#🫀꒦꒷alive again꒷꒦🧪

[eternally-smitten]

When you go, just know that I'll remember you

I've lost my fear of falling

I will be with you, I will be with you

[eternally-smitten]

Love you to death!

Divider by: cafekitsune

(Inspo under read more!)

[eternally-smitten]

Y'all have no idea how excited I got when I saw ppl using this again

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"You really should ease up on these late night experiments...the laundry is getting intense."

"Hmm..."

Reference photo used under read more!

[eternally-smitten]

Finally got around to making one of these! It was...a lot of work. I'm definitely doing it again!

Templates here!

Icon and the profile photos for us were drawn by my lovely friend Caitie (@ bobmckenzie)!! :)

[eternally-smitten]

Based on Untitled by Haddon Sundblom

[eternally-smitten]

Poor Plant

summary: Herbert does his best to help Natalie’s previous, dying plant

word count: ~ 1.3k

author's note: based on true events. I really did cry after my fly trap died and it was my fault 😭 please don't judge me too hard I swear I'm not a bad plant mom

Natalie stared at the pot in her hands sadly, feeling the tears prick her eyes. She rubbed her thumb against the smooth plastic pot since she didn’t know what else to do.

“Goddammit,” She whispered, still cradling it in her hands.

What was once a happy, healthy venus fly trap was now a pathetic looking mess. The stems that didn’t rot off and die looked weak, the leaves were slowly turning black and the mouths were now closed and drooping. Because it was winter, Natalie didn’t know how to fix it. So, all she could do was sit and stare at it while silently cursing herself.

She bit the knuckle of her finger in a poor attempt to calm herself down but it didn’t really work. A lone tear trailed down her cheek and that was that. While remaining almost silent over all, she couldn’t really muffle the sniffling sounds she made, which ultimately got Herbert’s attention.

“What is it?” He asked flatly, finding her seated on the sofa.

Natalie held up the pot to him. “I killed it.”

“Hmm?” He sat next to her and took the pot from her hands. His glasses fell down the bridge of his nose as he studied the sickly plant. “How?”

She rubbed her nose and sighed. “It’s winter. It’s supposed to go dormant but the house is too warm for it to occur naturally. I was too anxious to put it outside but I learned that putting it in the fridge would help but…”

Herbert looked over at her and then noticed that she had been crying. He wondered how he didn’t realize that before but disregarded that thought as soon as it popped into his head. He placed the pot on the coffee table with a soft thud and pulled her to him. Her head nestled into his lap and she curled her legs up to her chest. 

“I killed it,” she repeated herself, feeling awful.

“I know,” Herbert said plainly, running his fingers through her hair.

Natalie felt her eyes sting a little again but fought back the tears. “I probably made it suffer, too. Goddammit.”

“You didn’t.” His voice was uncharacteristically soft as he spoke to her.

“How do you know?” She asked him, still staring at the plant on the table.

Herbert tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because plants don’t have brains. Therefore, they can’t feel pain or suffer.”

“Oh,” she practically melted into his touch. “That’s good at least. I still killed it though.”

He shushed her before saying,“It’s okay, we can get a new one.”

Natalie shook her head against his lap. “But it was my first one. My very first fly trap. I loved it so much, Herbert, and I ruined it.”

“It happens. These plants are…” His train of thought trailed off as he focused on rubbing her back instead. “Fickle.”

“That’s why I liked them so much.” She flipped over on her back so she could look at him. “I don’t know. I just grew attached, I guess.”

“I know,” with gentle hands, he pulled her face up so he could kiss her forehead. “I have an idea. I might be able to fix it.”

“Really? How so?” She sat up, excited.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “Oh, I have my ways.”

In other words, he didn’t know what to do. Herbert toyed with the idea of buying an entirely new plant, repotting it, and then presenting it to Natalie like he fixed it all by himself. Or…

The entire house was still all day. Too still. It was quiet to the point where Natalie was getting confused as to why she couldn’t even hear the faint sounds of Herbert working like she usually did. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to investigate his safe haven: the basement.

As she slowly descended down the long, dark staircase, she could hear Herbert muttering to himself.

“Damn plant,” she heard him say, followed by some clanging after he threw something on the table.

“Herbert?” Natalie called out, reaching the bottom of the steps.

She saw him freeze as soon as he heard her voice. He then turned around, clearly hiding something behind his back.

“Yes?” He asked impatiently. “What is it?”

Natalie pursed her lips, giving him a suspicious look. “I was just looking for you. You’ve been down here all day and just wanted to check in, I guess.”

“Well, here you are now.” Herbert gestured towards her. “And you can see that I’m fine.”

“What are you doing?” She picked up on the fact that he was trying to get her to leave but she wouldn’t without an answer.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, exactly that.” He lied.

“Then what’s behind your back?” She asked as she pushed him to the side, catching him off guard.

Herbert was surprisingly easy to push over as he barely fought back. He only yelped a “No!” and tried to hide whatever was on the table again. But Natalie was quicker and was able to finally see what he was working on.

Before her, her old potted venus fly trap sat. Instead of it being the sad pile of dead leaves that it was before, now it was a bigger, more vibrant plant. More aggressive. A lone vile of reagent sat next to it, too.

“What on Earth…?”

Herbert cleared his throat. “I was hoping to surprise you but it looks like you’re more stubborn than I initially thought.” 

Natalie pointed at the plant. “What happened?”

He walked over to his new creation, beaming with joy. “I brought it back to life, of course. You loved the little thing so much that I figured it wouldn’t hurt experimenting on it with my reagent.”

“For me?” She looked at the newly revived plant and grinned. 

“Of course for you. Who else would I do this for?” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to it. “Good as new, right?”

