#Alex/Henry

[ofinkandust]

i love summarizing rwrb

[pinkamour1588]

Firstprince Sticky Notes

I had the headcanon last night that Alex leaves and hides sticky notes all over their home. It starts when Henry is going through a depressive episode. Alex “breaks into” the brownstone. (He has a key. He just shows up uninvited and when Henry is sleeping or has managed to drag himself to work.) He puts sticky notes all over the brownstone with things that he loves about Henry, many of them come off the Incomplete List. After he sees how much Henry loves them, it becomes a thing. He starts putting the date on when he wrote the note. (Though they have a playful argument over the correct way to write the date.) He starts not only does he just stick the notes places like countertops and cabinets, he also hides them. He’ll stick one in the bottom of Henry’s sock drawer, under his laptop, inside his favorite mug, in the book Henry’s reading, in the pocket of his coat, etc. Alex takes it as a challenge to hide them as well as he can. He hides one so well that Henry doesn’t find it until they’re moving out of the brownstone. It’s dated as late Fall 2022. (As in, it’s been hidden for over three years.) It says something like “I love waking up next to you every morning. I want to do it for the rest of my life.”

Early on, they're pretty basic and just include things from the incomplete list or just say “I love you”. Over time, they become more elaborate. Some of the notes are quotes from historical love letters, like they had put in their emails. Some have song lyrics. Some have inside jokes. Some have reminders of things they’ve done together (spicy and not spicy). Some have puns Alex tries to make. The first time he stuck to Henry's favorite mug just has the description of how Henry likes his tea (how long he brews it, what he puts in his tea and how much, etc)

The notes also become color coded. 

Red is spicy things. 

Light yellow is things directly from the Incomplete List. 

Light blue is observations, like the tea or noting which sweater is Henry's favorite.

Hot pink is David related. 

Light pink is future pets. 

Purple/lavender is future child(ren)/fatherhood related. 

White is boring adulting (like reminders of appointments).

Novelty sticky notes (like taco shaped sticky notes) are mostly just “I love you” notes (written in glitter gel pen when Alex is feeling particularly extra). 

