#HenryWeek - Part two of the Cancer!Reader imagine, as promised.

Dt: hollandmyhole SimplyPossible Booknrd187 flowercrownpan PureAwesomeness001 Fairytale_Daydreams Alexa_D_D Truthful_Change SophieXC7 Pentaholic72 little_loca x_Duckass_x nalufanforlife FloridaWritesBooks tykia789 lancie20

Word count: 3,362

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Henry never noticed how sweet the words are. He never understood the deeper meaning or recognised the detail. Even the people he never really noticed. But now, everything is different. Now Henry can see how much she loved the story. And how much he loved her.

After (Y/n) died, Henry wasn't himself. He didn't like the taste of hot chocolates or the stories David would tell him about the Enchanted Forest. He was just numb. He hadn't realized that a part of him died along with (Y/n) until he read the words from her favourite book.

It was placed on the table next to her hospital bed. The buzzing sound from the heart monitor made Henry's vision unfocused. His hand held hers, but she was cold. Tears ran down his cheeks which he didn't feel. He couldn't feel anything.

His best friend was dead. His only love was dead. And here he is, standing over her as her lips turn purple.

He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He knew he had to tell everyone that she was gone... but how could he? He couldn't even move. He couldn't even breathe.

Finally, the heart monitor buzzing brought Henry's feeling back. He twitched and then let his hand slip out of hers. The buzzing was becoming too loud for him now.

Henry stumbled around the bed and pressed down his hand on the book. He tried to steady his breathing, but was failing. He couldn't look at her again. Not like this. So, he grabbed the book and ran out of the room towards the waiting room.

Regina was the first to notice his distress. Then Mary Margaret and David turned as Henry clutched the book close to his chest.

"She's gone."

They had tried to comfort him, but his mind was elsewhere. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw her lifeless on the hospital bed. Cold and broken. She was dead and Henry had watched her die. He sat there as she exhaled her last breath. How could he do that?

The funeral was like any other. Everyone was sad and of course it rained. Emma encouraged Henry to speak at the service, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. If he opened his mouth he'd break down in tears.

Instead Archie spoke. He talked about her smile and her friendship with Henry, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was away from ear-shot of the service; under a table in a room of the church. His hands gripped the book at his fingertips as he read the title.

(Y/n) had mentioned this book to Henry many times when she was alive. It was her favourite thing in the world. Sometimes he thought the book got more attention than he, which annoyed him. But looking back at it now, Henry found it pointless to have felt so in the first place.

It wasn't his cup of tea, the book, but he read it anyway. It was the only thing he had left of her. The words felt like she wrote them. Henry could smell her perfume on the pages. She would probably have killed him if she knew he cried on them.

The book was heavier now; wrinkled and folded pages made it impossible to close completely. The words weighed in Henry's heart, same as she. Her smile lay beneath the paper and the ink. To Henry this wasn't (Y/n)'s favourite book anymore, it was her goodbye to him. And he carried it wherever he went just to feel the cover as if it were her hand.

Emotionally he wasn't better. He still had episodes of crying himself to sleep or not feeling hungry enough to eat, but he definitely was better than how he was before. Ruby could see it when he'd walk into the diner; the emptiness in his eyes. Sometimes Henry would go to the diner without even realizing it. Sometimes he would just stand outside.

More times than less, Henry's gaze would flicker to a particular booth in the diner. He wouldn't notice most of the time, but Ruby saw him gazing there. They weren't long stares; sometimes Henry would put his coat on the rack, look at the booth and then walk to the counter. Other times he would walk inside just to look at it and then leave again. There wasn't really an inbetween.

Sitting there now, Henry felt empty. The table felt empty. Someone was missing.

"Hot chocolate?" Ruby asks, notepad ready.

"Not today." Henry says as he looks down at the book in his hands.

Ruby waits for Henry to continue but he doesn't speak, so she leaves him alone. He sits there until closing time reading the book. He already knows the chapters word for word. Ruby walks over to him again.