Natalie nodded that yes, it was almost good as new. Almost. It definitely looked…different but she wasn't one to be ungrateful for such a kind gesture.

He pointed at it and proudly said, “It's even stronger than before, though! Still has its old functions that the previous version did, except just a bit better. You'll want to watch out, though, because-!” Herbert whipped his finger back as one of the mouths snapped at him. “They bite.”

“They look hungry.” Natalie commented, watching as the mouths seemed to be searching for something to eat.

He chuckled. “Well, naturally. Once something is born, its first instinct is to feed, is it not?”

Natalie stared at her newly revived friend in awe. It had its lovely, healthy green color back and its stems looked thick and strong like before. Of course, it moved and writhed like something more sentient than the common household plant. It also had bigger, more ominous looking mouths. All the same, she loved it just as much as she did before. 

“What do you think?” He asked her, not liking the silence that fell between them. “Now, I'm not sure how this one will handle winter but-”

Natalie interrupted him by pulling him by his shirt collar to kiss him. His eyes remained wide open as they kissed, still not used to the foreign romantic feeling but he accepted it happily. 

“Thank you,” she grinned. “I love it. I love you. Oh God, it's back to life! You're amazing!”

He smirked at the praise. “I'm happy you think so. I didn't have to resort to Plan B, after all.”

“What was Plan B?”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “If all went wrong, I found some sad looking pitcher plant at a florist shop and got it for you. I've been secretly taking care of it for you.”

“Herbert West, you think of everything, don't you?”

“I guess I do,” he replied, “Now, we should find this thing a fat bug to eat before it bites off one of my fingers.”

Tag list: @ghoulfriend-ships @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @gideongrovel @sunflawyer @marigoldmavs @fates-theysband @bioexorcizm lmk if you want to be added/removed!

[eternally-smitten]

Forever and Always

summary: After a terrible attack, Natalie feels that death truly isn't the end

word count: 1.6k

content warnings: death, blood mention, body horror, zombies/living dead, angst

author's note: i love this au. so much. i needed some sort of angst. i meant to post this a while ago but school got in the way. now, i can finally post it.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Natalie whimpered, crawling over to Herbert’s lifeless body. She cradled him with shaking hands while trying to think straight.

How did it all go so wrong? He was fine, upright and breathing just a few minutes ago. It felt like a blur to Natalie. First, her ideas get stolen. Next, said stolen ideas become more advanced and applied to new subjects. Then, said subjects attacked like feral animals. Now, Herbert is dying in her arms.

“No, you can’t.” She whispered. “You can’t die, you just can’t!”

Herbert wanted to reply. He wanted to reassure her so badly. But whenever he tried to speak, blood gurgled in his mouth and it hurt too much. He weakly cupped her face one more time before going limp. 

Natalie’s eyes went wide and she shook him. “Herb, Herbert! No, don’t do this to me. Don’t play games! Come on,”

She wanted it to be a prank. She wished it was just some horrible, twisted nightmare she couldn’t wake herself up from. A choked cry forced its way out of her throat and she collapsed into his still warm chest. Her tears stained the coat he died in and Natalie could feel the cloth growing damp. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t accept it.

Maybe she didn’t have to.

A thought popped into her head and it made her sit upright. She absentmindedly rubbed the dripping snot with the back of her hand before reaching for her bag that was hidden amongst the ruins. Natalie clumsily searched through it until she found exactly what she needed: her reagent. Maybe she did not have to live without him, afterall. She found a cure, didn’t she? He was still fresh, too. 

“Okay, okay,” a smile tugged at her lips. “It’s okay, Herbert! See? You’ll be okay! I’ll make sure you’re okay!”

Excitement coursed through her veins as she nervously unbuttoned his shirt to expose his chest. She then popped the syringe into her reagent and took a larger dosage, just as she had time and time again. 

She pinched the syringe between her fingers and hovered over Herbert’s face. “I…I love you, you know that?”

If he could reply, Natalie knew that he would say it back. The thought alone gave her enough comfort to continue with her scheme. With careful hands, she injected her reagent into his heart and watched intensely for his reaction. Death did not have to be the end of them.

It had been two weeks since the chaos happened. Despite the hospital’s attempt to keep a lid on the story, it was all anyone in the area could talk about. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about the gore, the bloodshed, the oddness that surrounded the horrors that happened in the night. There was buzz around the outcasted student, Natalie and her now missing boyfriend, Herbert. It was known that they were together during the events but his body was never found. When asked, Natalie didn’t say much besides quietly muttering that he was badly injured and wanted to be treated at home. She refused to elaborate any further. No one really bought the story but because she was so visibly distraught, everyone left her alone. She was already disturbed enough, they didn’t want to exacerbate that.

Of course, that wasn’t the truth. 

After the massacre happened, Natalie sort of floated through life at school. She went to class, took notes, then left without interacting with anyone. Her classmates were comfortable with this new norm. No one wanted to be associated with the girl found amongst the destroyed morgue in the hospital. 

Today was no different. Once classes were done for the day, Natalie slinked away without a second trace. As soon as you blinked, she was gone. Everyone felt it was best to keep it that way. Natalie’s classmates didn’t want to ask her questions but they also felt funny ignoring what happened with her. She also didn’t want to answer any questions since she isn’t great at lying. This set up worked best for all involved.

The days these past two weeks seemed to drag on slower and slower to her. All she wanted to do nowadays was stay home but her degree mattered to her. Besides, what would Herbert say? He would be disappointed if she didn’t attempt to continue her education in something she was so passionate about. It wasn’t the same without him, though, so she always looked forward to rushing home. 

The door creaked as it slowly opened and the house was dead quiet. She stepped inside and went to shut the door behind her, but something got in the way and kept it ajar.

“Natalie!” Dan said. “Jesus, you look like hell.”

