#henderyscenario

Hendery had always been the easygoing one—the friend everyone could count on for a laugh, the guy who never stepped on anyone’s toes. He was the nice one, the one who listened to all your problems, the one who smiled even when his heart ached. And for the longest time, that had been fine. It was just who he was.

Until now.

Until he saw you laughing with someone else, your hand resting on their arm in a way that should’ve been his.

His stomach twisted. He should’ve been happy for you, right? That’s what the nice guy does. He smiles, he nods, he convinces himself that this was how things were meant to be.

But tonight, he didn’t feel like playing that role.

“Hey.” His voice was steady as he walked up to you, even though his pulse was anything but. You turned to him, eyes bright like they always were when you saw him, and for a second, he almost chickened out. Almost let you slip away.

But then the other guy—someone he barely knew, someone who didn’t know you like he did—put a hand on your waist, and suddenly, the words came easier.

“Can I steal you for a minute?” Hendery asked, forcing himself to meet your eyes instead of the confused look the guy beside you shot him.

You blinked, clearly surprised, but nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

He led you a few steps away, just enough that he didn’t have to see that guy in his peripheral vision anymore. His heart was racing. He wasn’t supposed to do this. He had never done this. But he was done being the one who always stepped aside.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at you—really looked at you—and finally said the words he should’ve said a long time ago.

“I like you.” His voice was quiet, but firm. “And I don’t wanna just stand around and watch someone else get to be with you.”

Your lips parted slightly, surprise flickering across your face. “Hendery…”

“I know I should’ve said something sooner,” he rushed on, afraid that if he let you speak, you’d tell him it was too late. “But I didn’t. And that’s on me. I just… I need you to know. Because if there’s even the smallest chance you feel the same way, I don’t wanna let this slip through my fingers.”

The silence stretched between you, thick with something he couldn’t name. Then, slowly, you smiled.

“I was waiting for you to say something,” you admitted, and his breath caught. “I just didn’t think you ever would.”

His heart slammed against his ribs. “So does that mean…?”

You rolled your eyes, but it was fond, amused. “It means yes, you idiot.”

It was a quiet afternoon in the dorm, and you were just about to sit down with your book when you heard the distinct thud of something hitting the floor followed by an exaggerated “Oof!”

You glanced over at Hendery, who had just tripped over the rug for the third time that day, sending a chair toppling over as he flailed his arms in an attempt to regain his balance. He had been trying to make you coffee, but it was clear he was more successful at creating chaos than anything drinkable.

“Are you okay?” you asked, trying not to laugh as he stood up, dusting off his pants like it was a routine at this point.

“Yeah, yeah! Totally fine!” Hendery said, his voice rising in pitch, clearly trying to act like nothing had happened. His hair was slightly disheveled, and a sheepish grin crept onto his face as he straightened the chair. “Just a... just a minor setback. I’ve got this!”

You raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because the coffee machine looks like it’s had a run-in with a tornado.”

He turned around to face the mess, eyes widening as he took in the spilled coffee grounds, the broken coffee cup, and the puddle of water spreading across the counter. “Oh,” he said slowly, “that might be my bad...”

You tried to stifle a giggle, but it wasn’t working. The sight of him awkwardly trying to fix everything, while knocking over another chair, was just too much.

“I swear, I’m usually good at this stuff,” Hendery muttered, trying to mop up the mess with a towel that was much too small for the task. “Like, I can do a lot of things, but... I don’t know. This? Not my forte.”

You couldn’t help but tease him. “I’m starting to believe you have a hidden talent for turning everyday tasks into an obstacle course.”

His face turned a shade of red that rivaled the coffee stains now spread across the floor. “I-I don’t mean to! It just... happens.”

You walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll help clean up. You can stick to being adorable.”

Hendery’s eyes lit up as he smiled, his earlier clumsiness forgotten in an instant. “You think I’m adorable?”

You nodded, laughing softly as you grabbed a cloth to help him. “You’re a disaster, but you’re my disaster.”

“Maybe I should trip over things more often,” Hendery mumbled, half-joking, as he tried to stop the next round of chaos from unfolding.

“Only if you promise not to break anything important this time.”

The waves crashed against the jagged rocks, the salty breeze tousling Hendery’s dark hair as he stood at the cliff’s edge. You stood beside him, arms crossed, watching the turbulent sea below. You both should have turned back an hour ago, but something about the eerie melody floating through the air had kept you rooted in place.

“Hendery, I swear if you take one more step closer, I’m—”

Your words died in your throat as a figure emerged from the water, the siren’s body half-submerged in the foamy waves. Your stomach twisted.

It had your face.

Your eyes. Your voice. Even the same mischievous smirk you often gave Hendery when teasing him. But this thing… it wasn’t you. It was something else entirely.

“Come to me,” the siren—your doppelgänger—purred, extending a hand toward Hendery. “You’ve thought about it, haven’t you? About how it would feel if I touched you?”

Your face burned at the implication, but when you turned to Hendery, expecting him to be either horrified or confused, he just… froze. Staring. Not saying anything.

Your heart dropped.

“Oh my god,” you whispered, stepping in front of him. “Dude. Why did that siren take on my image to try and seduce you? Is there something you wanna tell me?”

Hendery’s head snapped toward you, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. “I—uh—what? No, I mean—wait, let me—” He choked on his words, ears turning pink. “That’s not—”

“You’ve thought about it,” you repeated in mock horror. “I knew it! You have a thing for me!”

“I—No! I mean—yes? No! I mean, it’s not like that—”

You raised a brow, crossing your arms. “Hendery.”

He groaned, running a hand down his face before shooting a glare at the siren—who was watching your interaction with an amused smirk. “This is your fault,” he muttered before finally sighing and turning back to you.

“Okay, fine,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe I… like you. Like, a lot. But I wasn’t exactly planning to confess it under threat of being dragged into the ocean by a monster wearing your face.”

Your heart stuttered at his words, but before you could respond, the siren clicked its tongue.

“This is cute and all,” it drawled, “but I’d rather be stealing his breath in another way.”

“Oh, hell no.” Without thinking, you grabbed a rock and chucked it at the creature. It let out a screech before disappearing into the waves, its illusion vanishing with it.

Silence. Then—

“Did you just—”

“I panicked,” you admitted. “But hey, it worked.”

Hendery let out a disbelieving laugh before looking at you, eyes softening. “So… now that my biggest secret is out, are you gonna let me drown in embarrassment, or…?”

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile tugged at your lips. “Nah, I think I’ll keep you around. Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t get lured to your death by sea monsters.”

His grin was brighter than the moonlight.