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“Can’t you ask him again,” Victor whined as he sat next to Henry and rested his head on his partner’s shoulder.
Henry chuckled, “you know my father won’t change his mind, besides I doubt he would suddenly agree hours before your departure. “He took Victor’s hand and their fingers intertwined. “Besides, aren’t you excited to go study?”
“I am,” Victor pouted, “but I can’t bear the thought of being apart from you.”
“It won’t be forever…” Henry spoke to reassure his lover, but Victor could tell he was also trying to keep his own sorrow at bay.
“You promise you’ll come visit, Clerval?” He looked up at him with sad eyes.
“You know I will,” he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “though I wish you would stop calling me by that name.”
“Clerval?” Victor looked at him, puzzled. He had always affectionately called Henry by his last name. “What’s wrong with it?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he shrugged, “I just think Henry Frankenstein has a better ring to it,” a small sly smile grew on his lips.
Victor laughed, “my dear, are you proposing?”
“More like prompting you,” Henry jokingly nudged the man next to him.
“What’s brought this about?”
“With you leaving me for university, who knows what could happen! All alone here, and with no guarantee you will return for me, I might get lonely…” He spoke in a dramatic and joking tone, “you need to tie me down before it’s too late.”
Victor smiled and kissed his cheek, “you wouldn’t dare.”
“No,” Henry laughed. “Oh, but what if being apart from me for so long, your gaze turns to that of lovely Elizabeth?”
Victor snorted, “even if I wasn’t madly in love with a handsome man already, she is far too preoccupied with Justine.”
“I do think the idea of marriage holds merit.”
Victor sighed happily at the thought, “when I come back.” He looked up at his boyfriend with starry eyes, “I want to make something of myself first.” He settled back against him, “besides, I think Clerval is a much nicer name. One truly befitting of a noble hero such as yourself, it would be a shame to sully the legends that will be told about you with Frankenstein.”
“But what a name is Frankenstein!” Henry exclaimed with grandeur, “now that’s a name that’s going to do something big!”
Victor laughed at his dramatics once more.
Henry continued, “that’s a name that’s going to live on! That’s a name destined for greatness— Frankenstein! ”