Slasher X Reader | Book 1

33. Herbert X Reader

It was 1am and you couldn't sleep. You were thinking about him again. About how he probably wasn't in his room across the hall. About how he was probably in the basement, hunched over his worktable. About how he was probably experimenting on some dead animal with that wretched serum of his. You shuddered, forcing the memories down of your last encounter with a yowling re-animated cat.

  But you loved him.

  You loved that mad genius, Herbert West. With those cold, calculating eyes and that surprisingly charming smile, you fell head over heels for him the moment you met him. And though he could be trying and his experiments dangerous, it never changed the way you felt deep down. You loved him, even when he was driving you crazy.

And that's how you found yourself wandering out of your room in the middle of the night to check on him. His door was closed, but that didn't exactly mean he was inside his room. He was always so paranoid and sensitive about people being in his personal space.

You tapped on the door. "Herbert? Are you in there?"

You waited and listened. Nothing. You cracked the door open and found that, unsurprisingly, it was empty. You ventured towards the basement door, pausing and listening for any horrific sounds to signal a re-animation in progress. Once you were satisfied it was safe, you opened the door.

"You down there, Herbert?" You called.

"What is it?" Came the sharp reply.

You descended into the basement, finding Herbert as you expected him to be: sitting at his worktable madly scribbling notes down, mind undoubtedly providing a constant stream of information and equations. You pulled up a stool and sat beside him.

  "Any progress?" You asked casually.

  "No," he answered, pencil still flitting across the paper. "Well...I don't know. It's impossible to know without a test subject."

  "You don't have any?"

  "None that are fresh enough."

  You nodded, trying to ignore how normal this gruesome conversation topic had become. You fell silent, simply watching Herbert work for the moment. You liked watching him. You loved how beautiful he looked when he was focused on something so important to him.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" His question broke through your thoughts.

"I couldn't sleep," you said. "I was worried about you."

Herbert scoffed, his eyes never leaving his notebook. "Whatever for?"

"You never sleep," you stated.

"I sleep when it's necessary," he replied.

"Well, when was the last time it was 'necessary'?" You asked.

Herbert set his pencil down, gracing you with a condescending glare. "Recently enough."

"Within the last week?" You pressed.

A pause. Herbert averted his eyes, apparently having found something very interesting to look at across the basement. He started fiddling with his pencil, tapping it against the notepad. You sighed.

  "You can't keep shooting up to stay awake," you argued.

  Herbert made a disdainful sound. "That's a rather vulgar way of putting it."

  "It's the truth," you countered. "I mean, do you even know what that stuff is doing to you?"

  "This stuff," Herbert said, grabbing and showing you a bottle of the glowing green liquid, "is the key to defeating death. I have to keep working to unlock its full potential."

  "And you're going to kill yourself in the process!" You paused, took a breath. This did not need to escalate into a fight. "Herbert, I'm just... I'm asking you to take care of yourself. Leave your research for one night. It'll still be here tomorrow."

  Herbert fell silent, passing the bottle of re-agent back and forth between his hands. You could tell he was pouting. You knew he resented being told what to do, but you were seriously worried about him. He was constantly injecting himself with his own serum to avoid sleeping, but there was no way that was healthy. And he always crashed so hard. He didn't have the shakes yet, but you knew it would only be a matter of time before the cycle repeated itself.

  Wordlessly, you held out your hand to him. You saw him glance at you from the corner of his eye. He set the bottle of re-agent back on the table, but nothing more. You waited patiently, knowing he'd be ready in his own time.

  Eventually, he awkwardly took your hand in his, giving it a halfhearted squeeze. It was your and Herbert's way of making peace over a sensitive topic, letting each other know there were no hard feelings. You let out a breath.

  He released your hand shortly, picking up his pencil once more. "Let me finish my notes."

  "I'm gonna hold you to that," you said.

  And, true to your word, you did. You sat and waited while he scribbled down streams of theories and ideas and equations that were far too complicated for you to comprehend. He filled another 3 pages before dropping the pencil, mind already moving on to the next phase of whatever he was planning. You were quick to snap him out of his scientific trance with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  He flinched violently, like he had forgotten you were there. You uttered an apology, retracting your hand quickly. You beckoned him forward instead.

  "Just come upstairs and sleep a few hours?" You pleaded hopefully.

  Herbert let out an irritated sigh. "Y/N, it is a waste of my time."

  "Please?" You gave him your best smile.

"Oh, for-- Fine." Herbert stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets defiantly. "Fine, but only because it will get you off my back."

He stalked past you and ascended the stairs with you trailing behind him. He headed towards his room but you were quick to pull him in a different direction.

"You're sleeping in my room tonight," you said.

Herbert gave you a pained look. "Oh, so you can continue to babysit me?" He said, trying to shake you loose from his arm.

"We both know you'd drug yourself up the second you were alone in your room," you countered sternly.

You turned to open your bedroom door and when you turned back to Herbert, you swore you saw the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"You're not as dumb as you look," he said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," you answered cheerily.

"Of course you would." He was definitely smirking now.

You rolled your eyes and smiled, dragging him into your room. "Shut up and go to sleep, you big doof."

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IT'S LIKE 5AM BUT I DON'T CARE CUZ THIS IS CUUUTE

I WATCHED RE-ANIMATOR AND IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH HERBERT WEST

HE'S SUCH A CUTIE

SO I ADDED HIM TO THE REQUEST PAGE

NOW YOU CAN REQUEST THE MAD SCIENCE BOY

I'M SORRY FOR YELLING I'M SO TIRED

IMMA GO TO SLEEP NOW SO GOODNIGHT💕💕💕