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Chapter Text

“I know I’m the last person you want to see, but I need you to hear me out.”

Henry couldn’t quite believe his eyes or ears as those words came from the man standing on his doorstep. He fought the urge to rub at his eyes like he was in some kind of cartoon, trying to figure out which was going to win out between the impulse to slam the door or the need to find out what was actually happening.

His expression obviously gave away his internal conflict, because Alex held up his hands as if he was approaching an easily spooked horse.

“Please,” he begged, catching Henry even more off guard than the mere presence of Alex at his front door.

Considering the way they’d left things, no less than six months ago, Henry figured there must be something big going on for Alex to be so polite.

Henry sighed, stepping aside and letting him in, noticing Amy parked up outside and watching them both enter the building.

He walked through the hallway and into the front room, picking up the glass of wine he’d placed on the coffee table. Alex followed, not subtle with how he eyed the wine and checked his watch.

Maybe it was 2pm on a Tuesday, but Henry didn’t have any responsibilities at the shelter and he had writer's block so thought a glass of Burgundy might help him through. He didn’t have to explain himself to Alex, and now he was glad he’d poured the glass. He was sure he’d need it to get through this conversation.

Henry sat down in his favourite armchair, watching as Alex hovered in the doorway.

David stretched as he woke up fro his nap, the beagle sniffing the air before making a beeline straight for Alex, his tail wagging enthusiastically.

Alex’s face lit up as he crouched to greet the dog.

“Hello, boy,” he grinned. “I’ve missed you.”

“Alex,” Henry chastised, rubbing at his temples with the hand not holding his wine. 

“Sorry,” Alex apologised, standing up and motioning to the couch. “May I?”

“Please,” Henry allowed, taking a long drink as Alex sat down. 

Henry watched in absolute betrayal as David hopped up next to him, resting his chin on Alex’s lap as his tail thumped happily against the couch cushion.

“Why are you here?” Henry asked, trying not to be annoyed with his dog.

David didn’t know what Alex had done, he was just happy to see him again.

“Thanksgiving is coming up,” Alex mentioned, as if Henry hadn’t been living in New York for the last four years and wasn’t familiar with American holidays.

“I’m aware,” he said, unsure why this was relevant to Alex appearing at his door after six months of no-contact. “Please just say what you came here to say.”

“Right, sure,” Alex nodded, and Henry watched as he clearly tried to work himself up to saying something. “Dad invited you for Thanksgiving.”

Now Henry was an intelligent man, but even he couldn’t figure out why someone would invite their son’s ex to their family Thanksgiving celebrations.

“Your dad,” Henry began, slowly annunciating each word, “invited your ex-boyfriend to Thanksgiving dinner?”

“My dad invited my boyfriend for Thanksgiving week at the lake house,” Alex clarified, and Henry could feel his eyes widen comically.

“Your boyf-” he cut himself off, trying to regain composure. “You don’t have a boyfriend, and if you do, it’s certainly not me.”

“Dad thinks you are,” Alex tried to reason. “I, uh. I never got around to telling him that we didn’t work out.”

Henry rolled his eyes, draining the last of his glass before putting it back on the table, resting his forearms on his thighs.

“You mean you didn’t want to tell him that you’re incapable of keeping it in your trousers,” he countered.

Alex sighed.

“Hen, I never-”

“Please, save it,” Henry interrupted, rolling his lips together and seriously considering another glass of wine. “It’s been six months. You’re telling me that in the last six months you haven’t spoken to your father about any of it? That’s as long as we were together in the first place.”

“He loved you when you came for New Year, they all did,” Alex explained, as if that was any kind of excuse. “Look, I know I should’ve told him, I know I’m an idiot, but he’s planned the holiday around us coming so…”

Alex trailed off, looking across at Henry hopefully.

“Can you tell me exactly what you’re asking me?” Henry questioned, needing to hear it explicitly to believe that the surreal exchange was really happening.

“Will you please come to Texas with me and pretend to be my boyfriend around my family? And Nora,” he added, hastily.

“You haven’t even told Nora?” Henry asked, dumbfounded as Alex shook his head. “Are you kidding me? Christ. They all think… They’ll all think we’re coming up to our anniversary.”

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly.

“It would be the Wednesday of that week,” Alex announces. “Bug might have already made us a dinner reservation. Dad has agreed to look after David.”

Henry, for his efforts, couldn’t hide the shock on his face. It was just all so surreal.

With a little bit of introspection, he could almost understand that Alex wouldn’t want to tell his family that he stepped out on his boyfriend. Especially not in the week that Henry had gone back to London to visit his own family for the first time since the pandemic.

What he couldn’t understand was why Alex would remember the anniversary of when they made their short lived relationship official.

“What’s in it for me?” Henry asked, too curious about what was happening to flat out refuse. “If I come with you, and I play your little game, what do I get out of it?”

“Flights to Texas, a fancy fake anniversary dinner, and my family’s cooking for a week,” Alex answered instantly, as if he had prepared for that question. “Dad’s even offered to tone down the spice for your güero sensibilities.”

“Not good enough,” Henry told him, simply. “I have to put up with you for a week, after the last six months of wanting to slap you.”

“Kinky,” Alex teased, making Henry roll his eyes. “You also get to share a bed with me, a pleasure which many men and women would die for.”

If looks could kill, Alex would’ve perished on the spot.

“Alright, sorry, shouldn’t have said that,” he admitted. “Name your terms, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Pez is coming,” Henry announced with no room for argument. “I’ve already arranged to see him, and I’m not giving that up to help you out.”

Alex nodded, biting at his lip.

“Are the two of you..?” he trailed off, but the implication was obvious from his expression.

“No, Alex, we’re not,” Henry informed him. “Unlike you, I’m able to hold friends that I don’t sleep with.”

“I don’t sleep with all my friends,” Alex argued.

“I wasn’t finished with my terms,” Henry interrupted, not wanting to hear it. “I want some arrangements that don’t involve being around your family all week.”

“I thought you loved my family,” Alex mentioned, and Henry sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“Your family isn’t the problem,” he explained. “I don’t like that we’ll be lying to them, and I think I’d like some respite from pretending to be in love with you.”

Alex’s expression faltered, and Henry had to remind himself that he didn’t need to comfort him. He was already in the process of negotiating a massive favour for the man that broke his heart, it wasn’t his responsibility to make Alex feel better when his expression seemed off.

“We can go into the city,” Alex offered. “We don’t have to spend the whole time at the lake house.”

Henry nodded slowly.

“Alright,” he allowed. “If June has already booked a dinner for us on the Wednesday, we should get a hotel or something.”

Alex’s frown was, admittedly, warranted.

“I just meant that would make it more believable,” Henry explained. “I wouldn’t want to spend the night of my anniversary sharing a house with my family.”

“Understood,” Alex confirmed. “We can do that.”

Henry worried his lower lip, looking across at Alex.

His brain was telling him that this was a terrible, horrible, very bad idea.

Another part of him, probably the stupid part with a distinct lack of self-preservation, was too curious to turn it down.

“Okay.”

Alex’s face lit up.

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” Henry agreed, getting to his feet. “But having to share a bed does not give you the right to touch me.”

“Understood,” Alex smiled, taking the hint and giving David one last pet before heading back towards the door. “I’ll arrange our flights and send you the details.”

“And Pez?” Henry asked, following him out.

“I’m sure June and Nora will be jazzed to see him,” Alex confirmed.

Henry nodded, opening the door and dodging Alex’s attempt at a hug, instead offering his hand.

Alex rolled his eyes as he accepted the shake.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Henry told him with a sarcastic smile.

“Sweetheart, you better put on a more convincing show than that in front of my family,” Alex warned.

“Acting’s in my blood, we’ll be fine,” Henry assured him, waving to Amy as he began to close the door. “And I’m not your sweetheart.”

Arguably, Henry should have told Pez as soon as Alex had left his house.

What he’d actually done was wait until the last minute.

The initial plan was for Pez to fly out to see him from Wednesday to Friday, but now Henry was due to be at the lake house from Sunday.

It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that he bit the bullet and messaged his best friend.

Henry considered turning off his phone, but when it rang for the third time in a row, he gave in and picked up. Better to face Pez than his sister, he supposed.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he said in place of greeting as Percy’s face filled the screen.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’d gone crawling back to your ex?”

Henry frowned.

“What?”

“I wasn’t born yesterday,” Pez tells him. “I distinctly remember that he and his exquisite sister spend a lot of their holidays at a lake house outside of Austin, and suddenly I’m supposed to reroute my flight - which will add two whole hours to my journey, by the way - to that very city.”

“I haven’t gone crawling back to anyone,” Henry argued. “If anything, he came crawling back to me.”

Pez looked absolutely appalled.

“Do I need to remind you of the time I had to fly out there after your breakup?” he asked. “When you weren’t answering any calls or texts and nobody had heard from you at the shelter because you spent three straight days in your bed? You almost missed your promo appearance on The Tonight Show.”

“No, I remember,” Henry assured him. “I’ve not taken him back.”

“But we are going to the lake house?”

Henry nodded, petting David for comfort where he lay in his lap.

“He never told anyone we broke up and his dad invited me,” he explained, aware of how ridiculous it sounded.

The baffled expression on Pez’s face was honestly expected.

“Haz.”

“I know,” Henry groaned.

“You owe that man nothing,” Pez continued.

“I know that,” Henry assured him. “I just… I’ve agreed now. And he agreed that you can come, so.”

Pez rolled his eyes, not unkindly.

“I thought you’d be happy to see June and Nora again,” Henry offered, earning a short laugh.

“I am,” Pez assured him, “but I cut off contact after you told me what happened with Alexander. So if they don’t know the two of you broke up, they certainly think I’m the arsehole in this situation. That I had my fun and then ghosted them for six months.”

Henry grimaced. He hadn’t thought about that, and Pez was right. Henry had wanted him there for his own comfort, not realising that Pez would potentially be in the firing line.

“You don’t have to come,” Henry told him. “I’m being selfish.”

“Of course I’m coming.” Pez waved his hand dismissively. “Someone needs to be there to ensure you don’t succumb to his charms without so much as an apology.”

“I’m offended by how little you think of me,” Henry said, David shifting in his lap. “Even if he apologised, I wouldn’t go back. I can’t.”

“The incredibly attractive FSOTUS has already talked you into spending Thanksgiving with him,” Pez reminded him. “I love you, but you’re weak for that head of curls and overconfident charm.”

“In my defence, it would be bad form to turn down the son of the president of the country I’m living in,” Henry tried to reason. “He could probably have me deported.”

“And all good relationships are based on a power imbalance,” Pez deadpanned, earning a surprised bark of laughter.

“Alright, fair point,” Henry allowed. “So you’re in? You’re coming to Texas?”

“I’m in,” Pez confirmed. “When are you guys getting in? I can try and time it so you’re not on your own for the drive up to the lake house.”

Henry cleared his throat, shifting so much that David got up in a huff.

“We’re actually leaving in the morning.”

Pez’s silence was deafening, and if it wasn’t for the fact that this was a FaceTime call and Henry could see him blinking, he would have thought they had been cut off.

“Henry Fox, what the fuck.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Stop calling me Henry,” he complained. “It’s Haz to you.”

“Haz isn’t a complete idiot,” Pez argued. “Hazza is my good friend of over a decade who wouldn’t keep things from me, or deliberately leave out integral pieces of information. Henry, on the other hand, is a real twat.”

“Hey, I’m not keeping things from you,” he retorted. “I’m not a twat.”

“I can’t be there tomorrow, I have to work,” Pez explained. “I literally only have the three days, but I can redeye both ways. How long are you actually there for?”

“Six nights,” Henry admitted. “It’s just Alex, Oscar, and I until Wednesday, then you all arrive.”

“What constitutes ‘you all?’” Pez questioned.

“Well, you, June, and Nora,” Henry clarified, “And I believe Ellen and Leo are joining us, on Thursday at least.”

“Ellen,” Pez repeated. “As in, Ellen Claremont, current president?”

“As in my ex-boyfriend’s mother who you have met before,” Henry confirmed. “Although I admit it was in a different setting.”

“I met her as the co-founder of the first United States branch of Okonjo-Fox LGBTQ+ Youth Shelters,” Pez reminded him. “As did you, for that matter. I’ve met her as Madam President. Not as ‘Ellen.’ Not as someone to spend the holidays with.”

“She was technically at the New Year’s thing,” Henry offered, but Pez just rolled his eyes.

“The party was at the White House, she wasn’t exactly there,” he commented. “Either way, I’m in now. I’ll be on my best behaviour for Senator Diaz and President Claremont.”

Henry laughed softly, aware of how absolutely bonkers the whole situation was.

It was hard enough to get his head around the first time. Sure, as a reluctant yet self-aware Bond nepo baby and, more recently, best-selling author and philanthropist, he’d met his fair share of famous faces and influential figures in his time. But the first time he’d sat down for a private meal with the first family of the United States had certainly been an interesting development. He could certainly understand where Pez was coming from.

“I really appreciate you doing this,” Henry tells him honestly. “And I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I was putting off exactly how this conversation went.”

Pez laughed.

“I’ll see you on Wednesday, babes,” he smiled, blowing a kiss before ending the call.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t until Alex was jumping out of his Jeep and grabbing their bags that Henry started to realise how much of an awful idea that this had been.

Alex’s security detail had followed behind, but they weren’t needed at the lake house and were instead staying at a nearby property, leaving them truly alone for the first time since Alex showed up at his house.

Henry got out of the Jeep and let David off to roam, looking up at the house as he leaned against the car door.

“Alex,” he murmured as he came to stand beside him, their bags at their feet. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“We’re here already,” Alex reminded him, the plea evident in his voice.

“I can’t believe you’re so calm about lying to your family,” Henry told him. “Making me lie to the president.”

“She’s not the president when she’s here, she’s my mom,” Alex rolled his eyes. “She’s not going to deport you for lying to her when she doesn’t know you’re lying to her anyway.”

“She doesn’t like me as it is, so I’m not sure she wouldn’t hesitate to revoke my green card,” Henry offered, and Alex threw his head back with a groan.

“She likes you just fine,” Alex assured him, standing in front of Henry to try and gain eye contact. “Look, I didn’t mean to let it go this far.”

Henry scoffed slightly, finally meeting his eye.

“I’m serious,” Alex insisted. “I meant to let them know, but I didn’t straight away and then it just… it got out of hand. Dad was running for reelection and I didn’t want to stress him out, and by the time he won he’d already planned this.”

“You didn’t want to stress him out?” Henry clarified, grabbing one of his duffel bags and throwing it over his shoulder. “But leaving me heartbroken in the middle of the most important press tour of my life was fine?”

Henry grabbed his other bag and started to walk towards the door.

“Henry, wait,” Alex tried, but Henry cut him off.

“David, come here, boy,” he called, the beagle trotting loyally beside him.

Henry looked at Alex, holding out his hand.

“We’re in love, remember?”

Alex shouldered the rest of their luggage and accepted Henry’s outstretched hand.

“I really appreciate this,” Alex told him, knocking on the door.

“Don’t mention it,” Henry smiled, attempting to look lovingly down at Alex.

The door flung open from the inside, Oscar’s beaming face causing Henry’s guilt to grow even further.

“Welcome home, niños,” Oscar grinned, pulling the pair of them into the same hug.

Henry reciprocated until David started jumping up at their legs.

“David, no,” he chastised, but David had other ideas, showering Oscar in lots of attention. “I’m so sorry, Senator.”

Oscar laughed, crouching to fuss the dog.

“Don’t apologise,” he insisted, David absolutely relishing in the attention from his new friend. “And I’ve told you before, call me Oscar.”

Henry smiled, letting go of Alex’s hand in order to readjust his bags.

“Congratulations on your reelection,” Henry told him, genuinely meaning it.

“Gracias, mijo,” Oscar smiled, and Henry tried not to tense at his choice of endearment.

Alex noticed, excusing the two of them to their room in order to deposit their things.

“Of course,” Oscar agreed. “I’ll take this guy out to the dock while you get settled in.”

“His recall word is ‘here,’” Henry clarified, smiling as he watched David happily trot along behind Oscar.

Alex led the way towards the bedroom they were going to share, and Henry followed dutifully, trying to shake the unease he’d felt just moments before.

“We’re in here,” Alex announced, opening the door to a decently sized room with large windows and a king bed.

Henry placed down his bags, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to ease some of the tension.

“I’ll ask him to stop,” Alex offered, unpacking some of his clothes and resolutely not looking at Henry. “With the ‘mijo’ and ‘niños,’ I mean.”

Henry cleared his throat, looking down at his feet.

“That’s counter-productive, don’t you think?” he said, plainly. “If we’re supposed to be together.”

Alex stopped, turning to face him, and Henry was surprised to see open honesty, maybe even genuine care in his eyes.

“If it’s making you uncomfortable,” Alex told him, “I’ll ask him to stop.”

Henry didn’t reply straight away.

Truthfully, it was making him uncomfortable. 

But when they were together, when he’d actually been Alex’s boyfriend, when Oscar had first accepted him as another son, hearing those words warmed his heart.

Maybe not the first time, he supposed. The first time it had been jarring, not used to the paternal fondness since his father had passed. But the warmth he received from Oscar, the unquestionable, unconditional love of a father offered within moments of meeting… Henry found himself basking in it.

It wasn’t until he’d been out of contact with Alex for a month that he realised he’d also lost another father.

Hearing those words again, knowing this time that it wasn’t real… it hurt.

“It’s okay,” Henry told him, his fingers absently twisting his signet ring. “If we’re going to lie, it has to at least be believable.”

Alex was watching him with an intensity that was making him uncomfortable, so Henry followed his lead by beginning to unpack.

“Alright,” Alex allowed. “The second it gets too much, it stops.”

“Yeah, okay ,” Henry agreed sarcastically, hanging a shirt in the wardrobe.

“I’m serious,” Alex insisted, surprising Henry by putting a hand on his shoulder and turning him to face him. “Sweetheart, you’re doing me a huge favour and you really didn’t have to. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable because of something I can fix.”

Henry swallowed, nodding slowly.

“I really appreciate that,” he told him, “but I’m still not your sweetheart.”

Oscar was keen to catch up with Henry, showing him all that the lake house had to offer throughout the afternoon.

Over dinner, sat across the table from his son and his 'boyfriend', he asked Henry about his latest book.

“I hear people have been sniffing around for the rights,” he mentioned, taking a sip of his drink.

Henry laughed softly, shaking his head.

“I don’t know if it’s a good fit for the screen,” he admitted, honestly. “Some things don’t translate from the page.”

“You’re kidding,” Oscar blanched, ever the dramatic. “It would make an incredible movie. The characters, the story, it practically jumps off of the page. If you get an offer from someone who will work with you to bring your vision of the story to the big screen, you should take it.”

Henry almost choked on his mouthful, and Alex started to rub his back soothingly.

“Sorry,” he murmured, touching Alex’s shoulder to let him know that he was okay as he looked at Oscar across the table. “I just… you’ve read it?”

Oscar frowned.

“Of course I’ve read it,” he explained. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Henry felt himself begin to blush, taking a sip of water as he tried to form a response.

“I didn’t know if it would be your style.”

Oscar rolled his eyes.

“Because it’s gay?” he asked. “You’re talking to the patron saint of gender-neutral bathrooms in California, you know that, right?”

“It’s not ‘gay,’” Alex argued. “It’s a queer romance, neither of the protagonists identify as gay.”

Henry tried not to react but, honestly, it was more surprising to him that Alex had read the book than Oscar.

Henry had refused to show Alex the manuscript while they were together, wanting to wait until it had been published, but they’d broken up before it got to print. He figured after they ended things that Alex wouldn’t have read it at all.

“Henry knows what I mean,” Oscar argued. “I’ve read it, and I loved it. I keep a copy in my office.”

“Thank you,” Henry murmured, unsure how to handle the praise and support. “That means a lot to me.”

“I’d be shouting about it from the rooftops but it would be suspicious if I randomly started throwing out book recommendations, especially until my idiot son is willing to make the two of you public,” Oscar continued, and Henry could feel Alex tense beside him. “It’s been a year, you’re both happy… any plans?”

Alex coughed, fumbling for words, and Henry took pity on him.

“It’s not that simple,” Henry explained, continuing despite the worried look Alex shot his way. “It wouldn’t just be going public with a relationship. For Alex, that’s going public with a queer identity.”

Henry chose his words carefully, knowing that Alex’s label was his own to decide, and Alex relaxed considerably once he realised that Henry wasn’t exposing their fraudulent relationship.

Oscar hummed contemplatively.

“And it doesn’t bother you?” he asked, speaking directly to Henry. “To not be able to be public together? Having to sneak around?”

“Pa,” Alex protested, but Oscar continued looking at Henry.

“Not talking to you, mijo.”

Henry swallowed, meeting Oscar’s eye.

“You said you read my most recent work, but have you read my debut?” he questioned, and Oscar nodded. “Then you know how I feel about it. Every queer person has the right to come out on their own terms, or to not come out at all.”

“Even if that means hiding a relationship for a full year?” Oscar pressed, and Henry shrugged.

“I meant it when I wrote it years ago, and I mean it now,” he confirmed.

Oscar’s expression slowly morphed into a proud smile, and Henry chanced a glance to the side.

Alex was looking down at his plate, his eyes slightly glassy, so Henry continued his train of thought.

“I’ve had the luxury of never having to come out in the public eye,” he explained. “I’ve been secure in myself from a young age. I’ve never had to clarify my sexuality because I had been posting about boys on my social media since I opened the accounts. By the time the world cared about Arthur Fox’s kids, it only took a quick Twitter search to know that I had a secondary school boyfriend.”

Henry paused, finding Alex watching him intently.

“For Alex, though,” Henry continued, looking back at Oscar, “he’s had girlfriends that the public knew about. Society will have perceived that as ‘ACD is straight,’ which means if we went public it would be a statement. And the choice of when or if to make that statement has nothing to do with me.”

Alex pushed back his chair, excused himself from the table and headed towards their bedroom, David giving up on begging for scraps and following him out. Henry frowned slightly as he watched him go. They’d had the same conversation when they were together, so Henry hadn’t quite expected to get such a strong reaction from Alex. 

“I guess that’s dinner over,” Oscar joked, causing Henry to huff out a slight laugh as he began to clear the plates. “I can clean this up.”

“I’ll help,” Henry insisted, bringing dishes over to the sink. “I think it’s best to give him some time.”

Oscar washed the dishes and Henry dried them, the pair working together in companionable silence until the kitchen was spotless.

“I hope you didn’t think I was interrogating you earlier,” Oscar said, offering Henry a glass of wine.

“It’s okay,” Henry assured him, declining the drink. “You want to know more about the man that’s dating your son, I get it.”

Oscar smiled, leaning against the counter.

“I’m glad he has you,” he said. “That boy doesn’t need anyone to fight his battles, but seeing you in his corner is reassuring, as a father. It's nice to know he's in strong hands.”

Henry was immediately hit with another wave of guilt. This time it was a physical feeling, tightening his stomach, putting pressure on his lungs.

Luckily, Oscar took his silence as bashfulness.

“Thank you for helping,” he smiled, clapping Henry on the shoulder. “Go check on your boys.”

Chapter Text

Alex was pretending to be asleep by the time Henry made it to the room they were sharing.

He knew he was faking it by the way his hand continued to occasionally scritch David’s back whenever the beagle made a huff of protest, but Henry didn’t want to force a conversation.

He quietly encouraged David off the bed and outside before getting himself ready to sleep. It was still relatively early, but it had been a long and emotionally taxing day so he figured he could use the rest.

Getting in beside Alex was strange, to say the least.

Alex had taken the right side of the bed, and Henry tried not to feel anything about it.

The first time they’d spent the night together, they’d both argued that the left was objectively better before Alex gave in and dutifully moved over. So to find him sleeping on the objectively worse side meant that either Alex’s preference had changed or that he chose that side so Henry could take the left.

He tried not to psychoanalyse it and got under the covers, laying flat on his back with a distinct sense of unease.

David had no such problem, jumping up and making space for himself between them, circling a few times before settling down with his chin on Henry’s stomach.

Henry huffed a small laugh as he scratched between his ears.

“What are we doing, huh?” he murmured, aware that Alex was awake but not really caring. “Are we crazy?”

David, unsurprisingly, had no response other than a lazy wag of his tail.

“You’re just happy to be out of the city,” Henry mused. “Must be nice.”

He shifted around, trying to get comfortable enough to at least rest his body.

His mind, on the other hand, would be too busy to get any real sleep.

He was wrong.

When morning came, Henry woke from the most peaceful slumber he had experienced in months.

He felt David shift under his arm and flattened his palm to stroke over his fur.

His hand was met with a distinct lack of fur and, instead, a warm, flat expanse of skin.

Henry’s gentle morning snooze abruptly ended as he remembered where he was, pulling his arm back abruptly.

“Come back, baby,” Alex mumbled as Henry got out of bed, shifting back towards the space that Henry had just vacated.

“Yeah, not going to happen,” Henry replied, noticing the moment Alex fully woke up.

He laughed uncomfortably, pushing himself up to sit against the headboard, scratching at his chest.

“Thought you loved morning cuddles,” Alex reminded him, encouraging David to move to his lap from the end of the bed.

“Don’t make this weirder than it already is,” Henry requested, pulling on a pair of sweatpants. “I need to take David outside.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed, continuing to pet the dog.

Henry watched him for a moment, trying to figure out whether he should bring up what happened the previous evening.

It turned out he didn’t have to.

“Sorry for being weird last night,” Alex said, looking down at David so he didn’t have to look at Henry.

“It’s okay,” Henry assured him. “I’m sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable.”

“It wasn’t that,” Alex replied. “It’s just-”

Henry waved a hand dismissively.

“You don’t have to explain yourself-”

“I’m bi,” Alex blurted, finally meeting his eye.

Henry offered a small, if a little confused, smile.

“Thank you for trusting me with that.”

“You mentioned being secure in who you were last night,” Alex continued. “I’m secure in my sexuality, even if I’m not publicly out.”

Henry sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Alex, I didn’t mean it like that,” he insisted. “I wasn’t trying to imply that you were insecure. I was honestly just trying to answer your father without explaining that we’re not together and it’s literally none of my business.”

“I have been insecure, though,” Alex explained. “I’ve not labelled myself before, not even to my family. Not even to Nora. They know I’m with you, but I’ve never actually told them how I identify.”

“That’s okay,” Henry assured him, choosing to ignore the present tense mention of their relationship. Now wasn’t the time, while Alex was being open and vulnerable, to say anything about it. “You don’t owe anyone a label.”

Alex rolled his eyes, but not unkindly. Almost fondly.

“I know that.” He smiled softly. “I just… I wanted to tell you. It feels right for you to be the first person I say it to.”

Henry hummed, unsure how to take the admission.

On one hand, it made sense that Alex would tell him first. He was the first man Alex had a real relationship with, and Henry knew that Alex was still figuring out his sexuality while they were together. It genuinely didn’t bother him - his words at the table the previous night weren’t empty - and he allowed Alex the space to discover himself.

On the other hand, Alex had broken his heart by discovering himself with an apparent disregard for Henry’s feelings. Henry left the country for the first time in four years, and Alex immediately forgot he had a boyfriend of six months.

So, yeah. Conflicted emotions.

“Thank you for trusting me with that,” is what he settled on. “I’m glad you’ve found the word that feels right for you.”

“Thank you for giving me the freedom to figure it out on my own,” Alex replied as David jumped down from the bed, whining softly at the door.

Henry tried to bite his tongue, he really did, but Alex’s phrasing made it too easy to snap.

“Yeah, well,” Henry commented, aiming for casual as he grabbed David’s leash and slipped on his shoes, “I didn’t exactly expect you to figure it out with other people.”

Alex leaned forward on the bed as Henry reached for the door.

“Hen, wait,” he pleaded. “We should talk about this.”

Henry laughed bitterly, shaking his head.

“Alex, I saw you,” he began, cutting himself off when he heard Oscar’s footsteps in the hallway. “I’m not talking about this here. I’m taking David out then getting myself a coffee. If you actually want to have this conversation, it shouldn’t be around someone who thinks we’re together.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed. “I do want to have this conversation, though.”

Henry nodded, fighting back the urge to respond with something stupid like ‘that makes one of us,’ and instead opted for a more neutral response.

“We can talk when we’re alone,” he reiterated, finally opening the door and letting David rush ahead.

Henry didn’t want to talk about it at all, if he was being honest.

The idea of reliving one of the most painful nights of his life didn’t really sound like a good time to him.

The thing is, Henry knew what he saw, and he wasn’t sure why Alex was so keen to bring it up.

Henry had returned to New York a day earlier than Alex had anticipated, wanting to surprise his then-boyfriend for his birthday. He’d planned it with June, getting inside intel on where Alex would be that evening.

She’d told him that he was going out for dinner and drinks with some friends from law school, so Henry made his way to the restaurant to surprise him.

Their relationship may have been a secret, but their friendship was public knowledge, so Henry being at his birthday celebrations wouldn’t be suspicious if anyone saw them. Only, Henry saw Alex well before Alex had the chance to see him.

He was sitting in a booth, much like June had said he would be, with one of the girls Henry recognised as Alex’s coursemate perched on his lap.

Alex’s large palm was resting on her thigh, and that alone was enough to have Henry’s blood boiling.

He was laughing at something someone had said, and Henry felt a pang of jealousy that someone else was eliciting such a joyous sound from his boyfriend.

Then, just as Henry had pulled himself together enough to approach, she took Alex’s face between her palms and kissed him.

On the lips.

In front of everyone.

And Alex didn’t push her off, or turn her down gently, or pull back.

If anything, he leaned in for more, his fingers digging in tighter to her thigh.

That was more than enough for Henry’s heart to completely shatter.

He turned around, left the bar, headed back home, and cried himself to sleep.

Their last face-to-face conversation for six months had happened in the early hours of the next morning, with Alex stumbling into Henry’s house.

Henry had almost forgotten that Alex had been house-sitting and looking after David while he was away, and the sound of the front door opening had him on high alert.

It was 4am, and when Henry got to the top of the stairs he could tell that Alex was wasted.

“I need you to take your things and go,” he said, plainly, when Alex tried to greet him with an excited hug.

“Baby, what?” Alex slurred, and Henry shook his head.

“I’ll text Cash and get him to pick you up,” he explained. “I can’t have you staying here with me.”

Alex’s frown deepened, stumbling slightly as he followed Henry upstairs.

“What’s going on?” he asked, and Henry laughed in shock. 

“I came home early to surprise you,” Henry explained, “and came to the bar.”

“Aw, baby.” Alex was grinning again. “I didn’t see you.”

Henry rolled his eyes, packing up Alex’s things for him.

“That’s because you had Sophia’s tongue down your throat,” Henry told him, trying to swallow away the lump crushing his windpipe. “You didn’t see much of anything.”

“Sweetheart, I would never ,” Alex tried to argue, but Henry cut him off.

“I saw it with my own eyes, Alex,” he explained, trying to stay angry so that he didn't cry in front of him. “Don’t lie to me like that. She kissed you, you kissed back. In front of all of your friends. You can ask them about it when you’ve slept off the booze.”

Henry wiped furiously at his eyes, zipping up Alex’s bag and bringing it back downstairs. 

“Cash is outside,” he explained. “Please just go.”

“I don’t want to,” Alex complained, almost petulant, and Henry finally snapped.

“I didn’t want to see my boyfriend kissing someone else, but we can’t all get what we want.”

“I’m sure I didn’t mean to,” Alex tried, and Henry laughed wetly.

“You weren’t even drunk,” he reminded him. “It was barely 9pm.”

Alex struggled for a response, and Henry was relieved to hear a knock at the door.

“Please, leave,” he requested, handing him his bag. “And please don’t contact me.”

Henry opened the door, smiling apologetically at Cash.

“He’s absolutely wasted,” he explained, guiding Alex out. “Sorry about this.”

“I wouldn’t want to have to deal with his hangover, either,” Cash joked, taking Alex’s bag and putting his arm around him. “Let’s go, idiot.”

“Wait,” Alex complained, trying to turn back towards Henry.

“We’re taking you home,” Cash explained. “You can talk to him when you’re sober.”

Henry had just enough sense left to shut and lock the door before crumbling in the entryway.

He’d blocked Alex’s number for his own sanity after that, spent three days in bed until Pez came to pull him out of his funk, and then spent six months trying to get over it.

So, no, Henry really didn’t feel like talking about it.

Chapter Text

Henry made it his mission to not be alone with Alex for as long as possible. He busied himself with helping Oscar around the house, taking a keen interest in cooking for the first time in his life.

Oscar was excited to show him some family recipes, and Henry did his best to ignore Alex’s subtle suggestions of other things to do.

Unfortunately for Henry, Oscar insisted on taking David out for a long walk in the evening and giving them some ‘alone time.’

In another attempt to avoid the inevitable, Henry opened his laptop on the dining table and pretended to be working. It didn’t last long before Alex sat down opposite him.

“Can we please talk about it?” he requested, causing Henry to sigh and close his computer. “We can’t go this whole week without having this conversation.”

“I don’t really see the need to discuss it,” he admitted. “I watched you cheat on me, we broke up because of it. From my end it’s quite simple.”

It was Alex’s turn to sigh, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

“Look, I-“

“If you’re about to tell me that it didn’t happen, I’m going to lose my mind,” Henry interrupted, bluntly. “I know what I saw.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Alex insisted. “I wasn’t even going to try and defend myself. There’s no excuse, and I understand why seeing that was the end for you. I just… I want the chance to explain.”

Henry scoffed. 

“You think context is going to change my opinion?” he asked in disbelief. 

“I think it might make you hate me a little less,” Alex argued, gently.

“I don’t hate you,” Henry dismissed. “I hate that I thought I had found something real with you, that you’d moved on from your infamous dating history and were looking to settle down with me. I hate that you proved me wrong. But I don’t hate you, I never really did.”

Alex’s expression was a mixture of surprise and hurt, and he nodded slightly to himself.

“I was stupid,” he admitted. “Really, really stupid. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Because I was never supposed to be there to see it,” Henry guessed, fighting not to roll his eyes.

“I would’ve told you,” Alex argued. “I wanted to tell you what happened to stop things from spiralling if you found out, but I never got the chance.”

Henry ran his tongue over his teeth and tried not to rise to the implication that he was the one who ruined their relationship.

“Fine,” he allowed. “Explain it to me.”

Alex swallowed, running a hand through his hair.

“I need you to know that I know the reasoning is stupid, but at the time I didn’t realise I was being such a dick,” he prefaced. “Me and Sophia were always close but I didn’t know she liked me, so the kiss took me by surprise. I should have pushed her off, I really wish I did, but in the moment I didn’t want to offend her.”

Henry scoffed again, unable to hold it back.

“I know how stupid that is,” Alex insisted. “It was so fucking dumb. I kissed back for a couple of seconds before I moved her off of my lap and told her I wasn’t looking for anything more. You can ask anyone that was there. I would never have done it if I thought it would break us up.”

“You should never have done it anyway, Alex,” Henry told him, plainly. “I understand not wanting to hurt your friend’s feelings, but I can’t understand putting hers above mine. You should have realised that even having her on your lap would be disrespectful to our relationship, let alone kissing her back.”

Alex looked scorned and Henry couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“I know,” Alex agreed. “I know. I wasn’t thinking. I was conscious that I didn’t trust them all enough to tell them I was taken, and I couldn’t think of another believable reason to turn her down.”

“‘No’ is a full sentence,” Henry dismissed.

“I know,” Alex repeated, nervously cracking his knuckles. “If I could go back, I’d have been straight with them. I’d have told them I was seeing someone and risked the press finding out. I’d have risked them looking into our public interactions, following us. I’d risk them outing me and our relationship if it meant I never hurt you. If it meant we never broke up.”

That took Henry by surprise.

He’d expected Alex to be sorry about what went down, but he’d figured it would be more due to the fact that he was embarrassed or ashamed of his actions. He wasn’t expecting it to be because Alex regretted that they had broken up, that he apparently still wanted them to be together.

When Henry didn’t reply, Alex continued earnestly.

“I was scared of the wrong thing,” he admitted. “I should have been scared of upsetting you. I should have worried about losing you instead of being fucking outed. At least then I’d have you and we could go through it together.”

Henry didn’t know how to respond as he watched Alex’s face, finally meeting his eye.

It was a lot to take in, in his defence.

He’d gone into the conversation hurt and angry, and now he was… well. Still hurt, but now more confused. And somehow feeling empathetic towards his ex.

“Please say something,” Alex begged, breaking eye contact.

“Did you sleep with her?” he asked, unsure if he really wanted the answer.

Alex shook his head.

“I haven’t slept with anyone since we broke up,” he murmured. “I haven’t even kissed anyone since that night. I think-”

He cut himself off as Henry watched him intently, still finding it difficult how to process what he was hearing.

“What do you think?” he prompted.

“I think you’re it for me,” Alex admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “And I’m so fucking sorry for ruining what we had.”