“...Thanks?” She squinted her eyes at him. “What are you doing here?”

He let himself inside and gave her a troubled look. “What do you mean? You barely talk to anyone these days. I wanted to check in on you, I guess. Especially after…Everything.”

Natalie pursed her lips. “Well, that’s very thoughtful of you, Dan. I’m afraid I’m not really free to chat now, so if you don’t mind-”

A low groan interrupted her and made both of them jump. Daniel looked at her, frightened. He assumed the worst and worried someone broke into her house. He knew she lived alone since…

“Nat, okay, we gotta get you out of here.” He said, reaching for her.

She stepped away and shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine! I think the pipes are acting up.”

Another groan echoed in the house, making Natalie wince.

“That is not a damn pipe.”

“Dan-”

“Natalie, come on now,” he said, getting irritated now.

She sighed loudly. “Listen, promise not to freak out if I show you?”

He hated when she asked questions like that because it always meant that yes, it would freak him out and he would not be able to hide that. Instead of voicing that, he swallowed thickly and nodded.

Natalie hesitated slightly before leading him down the basement steps. It was dark and cold and Dan felt this looming sense of dread as he followed her. She walked ahead of him and quickened her pace as they got closer to the room. Then, she flicked the light switch on and ran to whatever was making the noise.

“Herbie, I’m home.” She said calmly, taking his lifeless hand in hers. 

Dan stood on the last step speechless. His dead friend was standing before him holding the hand of his other friend. But it wasn’t Herbert. At least, not how he used to be. His eyes were glassy, his mouth was slightly hanging open, and his movements were sluggish. 

“You promised you wouldn’t freak out.” Natalie huffed, clearly irritated by him.

“I-I-I-” He stuttered, not sure how exactly to respond.

She ignored his shock and turned her attention back to her undead boyfriend, “I missed you today. These days are so boring nowadays.”

Herbert tilted his head to the side. “Missed…you.”

“That’s not Herbert.” Dan said, still in shock.

Natalie snorted. “Of course it is! Aren’t we looking at the same person?”

Daniel took slow, careful steps towards them and shook his head. “Yes, and no that is not the Herbert we knew.”

She shrugged. “It clearly is, Daniel. He responds just like a human would so the Herbie he was before must still be here now.”

“He’s responding to you like any animal would!” His voice wavered and echoed in the cold basement.

“Animals can understand words and feel love, too.” Natalie cupped Herbert’s cheek and grinned at him. “At the end of the day, we’re all animals.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You know exactly what I meant! Have you lost your mind?”

She looked displeased. “You already knew about my reagent so I don’t understand why you’re so hysterical. Why aren’t you happy that your friend is back?”

“Dead is dead, Natalie.” He couldn’t look at Herbert too long without feeling sick. “It was fine at first when it was little pinky mice and roadkill you found but now you’re playing God.”

“I just wanted my boyfriend alive again.” Natalie said plainly. “And, well, I had the means to do so. Wouldn’t you do the same if you were in my position?”

Dan was speechless. He wanted to shout at her. Tell her that no, he would never dream of doing the same thing if he ever lost the love of his life. But he couldn’t bring himself to utter those words. He watched as Natalie carefully interacted with the reanimated Herbert and how he seemed to respond in an almost human way.

He seemed to recognize her, try to talk back, and even love her the way he did before when he was alive. It was kind of…sweet? In an odd, disturbing way, sure.

“You don’t let him roam the house, do you?” He finally asked, breaking the awkward silence that fell between them.

Natalie rolled her eyes. “Well, duh, yeah I do. It’d be cruel if I just kept him down here all the time. I just have him stay down here while I’m away.”

Daniel sighed heavily. “I don’t know why I’m surprised at this point.”

“I’m not sure either.” She replied, never looking away from Herbert. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to help him upstairs. Unless you’d like to stay for tea?”

Against his better judgment, he agreed to tea. He watched in terrified amazement as Natalie led Herbert up the stairs and to the kitchen. He also grimaced when one of Herbert’s eyes fell out and plopped on to the table. It was also a sight to behold watching Natalie gently put it back into place for him. Dan couldn’t ignore the fact that they seemed just as loving as before, though.

“Love…you.” Herbert worked up the energy to speak to her as she sat next to him.

Natalie smiled and took a long sip of her tea. “I love you too, Herb. Forever and always.”

tag list: @kylars-princess @bobmckenzie @maviwavis i'm going to leave it at that since i'm not sure if anyone else wants to be tagged in something like this LOL

[eternally-smitten]

JanAUary - Book Store Au

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Herbert visits the book store he goes to the most to visit his favorite person, Natalie, and to look for a specific book

word count: ~1.2k

author's note: i couldn't not do this prompt with Herbert...it's too perfect for him! i also couldn't resist adding a too obvious reference LOL

The weather was absolutely wretched this afternoon. Dark gray clouds blanketed the sky and snuffed out any sunlight that desperately tried to peek through. The wind was bitter and unforgiving, almost burning the cheeks of anyone who dared try to brave it. The rain splattered against every square inch of ground below it and made sure that there wasn’t a spot that wasn’t wet.

This all caught Herbert by surprise, even though it shouldn’t have. He heard the forecast this morning when he woke up but chose to ignore it. Part of him hoped that they were exaggerating and the other part didn’t care to listen or prepare. He had things to do and a little rain wasn’t going to get in his way.

Except, this wasn’t just a little rain and it proved to be hard to ignore. Nevertheless, Herbert forced himself to walk through it to rush to his safe haven as a full time medical student: the book store.

Did he ever buy anything? On very rare occasions, yes. It was usually a shock when a title in that place caught his eye enough to pay for it. Despite that fact, he was still a regular. He frequently showed up to that little hole-in-the wall book store because it was his favorite studying spot. That and one of his favorite people, Natalie, worked there.

