striketwice | reverie⚡inbox

[He's ignoring that first bit! Henry refuses to acknowledge how utterly correct Alec is about him and spiders.

So... the portal should absolutely not be near the desk, then. Henry still plans to show Alec the terrarium up close, but maybe after he's through with his portal-crafting first.]

A little ways from the foot of the bed.

[His almost perfectly made bed, with nothing really of note nearby other than an end table standing adjacent.]

There's plenty of space there. My room isn't exactly cluttered.

[ His eyes move to the indicated space, apparently finding it passable. ]

Works for me. You should know I'm gonna be at this a while.

Good thing I know how to kill time.

[Wanders over to his desk to pick up his sketchbook and pencil, then decides to cross back over to the bed, sitting. Opens up to an empty page.]

Don't rush on my account.

Suit yourself. But we're getting lunch after this.

[ When he says "a while" he means a good couple hours. Possibly more.

As he settles in to work, it's clear that this is something meticulous and painstaking. He works mostly in silence, unless Henry deigns to make conversation. The stormy glow at the foot of Henry's bed grows and grows, until there is a veil of runes hovering there, not unlike what Henry found Alec with in the graveyard. ]

[All Alec earns is a noncommittal response. Henry can busy himself with drawing for a couple of hours, even if he takes a break now and again to watch the man work. Watching him carve out those runes is vaguely mesmerizing, in a way.

By the time there's a whole veil of stormy light at the foot of his bed, Henry's sitting with his back against the headboard. He's filled a few pages of his sketchbook already, though his eyes flick up to check on Alec's progress.]

...Don't you need to take a break?

[ Alec straightens from where he's checking on the runes, arching his back to stretch. ]

You could've asked me that an hour ago.

[ But he's not saying no. He comes around to the edge of the bed. And flops rather unceremoniously onto the mattress. ]

Two portals in one day is definitely my limit.

[That unceremonious flop… You’re wrinkling his sheets.]

Then rest for a little while. You don’t need to be anywhere else, do you?

[Oh.]

I can show you them, now.

[…His spiders.]

[ Sorry not sorry about your sheets, dude. ]

Miraculously, my schedule is wide open.

[ He props himself up on an elbow to look at Henry. ]

Them? ... The spiders?

Yes.

[The spiders! Henry doesn’t wait for an affirmative. He’s already setting his sketchbook aside and scooting off his bed, standing and making his way to his desk on the other side of the room. The pace of his gait is the same as always, but there is still something oddly childlike in his eagerness. His back’s to Alec as he removes the top of the terrarium.]

They won’t bite.

[Well.]

As long as you’re gentle.

[ Alec hauls himself up to a sit and just watches a moment, as he often does when it comes to Henry. It's hard not to notice the almost childlike simplicity in the sentiment, wanting to share something with someone in a way he never had the chance to.

Not for the first time, Alec has to wonder just what he's gotten himself into. ]

... You want me to hold them?

[This is what you signed up for, Alec. No backing out now.

When Henry turns back around, his hands are cupped, and he draws closer to Alec, holding out his offering. A small brown spider, with long, slender legs, crawls curiously across Henry’s skin, nearing his fingertips.]

No, just the one. Her.

[He won’t inundate him with spiders. Isn’t he courteous?]

I never gave the ones back at my old home names, but I wonder if I should here. Go on, hold out your hand.

You mean you haven't yet? Color me surprised.

[ Of course, Alec thinks. Of course Henry also had a spider collection back when he was a kid. Were there spiders back in the lab? Did he collect those too? Why not?

He glances down at the spider in Henry's hand, watches it crawl over slender fingers on slender legs.

He holds out his hand. ]

[They were black widows. His favorite. That might not surprise Alec, either.

This spider, though? No different than a brown house spider, and it pokes at Alec’s fingers with its front legs, testing. It’s a tickly feeling.]

I’ll take suggestions if you have any.

[And then the spider ambles forward with all of its eight legs, right onto Alec’s palm. It starts to slowly explore, unsurprisingly.]

I think you're contractually obligated to have at least one Charlotte.

[ His eyes stay on the spider crawling around on his palm. It makes its way to the edge of his hand and he obligingly turns his wrist, allowing her to crawl over the back of his hand instead. ]

Beyond that, I've got nothing.

[Henry sits beside Alec, watching his interaction with the spider. The curve of his fingers as the little arachnid eventually trails along them.]

Charlotte. [A reference he understands.] That’s a little trite, don’t you think?

[(Officially, this spider is Charlotte now.)]

You didn't ask me for creative suggestions.

[ He seems surprisingly cool with just letting her roam around where she wants. This is by far the least weird thing that's happened to him since he got here. ]

I expect better than you by default.

[He’s just teasing, though, and he lets that fall by the wayside for a bit. Henry watches, letting silence settle. Alec's profile... He could draw that someday, too, maybe.

Finally-]

You were right, you know. About spiders and me. For the longest time, they were the only thing I felt like I could relate to. Didn’t you have something like that?

[ In the moment of quiet, the spider travels along Alec's fingers, from one to the next. He lifts each finger in turn, apparently so intent on watching her that he misses Henry's eyes on him completely.

When Henry finally speaks, he glances over. ]

I guess I didn't. I was too busy picking fights with anyone who so much as looked at me wrong.

[ The spider comes to the tips of his fingers. He holds his hand out, offering it back to Henry. ]

Delicate things like this were never for me.

[Henry lowers his gaze to take the spider back. It crawls gently onto his own outstretched fingers and then his palm.]

They’re not as fragile as you think.

[He lets her settle before he stands to return her to the terrarium. At the desk, his hands dip into the open top of the class encasement, gentle.]

I saw that, too, though. On my way out of your memories — all the fights you got into.

[ Maybe, maybe not. They're certainly too fragile for Alec to have handled in his younger days. ]

I figured you did. I was always so mad, and I had nowhere to direct that anger. It just came out whenever, however it wanted. It didn't matter who was in my way.

[Charlotte slips back into her home. Henry secures the terrarium’s lid.]

You let it all out, and I kept it all in.

[He returns to his spot soon after, sitting next to Alec again.]

I would have been one of the boys you picked on, or started a fight with. There’s one difference between us.

[ It's weird to think of, what they would have been like as kids together. Alec snorts a little. ]

Oh, yeah. I would have made your life a living hell.

Hm. Maybe it’s good I didn’t meet you when I was younger. You’re already a pain as an adult.

And yet, here you are.

[ His smile skews crooked, amused. ]

Anyway, do you want me to finish this portal or not?

[And yet, here he is.]

I’m not stopping you. How much longer do you have left?

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