Frankenstein’s Monster - Love Without Judgment (Fanfiction)
OC x Adam (Frankenstein's Monster) / Hurt & Comfort / Romance / Slow burn? / Fluff
Charlotte did not want to offend Adam, but his scent wasn’t of someone who had been living in comfort lately. Based on his story earlier that day, she felt her suspicions were true; hence, she prepared a bath for him. He was excited to experience another form of luxury and comfort, therefore, did not take offense to her offer. Once she showed him to the restroom, he approached the warm tub and dipped his fingers in curiously. The warmth caught him by surprise. But, he was to emerge his entire body in this? He would hardly fit in this container. Yet, once again, he was not one to complain about this gratuitous situation. Charlotte held a woven basket and placed it down beside him.
“Leave your clothes in here before you get inside. There is soap, so be sure to use it... There is also a pitcher so you can pour water over your head.” Adam felt like a child, nodding along to a parent’s orders. “Call out my name if you need my assistance.” She left and shut the door after her final instructions. Once alone, he couldn’t help feeling a little nervous and confused about these new things. He started by removing his rags and dumping them in the basket as told. Before approaching the tub again, he stopped and noticed a blanket hanging on the wall. He gave no thought to her strange decoration and stepped into the warm water. This was his first time bathing in something besides a flowing river or lake. Adam sunk himself in as deep as he could, except for his bandaged hand. His knees and shoulders stuck out quite a bit, but he didn’t mind since the warmth surrounding him elsewhere was very soothing.
This is wonderful. He thought, never wanting to leave the calming warmth of the tub. He shut his eyes for a long time, laying his temple against the marble, and recalled his recent memories of Charlotte compared to his past with the cottagers. This was more than he could ever dream. He thought he’d be happy just having someone to talk to, like a friend or companion. But instead, he was inside a women’s home, being treated like an honored guest. Was he to leave once his duties were finished? Realistically, how much time would he get to stay here? A few days at most? He did not want to be selfish.
Just down the hall, Charlotte’s head was filled with entirely different concerns than what Adam imagined. She searched her father’s old drawers for clothing that could fit Adam’s massive frame. As she did so, she contemplated how to rid his mind of those memories of hatred and violence. After all, she had never seen a man so stirred and tortured. She knew too well of living a life full of resentment and felt it in her to direct him in a better course. Assuming his story was true, it would fill her with never-ending regret if he were to pass on at the hands of ignorant strangers. Or perhaps, just as tragically, his anger resulted in the death of those who “wronged” him.
She returned to the restroom and knocked on the door after finding something that might fit him. “Are you alright?” Adam jumped at the sound of her voice.
“May I enter?” He was nervous but, continued to trust her. As she walked in, he bashfully laid a hand over his chest. It made her hopeful to see him using the bath as intended. After placing new clothes on the table, she collected the basket of his old torn ones. “I’ll wash these...” (Though she would throw them out.) “These new clothes should fit you well enough. Tomorrow, we will see what we can do about making you something better.” He was speechless. New clothes? Make something? He wanted to object but thanked her in a low voice before she smiled and left. He felt like praying to god at that moment that someone so generous found their way into his life.
Soon enough, he emerged from the bath, dried himself, and looked upon his new amenities. Like his previous attire, the shirt was tight, and he could not button it up. The pants were, luckily, a little more forgiving. His legs and arms still stuck out past the limits of the garb. Despite all their issues, the feeling of fresh clothes on his skin was comforting. Anxiously, he stuck his head out of the restroom door. He eyed down the empty hall, examining the wood, something about it seemed to spiral down further and further out of site. He called her name.
Upon coming back, she was disappointed to see the way it fitted him. Without hesitation, she tugged at the fabric, making him grunt. But he was too wide around his torso to button the shirt up properly. Adam couldn’t help feeling a little bashful at her direct interaction with him once again. He was in awe that someone could feel no anxiety before him and tug at his clothes like a mother fitting a child.
Afterwards, she sat him on a chair before the ‘decoration’ he noticed earlier. Charlotte proceeded to hesitantly remove the sheet that had been hung on the wall. What was before him was disturbing.
Adam had seen his reflection faintly before in still bodies of water. So he had a general idea of what made him gruesome, but this was far more crisp and obvious... The realized image of himself was too hard to bear, so he looked down at his lap, sighing. Earlier that night, when Charlotte began running the bath water, she had a bad feeling that the mirror would be too distracting and chose to cover it for the time being. Now that it was exposed again, she felt regret after seeing his pained expression. But she knew this was necessary.