He finally reached his destination and practically lept inside to get away from the rain. A puddle started to form where he stood and he could feel the water beads running off of his skin. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling but he did what he could to pay it no mind because today, he was on a mission. His shoes squeaked loudly as he walked and the noise echoed throughout the small, empty store. He had to take his glasses off briefly to be able to see because of how the water covered the lenses.

Natalie leaned over the counter she was stuck at to look at him, “Jeez, I’m shocked you even came in today.”

“How did you know it was me?” He asked, feeling embarrassed that he looked so disheveled.

“Who else would stop here in such horrible weather besides Mr. Herbert West?” She reached in her pocket for a soft cloth meant for cleaning glasses, “Here, maybe this will help.”

“Thank you,” Herbert pinched the cloth between his fingers and immediately wiped his lenses with it. 

Natalie leaned against the back of her hand, “So, what’s the agenda today? Are you going to take over your usual spot or are we going to engage in some rare small talk?”

He cleared his throat and handed the cloth back to her, “I’m looking for something, actually.”

“Oh, really?” She sounded excited, “What are you looking for? I need to know. Maybe I can help you find it.”

He let out a condescending chuckle, “I won’t need any help. I believe I can find it on my own, thank you.”

Natalie shrugged, “Alright, you know where to find me if you can’t.”

Herbert waved her off and went to search the aisles of books, his shoes squeaking every step of the way. He searched the long and empty aisles, whispering the title names as he passed them. Finally, he found the section of last names he was looking for. The books haven’t been touched in so long that a thin layer of tan dust covered the parts of the spines that stuck out slightly. One of his pointer fingers ran itself along the spines as he looked around, feeling the engraved letters on the hardcover copies. He stopped where he thought he was supposed to be but where a book should’ve been, there was now an empty spot.

A lone, clean spot where a dust covered book was supposed to be. Herbert asked himself if he went down the wrong aisle or even mixed his alphabet up but no, this was where the book he wanted was. He pursed his lips and walked back to find Natalie to ask for help for the first time since he’s been a regular. 

She heard the sound of his wet shoes approaching her before she could even see him and looked up, “Looking for something?”

Before he could respond, Natalie pulled a thick book from under her seat and dropped it on the counter. It landed with a loud thud and a small cloud of dust flew around them. His eyes scanned the cover and yes, this was exactly what he was looking for! He traced the gold lettering with his fingers. The Complete Fiction of H.P Lovecraft. But how did she-

“You mentioned wanting it in passing a bit ago.” Natalie answered before he even asked, “Someone tried to snag it before you did. I had to come up with some lie about us having that specific book being placed on hold and so I couldn’t let them buy it.”

“You…for me?” Herbert questioned softly.

She nodded happily, “On top of that, I might have already um, sort of paid for it already for you.” She stumbled over her words, a bit sheepish about her confession.

“I don’t have to pay?” He couldn’t believe it. Not only did she hide this book away from other customers for him, he didn’t have to pay for it either. 

This was so thoughtful of her to do something so kind for him, he couldn’t help but crack a very odd smile. He went to grab it to put it in his bag but Natalie had the same idea and reached out for it at the same time. Their fingers softly grazed each other, which made her cheeks flush to a light pink. Herbert, still smiling, chuckled quietly as he took the book from her.

After securing the book in his bag, he turned to her, “Thank you. This was sweet of you.”

“I was happy to.” She played with the ends of her hair, “You’ve always been a good…friend to me. Consider this a thanks for giving me something to look forward to in this boring job.”

Herbert fidgeted with his fingers excitedly, “What time do you get to leave?”

“Um, well, it’s supposed to be five but since no one but you really comes here, I’ve been bunking off kind of early.” Natalie confessed with a laugh, “I’ve been leaving about an hour or two early. No one has caught on yet.”

“Then, would you like to meet up whenever you get off?” He asked, feeling a bit bold, “Maybe we can get coffee? I mean, tea. I know you don’t like the stuff.”

“You remembered!” She grinned, “I would love to!”

“Great,”

“Great! Looks like I’m leaving early again tonight.” She snickered.

He nodded, “Four it is. Thank you again, I can’t wait to read this.”

Natalie gave him a warm smile, “Of course. Now, make sure to bring an umbrella later!”

“I will. Goodbye.”

“Bye, Herbert.”

He left the warm, dry sanctuary that was the book store and forced himself to go out into the wretched weather once more. It didn’t matter to him anymore, though. His new book was safe and sound in his bag and technically, he now had a date. Visiting her despite the weather was a wonderful idea.

tag list: @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @blood-moon-ships @fates-theysband @felixrichtershubby @gideongrovel @weirdgirlgf @nonesenseships @bioexorcizm lmk if you want to be added/removed! :D

[eternally-smitten]

[eternally-smitten]

Drabblecember - Hot Coffee

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Natalie makes Herbert a hot cup of coffee while he's working

word count: 584

author's note: I told myself I would stay consistent with this event and did I? No I'm a week late now LOL. Better late than never I guess!

banner credit: mewryn

Herbert had hidden himself away in the basement to work yet again. This was normal for him, though. Even in days when he invited Natalie over for company. 

“Company” was not a word that he was used to, so more often than not, he left Natalie alone upstairs or with Daniel while he studied. 

While he did this, Herbert often neglected himself and others. On multiple occasions, he had forgotten to eat or grab himself a glass of water. Lately, he's been down there so often that six hours could pass him by and he wouldn't even notice. He was that passionate and focused on his work. 

And Natalie, as supportive as she could be with his interests, worried about him slightly. She never wanted to nag or lecture him but she was also concerned with whether he was taking care of himself or not. So, whenever she was over, she would just silently do things for him and not bring attention to it. 