Chapter Text

Henry recounted the conversation almost word for word for Pez as soon as he called, sitting on the dock with his feet dangling in the lake.

He’d explained to Oscar that he had to take a call from his business partner to ensure himself some privacy, and he was grateful for the confidence that he could talk freely.

Pez listened quietly, giving nothing away until Henry finished speaking.

“I can tell by the way you’re talking that you buy his bullshit,” Pez told him.

“I don’t fully buy it,” Henry reasoned.

“The fact that you buy it even a little bit is concerning to me,” Pez said, flatly. “You said he didn’t even know what you were talking about when he got home that morning.”

“He was completely wasted when he got home,” Henry reasoned, earning a groan of frustration.

“I know you’re an intelligent man, but this boy makes you look like a bloody fool,” Pez complained. “Do you want to know what I think?”

“Please,” Henry sighed, knowing he needed a reality check and bracing himself for it.

“I think the only reason you’re buying it is that he admitted he’s still into you,” Pez explained, simply. “I think, even if what he’s saying is true, it’s fucking odd that he was okay with having her in his lap in the first place, knowing his boyfriend was on the other side of the ocean.”

Henry huffed a small laugh, moving his feet in the water.

“I’m buying it because I woke up in the middle of the night and he was crying,” Henry replied, lowering his voice even more. “Plus I don’t understand why he would be insisting on having the conversation if it wasn’t the truth.”

Pez hummed, contemplative.

“It would be helpful if I could talk to June and Nora about this.”

“They don’t know we broke up,” Henry reminded him. “I would’ve messaged June myself already.”

“How can they not know, though?” Pez questioned. “They’re two of the smartest, most observant women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and you think that they don’t know just because he didn’t tell them?”

Henry frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that it’s suspicious that you haven’t seen them in six months,” he argued. “There’s only so many times Alex can say you’re busy or ill before they would get suspicious, babes. Plus I haven’t messaged either of them since they stopped seeing you. Maybe his parents are too busy to figure it out, but those ladies famously love to analyse everything.”

It made sense, unfortunately. There was just one thing that didn’t completely fit that narrative.

“June booked us tomorrow’s dinner reservation,” Henry argued, weakly. 

“Because she’s a meddling big sister,” Pez explained, clearly frustrated with Henry’s apparent idiocy. “Imagine the roles were reversed, and you hadn’t said you’d broken up but it was obvious, and then you agreed to bring him home for the holidays. Are you trying to tell me that Bea wouldn’t pull something exactly like this, just to see what happened?”

Well.

He couldn’t argue with that.

Bea would absolutely do that. She’d make the reservation just to make Henry squirm, or to try to get him to admit to it being over, or to try and play matchmaker if she didn’t know the context of the breakup.

“Don’t outright ask them if they know,” Henry instructed.

“But I’m allowed to do some digging?” Pez clarified, sounding completely thrilled and immediately on board.

“You’ve got to be subtle with it, Pez,” he insisted. “If they offer up anything solid about being aware we’re not actually together, then you can dig.”

“Subtle is my middle name, dearest Hazza, you should know that by now.”

Henry laughed, pulling his feet from the water to rest on the dock.

“You wouldn’t know subtle if it slapped you in the face,” he teased, “but please try.”

“I’ll do my best,” Pez promised. “Now, tell me what else I need to know. Are you and Alex playing up the relationship around Senator Diaz?”

Henry laughed awkwardly.

The thing is, they were playing it up for Oscar.

Henry still felt awful about lying to him, and the longer he spent at the lake house, the more worried he was about Oscar finding out about their lie.

So, whenever Oscar was around, Alex and Henry played every part of the loved-up couple approaching their first anniversary. Kisses on cheeks, pet names, cuddles on the sofa, all of it.

When they were alone, on the other hand, there was an awkward tension in the air. Henry had told Alex that he needed to think everything over before he had another conversation about that night and the months that followed, so they’d barely said a word to each other out of Oscars presence since.

Henry didn’t know if Alex was aware that he heard him crying, but that wasn’t exactly something you mention. If Alex knew, he was probably already mortified, and if he didn’t and Henry told him, it would just embarrass him further.

He figured it would probably be best not to mention it unless Alex wanted to talk about it.

As he explained all of this to Pez, Henry could hear him hum as he took it all in.

“Don’t give him mixed signals, babes” Pez instructed. “If he is actually still into you, that would be cruel.”

“I’m not,” Henry promised. “No mixed signals, just acting in front of Oscar.”

“Alright,” Pez sighed. “Look, I have to go back to work, seeing as you’ve taken a week-long holiday-”

“We work with different shelters,” Henry interrupted, getting to his feet. “I made sure mine were covered, and they know they can call me in an emergency.”

“I’m just being a dick for the fun of it, Haz,” Pez laughed, “but I really do have to get back. I’ll message the girls and see if I can get any more information from them before I see you tomorrow. If you get a chance, figure out why he thought it was a good idea for Sophia to be in his lap.”

“Sounds good,” Henry agreed, walking back towards the house. “Any more questions before I let you go?”

“Just one, actually. How does it feel, hearing that he regrets it?”

Henry stopped, waving at Oscar who was waiting on the porch, before turning to face the lake again.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You’ve been trying to get over him by ignoring him for months, thinking he didn’t care about you,” Pez explained, “and now he’s saying he’s sorry for what he did and he regrets it. How do you actually feel about that?”

Henry paused, chewing on the inside of his lower lip.

“I can’t think about it,” Henry admitted. “At least not until we get to the bottom of it all.”

“Because you thought he was it for you, too?” Pez guessed, and Henry had to clear his throat, breathing in harshly through his nose to try and stop himself from getting emotional.

“I can’t, Pez,” he said, quietly. “Please.”

“Alright, sweets,” Pez murmured, kindly. “I’ll see you in the morning. Have a coffee ready for me.”

“See you soon,” Henry mumbled, taking a deep, grounding breath before heading back to the house.

Four more days.

He could do this.

Chapter Text

Oscar handed Henry a beer when he got back to the porch, encouraging him to sit down opposite him.

“Where’s Alex?” he asked, accepting both the drink and the seat.

“Making food,” Oscar explained. “I think he’s planning on taking you on an adventure this afternoon, but don’t tell him I told you.”

Henry laughed softly, leaning back and running a hand through his hair.

“We’re going out tomorrow,” he mentioned, but Oscar just shrugged.

“Let him woo you, you’re on vacation.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Henry joked. “He can woo away.”

Oscar smiled, patting the seat beside him as David wandered over, the beagle happily jumping up beside him.

“Didn’t expect to be an abuelo quite so soon, but this little guy is sweet enough for me to be okay with it,” he teased, causing Henry to choke on his beer.

“David’s your grandson?” he clarified, and Oscar pulled a face as he pet the dog.

“Well, step-grandson I guess, seeing as you had him before you started dating my son,” he reasoned as Alex opened the screen door. “Still not thrilled with the name choice. Is he meant to be the cutest tax attorney in the world, or what?”

“He’s named after Bowie,” Alex explained, running his hand across Henry’s shoulders before coming to stand beside him.

“And you went with David over Bowie ?” Oscar asked, incredulous, as David perked up at the sound of his name with such emphasis.

“I think a man deserves an air of mystery,” Henry argued, earning a soft laugh from Alex and a squeeze of his shoulder.

“We’re gonna take the little man out for a hike this afternoon, if you’re up for it,” Alex told him, his eyes flitting between Henry’s as he looked down at him.

“Darling, you know I’m not a hiker,” Henry argued lightly.

“It’s only like 6k,” Alex assured him. “Mostly flat, suitable for both you and David, I promise.”

“You just want to get me alone,” Henry joked, not wanting Oscar to find his resistance suspicious.

“Oh yeah, alone, out in the open, with Cash and your dog,” Alex teased, “just how I like it.”

“Ay, mijo, less of that,” Oscar complained.

Alex just grinned in response.

“Food will be ready in ten,” he explained, changing subject and perching on the arm of Henry’s chair. “How’s Pez?”

“He’s good,” Henry assured him. “Just needed to iron out some details for the new shelter before we’re both out of office.”

Alex looked surprised at the mention of a new shelter before trying to school his features.

He’d have known about it if they were actually together.

“What time are we expecting him tomorrow?” Oscar asked.

“Pretty early,” Henry winced. “He’ll be here for 9am.”

“I bet you’re looking forward to seeing him,” Oscar smiled. “Alex said it had been months.”

Henry nodded, taking another swig from his bottle.

“Yeah, I’ve missed him,” he smiled, a little sadly. “Thanks for letting us crash your family Thanksgiving.”

“Your family is our family,” Oscar assured him.

Alex was tense beside him, and Henry frowned slightly as he looked up at him.

“You okay?” he checked, and Alex offered him a forced smile.

“I’m great,” he assured him, placing a quick peck to Henry’s cheek before getting to his feet. “I’m gonna check on the food and let Cash know the plan. We’ll head out after we’ve eaten, if that’s cool?”

Henry smiled.

“I'm looking forward to it.”

He wasn’t looking forward to it. Sitting in the back of the car, while Cash drove the two of them to what seemed like the middle of nowhere, Henry was not looking forward to alone time with Alex.

Sure, he’d requested it when Alex begged him to come on this trip, but that was an excuse to drop the charade. He just hadn’t exactly expected the conversation they’d had last night, or the awkwardness that followed after.

His only respite was the knowledge that Cash was aware of their situation, as apparently he’d been pretending to drive Alex to Henry’s house every couple of weeks since they broke up, so at least Henry didn’t have to fake it for the next couple of hours. 

The drive was uncomfortable, to say the least.

David was sitting calmly at his feet, and Alex was looking out the window to his side.

Cash had rolled up the divide to protect their privacy, but neither of them had said a word since getting in the car.

They’d been driving for around twenty minutes before Henry couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Alex jumped slightly, clearly not expecting Henry to speak.

“It’s one of my favourite trails around here,” he explained. “I used to beg to go whenever we were out here. I figured, if you wanted to be out of the house, it’s probably best that we don’t spend too much time in public places given who we are.”

Henry nodded, looking out his window.

“I was also hoping we could talk,” Alex admitted. “Cash will give us space. I know you asked for time to process, but there’s something else I wanted to say.”

“Me too,” Henry agreed. “We can walk and talk when we get there.”

Alex seemed surprised by that, and Henry could feel his attention snap fully to him.

“You actually want to talk?” he clarified, causing Henry to shrug.

“I think there’s some stuff we need to clarify, moving forward,” he explained, which only seemed to confuse Alex further.

“Moving forward?”

“I just mean it would be good for things not to be so uncomfortable between us for the next few days,” Henry clarified, watching as a faux-shocked expression made its way onto Alex’s face.

“You’re finding the long periods of silence uncomfortable?” he asked, teasing. “I thought that was your love language.”

Henry laughed despite himself, covering it with an obviously fake cough.

“Don’t make me laugh, I’m still mad at you,” he requested, fighting a smile.

“I’m serious,” Alex insisted, his laugh contradicting him immediately. “Long, brooding silences are your thing , sweetheart.”

Henry rolled his eyes, pushing lightly at Alex’s shoulder.

“Just because you made me laugh doesn’t mean you can call me that,” he chastised, looking back out the window. “How long until we get there?”

“Ten minutes, give or take,” Alex shrugged. “What, you want to go back to uncomfortable silence until we get there?”

Henry fought back another laugh, shaking his head.

“It is my love language, after all.”

Chapter Text

The trail Alex had taken them to was nothing short of beautiful. 

From the moment they stepped out of the car, Henry was in awe. David was excited to get out and explore, pulling against his harness to try and roam free, but Henry kept him on the leash until they were further from the road.

Alex had a small backpack with a couple of bottles of water and a small bowl for David in it, slinging it over his shoulders before heading off towards the start of the trail.

“There’s a field just past these trees,” he announced, “so David can roam free in a sec.”

“He’s going to love this, I can already tell,” Henry laughed softly.

“He’s a man with excellent taste, of course he will,” Alex smiled.

The silence as they walked wasn’t uncomfortable this time, and Henry let David off of the leash when Alex prompted. Cash kept a respectful distance behind them, though there didn’t seem to be many people around that could pose any risk or overhear any private chat between them. That, at least, helped to put Henry at ease about the conversation they were sure to have soon.

“I think it was self-sabotage,” Alex explained without prompting, as if he’d read Henry’s mind. “Subconsciously, at least. I’ve spoken to my therapist about it, and he explained that I don’t tend to let myself have good things. I try to ruin friendships and relationships when they’re going well because of my abandonment issues.”

“You’re admitting you have those, now?” Henry teased, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Alex had started this with intense sincerity that Henry was unsure if he could match for the next hour or so of their hike.

“I’ve realised a lot about myself,” Alex continued, just as sincere. “I’ll push people away when I’m afraid of them hurting me.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt you, Alex,” Henry reminded him. “I was happy. I thought we were happy.”

“I know, logically I knew that,” he insisted. “But for me to be okay with even having her sit on my lap that night, there must have been that doubt and fear there.”

Henry hummed, picking up a stick from the ground and throwing it for David to chase ahead of them.

“You didn’t remember kissing her when you got home,” he told him. “Or you outright denied it, if you did.”

“I was so drunk, I have a very hazy memory of that conversation,” Alex admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. “It wasn’t until I went to class and heard what went down that night that it came back to me and I realised why you were so mad. You saw that happen early in the night and then I stumbled in at, what? Three?”

“Four,” Henry supplied warily.

“Fuck,” Alex sighed. “No wonder you thought I slept with her.”

Henry eyed him suspiciously, kicking the stick that David had dropped on the path in front of him, sending him off to chase it down once more.

“Forgive me, but if you only have a hazy memory of that night, how do you know you didn’t?” Henry asked, quite kindly considering the subject matter.

“I was out with my classmates until I headed back to yours,” Alex explained. “I didn’t sneak off with her or anyone else. Apparently she asked if I wanted to go back with her just after midnight, but I turned her down and stayed to party with my friends. Our friends thought it was funny that she left in a mood, so there’s photo evidence of her leaving and me staying, if you need that. But I swear, it didn’t mean anything.”

Henry, if he was completely honest with himself, desperately wanted to believe him.

He wanted to believe that it was a mistake, that Alex regretted it, that he was sorry.

Henry had realised pretty early on in their relationship that Alex had abandonment issues, and hearing that he’d figured that out for himself, that he’d been working through his problems with a therapist and actually listening to the advice… well. He wanted so badly for it to be true.

There was another question he needed answered, though, before he could even consider getting carried away with wishful thinking.

“Why did you wait until now to talk to me about this?” he asked, stopping to look Alex in the eye. “I’m just finding it hard to believe that if you truly regretted it, you would have waited six months to tell me all of that.”

He wanted to be able to read his expression when he answered.

“Okay, that’s fair,” Alex nodded, breaking eye contact briefly before looking back up at Henry. “I tried to call you a few days after you stopped answering my texts, but you’d blocked my number.”

“You know where I live,” Henry argued. “You showed up at my house to get me to come here.”

“I know, Henry, please let me explain,” Alex requested, earning a curt nod. “I could have tried harder to get you back, to explain everything properly. I just… I knew there was no excuse for what I did. And at the start, I was-”

He cut himself off, clearing his throat to try and take some of the emotion out of his voice.

“I was so scared of getting outed,” he admitted, quietly. “The press were already commenting on our friendship, and some of my classmates had made some remarks about the articles that evening. I’d snapped at one of them when he asked how I felt about rumours going around about me and ‘Bond’s gay son.’”

Henry flinched. He’d fought for years to make his own name for himself, and he knew that his ‘fame’ was nowhere near the level of his father’s, but he thought he’d gotten away from just being known as ‘Bond’s gay son.’

“I went in on him about diminishing your achievements and putting you in a box that you didn’t choose to be in,” Alex continued, “and then I panicked that I was too defensive and they’d see through me.”

Henry nodded, trying to understand.

“So that’s the real reason you kissed Sophia?”

“That’s the reason I let her sit on me,” Alex admitted. “The paranoia about being outed, plus my inherent need to ruin everything good I have going for me. I let it go too far.”

Henry swallowed, starting to walk again to gather some of his thoughts.

“It took me a couple of weeks to realise that the risk of being outed was nowhere near as bad as the pain of losing you,” Alex continued, looking resolutely ahead when Henry glanced over. “I couldn’t talk to anyone I trusted about it because, well. You were right, I didn’t want to tell them what an idiot I’d been, so I started with a new therapist. I told him everything, I told him that I fucked up and I wanted to take it all back, to beg you to give me another chance. He told me that I needed to figure out why I did what I did to be able to give us a fair shot.”

“Alex, I-”

“I’m not asking you to take me back,” Alex clarified, causing Henry’s frown to deepen. “Fuck, I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t my dream scenario, but that’s not why I wanted to talk about all of it.”

Alex looked up at him again, his eyelashes damp and clumping together as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.

“You deserve the truth,” he insisted. “I wanted to tell you when I asked you to come down here for the holidays, but you weren’t ready to hear it then. But you deserve at least a bit of closure around what happened with us. I need you to know that I didn’t do it because I wasn’t happy with you, or because I sleep with all of my friends, or whatever you thought. I did something stupid because I was scared. I know it’s not a good enough excuse, there is no good enough excuse. I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through, for what I did. I’m sorry.”

He was crying as he finished speaking, his voice cracking on the last syllable, and Henry, ever the empath, wasn’t holding up much better himself.

He sniffed, reaching out and pulling Alex into a rough hug, unable to watch him cry without offering what little comfort he could.

“Thank you for telling me,” Henry murmured, and Alex held on a little tighter before letting go.

“Thank you for listening,” Alex replied.

“Of course,” Henry smiled, a little sadly, until something caught his eye and a real laugh was shocked out of him.

“What are you laughing at?” Alex asked with a confused smile, turning to see what had distracted him.

There, walking towards them on the path, was David, carrying a fallen branch that was at least four times his own length.

Alex’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he started laughing, pulling it out to find a text from Cash.

I know he’s adorable but that tree is not coming back in my car. 

Chapter Text

Henry was in the kitchen the next morning, making coffee for the house, when he heard the rumbling of a car coming to a stop outside.

He put down the cinnamon, a slow grin spreading across his face as he headed out of the house and towards Pez, who was lifting a large case out of the unnecessarily oversized rented vehicle.

His hair was a vibrant shade of burnt orange, matching perfectly with his slacks and jacket, which made Henry feel incredibly underdressed in his joggers and tank top.

“Hazza, my boy!” Pez grinned, putting his case down and opening his arms wide.

Henry couldn’t resist, so excited to finally see his best friends after months apart that he practically ran to embrace him.

Pez wrapped his arms around Henry, picking him up and spinning him around before placing him down and kissing his cheek dramatically.

“I’m so glad you came,” Henry admitted, laughing slightly as he stepped back.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Pez told him before lowering his voice. “We have a lot to catch up on.”

Henry nodded in agreement, picking up Percy’s case before turning back to the house and finding Alex stood in the doorway, his attire matching Henry’s in everything but colour.

“Alexander!” Pez boomed, walking towards him and pulling him into a hug that seemed somewhat reluctant on Alex’s part.

Henry entered the house to deposit Pez’s belongings while his best friend presumably whispered poorly disguised threats to his ex, making his way back to the kitchen to finish off the coffee preparation.

He really needed to talk to Pez about everything, find out if he had spoken to the girls yet, but hearing Oscar greeting him in the hallway Henry knew he’d have to bide his time.

“Coffees are ready,” he announced as they all made their way through to the kitchen, watching as a smile grew on each of their faces.

Henry took his and Alex’s mugs from the counter, handing Alex’s over to him.

“Happy anniversary,” he said, feeling Oscar’s eyes on them.

Alex grinned at him, reaching his free hand up to the back of his neck to place a kiss to his cheek.

“Happy anniversary, sweetheart,” he replied, a knowing glint in his eye that Henry wouldn’t be able to dispute the pet name in front of his father.

“You can kiss him properly on your anniversary, you know?” Oscar called out across the kitchen island, making Henry blush profusely.

“That’s what the hotel’s for,” Alex answered easily with a salacious wink. “Henry’s kisses aren’t suitable for parents’ eyes.”

“Oh, piss off,” Henry laughed, allowing Alex’s arm to snake around his waist and pull him into his side.

“He’s right, Haz,” Pez commented, taking Henry by surprise.

Percy’s eyes were unreadable but his mouth was set in a smirk as he spoke.

“I’ve seen you on a night out,” he continued. “I wouldn’t recommend Senator Diaz seeing that.”

Oscar laughed, shaking his head.

“You boys are gonna put me in an early grave,” he complained. “And it’s Oscar, here. Save ‘Senator Diaz’ for when you’re getting my help to open an LA shelter or something.”

Pez and Henry both perked up at that, Henry’s hand coming to rest on Alex’s shoulder as he took a sip from his mug.

“You’d help with that?” he asked, curious.

They hadn’t really talked about expanding throughout the US, but their impending opening in Staten Island would place one in each borough, and the thought of expanding to the west coast had definitely been on Henry’s mind, at least.

“Of course,” Oscar assured him. “Mijo, even if you weren’t dating my son I’d be happy to help. What you both are doing for these young people is amazing, and I’d love to help out in any way I can.”

Pez smiled, his business charm coming out in full force.

“Well, Senator, I think that’s something-”

“No business at the lake house,” Alex interrupted, his grip on Henry’s waist tightening. “Rule number one.”

“You’re right,” Oscar agreed. “It’s not the time or place.”

“Sorry,” Pez apologised, glancing over at where Henry was gently rubbing Alex’s shoulder. “Does that rule apply to Haz and I? There’s some things about the new shelter we didn’t get to discuss over the phone.”

“Take it down to the dock,” Oscar suggested, and Henry nodded.

“Is that okay?” he asked Alex quietly, earning a small nod of agreement.

“Now is fine,” Alex murmured. “No business at all when the other’s get here, please.”

“Alright,” Henry said, gently kissing Alex’s hair before stepping away. “Last business of the week, I promise.”

Pez and Henry made their way down to the dock in silence, mugs of coffee in hand and David following behind them curiously.

They sat at the edge, looking out over the lake, before Pez spoke.

“The whole ‘no business at the lake house’ thing seems personal,” he commented lightly, and Henry laughed softly.

“It’s to try and stop arguments,” he explained. “They try to spend holidays all together but it can be… well. The rule’s there for a reason, I suppose.”

“Understood,” Pez nodded. “Touchy subject, don’t touch.”

“Exactly,” Henry agreed, taking a drink. “How was your flight?”

“Long but I slept for most of it,” Pez answered, eyeing him carefully. “You and Alex seem… comfy.”

Henry rolled his eyes, scritching David between the ears.

“It’s our anniversary and his dad is here,” he explained. “I told you what the deal was.”

“I know that,” Pez agreed, “but this is different. You were comforting him, and it seemed almost… subconscious, like it just came naturally.”

Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I know that you hate him,” he began, “so I understand that you don’t like the fact that I never did.”

“I don’t hate him, I hate what he did to you,” he replied, simply. “You used to, too.”

“I still…” Henry paused, trying to figure out his response. “I don’t know. I didn’t like seeing him uncomfortable, so I offered comfort. I don’t like what he did either, but we had a good conversation yesterday and I think… I think I understand why it happened. I’m obviously not saying that what he did was right, but I got the answers I needed to be able to move forwards.”

Pez hummed, draining his mug and tucking one leg under himself to face Henry.

“Tell me about this conversation, then.”

So Henry did. He explained everything and Pez sat and listened, similarly to how they had spoken over the phone the previous morning.

When he finished talking, Pez didn’t offer a response right away, but he was nodding to himself thoughtfully.

“Did you get a chance to talk to June and Nora?” Henry prompted, and Pez shrugged slightly.

“I threw out a message about coming out here,” he explained. “Nora just replied that they were getting in this afternoon and wished me a safe flight.”

Henry worried his lip, letting David rest his chin on his thigh.

“I guess you’ll be able to talk to them in person,” Henry reasoned, and Pez hummed in affirmative.

“While you’re out on date night,” he commented, “with the man you clearly still care about. And has profusely apologised for hurting you and explained himself with a reasoning that isn’t absolute bullshit, this time. And then told you his dream scenario is getting back with you.”

Henry swallowed, looking out over the lake again.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he took a few grounding breaths.

He was resolutely not going to cry about this.

“Oh, babes, I’m sorry,” Pez apologised, pulling Henry towards him and wrapping his arms around him.

Henry practically crumbled into him, tears finally spilling over as Pez held him tight, comforting him through the quiet sobs.

“I’m sorry, Hen,” he murmured, petting his hair lightly. “I’m being a dick.”

Henry sniffed, pressing his forehead against Percy’s shoulder.

“You’re right, though,” he explained. “Shit, Pez, I thought I was over him, and then I come back here and-”

“My love, you were never over him,” Pez told him, gently. “Sure, you hooked up with Álvaro a few times, but you’re kidding yourself if you think he’s anything other than Alex’s less attractive, even douchier twin.”

Henry rolled his lips together, pulling back slightly to wipe at his eyes.

“He doesn’t know about that,” Henry mumbled. “He told me he hasn’t even kissed anyone since that night.”

Pez rested a large palm on his cheek.

“I’m not telling you what to do,” he began, holding his eye contact, “but if you’re considering doing anything, you should tell him. It’s… it’s not exactly his business, but I think honesty is the way forward. If you’re looking for a way forward, that is.”

Henry frowned, sitting up straighter.

“You don’t think I’m an idiot?” he asked. “For even considering it?”

Pez shrugged again, glancing back at the house to see Alex watching them from the deck.

“It’s none of my business,” he explained, “but it might be fun to wind him up a bit.”

“What do you mean?” Henry asked, laughing slightly as Pez leaned in to press a lingering kiss to his cheek.

“Make him a little jealous,” Pez murmured, pulling back and getting to his feet, offering Henry a hand up.

They made their way back to the house, Alex watching them both intently as Pez encouraged David to follow him in, leaving Henry with Alex.

“Are you alright?” Henry asked, noting how tense he was. “Sorry for bringing business to the lake.”

Alex scoffed, getting to his feet.

“Right, business,” he repeated, heading back inside. “That sure looked like ‘business’ to me.”

“Alex, I-”

“It’s fine,” Alex interrupted, not looking back as Henry followed him. “I don’t deserve your honesty, I get it.”

“Hey,” Henry placated, grabbing Alex’s wrist to stop him, forcing him to face him. “We have a lot to talk about later, but Pez and I are just friends. I didn’t lie to you. I never have.”

Alex searched his eyes, and Henry tried to show him his honesty through his expression.

Their staring contest was broken by Oscar’s laugh coming through from the living area, and Alex cleared his throat as he looked away.

“Later?” Henry asked, quietly. “When we can actually talk?”

Alex nodded, cracking his neck to each side and letting out a breath.

“Sure, sweetheart,” he agreed. “We’ll talk later.”

Chapter Text

June and Nora arriving at the lake house brought a completely different vibe to the vacation. They arrived at around 4pm, bundles of energy between them as they bounded into the house to greet everyone.

For their part, they seemed genuinely excited to see both Pez and Henry, hugging them as if it hadn’t been six months since they’d been completely ghosted, and they were enthusiastic to ‘actually get the party started’ now that ‘the fun ones’ were there.

Music was blaring through the speakers as Pez, June, and Nora caught up on the deck while Henry and Alex got ready for their night out.

“Not to sound conceited,” Alex began, fixing his curls in the mirror in their room, “but we’re probably gonna get some attention going into the city. First Son back in his hometown, y’know?”

Henry hummed as he packed a bag for the night.

“Is the restaurant overtly romantic?” he asked, and Alex shook his head. “So we can get away with being two bros out for dinner in Austin?”

“Two bros,” Alex parroted in Henry’s accent. “It’ll be the same as when they saw us before.”

Henry laughed softly.

“I can see the headlines already,” he theorised. “Alex Claremont-Diaz and queer author Henry Fox rekindle their friendship over dinner in First Son’s hometown.”

Alex laughed as the pair continued to get ready to leave.

There was a knock at their door a few minutes before they were set to go, and Henry answered it with his bag slung over his shoulder.

Nora was looking up at him, her eyes dragging over him in appraisal.

“Ready for your date?” she asked, and Henry smiled.

“I am,” he replied, looking back at Alex. “He’s still primping.”

“I refute that claim,” Alex said with a grin, causing Nora to roll her eyes.

She pushed Henry back with a palm on his chest, stepping into their room and shutting the door behind her.

“Cut the shit, boys,” she insisted, crossing her arms. “What the fuck is going on?”

It was just as much a demand as it was a question.

Henry looked at Alex for help, finding his expression to be a mixture of nerves and confusion.

“We’re getting ready for our anniversary dinner,” Alex tried, earning a glare.

“Your anniversary,” she repeated, sarcastically. “You haven’t seen each other in six months and you’re going out to celebrate your anniversary?”

“Keep your voice down,” Henry requested, dropping his volume.

“Oscar’s outside with Pez and June, we’re fine,” she dismissed, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking up at them both.

Alex came to stand beside Henry, presenting a somewhat united front.

“Are we just going to pretend that Henry hasn’t been suspiciously absent from our lives?” Nora continued. “Are we all acting as if it’s not totally weird that he’s here right now?”

“I’ve been busy,” Henry tried, but Nora just scoffed. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

“I want you to tell me why you ditched poor Alejandro for six months only to show up when a presumably free trip to Austin is on the table.”

Henry was taken aback by her bluntness and immediately offended at the implication that he was some kind of freeloader. Before he got a chance to respond, Alex cut in.

“Nora, you’re being unreasonable,” he told her. “Please just drop it.”

“I’m not going to let him walk all over you because, and I mean this affectionately, you’re a lovesick idiot,” Nora insisted.

“I’m not walking all over him,” Henry blanched.

“Then explain to me why I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Because I kissed someone else,” Alex told her, taking both Henry and Nora by surprise for understandably different reasons.

“Alex,” Henry murmured, “I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’m not going to stand here and let her imply you’re the asshole in this situation,” Alex reasoned, looking at Nora to find her openly gaping. “I was an absolute dick and Henry left me because of it. Rightly so. I asked him to come when Dad invited us so I didn’t have to explain why he wasn’t here.”

“Why the fuck would you kiss someone else?” Nora asked, clearly confused. “You’re obsessed with him.”

“We have to go,” Alex told her, picking up his own bag.

“This whole time I’ve been thinking he dropped you once his book took off,” Nora continued, frowning up at Alex. “You’re clearly still into him, given the way you’ve been talking about him. I just want to understand why you threw it all away.”

“You can ask Percy,” Henry told her, grabbing Alex’s wrist and pulling him towards the door, “he’s all filled in. Don’t mention it to Oscar, please.”

Nora stood up, walking after them.

“Henry, wait,” she requested, and Henry nodded for Alex to head out to the car.

“We’re going to miss our reservation,” he told Nora, calmly.

“Tell me what you’re doing here,” she requested, narrowing her eyes. “If what he’s saying is true, why would you agree to be here?”

“Because he asked,” Henry explained. “I understand not wanting to let down your family, so I agreed to come.”

“Hen,” Nora sighed, reaching for his hand. “I don’t want him walking all over you, either. I don’t know what’s going on but you’re too smart to let him fuck you over.”

Henry laughed, readjusting the strap of his bag.

“I can assure you I’m not as smart as you think I am,” he replied, trying for a joke.

She huffed a small laugh, finally letting him leave the room.

“I’m glad that I don’t have to pretend to hate your book anymore,” she mentioned, casually. “I read it out of spite when it was clear you weren’t with Alex anymore and I wanted so badly for it to be shit.”

Henry laughed again, shaking his head.

“Thanks, I guess?”

She shrugged, offering a small smile.

“I’m going to talk to Pez, you know,” she assured him. “I need all of the data before I can make an actual judgement.”

“Of course,” Henry nodded. “Please just don’t mention it to Oscar. Or Ellen and Leo.”

“Of course,” Nora parroted, and Henry headed towards the front door. “Sorry, one more thing.”

He stopped with his hand on the door handle.

“We’re actually going to be late,” he insisted.

“Real quick,” Nora promised. “Just… why didn’t he tell any of us? It’s been months.”

Henry shrugged, opening the door.

“I guess he’s embarrassed,” he reasoned, looking out to see Alex leaning against Cash’s car.

Nora hummed, unconvinced, as Henry offered her another small shrug. 

“You’d have to ask him.”

Chapter Text

Dinner went smoothly.

The restaurant was nice and their booth was relatively private, affording a sense of security to the both of them. They had decided in the car to keep conversation casual in public, chatting as if they really were just old friends catching up, in order to limit the amount of gossip that could be spread about the two of them. Alex was right, he was recognised by the staff as soon as they entered, so the chances of having a completely anonymous evening were shattered straight away, but they made it through the meal with little fuss.

Henry elected to walk to the hotel afterwards, figuring that showing up and checking in together would be a bit too risky in terms of potential recognition and the press that would inevitably follow.

The walk was nice. The evening was pleasant, Henry’s light jacket keeping him the perfect temperature for the journey, and he enjoyed the time alone for the first time since Sunday morning.

Well, mostly alone.

“Henry Fox?” a voice called as he walked down Brazos Street, and he looked up to see two girls walking towards him, seemingly in their late teens.

“That depends who’s asking,” he replied, earning a gasp and a squeal from the shorter of the pair.

“It totally is you!” she grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I love ‘ Waking Up,’ I couldn’t pass up the chance to tell you.”

Henry laughed bashfully, offering a handshake.

“It’s always a pleasure to meet someone who enjoys my work,” he told her, genuinely.

“I freakin’ told you it was him,” she told the other girl, nudging her. “Lissa told me there was no way it was actually you.”

“Hey, in my defence it’s weird that you’re here,” presumably Lissa explained, looking up at Henry curiously.

“What’s weird about it?” Henry asked, playing dumb for the sake of the argument.

“Uh, you’re based in New York,” the first girl reminded him. “Not sure if you’ve realised but you’re in Austin right now, buddy.”

Henry huffed a surprised laugh at how comfortably she was speaking with him.

“Kay, you’re really not playing this cool right now,” Lissa scolded, but Henry shook his head.

“This is one of the funniest interactions I’ve had,” he assured them both.

“Funny enough to let us get a picture?” Kay asked, smiling sweetly as she held out her phone. “Promise we won’t tell anyone you’re running from the law or whatever.”

“You can get a picture,” Henry agreed, “but I’m not running from the law.”

He stood between them and smiled for a selfie, letting them take a few without complaint.

“Can I ask that you don’t let anyone know exactly where I am?” he requested. “I’m trying to have a quiet Thanksgiving with my friends, and we don’t really need people knowing we’re all in one place.”

“Your secret’s safe with us,” Lissa told him. “We don’t post on our socials.”

“Are you hanging out with the White House Trio again?” Kay asked, earning a wide-eyed look of disbelief from Lissa.

“I’m really sorry, she’s incapable of normal human interaction,” she apologised for her friend. “We’ll leave you to your night.”

Henry shoved his hands in his pockets, offering a slightly less natural smile this time.

“Have a good Thanksgiving,” Henry told them, nodding in the direction he was walking. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Thanks for being cool,” Lissa offered, and he smiled.

“Back at you,” he replied, starting to walk towards the river.

The rest of the walk was uneventful, and Cash greeted Henry at the entrance of the hotel before leading him up to their suite.

“I’ll bet you didn’t think this was what you’d be doing when you signed up for the Secret Service,” Henry commented when they were in the elevator, watching as Cash huffed a small laugh.

“I realised pretty quick that being assigned to Alex meant following him through a lot of dumb shit,” he explained, looking over at Henry for a moment, just watching.

Henry watched back, raising an eyebrow at his thoughtful expression.

“It’s good to see you again,” Cash stated, and Henry smiled back.

As the doors opened to their floor, Henry had a sudden, stark realisation.

“Cash,” he began, staying in the elevator. “Were you… were you with him?”

Cash’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“I’m always with him,” he answered, cryptically.

“You know what I’m asking,” Henry insisted. “On his birthday. You came to pick him up from mine, but were you there? When it happened?”

Cash nodded, motioning for Henry to leave the elevator.

Henry stepped out but stopped in the hallway, imploring Cash to give him some more information.

“Look, Henry, I like you, but I really shouldn’t give you any information about him,” Cash told him, plainly. “My entire job is to keep him safe.”

“You genuinely think I’m a threat to his safety?” Henry asked, confused. “I just want to know if what he told me is true. I want to be sure that he didn’t do anything other than kiss her.”

Cash paused, eyeing him warily.

“You don’t trust him?” he asked, expression carefully neutral.

“Not fully,” Henry admitted, quietly. “Not anymore.”

“Henry, that idiot loves you,” Cash explained, matching his volume and motioning towards what was presumably their suite. “He has from the start. He asked me to make sure she left early without being rude because he was uncomfortable with her there but didn’t want to cause a scene. He excused himself to the bathroom after she kissed him and when he came out it was obvious he’d had a panic attack. He assured me he didn’t want to go home because it was his birthday and he wanted to forget about it, and he asked me to text you and tell you what happened but that conversation was above my pay grade and none of my business. Much like this one, to be honest.”

