Enorace Oneshots and Short Stories

Homunculi

Hi! This fic has been transferred across from fanfiction.net and while I'm not currently updating it, hopefully I will again after I finish my latest longfic! (I'm in the process of transferring that across to here as well).

I'd also like to note that I originally published this in late 2019 so my writing style has changed a bit since then, but even so, I hope you like these oneshots!

Chapter 1: Homunculi

Synopsis: Enoch teaches Horace the ways of the homunculus

Set: Pre-Jacob, in Miss Peregrine's loop

Genre/s: Fluff

It was a typical bright, sunny loop day and the peculiars ran out into the sunshine, finally released from a three hour lesson on Peculiar law. Enoch trudged along with his hands in his pockets, headed for his tree stump in the shade to sit alone as usual, muttering to himself about the varying annoyances of the other peculiars.

Bronwyn had made the lesson ten times longer by asking stupid and pointless questions, Hugh and Fiona spent the whole time flirting and giggling behind him, and Millard was such stuck-up ninny acting like he knew even more than Miss Peregrine. Glaring at his fellow peculiars, who lay in the grass or played games in the sun, Enoch decided that he hated all of them.

Well, not all of them...

"Morning!" Horace appeared next to him, beaming.

"It's one o'clock," Enoch grumbled, but he found he couldn't help smiling too. It was an embarrassing habit he'd developed sometime in the months after he and Horace got together, and no amount of trying could seem to break it. Something about being around Horace managed to make his annoyance at the world disappear. Horace actually made him feel happy, which of course was completely ridiculous and stupid and-

Horace's arm brushed his as they walked, close enough that Enoch could smell his new cologne. Enoch thought he might actually die right then and there.

"W-what are you following me for?" he choked out, attempting to scowl at Horace, but succeeding only in making a fool of himself. Horace snorted.

"I'm not following you, genius. I just wanted to give you some company is all. You always look so lonely over there by yourself."

Enoch looked at him in disbelief.

"I look lonely? Have you seen yourself, Somnusson? You sit on the porch all day alone just staring into space. At least I have my homunculi."

"Well we can be lonely together then," Horace grinned, sitting down in the shade. "Show me how you make them," he said, nodding to the homunculous peeking out from Enoch's pocket.

"It's really nothing special..." Enoch warned, ignoring the tree stump and instead sitting down in the grass opposite Horace so that they could be at the same level. "You just roll the clay around to warm it up, then make a ball..." He showed Horace how he pinched the clay into arms and legs and a head, then jammed his fingers into its chest to make a space for the heart.

"And then I just bring it to life." Enoch shrugged as he pulled out a tiny mouse heart from the pocket of his overalls. Horace wrinkled his nose but stayed watching as Enoch placed it inside the homunculus, sealed over the hole then pressed two fingers to its chest like he was taking a pulse. He concentrated, imagining life travelling through his veins and into the clay, willed the heart to beat-

The little clay man in his hands suddenly leaped to life, and Horace laughed with delight. The homunculus stumbled and staggered around on new legs, falling over several times in the grass. Horace held out his hands to scoop it up as Enoch began to make another. Horace held it up, turning it over with awe as it wriggled and squirmed.

"Your peculiarity really is amazing, Enoch," Honest told him sincerely. "I always thought of these men you make as nasty things, but they're actually quite sweet."

Enoch fought back a smile as Horace released the homunculus back into the grass, but it didn't seem to want to leave him.

"Yeah, well... um..." Enoch stammered. He had no idea what to say to that, so he chucked another finished homunculus into the grass at Horace's knees. "Here," he muttered.

This one staggered around too, but more randomly, sometimes to Horace, often back to Enoch, trying to climb up his legs.

"Bugger off, you," he poked it in the chest until it fell backwards.

Soon Enoch had made seven homunculi, all staggering around and bumping into each other, but the original one stuck by Horace, leaning casually against his leg like it had claimed him as its favourite. Horace smiled happily at it, letting the other, lost ones clamber up his legs and hang off his arms.

"Look at them," he laughed, pulling one out of his hair. "They're ridiculous!"

While Horace was distracted, Enoch made a little clay top hat and tie and attached them to the homunculus leaning against the boy's leg. Enoch blushed furiously as he thrust the man into Horace's hands. Horace beamed as the homunculus sat in his palm.

"Oh Enoch, that's so sweet! It looks just like me." He looked up at Enoch and smiled, eyes shining with affection, and Enoch forgot how to breathe. He scowled, trying hard to ignore how much he wanted to kiss Horace's stupid face right now.

The homunculus in Horace's hand suddenly wrapped its tiny arms around his fingers in a hug. Horace looked at it, then at Enoch, with a confused smile on his face.

"Umm..."

The other homunculi began hugging him too, wrapping their arms around his wrists or knees as best they could. Even the barely finished homunculus in Enoch's hands wriggled out of his grip to wobble over and hug Horace's shoe. Horace bit back a smirk, looking at Enoch and raising an eyebrow. Enoch felt himself flush dark red and in his head he commanded the homunculi to let Horace go. They didn't budge.

"Off!" he snapped at them out loud. "You're all terrible soldiers! Get off him right now!" The homunculi turned their heads towards him nonchalantly, refusing to move. Horace sniggered and Enoch felt his face grow hotter. He snatched the homunculus out of Horace's hand and snapped off its arms.

"Hey!" Horace cried, laughing at him. "I liked that one!"

"No time for love on the battlefield. That's what happens to soldiers who get distracted." Enoch glared down at the writhing homunculus.

"Well that's not a very good motto," Horace said, reaching up to brush clay dust off Enoch's chin. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then kissed him gently. "You really should change it."

Enoch gaped at him, his face no doubt a tomato at this point.

"I-I'll consider it," Enoch stammered, staring intently down at the grass.

Horace just laughed and kissed him again.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to give feedback or suggestions for future chapters in the comments!