It started small, like her simply bringing snacks over and setting them on the table in the kitchen. Then, she would get a bowl or a plate for said snacks and sneak down into the basement to set it on the steps. Later, she would start making full meals for them and leaving them right by him all while being careful not to interfere with whatever he was doing. It seemed to work although Natalie never knew if he noticed them or not.

Once again, today was no different. Not knowing what else to do, Natalie fixed herself a drink but paused. She wondered if Herbert had anything to drink since he ran down to his little lair. So, she grabbed an extra mug and fixed him a cup of coffee in the way he liked it best. Then, she carefully opened the door to the basement and traveled down into the darkness.

“Hey,” Her voice was soft so that she didn't startle him. 

He turned back in his seat and acknowledged her with a nod, “Hmm? What?”

She placed the hot mug next to him and gestured towards it, “It's for you. Coffee. I figured you could use it.”

“Oh, thanks.” He said flatly before taking a slow sip of it.

Natalie gave him a small smile before turning to leave him be like she usually did but Herbert reached out and gently grabbed her arm.

“You don't need to go just yet. I'm not shooing you away.”

“Oh, alright.” She couldn't hide the smile that was slowly forming. He didn't know just how much she missed him when he was this involved in his experiments.

“Thank you for the coffee.” Herbert said, turning back to his notes, “And all the other little items you leave for me. Your efforts are appreciated greatly.”

“I'm glad.” Natalie peeked over at his notes out of curiosity, “I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”

He hummed at that, “Guess I don't have to worry about that thanks to you.”

Natalie stayed for a little while longer to have a short conversation with Herbert. It was nice to be able to talk to him while he was in his workspace. In her head, she made a mini mental list of the next few items she would go out of her way to buy just to make sure he had something to snack on whenever he did this again. Who knew a simple cup of coffee could matter so much? 

[eternally-smitten]

JanAUary - Role Swap

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Natalie seeks out Herbert for help on some strange studies she's been making

content warnings: mention of death

word count: ~1.1k

author's note: I had to. I needed mad scientist Natalie so badly y'all have no idea

Herbert really had no business messing with a character like Natalie. Her demeanor alone was enough to deter anyone from even attempting to get to know her but her reputation really sealed the deal. Somehow, that enticed him even more and made him want to get to know her better.

Natalie mainly kept to herself, always buried in whatever she was working on or lost in her own thoughts. People theorized that she never ate or slept because whenever they saw her, she was either reading or studying. There were light purple bags under her eyes that were noticeable when you saw her up close. That confirmed their conspiracies about her. Her own roommate confirmed that she rarely ever left her room. Once she was home for the day, she locked herself inside of it and wouldn’t leave unless absolutely necessary. That announcement made people want to stray away from her and avoid any confrontation at all costs. Not that it mattered to her anyway. She didn’t much care for the opinions of others or their friendship.

Herbert was really the only one who attempted any kind of interaction with her. He would greet her when he saw her and try to engage in some small talk. Natalie would often reciprocate, although it was very quiet and awkward. She’d usually mumble a “Hi,” back before slinking away. That was the constant until today.

“Herbert!” She called out enthusiastically, rushing up to him, “Finally, I’ve found you!”

“You…me?” He asked, incredibly confused.

Natalie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with her middle finger, “Yes, you! I’m so glad I ran into you.”

A very small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, “Well, that’s very nice of you. How are you?”

She quietly muttered about doing okay but he could barely hear it. While waving her hands, she glossed over her jumbled answer, “Listen, I need to talk to you about something serious. Something important. To me, to you soon, to everyone soon enough.”

“Sure, what is it?” He asked, intrigued.

Excitement danced in her eyes, “I’ve been working on something for a very long time and, well, I’ve only just come to realize I can’t really do it on my own. I need someone with smarts, someone very intelligent. Like yourself, only better because I found you!”

Her flattery was sweet, almost too sweet. Herbert furrowed his eyebrows, “Thank you. What are you working on?”

“I am so glad you asked.” Natalie showed him the notebook in her hand and flipped through a few pages, “I’ve been working long and hard on a serum of sorts. And I…Well, I’m not going to bore you with the details. Long story short, it’s a reagent.”

“A reagent?” He became startled, “You mean you-”

“Cured death?” She said plainly, not looking away from her notes, “Yes, I have. Magnificent, isn’t it?”

Herbert’s mind went blank. He was hoping she’d want to talk to him about something more normal. Maybe ask to spend some time together. Or, maybe start laughing and claim that it was all some prank. Instead, here she was calmly announcing she had done the impossible in the most serious tone of voice.

He cleared his throat, “A-And what do you want from me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I made that obvious but I guess I didn’t.” Natalie giggled, “I’d like your help. An extra pair of hands would make something so labor intensive a bit easier.”

A lab assistant. She was basically asking him to be her personal lab assistant. Herbert couldn’t believe this. He had no idea how to even respond to such a claim, let alone a request like this.

“I don’t know,” He shook his head, “I’m not sure how to feel about this.”

Natalie cocked her head to the side, “There’s no certain way to feel about this. I just want your assistance and company.”

He hesitantly shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know if I can feel okay with this.”

“Wait, what? Please,” She grabbed the edges of his coat without thinking, pulling him close, “I-I can’t do it alone! I need your vast intelligence, please.”

“What about your roommate?”

Natalie shook her head, “No, no, I need you.”

“But why-”

“You are the only one who has ever been kind to me.” Her grip on his coat tightened, “You’re smart, you’re nice, you can tolerate me. Not many have all three.” A cynical chuckle took over the last part of the sentence.

“I…” Her kind words made Herbert feel a little better. The fact that she wanted him in on her experiments still made him hesitate, though.

