Henry Creel - Short Stories

111 // Rewrite the Stars

- Story requested by WillowLaurenGCoy 💓

Mike and Jane are enjoying the day together, unaware of the unhappy young man who's watching them from some distance.
Henry clenches his fists in his pockets as he ignores the waiter who's trying to get his attention.
He takes a hand out to grab the glass and swallows his drink as his mind traveled back to the past.
Four years earlier he and Jane left the lab. They saved each other and started a new life.
He saw her growing up. She was 14 and he was 21 then. She still got the chance to live most of her teenage year as a normal girl, without powers. While he struggles to fit in the world and to hide his abilities.
Jane went to school and met new friends. She met Mike.
Henry holds his breath to resist to the need of breaking something.
Maybe the head of the waiter who's acting like a silly girl and flirting with him.
Why Jane didn't behave in that way with him? Does he remind her too much of the awful years at the lab?
Four years and she moved on.
While he isn't sure if escaped a prison to fall into a different kind of hell. One in which he has to hide his feelings.
Because he's obsessed with her.
He wants them to be just One and Eleven again.
Nobody else can understand them.
With or without powers, Jane is the only one who knows who he really is and can understand him.
That's why she's so precious to him.
And she started to date Mike.
Banal, boring Mike.
The two young men are the opposite.
Is that why she chose him?
Henry stiffens as he spots Angela talking to Jane and pulling her to the skating ring.
What's going on? Why would Jane skate with her bully?
Her childhood spent as a prisoner and the loss of her powers have made Jane very shy and insecure in the social world. An easy prey for bullies.
Henry is used to try to help her with little tricks, but then they had a discussion where Jane clearly asked him to stop protecting her like that, that it was humiliating for her to need someone like a babysitter.
It wasn't enough to make him stop feeling the urge to protect her, but he respected her request.
But now he wishes to break that promise and break that bloody bully's face.
As he expected, Angela has planned something to humiliate Jane and that's just too much Henry.
And where is Mike? Just watching with his jaw dropped and doing nothing.
He marchs to save Jane from that public execution, she's curling to try to hide, she's crying.
How can the world be so cruel?
He's sick and tired of watching. He wants blood running.
He just tilts his head and Angela slips on her skate, falling heavily on her butt.
He takes advantage of the distraction as her bully friends help her and wraps his arms around Jane, taking her away.
He feels her sobbing and crying and it just fuels his need of revenge.
He takes her home and helps her wash her face as she calms down.
"I'm pathetic" she whimpers, hugging herself.
"You're not. You didn't deserve this" he answers sternly.
"Why everyone treats me like this? What's wrong with me?".
He stops and cups her face "Jane, this world is wrong, not you. Why did you pretend you're friend with that bitch? How many times she humiliated you and you didn't tell me?".
She moves away, driven by her pride "I don't need you to interfere. I can handle her. Even without my powers".
"Jane, it's alright to tell me what bothers you. We are friends, right? We take care of each other. So let me take care of you".
She looks down as he grabs her hand and make their tattooed numbers be visible.
"I want some time on my own now".
He wishes to stay there, but he can't force his presence there.
"Are you sure?".
"Yes. But thank you".
He just nods, unwilling to go, unspoken wordels choking him.
"I'll check on you later. Just stop thinking about it and take some rest".
"I'll try" she promises feebly.