Henry swallowed, nodding slowly.

“Why didn’t he text me himself?” he questioned.

“I had his phone, strict orders from Zahra,” Cash shrugged. “He can’t be trusted not to post dumb or inflammatory shit after a couple drinks.”

Henry huffed a small laugh, knowing that to be true.

It was the early hours of January 1st and Henry and Alex had made their way up to Alex’s bedroom in the White House while Pez, June, and Nora played distraction for everyone left at the party.

They were both pleasantly buzzed, Henry fumbling with the door while Alex placed kisses up and down his neck, his hands reaching around to unbutton Henry’s shirt.

“Hey, stop,” Henry laughed, opening the door and letting them both inside.

Once they were safely in the room, Henry pulled Alex into a passionate kiss.

Alex’s hands resumed their work by ridding Henry of his shirt, running his palms over his skin as it was exposed.

“Fuck, do you know how fucking hard it was,” Alex murmured, breaking their kiss to speak but allowing his hands to continue roaming Henry’s body, “seeing you dance so freely with Pez?”

Henry groaned, pushing at Alex’s jacket.

“Having to watch you dance with my fucking sister ,” Alex continued, “with Nora . And I couldn’t even put my hands on you. Fuck .”

“Are you jealous of your sister right now?” Henry asked, stepping away long enough for them both to take off their clothes. “You must know that she’s not my type.”

Alex laughed as he kicked off his shoes and unbuckled his belt.

“You like ‘em mouthier, huh?” he teased, and Henry nodded, grabbing his waist again now that the pair were both just in their boxers.

“And preferably with a penis,” he added, earning a shocked laugh as Alex walked the pair of them towards the bed, “or at least male-identifying.”

“I’m male-identifying for sure,” Alex assured him, pushing Henry back onto the bed.

Henry landed with a slight bounce, propping himself up on his elbows to look up at Alex standing over him.

“Fuck,” Alex groaned again, moving away and routing around in his nightstand. “Stay exactly where you are.”

“What are you doing?” Henry asked, humour evident in his tone.

“Gotta document this moment,” Alex told him, returning with his phone and straddling Henry’s hips.

He opened the phone’s camera, sitting back on Henry’s lap and earning a groan as he tried to get the right angle.

“You’re so fucking pretty, baby,” Alex told him, shifting his hips deliberately this time and snapping the picture as Henry let out an involuntary moan. “God, that’s going straight on my story.”

“No it’s bloody not,” Henry argued, grabbing for his phone, but Alex held it out of his reach, pushing him down with a strong palm in the centre of his chest.

“Close friends, don’t worry,” Alex grinned, swiping away at his screen.

“You’re not posting that,” Henry told him firmly, “and I’m turning off slide to type.”

He bucked his hips enough to knock Alex off balance, using his advantage to take Alex’s phone and close down Instagram before tossing it down beside the bed.

“You’re a menace and a plague,” he mumbled, rolling the pair of them over so Alex’s back was on the mattress. “You’re far too impulsive for someone who’s only had two drinks.”

“Ooh, talk dirty to me,” Alex smirked, lifting his hips so Henry could remove his boxers.

He gasped as he was released from the confines of cotton, the air in the room feeling particularly cool against the head of his leaking cock.

Henry grinned as he kissed his way up Alex’s inner thigh, sucking a bruise where nobody else would see.

“Baby, don’t tease,” Alex requested, stroking his hand gently through Henry’s hair.

“You want my mouth?” Henry asked, earning an enthusiastic nod.

“Sweetheart, I want it all the time,” he admitted. “It’s like you were made to be between my legs.”

“It’s a good thing I like being here,” Henry retorted, placing an open-mouthed kiss to the underside of his cock.

Alex bit his lip to stifle a moan, and Henry pulled back.

“Let me hear you,” Henry murmured, flattening his tongue to lick a stripe from root to tip.

Alex groaned, torn between throwing his head back and watching what was happening.

“Eyes on me,” Henry instructed, making his decision for him.

He watched as Henry swirled his tongue around the head of his cock, collecting the precome gathered there.

“Good boy,” Henry mumbled, finally taking him into his mouth, swallowing him down with practised ease.

Alex’s hips stuttered as he fought the urge to thrust up into the heat of Henry’s mouth, exercising every morsel of self-control left in his body to let Henry do his thing.

“You’re unreal,” he murmured, his hand tensing slightly in Henry’s hair as his boyfriend expertly bobbed on his cock, bringing him right to the edge embarrassingly fast.

Henry hummed around him, pulling an outright filthy moan from the back of Alex’s throat as he pulled back to place a wet kiss to the tip.

“Come in my mouth,” Henry demanded, not waiting for a response before getting back to work.

It didn’t take long before Alex was doing as instructed, his hips bucking involuntarily, causing Henry to gag slightly as Alex’s orgasm ripped through him.

Henry continued to work him through it with his mouth until Alex weakly pushed at his shoulder, oversensitive.

He grinned, pulling off and crawling up his body, kissing his way up his abs, his chest, his neck.

“Happy New Year,” he murmured, and Alex let out a breathless laugh.

“Happy New Year,” Alex replied, pulling him in for a surprisingly gentle kiss. “I’ll get you back in a minute, I think my brain is offline.”

Henry’s laugh was full of joy as he rested his head on Alex’s shoulder, throwing his arm over his waist.

“Starting the year as we mean to go on,” he commented, earning a tired huff of laughter in response.

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

Chapter Text

The suite they were staying in, ironically titled the ‘Congressional Suite,’ was incredible, with two large bedrooms separated by a living area and a frankly enormous wrap-around deck area with views overlooking Lady Bird Lake.

Alex was sat out by the fire pits when Henry and Cash entered the suite, and Cash excused himself to his bedroom, telling Henry that, politely, he’d had enough of their shit for one evening unless they were in genuine danger.

Henry laughed, apologising for grilling him before heading out to join Alex.

“It’s gorgeous out here,” he commented, taking a seat on the couch opposite him.

“It’s pretty great,” Alex agreed, looking out over the lake. “We don’t have to share tonight, I’ve already set myself up on the couch in our room.”

“Is it comfortable?” Henry asked, and Alex shrugged.

“It’s comfy for a couch, that’s for sure,” he allowed. “Definitely more comfortable than you having to wake up to my octopus limbs again.”

Henry laughed slightly, scratching an itch on his neck.

“I can take the couch,” he offered, and Alex scoffed.

“It definitely wouldn’t be comfortable with your model legs,” he reasoned. “I’m good, I promise.”

“Alright,” Henry allowed, letting silence take over again.

Alex let his eyes drift over the fire before they found Henry’s, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs.

“Pez knows everything,” Alex stated.

It wasn’t a question, but Henry nodded anyway.

“So it wasn’t a business conversation,” he confirmed.

“No, it wasn’t,” Henry admitted. “He’s my best mate. He’s someone who’s truly looking out for my best interests. I’m not going to apologise for talking to him about it.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Alex told him. “I’m glad you have someone to talk to about all of it.”

There was still an edge of irritation to his tone, but Henry could tell that he was trying to hide it. It was his press voice, the voice he used when he was asked a question that he had a passionate view on that he couldn’t express fully in a public setting.

Henry understood why Pez wanted to punish Alex with a bit of jealousy. He completely got it. The thing is, that wasn’t really Henry’s style.

“There’s nothing going on with us,” Henry assured Alex, not wanting to add to the stress of this week. “He’s overly affectionate, you know that. You’re just not used to seeing me give out physical affection or accepting it so freely.”

Alex nodded, scrubbing his hand across his face.

“I know,” he sighed. “I know. Even if there was something going on, it’s really none of my business.”

Henry laughed softly, nodding his head.

“You’re right, it’s not,” he agreed. “But there’s nothing going on.”

He watched as Alex visibly relaxed, grateful that some of the tension had lifted.

“I’m sorry Nora accused you of abandoning me,” Alex said, earnestly.

Henry just shrugged.

“I understand,” he explained. “From the information she had, it must have looked as if I’d dropped you without reason. I appreciate you telling her the truth.”

Alex huffed a humourless laugh.

“I’m going to tell all of them,” he announced, calmly. “I’m sick of lying to them. Of making you lie for me.”

“I agreed to be here,” Henry countered. “I do have free will.”

“I know, but I was manipulative about it,” Alex reminded him. “I’m sorry.”

“Noted,” Henry smiled softly. “You don’t have to tell them all everything. We can finish this trip and then tell them we broke up after.”

“We’ll finish this trip because I don’t want to be the reason Thanksgiving is ruined, then I’ll tell them everything,” Alex confirmed. “My, uh. My therapist thinks it will help me. If I take responsibility for my actions. If I stop hiding from everyone.”

Henry hummed in loose agreement.

“That’s something I feel you could have realised on your own, by now,” he commented, not unkindly.

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed. “I was ready to tell them a couple of months ago, but Dad was wrapped up in his reelection. If I tell them when we get back, we’ve got a few months until Mom starts her second term campaign. Long enough for it to not be disruptive, at least.”

Henry worried his lower lip, using his thumbnails to push at his cuticles.

“What are you thinking?” Alex asked, recognising Henry’s nervous habits.

Henry took a breath, trying to figure out whether it was worth saying what was actually on his mind.

“I can take it,” Alex prompted, openly. “Whatever it is. I can handle it.”

“I just wish,” Henry started, cutting himself off to choose his words carefully. “You’re such a considerate man. You care so much. I suppose I just wish you showed a bit more of that to me when it all happened.”

He watched as Alex swallowed thickly, nodding to himself again.

“You’re right,” he admitted, his voice rough with emotion. “You’re right. It’s no consolation, but I’ve been working on it. I’m trying to be better. I want to be better.”

Henry tried not to visibly appear surprised, looking out over the lake again.

“I’m glad you have someone to talk to about all of it,” he repeated Alex’s words, genuinely meaning it.

Alex huffed another small laugh.

“Touché.”

They sat out for a while longer, just listening to the sound of the water and the fire, the distant noises of the busy city barely audible.

It was calming, even peaceful, and all of a sudden Henry was hit with just how tired he was.

He’d been sleeping well since arriving in Texas, frustratingly restful with Alex sleeping next to him, but the emotional exhaustion suddenly took over.

“I’m going to turn in,” he told Alex, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. “Are you sure you’re good with the couch?”

“For sure,” Alex agreed, smiling softly up at him. “I’ll be through in a bit.”

Henry opened the screen door, stepping inside.

“Hen,” Alex called, causing him to turn around. “Thank you for hearing me out. I’m sorry that it’s six months too late.”

Henry offered a tired smile in response.

“Better late than never, right?” 

Chapter Text

Thanksgiving was, for want of a better word, eventful.

Ellen and Leo arrived at the lake house before Alex and Henry returned, and Alex was immediately wrapped up in helping his dad in the kitchen.

It was a strange situation for Henry, speaking with Ellen and Leo about everything that had happened since he last saw them while June, Nora, and Pez all knew that he was chatting out of his arse about how much time he spent with Alex.

June, for her part, chimed in with a totally fabricated story about the four of them hanging out at Henry’s house a few weeks prior. The details that she and Nora added to the story were so in-depth that even Henry started to believe it, and Ellen seemed pleased to hear that they were all spending quality time together.

David, unsurprisingly, was loving all of the attention from even more new friends.

Things got considerably more uncomfortable over dinner.

Henry and Alex were sat beside each other, with Ellen and Oscar sat opposite one another at each head of the table.

They’d all thanked Oscar and Alex for preparing the meal, and engaged in general chit-chat while they ate, until Ellen asked Pez and Henry about their shelters.

Alex tensed noticeably.

“I’d love to discuss it with you,” Henry told her, “but I’m afraid there’s no business at the lake house.”

Alex offered him a small smile but Ellen waved a hand dismissively.

“That doesn’t apply to you boys,” she told him. “I’m just curious as to what your plans for expansion are; if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“There aren’t any solid plans past the Staten Island location,” Pez informed her, earning a wide-eyed expression of disbelief from Henry. “I’m not sure how you could help out at this point in time.”

“I’ve already offered to help them with an LA shelter,” Oscar explained, earning a small huff from Ellen.

“And I’m sure they’re thrilled with your help,” she muttered.

Henry placed down his cutlery, the small clatter on his plate drawing attention.

“We haven’t fully discussed it,” he explained, looking directly at Ellen, “because we agreed that there’s no business at the lake house.”

“That rule was just made so Oscar and I don’t argue,” she explained. “It’s nothing to do with you boys and your charity.”

Alex’s fist connected suddenly with the table.

“That rule was made so we can enjoy time together as a family,” he argued, swallowing deliberately, forcing a cough to clear his throat. “Otherwise what’s the point in this whole thing? Why do we all spend the holidays together if we’re just going to talk business and argue over whose policies and ideas and fucking philanthropic offers are better? I thought the idea was to be a real, normal family for a couple days.”

“Darlin’, we are a real, normal family,” Ellen told him, causing June to laugh.

“Sorry, Mom, but what normal family spends Thanksgiving with the Secret Service in the next room?” she asked.

“You know that’s not what she meant,” Leo reasoned. “We are a family.”

Henry caught Pez and Nora’s eyes across the table, all clearly a little uncomfortable with how the conversation had turned so quickly.

“We’re a family that gets by with lying to each other to keep the peace,” Alex continued, pushing his chair back. “I’m sorry but I’m sick of pretending to be something we’re not.”

“Mijo, please,” Oscar began, gently. “No more business, I swear.”

Alex rolled his eyes.

“Y’know, I thought this time we might actually be able to have a nice break,” he sighed, getting to his feet. “But it’s always the same.”

“Not in front of our guests, Alex,” Ellen chided.

“Oh, please, Ma,” Alex scoffed as June got up to comfort him. “Our guests know how much of a fucking farce this ‘Happy Families’ stuff is.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Oscar asked, eerily calm.

“Alex, take five,” June suggested, quietly, but he wasn’t having any of it, pushing her hand off of his chest.

“It means that they’re in on the lies,” he shot back at his father. “They know that all of us are just pretending to be happy.”

“Speak for yourself,” Nora tried to joke, but Ellen cut in.

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” she asked. “This can’t all be about a little charity talk over dinner.”

Alex looked at Henry, his expression going from anger and hurt to despondency.

Henry stood up suddenly, rounding the table and standing in front of him.

“When we get back,” Henry reminded him, quietly. “That was the plan.”

June eyed them both curiously as she stepped back from her brother.

“The idea was to save Thanksgiving but I already ruined it.” 

Henry laughed slightly.

“So you’re just going to blow it all up?”

Alex shrugged, looking over at the table.

Everyone had long since stopped eating, small murmurs shared among them.

Alex cleared his throat, running a hand through his curls as all eyes turned to him.

Henry stepped away and June quickly linked their arms, her hand comforting as it rested on his forearm.

“Sorry for being dramatic,” Alex apologised, pausing as he worried the inside of his lower lip.

“Alejandro, ‘Drama’ is your middle name,” Nora told him, the joke delivered with a kind voice.

“Are you going to rejoin the table?” Leo asked, and Alex glanced at Henry before shaking his head.

“I, uh,” Alex began, looking at Henry again.

He realised that this time, this look, was asking permission. Henry nodded slightly, and Alex continued.

“I’ve been lying to you,” he admitted, looking between his parents and Leo. “And I’ve made Henry lie to you, and now Pez, June, and Nora, and I’m just… I can’t do it anymore.”

June squeezed Henry’s arm, and he nudged her back gently.

A wordless check-in between the two of them.

“Henry and I broke up in March,” Alex stated, and Henry let out a breath as he looked down, unwilling to see the reaction. “I kissed one of my classmates when we were out for my birthday. We hadn’t properly spoken since until I begged him to come here.”

The room was uncomfortably silent, and Alex clicked his knuckles as he continued speaking.

“I told myself, I told Henry, that I was waiting for Dad’s reelection and that I would come clean once we got home from here,” he explained, “but honestly? I think I’m just so used to pretending everything is fine when it’s not that I didn’t realise how absolutely fucked up that was of me until now.”

Nobody knew what to say, and Henry raised his head to find Alex already looking at him, tears in his eyes.

“I’m never going to be a better person until I start owning my actions,” he continued, quieter. “I’m… I’m trying.”

“I know,” Henry replied, softly.

Alex cleared his throat, wiping at his eyes.

“Sorry for ruining Thanksgiving,” he apologised to the room before turning to leave. “I’m gonna go take a walk.”

Nora got up from the table, not bothering to tuck in her chair as she started to follow him out.

“I’m coming too,” she called after him, glancing at Henry. “We’re taking David.”

“Good plan,” Henry nodded, looking at June.

“Henry and I are going to take a minute outside, get some fresh air, if you don’t mind,” she told the table, earning baffled nods in return.

Henry let June lead him out to the deck, grimacing slightly at the fact that they’d just left Pez alone to field questions from the parents.

“Percy will be fine,” June assured him, as if reading his thoughts. “He’s probably the right person to deal with all of them right now. Far enough removed but still has all of the information.”

“You’re probably right,” he agreed, sitting down and feeling his muscles properly relax for the first time in days.

June watched him as she sat beside him, taking in his expression and seemingly calm posture.

“It’s all out in the open, now,” she reminded him, and he laughed quietly.

“No more lying,” he agreed.

She hummed, looking out at the lake.

“What now?” she asked, softly.

Henry sighed, watching as a murmuration of birds danced around the sky.

“I have no idea.”

Chapter Text

There were lots of questions for Alex to answer that evening, but luckily Henry was able to avoid interrogation with Nora and Pez while the family got to the bottom of what exactly was going on. Ellen and Leo left late that night, and Ellen pulled Henry aside before they left to apologise for her son’s behaviour.

“I didn’t raise that boy to be a cheat or a liar,” she insisted, “and I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what he’s done to you.”

“I’m just grateful you’re not going to deport me for lying to you,” Henry joked, trying to lighten the tone.

“Darlin’, I do know my son well enough to know that this was entirely his idea,” Ellen assured him. “I can’t very well have my own son deported, so I guess I’ll have to let you both stay.”

“Well, I appreciate that,” Henry smiled, shocked when Ellen pulled him into a hug.

“I still care about you, Henry,” she told him, “and I’m still interested in helping out with your charity, if and when we figure out a way I can.”

“Oh, really, you don’t have to,” Henry insisted as he pulled back.

“I know I don’t have to, sugar, I want to,” she explained. “Whether you’re with my boy or not, what you and Percy are doing is incredible, and the second you think of a way for me to help, you let me know.”

“I really appreciate that,” Henry said, honestly, before Amy appeared in the doorway and told Ellen that it was time to get going.

Alex brought their return flight forward from Saturday afternoon to Friday evening, allowing them to leave at the same time as Pez, seeing as there was no real reason for them to stay.

They flew mostly in silence.

Henry was working on his speech for the opening of the new shelter, and Alex seemed to be completely zoned out. He was looking out of the window but his eyes weren’t focused on anything in particular, absentmindedly petting David every so often.

With around an hour left in the air, Henry shut his laptop and moved across to sit facing Alex.

“Hey.”

He spoke quietly, and it pulled Alex back to the present with a soft smile on his face.

“Hey, yourself,” he replied, finally looking over at Henry. “I bet you’re looking forward to being home.”

Henry hummed in agreement.

“I’ve missed my own bed,” he admitted, earning a laugh. “What have you been thinking, this whole time?”

Alex shrugged, pushing backwards in his seat and letting David up onto his lap.

“You know me, my brain is always working overtime,” he reasoned.

“Anything you want to share with the class?” Henry gently prompted.

“I’m just processing everything,” Alex explained. “I’m, uh, I’m grateful for this week. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for being honest with me,” Henry replied, “and with your family. For what it’s worth, I’m also grateful for the week.”

Alex raised a curious brow.

“You are?”

“I am,” Henry confirmed. “It’s given me… I suppose a bit of closure? I wish we’d had this conversation sooner.”

Alex nodded, eyeing Henry curiously.

“Does this mean you’re not going to block my number again when we land?” he asked, his tone joking but his expression letting Henry know that he was genuinely asking.

“Well, I didn’t say that ,” Henry joked before shaking his head. “No, not unless you give me a reason to.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Alex assured him. “I don’t want to overstep or push my luck, but in the interest of honesty, I’ve really enjoyed your company this week. I’ve missed spending time with you.”

Henry laughed softly, allowing a small smile to make its way onto his face.

“I have to admit hanging out with you, June, and Nora again has been quite enjoyable,” he agreed. “Especially when we weren’t lying anymore.”

Alex smiled back at him, opening his mouth before shutting it again as if he was trying to figure out his words before speaking.

That was new, Henry realised. His therapist must really have been working through things with him.

“We can be friends, Alex,” Henry told him, honestly. “We don’t have to go back to no contact.”

“Yeah?” Alex clarified.

“Yes,” Henry confirmed. “I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come to the shelter opening, but I understand if that’s not something you want to do.”

Alex frowned.

“Why wouldn’t I want to be there?”

“There will be press,” Henry reminded him. “And it’s a queer youth shelter.”

Alex nodded, scritching between David’s ears.

“I want to be there,” he said, firmly. “I support what you’re doing, and so do my parents so it’s not as if I’ll be hurting Mom’s next campaign by being there. And I think that if it’s important to me, if it’s something I’m passionate about, I shouldn’t care what the press have to say about it.”

Henry smiled, meeting Alex’s eye.

“What?” Alex asked. “I know, I should’ve figured that out earlier, too.”

Henry laughed, shaking his head.

“That’s not what I was thinking,” he insisted. “Maybe you should have, but it’s good to see that you’re growing.”

Alex huffed a laugh, but Henry continued before he had a chance to say anything.

“Not physically, of course,” he teased.

“Oh, you know what? Fuck off,” Alex laughed. “You got the height, I got the gorgeous curls and killer smile. We can’t all have it all.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Henry smiled. “I mean it, though. It’s one thing to hear from you that you’re working on yourself, it’s another to notice the ways that you are.”

“I appreciate that,” Alex told him, sincerely. “I’ll be at the opening. Let me know closer to the time if you want me to help with setting up or anything.”

Henry nodded, watching as David settled fully onto Alex’s lap, his chin resting on his thigh and his tail thumping slowly and contentedly against the seat.

“I’ll text you.”

Chapter Text

Things went mostly back to normal once Henry returned home.

His writing was on pause for a while to focus on the shelters, and he spent most of his time bouncing between boroughs to ensure everything was running smoothly after his week away. The kids were happy to see him, and he was keen to talk about all of their Thanksgiving experiences. Each shelter had arranged a big meal for the residents and their friends, and any stragglers who wanted to join, so it was good for Henry to hear from the residents themselves about how they found the holiday.

He made his way home on Friday afternoon, setting himself up on the couch with his laptop and a glass of wine, ready for his scheduled call with Bea.

David perked up at the FaceTime ringtone coming through the laptop, crawling into Henry’s lap as he answered the call.

“Oh, who’s the most handsome boy in the whole world?” Bea greeted, causing David to bark happily and wag his tail.

“She’s talking about me, bud,” Henry teased, calming the dog down with a scritch between his ears before addressing his sister. “Don’t hype him up.”

“I’m allowed to be excited to see my favourite nephew,” she reasoned, and Henry rolled his eyes.

“When Pip’s baby is born you can’t make that joke anymore,” he reminded her, and she waved a dismissive hand.

“I can still say it, just not around him,” she insisted, getting comfortable on her bed before fixing Henry with a calculating stare. “Are you going to tell me anything about last week or are we pretending Pez didn’t already fill me in?”

Now, Henry had been expecting her to bring it up, but the bluntness in the delivery had him choking on his wine. He was hoping to ease into the conversation with a few more pleasantries before jumping straight into it.

“If Pez has filled you in, is there much for us to speak about?” he questioned.

“Oh, sorry for wanting to hear how my little baby brother is feeling about the most batshit situation of his life,” she snarked. “Pez said Alex explained himself.”

“He did,” Henry hedged. “I got some closure on the situation, finally.”

“Enough closure to move on properly with the guy you were seeing before all of this?” she asked, curiously, causing Henry to laugh.

“I wasn’t seeing anyone,” he reasoned. “And I don’t appreciate that Percy has been keeping you that intimately updated with what I’m up to over here.”

“Pez and I like to keep each other updated because we care about you, H,” she explained. “And I was just wondering if this closure with Alex has helped you be open to more with Álvaro.”

Henry hummed, taking another sip as he contemplated his response.

Truthfully, he’d already thought about it.

The thing he had with Álvaro was… well, it was mostly physical. They’d met in a bar, and hit it off enough to go home together, but Henry made it clear that he wasn’t looking for a relationship at that point.

They’d stayed in contact, with Álvaro coming to help out with occasional events at the Brooklyn shelter, and, yeah, maybe they’d fooled around again once or twice. Henry knew that Álvaro was interested in more, but he did his best to keep it casual.

“Look, I know you,” Bea said, interrupting his train of thought, “and, since Oxford at least, you’ve been a one-man guy. Casual isn’t really your thing, unless you’re hurting.”

“I think,” Henry began, deciding just to be honest with her, “that I needed to hear his reasoning, that I needed to be sure that what he did… Fuck, Bea, I think I needed to hear that he regretted it.”

“You needed to hear that he did it to self-sabotage and not because you weren’t enough,” Bea supplied, and Henry nodded.

It was one of his biggest insecurities, feeling as if he wasn’t enough.

When his debut novel was released, he got a lot of backlash from people saying that the book was only accepted by publishers because of his father. He knew that wasn’t entirely true, he knew the amount of work he had put in to promote his work, to painstakingly scan over every word, every piece of punctuation, to make it perfect. He knew that he wasn’t pressured into having anything about his father in his brief author’s biography, or in the marketing, so that can’t have been the driving force for his publisher.

But after hearing it so many times, he started to wonder if it was the reason he initially got a foot in the door.

He wanted to have something that he’d earned all on his own and, in some ways, he thought he’d found that in his relationship with Alex. Seeing him with Sophia, it was enough to bring back all of those feelings of being inadequate, of not being enough to keep his partner interested and happy.

It was a big part of the reason that he’d been avoiding finding another relationship.

“I really did,” Henry agreed, smoothing down David’s ears, appreciating the soft fur. “I’m not sure if this thing with Álvaro has legs, though.”

“What do you mean?” Bea questioned, taking a sip of lemonade.

“I mean I don’t know if I can see it going anywhere,” he reasoned. “Pez thinks he’s ‘even douchier’ than Alex.”

“I don’t know if we can trust Percy’s opinion on who’s a douche,” Bea argued. “I’m not telling you that you have to marry him, I just thought maybe you’d be more open to dating again in general now. And from what I’ve heard from Percy, Álvaro is definitely into you. What harm can a date do? Worst case, he’s not for you and you can let him down gently.”

Henry hummed again, contemplative.

“I’ll see him next Friday,” he told her, making her smile.

“At the opening?” she confirmed, earning a nod from her brother. “Well, if you’re open to sisterly advice-”

“You’re going to give it to me, whether I’m open or not,” Henry commented, and she grinned.

“Yeah, you need to hear it,” she offered. “Hen, if he’s coming all the way from Bushwick to Staten Island to help you with the opening, he’s not doing it for the kids. He wants to spend time with you. I think you should give it a chance.”

Henry laughed as David rearranged himself in his lap. He figured now would be a bad time to tell her that Alex was heading over from Manhattan to join the event, so he let her continue to tell him what to do.

“Flirt with him a bit,” Bea continued, “have some fun, for once.”

“Thank you for the advice, Beatrice,” Henry replied sarcastically. “I love how invested you are in my love life from three-and-a-half thousand miles away.”

“You’re welcome,” Bea grinned, deliberately ignoring the sarcasm dripping from his tone. “Are you going to ask me how I’m getting on? How your darling family is holding up without you?”

“Oh, good, we’re done with me, now?” Henry checked, and she nodded as he settled back comfortably into the couch. “Alright. Tell me what’s going on in London.”

Chapter Text

“You’ve got half an hour until the press should start arriving,” Álvaro informed Henry on Friday afternoon.

Henry was rehearsing his speech in what would soon be the manager’s office, and he’d asked Pez to let him know when it was getting close to go-time.

He figured Pez was busy downstairs and had sent someone up instead, which was confirmed when Álvaro told him so almost word for word.

“Thank you,” Henry smiled, putting down his notecards and inviting him into the room. “How’s it looking down there?”

“It’s looking like you’re ready to officially open and show the world how much work you’ve put into this,” Álvaro told him. “It’s different from Brooklyn, but the vibe is the same. It feels like a safe space, like a home.”

Hearing those words from someone not on his staff filled Henry with confidence and a little bit of pride. He and Pez wanted the shelters to be open and inviting, to make a difficult time in someone’s life become a smooth transition into a safe and warm environment. After seeing so many youth shelters that felt clinical or run down, and so many that weren’t particularly safe to those in the queer community, they wanted everything to feel like the shelters were their home, until they were back on their feet, at least.

“I appreciate you saying that,” Henry told him, honestly, and Álvaro smiled, walking closer to him. “I appreciate you coming all this way, too.”

“I support the cause,” Álvaro explained, biting the inside of his lower lip. “And, selfishly, I’ll take any excuse to see you again.”

Henry felt his cheeks flushing slightly as his eyes met Álvaro’s. God, he really was handsome. His dark curls were tousled in a way that must have taken a long time to look so seemingly effortless, fox-like eyes framed with full, dark lashes, with just the barest hint of stubble painting his cheeks and square, chiselled jaw.

“I thought that might be a factor,” Henry admitted, reaching out to gently brush a curl from Álvaro’s forehead. “I’ve been a real twat to you.”

“Hey, I knew what this was going into it,” Álvaro laughed, his hand lightly resting on Henry’s elbow. “You made it very clear. I just like being around you.”

Henry huffed a small laugh, allowing him to stay in his personal space. If it was a couple of weeks prior, he would have stepped away and attempted to neutralise the conversation, but now, with Bea’s words fresh in his mind, he decided to lean into it.

“I made it clear and then gave you my number and stayed in contact,” he reminded him. “Not my finest moment.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining, sweetheart,” Álvaro drawled.

“Maybe I was too hasty,” Henry contemplated.

Álvaro frowned, moving his hand tentatively to Henry’s hip.

“What are you saying?” he asked softly.

“When the shelter’s settled, we should have dinner,” Henry told him, simply.

The words were confident, but his eyes made the question obvious.

Álvaro blinked, clearly surprised by the turn that their tentative situationship had taken.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into a date.”

“Not pressured,” Henry insisted, resting a hand on Álvaro’s waist. “It must not be a surprise to you to find out I’ve enjoyed your company, too.”

A confident smirk crossed Álvaro’s face.

“I mean, it definitely sounded like it, but I didn’t want to assume.”

A choked-off gasp from the doorway drew both of their attention, and Henry moved his hand back to his side as he noticed Alex watching them both with wide eyes.

“Can we help you?” Álvaro asked, clearly irritated with the intrusion.

“Uh, sorry,” Alex stumbled. “Pez told me to tell you he’s ready when you are.”

“We’ll be down in a minute,” Álvaro told him, attempting to dismiss him from their presence.

Alex lingered in the doorway, his eyes on Henry.

“We’ll be right down,” Henry assured him, slightly irritated that Pez had clearly orchestrated this awkward encounter. “Thank you for letting us know.”

“Right, sure,” Alex nodded. “I’ll see you down there.”

Alex made his way back downstairs, and Álvaro’s attention was immediately back on Henry.

“Where were we?” he asked, the glint back in his eye. 

“Slow down, cowboy,” Henry teased, pushing him back gently with a hand on his chest. “I said after the shelter is settled.”

He picked up his notes and made his way towards the door.

“Are you coming?” he asked and Álvaro nodded.

“What’s the First Son doing here?” he asked, slowly following Henry out.

“I invited him,” Henry explained. “We’re old friends.”

Álvaro hummed, unconvinced.

“From that reaction, he doesn’t seem like much of an ally,” he commented, causing Henry to tense up. “I’m just saying, it was quite visceral for someone who’s supposed to be supporting queer youth.”

“I urge you to drop it,” Henry told him, his tone firm but kind. “I can assure you I wouldn’t invite anyone here who doesn’t fully support what we’re doing for these young people.”

“So he’s cool with the concept of queer people but seeing his friend with a man is too much?” Álvaro guessed, his voice bordering on mean.

Henry paused at the entrance to the stairs and faced him.

“Stop making assumptions about things you know nothing about,” he implored, holding a hand up when he seemed poised to continue. “Varo, I’m serious. He supports these shelters and he has no problem with my sexuality. Please just drop it.”

Álvaro eyed him carefully before nodding his assent.

“Alright, sorry,” he apologised, and Henry searched his eyes briefly before continuing their short journey downstairs.

The shelter looked great, and Pez was in the process of briefing the employees and volunteers about how the next hour was going to go.

Henry told Álvaro to mingle, assuring him that he would text him to arrange their date if he didn’t get a chance to talk to him again, and made his way over to where Alex was pretending to listen to Pez.

His eyes were on Henry the whole time, there was no way his mind was focussed on the information that was being relayed to the room.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” Alex murmured as Henry came to stand beside him.

“You’re fine,” Henry assured him, watching as a playful glint took over Pez’s expression as he noticed them talking at the back of the room.

“Your boyfriend didn’t seem too impressed,” Alex commented, and it was impossible to miss the slight edge to his tone that he tried to play off as casual.

Henry didn’t bite.

“He’s like that with everyone, don’t take it personally,” he joked, quietly.

Alex didn’t laugh.

“Why did you agree to come to the lake house if you’re seeing someone?” he asked, understandably confused but with a tone that Henry considered to contain unwarranted irritation.

“Alright, come with me,” Henry insisted, walking through to the kitchen and expecting him to follow.

He did.

The door closed behind them and Henry ran the hand not holding his notecards through his hair.

“Alex, I can’t have you being like this,” he said, calmly.

“What-?”

“I went with you because you needed help and I needed closure,” Henry explained. “Look, I want to stay friends, but I can’t have you interfering with my life like this.”

Alex looked affronted, and Henry groaned in frustration.

“That came out wrong,” he admitted apologetically. “I mean don’t think it’s a good idea for our friendship for me to tell you everything about my sex life.”

Alex swallowed, nodding to himself.

“You’re, fuck, you’re right,” he agreed. “I just… did you not want to spend Thanksgiving with him?”

Henry sighed, finding the right words before responding.

“We’re not official,” he explained, opting for honesty but not wanting to give Alex false hope. “It’s not like I ditched my boyfriend to pretend to be yours. This thing is new, and we’ve agreed to see how it goes.”

Alex was still nodding, so Henry continued.

“I shouldn’t have to explain that to you, Alex,” he reminded him. “If I thought you were just asking out of friendly curiosity, that would be different, but we both know that’s not what this is.”

Henry closed his eyes, taking a couple of controlled breaths before looking back at Alex, who looked embarrassed.

“I want to be your friend,” Henry insisted, “but I need you to genuinely want to be my friend for this to work.”

“I want that,” Alex told him, quietly. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”

Henry nodded, crossing his arms.

“Alright, you’re still big on lists, yeah?” he clarified, and Alex confirmed with a curious hum. “How about a list for us? Conversations that are off-limits for Alex and Henry. Asking about relationships can be the first point, and we’ll agree to put anything else on there if it comes up and makes either of us uncomfortable.”

Alex smiled slightly, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Fuck it, sure,” he agreed. “That’s a good idea.”

Henry shrugged slightly.

“Most of my ideas are,” he joked, and this time it landed, earning a small laugh from Alex.

“I’m sorry for being weird,” he apologised, sincerely. “You’re right, it was inappropriate.”

“I’m glad you recognise that,” Henry told him, smoothing his hair back to normal, using the reflective surface of the extractor hood to check himself over. “We should get back out there.”

“Right again, Fox,” Alex agreed, holding the door open for Henry to walk through. “This place is amazing, by the way. The kids are going to feel safe here.”

Henry smiled, looking around as Pez finished up his speech in the main hall.

“Yeah,” he murmured, “I hope so.”

Chapter Text

Henry’s life, for the first time in as long as he could remember, was calm.

Sure, there were a few teething problems with the shelter, but in his personal life, he was content.

He’d spent Christmas in London with his family, and it was genuinely nice to see everyone and spend time with his siblings. Philip had become considerably more bearable since he found out that Martha was expecting, and Bea was keen to talk all about Henry’s life in the States - about his writing, the shelters, his love life. It was relaxing and rejuvenating, and for once he was glad he’d vitiated.

Back in New York, he’d been on a few dates with Álvaro, and it was refreshing to be able to go out in public without worrying about anybody seeing. He wasn’t exactly flaunting the fact that they were dating, he still wasn’t convinced he even wanted to take it any further, but it was nice to not have to completely hide away, to be able to actually go out for dinner or drinks, rather than having to get creative with dates at home or sneak around away from prying eyes and curious cameras.

