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It was truly an enchanting sight. The dangled lights above the arch, illuminating the two lovers. Elizabeth Lavenza would soon be Elizabeth Frankenstein, which made Adam sick to his stomach. He was happy for her, of course, but couldn’t she have chosen any other man?
Once the ceremony had concluded, everyone had moved onward with their wedding activities. The cake cutting, the dances, the gifts… Adam had just stood by Henry the whole time, but while moving around he had eventually lost him in the sea of people. Adam had checked all four corners of the venue, and Clerval was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had gone inside the venue?
The inside wasn’t as grand as the outside, the lights were dim and the floors creaked with every step Adam took. He walked down the long hall, searching for where he could be. Adam kept walking until he stopped at the sound of faint weeping.
“Hello?” He asked, knocking on the wooden door, “Are you alright?” There was no response, other than the weeping coming to an end.
“Yes, thank you.” They replied. That voice…
“Clerval?” Adam swung the door open, only to see Henry bent over the sink.
“Adam!” He exclaimed, “You’re lucky to have not walked in on me doing something else.”
“Oh…” Adam looked at the ground, “sorry…”
Henry smiled, “it’s alright. Why aren’t you enjoying the after party?”
“Why aren’t you ?”
“Hm,” he stood up right, “fair.” Henry looked into the mirror, it was hard to tell what he looked like from Adam’s view. The bathroom’s light was turned off, so only the small window was lighting the room. Even then, it was covered with dirt and grime on the outside, so it didn’t work that well. The sink was white porcelain, and the mirror was large and oval. Dark wooden planks covered the floor, and old navy wallpaper that was peeling off was plastered on the wall. It was certainly… a room.
“You appear troubled, Clerval.” Adam’s voice startled Henry, his figure jumping back to life.
“Ah, I’m simply taken aback by this beautiful venue!”
“Do you mean this very bathroom?” Adam grinned.
“No, no,” Henry chuckled, “I mean the love in the air. Seeing Elizabeth and Victor get married after all this time, it truly warms the heart.” He clenched his shirt, as to prove his point.
“You have always been one for love,” Adam shut the door behind him, “but I can’t help but hear uncertainty in your voice.”
“Uncertainty?”
“I heard you cry before I came in, Henry. Tell me, what happened?”
“That…was over the ceremony.”
“No. You are lying to me,” Adam stepped closer to Henry, “tell me, Clerval. I am here.” Henry lifted his head back down, hiding himself from the man above him.
“Adam,” he started, “have you ever loved something you knew you could never have?” He looked back up, “From the start, you knew you would never have it, but you couldn’t stop dreaming about it. And when you finally have a reason to rid yourself of these feelings, it doesn’t work? Those feelings that have been with you since…since forever, really,” He was now staring at himself in the mirror, “they keep pestering you, and keeping you up at night, and distracting you at day. Have you ever experienced that?”
Adam was at a loss for words, “You’re in love with her?”
“I’m in love with him , Adam.” Henry threw his hand to his head, scrunching his hair in distress.
“...Victor?” Adam had not lived long enough to care about the taboo that was a man loving another man, so that wasn’t what he cared about. What he cared about was who it was that captured Henry’s heart. Victor? First Elizabeth, and now Clerval?
“I know you must be upset to hear that,” it seems Henry had read his mind, “but I have known him forever, before he was so cruel to you. And I have felt this way about him since we were boys,” he sighed, “I thought today would be my closure, but I was wrong. Seeing Victor underneath the arbor brought me nothing but sorrow.” Henry glanced at Adam’s face, and he couldn’t exactly tell how he was feeling. His eyes were squinted, and the corners of his mouth were curled down just the slightest bit.
“I’m aware you’ve known him before the birth of me, but…” Adam frowned, “Henry, you are far above him. You deserve someone better.”
“I-I know he has been…insufferable, recently. I would be lying if I said his treatment towards you hasn’t put a damper on my attraction to him, but…I can not bring myself to see him as just a friend.”
“I understand.” In truth, Adam didn’t. He hadn’t lived all that long, only about three years. He had never fallen in love before, and he had certainly not felt the despair of loving someone you could not love. And Victor of all people, it angered him. For the past few months Henry and Elizabeth tried to get the two of them closer, and Adam was open to it. Victor however, wasn’t, and he made sure to let Adam know every two minutes. Adam tried to get closer to him, to understand his creator better, but he just couldn’t. Victor wouldn’t allow it.
“I apologize for this, Adam,” Henry spoke, “I shouldn’t burden you with these feelings. Especially when they revolve around… him .”
“No. It’s okay,” Adam gingerly placed his hand on Henry’s back, “I am here for you, always. Even if I do not understand in full, I will try to.”
“Adam…” he smiled. The sound of muffled screaming and cheering interrupted their moment, “oh, we should probably head back outside. Elizabeth must be worried.”
“We can stay longer, if your heart is still heavy.”
Henry paused, before shaking his head, “No, no. We need to be there for her. And…for Victor.”
“I suppose.” Adam and Henry walked towards the door, opening it with a loud creak.
“Before we leave, Adam, I must thank you.”
“No need, Clerval,” He looked down to said man, “let us go see Elizabeth, she’ll get him off your mind.” Henry and Adam smiled in unison, before dashing down the hallway to the outside door.