He leaves the house. He can't rest. He needs his revenge.
On his way he bumps into Mike and discusses with him, shouting at his face what a terrible boyfriend he is, how he stood and watched without doing nothing and that Jane doesn't want to see him anymore.
He watches as a shaken Mike turns and walks away, then go to his target's house.
He breaks in there from the back door, while her friends are by the front door, waiting for her to change her damaged clothes.
His powers are humming at him when he stands face to face with Angela.
He raises his hand before a scream of fear can escape her throat.
She scratches her neck in vain as his powers lifts her up, then he moves his hand, sending her flying against the wall and pinning her there.
He enjoys her agony as long as he can, then he tilts his head and hears the final crack.
He lets her go and she collapses to the floor, no more able to bully nor humiliate anyone.
He leaves the crime scene and looks from the window, making the front door open on its own, so her friends can come in.
He escapes from the back door, caring of locking it and not leaving traces behind.
He takes a walk through the park to clean his mind from the murderous intents.
He took his revenge. Now he feels only the need to go back comforting Jane.
He finds her lying on her bed, her eyes are still red from the crying.
It doesn't seem that she slept at all.
He sits by her side, caressing her face.
"I'm a mess" she mumbles.
A small smile curled his lips "You're a beautiful mess then".
She sits up and watches him "Why are you always so caring? You can travel far away, leaving me behind".
He shoots her a sideways glance "I can't leave you. That's the problem".
"Why?".
The way she can ask questions so bluntly, making him feel so exposed.
He sighs "I care for you. Deeply".
He stares at her hoping that she can translate it in the words he's too afraid to say aloud.
"You're no more working at the lab where you had to take care of me".
The memories she evoked darkened his mood a bit.
"Is Mike taking care of you?" he asks mockingly.
She raises her chin, her pride offended "I can take care of myself".
"He was there, just watching" he insists "You needed someone to rescue you. And he did nothing".
And he sees that in her eyes. She knows that he's right, that Mike doesn't prove to love her enough. That she thinks that's all she can deserve.
"He didn't want to worsen the situation" she tries to justify him.
"If he loves you, he should have done something, he should have broken that bitch's face" a toxic grin appears on his face for a moment, but her eyes, so innocent but intense, cooled that feeling down.
"You hate Mike. Why?".
Again she asks the right question so bluntly.
"Maybe I envy him" he admits.
Her eyebrows rise in disbelief "What could you possibly envy of him?".
He hesitates a bit, staring at her, being close enough that he feels dizzy.
"You chose him" he whispers, like he was confessing a huge secret.
Confusion shines in her eyes "What?".
He lowers his head, his shaking hand grabbing hers, trying to tell through that touch what he struggles to say aloud. If only she can read his heart.
"You're special, Jane. Just because you lost your powers, you feel like we're no more equals. You're wrong. I need you. And seeing you with Mike..." he's holding his breath and his voice is dying in his throat, but manages to finish "It breaks my heart each time".
She stares at him gaping, her reddening cheeks proving that she's finally understanding.
Now he just fears being laughed at and rejected. He doesn't know how he would react to that.
"Why you never told me?" she asks squeezing his hand.
"You'd say I'm too protective, that you you don't need my protection. But it's more than that".
"Maybe I'd tell you something else".
He senses a challenge in her tone and makes him hope so desperately.
"Like what?".
"That I feel the same".
Henry doesn't know if he can trust his ears. Those are the words he needs to hear, but what if he's misunderstanding?
He can't afford that.
So he recalls what they were talking about and asks "That you want to protect me?".
"Or that I love you" she snaps in a frenzy "But I feared you saw me just as a little sister since I'm younger than you".
He pulls her closer, her words burning their way through his heart and his mind, leaving marks he'll never get rid of. He'll never forget that moment.
"You're just seven years younger. I've always seen you more than a sister. I never wanted us to feel like siblings" he says quickly.
"Great. I'm happy that finally we are honest to each other" she leans closer to kiss him, catching him by surprise, but he recovers quickly and kisses her back.
Finally he is free, they are both free to feel, and that's the most beautiful and precious gift. To love and to be loved back.
And he bets that in her happiness she feels like she got her powers back.
And he would gladly share his powers with her. Because in their feelings there's a stronger power he never suspected and he's glad of exploring it with her.

A/N

Tuesday 13th December 2022

It's been quite some time that I don't write a One x Eleven, although this is more an AU Henry x Jane since they are out of the lab 💪
I like to imagine that if Henry was free too, poor Mike had no chances
To make it work I'm glad of the reduced age gap and well, what if they rewrite the stars and get a chance to have a happy ending?
Rewrite the Stars is also the song that inspired me while writing this story, so that's the reason behind the title ✨

Next update will be the Christmas one and I'm pretty excited for it 🎄☃️