you a secret?" he says softly, looking at your arm still linked with his and then up to your red cheeks.
"Sure" you reply simply. You've been used to share secrets, so you are not so worried by what he can tell.
He chews his bottom lip as his eyes seems unable to find a spot where to rest.
"I want to be honest. I'm not asking you just because I'm curious to try something new or because you're my friend so I ask it as a favor. Actually, I'm glad that you rejected all the offers. Or I needed to break the bones of the guy who managed to make you say yes".
He says it so strongly that you don't doubt of his sincerity. And you feel his blood boiling with repressed violence under the muscles that still keep you linked to his arm.
"Good God, Henry" you whisper, trying to read right between the lines. Because if you deluse yourself, you'd never see your friendship in the same way.
He nods and then blurts out "The truth is that I like you. I like your company, I like your way of thinking, I like everything about you. And I can't think of anyone else I'd like to take to the Ball. And I know we both can't dance, but it's alright, as long as we are together".
You're glad he's holding you or you'd faint at his feet.
Because secretly you've been dreaming to hear those words from him, to know that there is a chance of more than friendship to bond you. And you feared that if he knew about your feelings he would reject you as he rejected the attentions of all the girls who had tried with him.
"I like you too, Henry" you say quickly, but you are so speechless that you can't think of anything sensed to say "And I'm glad you invited me and not anyone else. Or I would have killed you".
He bursts out laughing and you are glad for it because it broke the tension that was strangling you.