"Time to go home." She says.

She knows not to say 'should' or 'you'd better' because Henry wouldn't respond to that. With how blank he's been since (Y/n)'s death, the only things that get through to him are statements.

Henry looks up at Ruby and stands from the booth. Before he leaves, Ruby places her hand on his shoulder and hands him a hot chocolate in a to-go cup. She doesn't say anything; just smiles and walks away. So Henry sips from the cup until he reaches home.

Regina is sitting at the dining table when Henry opens the door, which isn't anything unusual. She usually sits there whenever she has something important to tell Henry, and tonight she has.

"Henry," Regina speaks, quickly moving from her seat to her son, "I'm glad you're home. I have something important to tell you."

"I'm tired, mom. Can you tell me in the morning?" Henry sighs, walking to the staircase.

Regina's hand reaches out and holds Henry still by the shoulder. He looks at her hand, then at her.

"Mom...?"

"We should sit down."

Her eyes are begging with Henry to comply. He can feel the pressure of her hand on his shoulder and nods. As they walk to the dining table, Henry's heart begins to throb. What's going on?

"You know about Killian," She starts.

Henry shuts his eyes. Another person he's lost. As always, Henry thought back to the times he spent with the pirate and how he was; stubborn. Yet another foolish thing he did which was never necessary.

There wasn't much time between (Y/n)'s death and Killian's. It drowned Henry in tenebrosity. He felt empty. Alone. Guilty. Though it was difficult, Killian was another father to Henry and now he was gone as well. But he was also a companion to Emma and she was going through much worse than Henry. This only made him more torn.

"Emma's found a way of rescuing him."

"What do you mean?" Henry was confused.

"There's a way for her to travel to the Underworld where the dead are. She and some others, as well as me, will be going with her to get Killian back."

"Wait," Henry sits straight, "could we find (Y/n) as well?"

"This is why I'm telling you. I won't stop you if you want to come with us. I know how much she means to you."

His hand grips the book which he hasn't let go of since the diner. For the first time in a long time, Henry feels. He's not hollow or sad, he's hopeful. Finally, he's hopeful again.

As the tears stream down his face, Regina moves from her seat to wrap her arms around him in a hug. His sobs fall onto her shoulder and echo off of the walls. The sound surrounds them both and clings to them.

Henry doesn't have to be alone anymore.

It was cold by the lake. Regina held Henry's hand tightly as they stood surrounded by the night.

"Do it." Emma tells Gold, who takes the Dark One dagger and drags it across his hand.

His blood oozes out and he lets it drip into the lake which creates a ripple. Moments later a thick fog casts its way from the back of the lake forward, and within the fog sails a boat where a figure dressed in a black cloak directs it.

As they approach, Emma steps down onto the lake which has become accessible to walk on. Regina squeezes Henry's hand and they follow Emma, along with Mary Margaret, David, Robin and Mr Gold.

Henry would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid. The Underworld has been an afterlife he has only ever read of before. Now, he's going to be there with his family. The fact that they can go there without being dead makes it only more bone-chilling.

His thoughts fade away into the fog as they sail away from Storybrooke. The figure on the boat never speaks, never even acknowledges anyone, but this doesn't bother Henry. His mind is fixated on (Y/n). He's looking forward to hugging her again.

When they do arrive, it is a startling transition. The Underworld is another version of Storybrooke and yet it feels nothing like home. Shops are empty, the fog still lingers, and the clock tower is broken into pieces on the street.

The air is cold yet it looks warm. A red tinge overlays the world as if there was a fire in the distance. When the wind blows, it howls in an eerie whisper. Everything about the Underworld is unsettling, even the people. They stare as if they know Henry and the others aren't dead.

Emma makes the decision to split up and Henry couldn't be more than satisfied with that. Even though he will support his mom in finding Killian, he's still going to put (Y/n) first. So he walks with Emma in the direction of Granny's Diner, which now should really just be a diner as Granny is still alive.

