Henry Creel - Short Stories

001 x Reader // Forbidden Fruit

- Story requested by joeluvsfire 💕

Brenner is walking in front of the children, explaining the test they are about to face.
Henry stands still by a corner, his eyes distracted by the doctor's assistant.
You are wearing a short sleeved uniform as you follow the doctor closely.
You have become his favorite assistant and secretly you have attracted the attention also of the silent orderly.
Henry hates Brenner with all his being. He can't stand to see you working so close with him.
You don't belong in that hell.
Henry observes as you have always a smile for the children.
You are kind and caring. You are a sunray in that prison.
Following an order, Henry walks rigidly to help the children wear the electrodes and you move closer to check the vitals before the test.
"Relax. You'll be brilliant again" you whisper to the shivering child as you note down the results.
"I won't. I don't want to disappoint Papa" the child says pleading.
"Papa won't be angry. Just do what you can. You showed us that you can do it. With some practice, you will improve and control it".
You step back after a caress to the child's trembling hand that Henry doesn't miss.
Your attitude means so much to him.
He imagines that if you ever learn his secret, you can understand and accept him as he is, offering him the same kindness and support that you give to the children.
He just wishes that you know about his devotion for you.
But it's impossible.
You are too close to Brenner.
You don't deserve to be messed up with a silent shadow named Henry.
It's forbidden.
Henry is not allowed to feel what he feels for you, but since he noticed you, it was like he got ill. And he never recovered from it.
And as day, weeks, months passed, that illness just worsened.
Henry is becoming obsessed with you. All his thoughts turn around you. His only comfort is admiring you from some distance and dreaming about you when he's alone.
He can't let you know about his tormenting feelings for you. But sometimes he hopes that by the weight of his stare you can guess what he feels for you.

After finishing with his duties, Henry is impatient to go back to his room and be alone with his dreams of you.
He walks aware of the cameras spying on him.
Henry slows down by your door.
He is used to imagine your daily routine behind that door. You changing clothes, sleeping, waking up, living and being real.
That door that seemed like an invalicable wall.

He remembers when you arrived at the lab. You needed time to get used to that place. To fit in hell, when you are a creature of heaven.
He recalls when once he caught you getting lost in your way from the bathroom after a shower and you had only a towel to cover yourself.
You were so embarassed that you didn't even look up, you just followed his indications and ran to your room, leaving a trail of water on the floor as you padded barefoot.
And then a trail of tears as Henry started to feel for you something he can't name.

"Henry?".
He freezes, thinking that his mind is tricking him, then he realizes it's truly you, calling from a storage room he has just walked by.
You are struggling to pick a box from a high shelf.
"Could you help me, please?".
You don't need to repeat it twice.
Henry cuts the distance with few long strides and grabs the heavy box from your hands before it could slip and fall on your head.
"I'm so short" you joke.
"You're perfect" he blurts out, realizing too late that he said it aloud.
"Thank you" you say, after a moment of confusion. You take the box to a table and open it to get the medical supplies you need.
Henry is petrified with embarassment and is torn between running away before he can betray himself again and staying to talk with you.
You say something to him, but he misses it.
You walk passed him to leave, but his hand snatches your wrist to stop you.
He is shocked by his own reaction, but he doesn't want to let you go. Not yet.
What is he doing?
He is thankful that you're not mocking him or asking him what's wrong.
"Why don't you sit down?" you say gently and take a step towards him.
He is caught by surprise and steps back before you can bump against him.
He lets your wrist go and winces when his legs touch the chair.
He sits and looks up at you, towering him.