Scenario: Part 2 of Hybrid Child (Henry x Amber #1)

A/N: The first oneshot for Hybrid Child was based pretty much completely on the manga. For part 2, it's my original idea besides the Hybrid Child itself. Thanks for being patient on this one!

Hybrid Child: Part 2

After a long day of studying and multiple cups of ice tea, it was midnight and time for some rest. Amber stretched her arms over her head and rubbed her eyes.

“Nope, don’t even think about it.” Henry tapped on the last blank page in the math workbook.

“I’ll wake up super early to finish it,” she pleaded with a pout. She really did look exhausted, and that was the longest she had ever devoted herself to studying. Henry gave in. “I’ll wake you up in the morning earlier so you can finish.”

Amber punched the air in victory. “Thanks,” she smiled cheekily. She walked straight to the bed, falling on top of it with a light thud. Amber tucked herself into the covers of one side of the bed before looking up at Henry who was just standing there.

“Henry, let’s go to sleep.” Amber yawned loudly, crawling into bed.

She flipped the covers over, and then patted the empty space next to her. Henry crossed his arms over his chest. “You know this is a singles bed, right?”

“Of course, but I’m sure we can both fit.” Amber batted her eyelashes, hoping this kind of method would work on him. He sighed, finally agreeing to it.

Henry was now dressed in black pajama pants and a plain, black t-shirt. Normally he would sleep in the room directly across from Amber’s, but today she wanted him to sleep with her.

He took his spot next to her, crossing his arms over his chest again as he laid down. She was right. If their arms brushed against each other then they just barely fit on the bed. Amber grinned widely in satisfaction.

“Why am I here again?”

“Because you brought the whole thing about your body temperature adjusting. I wasn’t joking about avoiding the heat,” she simply answered.

“I don’t remember you being so needy.”

“Well, I don’t remember you being so sassy. You used to follow me around like a duck,” Amber chuckled triumphantly, knowing that she won this conversation.

“Let’s go to sleep.” Henry turned off the light from the nightstand on his side of the bed. The room became pitch black thanks to the curtains of the window blocking the glow of the moon. Amber shuffled a few times in between the sheets to find a comfortable position. She soon drifted into sleep.

Henry remained still, looking up at the ceiling with his hands folding on his chest. He didn’t need to find a comfortable position because a Hybrid Child couldn’t sleep. They didn’t need to.

“Henry, I love you,” she mumbled in her sleep. If Henry had the functions to blush, he knew that would’ve been the right moment to do so. Even in her sleep she thinks of me? he pondered.

During those four years I couldn’t move, Amber attentively watched over me. The neglect and abuse I received from my previous masters was enough to make my body malfunction and eventually stop working. My body even stopped growing, which with a Hybrid Child grows in harmony with the master’s love. Amber gave me so much love and attention, so I couldn’t understand why it was taking so long. She kept telling me, “Take your time, there’s no rush,” while patting my head. I deeply wished to grow sooner, so that I could begin taking care of her.

Slowly I began growing in size, and my limbs began to slowly work again. One day when Amber returned from school she was so shocked to see me standing on my own. She practically burst into tear and said, “See! I knew you could do it!” I think I smiled for the first time in ages after hearing that. A happier time began on that day.

Together we would do everything that I was unable to do before. Including running around, playing video games, cooking, and just anything Amber wanted to do. Everything they did made him extremely happy.

Each day Amber was at school and her parents were busy at work, I would sit in front of a mirror and practice moving my mouth. At first it was just fruitless effort to try to get a sound out. Soon I was able to hum and clear my throat. One day, exactly a year after I began moving, I finally spoke. It felt all too natural. As soon as Amber returned home, I spared no time to waste at any chance that my voice came out as a fluke. I ran to her, looked her directly in the eye, and said, “I love you.”

Henry’s thoughts were interrupted as Amber stirred in her sleep. He noticed sweat beginning to form on her forehead. That’s what happens when you bury yourself in blankets during the summer, he scolded her in his mind. He sighed, pulling the blanket off her and replacing it with his cold arm over her waist.

Amber instinctively snuggled her back into the coolness of his body.  Henry hesitated; he contemplated whether or not it would be alright to tighten his hold to bring her closer. Why does it feel like I’m taking advantage of her? he shook his head from those unnecessary thoughts. After another moment of contemplating, he finally brought her closer. Henry’s inability to sleep made this night unbearably long, but at the same time he couldn’t help but wish they could stay like this just a little bit longer.

All those years of Amber holding his motionless body at night has finally been returned as Henry held onto her tightly as she peacefully slept.