Gold and Emma delve into discussion which gives Henry the opportunity to enter the diner from the back without them. He searches where he can go in the kitchen and also the bathrooms (making sure to only look inside the girl's bathroom), before searching for you at the booth that two of you would always sit at.

When you're nowhere to be seen, Henry almost loses hope. But he reminds himself that he's only just arrived and there are plenty of other places you could be. That is, until he hears the chimes as someone steps through the diner door.

"Ah, (Y/n)." Says the Blind Witch, sniffing the air, "The usual?"

"Yes, thank you." You say, placing your book on the counter.

Henry can't believe it. You're here. And your hair; it looks the same. You look exactly the same. Not how you were in the hospital, how you were when you were alive. Truly alive. Henry almost finds no feeling in his legs before he steps forward and over to you.

You haven't noticed him. Not even Emma or the others. You're too used to sitting down and reading your book that it has become routine; you don't have to look at your surroundings.

"(Y/n)." Henry speaks, hoping you will remember his voice.

At first you're confused when someone calls your name. No one here really speaks to you. But then suddenly hope fills you as you identify the voice. When you turn to see if you are right, you almost break down into tears. Henry is here.

He looks at you like he's never seen anything so precious before. He still wears flannel and that baggy black coat. Oh, how you missed seeing him.

"You're... you're real?" You question.

"Yeah," Henry says, walking over to touch your hand, "I'm right here."

Smiling, you lean forward and wrap your arms around Henry in a tight hug. His arms immediately hold onto you and you let the laugh flow from your lips.

"I can't believe it's you!" You laugh, "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"I think I have a pretty good sense of it." Henry says, pulling back to look at you once more.

Your smile is something Henry thought he would never see again. He always believed that is what made you so beautiful in his eyes. Everything about you flutters the heart in his chest. Your lips aren't purple. They're red. And they're beautiful.

"(Y/n)," Emma says, stepping forward.

"Emma!" You say in surprise and hug her as well.

Once you see Mary Margaret and David you cry a little more and hug them too. You never thought you would ever see your family again.

"I don't understand." You say, "How are you all here?"

The fact that all of them are here instead of just one makes you understand that they can't be dead. At least, you don't want to believe that.

"I'm looking for Killian." Says Emma, "Have you seen him?"

"Hook? No I haven't. What happened?"

"He's dead."

You want to tell her you're sorry, but you know Emma better than that. It's not what she needs.

"Well if he is then he's here." You say.

"Can you help us find him?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Of course. Anything you need I'll do."

Emma thanks you and decides to go find where Mr Gold has gone, but Mary Margaret suggests Henry stay here with you instead. As they leave, Henry smiles and steps closer to you.

"I broke my promise." He says.

Your eyebrows raise in confusion.

"I never beat level thirty."

You chuckle and hug Henry once more.

"I don't care about that. I'm just happy to see you again."

The two of you spend majority of your time in the diner catching up and reminiscing about old times. The Blind Witch had to constantly tell you both to keep the noise down. There hasn't been laughter in the diner for many years.

"I read the book." Henry says, after a moment of silence.

Before you can ask which book he is referring to, he takes out your favourite book from the library from his coat pocket and places it on the counter. The pages are thick from wear and you can see where Henry's folded the corners on his favourite pages.

"I thought you didn't like the book." You say, holding onto the one you found in the Underworld's library.

"I don't, but you do." Henry smiles, "It was the closest thing I had to feeling like you were still with me. Like you had never gone. Every time I read the book, it felt like you were telling me the story instead."

"Henry Mills," you smile with tears in your eyes, "you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"That's how I feel about you."

You blush under Henry's loving gaze. You haven't felt this way in a long time. Henry always said the most sweetest things, but he's really making you feel like the only girl in the world right now.

"Come with me." Henry whispers.

"Where?" You ask.