Taking a brush from one of the drawers, she began to comb his damp hair. She was as tender as possible, ensuring not to tug at the strands. But he could not rid his mind of the image of himself. He brought his hands to his face and bent forward in despair.
“I am as horrid as they say, am I not?” His thoughts became transparent.
“No, you are not.” Her voice was calm and sturdy. He swung his head up, meeting her gaze in the mirror.
“Do not lie to me.” There was offense in his protest as he looked into his own pale eyes. “Do not lie to my face and tell me there is nothing to fear. I am foul.”
“Adam… You must look past these superficial things.” He looked disapprovingly at her and shook his head.
“How can I? This is my life.” He looked down in distress.
“And that is exactly why it is so important to find beauty here.” The word revolted him. Beauty was far from a term that compared to him. His eyes looked to her umber ones, hoping he would be convinced otherwise. But it was impossible. The contrast of her looks to his made the pain even more feverish.
“What are you talking about?” He asked irritably. Charlotte took a moment to collect her thoughts about what she had learned of him so far. Leaving the brush on the table, she leaned forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her intense look through the mirror made him wince.
“Yes, your skin is a strange pigment, and your eyes are not like mine. The blood and muscle under your skin appear far too clearly.” She leaned in closer, and he felt himself shying away more. “But now let’s step back. You are not haphazardly put together. Your body is strong and capable. Your hair is long and a beautiful color too. Your eyes hold so much of you in them that I can’t look away.” His yellow eyes squinted at hers. “You are well-spoken, knowledgable, polite, and even wish to repay me when you could have been asking for more.” She stepped back, combing her fingers through his hair; he trembled. “Those who have lived the hardest of lives know when to appreciate it the best. You may never be able to please these villagers. But I promise you, spending your whole life trying to make others happy will be an unfulfilled one.”
He was feeling a mixture of things. Part of him still wanted to reject her words. But another wanted to prove to be all the things she believed he was. Just for her. His mind wandered to the times when he was in the most pain. Even then, he would admire how nature blossomed in the spring or crumbled in the fall. Though the cottagers did not accept him, he still learned so much from them during that time, such as how to speak and read. The books he found filled him with excitement and an understanding of the world. Yet, it gave him a bittersweet sense of society and law. Good and evil.
He may have always been alone up to this point, but he toiled away. He peered into the pitiful image of himself once more. Who did this face belong to? Someone with resolve and drive to exist? Someone who has experienced all the rejection the world could muster and still live on? He takes a breath.
“You don’t understand, loneliness is painful… I thought that if I were generous, I would be rewarded... If I was kind… and patient- then I’d-”
“But Adam, I’m here…” she said in surprise, her fingers brushing his hair back to expose his face. Their eyes were locked. Adam was silent for a long moment, feeling shame for forgetting his audience. This woman… He turned in his seat to look at her without the boundary of the mirror.
“Charlotte… can we be friends?”
“Yes.” She chuckled. But he had more worrying thoughts.
“And how long before I should leave?” She looked about in thought.
“You can stay as long as you need.” He was dumbfounded.
“But- won’t I be a burden? The villagers could find me here and…”
“I won’t abandon you, Adam. As long as you give me reason not to. Besides, I don’t get many visitors. We will figure it out together.” She was so optimistic and sure that nothing would go wrong. That this choice of hers was the right one. He wondered if she was either an angel or just foolish. But who was he to refuse? This was what he wanted.
“I will… make myself useful. I will help in any way I can, anything you need.” He promised, taking hold of her hand, but she was already aware of his devotion. His desperation was something he carried and was very obvious. She began to leave the restroom and motioned for him to follow.
“I know. You can begin repaying me tomorrow. For now, let me show you where you can stay.” Charlotte proceeded to show Adam to a small bedroom upstairs. It was large enough to hold a bed and writing desk, where a plate of fruit and bread sat. Unknown to him, this was her old living quarters. He stepped inside, and he could feel himself trembling from excitement. But he was also in disbelief.
“You’re letting me stay here? In this room?” He turned.
“It’s small but comfortable. You seem joyous.” She smiled.
“I am. I don’t have the words.” He approached her, eagerly retaking her hand. “I am most thankful for you, Charlotte. You have been an angel to me.” His gravelly voice came out softer than ever before.
“You’re very welcome, Adam.” Once she left, he quickly enjoyed the plate of food and left no crumb behind. His attention then turned to the bed, where he climbed in and made himself comfortable. His feet hung off the edge, but he hardly cared. Wrapping the blanket around himself, he curled into a ball of warmth. As tears began to build in his eyes, he noticed the gentle reminiscence of her scent on the sheets.