The time they spent together was fun, for sure, and it was honestly just nice for Henry to spend time with someone who didn’t even slightly try to deny or conceal his feelings for him. Álvaro had made it pretty clear that he was happy to follow Henry’s lead, but he’d also made it obvious that if Henry said the word he would be fully committed, tied down, locked in.

Henry, on the other hand, was just down to have a good time without the stress.

If he was totally honest with himself, he could admit that spending more time with Álvaro made him realise that he may be a bit… well. He didn’t want to admit that Pez was right, but Álvaro was kind of a douche.

He thought that perhaps the brief incident at the shelter had been protectiveness, seeing as Álvaro appeared to have believed that Alex was homophobic, but it turned out that maybe he just enjoyed being an asshole to anyone who so much as spoke to Henry while they were spending time together.

Alex, for his part, had stuck to their new deal. They’d forged a tentative friendship, and Henry was enjoying being able to spend time with everyone again.

He’d even rekindled his quiz team with June and Nora, meeting up every couple of weeks for a local trivia night.

It was at one of these evenings in January that Álvaro showed his true colours.

Henry invited him, seeing as it was the only free evening he had in the week, and he thought that Álvaro would have some knowledge in areas that the others slightly lacked.

He was sitting with June and Nora in a booth when Álvaro walked in and headed straight to the bar.

“I invited someone,” Henry told them, realising he probably should have mentioned it sooner. “He’s just walked in.”

“As in a date?” Nora asked, shooting June a glance.

“Yes?” Henry replied, his intonation making it a question, curious as to what the look the pair were sharing meant.

“That’s great,” June told him, offering a reassuring smile.

“Now’s a bad time to tell you we invited Alex again, I guess,” Nora blurted, causing Henry to choke on his breath.

“Christ,” Henry breathed, hitting his chest with the side of his fist. “Okay. Not ideal but we’re adults.”

June grimaced sympathetically, pulling out her phone.

“I’ll text him,” she offered, and Henry shook his head.

“We can handle it,” he insisted, waving to Álvaro to catch his eye as he scanned the room.

He approached the table with a smile, the expression shocked off of his face as Lucas, June’s regular Secret Service agent, seemingly appeared from nowhere to stop him reaching the booth.

“Oh, he’s with me,” Henry explained, and Lucas glanced at June for confirmation.

“We’re good,” she insisted, and Lucas offered Álvaro a curt nod before stepping aside.

Henry got up, offering him a kiss on the cheek.

“Sorry about that,” he apologised quietly, encouraging Álvaro into the booth ahead of him, introducing everyone. “This is Nora and June. This is Álvaro.”

“Nice to meet you,” June told him, offering a kind smile.

“And you,” he agreed, his hand resting on Henry’s thigh under the table.

“We’re pumped Henry’s found fresh meat for the team,” Nora explained. “We’re smart as it is, but it’s always good to get a new brain in the group.”

He laughed awkwardly, and Henry offered him a concerned glance.

“Sorry, but how do you guys even know each other this well?” Álvaro asked, confused, his hand tightening on Henry’s thigh. “How did you meet?”

“Mom invited Henry and Percy to the White House after their Brooklyn shelter hit the news,” June explained, eyeing him warily. “Alex and I were there, and we got to know each other and found out we have a lot in common.”

“And I kind of come as a package deal with Alex and June,” Nora joked, trying to diffuse some of the tension that had taken over the booth.

“And you’ve all just, what, stayed in contact?” he clarified, and Henry shrugged.

“I don’t really understand what’s confusing about that,” he admitted. “I’m sure you understand the concept of friends.”

“None of my friends are the White House Trio,” Álvaro reasoned, clearly irritated. “Seeing Alex at the opening was one thing, but meeting your ‘trivia friends’ and finding June Claremont-Diaz and Nora Holleran? Getting stopped from approaching you by a freaking spy? I’m supposed to not be a little freaked out by that?”

“You’re definitely not supposed to be making a scene about it,” Henry murmured, a little harshly, as he removed Álvaro’s hand from his thigh. “I’m sorry for not giving you the heads up, but I didn’t realise it would be this much of a big deal. And Lucas isn’t a spy, that would be insane.”

Álvaro huffed, taking a drink from his glass.

“At least he’s not here this time,” he mumbled, causing June to narrow her eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, frustrated.

“Álvaro and Alex met briefly at the opening,” Henry explained, calmly. “I think Álvaro misunderstood his intentions.”

“I think he interrupted our conversation for no reason and then insisted on a private audience with my boyfriend,” Álvaro argued.

“Boyfriend?” Nora asked, her eyebrows practically at her hairline.

“No,” Henry corrected Nora, looking at Álvaro, “and I asked to speak with Alex, he didn’t insist on a private conversation.”

“I don’t like the guy,” Álvaro announced, plainly. “His vibes are off.”

“Well, he’s actually coming tonight,” June told him, stubbornly. “So maybe give him another chance before you write him off with vibes.”

Henry finished his drink, sliding out of the booth to go up to the bar as Nora followed behind, needing more liquid courage to deal with Álvaro and Alex in one room again.

“In our defence, we didn’t know you were bringing your boyfriend when we invited Alejandro,” she told him, quietly.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Henry assured her. “We’ve been dating, but it’s casual. Alex has joined the team before, it’s okay. Álvaro can suck it up.”

Nora huffed a laugh, leaning her head on Henry’s shoulder.

“You sure know how to pick the beautiful stubborn ones,” she teased, and Henry rolled his eyes.

“You’re one to talk,” he shot back, earning a grin.

“We like ‘em feisty,” she agreed. “We can be the calm to their crazy.”

“Calling yourself calm is a disservice to actual calm people,” Henry reasoned, gaining him an elbow to the ribs. “I’m a bit concerned that this one might be a little too crazy, though.”

“In his defence, you did just spring two semi-famous, semi-political figures on him,” Nora reminded him, trying to find reason for Álvaro’s hostility at meeting them.

“I think he thinks Alex is homophobic,” Henry told her, quietly. “I assured him he’s wrong and we haven’t spoken about it since, but I guess we’ll see how it goes tonight.”

Nora hummed in half hearted agreement before telling the bartender their order.

“You guys might have to rethink the whole ‘no talking about relationships’ thing,” she offered, nodding over to where Alex had joined their table. “I’m sure your boy is going to mark his proverbial territory every chance he gets.”

Henry groaned as Nora handed him his drink.

“He’s literally thirty, I’m sure he can handle himself with an ounce of decorum,” he tried to reason.

“Are you convincing yourself or me?” Nora asked, handing him Alex’s drink so that she could take June’s and her own.

“Both,” Henry laughed, making his way back to the table.

Álvaro threw his arm over the back of the booth as Henry slid in beside him. He handed Alex his drink, earning a genuine smile of appreciation.

“Varo, Alex. Alex, Álvaro,” he introduced, and Alex turned his smile to Álvaro.

“It’s good to meet you properly,” he told him.

Álvaro hummed noncommittally, and Alex’s smile faltered.

“Have you been to one of these trivia nights before?” Alex asked, trying to start a conversation. 

“No,” Álvaro told him bluntly, his arm moving to drape possessively over Henry’s shoulder. “We’re usually otherwise occupied when we spend time together.”

Henry could feel his cheeks heat with embarrassment, turning his head to the side to speak quietly to Álvaro as Alex tried to recover from choking on his drink.

“Tone it down,” he requested. “These are my friends.”

Henry looked back over at Alex, June, and Nora, finding the girls sharing another glance.

“Varo was a Performing Arts major, so I figure he’ll be able to help with the questions we usually struggle on,” he mentioned, trying to get the conversation back on neutral ground.

“Oh, amazing,” Nora grinned, grateful for the change in subject. “What are you doing now?”

“I’m a performer on Broadway,” Álvaro explained, and Henry fought back the urge to correct him.

He wasn’t exactly lying, but the implication was there that he was a cast member of a Broadway show. Henry knew for a fact that he worked as a singing waiter, but he wasn’t about to embarrass the man.

He was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, reminding himself that he had effectively thrown him in at the deep end, so he let the comment slide and allowed the conversation to flow naturally.

Álvaro didn’t speak much, but he wasn’t making any other inappropriate comments, so he counted it as a win.

The quiz started, and Henry forgot about the tension from the start of the evening as the five of them focussed on answering the questions.

“I’ve been informed that the group at the back have an unfair advantage in the next part,” the question master announced before the penultimate round, the round which their team had affectionately nicknamed the ‘Niche Special Interests’ round. “Henry Fox, if you could step out as we go into the evening’s surprise round.”

Henry laughed, holding his hands up and making his way out of the booth and over to the bar, curious as to what the round was going to be.

“Alright, here we go with Licence to Quiz,” the question master continued, causing Henry to smirk slightly as the bartender approached.

“I fear your team might still have an unfair advantage,” she joked, and he offered a small shrug as the questions started.

“It’ll be interesting to find out whether they actually liked the films or just said that because of my father,” he admitted, making her laugh.

“Can I get you a drink?” she asked. “On the house, seeing as we’ve kicked you off of your table.”

Before Henry could respond, someone was answering for him.

“He’ll have a vodka soda,” Álvaro interrupted, his arm slipping around Henry’s waist, a hand resting posessively on his hip. “On me.”

“Oh, no worries, it’s on us,” the bartender assured him, but Álvaro shook his head.

“I’ll pay.”

“I’d actually rather have a G and T,” Henry told them both, looking at his date and dropping his voice down. “It’s on the house for asking me to step out of the quiz.”

“I’d like to get you a drink,” Álvaro argued, quietly.

“Alright, we’ll just owe you one,” the bartender agreed, beginning to make the drink. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m good,” Álvaro told her with a small smile, pulling Henry closer to him.

“They’re not going to let you back to the table until this round is over,” Henry told him, laughing as Álvaro shrugged.

“I’d rather be over here with you,” he reasoned. “They seemed to have all the answers, anyway.”

Henry raised an eyebrow, pulling away slightly just to study his face.

“Really?” he asked, and Álvaro hummed.

“Alex knew the one about your dad’s first line in his last movie,” he explained, his tone almost mocking. “I mean, who remembers that kind of shit?”

“I do,” Henry argued, trying to get his thoughts together as Álvaro’s expression softened.

“Oh sweetheart,” he soothed, “of course you do. I just meant-”

“It’s okay,” Henry assured him. “I get it.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Álvaro apologised. “I think he just annoys me, but that was a shitty thing for me to say to you.”

Henry nodded, accepting his drink as Álvaro tapped his card.

“It was,” Henry agreed, when they were left to themselves again. “I’d really like it if you made more of an effort to be at least civil with them, at least for this evening.”

Álvaro smiled, placing a kiss to his cheek.

“Until the end of the quiz, you mean,” he clarified, causing Henry to frown.

“And a drink or two after,” he confirmed.

Álvaro groaned softly, earning a soft laugh from Henry.

“I want to spend time with my friends,” he explained.

“I want to spend time with you,” Álvaro countered, lowering his voice as he spoke into Henry’s ear. “Preferably naked, in bed, with my hands on your skin, my lips on your-”

Henry pushed him back gently with a hand on his chest, feeling his cheeks flush hot.

“As incredible as that sounds, and it really does,” he grinned, taking a sip of his drink to try and cool down, “I still want to spend time with my friends, as well.”

Álvaro scoffed, stepping away from him.

“I guess I’ll see you at mine, then,” he said before heading out of the bar altogether.

Henry was dumbfounded, following after him while trying not to cause a scene.

“Where are you going?” he called out when he’d left the building, suddenly hit by the cold, his coat forgotten about back inside.

“I’m going home, Henry,” Álvaro told him bluntly as he turned to face him. “You’re welcome to join me.”

“I told you I want to stay,” Henry reminded him, crossing his arms and trying not to outwardly shiver.

“Then stay,” Álvaro shrugged. “I’m going home, you can join me later.”

Henry frowned, trying to make sense of the sudden shift.

“I thought you wanted to do the dating thing,” he said, confused.

“I did,” Álvaro argued. “I do.”

“Does that not involve spending time with each other’s friends?” Henry asked, frustrated. “I don’t get you. What did you think tonight was going to be? When I invited you to a trivia night with my friends, what did you think was going to happen?”

Álvaro rolled his eyes.

“I want to date you,” he explained, “not share you with your friends on the one night we can spend together this week.”

“The one night I have off,” Henry shot back, “which happened to align with the trivia night. I thought it would be fun.”

“Well, it wasn’t fun!”

Henry took a step backwards, shocked at the shout that he could almost feel reverberate in his bones.

“It wasn’t fun for me to have to sit through that for hours just to get you to come home with me,” Álvaro continued, the last phrase like a slap in the face to Henry.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked, willing himself to feel anger rather than hurt. “You don’t want to date me at all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You just want to shag me and tell people I’m yours,” Henry told him, and Álvaro raised his arms in a shrug.

“What’s the difference?” he asked, causing Henry to laugh bitterly.

“Go home, Álvaro,” he told him, turning back towards the bar.

“Are you coming later?” Álvaro called after him.

Henry didn’t dignify him with a response, heading back inside and out of the cold.

Chapter Text

Licence to Quiz was over by the time Henry got back inside so he could theoretically go back to the table, but he headed back over to the bar instead.

His drink was still waiting there, the rest of the patrons too engrossed in the quiz to be up at the bar, but the bartender waved him off.

“I’ll make you a fresh one,” she told him, taking note of the clearly emotionally exhausted expression painting his face. “Shall I make it a double? On the house, of course.”

“Please,” he smiled through a heavy breath, taking a seat.

“Wanna talk about it?” she asked, and Henry shook his head. “You sure? I’m a great listener.”

“I’m sure you are,” Henry paused, waiting for her name.

“Lucy.”

“Lucy, you’ve already had to deal with witnessing him be unwilling to let you make me a free drink,” Henry said with an eyeroll. “You saw him storm out. I’m insanely embarrassed about this entire interaction as it is, so I’m going to refrain from telling you any more in the hopes that I might be able to show my face in this bar again.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Lucy assured him, handing his drink over. “Not to overstep, but he was kind of a douchebag.”

Henry barked a surprised laugh, getting shushed by a table still taking part in the quiz.

“Sorry,” Lucy grinned, not looking sorry at all. “I just meant you can do better.”

“Oh, yeah?” Henry asked. “Got anyone in mind?”

Lucy shrugged.

“Maybe,” she offered, leaning against the bar. “Are you open to dating?”

“I’m flattered and extraordinarily gay,” he told her, kindly, and she snorted softly.

“No duh,” she replied, “I know who you are, Henry. Who do you think let them know that you couldn’t be in that round?”

“I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea,” he reasoned, and she shrugged.

“Don’t get me wrong, if you swung my way I’d climb you like a tree,” she announced, making Henry laugh again. “I’m serious. That face, that accent,” she paused, mock swooning with the back of her hand against her forehead. “Not to mention the massive heart, the work at the shelters, the incredible writing.”

“Are you sure you’re not flirting with me?” he asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Flirting gets me tips, sweetheart,” Lucy joked. “For real though, my brother is gorgeous, single, and secure enough in himself that he’d let you get a drink on the house.”

Henry smiled, running his tongue over his lower lip.

“Are you working the next trivia night?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I work all weekday evenings,” she explained. “Wanna let me know next time?”

“Jumping from one to the next in the same night isn’t really my thing,” he told her, standing up. “I’ll keep it in mind and let you know.”

“I’ll be here,” she assured him with a smile.

Henry made his way back to their booth as the last round was finishing, sliding in beside Alex as Nora filled in their last answer.

“He’s gone?” June asked, quietly.

“Mhm,” Henry hummed in agreement. “Yep.”

“And you’re staying?” Nora clarified, earning a nod. “Thank god. His attitude was fucking off, my guy.”

“I’m sure he was just nervous,” Alex offered, kindly. “Meeting friends is always strange, but meeting us? That’s gotta be a little daunting.”

“I appreciate you trying to defend him,” Henry laughed softly, “but he’s actually just a prick.”

“I totally privately called it,” Nora said, almost cheering before realising it was inappropriate. “Sorry. How are you?”

Henry shrugged, sipping his drink.

“Hurt, I guess?” he answered. “I don’t really feel like talking about it.”

“Are you sure?” Alex asked. “I can leave?”

“No, it’s okay,” Henry promised. “I want to stay here, have a few drinks, and catch up with my friends.”

“Cheers to that,” June smiled, raising her glass in a toast. “I’ve got lots to fill you in on, anyway.”

Unsurprisingly, Henry didn’t speak to Álvaro after that evening.

He had several texts when he returned home from the quiz, sending back a simple ‘This isn’t going to work, good luck with everything’ before deleting their chats from his phone.

Alex officially joined their trivia team whenever he could make it, and Henry went back to his single life, splitting his time between writing, managing shelters, and showering David with love and attention.

He didn’t take Lucy up on her offer of a date with her brother, instead opting to truly enjoy single life.

He flirted with whoever he wanted, occasionally going home with someone who treated him right and could give him what he wanted.

It was a Thursday afternoon, a couple of hours before he was due to head to the bar for trivia, when Henry received an unpredicted text from Alex.

Henry had been in the shower when the messages came through, giving him around ten minutes to try and figure out exactly what was going on.

He sent him a response to let Alex know he’d seen the messages, and spent a couple of minutes staring at a pile of books on his coffee table before kicking himself into action.

He’s not ashamed to admit that he panic-cleaned. He was stressed and confused, and he needed to give his mind and hands something to do. Besides, it was polite to tidy up before a guest came to visit.

David sniffed around his feet as he picked up the beagle’s toys and placed them back in his box.

“Alright, my boy,” Henry sighed, stopping to offer David a gentle pat. “I get the feeling we’ll be in need of your therapy skills, soon.”

David wagged his tail contentedly, happy to follow Henry around as he finished preparing for Alex to arrive.

The dog let out a soft bark as a knock sounded at the door, and Henry wiped his hands on his trousers before heading to answer it.

Alex looked incredibly anxious, worrying his lower lip as he waited to be invited in.

“Are you alright?” Henry asked, allowing him inside and heading straight to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

“I’m fine,” Alex assured him, bending down to greet David properly. “I just, uh. I need some advice.”

Chapter Text

Henry made Alex a coffee, brewed himself a tea and walked through to the living room before getting into the conversation properly.

They made small talk while the drinks were being made, talking about work and the weather and other designated safe topics, but once they were sat in the living room with David immediately jumping up to cuddle into Alex, the energy shifted again.

“I’m getting mad déjà vu,” Alex commented, laughing softly as he pet David gently.

“At least I’m not drinking at 2pm this time,” Henry joked, crossing his legs.

“That’s true,” Alex smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’ve learnt from my mistakes so I’m going to just jump right into it.”

Henry nodded, holding his mug in his lap to give his hands something to do.

“I told my family that I’m bi,” Alex said, earning an encouraging smile from Henry.

“That’s big,” he stated. “How did they take it?”

Alex huffed another laugh.

“June and Nora were obviously super supportive,” he explained. “Mom, Dad, and Leo questioned why I was making a big deal of telling them something they already knew.”

His smile was tight, and Henry hummed slightly as he listened.

“Did you explain why it was a big deal?” he questioned gently.

“Kind of?” Alex replied, his cadence unsure. “I told them that I didn’t have a label that felt right when we were together, but now I’m comfortable in myself enough to know that I’m bi.”

He stopped talking, but Henry waited for him to continue. It was obvious that he had more to discuss, and Henry was happy to allow him to take his time.

He was proved right when Alex started talking again, his eyes flitting around the room anxiously before settling on where his hand was still petting the dog.

“I told them because I, uh,” he broke off, clearing his throat. “I want to come out. Like, publicly. That’s what I’m looking for some advice about.”

Henry took a drink, using the time to choose his words carefully.

“That’s a big decision,” he began. “You’re sure you’re ready?”

“I am,” Alex assured him. “I’m tired of pretending to be someone I’m not.”

Henry hummed in understanding.

“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be in this situation” Henry admitted. “You know I’ve never had to go through what you’re about to.”

“I honestly just don’t have a lot of queer friends,” Alex explained. “And other than Nora and my sister, I don’t have any at all who know about me. If it’s too weird for you, I can leave.”

“It’s not weird, I appreciate you feeling comfortable enough to come to me with this,” Henry told him, honestly.

“I mean, we’re friends, right?” Alex clarified, and Henry smiled.

“We’re friends, Alex,” he assured him, his voice kind.

They really were. Over the past few months, they’d seen each other pretty much every two weeks and, for Henry, at least, he’d felt their relationship move from awkward exes, to slightly uncomfortable acquaintances, to genuine friends. He found himself genuinely enjoying Alex’s company and, if the pair of them showed up to the bar before June and Nora, he enjoyed learning about Alex’s life and engaging in mentally stimulating conversations while waiting for the rest of their team.

They were friends. They could talk about this.

“Right, so let me spitball some ideas for my grand coming out,” Alex requested, causing Henry to laugh.

“Oh, I see ,” he continued, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “You’ve already got ideas, you just want to know if I think they’re good or not.”

“Obviously,” Alex grinned back. “You know I’m a chronic planner.”

“Only when you’re not being incredibly impulsive,” Henry shot back, and Alex laughed as he threw a cushion across at him.

“Are you gonna let me tell you my ideas or not?” he asked, mock irritated.

“Lay it on me,” Henry relented, draining his mug and resting the cushion in his lap.

“Alright, my first idea was to just post something on my socials,” he explained. “Like, casual. A normal post for me but with a caption like ‘Hi, or should I say bi’.”

Henry snorted, and Alex rolled his eyes.

“Alright, Mr. Writer, you can have a say in the caption,” he allowed. “Other than the caption, which I still think is fine, do you have any constructive criticism on that idea?”

“By ‘just post something,’ do you mean-”

“Yeah, without approval,” Alex confirmed, preempting the question.

“Bold,” Henry commented, nodding to himself. “It’s your truth to share, if that’s the way you want to do it, you should do it.”

“Even if it fucks Mom’s campaign?” 

“She’s been pretty vocal about her support for queer causes,” Henry reasoned.

“Voters on the fence can ignore the supportiveness but they might not be able to ignore the fact that she has a bisexual son,” Alex argued.

“Alright, what’s your other idea, then?” Henry asked.

“Wait until Mom’s reelected then I can do what I want,” Alex offered, shrugging, his tone immediately less enthusiastic. “It’ll be her second term so I can’t make problems for her reelection.”

Henry nodded in understanding.

“You don’t want to do that,” he stated.

It wasn’t a question, it was obvious by how uncomfortable Alex sounded while floating the idea.

“I’m sick of hiding things,” Alex explained. “I’ve had enough of putting my life, my wants on hold because of how it will affect my parents’ careers.”

“That’s valid,” Henry assured him. “So option two is out, we’re narrowing it down.”

“Yeah?” Alex asked, lighting up. “Just like that?”

“Yeah,” Henry confirmed. “If the option makes you feel like shit then it’s not an option.”

“Shit, this is why I wanted to talk to you about it,” Alex explained. “You’re so good at knowing what to do.”

“I’m just pragmatic,” Henry reasoned. “And if you’re serious about coming out, you should do it in a way that you’re happy with. It’s your story, it’s your life, not your parents’.”

Alex watched him for a moment, taking in his words. Henry noticed his eyes get glassy but, like a good friend, didn’t mention it.

“You’re right,” Alex agreed after a while, sniffing. “Option two isn’t gonna cut it.”

“I’m glad we agree on something,” Henry smiled. “Now, is there a third option? One that doesn’t involve going behind your mum’s back or waiting another, what, four months?”

“Five,” Alex corrected, a small smile back on his face. “You should really know what month the election is in.”

Henry laughed.

“Well, five months is a long time to put something off,” he reiterated.

“You’re right,” Alex agreed. “There is a third option, but I might need more of your help with it.”

Henry raised an eyebrow, sitting back. 

“Well, now I’m intrigued.”

“It involves a proposal that Mom can’t refuse and a speech that will make the nation swoon,” Alex explained, and Henry threw the cushion back at him, laughing.

“The nation already swoons for you, you preening arse,” he argued, and Alex shrugged.

“But they need to swoon for the real me,” Alex reasoned, “not the me that they think they know.”

“That sounds fair,” Henry admitted, biting the inside of his lip. “How can I help?”

“Does that mean you’re in?” Alex asked, an eyebrow raised.

Henry took a moment to think about it.

Four months ago he’d say no. He couldn’t help Alex with this because spending time with him was still somewhat uncomfortable.

Now, though, he wanted to help. Judging by how the conversation had gone today, they could do it. They could be friendly and help each other with no ulterior motives on either side and, honestly, Henry was proud of him for being confident enough in himself to take this step.

So, yeah.

“I’m in.”

Chapter Text

Alex’s proposal was pretty simple.

In fact, ‘proposal’ may have been a little grandiose.

“It’s more of a glorified powerpoint presentation,” Henry had commented when Alex had first talked him through it. 

Alex then reminded him of the presentation that Ellen made them both sit through when they started dating, and Henry realised that maybe that was just how Alex and his mother felt most comfortable communicating about important topics.

Perhaps ‘Reasons I should come out and why it won’t negatively impact your reelection campaign’ was the right way to go about it. 

Henry’s help, as it turned out, was needed for helping to proofread and edit the speech that Alex planned to deliver if and when Ellen agreed on his plan.

‘Speech,’ again, may not have been the right word for it. It was more of a planned script for a video that he would release on his social media.

Alex had a lot of ideas of what he wanted to say, and Henry was able to help him make it into a more coherent script, rearranging his ideas into a more understandable sequence for his audience to follow. He even helped with a caption for the post.

June and Nora weren’t in on the plan so, for the next couple of weeks, Alex came over to Henry’s house before heading over to the bar to meet them.

By the third week, they’d pretty much solidified the presentation and the script, and Alex was working up to talking to Ellen about it sooner rather than later.

“Have you considered what you’ll do if your mum doesn’t agree with your plan?” Henry asked across the dinner table, the pair of them in somewhat of a routine of ordering food when Alex arrived and working until it turned up.

Alex’s answering hum was noncommittal, so Henry took another bite of his gyros and waited for a real answer.

“I don’t really think I’m giving her much of a choice,” Alex reasoned. “I’m kind of just… telling her what I’m doing so that she can let Zee and her campaign staff know ahead of time.”

It was Henry’s turn to hum, and Alex shrugged.

“You’ve seen the proposal,” he reminded him, “it’s not exactly asking for permission.”

“I understand that,” Henry agreed, “but if she’s completely against it? If she’s convinced it would harm her reelection? I just want you to go into this conversation prepared for any outcome.”

“I appreciate that,” Alex assured him, wiping tzatziki from the corner of his mouth. “If she’s solidity opposing the idea when I’ve pitched it, I guess I’ll have to follow her lead. As much as I’d like to say ‘fuck it’ and come out anyway, if she thinks she can’t beat Richards if I do then I won’t.”

He sighed, rubbing at his temple.

“Rebelling against my mom was fine when I was younger but if it comes down to me staying in the closet for four more months or Richards being president for four years, I know which of those options is more painful for more people.”

Henry nodded in understanding, taking a sip of his wine.

“That’s an incredibly selfless outlook,” he commented, and Alex shrugged.

“I’m working on it,” he reiterated. “Obviously I hope it doesn’t come to that and I can do it my way, but I do understand that what she’s doing is bigger than me.”

“Well, we’ll know either way soon enough,” Henry commented, kindly.

He paused, watching as Alex finished his food.

“Are you going to let me know how the conversation goes?” he asked, curiously. “Or am I just going to find out if you post on your socials?”

“Honestly I’ll probably call you either way,” Alex told him. “I’ll either need a friend or need help psyching myself up to actually post it, so… If that’s alright with you, that is.”

“Of course,” Henry agreed, getting up to clear the table. “If you want someone there when you record the video, I’m happy to help.”

Alex hummed, leaning back in his chair.

“Is it weird that I’m gonna miss our Thursday Trivia pre-games?” he asked, looking over as Henry leant against the kitchen island.

“They’ve become quite a staple of the week, huh?” Henry agreed, reaching into his pocket to get a treat for David who had been silently begging for scraps. “I mean, if you’re not busy with school, I still have the spot open in my diary.”

Alex watched him curiously as he crouched to fuss the dog, nodding to himself.

“I mean, it’s good to have a routine,” he allowed. “Plus even when I am swamped with school, one evening off is probably good for me.”

“Probably,” Henry agreed, standing back up to get David’s harness from the cupboard. 

At this point in their usual routine, Alex would leave and they would make their way separately to the bar after Henry had taken David out for a short walk. Alex usually excused himself after they finished eating, but this week was different. The energy in the room was heavier, and Henry could easily figure out why.

Alex was going to talk to Ellen at the weekend. It had gone from a loose idea to a solid plan, and it was clearly more real for him now. No wonder he was lingering. 

“Hey,” Henry began, gently. “I’m gonna take the little man out before we meet the others. Do you want to come with us?”

Alex blinked at him, his expression unreadable.

“Or you can wait here,” Henry offered, getting David ready. He knew from experience that an overwhelmed Alex worked best with clearly laid out options. “Or I can meet you at the bar as usual.”

David was excited now, trying to pull Henry towards the door but he held firm.

“I’d like to come with you,” Alex announced, getting to his feet. “If that’s alright with you.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want the company,” Henry assured him with a smile as they made their way to the front door. 

Alex laughed softly, crouching to tie his shoes and grinning as David nudged against his arm.

“Alright buddy, I’m ready,” he smiled, standing to find Henry watching the pair with fondness.

Alex met his eye, a few emotions flitting across his expression too quickly for Henry to process until it settled on gratitude.

“Thank you,” Alex told him, and Henry didn’t have to ask what for.

For helping, for listening, for understanding his needs.

“De nada,” Henry replied, earning a soft chuckle. “That’s what friends are for.”

Chapter Text

“Hey everyone.”

Alex was pacing back and forth behind Henry’s couch as Henry watched the video.

Ellen approved the proposal over the weekend and, after discussing it with her team, gave him the go-ahead to post something when he felt ready so long as it roughly followed the prepared script. Alex had filmed at home, a casual video shot all in one take, but was getting too self-critical to post it and had texted Henry that he was on his way over.

Henry, for his part, had been stressing over an email from his manager about an offer for his novel to be turned into a screenplay, and was grateful for a distraction.

“I’m just coming on here to talk to you all about something important to me,” on-screen Alex continued, “something I’m ready to share with you all. I like to think those of y’all that follow me on here care about me, and about my happiness, so I wanted to let you know that I’m a proud member of the bisexual community. I’m comfortable in my sexuality and what it means for me, and I just wanted to share that with you in case there’s even one person like me, who never saw representation in the media growing up, who might feel some kind of comfort in hearing that from me. I’ve been pretty vocal about my support of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout my time in the public eye, so if you’ve supported me up until now, I would hope that your opinion of me wouldn’t have changed in the last twenty seconds. And if it has, then I don’t think that you really supported me in the first place. I realised I’ve been hiding this part of me for too long, and I don’t even really know why I was hiding it in the first place. I’m not ashamed to be who I am, honestly it’s the opposite. I’m proud to be Mexican-American, I’m proud to be bisexual, and I’m proud to be able to share who I am freely with you all today.”

Henry cleared his throat, placing Alex’s phone down on the coffee table once the video ended.

“Fuck, I should re-record it, right?” Alex questioned, still pacing.

Henry looked up at him, a small frown causing a crinkle between his brows.

“Why?”

“I look stupid, I sound like an idiot, I ad-libbed the ending, I-”

Henry reached a hand out to stop him from pacing, and Alex finally met his eye.

“Alex, it’s beautiful,” he assured him. “The ending is perfect, you sound intelligent and articulate and genuine, and you couldn’t look stupid if you tried.”

“Yeah, well, you have to say that,” Alex murmured. “You’re my friend.”

“I’m also an advocate for queer youth,” Henry reminded him, “so if I thought this needed a do-over I’d tell you. But it doesn’t, it’s great how it is.”

Alex looked at him, studying his expression for any hint of doubt and coming back empty.

“You mean that.”

It was more of a statement than a question, but Henry confirmed it anyway.

“It’s great, Alex.”

He seemed to relax after that, taking a seat next to Henry on the couch and picking up his phone.

David was thrilled that the pacing had stopped, jumping up to sit between them and resting his head in Henry’s lap.

“I’m going to tag some nonprofits at the end of the caption,” Alex decided, opening up instagram and immediately opening a new post. “Are you good if I tag the Okonjo-Fox Foundation?”

“I’d be honoured,” Henry told him, honestly. “But please don’t feel as if you have to.”

Alex scoffed fondly.

“Hen, if it wasn’t for you I would never have had the guts to even post this,” he admitted. “If this can get you guys donations or point someone in need to your shelters, I’m more than happy to do that.”

Henry watched as his thumb slid across the screen, typing one handed as he pet David with the other.

After a minute or so, Alex handed over his phone again for Henry to check the caption.

He scanned the words that they had written together over the past few weeks, finding that Alex had recalled them perfectly.

“It’s good,” he assured him, pausing before handing the phone back. “It’s perfect. I- are you sure you want to do this?”

Alex met his eye, nodding slowly.

“I’ve wanted to for a while,” he promised. “I’m ready.”

Henry was impressed to find that there wasn’t a single flicker of doubt in his expression or his voice. He handed the phone over with a small smile before getting to his feet and heading to the fridge.

“Post it now,” Henry told him, matching his certainty. “Then pass me your phone.”

He pulled a bottle of champagne from the top of his fridge, grabbing two glasses and making his way back to the couch. 

Henry’s phone buzzed in his pocket as Alex locked his, presumably a mention notification from the foundation’s page.

Henry set the glasses down on the coffee table as Alex passed him his phone.

“I’m turning this off,” Henry told him, waiting for a confirmation nod before doing so. “We’re going to celebrate and not pay attention to the response today.”

He started to open the champagne, but Alex stopped him with a gentle hand on his wrist.

“I’ve seen beers in that fridge,” Alex began, softly. “Don’t waste the good stuff on this.”

Henry laughed fondly as he shook off his hand popping the cork and filling the flutes.

“I bought this specifically for this occasion,” he admitted, handing Alex a glass before holding his own for a toast. “To you being you, freely and openly for the world to see.”

Alex’s expression slowly morphed into a wide grin, gently tapping his glass against Henry’s.

“To me being me.”

Chapter Text

Henry tried not to pay attention to any of the reactions to Alex’s post.

He had his own shit to worry about, for one thing, plus he wanted Alex to be able to talk to someone with a fresh ear when he needed to vent, someone who deliberately stayed away from whatever was happening online.

He was on a call with his agent when Alex let himself into the house a few weeks later, Cash locking the door behind them as Henry had instructed when they said they were coming over.

After Henry realised that Cash or Amy had just been sitting outside in the car every time Alex came over, he extended the open invitation to his protection team. Over time, Cash became comfortable enough to walk straight in and make himself a coffee before taking up position in the armchair, looking out of the front window and tuning out whatever Henry and Alex were talking about each time.

Alex grabbed himself a coffee and made a tea for Henry before following his voice upstairs to his office.

“Are they actually going to let me have a say in the script?” Henry was asking, nodding Alex inside when he knocked lightly on the open door. “Thinking about it, if we’re actually doing this, I think exec producer is the way to go, no?”

“That’s what she suggested,” Shaan told him, simply. “This is why I’m bringing this one to you directly. She hasn’t just asked for the rights, she’s asking for your input the whole way through. She seems to genuinely love the book and the characters and wants to do it justice.”

Henry smiled at Alex, silently thanking him for the tea as he thought through his response.

“I’d… I’d like to meet with her before agreeing anything,” he admitted. “It sounds incredible, almost too good to be true, but I can’t just sign it over without actually meeting her.”

“The book’s your baby, I know,” Shaan teased, and Henry laughed.

“It is!” he insisted, grinning. “Look, it sounds great. You think it will be possible to set up a meeting?”

“I’m sure she’ll be amenable to that,” Shaan agreed. “I think this could be really big for you, Henry.”

He looked over to find Alex watching him with a small but confused smile on his face, waiting patiently for him to be done.

“I know,” he said into the phone. “Let me know when she’s available and we’ll sort something out. I’m happy to travel to her if I need to.”

“Noted,” Shaan replied. “How’s the sequel coming along?”

“We’re past the planning stage and onto the actual writing process, if that’s what you’re asking,” he answered.

“I’m just thinking a sequel would be good to have ready prior to or immediately after a movie,” Shaan commented, almost flippantly. “But I’ll leave you to it for now.”

“I appreciate that,” he replied. “Speak soon.”

He hung up the phone, a smile appearing on his face that he tried to cover with his hand as the reality of the conversation properly sank in.

“Take a seat before you spill your tea,” Alex prompted, earning a laugh as Henry did as he was told.

Alex took a seat opposite him, placing his coffee down on a coaster on the desk as Henry tried to compose himself.

“You’re doing a movie?” Alex questioned, and Henry felt himself start to laugh.

“I think so,” he answered. He was sure he must have had crazy eyes, feeling them pull wide with surprise and nervous excitement but unable to stop himself. “Apparently they’ll allow me to have a say in the script and the production, which is why I’d been holding out on other offers.”