“Please?” She unknowingly gave him puppy dog eyes, “I would be eternally grateful. I’m, um, not used to having friends. This could be an excuse to get to know each other better.”

“We couldn’t do that over lunch?” He thought to himself, still trying to find the words to say.

“Please, this work is so important to me. We could make some serious changes here. I only really trust you, too.”

“Um,” Herbert’s gaze went to her hands, making her look at them, too.

Natalie released her grip from his coat, “Sorry, I didn’t realize I did that.”

“No, that’s alright.” He responded sheepishly, “If I do…this with you, will you do a favor for me in return?”

“Yes, of course.” She responded immediately, “No questions asked.”

“Maybe we can get coffee sometime?”

“I don’t like the stuff.”

“How about tea?”

She nodded, “Yeah, I like tea better. Okay, sure, we can do that.”

“Great,” He smiled at her.

She smiled back, “Herbert, you and I are going to make history. Do you hear me? We are going to change the entire world. Just you wait.”

He swallowed, “I, uh, can’t wait?”

She didn’t seem to pick up on his uncertainty, “Me, neither. And tea. I’m really looking forward to tea. I’ll find you later about dates and times for us to work, okay? See you later! Thank you so much!”

Before he could reply, Natalie scurried away without a second thought. He watched her walk away and contemplated running after her to catch up.

“No, no point.” He thought, “I’ll be seeing her soon enough.”

He was correct to think that. When he arrived at his next class, he found a note waiting for him in his usual spot.

“West,

Meet me today (or tomorrow if that’s better) at the lab this evening. 8pm, if that works for you. If not, don’t be afraid to come find me to tell me a better time. Bring gloves, pencils, and paper. Looking forward to working with you.

– Natalie

P.S. I like green tea. Usually peach flavored. Maybe this weekend would work best for that.”

tag list: @blood-moon-ships @kylars-princess @bobmckenzie @nonesenseships @gideongrovel @bioexorcizm @felixrichtershubby lmk if you want to be added/removed! :)

[eternally-smitten]

Drabblecember - Trying To Stay Up Late

pairing: Natalie x Herbert West

summary: Herbert finds Natalie staying up late waiting for him to come home

content warnings: blood mention

word count: 933

author's note: ...I really feel behind on this. my drawing inspired me to pick this back up before it ended!

Another late night. 

Another night spent alone in the name of science. 

Yet another night filled with dread and horror.

On days like these, Natalie refused to sleep. Well, it was less refusal and more the fact that her worries kept her up at night so she couldn’t rest even if she wanted to. So, instead of even remotely trying to get some shuteye, she sat at the kitchen table in his shared living space chewing on the skin of her thumb. 

She couldn’t feel right until Herbert came back. Her mind wouldn’t let her relax until her fears were reassured or confirmed. She also knew that this type of anxiety wasn’t doing her any favors but Natalie didn’t care to think about that just now. Her slippers tapped quietly against the tiled floor as she stared at the kitchen entrance. Any minute now. It has to be any minute now that he walks through that door and lets her know she’s okay. Only then will she finally be able to relax tonight.

Finally, as if her prayers had been answered, Natalie heard the front door creak open. The sudden noise made her jump in her seat slightly and straighten her tense position. The sound of footsteps approached her until Herbert appeared in the walkway. Even in the dark room, she could tell that he was incredibly disheveled. His shirt was creased and stained with flecks of blood, his hair was unkempt, and his tie wasn’t straight. 

“Glad you’re back.” She whispered in a hushed voice. Even while being quiet, you could tell she was being sincere.

Hebert didn’t respond. Instead, he sighed heavily and approached her, sinking to his knees in front of her. He then stretched himself across her lap and nestled his head against her thigh. His eyes fluttered shut as he allowed his body to relax while laying on top of her.

Natalie ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him, “You really should ease up on these late night experiments…the laundry is getting pretty intense.” She said, half-joking.

“Hmm,” Herbert hummed. Even though it wasn’t a full sentence or even a word, Natalie was glad he was sort of talking to her.

“Seriously, it’s getting harder and harder to get these wretched stains out.” She pinched a part of his stained sleeve, “I’m starting to think you should invest in getting black button ups instead. We could match.”

He shrugged, not wanting to move a lot or open his eyes. For once, all he wanted was this sort of human connection. He only really ever wanted it when it was from Natalie.

She rubbed slow circles between his shoulder blades, “I really wish you wouldn’t work yourself to the bone like this. If you need help, please just ask me. I want to ensure that you come back in one piece.”

“You don’t like my work,” He mumbled, finally speaking to her, “It frightened you that first time.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not willing to help you.” She leaned in close so that she could hear him better, “Besides, the thought of you doing such dangerous tasks alone scares me more than helping you with them.”

He shifted slightly so that he could look up at her and see her better, “You’d really do that?”

Natalie nodded, “Of course I would.”

“It might be better to have an extra pair of hands while I work…” He whispered, more to himself than to her.

“Just promise me that if I help, you’ll stay safer.” She started to lecture him, “I also don’t want you staying there until the early hours of the morning.”

Herbert nodded against her thigh. He knew that she wasn’t happy with him but he was more paying attention to the fact that she agreed to help him from now on than her worrying about him getting enough rest.

With a gentle touch, Natalie lifted his head off her lap so that she could see him. He had trails of dried blood on his face and he looked exhausted. She planted a very light kiss on his forehead and sighed.

“Now, can we get you out of these soiled clothes? I bet you would feel more comfortable in fresh, clean ones.”

“Hmm,” He hummed again, surprised at himself for leaning into her touch, “If it’ll make you happy.”

“It would.” Her thumb rubbed his cheek, “Besides, I’m getting awfully tired myself. I don’t really want to stay awake any longer.”

“Understandable.” He pursed his lips into a thin line, “I never asked you to stay awake for me.”