"Home."

"Oh, Henry. You know I can't."

"Why not? Emma is going to bring Killian back."

"How is she going to do that?"

"She's going to split her heart." Henry explains, "That way they share it and he can return to Storybrooke with us."

"But Henry, you can't split your heart."

"Why can't I?"

"You might not be strong enough, you could die."

"Either way I'll be with you."

You feel yourself growing warm, like you're melting with each word he says.

"Would you really take that risk for me?" You ask.

"I'd do anything for you." He says.

His hand moves over the counter to hold yours firmly. With a smile you squeeze his hand in yours. The last time you held his hand was when you were in the hospital and he had stayed with you. Feeling his skin against yours now, you're almost certain you're alive again.

Afterwards you helped Henry find the rest of his family. Apparently it was going to be a lot harder to find Killian and would take longer than they had hoped. But, despite the situation, you and Henry were happy. These were precious days you could spend together.

And you spent them all with laughter, smiles and hugs. Each day, along with helping the others, you and Henry would do something in town. No matter what it was, you two were happy that you were doing it together.

One day Henry and you had sat at the park near the lake he had arrived from with his family. The two of you sat on the grass and threw pebbles into the water to watch them jump across the ripples.

"Everywhere I went, you were with me." Henry explains, twirling a strand of grass with his fingers, "I seemed to always sit at the booth, even if I wasn't hungry."

You smile, "There was always someone sitting in the booth whenever I entered the diner. So I just sat at the counter. You know, where we first met."

"Granny's Diner really is the centre of everything, isn't it?"

"We had some good memories there."

Your hand reaches up to flatten the collar of Henry's coat which has stuck up.

"I used to go to Mary Margaret and David's apartment," you say, "whenever I wanted to feel at home. Sometimes just knowing that you would be there in the Overworld made me feel like I was there with you."

Henry smiles at you and you look down.

"I know, it's stupid."

Henry's hand touches your chin and lifts your head to look at him. Again his eyes melt you because of the way he looks at you.

"I did the same thing, sort of." He says, "Sometimes I dream that I'm next to you again and things... things feel alright. Then I wake up."

"You're not dreaming now." You say, your hand resting on his cheek, "And no matter what, I'll always be with you."

Henry's hand touches yours on his cheek and he leans in with a sigh.

"(Y/n), I need to tell you something."

You nod at him to speak. He takes ahold of your hand from his cheek and brushes his fingers along your knuckles.

"I should've told you this when you were alive. Damn it, I should have told you everyday since the day I met you." Henry says, "I was afraid you might not feel the same way, but the thing is I'm not afraid anymore."

"What do you want to tell me?" You whisper, even though you know the words he's about to speak.

"I love you." He says and you smile, "I have always loved you. I remember the day I met you and thinking I had to have you or I'd die. You're the best part about me."

You raise your hand which Henry is holding to your lips and you kiss his palm.

"I love you too, Henry Mills. I would say until the day I die, but that doesn't hold as much weight anymore."

Henry chuckles and you lean in closer to him. He brushes your hair away from your face and after resting his hand on your cheek, he leans in closer still and kisses you. It's warm and gentle and affectionate. His lips slowly caress yours with each press.

It's as if you've gone to heaven. You feel like you're floating in endless warmth. His fingers brushing against your cheek and the beat of his heart with his chest flush against yours makes you feel all the love he has for you all at once.

You can't be certain that you can ever return with him to Storybrooke, but you know that it doesn't matter because you both will be in each other's hearts forever. This kiss belongs to him and you know that his belongs to you. Despite what the future holds, the two of you will always be together.

Henry loves you as much as you love him. This you are certain of. And you're certain that your love for each other will last until the end of time.

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A/N: Credit to witterprompts on Tumblr for a dialogue. You guys happy this didn't end in tears? It was surprisingly hard to write fluff. What have I become? :O

Next Imagine: Henry Mills (Once Upon A Time).