Alex grinned back at him, leaning over the desk to shake Henry’s shoulders.

“You’ve fucking made it, Fox,” he announced, sitting back. “It’s like my dad said, that book is gonna make an incredible movie.”

“I can’t get carried away yet,” Henry reasoned. “We’ll hold out on the champagne until I’ve got something in writing.”

“Very sensible,” Alex agreed. “But this is exciting. I’m glad good things are happening for you.”

“Me too,” Henry allowed, letting out a content sigh. “Sorry, I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about me.”

“Well no, but you’re in luck because I like talking about you,” Alex replied with a shrug.

Henry felt his cheeks start to flush and he covered it by taking a swig of his tea.

“As true as that may be, I want to hear about you,” he announced. “How’s it going?”

Alex shrugged again, getting comfortable in the office chair.

“Gained more followers than I lost, plus Mom’s approval has hovered around the same as before I came out,” he answered. “The odd slur in my comments, but overall the reception has been good.”

“That’s great,” Henry smiled, “but I didn’t mean that. I meant how are you, not your socials.”

The question seemed to take Alex by surprise and he scratched lightly at the back of his neck.

“I’m fine,” he reasoned. “I uh, I kind of thought I’d feel different. But I feel the same. I’m just me.”

Henry hummed, sipping his tea.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asked, rolling his eyes somewhat fondly.

“Wasn’t that the point?” Henry asked, continuing when Alex raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t becoming someone new when you posted it, you were just being open about who you are.”

“I guess you’re right,” he sighed. “I think I just expected to feel different. I guess I kind of feel freer in the sense that I’m not hiding anything, or that I won’t have to in the future.”

“That’s enough,” Heny told him. “It’s not like you were suddenly going to be drawn to sequins and rainbows.”

“I wouldn’t mind going to a Pride parade,” Alex pointed out. “You and Pez always look like you’re having a good time when you go.”

“You’re welcome to join us next time,” Henry offered. “Though you did decide to come out at the start of August, so it won’t be for a while.”

Alex laughed softly, looking across at Henry through those ridiculous eyelashes.

“Is he done being mad at me, now?” he asked, causing Henry to scoff.

“He’s been over that for a while,” he assured him. “He was never really mad at you-”

“He literally said the words ‘I’m so fucking mad at you’ immediately after greeting me at the lake,” Alex interrupted, and Henry winced.

“Yeah, okay, maybe he was,” he allowed. “That’s just because he thinks it’s his job to protect my feelings, but he knows he doesn’t have to do that with you anymore.”

“Because he’s realised you’re a grown man?” Alex asked teasingly.

“Because I told him I trust you,” Henry answered honestly.

Alex blinked, taken aback by the statement, but Henry just shrugged.

It was true.

Over the past few months as their friendship grew, Alex had proved himself time and time again that he could be trusted. It was one day in June that he realised the trust was fully formed again.

Henry had messaged the trivia group chat that he wasn’t going to be there that evening. He’d been curled up in bed with David all day and really didn’t feel like socialising. To be honest, he didn’t feel like anything.

Around twenty minutes after he sent the message, his phone started to ring but he ignored it. Two minutes later, there was an incessant banging on his front door, causing David to get up and bark at the bedroom door.

Henry reluctantly got up, heading downstairs to stop the banging.

Alex was standing there with a bag of groceries, and he pushed his way into the house and locked the door behind him.

“You can go back to bed,” Alex told him as he headed through to the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?” Henry asked, the words coming out harsher than he intended.

“I’m gonna take David out and then make you something to eat,” Alex announced, putting the groceries in the fridge. “I assume you haven’t fed yourself today.”

“Don’t judge me,” Henry murmured, watching as Alex pulled out David’s harness and leash from his drawer.

“I’m not judging,” Alex insisted. “Do you have a key so I can let us back in when we’re done?”

“By the door,” Henry instructed. “Wait, why are you here?”

Alex smiled kindly, getting David ready despite his excited wiggling.

“I figured you’d need to stay in bed and David would need a walk,” he answered. “You never miss out on trivia unless you’re working.”

Henry just stood there, watching. 

“I’m serious, Hen,” Alex told him. “Go back to bed, I’ve got this. Or have a shower if you’re up to it, but don’t worry about me or David. We’ve got this.”

Henry didn’t have enough energy to argue or question what was going on, so he headed back upstairs and let Alex get on with whatever he was doing. He’d like to say he had a shower, but he didn’t. He climbed back under the covers, his blackout curtains pulled tight, and laid in darkness.

He didn’t know how long had passed when Alex entered the room with a hot bowl of homemade soup, David following behind before jumping up to curl into Henry’s side.

“I’m not hungry,” Henry explained, being completely undermined by the rumble coming from his stomach.

“Abuela’s recipe,” Alex explained, perching on the edge of the mattress. “I understand you want to be alone but I’m not leaving until you’ve eaten something.”

Henry begrudgingly accepted the bowl, sitting himself up against the headboard.

Alex got up, picking the TV remote up from the bedside table and loading up Bake Off at a low volume.

“Do you mind?” Alex asked, motioning to the other side of the bed, and Henry shook his head slightly.

Alex sat on top of the covers, his eyes on the television, and didn’t say another word.

Henry noted absently that he’d taken his shoes off.

The soup was delicious, and it wasn’t until he brought the first spoonful to his mouth that he realised how hungry he was.

He ate in silence, the only sounds in the room coming from the TV and the occasional thump of David’s tail as Alex pet him softly.

He placed the empty bowl on his side table once he was finished, and Alex finally looked over at him.

“Can I get you anything else before I go?” he asked gently.

Henry shook his head, already feeling a bit better for having something to eat.

“Do you, uh,” Henry began, clearing his throat. “Do you have somewhere to be?”

“No,” Alex told him, simply.

“Would you mind maybe staying for a while?” Henry asked, his voice small and vulnerable.

Alex smiled, shifting to get more comfortable on the bed.

“I can stay,” he replied, gentle but certain.

Alex ended up staying until Henry fell asleep. He washed up the bowl and cleaned the kitchen, letting David out in the garden to go to the bathroom before locking the back door. He left a note on the pillow next to Henry when he let David back into his room and saw himself out, locking the door behind him and posting the keys back through the letterbox.

Henry woke the next morning to a note telling him that there were meals in the fridge and that if he was still feeling off Alex would happily come over and walk David again.

He shot off a text, thanking Alex for looking after him and taking care of David, before getting up for a much needed shower.

Chapter Text

Henry had a crush.

He didn’t really notice it at first, but once he did it was hard to ignore.

What shocked him most, he realised, was that it felt completely new. He wasn’t expecting it to happen, he honestly didn’t really have time to get involved with anyone right now, but it came out of nowhere. 

The more time he spent with Alex, the more he realised how much they’d both grown in the time they’d spend apart. He realised one Thursday during their regular trivia pre-game that the way he was reacting to having Alex close to him - the way his heart flipped when he laughed or said his name - it wasn’t strictly platonic anymore. 

It was interesting for him to notice it for a bunch of reasons. First and foremost was that it made it obvious to him that he really had been over it in the first place. For the last few months, for Henry at least, they had a genuine friendship disconnected from their intimate past. That evening, though - the first Thursday since Ellen had successfully secured her second term - with Alex on the other side of the couch, the pair of them lightheartedly bickering about Star Wars for the hundredth time, he realised he wanted more.

He didn’t say anything at the time. 

He didn’t want to upset their friendship, plus he wasn’t even sure that Alex wanted him like that anymore. Since the lake house, nearly a whole year ago, he hadn’t said anything about his feelings towards Henry. There hadn’t been hints, there was no undercurrent of tension since a couple of weeks after the Staten Island event, there had just been friendship and a blossoming mutual trust.

The rest of the evening went as usual, besides a knowing glance from Cash through the rear view mirror on the drive to the bar, and Henry tried not to think about it.

The thing is, once he realised it, it was really hard to ignore.

The first time around, when they got together almost two years ago, there had been a flirty nature to their friendship from the beginning. It had progressed quickly and, to be fair to them both, they were young, dumb, and insanely horny. This time, Henry was 25, Alex was in his final year of law school, and importantly they’d both had extensive therapy and worked on themselves. 

Their lives were also noticeably different.

Alex was out and proud, even more of an advocate for queer rights than he had been before coming out, and considerably more relaxed now that the election was over. In just the two days since the vote, Henry could see the difference in him.

Maybe that was part of the reason that the realisation hit him, but he couldn’t be sure.

For his part, Henry had also changed. 

Two years ago, his debut novel was more of a cult classic than a best-seller, but Waking Up had taken off, and since agreeing a deal for the screenplay his career was going from strength to strength. Not to mention the success of the shelters and the foundation.

There was no pressure for Henry to prove himself worthy of dating the First Son, or for Alex to figure out his sexuality. Neither of them had added to that pressure at the time, but they’d definitely felt it.

All this to say, they’d both grown. It was different this time.

But trivia night with June and Nora, especially one that was used as their joint celebration of Ellen’s reelection, wasn’t the right time to bring it up.

He spoke to Beatrice about it that weekend.

It was the first time he voiced it aloud, and he figured Bea was more of a neutral party than Percy.

Her reaction wasn’t exactly what he was expecting.

“I thought you had moved on,” she commented, more confused than judgemental.

“Yeah I have,” Henry agreed.

“Hen, what are you on about?”

He laughed, understanding the confusion. If he wasn’t living it, he probably wouldn’t know what was going on either.

“After I got the closure I needed, I did move on,” he explained. “I’m happy with my life, I haven’t been looking for a relationship because I haven’t felt as if I need one. I’ve been enjoying being single-”

“So I’ve heard,” Bea interrupted, waggling her eyebrows at the camera.

“I’m going to murder Pez,” Henry murmured, causing her to laugh.

“Don’t kiss and tell if you don’t want him to tell me,” she told him. “From what I hear you’ve been having a lovely time as New York’s most eligible bachelor.”

He rolled his eyes, willing his cheeks to stop blushing.

“As I was saying,” he continued, ignoring her grin, “I’ve not exactly felt as if anything’s missing from my life.”

“Sorry my love, I just can’t pass up an opportunity to tease you,” she apologised. “Tell me how you got from being content in your most recent slut era to thinking you’re in love again.”

“I haven’t been in a slut era,” he argued. “I don’t like the implication that I’ve had more than one. And I didn’t say I’m in love.”

“Henry, my gorgeous baby boy, your Oxford slut phase is still spoken about around the halls of Pembroke,” she teased. “But please continue.”

“You’re reminding me why I moved away,” Henry shot back with a somewhat embarrassed grin. “Anyway. My life is good. I just realised, kind of this week, that I actually have a crush. God, saying that makes me feel like a teenager, but it’s true. I’m a grown man and I fancy him.”

Bea was still grinning, watching as he blushed his way through his explanation.

“You’re so cute when you’re crushing on someone,” she told him. “Tell me more.”

He rolled his eyes.

“There’s not much more to it,” he reasoned. “We’ve been having dinner at mine before the pub quiz most weeks for the last four, five months, and it’s been great. We’ve been getting to know each other again, and he’s… there’s something about him.”

“Hold on, you told me about the quiz but left out the part where you’re clearly having a date with him beforehand every week,” Bea commented. “Feels like something I should know about.”

“It’s not as if I tell you every time I see June or Pez, either,” he reminded her, maybe a little defensive.

“Yeah, well you don’t fancy June or Pez,” she retorted.

Henry rolled his eyes.

“It started when he asked for help with coming out,” he explained. “Then it became a habit. It didn’t feel important to tell you about it because there’s nothing romantic about it, it’s not as if there’s been an ulterior motive this whole time. I only realised I was interested the other day.”

Bea didn’t respond right away, and Henry pulled his eyes back to the screen from where he’d been staring into the distance.

She hummed softly, and Henry laughed as Mr Wobbles’ tail moved under her chin.

“Don’t laugh at him, he’s getting comfy,” she chided, moving the phone to show him sat on her chest. “Say hi to your favourite nephew.”

“Your cat isn’t my favourite nephew,” he insisted, causing her to gasp in offence.

“That was uncalled for,” she told him.

“Beatrice, George is obviously my favourite nephew,” he reminded her. “You know, our brother’s human child?”

“You’ve known Mr Wobbles so much longer, though,” she argued.

“I don’t even know why I called you,” Henry told her.

“To talk about your big embarrassing crush on your ex,” she reminded him cheerily.

“That’s the thing, though,” Henry said with a sigh. “It doesn’t feel like I have a crush on my ex. He hasn’t felt like my ex at all for months.”

Bea frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I told you he’s different now,” he explained. “I’m different, too. It feels new and kind of… kind of exciting? It’s like I’m falling for my best friend.”

She was just watching him again, and he couldn’t even hold her gaze through the phone.

“Don’t let Pez hear you say that,” she warned, and he huffed an uncomfortable laugh. “Henry, look, all jokes aside, you seem happy. You’re a grown man, a smart one at that, and I trust your judgement. Are you gonna do anything about it?”

Henry sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since he started the call. 

“Not yet, at least,” he decided. “He’s going back to the lake in a couple of weeks anyway, and I should take some time to actually understand what I’m feeling. Plus I’ll need to figure out if he’s even interested in me.”

“He’d be stupid not to be, you’re a catch,” she told him. “That sounds sensible, though. You can just enjoy the feeling of a burgeoning crush.”

Henry laughed at that, nodding to himself.

“It’s funny, I haven’t felt like this in a long time,” he admitted. “I’m so comfortable with him. Last time I think we started with an intense physical connection, but now… I don’t know. I just want to be around him all the time.”

Bea smiled reassuringly through the phone.

“Hen, you fancy him,” she confirmed. “I’m not going to stop you from going for it, when it’s even obvious to me from halfway across the planet that he’s clearly a different person to the boy that made a stupid mistake. I don’t think for one second he’d do something like that again.”

Henry cleared his throat, playing with his father’s ring where his little finger rested along the bottom of his phone.

“I don’t think he would, either,” he allowed.

“Alright, my love,” Bea sighed, “it’s getting late over here, but I’m assuming you probably wanted some advice when you called so I’ll leave you with this. Alex is a good man who has clearly grown from his mistakes. He’s secure in himself in a way that was barely fathomable when you first met him. If you take some time, think about what you want, and decide you want to go for it, then I’m behind you all the way.”

For some reason, Henry felt as if he was going to cry.

He supposed perhaps he’d been worried that she would judge him, or that it would take a lot more convincing to agree that Alex had changed and was worth a shot, but if Bea could tell all of this from his online presence and Henry’s meagre attempts at filling her in on their friendship, then maybe he wasn’t insane. Maybe it was something worth pursuing.

“Take your time, Hen,” Bea continued, her voice gentle. “If it’s meant to be, it will work out in the end.”

He nodded, pulling himself together and back to the conversation.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed.

“I always am,” she smiled, rolling over and dislodging the cat from his place on her chest. “I’m serious though. If you feel forever about him, if you think he’s it for you, you can afford to take it slow.”

Chapter Text

He took Bea’s advice and took his time.

It probably helped that Alex was back in Texas for Thanksgiving so he could get his thoughts in order without their weekly meet-ups, but it certainly wasn’t easy.

Henry found himself genuinely missing him, despite a busy week visiting all of the New York shelters to help prepare for their celebrations.

He kept himself busy during the days and found himself writing out his feelings in the evenings. Sometimes poetry, some prose, occasionally being able to incorporate his emotions into his next novel. It was therapeutic and definitely helped him to get to the bottom of his feelings.

That being; he definitely fancied him.

It became even more obvious to him when he received a simple text on Thursday evening.

He actually had butterflies when the notification came through, genuinely excited to have been on Alex’s mind even for a moment, and he was blushing like an idiot when he read the messages. 

If he had any doubt about how he was feeling, his bodily reaction to a modicum of attention confirmed it.

He took an embarrassingly long time to respond, deciding it was time to start testing the waters with a simple ‘I miss you too, if it makes you feel better.’

It was an experiment, a flirtation that could easily be passed off as a friendly comment if it wasn’t reciprocated.

Alex’s response of ‘it really does’ did nothing for his racing heart.

So, yeah. He was down bad.

Unfortunately, since his grand revelation, Henry’s life had remained hectic.

Holiday season tended to be that way with the shelters, an understandably emotional time for the young people that Henry always wanted to be there to support them through. He spent a lot of time at each of the shelters, speaking with all of the residents over the weeks leading up to Christmas. 

Alex for his part was stressed with exams to the point that they were forced to cancel one of their weekly dinners.

Henry knew he didn’t have time to get into a relationship, but it felt as if every day that passed he wanted him more.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or whatever. Henry wasn’t usually a fan of cliched quotes but it seemed to be true. The more time they spent apart, the more he found himself craving Alex’s attention, almost desperate for him to be close again.

Bea was right, it was a big embarrassing crush.

The week before Christmas, once Alex’s exams were over, they finally spent Thursday together.

The girls were out of town so the trivia night was off for them, but Alex had reached out and mentioned that he wanted to celebrate finishing his ‘last ever fall semester as a student’ with Henry, so they’d agreed on a casual night in with Alex’s signature margaritas and takeout from his favourite local joint.

Henry had also gone a bit overboard on buying snacks for the occasion. He’d even considered buying flowers, but after running it by his sister he realised that it might be a step too far.

Sue him. His crush was coming over and he clearly wasn’t equipped to deal with it.

Once Alex arrived, though, it was easy to fall back into their usual routine.

Alex was keen to hear about everything that had been going on in Henry’s life, and Henry was happy to fill him in. The drinks flowed along with the conversation, and once they finished eating they moved it over to the couch and put on a movie.

It was all very domestic, and Henry couldn’t help but notice how close Alex sat beside him, a huge juxtaposition from when they would intentionally sit on separate furniture. David jumped up between them, and Henry took it as an excuse to lean his body towards Alex under the pretence of cuddling up with the dog.

Alex had chosen to watch A New Hope and, just as the group discovered the destruction of Alderaan, Henry found himself holding his breath as Alex’s shoulder brushed against his.

He expected Alex to pull away, and when he didn’t he let himself lean more of his weight against him.

Their hands briefly touched as they both went to pet the dog at the same time, and neither of them flinched, just continued to watch the movie and give David attention.

Henry was losing his mind.

He felt as if Alex might be on the same page as him, but he couldn’t be certain that it wasn’t just the alcohol consumed throughout the evening that was making both him and Alex more relaxed.

They were both historically a lot more tactile after a couple of drinks, and Alex’s margaritas were notoriously heavy handed, so Henry couldn’t figure out if he was reading into everything a little too much.

God, he felt like an idiot.

He knew what he wanted, he knew how he wanted everything to turn out, but he also didn’t want to make a move and risk losing what they had.

For the first time since realising his feelings he wanted to talk to Percy about everything, but he couldn’t exactly whip out his phone and start texting in the middle of their movie night. Instead, he thought back on his advice from a year ago.

I think honesty is the way forward.

“You want another drink?” Alex asked, pulling him out of his thought spiral.

“Only if you’re getting one for yourself,” he answered. “Don’t get up on my account.”

Alex laughed, nudging against his shoulder.

“I’m celebrating the end of term,” he reminded him in a poor attempt of Henry’s accent as he got to his feet. “Plus I’m pretty sure there’s just enough for two more left in the pitcher.”

“Well, who am I to refuse,” Henry smiled, trying his best to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as Alex grinned back at him.

David shifted to take Alex’s vacated spot on the couch, curling up in his warmth.

“I can’t believe Davey understands the rules of on your feet, lose your seat,” Alex joked, handing Henry his glass when he returned. “Budge up, sweetheart.”

Henry did as he was told, shifting closer to David so Alex could sit down beside him.

“No rebuttal on ‘sweetheart,’ this time?” Alex asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

Henry felt himself blush, deciding now was as good of a chance as any.

“No, you’ve earned it,” he replied, gaining a confused smile in the process.

“What do you mean by that?” Alex asked, his eyes dropping to Henry’s mouth as he wet his lips.

Well, if that wasn’t a sign, he didn’t know what was.

Henry leant in, his heartbeat thudding in his ears, closing his eyes just as their lips were about to meet.

Only, they didn’t.

Chapter Text

Henry could feel his whole face redden with embarrassment when Alex’s hand met his shoulder, pushing him back slightly.

He couldn’t bear to open his eyes, unwilling to see the disgust in Alex’s expression.

“Hen, look at me,” Alex requested, gently.

The hand on his shoulder gave him a light squeeze, and Henry forced himself to open his eyes despite the heat radiating off of his cheeks.

Alex had concern in his eyes, and that just made him feel even more like an idiot. He started rambling before he could stop himself, his eyes flitting around the room.

“I’m sorry, fuck, that was inappropriate, I didn’t mean-”

“Hey, stop, stop,” Alex requested, putting his drink down and moving his other hand to the side of Henry’s neck. “You’re gonna give yourself an anxiety attack unless you start breathing normally.”

Alex started taking deliberate and controlled breaths, encouraging Henry to do the same.

He copied for a few breaths before pulling away, unable to cope with Alex’s touch on his skin.

“I’m sorry, I’ve made it weird,” he apologised, looking down at his own knees to avoid eye contact. “I really value you as a friend, I misread the situation.”

Alex laughed, making Henry shrink in on himself.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“If you let me get a fucking word in ,” Alex interrupted, “I could tell you that you have nothing to apologise for.”

Now, that was a surprising statement.

Henry finally looked at him properly, an unconvinced frown pulling at his brow.

“Alex, I tried to kiss you,” he stated, plainly.

“Yeah, and if we hadn’t both had like ten shots of tequila I’d have let you,” Alex replied, honestly.

Henry felt like he had whiplash, and he was sure that he was just hearing what he wanted to hear.

Maybe he hyperventilated to the point that he passed out and was just imagining Alex saying that.

“What- what do you mean by that?” he questioned, needing to hear exactly what Alex was thinking.

Alex smiled, leaning back against the arm of the couch as he positioned his body to face Henry.

“I want to date you, sweetheart,” he explained. “I want to kiss you but I don’t want to let our second first kiss be while we’re both a little wavy. I don’t want to repeat any mistakes I made last time, starting with acting impulsively after a couple of drinks.”

Henry couldn’t believe it.

Sure, a few minutes ago he thought Alex was on the same page, but the rejection threw him off and he struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Though to be honest, the lack of functioning comprehension could’ve been down to all the margaritas.

“And by ‘date,’ you mean…?” he asked, needing clarification.

“Loud and proud,” Alex confirmed. “To be real with you, Hen, these last couple of months our pre-trivia pre-games have felt a bit more intimate, but I’m talking about wining and dining. I’m talking lunchtime cafe dates when I’m at school and you’re working in the city. I’m talking not giving a single fuck if someone snaps a picture of it because not only are you my best friend, but I’d be fucking stoked for people to think that I could have a chance with you.”

Fuck, Henry really wanted to kiss him.

“I really want to kiss you.”

He also didn’t have a filter, apparently.

Alex laughed again, reaching over to hold one of Henry’s hands and bringing it into his lap, playing with his fingers.

“Does that mean you’d be into that?” he asked, a hint of vulnerability peeking through as he spun Henry’s ring around his pinky.

“I’ve been bugging my sister about my crush on you for the last month,” Henry admitted, bashfully.

“You have a crush on me?” Alex asked, grinning as he squeezed his hand. “How embarrassing for you.”

“Tell me about it,” Henry grinned right back. “I’d love to date you.”

Alex nodded, looking down at their hands with a wide smile still plastered on his face.

“I am a bit drunk, though,” Henry allowed, “so I do appreciate you being such a gent about it, now I know you weren’t, like, rejecting me.”

 “I can’t lie, it took a lot of self-control when you were looking at me like that,” Alex teased, causing Henry’s blush to come back in full force. “How about this? As soon as we’re both sober and free, I’ll take you out.”

Henry hummed, linking their fingers together.

“Tomorrow morning?” he offered, only half joking.

Alex bit his lip, nodding slowly.

“Tomorrow morning works for me,” he agreed, getting to his feet and stretching. “In that case, I’ll finish my drink and head home to plan a date that’s going to woo you so hard.”

He picked up his glass and downed it in two gulps, making Henry laugh.

“Cash!” Alex yelled up the stairs to where he was waiting in the office.

The few times Cash had been over since sharing that look with Henry in the rear view mirror, he’d had taken to staying in whichever room that Henry and Alex were not, and that evening Henry was extremely grateful for it.

“Cashley, we’re going home!” Alex shouted, earning another laugh.

“You’re insane,” Henry told him with a smile.

Cash made his way downstairs, rolling his eyes at Alex’s antics.

“I just want you to know that the only reason I haven’t beaten your ass is that I’m literally paid to protect you,” he informed Alex with fond exasperation before turning to Henry. “You kicking his drunk ass out of here again?”

“Not exactly,” Henry answered as Alex put his shoes on.

“We’re coming back in the morning,” Alex told Cash, plainly. “Gotta sleep off the tequila then take that cutie out.”

Cash let out a small laugh as he shook his head, petting David goodbye.

“I’m gonna choose to believe you were talking about the dog with that comment,” he deadpanned, his eyes glancing over at Henry. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alex half-jogged back over to the couch, ruffling the fur on David’s head before doing the same to Henry.

“See you in the morning, sweetheart,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to the top of Henry’s head before heading to the door.

Henry laughed, his cheeks hurting from the amount of grinning he’d been doing in such a short period of time.

“I can’t wait.”

Chapter Text

Henry let David out in the garden while he cleaned up from their evening, his mind racing with how everything had panned out. He poured himself a large glass of water and downed it with an Advil, hoping to hydrate enough that he wouldn’t be insanely hungover in the morning.

Once David was back inside and the living area was no longer in disarray, they headed upstairs to get ready for bed.

Henry sent off a text to Percy while he vigilantly followed his nighttime routine, ensuring he didn’t miss out any of the skincare steps given the fact that he had a date in the morning.

He didn’t really expect a response, given that it was 3am in London, but Pez got back to him almost immediately.

Henry was tucked up in bed with David by the time that Percy called.

“Good evening handsome boys,” Pez greeted when Henry answered the call with David in frame.

His face filled the screen, his hair now a bubblegum pink with what seemed to be a glitter highlighter dusting his cheeks.

“You look beautiful,” Henry replied, going for a distraction before getting into the real conversation.

Unsurprisingly, Pez saw right through it.

“I always look beautiful,” he dismissed. “I don’t always find out that you’re going on a date with the First Son.”

Henry laughed softly.

He recounted the evening as best as he could, explaining how his feelings had been growing over time, and Pez listened with various gasps and ‘ahh’s at appropriate points in the tale.

“What does this date entail?” he asked once Henry had finished.

Henry shrugged.

“He’s planning it, so I’ll find out tomorrow I guess.”

Percy gasped.

“However will you know the dress code?” he questioned, clutching his invisible pearls.

“It’s a winter’s day in New York,” Henry deadpanned. “I think we can rule out beachwear.”

Pez laughed, nodding to himself.

“Send me a pic in the morning,” he requested. “I want to see how gorgeous you look when you go out with another man. Don’t think I missed the part when you referred to him as your best friend.”

Henry felt himself blush.

He hadn’t meant to say that to him, but he supposed his tongue was much looser than usual.

“You know you’re my number one,” he tried, and Pez rolled his eyes.

“It’s okay, I knew I never stood a chance against a handsome closeted bi boy,” he joked.

“He’s been publicly out for months,” Henry pointed out, mildly irritated.

“Down, boy, I’m not attacking your man,” Pez placated. “I can tell he’s grown from how you talk about him now. He’s also actively supporting a bunch of queer charities and organisations, he’s loud and proud.”

“He is,” Henry agreed, breaking off into a yawn. “I’ve got butterflies thinking about the date.”

“Hazza’s down bad,” Pez nodded solemnly. “Get your beauty rest and fill me in when you get a chance.”

“Of course,” he smiled, shifting on the bed and earning a huff from David.

“Wait, before you go,” Pez began, “am I allowed to talk to Bea about this?”

Henry laughed tiredly.

“You never ask, you just do,” he reminded him.

“This is different from you slutting it up around the Big Apple,” Pez told him. “If it’s something you’re actually going to talk to her about yourself, I’ll let you do it.”

Henry hummed, rubbing one of David’s ears with his thumb.

“She already knows I fancy him,” he reasoned. “But I’ll fill her in on the date next week, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Pez agreed. “Now go to sleep. I’ll talk to you later.”

Henry woke up to a text from Alex, telling him that he’d be over at 10:30 and then asking if that was okay.

Henry shot off a ‘can’t wait’ message before jumping in the shower and getting himself ready.

It wasn’t until he was giving David breakfast that he realised he had nobody to babysit his fluffy son while he was out.

He didn’t have much time to think of a solution before there was a knock at his door.

He answered it to find Alex’s face completely obscured by a large bouquet of flowers.

“Oh my God,” Henry laughed slightly, accepting the bouquet to reveal Alex’s beaming face.

“Good morning,” he greeted, leaning in to place a gentle kiss to Henry’s cheek.

“Come in for a moment while I find a vase for these,” he insisted, placing the flowers on the counter as he grabbed a large vase from on top of the fridge, his cheeks flushing from the barely-there press of Alex’s lips. “You were clearly serious about wooing me.”

Alex shrugged bashfully.

“I’m serious about all of it,” he admitted, watching Henry arrange the bouquet. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby,” Henry laughed, “you?”

“Once I figured out what we were doing this morning I was out like a light,” Alex informed him, and Henry finally noticed that he was layered up, the first indication that the date might be at least partially outdoors.

 “I don’t know why I finished that last drink,” Alex continued.

“You were a man on a mission,” Henry smiled, placing the flowers in the centre of his coffee table. “I’ll have to drop David off with my neighbour before we go anywhere.”

Alex frowned, crouching down to speak directly to the aforementioned dog.

“Your dad thinks I’d plan a date that the best boy couldn’t come along to,” he mock-whispered. “Maybe he doesn’t even know me.”

Henry smiled as Alex placed a kiss on top of David’s head before straightening up.

“David’s coming with us,” Alex reiterated. “Get his little jacket on and we can head out.”

Henry laughed, his heart feeling full as he got David ready to go out, the dog immediately hyped up when he saw his jacket come out of the cupboard.

Once they were bundled up ready to go, he looked over to see Alex waiting at the door with a soppy smile on his face.

“C’mere,” he requested, holding a hand out for Henry.

Henry took his hand, letting Alex pull him in.

“You look so cute right now,” Alex told him, tugging on his scarf with his free hand.

“It’s called dressing for the weather,” Henry allowed, his eyes flitting between Alex’s and his lips, his words sticking in his throat as he took in how close they were.

All of a sudden, all thoughts of the date went out of the window and all that Henry could think about was finally getting to kiss him. 

“I’m sober now.”

He figured that was enough of a hint, and realisation crossed Alex’s features.

“So am I,” he agreed, breaking out into another smile before moving quickly to place another kiss to Henry’s cheek. “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

Alex took them for a walk around Prospect Park, and David was loving the crisp winter breeze. Henry was grateful that everything was so casual. He knew it was a date, he could feel the charge between them since they’d both admitted they were on the same wavelength, but an overly romantic date would have felt strange and not them .

Conversation flowed naturally as they walked, laughing as David picked a fight with a pile of leaves that blew in the wind.

It was nice .

It was good .

As the chill left a slight red dusting across Alex’s cheeks, Henry just wanted to kiss him .

He honestly didn’t know how he’d ignored the feeling for so long.

It was overwhelming.

But they were also in public, and even wearing a coat and a beanie, Alex was still easily recognisable.

If he was unwilling to let their first kiss be when they were drinking, Henry sure wasn’t going to let it be when they were in public.

Once David was sufficiently worn out, they left the park, and Henry found himself being lead in the opposite direction of home.

“Where are we going?” he asked, too curious to allow it to be a surprise.

Luckily for him, Alex was too excited to keep it a secret.

“So I know you hated it when I used to give David human food because ‘he’s a dog,’ and I was ‘giving him high cholesterol’ or whatever-”

“Alex, you gave him a full piece of bacon every single time you cooked it,” Henry interrupted, still adamant that he was right in putting a stop to it. “There’s only so much a little guy like him can take.”

“Anyway,” Alex continued, undeterred, “I was thinking about what to do this morning but realised Davey would be joining us because of the late notice and lack of babysitting arrangements, and I found a dog cafe that does doggie mocktails and a smoothie called a Beagle Blueberry Blast for us humans.”

Henry let out a shocked bark of laughter as soon as the words ‘doggie mocktails’ left Alex’s mouth.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Alex complained. “They also do hot tea but I figured that won’t be up to your fancy pants standards.”

Henry grinned, playfully bumping their shoulders together.

“It wasn’t the smoothie I was laughing at,” he insisted.

“Are you telling me you’re not gonna let me get him a little pawgarita?” Alex asked. “A strawberry dog-quiri? I’ll have to rethink us dating if you say I can’t.”

“I didn’t say that,” Henry rolled his eyes fondly. “He can have one.”

Alex grinned.

“And some woofles?” he asked, cheekily.

“Don’t push your luck.”

Chapter Text

Henry didn’t want the date to end after the dog cafe, so he suggested grabbing bagels and heading back to his place.

Alex agreed enthusiastically, texting Cash the plan. He replied that he’d head back home and would come to pick him up later if he promised to behave himself and stay where he was supposed to be.

Alex responded with a saluting emoji and put his phone firmly back in his pocket as they made their way back to Henry’s.

“If I’m ever messaging anyone apart from security while we’re on a date, dump me immediately,” he insisted, making Henry laugh.

“Very bold of you to assume there will be more dates,” he teased.

Alex rolled his eyes.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

Henry was making Alex a coffee after lunch when he felt eyes on him.

Turning around, he found Alex watching him intently.

“I know how to make your coffee,” he assured him, earning a slow smile.

“I know you do, sweetheart,” Alex replied. “I’m just reminding myself that I don’t put out on the first date.”

Henry laughed, turning back to the coffee machine to hide his blush.

“Historically untrue,” he shot back, adding cinnamon as Alex barked a laugh.

“Technically before the first date,” he argued. “But that’s irrelevant now because I’ve grown and am a gentleman.”

Henry hummed, passing Alex his coffee across the island.

“Do gentlemen kiss on the first date?” he questioned, completely throwing subtlety out of the window.

The way Alex wet his lips was incredibly distracting, and his eyes sparkled as he noticed Henry tracking the movement.

“Why don’t you come over here and find out?”

Henry narrowed his eyes sceptically, trying to disguise the way his stomach swooped hearing those words as Alex took a sip of his coffee. 

“I’m not going to walk around there just for you to push me away again,” Henry informed him.

As much as he was sure that wouldn’t happen, and even though he was completely aware Alex hadn’t actually rejected him last time, Henry just couldn’t bring himself to make the first move again.

“Hmm,” Alex hummed, nodding in understanding. “I guess I’ll have to take the initiative this time.”

Before Henry could respond, Alex was up and rounding the island, slowly crowding him back against the counter.

“Hi,” Henry breathed as Alex looked up at him.

“I’m going to kiss you now, sweetheart,” Alex told him, giving Henry a chance to move away.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen.

“I think I’ll kill you if you don’t,” he admitted.

Alex took that as the permission that it was, reaching a hand up to the back of Henry’s neck and finally bringing their lips together. 

The kiss was gentle, sweet, soft - so soft that Henry could feel himself blushing as Alex pulled back.

He blinked his eyes open to find Alex smiling at him, his hand now resting on Henry’s cheek.

“Do you, uh,” Henry worried his lower lip, trying to find his words.

He lost them completely when Alex’s thumb freed his lip from between his teeth.

“Do I…?” Alex prompted.

“Does a gentleman make out on the first date?” he asked, resting his hands on Alex’s hips, grateful to be allowed to hold him.

Alex narrowed his eyes at him, doing nothing for Henry’s state as his ridiculous eyelashes drew his attention, creating vivid flashbacks of Alex on his knees, looking up at him through hooded eyes.

“Make out?” he questioned, his thumb stroking Henry’s cheekbone fondly. “How very American of you.”

“Are you going to answer the question?” Henry asked, desperate for an answer so he could manage his expectations better. 

He appreciated that Alex wanted to take it slower this time, so a simple no would be understandable, but Henry wouldn’t turn down a little more. He wouldn’t turn down anything, to be honest.

“I’m serious about not sleeping with you today,” Alex told him, his tone contemplative. “Not just to be a gentleman, I just… I feel like this is too important to rush into.”

Henry smiled, encouraging Alex closer with his hands on his hips.

Alex draped his arms over his shoulders, watching him curiously.

“I agree,” Henry assured him. “It’s not as if we need to test our sexual chemistry, we don’t need a ‘try before you buy’ situation. I just really want to kiss you some more before I go back to London for Christmas, before we’re an ocean apart for a week.”

“Well,” Alex grinned wolfishly, “when you put it like that…”

He trailed off, leaning in again. 