Natalie nodded, “I know. I just wanted to make sure I saw you before I nodded off. Come on, let’s go to bed.”

She stood up from her chair, which made a quiet creaking noise, and took his hand in hers. He pulled himself up and followed her to his own room. Her words bounced around in his head as they silently did their nighttime routine. 

She wanted to see him before she went to bed. 

She wanted to see him.

She wanted him. 

It felt surreal to have someone say that about him of all people. It was equally as surprising when he actually enjoyed the feeling that came with hearing her say that. Even as she grimaced at the shirt he just ruined and her comments about how he’s running out of clean white shirts, he still felt like she was some perfect creature. 

For once in his life, after getting cleaned up and ready for bed, he actually got some sleep.

tag list: @blood-moon-ships @bobmckenzie @bioexorcizm @kylars-princess @felixrichtershubby @nonesenseships @weirdgirlgf @gideongrovel @fates-theysband please lmk if you want to be added/removed! :)

[eternally-smitten]

First Night

summary: Natalie and Herbert spend the night cleaning up after their mess

word count: ~1.5k

content warnings: dried blood mention, zombie/dead mention, morgues

author's note: i wrote this little piece after really crushing on him and. um. well. yeah. um. i'm so subtle with how much i like him guys

“Huh,” Natalie said wearily, “Now I understand why all the floors here have a drain.”

She watched the odd mix of soapy water and old blood swirl round and around until it disappeared into the floor. Her hands were turning white with how hard she was gripping the mop but she didn't seem to notice. All she could pay attention to was the way the drain hid away the gory evidence that was left behind mere moments before.

“Of course they have a drain.” Herbert's voice pulled her out of her dazed state, “How else could you work on the bodies? Just lean it over the sink and hope for the best?”

She looked at him, slightly embarrassed, “...Right.”

While Natalie was looking forward to spending time with Herbert West and seeing him work, this was not what she expected. She expected something more like tea, some small talk, maybe even swapping notes.

 Instead, what she got was him begging her to allow him to sneak into the morgue where she was fulfilling her apprenticeship to perfect his experiments. They went back and forth for about ten minutes, with Herbert pleading with her and with Natalie exclaiming that he'd get her into trouble. He promised that he wouldn't and that he needed someone “smart like her.” Finally, at that compliment, she caved and confessed that the morgue did have a relatively recent John Doe on their hands.

And now they're here cleaning up after the mess they created. 

“You look tired.” He commented, disposing of his soiled latex gloves.

“Really? How could you tell?” Natalie asked sarcastically, sighing heavily.

Herbert drew his lips into a thin line, “Well, for starters your blink rate has increased significantly. Your movements are almost sluggish, too. It's practically written all over you.” He responded, not picking up on her sarcasm at all. 

She turned back to the floor and hummed, “I guess that happens when you stay up past midnight fighting a…um, reanimated corpse…” Natalie struggled to force herself to say the last bit. 

The air felt tense in the cold, almost empty room. Both between them and in a general sense. They both had trouble looking at each other and instead spent a lot of time and energy on cleaning the place up. 

Drying splatters of blood still littered the floor and walls of the place, even after almost two hours of them cleaning it. Natalie insisted they washed every square inch of the place before they even considered leaving. She was desperate to not have any evidence of what the two of them did there. Herbert reluctantly agreed but only in an attempt to keep her calm. 

He kept making sneaky glances at her in hopes that she wouldn't notice. With the way she was still staring at the floor, he could feel confident in thinking she didn't see him. Although he would never admit it, he was starting to feel a bit guilty for frightening her so. He got over excited about his research and was looking forward to sharing that with someone who wasn't Dan. 

He cleared his throat, catching her attention again, “I think our studies were very successful today, Natalie.”

Our studies?

“Y-Yeah,” She stuttered, hung up on that one word, “I guess you could say that. You know a lot more about brains and that stuff more than I ever will.”

“Well, it helps to have a morgue attendant aid me.” He responded honestly. 

“You probably could find a better one, if I'm being frank.” She snapped some gloves on and started to work on the little bright red flecks on the wall. 

Herbert shifted uncomfortably, a little annoyed that his attempts to comfort her were falling flat, “I don't think I could. Your smarts are impressive.”

She sadly chuckled, “I think you're just being nice to me.”

Once again, he grew slightly frustrated that his efforts seemed to be in vain. He took a short breath before saying, “No, it's the honest truth, actually. Your help was very much needed and appreciated.”

“Well, thanks Herbert.” Natalie coughed, “I mean, Dr. West. Excuse me.”

“No, Herbert is fine.” He said with the faintest smile. 

The cleaning was practically done at this point and there was only really Natalie’s side left. While she continued scrubbing the wall with the harsh, medical grade chemicals, Herbert cleared his throat to ask, “Should I leave you to work? If you're anything like me, working alone is the best option-”

“No!” Natalie whipped around with a frightened look before composing herself, “I mean, um, no thank you. I'd prefer to have your company, thanks.”

She wanted his company? Him of all people? 

He couldn't help but be skeptical of her at first. She must have misspoke. It's been a long night and she's dead tired, she must have meant to say she wanted some form of company and not just his. Why would he care, anyway? Herbert wasn't fond of any sort of relationships or human connections. So why did he sort of like the sound of her liking his company?

“If that's true, would you want me to walk you home?” He asked, surprised at himself for even uttering such a sentence.

Finally, the cleaning was finished. Not a fleck of blood could be found anywhere. Natalie let out a relieved sigh, “I would like that a lot. I don't think I want to be alone tonight after…you know,”

He hummed, “Well, if it's truly that stressful for you, then why don't you just spend the night in my room?”

They both looked at each other with utter confusion. Did he really just ask that with a straight face? Natalie assumed he was making some sort of mean, sarcastic joke on her. Herbert thought he had completely lost his mind by asking that.

