The One Who Betrayed - Nevermoor

Fire

Middle of the night, only grasshoppers making their music outside. Henry walked to Ezra's room. He had a knife. He wanted to be free. Even if Squall was starting to be better towards him, Henry couldn't fully trust him, he couldn't feel free. It would be so great to be just... free. To leave this mansion, to live like a normal person.

Henry leaned over Squall, trying to get ready to stab. He was scared. With all the things that happened, he felt so attached. If there were some rules of living with someone who wasn't a friend, "do not get attached" was the rule he hadn't followed.

The feeling was strong. Before he could do anything, Ezra moved his hand, slightly grasping on Henry's shirt. He was asleep. So peaceful, calm.

At that moment, Henry realised that he might not only be only attached. He was in love. He was in love so deeply. It was hard to understand how. This man tortured him! He had kidnapped him.

He dropped the knife to the ground. The realisation made him feel weak.
He wanted to fall into Ezra's embrace, sleep next to him, cuddling till the end of time. He wanted to stay forever. Just as Henry moved even closer, about to actually do what he wanted-

"Henry. What are you doing in my room? You should know that as someone like me, I sleep really lightly.
Now... You have 3 seconds to run." Squall must have been awakened by the knife falling down.

"Ezra-"

"1"
Henry quickly moved away, running to the door.

"2"
He ran down the hallway, looking for a place to hide.

"3"
Squall took the knife from the ground.
He was very confused about why Henry gave up on the murder attempt. It would never work, but why..? Why would Henry still want to leave?
Ezra wasn't thinking of doing anything to the other. Nothing happened anyways. As a light sleeper, he could feel how Henry had tried to get. Did he want that too?
Now was the time to just scare him a bit.

"Henry~
You can try to get away, but you never will! You'll run out of strength and you will give up. I'll catch you~."

Henry was hiding in some unused bedroom closet. Ezra's voice so eery, as if they were in a cave. It was everywhere, like a clear echo.

"You can't hide forever. I will find you."
Ezra got to the room where Henry was hiding.
Henry was trying not to panic too much. This was bad. Squall sounded mad. Almost demonic like, his voice slightly littered with static.
He opened the door, walking towards the closet.

"Found you~!
Now, Henry, dear, goodnight."

Before Henry  could say anything, he fell unconscious. It was some of Squall's magic. He knew he wasn't in danger. Nothing will happen to him. Ezra wouldn't hurt him, not anymore.
When he woke up, he was okay. One thing that he remembered, was the tone in which Ezra said "goodnight". So soft, calm, loveable.

After the whole "trying to escape" time, Squall hadn't taken away Henry's "outside in the garden" going privilege.
Henry had been making the garden look better. He raked the old grass, put all of the branches in a big pile. It all did look much better now. From the balcony, Squall watched him. Not all of the time, just sometimes, to see if everything was okay.

One day, Ezra decided to play a prank on Henry. It wasn't the brightest idea, but it certainly would create a lot of brightness around them.

One moment, Henry was taking care of some weird insects that were on a tree. The other moment, there was fire.

The house was on fire. Ashes were floating around him, smoke was rising.
At that time, there was already snow. It would be Christmas time soon. Just few more days.
Thinking that Ezra was still inside, Henry ran into the fire, calling out Ezra's name. He wasn't thinking straight anymore. He had to save his wundersmith.

Of course, Squall was safe, outside. When he saw that Henry ran into the fire, calling out his name, he ran into the house. The fire was meant to ruin the house, to hurt whatever's in it.

How was that his idea of a prank?! How could he be so stupid?! The fire is not safe to play with. Henry thought that he was still inside the building, that he needed to be saved.
He never needed saving. He wasn't the one who needed it, not this time.

Without thinking for much more, he ran. He ran inside the house, looking for Henry. He hadn't gotten that far, thankfully. But the damage had been delt. Quickly, Ezra carried Henry out of the mansion and made all the frie dissappear.

The fire had hurt Henry really badly. He was covered in painful bruises of burns, coughing from all of the smoke that he had inhaled.

"Ezra.."
Henry said. His voice was so weak, yet a small smile was on his face, happy to see his wundersmith safe, holding him.

"Yes? Henry? I can save you. Just hold on."
Ezra was worried and scared. He didn't want to loose Henry now. Not like this.

This was how Henry said he wanted to die.. He said it back then. He said that he wanted to die just like this. But Henry hadn't meant that then, right?
It shouldn't be that unhealable. Just a few scratches and burns. But Henry didn't want to be saved.

There's a tear in Ezra's eyes. Henry smiled at that. Squall cared. Henry didn't want to be saved. He stopped Ezra any time he started to try and get some wunder to help.

"I have one last wish. Please, get someone to be there for you. Name him after your dearest friend. Let there be some company for you. Maybe they won't blabber as much, unlike me."

Henry was crying, but smiling. A soft, small smile.
"I deserved this. I'm sorry.."
With his last strength, Henry got up enough to give Ezra a light kiss. It was nothing much. Squall was surprised, but enjoyed it. This was the last goodbye.

Ezra started to cry. He had lost someone once again. He lost someone who he cared about so much.
There would still have been time to save Henry. To make him not feel the pain anymore. But now there really was no time. It had been wasted with a pathetic goodbye.
That's not what Henry wanted. So selfish. How could he leave like that!? Wasn't the feeling mutual? Didn't Henry like him back?
How could have he been so blind. Why was he trying not to show much affection towards the only one who tried so hard to get to him. He ignored his own feelings, that's what it was. The feeling of "the other doesn't love me back" had stuck with him.

He deserved this. He deserved to feel even more pain of loss. He had experienced that before. Back then, when he lost her. And now he had lost one more person that he loved so dearly. Holding Henry's body just like he had held her's.

Few day's had passed. Ezra was still mad at himself for what he had done.
Now there was a grave near the big tree in Squall's backyard. Underneath layed the body of Henry Mildmay.

Ezra did get someone. It was a cat. He named the cat Henry. Weeks after, still, when calling out Henry's name, hoping for Henry, the Henry who no longer here, to come back and give him a hug, to try to talk with him. To kiss him again. There was still so much he wanted to do.

He missed him so much. Every time the cat walked into his room, Ezra became sad with sorrow. But this cat was Henry's last wish. Now there was someone to keep him company.

Loosing somebody is hard. The realisation that you'll never hear their voice again. You'll never see them again. It hurts so much. To mourn over someone death, it's okay. It's normal to do so. Slowly, the sadness will lessen. It's good to know that you have to let go of people.

Ezra knew that, but he wasn't going to let go so easily. He was never good at letting people go. The fire of sadness won't let him let go. After all, the fire that he created had taken Henry out. How could he forgive himself. It was all his fault.

It will be okay. It always get's better. We all just have to wait. And everything will be okay.

Henry was there. He was still there, somewhere in the gossamer. But he himself, his mind, was gone. He was just a memory from now on.