From the look on Alex’s face, Henry had been expecting a zero to sixty kind of kiss. The kind of kiss that one would describe as a clash of lips, a battle of dominance, full of fire and passion.

The passion was there, undeniably so, but in a slow, sultry, meaningful way.

Henry let Alex control the pace, moving one of his hands up to his hair, finally getting his fingers in those curls again.

Alex’s soft moan was swallowed into their kiss as he slowly licked into Henry’s mouth, his hands travelling down his shoulders, chest, resting on his hips and lifting him easily up onto the counter.

“Fuck,” Henry gasped, breaking the kiss and pressing their foreheads together. “I forgot you could do that.”

Alex smiled bashfully, stepping between Henry’s legs as his hands came to rest on the outsides of his thighs.

“We’ve got a whole load of things to rediscover,” he commented, leaning in for another gentle kiss and pulling lightly on Henry’s lower lip with his teeth as they broke apart. “When do you have to fly back?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Henry answered, almost regretfully. “I’m there until next Sunday.”

Alex nodded as Henry moved his hands to his chest.

“Why did we start this just before I go away?” Henry asked rhetorically, the open adoration in Alex’s eyes surely a reflection of his own. “I just want to spend more time with you.”

Alex rolled his eyes fondly.

“You’re going to see your family,” he reminded him. “You haven’t seen George since he was a newborn, I think spending Christmas with him takes priority over the start of our relationship.”

Henry broke out into a slow smile, and Alex looked confused for a moment before realisation crossed his face.

“I just mean-”

“Mr ‘let’s take this slow’ throwing the word relationship around after one date,” Henry teased.

Alex started to pull back until Henry grabbed his arm, encouraging him back between his legs and into another deep kiss.

The angle was slightly awkward for Henry but he didn’t care. He’d rather have a crick in his neck for weeks than pull away from Alex as he opened up so sweetly for him.

Henry’s calves wrapped around the backs of Alex’s thighs, pressing them together as he deepened the kiss.

He felt Alex smile against his lips before pulling away.

“You’re killing me, Fox,” he murmured, stepping out of Henry’s hold but offering his hand.

Henry took it, hopping down off of the counter and allowing Alex to walk them to the living area.

“Come to my New Year’s party,” Alex requested, taking a seat next to David who was curled up in the middle of the couch. “Invite Pez and Bea. I’d say Philip and Martha too, but it’s an over-21s thing and I assume they won’t want to leave the baby. I just… I really want you there.”

Henry sat on the other side of David, petting the dog as he smiled over at Alex.

“I’ll be there,” he confirmed, “and I’ll speak to the others next week.”

Alex nodded, looking across at him.

“I’m, uh,” he paused, running a hand through his hair. “I’m gonna be at Mom’s when you’re back. I’d… if you want to, I’d like it if you could come and see me.”

Henry let out a surprised huff of laughter, shaking his head.

Alex frowned, and Henry reached to take his hand as he explained himself.

“I’m sorry, darling, it’s just quite funny to hear you inviting me to your mum’s house as if it’s not literally the White House,” he told him, still smiling. “I’m sure I can arrange visits to DC until you’re back in town.”

Alex hummed, playing with Henry’s fingers.

“Or you could fly back into Dulles and then travel up with me,” he offered, clearly somewhat nervous of the answer.

“I’ll have David,” Henry explained, and Alex shrugged.

“Mom’s an outlier by not having a dog in the residence,” he reasoned, causing Henry to frown.

“You’re inviting me to stay with you?” he clarified, earning a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to, but I’m getting mixed signals considering you don’t want to rush things.”

Alex laughed, letting go of Henry’s hand to pet the dog.

“No, I get that,” he allowed. “I just figured I’d want to see you when you get back, and then you’d be back two days later for the party, then two days after that I’m already heading home anyway. If nothing else, it makes financial sense to stay, travel-wise.”

“It does,” Henry agreed. “Environmentally, too.”

“Exactly,” Alex smiled, chancing a glance to meet Henry’s eye. “You can tell me to fuck off if I’m being too forward.”

Henry smiled, shaking his head.

“You’re not,” he assured him. “I’ll see what I can do about switching my flight.”

Alex grinned.

“Yeah?” he asked, hopefully.

“Yeah,” Henry confirmed.

Alex leaned across, placing a soft kiss to his lips.

“I’d love that.”

Chapter Text

Spending time with family was something that Henry treasured, especially since he had moved to New York, and even more so now that he had a nephew back in London, so spending Christmas back in his family home was something he had been looking forward to since his last visit when George was born.

Arriving in London and receiving a message from Alex immediately, despite it being the middle of the night for him, letting him know that he’d tracked his flight and had seen that he’d landed, Henry felt a pang of longing. 

It had been less than two days since their date and he already missed him.

Henry was equal parts excited to and dreading telling Beatrice about it.

He could imagine the look on her face, the smug smile when he told her about the date and the plans for when he got back.

Sure, he could keep it to himself, but he absolutely wouldn’t be doing that. His sister had been through everything with him. They’d seen each other at their worst, and they’d always been there for each other in the good times as well, there was no way that he’d keep this from her, no matter how embarrassing it may be.

Plus, he wasn’t certain how long Pez would keep his mouth shut, and he needed to invite them to the party anyway.

He managed to spend the whole day with his mum and make it to his bedroom with the hopes of getting an early night after a restless flight before Bea came over and let herself in.

“Baby Hen!” she squealed, throwing herself at his bed and causing the mattress to bounce with the impact, earning her a disgruntled huff from David. “Hope you didn’t think that you’d get out of Bea time that easily.”

“I can do Bea time but preferably at a lower decibel,” Henry answered, sitting up against the headboard and opening his arms. “Get over here, you cretin.”

She crawled in next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I’ve missed you,” she told him, considerably quieter as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he admitted. “You should come to visit me more.”

“You should invite me,” she argued, poking at his chest.

Henry laughed, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Okay,” he agreed. “I actually have an invite for you.”

“Oh?” she asked, pulling back enough to look at him.

“Mhm,” he hummed, holding her eye so that he could read her reaction. “I was wondering if you wanted to come to a New Year’s party with me in DC.”

She narrowed her eyes, studying his expression.

“Where in DC?” she asked, but her tone gave away that she already knew the answer.

“My friend’s mum’s house,” he answered, deliberately vague.

“Are you inviting me to the White House Trio’s famous New Year’s party?” Bea asked, and Henry nodded, worrying his lip.

“It would mean a lot to me if you could make it,” he told her, taking a breath before continuing. “I know it would mean a lot to Alex, too.”

She hummed, leaning up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Am I going to be a third wheel?” she asked, and Henry rolled his eyes.

“There will be hundreds of people there,” he told her. “Pez will hopefully be there, too.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” she insisted. “Is there something else you need to tell me?”

He nodded again, encouraging David up onto his lap for support.

“We went on a date on Friday,” Henry explained, biting his lip to stop the grin fighting its way onto his face. “It’s, uh. We’re giving it a go.”

Bea’s expression was exactly how Henry pictured it as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Are you happy?” she asked.

“I am,” he told her. “It’s early days, but it feels good. It feels right.”

She squeezed him tight before pulling back.

“Is this why your flight mysteriously changed time on Sunday?” she questioned, far too perceptive for her own good.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “I’m, uh. I’m gonna stay with him and travel back to the city together in the new year.”

Bea frowned, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“You’re staying at the Residence that whole time?” she asked. “After one date?”

“Yeah?” Henry responded, suddenly unsure. “You think it’s too much, too soon?”

“I didn’t say that,” she assured him. “I trust you to know what you want.”

He hummed, scritching between David’s ears.

“He’s being really respectful, if it makes you feel any better,” he explained, earning a curious expression.

“How so?”

“I tried to kiss him on Thursday,” Henry told her. “We’d been drinking, and he stopped me because he wanted to do it right. And after our date, when we were back at mine, he made it clear that he cares too much about what we have to rush into getting physical.”

“Even though you’ve been together before?” she clarified.

“It’s different this time,” he explained. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy to move a bit faster, but I appreciate what he’s doing and why.”

Bea grinned, digging into his ribs with her fingers and making him squirm.

“Stop that,” he requested, moving away and once again shifting David from his comfortable spot.

“Do you at least get to kiss him?” she asked, clearly desperate for details. “After your date?”

Henry huffed a laugh, his blush giving him away before he could even respond.

“Oh my God, you snogged him!” Bea whisper-yelled. “You absolute dog.”

He rolled his eyes, pushing her shoulder playfully.

“Is that all of the information you require?” he asked. “Can you leave me and my poor, travel-wearied son to have a peaceful night?”

Beatrice hummed in thought.

“For now,” she allowed, placing a quick kiss to his cheek before getting off of the bed. “We’re doing lunch with Percy tomorrow, so be ready to do this all again.”

“Can’t wait,” Henry deadpanned, breaking off into a yawn that he half-heartedly attempted to cover with the back of his hand. “Can I tell Alex that you’re coming to the party?”

Bea bit her lip.

“If Pez is in, I’m in,” she replied. “Free transport and a guaranteed friend for the night while you’re off secret snogging your secret boyfriend.”

“He’s not my secret boyfriend,” Henry explained. “There’s no label yet and we’re not sneaking around. Our first date was remarkably public.”

Bea let out an impressed-sounding ‘huh’ before making her way to the door.

“Point still stands,” she told him. “You’ll be off semi-secret snogging your not-quite boyfriend, but if Pez is there to keep me entertained I’d love to come.”

“Noted,” Henry confirmed, shifting to get comfortable in bed. “It’s good to see you, Bumble.”

“You too, Little Kit,” she smiled, blowing another kiss in his direction. “It’s really good to see you happy.”

Henry hid his blush in his pillow, listening to his sister chuckle fondly as she turned the light off and left his room.

She was right, he was happy.

He was just grateful she couldn’t see the dopey smile on his face when his phone lit up with a simple text from Alex.

Goodnight, sweetheart ❤️

Chapter Text

Henry hadn’t thought about the logistics of getting to the Residence past flying into DC, which honestly was an oversight on his part.

He shot off a text to Alex once he’d landed, hoping that he would have some kind of idea about how to go about it.

He hadn’t expected a full on plan, but Alex’s response filled him with warmth.

Henry put his phone away in order to stop his jetlagged self from replying something stupid and focused on collecting his luggage and his dog.

When he was finally reunited with David, he headed through to Arrivals and found Lucas waiting for him, just as Alex had described.

Despite seeing him practically every Thursday at trivia, Henry would’ve probably walked past him had he not been holding an iPad with ‘Mr H Fox’ written on the screen, he blended into the row of drivers so well.

“Mr Fox, let me take your bag,” he offered, and Henry gladly handed it over while he pushed David’s crate with the luggage cart. “The car’s just outside.”

“Thank you,” Henry replied, going along with the charade of strangers for the fellow travellers in the busy airport.

Once they were safely in the car, Lucas rolled down the divider between them and grinned at Henry through the rear view mirror.

“Ready to sneak into the White House?” he asked, shocking a laugh out of Henry.

“Is this your way of telling me that Ellen doesn’t know I’m coming?” he asked. “Alex assured me he’d run it by the boss.”

“He ran it by Bankston,” Lucas confirmed, “and she had to run it by Ellen. I’m actually under strict orders from the President to bring you straight to her. I meant sneaking you past the weirdos who hang outside the gates waiting to see who’s coming in and out.”

“Can the meeting with Ellen wait until the morning?” Henry asked, suddenly anxious.

Lucas glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I know you’re comfortable with the family, but you must know that you can’t exactly rearrange on the President.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Henry offered.

“She wants to talk to you,” Lucas confirmed. “Believe me, your boy isn’t too keen on it, either.”

Henry blushed, allowing David to jump up beside him.

“He’s not my boy,” he argued weakly, which earned him a scoff.

“Please,” Lucas laughed softly. “I don’t exactly put on this stupid hat to bring June and Alex’s friends to stay at the Residence.”

“Alright, I see your point,” he allowed before swiftly changing topic. “How long do you think this thing with Ellen is going to take? Any insider knowledge?”

“No clue,” Lucas admitted. “We’ll see when we get there.”

Henry would be lying if he said that he wasn’t absolutely shitting himself over the talk with Ellen.

Cash greeted them when they arrived, taking David and Henry’s luggage from him while Lucas brought him to wherever she was waiting for him.

“I’m gonna leave you to it,” Lucas told him, motioning to the door. “I’ll be out here, assuming she doesn’t murder you.”

“Not helping,” Henry groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” Lucas grinned as Henry opened the door.

Ellen was stood facing away from Henry at the bar cart in the family living room. She was wearing long sleeved silk pyjamas that looked so soft and comfortable that Henry was immediately jealous.

“I seem to remember you’re not a whiskey man,” she told him, pouring a drink and interrupting his thoughts.

“No, ma’am,” he replied, hovering in the doorway.

“Gin and tonic, right?” she questioned, glancing over her shoulder and running her eyes over his awkward demeanour. “You can sit down, darlin’.”

“Thank you,” he replied to both, taking a seat on one of the comfortable couches.

As he melted into the cushions he realised just how tired he was, but it wasn’t the time to relax and close his eyes.

“I understand that you’re back together with my son,” Ellen stated, handing Henry his drink and taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch, her fluffy-socked feet curling up under her.

He realised, not for the first time, that it was completely insane that he was seeing the President like this.

“I just want to make sure that he’s being good to you,” she continued, taking Henry by surprise.

“He is,” he confirmed. “He’s incredibly respectful.”

Ellen hummed, taking a sip of her drink, and Henry subconsciously mirrored her.

“So respectful that he’s suggested a four night sleepover for the second date?” she queried, causing Henry to choke on his drink.

He’d almost forgotten how frank she was about sex and sexuality, but really he should’ve been expecting it.

He decided to follow her lead.

“Can I be honest?” he asked.

“I expect you to be,” she confirmed.

“I’m going at his pace,” Henry explained. “If it was up to me, we would’ve taken it further already. Alex is insisting on taking it slower this time, not repeating our mistakes.”

“His mistakes,” Ellen corrected. “You were always very good to him.”

“We’ve spoken about it,” Henry assured her. “He’s apologised, not just with words but with his actions over the months where we were friends before we reconnected romantically. I’m sure you’ve noticed that he’s grown, he’s changed.”

Ellen hummed again, and Henry hated that he couldn’t even begin to guess what it meant the second time around.

“You’re aware he’s in his last year of law school,” she pointed out, and Henry nodded as he took another drink. “He’ll be practicing once he graduates. Do you think you’ll be able to handle that? You’ll be there to support him?”

Henry took his time to respond, realising that this was as close as he was going to get to the shovel talk and not wanting to mess it up.

“We’re still very early days,” Henry began, “but I can tell you honestly that I am prepared for the long hours. I’m prepared for the possibility that I’ll have to remind him to take breaks. I’ve been doing that while he’s been studying recently, and I’m happy to continue to do so in the future.”

Another hum, this time followed by a long drink and a measured look.

Henry spoke again, unable to deal with the silence and not knowing what her expression meant.

“Alex is safe with me,” he assured her, “and I… I feel safe with him. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Finally, a smile crept it’s way onto Ellen’s face.

“You’re a good man, Henry Fox,” she told him. “I do care about you, even though for some reason you thought I didn’t like you when you first met me.”

Henry laughed at that.

“In my defence, you’re hard to read,” he argued lightly, earning a wide smile.

“That’s politics, kiddo,” she teased. “But honestly, I trust you with my idiot son. I also trust him to be less of an idiot after the work he’s put in over this past year or so.”

Henry bit his lip to stifle a smile.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I trust him, too.”

When Henry made it to Alex’s room, he found Alex on the floor playing tug-of-war with David.

Both of their heads turned to face him as soon as the door opened, a wide grin on Alex’s face as David immediately let go of the toy to run towards his dad.

“Back off, buddy, I’ve not seen him in a week,” he joked, getting to his feet and making his way towards Henry. “What did Mom want?”

“Sorry, I can’t share details from a private conversation with the President,” Henry replied, stepping into the space between them and placing his hands on Alex’s waist. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Alex smiled, looking up at him through his lashes.

He cupped Henry’s face, brushing his thumb across his cheek.

“I missed you this week,” Henry murmured, his eyes glancing at Alex’s lips.

“Kiss me, nerd,” Alex requested with a grin.

“Thank god,” Henry breathed, wasting no time in leaning in.

Alex met him halfway with a soft press of lips, and Henry felt his shoulders relax and tension leave his body as soon as they connected.

“I missed you, too,” Alex whispered against his lips, kissing him gently.

Henry smiled, wrapping his arms around Alex and hugging him properly.

“I’m super tired,” he admitted, pressing his lips to Alex’s temple. “Are you gonna be annoyed if I say I really just want to have a shower and go to sleep?”

He felt Alex laugh against him.

“It’s 1am,” he reminded him, pulling back. “It’s, what, 6am for your jetlagged ass?”

Henry huffed out a breath, running a hand through his hair.

“I’m gonna take it that you’re good with that plan?” he clarified.

“I’m great with that plan,” Alex confirmed, stepping away. “I, uh. There’s another room made up for you, if you want it.”

Henry smiled softly.

“I’ll sleep wherever you want me to,” he said, opening his case and retrieving his wash kit. “Wherever you’re most comfortable.”

“Fuck, Hen, I really want to sleep next to you,” Alex admitted.

Henry smiled tiredly, bringing him into another, firmer kiss.

Alex looked nervous when he pulled back, and Henry stroked his cheek fondly.

“Then that’s where I’ll be,” he assured him. “Go get comfy, I’ll meet you in there.”

Henry showered quickly, wanting to wash off the feeling of the long flight and get into bed as fast as possible.

He pulled on a pair of pyjama pants once he was dry, debating on a shirt before deciding against it, knowing he would sleep better without one.

He hung up his towel and headed back through to the bedroom, back to Alex.

The warm light of the bedside lamp illuminated Alex’s toned chest as he sat up against the headboard, glasses perched on his nose as he read.

Henry’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight before him, the sound causing Alex to look up.

“Henry Fox, you sneaky motherfucker,” he murmured, putting his book on his nightstand. “Since when have you been hiding that body under all of those sweaters?”

“Says you,” Henry shot back, and Alex rolled his eyes as he took off his glasses.

“Please, I look the same,” he argued. “You, on the other hand, have been secretly working out every single day of the last year, apparently.”

Henry laughed, flexing slightly.

It was true, he had been working out, but from Alex’s reaction it would seem like he was built like post-serum Steve Rogers, rather than a slightly more toned version of himself from a year ago. The way Alex was looking at him was definitely an ego boost, though.

“Get over here,” Alex told him, throwing back the covers on the other side of his bed.

”Stop flirting with me, I’m too tired to defend myself,” Henry complained half-heartedly, getting into bed.

David immediately jumped up after him, and Henry encouraged him to get back down.

“We don’t do that here, buddy,” Henry insisted, pushing him towards the edge of the bed. “David, off.”

“Hey, he’s okay,” Alex told him. “He can stay.”

“Alex, this isn’t your apartment,” Henry reminded him, clicking his fingers and pointing to David’s bed. “Off.”

David reluctantly followed the instruction, settling down into his bed with a huff.

“You’re a mean, mean man,” Alex complained, and Henry scoffed as he got comfortable.

He rolled to face Alex in the middle of the bed.

“I’m not letting him get his fur all over a bed in your mum’s house,” he reasoned as Alex settled in beside him. “I’m being responsible, not mean.”

“Responsible is boring,” Alex murmured, switching off the lamp and moving in closer. “Are you too responsible to let me hold you tonight?”

“I’m responsible enough to huddle for warmth,” he reasoned, throwing his arm over Alex’s waist and pulling him closer. “I’m also irresponsible enough to get one last kiss before I fall asleep.”

“I can get behind that,” Alex murmured, running his hand down from Henry’s shoulder, over his chest to rest on his hip. “God, you’re so hot.”

“Kiss me before I pass out, you fool,” he whispered.

Alex finally closed the gap in the dark, his hand gripping tighter on Henry’s hip as their lips met. He let out a small surprised sound as Henry’s tongue traced his lip, opening up and deepening the kiss.

Henry pulled him closer, and Alex took the opportunity to hook his leg around Henry’s calf.

Henry groaned into the kiss, his hand resting on the small of Alex’s back.

Alex pulled back, biting his lip as Henry’s eyes adjusted to the darkness.

“We need sleep,” Alex whispered.

Henry hummed, leaning in for another quick kiss.

“We’ve got all the time in the world,” Alex told him, causing Henry’s stomach to swoop. “Get some rest.”

Henry smiled, burying his face in the pillow to hide his blush despite the fact that Alex wouldn’t be able to see it through the darkness.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Alex whispered, cuddling in close.

“Goodnight, love.”

Chapter Text

Henry woke slowly the next morning, the weight of Alex’s arm comfortable around his waist, the warmth of his chest pressed against his back.

He couldn’t help but smile, absolutely content with finally waking up with Alex again.

Shifting slightly to get comfortable, Henry froze when Alex let out a sleepy groan, realising just how close they were and what he was brushing up against.

Alex’s hand rested on his lower stomach, his breath ghosting against Henry’s neck causing him to shiver.

If he was completely honest, he could feel himself getting turned on by the situation and realised that he needed to wake Alex up.

Alex shifted in his sleep, letting out another soft moan as he brushed against Henry’s ass.

“Hey,” Henry said softly, running his hand down Alex’s arm and linking their fingers together at his stomach. “Wake up, love.”

Henry could feel the moment Alex came around, his deep breathing changing slightly and his body tensing.  He could also tell the exact moment Alex took inventory of his body and realised what was happening.

“Shit, sorry,” Alex apologised, shifting away and removing his arm from around Henry. “I didn’t, uh, realise I was doing that.”

Henry laughed softly, rolling to face him and reaching for his hand again.

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” he pointed out. “I just didn’t want to take advantage of your sleep-addled state.”

Alex laughed, biting his lip and looking at their joined hands.

“But you’d take advantage if I was awake?” he asked, causing Henry to let out a small, shocked laugh.

“Christ, Alex, the second you give me the go-ahead,” Henry admitted. It was too early in the morning to be embarrassed about his immediate and honest response.

Alex’s eyes flitted over Henry’s face, seemingly checking for any sign of doubt.

“Get over here then,” Alex requested, tugging lightly on Henry’s hand.

Henry moved quickly, not one to miss such an opportunity, and propped himself up on his elbows as he positioned himself on top of the other man.

“Are you sure?” he clarified. “I might have morning breath.”

“Certain,” Alex confirmed, draping his arms over Henry’s shoulders and pulling him in.

Henry went willingly, immediately deepening the kiss and lowering himself so that their chests were the only parts of their bodies not touching.

“Is that a brick in your pants or are you happy to see me?” Alex asked, grinding up against him.

“I woke up to you practically grinding on me in your sleep,” Henry reminded him, kissing him fiercely. “Forgive me for reacting, it’s been a while.”

Alex’s groan was swallowed into their kiss as Henry slowly, sensually rolled his hips.

“You’re telling me,” he sighed as Henry kissed along his jaw. “God, I forgot how good you feel.”

“Tell me what you want,” Henry whispered, nipping lightly at Alex’s ear.

Before Alex could get out more than a breathy moan, a sharp and decidedly boner-killing whine sounded from beside the bed.

“Bed, David,” Henry commanded, looking over his shoulder at where the beagle had positioned himself in front of the nightstand.

Instead of following the instruction, David padded over to the door and continued to whine.

Henry let himself collapse on top of Alex, pressing his forehead to his shoulder.

Alex laughed and rubbed his back soothingly.

“Rain check?” he asked, placing a kiss into his hair.

“I’m sorry,” Henry sighed, rolling over and getting out of the bed. “He’s a pain.”

Alex grinned, propping himself up on his elbows as Henry adjusted himself. 

“This isn’t the first time he’s cock-blocked us and I doubt it’ll be the last,” he reasoned. “The poor little guy needs the bathroom.”

“And so does David,” Henry quipped, earning a swift throw of a pillow to the face.

“You know you lucked out with me,” Alex argued, and Henry hummed as he pulled on a sweater.

“You’ll have to remind me some time,” he offered. “Get up, you’ve got to show me where I can take David where we won’t get papped.”

“Just not out the front,” Alex reasoned, blocking the pillow when Henry threw it back.

“You’re coming with me,” he informed him, leaving no room for argument in his tone.

Alex groaned as he got out of bed, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfying pop.

“You’re so awful to me.”

Henry raised an eyebrow as he sat to put his shoes on.

“I was about to be very good to you,” he reminded him. “Still will be later, if you get your clothes on and get ready before David messes up the carpet.”

“Stop talking like that, it’s confusing my boner,” Alex complained, pulling on sweatpants as Henry laughed. “By the time you’ve got David ready to go out, I’ll be ready. Promise.”

Later that afternoon, Henry found himself in June’s bedroom with Alex and Nora, the four of them sharing a bottle of wine and catching up about their weeks with their families.

Henry was sat on the carpet, leaning against the bed with Alex lounging comfortably against him, when June moved the conversation to the party.

“Are y’all gonna be kissing at midnight?” she asked, looking between them.

Alex turned his head, looking at Henry curiously as he waited for him to answer.

“Well, I know Alex and Nora have their tradition,” he started, earning a scoff from Nora. “What? Is that not a thing anymore?”

“Alex was too much of a baby to kiss me last year,” she explained, causing Alex to let out an indignant huff.

“Don’t listen to her, I was practising celibacy,” he reasoned.

Nora and June immediately started laughing, and Alex pressed a kiss to Henry’s cheek.

“Would you kiss me at midnight?” he asked quietly, June and Nora still recovering from fits of giggles.

“Would you want me to?” Henry asked. “There’s going to be a lot of people there.”

“Phones are banned,” Alex reminded him. “Strict no phone, no camera policy.”

“There’s a no phone policy at the Met Gala and Henry somehow ended up in a selfie with Troye Sivan,” Nora commented, unabashedly joining the quiet conversation. “Serving face, might I add.”

Henry laughed, running a hand through his hair.

“I still can’t believe you got an invite,” June told him. “I’m so jealous.”

“Sometimes being a nepo baby pays off,” Henry shrugged. “Plus Percy can talk us into anywhere, you must have noticed that by now.”

June hummed, and Nora nodded in understanding.

“Nora has a point,” June mentioned, bringing the topic back around. “Even if nobody sneaks a phone in, people will see. Are you ready for that?”

Alex shrugged slightly, waiting again for Henry to answer.

“I understand you don’t want to hide us, but having people know so early on might put a strain on this,” Henry reasoned. “Though if I’m being honest, I would like to kiss you at midnight.”

“There’s always the linden tree,” June mentioned. “I’m sure we can create a diversion for you both to get outside.”

Alex grinned, meeting Henry’s eye. 

“You wanna meet me at the linden tree?” he asked, leaning in for a quick peck.

Henry smiled, giving him a slightly firmer kiss.

“I’d love to.”

Chapter Text

Beatrice and Percy revelled in interrogating Alex when they arrived a couple of hours before the party.

Alex, for his part, was handling it as well as Henry could have expected.

Well, after complaining that Henry didn’t get a grilling from June and Nora and being reminded that the reason for that was that Henry hadn’t done anything wrong and, in Nora’s words, ‘we actually enjoy his company.’

“Pez enjoys my company,” Alex argued, earning a wide grin.

“Alexander, my darling, I enjoy the company you keep,” Pez explained, placing a dramatic kiss to Nora’s cheek before doing the same to June. “I’m still upset with you for keeping me away from them for so long with your little birthday faux pas.”

“Leave him alone,” Henry requested, walking out of the bathroom and earning a low whistle from Bea.

The whistle drew Alex’s attention away from where he had been fixing his curls in the mirror and over to Henry, who was dressed in his favourite navy dress pants and a white button-down, sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows.

“Oh Haz, you’re positively dashing,” Percy told him, and Alex swallowed.

“How would everyone else feel about getting ready in June’s room?” he questioned, earning a scoff from Henry.

“Don’t be dramatic,” he requested, walking over to Alex and running his hands down from his shoulders to his elbows.

“You must know you look fucking insane right now,” Alex mumbled. “How am I supposed to keep my hands to myself all evening when you look like this ?”

“By remembering your sisters are in the room, potentially?” Bea offered, earning a hum of agreement from June.

“Exactly,” Henry grinned, leaning in to press a quick peck to Alex’s lips. “We shan’t be causing a scene, or, heaven forbid, an international incident of some sort.”

“Oh, shan’t we ,” Alex mimicked, pulling Henry in for another kiss. “You’re gonna have to stay away from me when we get down there.”

“Bad idea,” Pez interjected, earning confused looks from both of them.

“It sounded like a good one to me,” Henry reasoned, and Percy scoffed. “What? A couple of hours of keeping to ourselves before sneaking off at midnight for a garden rendezvous sounds like a great idea to me.”

“Keep saying shit like rendezvous and we won’t make it to midnight,” Alex murmured, turning in Henry’s arms to press his back to Henry’s chest, wrapping his arms around him.

Henry laughed, pressing a kiss to Alex’s temple.

“Why’s it a bad idea?” he asked.

“Not to trudge up the past,” Pez began, “but I seem to remember you having a similar plan at the last one of these that we attended, which ended with an awful lot of jealousy when you danced with other people.”

“I don’t recall hating how that night turned out,” Henry reasoned.

“You told me he was jealous of you dancing with June and Nora,” Bea commented, pinning her hair in place. “You’re gay, Hen.”

“I’m much less insecure now,” Alex assured her. “Henry can dance with whoever he wants.”

“Even me?” Pez asked, and Henry felt Alex lean further back into him.

Henry chuckled softly, holding him closer.

“Even you,” Alex confirmed, though Henry could sense his tenseness.

Percy’s face split into a wide grin.

“Perfect.”

“Can you guys excuse us for a moment?” Henry requested, and Nora let out a sound of disgust. “Just so we can talk, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Our clothes are in my room anyway,” June placated. “We’ll give you space. Just don’t mess up his hair, it looks so good right now so if it’s messed up when you’re done I’ll be mad.”

“Understood,” Henry confirmed, watching as the four of them filed out of the room.

Once they were alone, he took Alex’s hand and led him over to the couch.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Henry requested, encouraging Alex to sit down beside him.

“What’s happening?” Alex asked, shifting to face him.

His fingers started fiddling with Henry’s hand, yet more evidence that he was feeling insecure.

“I think we just need to talk about what’s going to happen at the party,” Henry told him, plainly. “I’d like to know what you’re thinking about.”

“Your forearms,” Alex shot back, without missing a beat.

“Apart from my forearms, you cretin,” Henry laughed, and the corners of Alex’s lips turned up as he suppressed a smile.

“I don’t wanna mess this up by saying what’s actually on my mind,” Alex admitted, spinning Henry’s ring around his finger.

“If I promise not to get upset, will you please tell me?” Henry questioned. “I can tell something’s going on in that fascinating mind of yours and I’d love it if you let me in.”

Alex nodded, bringing Henry’s hand up to his lips, placing a kiss to his knuckles.

“Has, uh,” Alex started, clearing his throat and looking away.

“Nothing has ever happened between Percy and I besides the kiss you already know about,” Henry told him, guessing the issue rather than forcing Alex to ask when he was clearly uncomfortable. “The one from years ago when we were clarifying if we were really best friends and not anything more.”

Alex laughed softly, nodding to himself.

“How did you know that’s what I was thinking about?” he asked, and Henry shrugged.

“I know you,” he answered, letting go of Alex’s hand to rest his hand on his thigh. “This past year, we’ve been friends, right?”

“You’re like my best friend,” Alex admitted, before hastily asking him not to tell Nora.

“I feel the same,” Henry confirmed. “But when I kiss you, it feels right. It feels like the natural progression of our relationship. When Percy and I tested our friendship with a kiss, it felt weird . You have nothing to worry about.”

“Like me and Nora,” Alex commented, and Henry nodded.

“Like you and Nora, but we never got to the point of sleeping together,” Henry explained. “I trust that there’s nothing but an incredible friendship between you, I just need you to trust the same.”

“I trust you,” Alex assured him. “I’m just being stupid.”

Henry laughed kindly, leaning in for a gentle but deliberate kiss.

“If you can keep it PG, there’s nothing stopping me dancing with you all evening,” he reminded him.

Alex hummed in thought before bringing Henry in for another kiss.

“I guess we’ll just see how it goes?” he offered, and Henry smiled.

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “I want you to know that nothing I do this evening is to try and make you jealous. If I’m dancing with my friends, I’m dancing with my friends. Not trying to get a rise out of you.”

“Understood,” Alex confirmed. “We’ll be fine.”

“Of course we will,” Henry smiled, kissing him once more before getting to his feet. “Worst case scenario, we get drunk and handsy and a couple of people notice.”

Alex wrung his hands in his lap, fighting the urge to run his fingers through his hair so that June wouldn’t tell him off.

“How would you feel if that happens?” he asked. “If people see us together?”

“I’m not worried about people seeing us in a general sense,” Henry assured him as he walked over to the mirror. “I don’t plan on telling people so early on, but if they figure it out then it doesn’t bother me. We’re two single guys, you’re publicly out. It wouldn’t be some big scandal. We can handle it.”

By the time the party was in full swing, there was so much going on that Henry didn’t even have a moment to think about who was paying attention to him.

June, Nora, and Alex were in high demand, so Henry, Pez, and Bea kept themselves entertained for most of the night by playing a made-up game that Percy liked to call ‘Who’s going to be snogging at midnight?’

It wasn’t a particularly difficult game, given how free with their affection everyone was as soon as phones were off limits, but it was certainly entertaining.

“I reckon Bea and I have a pretty good chance,” Pez mentioned, throwing his arm across her shoulders.

“You will not be snogging my sister,” Henry chided as Bea laughed. “It’s bad enough that you’ve gone for Alex’s. Besides, Bea has been checking out the Capitals players since they came in so I assume she’s spoken for.”

“I’d make an incredible puck bunny,” Bea agreed, grinning when Henry groaned. “I was gonna wait until you’re both distracted before I made my move.”

Percy took a small bow, motioning to the men who had gained Bea’s attention.

“I’ll go with you, I make an incredible wingman,” he insisted, and Bea looked at Henry, almost as if she was looking for permission.

“Go,” he laughed. “You don’t have much time and I need another drink anyway.”

“Be good,” she told him, kissing his cheek. “No vodka.”

Henry squeezed her shoulder before pushing her away and heading over to the bar.

He smiled politely at familiar faces, trying not to openly gawp at famous ones, grateful for his experience at the Met in hiding his shock in front of A-Listers. 

Waiting at the bar, he jumped slightly as a voice spoke almost directly in his ear.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

“Did your parents never teach you that it’s rude to sneak up on strangers?” Henry asked, turning enough to make eye contact with someone he’d wrongly assumed he’d never see again after he snuck out of his room in the middle of the night six months ago.

“Come on, Hen, we’re not strangers,” Justin smiled, moving to lean against the bar, facing him. “Though I never did get your number.”

Henry cleared his throat, scratching at the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I can’t think of a nice way to tell you that it was deliberate,” he answered, grateful that it was met with a laugh.

“Wow,” Justin laughed. “Was I that bad?”

Henry huffed a small laugh.

“You were great for what I was looking for,” he reasoned. “And I think I made it pretty clear that’s all I was looking for at the time.”

“You did,” Justin admitted. “Kind of hoped you’d stick around for breakfast, but I guess that’s not your style.”

“I was enjoying being single, so if you’ve come to me for an apology, you won’t be getting one,” Henry told him, plainly before smiling politely at the bar staff. “Gin and tonic, light ice, please.”

“Of course,” he smiled back, looking at Justin. “And for you?”

“Whiskey, neat,” Justin requested, his eyes remaining on Henry. “How did you get invited to this?”

Before he had a chance to respond, Henry felt the familiar weight of a hand on his waist.

“Henry and I go way back,” Alex explained, and Henry leaned back into him, his smile genuine again. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“Not at all,” Justin told him. “Thanks for the invite.”

Alex smiled tightly, accepting Justin’s drink as Henry took his own, leaving Justin confused but clearly unwilling to argue with one of the hosts.

“You weren’t on my list,” Alex explained, pushing lightly on Henry’s hip, letting him know they were about to make a quick exit. “Thank Nora or June.”

With that, Alex led Henry through the crowd to the dancefloor, sipping on the stolen drink.

“Thanks for getting me out of there,” Henry told him when Alex turned to face him.

Alex hummed, his eyes tracking Henry’s throat as he swallowed.

“I’ll be your knight in shining armour any time, baby,” he replied, barely audible over the music. “Old friend?”

“One night stand,” Henry corrected. “I think he’s a magazine editor, so it’s probably a networking invite from June.”

Alex nodded in understanding, drinking again.

“I’ll get her to scrap him from the list next time if he made you uncomfortable,” he offered.

“He’s harmless,” Henry insisted, “he just didn’t seem to understand that I meant it when I told him I was looking for a night of no-strings, and I couldn’t be bothered to explain my reasoning again.”

“He doesn’t need a reason if you explained it the first time,” Alex confirmed.