“Do you mean that?” She finally asked.

“I asked, didn't I? Why would I ask you about something I wasn't being honest about?” He cleared his throat, “I don't really sleep anyway. Either way, I'll probably be working at my desk or down in the basement. The bed would remain empty.”

Her head tilted to the side, “And you'd let me take it over for the night?”

Herbert avoided making direct eye contact and shrugged, “You're the one who said you didn't want to be alone. I'm merely offering a solution that could work.”

Natalie went quiet. She thought about how out of character it was for him to offer such a thing to anyone, let alone her. She was just some mortuary assistant that had access to the dead. The types of bodies he needs for his experiments. She couldn't possibly mean anything more, right? Well, even then, maybe he just wants to be polite and keep on her good side so they could do this again? But, what if he genuinely wanted to build a connection with her?

Herbert cleared his throat again, this time to grab her attention, “Is that something you would like or not? Your answer won't offend me either way.”

She fiddled with the sleeves of her black button up a bit, feeling a little embarrassed at how happy she felt that he even wanted to offer such a thing to her. Her voice was quiet and barely audible, “I'd like that very much, actually. Thank you.”

“Alright,” His response was almost emotionless, “Let's go then. Our work here for the night is finished.”

Natalie took extra steps to make sure it looked like no one had been in there the entire night before locking it up and finally leaving it. The walk back to Herbert's shared residence was quiet, save for some brief, mindless small talk every now and then. 

He quickly unlocked his place and ushered her inside quietly, both of them ensuring they wouldn't wake up Daniel and Megan if she was spending the night. Silently, he led her to his room and pointed at the bed.

“Make yourself comfortable.” He whispered, “I must ask you to only touch the bed and nothing else that belongs to me.”

“Of course,” She said while taking a hesitant seat on his stiff bed.

Herbert started to undo his tie, “Will a light bother you? I need my lamp to write down some notes from tonight.”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

“Very well. I hope you get some rest.”

“Thank you.” Natalie gave him a weak smile before snuggling under his covers. 

Much to his shock, it didn't take her much to fall asleep. Either pure exhaustion or she genuinely felt comforted by his presence. For some reason while he was working, Herbert kept feeling a need to look over his shoulder to check on her. He would always force himself to focus on his notes but the urge never left him. 

Before retreating down to the basement, he wrote down one last note, “Natalie was more important than I initially thought. Not sure where I would be without her tonight. Maybe I should look into more of a fulfilling relationship with her outside of experiments.”

tag list: @bobmckenzie @kylars-princess @gideongrovel @fates-theysband @bioexorcizm @felixrichtershubby @lieutenantselnia lmk if you want to be added/removed! <3

[eternally-smitten]

HIIIII NATALIEEE *casually drops this in your ask box and skips away*

^ that man is NOT having scientific thoughts!!!!!

OH MY GOD????

OH MY GOD????????

CAITIE THIS IS ADORABLE 😭 😭 😭 AHHHHH I wish you could've heard the sound that came out of me as soon as I saw i got this from you AHAHA you drew him so perfectly and you got my likeness down to a perfect T!!! THE FINGER SPIDER TOO AHH 😭 THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOOOUUU ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

His ass is NOT thinking of his work smh my head

[eternally-smitten]

Comfort for the prompt list!!!

AHHHHHHH THANK YOU NICK you know damn well who this is gonna be for hehe.

kiss prompt list here!

This damn night seemed to drag on for forever. Natalie curled up in bed and hugged the pillow closer to her chest, taking a sniff of it. It smelled just like Herbert's shampoo and it gave her a small sense of comfort. It wasn't enough, though. She wanted him here with her. In person.

Then, almost as if he could read her thoughts, she heard him quietly open the door and slink inside. He assumed that she would be asleep because she usually was when he returned from his endeavors. Not only that, but it was almost two in the morning. It was safe for him to assume that she was in a deep sleep like usual.

As quietly as he could, he undressed down to his boxers. Then, right as he was about to slip into bed, he noticed Natalie move.

"You're still awake?" Herbert asked softly, incredibly confused.

Natalie flipped over to face him. "Yeah,"

He positioned himself on his side of the bed and squinted at her in the darkness. "Why? What's troubling you?"

He could tell that something was bothering her. If there wasn't, she wouldn't still be awake. Whenever something weighed heavily on her mind, she would toss and turn all night.

"I don't want to bother you with it right now." She whispered back. "You're exhausted, I can tell."

Herbert shrugged and said, "So are you. C'mere,"

He pulled her to his chest and immediately buried his fingers in his hair. This sudden wave of affection was strange to the both of them. Herbert typically showed her his love in unconventional ways. He wasn't a typical boyfriend very often but when he was faced with moments like these, he couldn't help himself.

Finally, him doing this for her broke her. As much as she tried to stop them from spilling on to his chest, tears slowly dripped down her cheeks and nose. In a quiet voice, she babbled about everything that was bothering her. Anyone toxic in her life she had trouble letting go of, her struggle to make and keep friends, not feeling good enough in her studies, everything.

Herbert silently listened to her, offering an "uh huh," or a hum in response every now and then. When it seemed like Natalie got everything out of her system, he gently lifted her face up and wiped her warm tears away with his thumbs. Then, he gently brought his lips to hers and kissed her. She kissed him back, appreciative for all the comfort he wanted to give her.

He pulled away first. "I'll make whoever is bothering you into my next experiment if you really want."

Natalie chuckled at his joke. "No, I think I'm okay. I think we need sleep, though."

"I agree. The offer is still on the table, of course."

He gave her one more kiss on her forehead and rested his head into his pillow. Natalie stayed on his chest and just like that, she fell asleep as if nothing was bothering her.