Henry smiled, letting his body move to the music as Alex did the same, hundreds of other twenty-somethings filling the room and moving to the same beat.

Alex checked his watch as he finished his drink, a slow grin spreading on his face.

“Ten minutes,” he said, leaning in to whisper. 

His breath ghosted Henry’s cheek and he willed himself not to blush too hard, entirely blaming the alcohol for the redness that still snuck through.

“Wait a couple minutes then meet me at the tree?” Alex asked, and Henry nodded, not trusting his voice.

He’d planned to slowly dance himself towards the exit, hoping that the alcohol and the impending countdown would distract people enough to not notice him slipping out towards the gardens.

But, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men.

Just as he approached the edge of the crowd, a hand on his elbow caused him to stop in his tracks.

“It’s nearly midnight.”

Justin’s voice cut through the music, and Henry smiled tightly as he stepped away.

“I don’t know if it’s done on your side of the Atlantic, but typically here people share a kiss at the end of the countdown,” he continued, stepping back into Henry’s space.

“I’m aware of the practice,” he replied. “I’m not sure how I can make it much clearer that I’m not interested without being rude.”

“Not even for old time’s sake?” Justin pressed, and Henry shook his head.

“Sorry,” he apologised. “Please excuse me, I need some air.”

He didn’t wait for a response, turning to leave and head to the garden.

He smiled sheepishly at Cash, who held the door open for him and quietly reminded him to keep his clothes on as it was freezing out there.

As soon as he saw Alex waiting under the tree, he felt himself relax again.

“I changed my mind,” Henry spoke as he approached, causing Alex’s face to drop. “Not about us, stop looking so scared. I just mean I wouldn’t be opposed to taking Justin off the list for future events.”

“I’d honestly be jazzed to never see his smug face again,” Alex confirmed, his hands finding Henry’s hips when he was close enough. “He still not getting the hint?”

Henry laughed softly, their breath visible in the cold air between them.

“I like to think he’s just drunk and not a complete bellend.”

Alex hummed as Henry cupped his cheek.

“That’s because you like to see the best in people,” Alex reminded him. “Much to my benefit.”

“Maybe so,” Henry allowed, cupping Alex’s face with his palm as the uproar of a countdown started inside. “Just in time.”

Alex shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

“Alex time,” he corrected, earning an eye roll.

“God, you’re such a weirdo,” Henry teased, leaning in for a kiss. 

Alex kissed back as Henry’s hand slid into his hair, deepening the kiss as fireworks started going off throughout the city.

Henry’s hand flexed in Alex’s hair, earning a moan as Alex pulled him closer.

Henry broke the kiss, smiling as his thumb stroked Alex’s cheek.

“Happy New Year, Alex,” he murmured, Alex returning his wide smile.

“Happy New Year, sweetheart.”

Chapter Text

They rejoined the party separately, although their cold-ruddied cheeks and mussed hair did very little to hide what they had been doing from those who knew them.

Nora teased Henry relentlessly once he found her, her warm hands pinching his cold cheeks as she loudly asked what he’d been up to.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Henry rebuffed. “You look pleased with yourself.”

“I love a party,” she grinned, encouraging him to dance with her. “Especially my own party.”

Henry laughed, letting her take his hands and move him to the beat.

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“My pleasure. Thanks for bringing Percy,” she replied with an almost feral grin.

“I don’t want to hear about what you guys get up to,” Henry insisted, earning a pout.

“That’s unfair. I always ask Alex for the juicy details.”

“Do you ever think maybe you’re a little too invested?”

“Not even once,” she insisted, spinning and placing Henry’s hands on her waist as she moved back against him. “If it makes you feel better he’s refusing to tell me this time.”

Henry threw his head back in a laugh, shocked by her boldness.

“I know, he told me you were pestering him,” he replied, bending down so she could still hear him over the music. “He also told me that he didn’t exactly hold back in the past.”

She looked up over her shoulder at him again and grinned.

“Why do you think I always liked you so much?” she asked. “You clearly know your way around a body.”

“Stop flirting with me, I’m spoken for,” he laughed, grinning at Bea as she made her way over to them through the crowd.

“Your boy is gonna freak out if he sees you all up on each other like that,” she told them, and Henry rolled his eyes.

“What do you want?”

“We need to head out soon,” she reminded him. “Unless you want people noticing you hanging around here until everyone leaves.”

Henry sighed, knowing she was right.

He didn’t particularly like sneaking around, but it was his idea this time seeing as he wanted them to be able to enjoy privacy while they figured out exactly what they were doing. They had planned that Henry would leave with Bea and wait in her hotel until Lucas came to collect him when the guests had all left.

He bent down to kiss Nora’s cheek.

“I’ll see you later,” he told her, linking his arm with Bea’s as Nora danced away into the crowd, her movements happy and free.

“We should say bye to June and Alex, and find wherever Pez has gotten to,” Bea mentioned, causing Henry to scoff slightly.

“Pez sorts himself out at these things,” he explained, “but it would be rude to leave without saying goodbye to our other hosts.”

They weren’t difficult to find, practically yelling lyrics to a Latin pop song Henry had never heard before in each other’s faces as they danced together.

Bea laughed loud enough to draw their attention, and June reached a hand out to them, making a grabbing motion to encourage them to join in.

“We don’t know this one,” Bea explained as June grabbed both of her hands, moving them to the beat.

Alex immediately grabbed Henry, making him laugh as he danced their bodies closer together.

“We’re about to leave,” Henry explained, and Alex shook his head as he moved his hands to Henry’s hips, encouraging him to move in time.

“Not when we’re getting to the good bit,” June argued, looking at Alex as he continued to belt out the end of the chorus.

Alex continued to move with Henry, meeting his eye as he started the verse.

“ A la orilla del mar, perdemos la noción del tiempo, y solo quiero besarte, no sé decirte lo que siento.”

He was grinning as he sang, and Henry found the joy infectious as a laugh bubbled up from his chest.

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” he laughed as Alex continued, undeterred, “but I’m so glad you’re having fun.”

“Y en el cielo aparecen estrellas con tu nombre, y todo se detiene,” he sang, June taking over with the chorus as Henry pulled him closer into a hug.

“We really have to leave,” he murmured, and Alex nodded, pulling back and smiling at him knowingly.

“Thanks so much for coming,” he said, maybe a bit too loud for a casual conversation.

“Thanks for having us,” Henry replied, swapping places with Bea to hug June.

“It’s been lovely to see you again,” she told him. “Get back safe.”

Henry had to pull Bea away from Alex as he started singing at her again, and she giggled as she blew him a kiss.

Bea was in the fluffy hotel robe after showering as soon as they got to the hotel, and Henry was endlessly jealous.

The idea of getting clean and comfy, especially seeing as it was nearly 3am, was all that he could think about, but he had to get back to David and Alex.

“If I talk to you about Alex are you going to get weird about it?” Bea asked, curling her legs up under her on the couch.

“What do you mean?” he questioned.

“Are you going to get weird that your big sister is talking about your love life?”

“Not unless you get weird about it,” he answered, honestly.

Bea watched him for a moment before nodding to herself.

“If I’m completely honest, I was a bit concerned when you told me you wanted to get back together with him,” she admitted, causing him to frown.

“You were so supportive, though.”

“Yeah, because you’re my brother and I love you and you were clearly coming to terms with your feelings,” she explained. “But I’m also your sister, and I’m sure you understand that I didn’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Henry nodded, picking at his nails.

“Hen, the way that boy looks at you,” she continued, smiling tiredly. “He’s in it, this time. I understand why you trust him. He’s so different from the boy I met a couple of years ago. He’s always been confident, but that was more of a facade before, like he was trying to prove something. Now he’s confident in himself, in what he wants… he’s confident about you.”

Henry smiled bashfully, rubbing his palm across the back of his neck.

“I’m pretty confident about him, too,” he told her. “I’m really glad you’ve had a chance to see what I see in him.”

“So am I,” she agreed, breaking off into a yawn. “They way he was dancing with you and singing to you before we left? It’s like you’re in a romcom or something. It was good to see you both so free.”

“Speaking of romcoms,” Henry began, done with talking about himself, “how was your midnight?”

Bea’s cheeks began to flush as Henry’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

“Saved by the bell,” she joked as Henry answered the call.

“We’re outside,” Alex spoke before Henry even said hello.

Henry laughed.

“What are you doing?” he asked, standing up and kissing the top of Bea’s head. “I thought you were waiting back at the residence.”

“Baby,” Alex drawled, causing Henry’s heart to flutter. “I didn’t want to waste another second of this year away from you.”

“Did you, by any chance, have tequila with June after I left?” Henry asked with a grin, slipping on his shoes.

“One or two while we were waiting to make sure everyone left,” Alex confirmed. “I want to be around you when I’m sober, too, though.”

“Me too,” Henry confirmed. “I’ll see you in a sec.”

“Be quick.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” he laughed as he hung up, glancing at Bea as she smiled knowingly.

“I’ll see you before I fly home,” she promised. “Go see your boy.”

Henry didn’t need to be told twice.

When he got down to the lobby and through the doors, he expected to see Lucas standing outside the car, as discussed.

Instead, Cash was leaning against the passenger door.

He was dressed more casually than Henry had ever seen him, but his signature earpiece and unimpressed expression kept him recognisable.

“I thought Luc was coming,” Henry commented, and Cash rolled his eyes.

“The idiot insisted on coming along, and there’s no point in both of us making the trip,” he explained. “Now get in before he goes fully feral in there.”

Henry grinned as Cash opened the door.

“Have I ever told you that you’re my favourite Secret Service agent?”

“Don’t praise him too much, he’ll ask for a raise,” Alex told him as Henry sat beside him.

“I heard that, you little shit,” Cash replied, closing the door before making his way to the driver’s seat.

“He deserves one, to be fair,” Henry commented, earning an eye roll from Alex.

“He’s fairly compensated for babysitting me,” he assured him, taking Henry’s hand and bringing it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “I can’t wait to get you home.”

“I can’t wait to get a shower,” Henry admitted, smiling tiredly across at him. “You’re welcome to join me.”

Alex grinned, squeezing his hand.

“Just try and stop me.”

Chapter Text

Henry was surprised that David didn’t come barrelling towards him the second they got to Alex’s room, concern immediately taking over when he couldn’t hear him snoring either.

“He’s with June,” Alex answered the unspoken question in Henry’s expression. “She took him out when the party finished, so I assume now he’s curled up and sleeping.”

Henry relaxed immediately, a slow smile growing on his face.

“You’ve really thought of everything,” he commented, heading towards the bathroom. “On a scale of one to ten, how drunk are you?”

“I went easy tonight,” Alex insisted, following slowly. “I only had two during the party and the tequilas with June were nearly an hour ago now.”

“Two including the one you stole from Justin?” Henry clarified, and Alex rolled his eyes.

“It was an open bar, I didn’t steal anything,” he argued. “And yeah, including. We probably drank about the same, total. I’m like a five but definitely still with it, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Henry nodded, biting his lip as he started to unbutton his shirt.

“Good,” he murmured. “Wouldn’t want to take advantage of you.”

Alex grinned, beginning to undress.

“I’d love it if you did.”

Henry grinned, stepping out of his pants and socks, folding them before entering the bathroom.

“I want you to remember it when I do,” he called through, turning on the shower as he removed his underwear. “Come and get clean, Alex.”

He stepped under the stream, groaning at the feeling of the warm water pounding against him.

He could hear Alex rushing to undress, his eyes closed as he ran his fingers through his hair, dragging his hands over his face.

“What’s the point in getting clean if we’re just going to get dirty again?” Alex asked, stepping in behind him, his hands immediately finding Henry’s waist and sliding up to his chest.

Henry smiled, leaning back against him.

“If you think my mouth is going anywhere near your body after you were dancing all night in a room of sweaty twenty-somethings, you’re sorely mistaken until you’ve thoroughly washed.”

Alex let out a strangled sound, and Henry grinned as he moved them, putting Alex under the showerhead and reaching for the shampoo.

“I thought this was going to be a sexy shower,” Alex admitted as Henry began to massage shampoo into his curls. “You haven’t even kissed me yet.”

“I haven’t brushed my teeth,” Henry explained, and Alex scoffed lightly.

“I don’t care. God, when did you become such a germaphobe?”

Henry laughed, leaning in to place a chaste kiss to Alex’s lips.

Alex chased after him subconsciously when he pulled back, opening his eyes to find Henry smirking as he shampooed his own hair.

“Were you always this mean?” he questioned, giving up on his pursuit of physical touch and focussing on actually showering.

“I’ll be nice to you once we’re clean,” Henry reiterated, stepping under the water again. “Preferably in bed, though I do have fond memories of your couch.”

Henry took far longer to brush his teeth than strictly necessary once they were out of the shower.

Sure, he was incredibly turned on after seeing Alex in all of his glory, but watching in the mirror as Alex grew more and more frustrated was really doing something for him.

“You’re doing this on purpose,” Alex accused, and Henry had to suppress a smile as he spat into the sink.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” he replied, rinsing his mouth with water before reaching for his mouthwash.

“Fuck the mouthwash,” Alex grumbled, grabbing Henry’s arm and spinning him to face him.

Henry opened his mouth to complain, albeit halfheartedly, but his argument was swallowed into a deep kiss.

He groaned as Alex licked into his mouth, running his fingers through damp curls as he began to walk them back through to the bedroom with his other hand on Alex’s arm.

The kiss was passionate, claiming, and Henry revelled in the way that Alex’s fingers dug into his waist, bringing their bodies flush together as he manoeuvred them towards the bed.

Henry’s hand moved from Alex’s bicep to his chest, kneading the muscle before letting his thumb graze over his left nipple, earning a soft gasp.

He took the opportunity to nip lightly at Alex’s lower lip, dropping his hand to the towel clinging on for dear life at Alex’s waist.

“Last chance to back out,” he breathed against his lips, and Alex let out a surprised, breathy laugh.

“That’s not true, you love checking in,” he countered, leaning in for another kiss before resting their foreheads together. “But there’s no chance I’m backing out, sweetheart.”

“I hoped you’d say that,” Henry smiled, deftly untucking the corner of the towel and letting the offending item fall to the ground.

Alex gasped again - a sound that Henry was endlessly fond of - as the cool air met his already leaking length and Henry’s hands found his hips.

“Sit back,” he murmured, applying slight pressure as Alex’s calves hit the bed frame, beginning to lower himself to his knees.

“God, baby, wait,” Alex requested, though it sounded as if it pained him to say it, clinging on to Henry tightly. “As incredible as it would be to get your mouth on me, I really, really want to suck you off first.”

A shocked bark of laughter was punched from Henry as Alex manhandled him onto the bed, his towel a casualty in the process, but his laugh turned to a groan as Alex crawled over him, kissing him fiercely and grinding down against him.

Their bodies fit perfectly together. They always had. It was an objective fact, in Henry’s incredibly subjective opinion, but being reminded again sent a thrill right through him.

“Lube?” he asked, already a little breathless as Alex trailed his kisses down his neck.

“For a blowjob?” Alex questioned. “Rogue.”

Henry laughed, placing his hands on Alex’s cheeks to get him to look at him.

“For me to ride you into the mattress after,” he clarified, kissing him firmly before pulling away, revelling in the way Alex’s expression morphed from surprise to admiration to unbridled lust.

“You’re going to kill me, Henry Fox,” he groaned, kissing him almost sweetly before getting off the bed.

He was back by the time Henry had propped up on his elbows, lube and condoms in hand.

“It’s fucking insane how hot you are,” Alex murmured, pushing Henry back against the bed and resuming his kisses down his body.

“If you ask me for my workout routine, I’ll roll over and pretend to be asleep so fast,” Henry warned as Alex kissed his hip.

“Oh, yeah?” Alex asked, looking pointedly at Henry’s cock which had remained interested throughout the exchange.

Alex blew cold air over his hard length, watching as it twitched before grinning up at Henry.

“You’d do that to your poor, aching dick? He’s desperate for my mouth.”

Henry bit back a groan, forcing a shrug.

“I love doing things out of spite.”

“That’s my line,” Alex grinned, placing a kiss to his pubic bone. “Lucky for you, this is all I’ve been able to think about for days so I won’t risk testing you.”

Henry smiled, reaching a hand down to card through Alex’s hair.

“Lucky me,” he breathed as Alex finally, finally , brought his mouth to where he desperately wanted it.

Once he started, he didn’t waste time, lapping at the precome leaking from his tip before wrapping his lips around him, groaning at the taste on his tongue.

“Shit,” Henry gasped, his hand tightening in Alex’s curls as his head bobbed on his cock enthusiastically.

Henry’s hips bucked of their own accord, chasing the feeling as Alex took him further down his throat.

“Sorry,” he apologised, stroking Alex’s cheek. “You’re so good, couldn’t help myself.”

Alex moaned at the praise, one hand resting on Henry’s hip and the other feeling around on the bed for wherever he’d left the lube.

He pulled off, blinking up at Henry through his lashes as he licked his lower lip.

“Christ, you’re gorgeous,” Henry mumbled, his hips twitching as Alex’s soft laugh ghosted over his wet length.

“If you keep complimenting me, I’ll come,” Alex told him, only half joking.

“Not until you’re in me.”

Alex groaned again, reaching between his legs and squeezing the base of his cock.

“I’m gonna need you to stop talking,” he requested, sitting up and uncapping the lube.

Henry watched as he coated his fingers, propped up on both of his elbows as Alex resituated himself between his legs.

The sight of Alex expertly taking him back into his mouth while simultaneously pressing experimentally at his hole was almost too much for Henry to take, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

His body reacted to every slight movement, pleasure mixing within anticipation as Alex deftly opened him up on his fingers. He was either avoiding his prostate or had forgotten how to find it, but Henry was grateful either way. He didn’t need the additional stimulation as pleasure coursed through his body.

“Pull off,” he requested breathlessly, but Alex just blinked up at him.

He hollowed his cheeks and Henry had to bite back a moan.

“I’m not gonna last if you keep that up,” he warned.

Alex pulled back, placing an uncharacteristically sweet kiss to his inner thigh.

“That’s kind of the idea,” Alex reminded him, his fingers never stopping, stretching and prepping.

“I want to come with you inside me,” Henry explained, biting his lip as Alex grazed over his prostate, seemingly in retaliation. “Fuck. I thought maybe you’d forgotten where that was.”

“I’ve never forgotten anything you taught me,” Alex replied, licking the underside of Henry’s cock. “Including the fact that you can come twice in one session. In relatively quick succession.”

Henry threw his head back with a moan as Alex got back to work, sucking him down in a way that drove Henry insane, his fingers now moving to bring pleasure as well as preparation.

He could feel himself clenching around Alex’s fingers, his orgasm building with every second that passed.

Alex hollowed his cheeks again, flicking his tongue and crooking his fingers, pulling out every trick in his book to make Henry come.

“Close,” Henry warned, unable to stop his hips from moving, torn between pushing down onto Alex’s fingers or up into the tight, wet heat of his mouth.

Alex’s free hand trailed up Henry’s body, undoubtedly able to feel Henry’s laboured breaths as he moved from his stomach to his chest, his short nails raking over his nipple.

That was what did it.

Henry came with a small, shocked laugh, and Alex swallowed everything, lapping at him until Henry pushed at him lightly.

He pulled away wiping his mouth, his lower lip catching on his thumb and middle finger. 

“Still got it,” he grinned, taking in Henry’s dishevelled appearance from his new vantage point.

Henry laughed, reaching for his arm and pulling him on top of him.

Alex went willingly, placing his hands on either side of Henry’s head and smiling down at him.

“You still laugh when you come,” he commented, and Henry hummed, carding his hand through Alex’s almost dry curls.

“You’re still good at that,” he replied, bringing him down into a kiss.

He groaned at the taste of himself on his tongue, his fingers tightening in Alex’s hair, pulling lightly to make him moan.

Alex pulled back enough to look down at him with fondness and a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Would you actually have stopped if I asked for your workout routine?” he questioned, earning another tug of his hair.

“I still will,” he threatened, his tone light. “Save it for the morning.”

Alex, ever the dramatist, leaned over to check the clock on his nightstand.

“It’s four twenty-eight,” he announced. “Less than an hour before I wake up when I have morning classes.”

Henry laughed, hooking his leg around Alex’s calf and rolling them so Alex was under him.

“You’re a menace,” he told him, earning a bashful shrug.

“Yeah, but I’m your menace.”

It was as if he’d spoken without thinking, his eyes going wide as his mouth opened and closed, not entirely unlike a fish.

Henry smiled at him, his heart fluttering as he captured his lips in a kiss.

“More like a pain in my arse,” he murmured, kissing him again to relieve the unnecessary tension. “Speaking of…”

He trailed off, sitting up on his knees and pulling a foil packet from the box of condoms.

“Terrible pun,” Alex commented, and Henry raised his eyebrows, reaching behind himself to wrap his fingers around Alex’s cock, hard and leaking.

He stroked him awkwardly with the angle, revelling in the way that it immediately changed Alex’s expression to one of lust and need.

Henry let go and shuffled back, opening the packet and rolling the condom onto Alex. He grabbed the lube, squeezing some directly onto Alex’s cock and stroking him to slick him up properly before checking his prep work had been sufficient.

“You’re so hot right now,” Alex commented as Henry removed his fingers from inside himself.

“Just right now?” Henry quipped, lazily stroking his own cock to full hardness again.

“All the time,” Alex corrected, grabbing at his thighs and encouraging him closer.

Henry smiled again, leaning in for a kiss.

“I’m going to ride you now,” he murmured against his lips. “If that’s something you still want.”

Alex laughed in disbelief, carding his hand through Henry’s hair and bringing him back in for a kiss.

“Please.”

It was quiet, no hint of the brattiness he was known for, and Henry placed another gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth before pushing himself up.

“So polite,” he commented, lining him up and slowly, slowly sinking down. “So good for me.”

Alex’s hands found Henry’s hips, holding onto him as he watched in awe as Henry’s thighs flexed.

“Baby, fuck ,” Alex groaned once Henry was fully seated. 

Usually, Henry would have a witty comeback.

‘That’s the general idea, sweetheart,’ or another teasing play on words.

But with Alex deep inside him and his hands spanning his glorious abs, he could only nod in agreement.

He gave himself a moment to adjust, shifting on his knees as Alex stifled a moan, running his fingers over the divots of muscle that made up his torso.

He outlined his abs, his pecs, the muscles dancing under his fingertips as Alex looked up at him in awe.

“You feel incredible,” Alex murmured, his hands moving to Henry’s thighs. “I’ve missed this.”

Henry laughed, biting his lip as he nodded, shifting experimentally.

He’d missed it too, to be honest.

He hadn’t exactly been celibate since they broke up, practically the opposite, but there was something different about the way their bodies worked together that none of Henry’s casual flings could come close to.

He began to move, rolling his hips in a way that he knew would drive Alex wild, putting his well-toned thighs to good use as he fucked himself down over and over.

Alex’s hips bucked, keeping in rhythm with Henry’s movements and nailing his prostate with almost every thrust.

Henry was making a conscious effort not to be loud, but his stifled moans seemed to be spurring Alex on.

“Fuck, Hen,” Alex groaned, clearly without the same volume hangups.

Hearing his name in Alex’s fucked out drawl sent a thrill through his body, his cock leaking as it bounced between them.

Alex reached a hand out to help, but Henry batted it away, leaning forward and capturing both of Alex’s wrists and pinning them beside his head.

“We both know I don’t need it,” he murmured, swallowing Alex’s moan in a filthy kiss.

“Let me help,” Alex requested, flexing his fingers. “I wanna make you come.”

“You already did,” Henry reminded him, taking advantage of the new angle to grind down sensually. “Let me make you feel good.”

“You are,” Alex breathed, wriggling in his grip. “Let me touch you at least. Please.”

Henry let go of his wrists, surprised when Alex’s hands went straight for his hair, pulling him into another breathtaking kiss.

He used his newfound freedom to shift himself enough to be able to properly thrust up into Henry, every movement forcing a new breathy moan out of him.

“Alex,” he moaned, carding a hand into his curls and tugging lightly. “Fuck, you’re so good.”

The praise spurred him on, every movement hitting Henry just right, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

“I’m so close, baby, please tell me you’re close,” Alex babbled, kissing his cheek, his jaw, his neck, anywhere he could reach.

“So close,” Henry agreed, pulling almost all the way up before slamming back down as Alex moved up, grinding his hips on the down thrusts.

The sounds of skin on skin filled the room, their heavy breathing and downright indecent moans adding to the symphony as they both chased their release.

It didn’t take long before Henry was burying his face in Alex’s neck, laughing softly into his skin as he came between them.

“Fuck, baby,” Alex groaned, stilling his hips as Henry convulsed around him.

“Keep going,” Henry whispered, his breath ghosting over Alex’s ear. “I want you to come.”

Alex moaned as Henry began to move again, grabbing onto his hips and resuming his thrusts.

Henry nibbled lightly at his earlobe, pulling it between his teeth before kissing it softly.

“Come for me, darling,” he whispered, clenching down and relishing in the way Alex’s hips stuttered, the low moan he let out as he came.

His chest was heaving as Henry lifted himself off of him before collapsing beside him on the bed.

“You’re… so fucking good at that,” Alex breathed, turning his head to the side and pressing a kiss to Henry’s shoulder.

“We make a pretty good team,” Henry agreed, a tired, sated smile on his face as he looked over at Alex, taking in the state of him.

He ran his fingers along his side, biting his lip.

“As incredible as you look covered in my come,” he began, earning a laugh-groan as Alex looked down at his chest, “we should probably clean up before we pass out.”

“Probably,” Alex agreed, ridding himself of the condom and disposing of it in the wastebasket. 

He crawled back towards Henry, grinning as he leaned in for a kiss.

“Happy New Year,” he murmured, and Henry laughed, swatting him away and getting to his feet.

“Come on,” he encouraged, reaching a hand out for Alex. “Second shower of the year and it’s barely 5am.”

Alex groaned, standing up and letting Henry link their fingers together and lead them to the bathroom.

“I can’t wait to sleep,” he admitted, and Henry hummed in agreement.

“We’ve got brunch with Bea and Pez in six hours,” he reminded him, earning another groan. “Alright, I know, but they fly back in the afternoon.”

“I know,” Alex agreed, stepping into the shower and pulling Henry in with him. “No funny business, it’s bedtime.”

Henry laughed, reaching behind him to turn on the shower.

“Alright, sweetheart,” he agreed. “No funny business.”

Chapter Text

Henry woke with a start.

It would be nice to say he woke up gradually with the sun, wrapped in the warmth of his lover’s arms, but that just wasn’t the case.

Neither of them had remembered to set an alarm - in their defence, they were a bit busy - so they were woken by a pounding at the door and June’s voice yelling that she was coming in.

“Wait, wait,” Henry insisted as she started to open the door, scrambling to get himself more presentable, grabbing a discarded pillow from the floor and holding it over his chest.

“I’ve seen a naked man before, Henry,” June reminded him, making her way into the room despite his protests. “I’ve seen a naked you before.”

David trotted in after her as Alex groaned, rolling over to press his face into Henry’s shoulder.

“Tell her to stop walking in without being invited,” he murmured into his skin.

“What was that?” June asked, and Henry smiled sheepishly.

“He says good morning,” he lied, earning another groan from Alex, his arm moving over Henry’s waist.

“God, he’s a delight today,” she commented, eyeing the bed warily. “I assume I shouldn’t sit.”

“Probably not,” Henry agreed, rubbing at his eyes. “What time is it?”

“A little after ten,” she told him. “I’m pretty sure you have plans soon.”

“We do,” Henry confirmed, looking over as David sat at her feet. “Has David been out this morning?”

“Luc took him on a run,” she told him, earning a laugh from Alex as he sat up and stretched.

Henry moved the pillow to Alex’s lap, keeping him covered.

“David doesn’t run,” he mentioned, and June laughed softly.

“Yeah I think it might’ve been Luc’s slowest 5k to date,” she told them. “I was wondering if he’s going to brunch with you guys or if me and Nora have him until you’re back.”

“If you’re happy to have him, that would be perfect,” Henry spoke through a yawn. “We’ll take him back this afternoon. Drinks on me next trivia night for the inconvenience.”

June nodded, leaning down to scritch David between the ears.

“That sounds like a fair trade,” she agreed, glancing at Alex. “Don’t fumble him this time, Little Bit.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Alex confirmed, smiling lazily down at Henry but speaking to June. “Can you leave now so we can get dressed without flashing you, please?”

She gave them a playful salute, encouraging David to follow her out.

“Good morning, princess,” Alex murmured, stroking his hair back from his forehead.

“Morning,” Henry smiled, blinking up at him. “Glad we showered before sleeping. We’ve got to get a move on.”

Alex hummed in agreement, leaning in and kissing him softly.

He pulled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned down at Henry.

“Last night was-”

“Get dressed, you absolute menace,” Henry interrupted, pushing him away and rolling out of bed.

He stretched his arms above his head before shaking out his limbs, Alex groaning as he watched him pull on underwear.

“I’m serious, Alex,” he insisted. “Stop ogling me and get ready.”

“God, you hate fun,” Alex complained, complying this time.

“I love fun,” he argued, “just not when we’re about to see Pez and my sister. They’d take one look at me and know why we were late.”

Alex laughed as he started to get dressed.

“We can’t have that, now, can we?”

Pez and Bea took one look at Henry and knew what they had been up to.

“Jesus, you’re practically glowing,” Bea whispered when they sat down for brunch, and Alex stifled a laugh as Henry blushed profusely.

“She’s right, you both look terribly rested and well fucked,” Pez added.

“Alright, enough of that,” Henry told them both, trying to stop himself from blushing by pure sheer force of will. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Alex placed his hand on Henry’s thigh in solidarity.

“I hope you enjoyed the party,” he said, changing the subject.

“It was fantastic,” Pez confirmed. “I especially enjoyed witnessing Beatrice snogging a defenceman while you two were gallivanting in the gardens.”

Henry’s eyes widened, a grin taking over his face as it was Bea’s turn to blush.

“Beatrice Fox, you dog,” he teased, and she glared at Percy.

“We were supposed to be a team,” she accused.

“I am a team of one,” he explained. “You expect me to inform you about what our dear Hazza is up to, I’m simply repaying him the favour.”

“And I love you for that,” Henry confirmed. “Did you at least get his number?”

Bea rolled her eyes.

“Hen, I live in London,” she reminded him.

“That wasn’t a no,” Alex commented, earning him a look of betrayal.

“Who’s side are you on?”

“Henry’s,” he answered, no hesitation. “Always Henry’s.”

Pez and Bea shared a look, and Henry could tell what they were thinking.

Sure, they were both supportive of Henry’s choices, but they were nothing if not protective.

Alex seemed to pick up on it, clearing his throat to reply but being interrupted by the waiter coming to take their order.

Once they’d ordered, Henry kind of anticipated a change of subject. It was the perfect distraction, and he wouldn’t have held it against him to avoid the conversation altogether.

Alex had other ideas.

“I’m glad I’ve got a chance to talk to you both before you head back,” he stated, his hand still resting on Henry’s thigh under the table. “I, uh. I understand your reservations about us, about me. I made a mistake a couple of years ago, and you were there to support Henry through it. I… I fucked up, and I can’t imagine it’s easy for you guys, for anyone in Henry’s life, to see us together again.”

“Hey,” Henry said, softly. “They know I can look after myself.”

“Oh, I know, baby,” Alex assured him before looking back across the table. “I just want you to know that I understand it will take a while to earn back your trust, if I ever do. But I also want to assure you, whatever it’s worth, that I’m in this. I’m so serious about Henry, and I’ll do everything I can to prove that to him and to you.”

Pez was watching him carefully as he spoke.

For as fun-loving and vibrant as he was, he also had a knack for quiet observation, though it could be somewhat intimidating.

Alex didn’t retreat under the gaze, holding his eye until he nodded slightly.

“I can’t speak for both of us,” Bea began, glancing at Percy, “but I really appreciate you saying that. I just want Henry to be happy, and right now you’re making him happy.”

“Agreed,” Pez nodded. “You clearly made him very happy last night.”

Bea groaned as Alex blushed, Henry rolling his eyes at the innuendo.

“Way to lower the tone,” he commented, but Percy just grinned.

“The way I see it, you’re having a good time,” he explained. “And it’s my duty as your friend to tease you about it.”

Chapter Text

Things kind of went back to normal when they got back to New York.

It was strange, after spending days being practically inseparable, to go back to their own homes, their day-to-day lives, where being together 24/7 wasn’t realistic.

Alex was straight back to studying, desperate to ace his finals in order to keep his position at the firm he’d been interning with after he graduates, and Henry was kept busy between the shelters, his sequel novel, and consulting on the screenplay.

They kept their routine of meeting up on Thursday evenings, usually at Henry’s house before their trivia night, and Alex would more often than not stay over, leaving the brownstone for his classes the next morning.

June and Nora were relatively insufferable about it. Near constant teasing, not just when they were all together but via their group chat, though Henry didn’t mind.

Alex’s sister and best friend making teasing comments about them made him feel normal. So much of his life was a little overwhelming, a little insane what with the prospect of his book becoming a freaking movie , on top of dating the son of the President , it was nice to have something normal going on.

The first Thursday in February, Alex and Cash let themselves into Henry’s house, locking the door behind them.

Henry was in the kitchen, a coffee for Cash waiting on the counter as he gave David his dinner.

“Coming here is the best part of my job,” he told Henry, taking the coffee and heading up to the study.

Henry laughed, placing David’s bowl on the floor as he smiled at Alex.

“Hey,” he greeted, earning an easy smile in response.

“Hey yourself.”

Alex sauntered over and Henry leaned against the counter, biting his lip as Alex stepped between his legs.

Alex carded a hand through the hair at the nape of Henry’s neck, leaning in and kissing him softly. His fingers clenched slightly, earning a surprised groan. 

“Are you growing it out?” Alex asked, placing another light kiss to his lips before pulling away.

Henry rubbed the back of his neck, twisting his hair around his finger.

Growing his hair out wasn’t intentional, more of a byproduct of his schedule. He’d been planning on getting it cut, but the feeling of Alex running his fingers through it had him reconsidering.

“Does it look stupid?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” Alex told him. “If you grew out your facial hair you’d look like you’ve been on Survivor for a couple of weeks.”

Henry laughed.

“You and I both know that I can’t grow out my facial hair,” he reminded him. “We weren’t all blessed with the thick stubble gene.”

Alex grinned, taking his hand and leading him through to the living area.

“Lucky for you I like your face as it is,” he teased, sitting down and pulling Henry down with him. “And I like your hair however you want to have it.”

“Mullet,” Henry offered, and Alex let out a snort.

“Okay, any way you want it that isn’t a mullet,” he corrected, earning a gasp of mock-offence. “Baby, I love your hair, but you don’t have the texture to pull off a mullet. Unless you’re getting a perm, too.”

“Maybe I am,” he shot back, tucking a leg up under himself, shifting to face Alex.

Alex rested a hand on his thigh, squeezing slightly.

“Can you hold off on that for, like, at least a couple of weeks?” he asked, piquing Henry’s interest.

“Why?” he asked, watching Alex’s face closely. 

His cheeky smile stayed in place, but something akin to nervousness flitted across his eyes.

“It’s Valentine’s next Friday,” Alex mentioned. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go on an actual date on Thursday. Rather than me and Cash coming here before trivia. I’d say we’d do it on Friday but I’m a creature of habit and Thursdays have kind of been our thing . I want to take you out.”

Henry nodded, linking their fingers together.

“Public?” he questioned.

“Public,” Alex confirmed, holding his gaze. “If you’re down for that.”

Henry nodded slowly, nibbling the side of his lower lip.

“It’s okay if you think it’s too soon,” Alex offered, and Henry laughed slightly.

“That’s not what I’m thinking,” he promised. “I’d also been thinking it would be nice to… I don’t know, date normally?”

Alex’s face split into a grin.

“You’re gonna let me wine and dine you?” he clarified, and Henry laughed.

“Like it would be some kind of hardship,” he teased. “Wine and dine me all you like. Maybe if you behave yourself, I’ll even let you soft launch.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, tugging on Henry’s hand to pull him closer.

Henry went willingly, letting Alex pull him onto his lap.

“We must look ridiculous like this,” he commented, looking down at Alex and running his fingers through his curls.

“You do,” Cash told them, walking down the stairs. “Guarantee the public would assume Alex sits in your lap. You know, given his limited stature.”

“Cash, shut the fuck up,” Alex warned, holding Henry’s hips as he laughed. “Don’t laugh!”

“Sorry, love,” Henry apologised, looking over at Cash. “Can we help you?”

“I was gonna get myself a water,” he explained. “I think Alex would try to get me fired if I asked for your assistance.”

“I’ll try to get you fired if you comment on my perfectly average height one more time,” Alex grumbled, and Henry swatted the back of his head.

“Please help yourself,” he insisted, watching as Cash went through to the kitchen, retrieved a bottle of water, and headed back upstairs.

Alex was watching Henry’s face the whole time, earning a soft smile once Cash was back out of earshot.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, and Alex shrugged.

“You’d let me soft launch?”

“If you behave yourself,” Henry confirmed. “And only if you want to.”

Alex nodded, leaning up to kiss his jaw gently.

“If I was gonna soft launch,” he began, “how would I be introducing you?”

Henry grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

“Is this your way of asking me to go steady?” he questioned. “Trying to ask me if we’re boyfriends or something?”

Alex shrugged, stifling a smile.

“Would that be so bad?”

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask me.”

Alex rolled his eyes, placing his hands on Henry’s cheeks.

“Henry Fox,” he stated. “Would you do me the honour of being my boyfriend?”

Henry grinned, leaning in to kiss him again.

“Only if you’ll be mine,” he reasoned, and Alex grinned again as his fingers curled into Henry’s hair.

“Obviously,” he whispered against his lips.

Henry felt positively giddy, kissing Alex deeply, groaning softly as Alex’s fingertips massaged his scalp.

“Enough of that,” he warned, untangling their limbs as he got to his feet.

Henry reached his arms above his head, a grin still firmly on his face as he stretched out his back. 

David used the opportunity to jump up onto the couch, taking Henry’s place across Alex’s lap.

“What do you think, lil man?” Alex asked David, scritching between his ears. “You gonna let your dad be my boyfriend?”

David leaned even further into him, letting out a soft sigh.

“He’s biased,” Henry told him, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the two of them. “He’s literally obsessed with you, it’s embarrassing.”

Henry had arranged for Nora to look after David the next Thursday, and she arrived at his house as he was finishing getting ready.

“I really appreciate this,” he told her, spritzing himself with cologne. “He’s promised he’ll be on his best behaviour.”

“Who, David or Alex?” Nora teased, sitting down on the floor and letting David sniff inquisitively at her hand.

Henry laughed.

“I meant the dog,” he clarified. “He’s always loved you when you’ve met him before, and he’s already been fed. He’ll just need a little W-A-L-K this evening.”

Nora nodded.

“And I don’t say that word until we’re ready to actually go,” she reminded herself.

“Fortunately he’s yet to learn how to spell,” Henry smiled, fussing with his hair in the hallway mirror. “I’ve made up the spare room. If it gets late, you’re welcome to stay over. I’m not entirely sure what time I’ll be home.”

Nora laughed softly, encouraging David onto her lap.

“Not to, like, spoil anything,” she began, “but I kinda assumed I’d be staying over anyway. I brought an overnight bag and everything.”

Henry turned to face her, eyes narrowed slightly.

“What do you know?” he asked, but she just shrugged.

“Only that there’s a 98% chance of you loving it,” she assured him. “The 2% is there just in case you’re secretly really boring or you injure yourself on your way out of the house.”

Henry hummed in approval. 98% odds from Nora were few and far between.

“I’ll trust you on that,” he allowed. “Oh, if you get hungry, help yourself to anything. Or order in and I’ll send you the money after.”

“Henry, I can fend for myself,” she promised, smiling up at him. “You look gorgeous. Your man’s going to melt.”

His gut reaction was to respond with something like ‘he’s not my man,’ but it died on his tongue as he realised they were official.

They hadn’t exactly told anyone yet, and they’d obviously not gone public, but Henry knew. Alex knew. That was enough.

Nora was watching him closely, eyes trained on every micro-expression.

“No rebuttal?” she asked.

Henry opened his mouth and closed it again, unsure of how to respond.

Luckily, the doorbell rang before he had the chance to.

David let out a halfhearted bark, and Henry crouched to pet him.

“Be good for Auntie Nora,” he instructed before standing back up and talking to Nora. “Help yourself to literally anything.”

“Enjoy your date, loverboy,” she replied, causing Henry to blush as he opened the door.

Alex was dressed impeccably in a blue blazer and dark jeans, his hair sitting beautifully in a way that looked effortless but Henry knew took a lot of time to perfect.

“Already flushed, sweetheart?” Alex asked, taking in the colour on Henry’s cheeks. “The night’s barely begun.”

“You look incredible,” Henry replied, resisting the urge to lean in for a kiss. “Are you gonna tell me where we’re off to?”

Alex shrugged, brushing imaginary dust from Henry’s shoulders, clearly also yearning for some physical contact.

“I thought we could do dinner and a show, if that’s alright with you?” he offered.

“Sounds great,” Henry agreed, placing a hand on Alex’s hip to push him back slightly so he could leave the house, locking the door behind him. “Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

The meal was beautiful, a booth in a fancy restaurant, and the pair were able to enjoy each other’s company in relative privacy.

Cash was hanging around somewhere, but he’d promised to not interrupt them unless he genuinely thought there was any threat. Luckily, he remained out of sight, out of mind until they left the restaurant.

Henry hadn’t asked what show they were going to, far too much to discuss over dinner, but Alex offered it up pretty quickly as they walked through the city.

“We’re seeing Hamilton,” he announced, once again unable to keep it in. “I might’ve pulled the First Son card and got us a box.”

Henry laughed softly, shaking his head.

“Bold of you to take your British boyfriend to see a show where the Brits are the bad guys,” he commented, earning an eye roll.

“I thought it’d be cute,” Alex reasoned. “I was named after that guy. Plus the box has three seats so Cashley isn’t left on his own.”

“That’s not my name, you little shit,” Cash murmured, following close behind.

“Uh, sorry, what happened to ‘you won’t even notice me there’?” Alex asked over his shoulder. “You’re supposed to be letting me get my romance on in peace.”

“Darling, you insulted the man,” Henry reasoned, glancing back at Cash. “My apologies. You’re doing a wonderful job at keeping him safe despite his personality and general behaviour.”

Cash laughed as Alex gaped at him.

“It’s always a pleasure when you’re with him,” Cash replied.

“Alright, quit flirting,” Alex requested, teasingly. “We’ve got a theatre to get to.”

Neither of them really thought about the fact that being in a box at the theatre would draw attention to them.

By the time the show was over and they were in the back of the car, Alex had a few notifications from being tagged in photos of the three of them in the box. He showed them to Henry, who offered a small shrug.

“We went out in public,” he mentioned, “and you’re the ridiculously attractive son of the first female president. We knew it was a risk, and I was certainly ready to take it.”

Alex nodded in agreement.

“No regrets?” he clarified.

“None,” Henry confirmed.

Alex smiled, leaning over to kiss him softly.

“Is now a good time to tell you that I told Nora she should stay over at yours?” Alex asked, pressing another peck to his lips before settling back in his seat. “I thought maybe you could stay at mine. If you’re into that.”

“I’m into that,” Henry confirmed, taking Alex’s hand.

“I’d also like to bring your attention to the fact that I’ve been on my best behaviour tonight,” Alex commented.

“Oh, the night’s not over,” Henry joked, squeezing his hand.

He really meant it as a joke, but the slight hitch in Alex’s breath had him fighting back a smile.

“Are you going to continue to behave yourself?” he asked, running his thumb along the back of Alex’s hand.

Alex swallowed thickly.

“Yes.”

Henry nodded, looking out of the window to gauge how far they were from Alex’s apartment.

Since they’d rekindled their relationship, they hadn’t explored that dynamic at all. It wasn’t really something Henry had any interest in with casual hookups, but the way Alex reacted to even a hint of it… Henry was on board.

Plus, he had to repay Alex for an incredible date night.

“I can’t wait to get you home,” he murmured, unlinking their fingers and resting his hand possessively on Alex’s thigh.

When they finally pulled up outside Alex’s apartment, Henry thanked Cash for getting them back safely as he got out of the car.

“Have a good night, kids,” Cash told them, waiting for the pair to enter the elevator inside the lobby before driving off.

Alex hadn’t said a single word since the ‘yes’ in the car.

“You’re allowed to speak, you know,” Henry murmured as the elevator took them up to Alex’s floor.

“I know,” he assured him, laughing softly. “I’ve been focussing all of my attention on not getting hard.”

Henry moved quickly as he turned to face Alex, his hand carding through the perfect curls at the back of his head to pull him into a fierce kiss.

Alex let out a small sound of surprise before melting into him, but just as he kissed back, Henry pulled away.

An involuntary whine left his lips.

“You can wait,” Henry told him. “You’ll be okay.”

Alex rolled his eyes.

“You can’t kiss me like that and expect me to be totally calm,” he argued as the doors opened and he stepped out, pulling his keys from his pocket. “God, you’re so fucking hot.”

Henry rolled his eyes fondly, following him to his door.

He pressed himself against Alex’s back, his hands on his waist and lips against his neck as Alex fumbled to put his key in the lock.

“Baby,” Alex laughed breathlessly. “Give me a minute.”

“You can do it,” Henry assured him, speaking directly into Alex’s ear. “I believe in you.”

He could feel Alex’s body shiver as he finally got his hands to cooperate, letting them into the apartment.

Henry let go of Alex to follow him in, taking his shoes off and hanging his jacket up in the entryway before making his way through to Alex’s bedroom without a word.

“Yeah, sure, lead the way,” Alex joked, undoing the top two buttons of his shirt as he followed him.

Henry stood at the end of his bed, facing Alex as he entered the room.

“I shouldn’t have started that without checking in with you first,” Henry mentioned, unbuttoning his shirt. “I apologise.”

“You’re apologising for being hot?” Alex asked, confused.

“I’m apologising for starting it without clarifying it’s something you want to do tonight,” he clarified, causing Alex to nod in understanding.

He walked towards Henry, draping his arms over Henry’s shoulders and smiling up at him.

“Apology accepted, baby,” Alex murmured, pressing a light kiss to his lips. “But, for the record, I’m super into it.”

“Good to know,” Henry smiled, gently brushing Alex’s hair from his forehead. “Traffic light system good for you?”

“I love the traffic light system,” Alex agreed.

“Good,” Henry whispered, a confident smile finding its way back onto his face. “What’s your colour?”

“Bright fucking green,” Alex confirmed.

Henry kissed him, firm and slow, before pulling back enough to murmur against his lips.

“On your knees for me, sweetheart.”

Chapter Text

Alex complied wordlessly, kneeling down as Henry removed his shirt, his eyes tracking his every move.

“I’m going to ask you a few questions,” Henry explained, “and you’re going to answer yes or no. I want you to be honest with your answers. I will not be disappointed either way. Do you understand?”

Alex swallowed, trying to encourage moisture back into his suddenly dry throat.

“Yes.”

“Wonderful,” Henry praised. “Would you like to suck me off?”

“Yes,” Alex replied, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

“Would you like to fuck me?”

“Yes.”

Henry nodded, reaching out to stroke Alex’s cheek with his thumb.

“Would you like to come this evening?”

Alex frowned, fighting back the urge to ask what kind of a stupid question that was.

“Yes or no, Alex,” Henry prompted.

“Yes,” he confirmed. Then, belatedly, “please.”

“So polite,” Henry smiled, moving his hand to the buckle of his belt. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to blow me, and you’re not to touch yourself. You may unbutton your trousers now, but your pants are to remain on until I say so.”

Alex quickly unbuttoned his fly, his eyes trained on the impressive bulge at Henry’s crotch.

“You’re so eager,” Henry commented, affection lacing his tone. “You are to stop when I tell you to, and then keep your hands to yourself while I get myself ready for you. If you can do all of that, you can have me however you want. Do you think you can do that for me?”

“Yes,” Alex agreed.

“Good. Any questions?”

Alex swallowed, nodding once.

“You may ask,” Henry assured him.

“Can I touch you ?” Alex asked. “While I blow you, I mean. Please.”

Henry smiled, reaching out to brush Alex’s hair gently from his face.

“I’d be amenable to that,” he agreed. “Any other questions?”

Alex shook his head. 

“Okay,” Henry smiled, unbuttoning his fly and pulling himself free. “Go ahead.”

Alex didn’t need to be told twice, and Henry bit his lip to stifle a moan as Alex licked at his tip.

He was aiming for nonchalance, but the sight of Alex on his knees, spitting into his palm before wrapping a fist around Henry’s aching cock… well. Nobody could blame him for letting out a small gasp.

Alex’s eyes snapped up to Henry’s as he pressed open mouthed kisses to the side of his cock, his eyelids fluttering and bringing attention to those perfect lashes.

Henry maintained eye contact, keen to witness everything as Alex finally wrapped his lips around him, his own eyes closing as he swallowed around Henry’s cock, his lips meeting his hand at the base.

His other hand, Henry noticed, had a white knuckle grip on his thigh.

“So good for me,” Henry whispered, carding his hand through Alex’s hair.

Alex hummed, the sound reverberating through Henry as his hand and mouth worked in tandem to bring Henry pleasure.

Henry’s fingers flexed in Alex’s hair, making him moan and pull off completely.

Henry frowned slightly, and Alex quickly told him ‘green’ without having to check in.

“Okay,” Henry nodded. “You can speak freely, what’s going on?”

A gorgeous blush shaded Alex’s cheeks as he caught his breath.

“I’m concerned,” he began, clearing his throat, “that if you pull my hair, I’ll come. And I want to be good for you.”

Henry bit his lip, wrapping a tight fist around his base to stave off the reaction those words gave him.

“You’re being so good,” he confirmed. “Thank you for telling me.”

Alex nodded, swallowing thickly.

“Can you continue?”

“Yes,” Alex assured him. “Please.”

“Okay, continue.”

Alex got straight back to it and, this time, Henry made sure to keep his hands to himself.

Of course, he knew Alex enjoyed his hair being pulled. It was discovered shortly after the two of them got together the first time, a pleasant surprise for the both of them. But the idea that Alex was so riled up from sucking Henry off that a light tug on his hair pushed him close to the edge… if it was difficult to remain nonchalant before, it was nearly impossible after that.

Alex’s skill with his mouth and hands was undeniable, and before long Henry was commanding him to stop.

He did as he was told, but not without pressing one last kiss to the tip of Henry’s cock.

“Colour?” Henry asked.

“Green.”

“Good. Clothes off and on the bed. Don’t touch yourself.”

Alex did as he was asked as Henry removed the last of his own clothes, turning to face the bed.

He eyed the bedside table before looking back at Alex.

“You have lube in there?” he asked, and Alex nodded, pulling off his socks.

“Second drawer,” he confirmed.

Henry retrieved the lube as Alex sat on the bed, watching his every move with unbridled lust and a hint of curiosity.

“Lay back,” Henry instructed. “Against the pillows.”

Alex once again followed the instruction, propping himself up onto his elbows as Henry straddled his waist.

“Are you good?” Henry asked, placing a light hand on Alex’s chest.

“Great,” Alex replied, a small frown pulling at his brows. “Can I kiss you before I have to keep my hands to myself again? Please?”

Henry smiled, overwhelmed with affection as he moved his hand to the back of Alex’s neck as he let himself drop forward over him.

Alex craned his neck to meet him, and Henry pulled back slightly.

“One kiss,” he reiterated, and Alex nodded.

Henry leaned in, placing a lingering kiss to Alex’s lips.

He’d planned on keeping it chaste, but after teasingly licking into Alex’s mouth and tasting himself on his tongue, he groaned and deepened the kiss, his fingers running back through Alex’s hair again.

“Okay,” Henry murmured, kissing Alex’s cheek before sitting back up on his knees and uncapping the lube. “Would you like me to face you, or face away?”

Henry squeezed some lube onto his fingers as he waited for a response.

Alex worried his lower lip with his teeth, watching Henry’s hands.

“Face me,” he answered, quietly. “Please. I want to see your face.”

Henry smiled again, pushing Alex flat to the mattress as he reached his hand behind himself.

This wasn’t about pleasure, it was about preparation, and Henry had to close his eyes to focus in order to avoid Alex’s incredibly lustful gaze. He could feel Alex’s neglected cock against the back of his thigh, but Alex kept his hips still and hands to himself.

Henry leaned forwards again, one hand resting beside Alex’s shoulder as he continued to work himself open.

“Fuck, you’re perfect,” Alex whispered, and Henry’s eyes fluttered open to see him watching his face intently. “What did I do to deserve you?”

The words were spoken mostly to himself, but Henry couldn’t help but respond.

“You’ve been so good for me tonight,” he told him. “I think you’ve probably earned it.”

Alex’s eyes widened slightly, as Henry sat back again, brushing Alex’s cock with the back of his hand as he pulled his fingers free.

“Do you think so?” Henry asked, getting up off of the bed.

“God, I hope so,” Alex replied, propping himself up on his elbows.

Henry smiled, wiping his hands on his discarded shirt.

“I suppose that means it’s time for you to call the shots,” he reasoned, crawling back over Alex. “How do you want me?”

Alex reached up, pulling Henry down with a hand on the back of his head and capturing his lips in a fierce kiss.

Henry kissed back eagerly, letting Alex roll them until his back hit the mattress.

“Like this,” Alex murmured, kissing him firmly before pulling back. “Pillow?”

Henry shook his head.

“I’m good,” he promised, fumbling beside him for the lube and passing it to Alex when he found it. “I’m more than good.”

Alex nodded, slicking himself up and hitching one of Henry’s legs over his hip.

“Ready?” he checked, and Henry nodded.

“Bright fucking green,” he confirmed in a poor imitation of Alex, making him laugh softly.

“You’re such a weirdo,” Alex told him as he leaned to placed a kiss to Henry’s knee before lining himself up.

Henry’s mouth fell open as Alex entered him, his brows pulling together as Alex pushed home.

True to his word, he let Alex set the pace, wrapping his legs around his waist and running his fingers through Alex’s hair.

“You feel so good,” Henry told him, bringing him in for a kiss.

The kiss quickly devolved into moaning as Alex picked up his pace, and Henry’s head dropped back into the pillows, his eyes falling closed.

Alex’s lips found Henry’s neck as his hand reached between them to wrap around his cock.

“I’m not going to last, baby,” Alex admitted, kissing Henry’s jaw. “You had me so worked up, being all sexy and in charge.”

“I’m right there with you,” Henry promised, biting into his lip as Alex shifted his hips just right . “You’ve been incredible for me.”

Alex continued to fuck into him and jerk him off in perfect unison.

True to his word, it didn’t take long before Henry was coming between them, feeling himself clench around Alex as his hips stuttered, letting out a breathy laugh.

“Keep going,” he insisted. “Green.”

“Fuck,” Alex groaned, dropping his forehead to Henry’s as his hips became less coordinated. “Can I-?”

“Wherever you want,” Henry told him, carding a hand into Alex’s hair and bringing him in for a kiss. “Come for me, sweetheart.”

His words were accompanied by a slight pull on his hair, and Henry gasped as Alex came inside him with a moan.

“Fuck, baby,” Alex panted, kissing Henry’s jaw as he colapsed on top of him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Henry parroted, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “That was amazing.”

He began stroking Alex’s back, pressing kisses to his temple.

“I know we need to shower,” Alex began, burying his face in Henry’s neck, “but can we have like five more minutes of this first?”

“Of course, my love,” Henry murmured. “We’ll have a shower, grab a snack, and you can figure out how you’re going to soft launch while I change the sheets.”

Alex pushed himself up, just enough to look Henry in the eyes.

“Yeah?” he asked, a grin spreading across his face. “You’re gonna let me?”

Henry smiled, leaning up for a chaste kiss.

“I’d love people to know I bagged the FSOTUS,” he teased. “Boys and girls across the world are gonna be so jealous.”

Henry left Alex in the kitchen with a granola bar and his phone, making his way back through to the bedroom to change the sheets.

He was doing up the buttons at the bottom of the duvet cover when Alex’s arms slipped around his waist from behind, holding his phone for Henry to see.

An Instagram post, drafted but not posted, was waiting on the screen.

“That was fast,” Henry commented, fastening the last button and bringing the phone closer to his face for a better look.

“I kind of had it planned,” Alex admitted, kissing his shoulder.

It was a picture Henry hadn’t seen before, of himself sitting on the dock at the lake house, David curled up beside him as Henry looked out into the distance towards the setting sun. His face wasn’t in the shot, but for those that knew Henry and David, it was clearly them.

The caption had Henry grinning.

Every morning I realise again how lucky I am to be waking up with you.

“You’re gonna soft launch with a quote from my book?” he asked, feeling Alex shrug behind him.

“You’re better with words than I am,” Alex explained. “And I mean it. So.”

Henry smiled, turning in his arms and pulling him into a hug.

“I love it,” he told him. “I love you keeping the correct spelling of ‘realise’ in there, too.”

Alex grinned, placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“If I’m gonna quote my sexy, British boyfriend, I guess I can use his strange British spellings.”

“ Correct spellings,” Henry countered.

“Tomato, tomato,” Alex smiled, his eyes flitting between Henry’s. “I guess this means you’re okay for me to post it?”

“As long as you’re sure you want to,” he confirmed. “I’m ready if you are.”

“I’m ready.”

Alex looked down at his phone, noting the time.

“I don’t remember the last time I posted in the middle of the night,” he mentioned.

Henry laughed and kissed his temple, pulling away and picking up his phone before getting into bed.

“You can wait until the morning,” he offered, pulling up Instagram. “It doesn’t have to be now.”

“I’m doing it now,” Alex told him, getting into bed beside him. “It’s done.”

Henry smiled as Alex settled in, wrapping his arm around his waist as he composed his own post.

His included a picture of Alex at the dog park, mid-throw of David’s ball. It was one of his favourites for two reasons. One, David’s ears were flapping as he ran in the direction Alex was throwing. Two, Alex’s arms looked incredible.

Similarly to the one Alex posted, his face wasn’t visible, but it wouldn’t be much of a soft launch if it was a portrait.

For his caption, Henry went with the next line from his book.

I can assure you, I’m the lucky one.

He handed his phone to Alex without a word, watching his face light up as he realised what he was looking at.

“You’re posting, too?” he asked.

“It would be a shame to let you have all the fun,” Henry teased. “You’re okay for me to post it, then?”

“I’d love nothing more.”

Henry smiled, pressing post and locking his phone, placing it on the bedside table.

“Thank you for tonight,” Henry murmured, rolling onto his side.

“Thank you ,” Alex replied, leaning in for a lingering kiss. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

A smile was set on Henry’s lips as Alex turned the lamp off, his body exhausted and heart full of affection.

“Goodnight.”

Chapter Text

Henry woke to Alex pressing a kiss to his temple, a smile on his face as he opened his eyes.

“Good morning,” Alex murmured. “I’ve gotta go to class, but didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

Henry propped himself up on an elbow, looking over at the time.

Just after 7:30.

“Sorry, it’s early,” Alex apologised, but Henry shook his head.

“Don’t apologise,” he told him, kissing his cheek. “I’m at the Brooklyn shelter for their Valentine’s event today, and I need to get home to David, so I need to be up.”

“Great news.”

Henry hummed.

“Do I have time to brush my teeth before you go?” he asked. “I’d love a proper kiss from my boyfriend on actual Valentine’s Day.”

“Cash isn’t here yet,” Alex confirmed. “You’ve got time.”

Henry got out of bed, making his way through to the bathroom.

While he was brushing his teeth, he realised that he hadn’t brought a change of clothes with him.

Usually he’d rewear an outfit until he got home to change, but his shirt…

“Alex?” he called out, his voice muffled through toothpaste.

“Yeah, baby?” Alex replied, appearing in the doorway.

“Can I borrow some clothes to get home?” Henry asked around his toothbrush.

“Borrow whatever you want,” Alex told him. “If you can be ready in ten, Cash can give you a ride.”

Henry laughed, spitting into the sink.

“I can make my own way home,” he assured him. “It’s not far.”

Alex watched him through the mirror as Henry splashed water on his face.

“I know you’ve not checked your phone, but our posts kind of went crazy while we were sleeping,” he explained. “My neighbour messaged me that there was someone with a camera outside when she left for the gym this morning.”

“Christ, we’re famous famous now,” Henry teased, turning to face him. “I can handle a little press.”

“I know you can,” Alex assured him, placing his hands on Henry’s hips. “But maybe I want to spend a bit more time with you before we go to the real world. Plus, Cash loves driving you around, it’s his passion.”

Henry smiled, leaning down to kiss him, a firm press of lips followed by a quick peck.

“Alright, you’ve charmed me,” he allowed. “Now let me get dressed.”

They left Alex’s apartment when Cash let them know he was outside, Henry wearing one of Alex’s old Georgetown sweaters.

If they were going to get papped leaving Alex’s anyway, Henry figured it wouldn’t do any harm to be wearing something that blatantly belongs to his partner. Plus, the way Alex looked at him in his old college colours was an added bonus. 

Alex wore a beanie and Henry a cap, tilting his head down as they walked the short distance from the front door to the car.

“Alex, how long have you been together?” someone asked.

“Is it serious?” another questioned.

Henry could hear cameras clicking but he focused on getting in the car as Cash held the door open.

Alex climbed in after him, and Cash pushed a camera out of the way to close the door.

“We’ll be old news, soon,” Alex assured Henry, who took his cap off, grateful for the dark windows.

“I know,” he smiled, squeezing Alex’s thigh. “We’ve got this.”

Cash got in behind the wheel, starting the car immediately.

“Congrats on the least subtle soft launch ever,” he told them. “Zahra told me to tell you that she’s proud of you but also they’re getting blown up with requests for comments from your mom.”

“Why would the President of the United States comment on her adult son’s relationship?” Henry asked. “I don’t think for a second they’d have asked my family.”

”They’re probably trying to gauge if she’s actually okay with me being bi,” Alex reasoned. “In practice, rather than just an abstract concept.”

“She doesn’t plan on commenting,” Cash informed them. “But, like, call your mom at some point maybe.”

“Roger that,” Alex replied. “I’ll call her after class.”

Everything we know about the relationship between Alex Claremont-Diaz and Henry Fox: A Timeline

As many of you will have seen by now, Alex Claremont-Diaz (son of President Ellen Claremont and Senator Oscar Diaz) announced his relationship with queer author Henry Fox (son of late Bond actor Arthur Fox) on his Instagram account in the early hours of this morning.

The post, captioned with a quote from Fox’s New York Times Bestseller Waking Up, showed the FSOTUS’ newly confirmed beau and his pet dog sitting on the dock of a lake. Sources claim this was taken at Senator Diaz’ Texas lake house.

This is by no means the first time the pair have been linked.

October 14th 2022 - Henry Fox and business partner Percy Okonjo attend a social event at the White House, following the success of the Okonjo-Fox Foundation’s first US youth shelter opening in Brooklyn.

November 3rd 2022 - Fox and Claremont-Diaz are spotted, together with June Claremont-Diaz and Nora Holleran, attending a trivia night. Fox, Holleran, and the FDOTUS are spotted there multiple times over the following months, with ACD making occasional appearances.

December 31st 2022 - Fox and Okonjo attend the White House Trio’s New Year’s Eve party.

January 21st 2023 - Both attend another social event at the White House.

February 10th 2023 - Fox plays in a charity polo match in Connecticut, Claremont-Diaz attends the event. The pair are photographed together shortly after the end of the match.

March 27th 2023 - Claremont-Diaz is photographed getting cozy with a classmate whilst celebrating his birthday. Notably, Fox stops attending trivia nights.

November 22nd 2023 - The pair reportedly have dinner together in Austin, Texas.

December 8th 2023 - Claremont-Diaz attends the opening of the Staten Island Okonjo-Fox Foundation shelter.

January 3rd 2024 - Fox, Holleran, and June Claremont-Diaz are seen together at a trivia night for the first time in nine months.

January 25th 2024 - ACD joins the trivia night. Both Fox and Claremont-Diaz have regularly attended the bar trivia since.

June 20th 2024 - Claremont-Diaz is spotted walking Fox’s dog, Fox does not appear to be present.

July 11th 2024 - Both are seen walking Fox’s dog in Brooklyn, then later at the trivia night with Holleran and June Claremont-Diaz. 

July 16th 2024 - Claremont-Diaz comes out as bisexual with a heartfelt video on social media, and tags the Okonjo-Fox Foundation in the caption. Fox likes the image. The pair follow each other on all socials.

December 20th 2024 - The pair are photographed at a dog cafe in Brooklyn.

December 31st 2024 - Okonjo, Fox, and his sister Beatrice Fox attend the White House Trio’s New Year’s party, and are spotted arriving at the White House far earlier than the scheduled start time. 

January 1st 2025 - The pair have brunch with Okonjo and Beatrice Fox in D.C. 

February 13th 2025, 9:30pm - Photos of the pair watching Hamilton on Broadway begin circulating online.

February 14th 2025, 12:11am - Claremont-Diaz posts a picture of Fox to his Instagram, with the caption Every morning I realise again how lucky I am to be waking up with you - one of the most famous quotes from Fox’s most recent novel.

February 14th 2025, 12:18am - Fox posts a picture of Claremont-Diaz to his Instagram, captioned I can assure you, I’m the lucky one - the following line from his novel. 

February 14th 2025, 7:47am - The pair are photographed leaving Claremont-Diaz’ New York apartment. Fox wears a Georgetown sweater - notably the college Claremont-Diaz attended before NYU Law. 

“Who’s the source claiming it’s the lake house?” Percy asked over the phone after sending Henry the link to the article.

“I want to know who’s been paying attention to whether I’m at trivia or not,” Henry retorted from his office in the Brooklyn shelter. “I also can’t quite believe how many people care.”

“You bagged yourself the most eligible bachelor in the States and you’re shocked people care?” Pez questioned. “His mum is the President. Plus, he’s gorgeous.”

Henry laughed softly.

“I’m aware of what he looks like,” he admonished. “I’m dreading seeing the kids today. I managed to get to my office without bumping into anyone, but I need to go down and set up soon.”

“Some of them are gonna be so mad that you went public before telling them,” Percy agreed. “Quit looking for sympathy when you’re out there quoting your own book about a man who’s obsessed with you.”

“I considered writing something in Spanish but I’d never live it down if I misgendered an inanimate object,” Henry reasoned, earning a laugh.

“I’ve got to run, but I’m proud of you,” Pez told him. “Let me know how it goes with the kids later.”

“Alright, stay safe,” Henry replied. “Speak soon.”

Almost as soon as he hung up the phone, there was a knock at his office door.

“It’s open,” Henry called, putting his phone in his desk drawer.

Jenna, one of the resident care workers, opened the door with what could only be described as a shit-eating grin on her face.

“God, shut the door if we’re gonna talk about this,” Henry told her, leaning back in his seat. 

She laughed, shutting the door and sitting down on the small couch.

“Two of the kids have asked me if you’re bringing your boyfriend to the event,” Jenna announced. “The first time I didn’t even know what they were talking about.”

Henry grimaced slightly.

“Surprise?”

Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Is he coming, though?” she asked. “I know he came to the Staten Island opening so it’s kinda rude you haven’t brought him here yet.”

“He’s not coming,” Henry explained. “He’s got class, but I’ll talk to him about maybe visiting once all of the public interest has died down a bit.”

Jenna nodded, eyeing him curiously.

“What’s on your mind?” Henry asked. 

“Have you had dinner with the President?”

Henry laughed, leaning forward with his forearms on his desk.

“You want a secret?”

She nodded enthusiastically. 

“I’ve had Thanksgiving dinner with the President.”

Her jaw dropped open, causing Henry to grin.

“You don’t even celebrate!” she blanched. “What do you call her while you’re having dinner? Madam President?”

“None of this leaves this room,” Henry began, earning an eye roll.

“Obviously,” she agreed. “I’m only asking because I’m your favourite and most trusted employee.”

“I don’t have favourites,” Henry informed her. “I always try to call her ma’am but she often insists on Ellen.”

“You’re on first name terms with the President of the United States?” she clarified, and Henry shrugged.

“I’m kind of dating her son, don’t know if you heard,” he teased. “Plus her daughter is one of my closest friends. I’ll admit that it still catches me off guard to almost constantly be one degree of separation from the President.”

“That means I’m only two degrees of separation from the President,” Jenna quips. “Which is gonna be my new fun icebreaker fact, so thanks.”

Henry rolled his eyes.

“Alright, not to pull the manager card, but we are at work right now,” he reminded her. “How’s it looking out there?”

“Like Cupid and a Pride parade had an incredibly glittery baby,” she informed him. “Thrilled to be scheduled on set up and not clean up.”

“I’ll head down in a minute,” Henry announced in a politely dismissive tone. “If you could attempt to get them not to bombard me with questions that would be great.”

Jenna got to her feet.

“I can’t promise anything,” she told him, heading for the door. “But I’ll definitely try to make sure the older ones keep their questions PG.”

Henry groaned, having not even considered the possibility of R-rated questions, and Jenna laughed as she closed the door behind her.

The event went smoothly, though he was asked several times, both by staff and young people, why Alex wasn’t there. A simple “He’s studying, he’s sorry he couldn’t make it,” didn’t quite cut it, and Henry ended up promising that Alex would come to visit another day that he was in the office.

In return, he made them promise not to be super weird about it.

When Henry left the shelter, he was somewhat surprised to find paparazzi waiting for him.

He kept his head down as he made his way towards his house, trying to ignore their shouts.

He wasn’t exactly expecting them to follow him, but it became apparent that they weren’t letting up.

“Henry, how long have you and Alex been together?” someone asked.

“Were you with Alex when he came to the shelter opening?” another called.

Henry clenched his jaw, pulling out his phone to message Alex.

He stepped into a convenience store, figuring they wouldn’t follow him in, and ordered himself a ride. He felt a bit silly for not having thought of it himself, but figured it could be excused seeing as people with cameras were shouting questions at him.

A car would be there in five minutes, so he looked around the store to pass the time, grabbing some snacks and a couple of treats for David. 

Once his car arrived, he made his way back outside and through the camera flashes, getting into the back seat.

“Shit, you famous or something?” the driver asked, immediately locking the door and starting to drive.

“Apparently so,” Henry replied, breathing a sigh of relief at finally being rid of them.

The driver looked at him curiously through the mirror, and Henry raised an eyebrow.

“Anything I’d’ve seen you in?” the driver asked, earning a laugh. “You look familiar.”

“God, no, I’m not an actor,” Henry replied. “I’m an author.”

“Athur Fox’s kid!” he exclaimed, hitting the wheel. “My pa is convinced he had yours in the back of his car when he was on Broadway. He’s never gonna believe I’ve had you in mine.”

“Your father was a cab driver in the early nineties?” Henry asked, pleased that he was being recognised for his father, rather than his relationship.

“Yeah, and yours is his claim to fame,” he laughed. “Small world, huh?”

“I apologise that I’m far less interesting and much less of a claim to fame than my father was,” Henry joked, causing the driver to shrug.

“Well this is my first time being hounded by paps so I’d say you’re pretty famous too.”

Henry shook his head, looking out the window as they got closer to his house.

“They’ll be onto the next big story soon enough,” he murmured, reassuring himself if anything. “Sorry for calling you out on such a short journey, I promise I’ll tip you for the inconvenience.”

The driver laughed.

“I was confused when I said yes to the trip but seeing all the cameras, it makes sense,” he admitted. 

It wasn’t too long before they were pulling up outside Henry’s house, and he felt relieved that nobody seemed to be waiting to snap a picture.

“Thanks so much for the ride,” Henry said, getting out of the car. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Anytime,” the driver replied. “Stay safe out there.”

“You too,” he smiled, closing the door and making his way inside.

David and Henry were hanging out on the couch when Alex arrived, and David let out a disgruntled huff as Henry got up to answer the door.

“We weren’t followed,” Cash assured Henry as he let them in. “I’ll stay for a few minutes then head home if you’re both staying in tonight.”

“I don’t plan on leaving this house for a long time,” Alex murmured, attempting to crowd Henry against the wall in the hallway, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Christ, behave,” Henry chided, pushing him back with a laugh as Cash lightly shoved Alex’s head.

“Wait for me to leave, you delinquent,” he requested.

“Leave now,” Alex suggested, and Cash rolled his eyes.

“Strict orders to keep a closer eye on you until the excitement dies down,” he explained as they headed through to the living room, where David excitedly greeted the new arrivals. “You’ve got to call me when you plan to leave, even if it’s to walk the dog.”

“I know, Mom told me,” Alex informed them. “Got myself a babysitter again.”

Henry smiled, sitting on the couch and patting the seat next to him.

“She’s looking out for you, it’s sweet,” he commented.

Alex huffed as he sat down, Cash taking the armchair.

“Boys, you’ve got to take this seriously,” he told them, all teasing gone from his tone. “I know Zahra is working overtime to stop more articles about the two of you from popping up, but you’re both all anyone can talk about. The news cycle moves quickly, so we need to keep you safe until it moves on to something else.”

Henry swallowed.

“You think we’re not safe?” he questioned, taking Alex’s hand.

“I didn’t say that,” Cash hedged. “My job is to keep Alex safe in general, and the boss has informed me that extends to you. We just need to make you guys so painfully boring that people forget you just launched your relationship out of nowhere. NYC’s ‘it’ couple, or whatever. Let someone else take the attention, and we’ll be mostly back to normal.”

Alex nodded, bringing their joined hands to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of Henry’s.

“Do you have any insight on the articles Zahra’s trying to shut down?” he asked. 

Cash sighed, sitting back and folding his arms.

“Does the name Justin Fortini mean anything to either of you?”