Of course, Henry eventually gets in on leaving sticky notes for Alex.* His are written on mint green sticky notes. (The date is written on those ones too.)

~~~

*This morning, I realized this is somewhat canon based on Casey’s Threads post...

Also tagging @starkfridays cause she contributed to the discussion of this headcanon (and it seems the wonderful other people--Ellie, Ishita, and Barghav--who also contributed don't have Tumblr).

[saquesha13]

raise your hand if you want a sequel where these two have their own royal wedding 🙋‍♀️

It would involve cake, smoochin’, vacations in texas, and some modest husband sexy times

[getmehighonmagic]

Sentences Sunday, April 7th 2024

Hi, I'm back from the dead. Missed me? Lol. I'm so sorry I've been slacking, I haven't been in a great space, mentally, but I'm gonna try to tag along again!

Thanks for the tags @duchessdepolignaca03 @wordsofhoneydew @hgejfmw-hgejhsf and @itsmaybitheway ♥

From take me back to San Francisco, coming soon:

Sitting on top of the hill at one end of the Golden Gate Bridge, the sun going down over the horizon and stars slowly appearing above them, Henry doesn’t think he’s ever been happier, nor will he ever be again. The ice cream sandwiches Alex had picked up - a big scoop of madagascar bourbon vanilla bean flavoured ice cream between two thick sea salt chocolate chip cookies - are soft and sweet, and when Henry takes a bite, it practically melts on his tongue. “Bloody hell,” he moans, savouring the taste. “Hmm,” Alex agrees with a nod, a scrunch of pure delight between his brows. He licks the fingers of his right hand clean and reaches into his backpack, pulling out a bottle of champagne and two plastic flutes. “Better make it worth your time.” He grins and puts his ice cream sandwich down in the container it came in to open the bottle and pour them both a glass. “Alex,” Henry whispers, his chest expanding, “you’re worth it, regardless.” The words mean so much, more than he dares to express, and Alex seems to feel it too, because his eyes tear up behind his glasses when he says, “So are you, baby.”

No pressure tagging @magicandarchery @bigassbowlingballhead @eusuntgratie @sparklepocalypse @kiwiana-writes @happiness-of-the-pursuit @affectionatelyrs @indomitable-love @heysweetheart-writes @firenati0n @anchoredarchangel @clottedcreamfudge @anincompletelist @cricketnationrise @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @lostcol @matherines @captainjunglegym @thinkof-england @inexplicablymine @three-drink-amy @priincebutt @nocoastposts @littlemisskittentoes @cha-melodius @i-am-freyja @saturntheday @ships-to-sail @bitbybitwrites @cactusdragon517 @ninzied @porcelainmortal ♥

[roseharpermaxwell]

First firstprince from me! ❤️🤍💙

Shoot Your Shot, Alex/Henry. M, 4.2k

Jimmy raises his eyebrows in anticipation. “First celebrity crush?”

As usual, Alex’s mouth is moving before his mind can catch up.

“Oh,” he gestures, like this is both obvious and the easiest question he’s ever been asked. “Prince Henry.”

[softest-cinnamon-roll]

“June plucks away at “Annie’s Song,” you fill up my senses like a night in a forest, and the breeze keeps moving to meet the highest branches of the trees, and the water keeps rising to meet the bulkheads, and Henry leans down to meet Alex’s mouth, and Alex is. Well, Alex is so in love he could die.”

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

Happy Birthday Alex Claremont-Diaz

Happy Birthday to my soul character. ACD!

A.K.A. "He is." Alex taught me so much about loving myself just the way I am. Alex is a comfort and friend to me on a daily basis since the first moments I read about his story. There's never been a character to me who feels like they were written to help me navigate through life, quite like ACD and to have him on screen representing me, and so many other people is a dream come true. In a life filled with me always being told or believing that I'm "too much", after finding Alex, I gained a newer understanding of myself and how important it is that I find power from the "too much" and how I can redefine that myself and use it as a stregth and something to be proud of.

Happy Birthday, Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz. My dear Alex who has shown me freedom isn't just a length of rope, but that it's a rope attached to our chests pulling us toward the people who we can be courageous enough to love and find freedom with. To Alex, who helped Henry find his stregth and who had his arms open wide to comfort and love him the way he desperately needed. To Alex, who gave two of the most beautiful speeches I have ever read/heard, that were life changing and are words that I think about daily. I love you, Alex. You are brave, kind and so true to yourself. And I know you're spending your day being loved on by Henry, and by having some fun with your friends too, just like this.

[royal-chandler]

Written for the following prompt from @rwrbprompts: “Alex coming come from a day of hell to a cuddly baby and cuddly Henry and makes his day much better.”

<3

Finally home, Alex drops his keys into their designated bowl, his briefcase on the floor, and himself face first into the couch without much care. Miserably, he groans into the throw pillow he’s half-contemplating suffocating himself with. Today has been a package shipped directly from a deep circle of hell—stuffed with two coffee spills down his tie and a second shirt, a broken phone, negotiations with opposing counsel falling through, and having to explain to a frightened kid that her case would have to go to trial with her possibly testifying. All this wrapped and bow-tied with Austin’s heavy rush hour traffic and some asshole riding his bumper for three straight miles on I-35.

He hears Henry’s footfalls descend the stairs and then come close, proceeding with caution. Soon, loving fingers comb through his hair and Alex can breathe easy for the first time all day, the stress and chaos snuffed out by his husband's comfort. Washed away as Henry’s touch moves in like the sea. Alex turns into it and peels his eyes open to the image of Henry crouched at his side with Bianca held against Henry’s chest. Alex’s family crowds his view in a way that has him feeling moony and madly in love—reminds him that he’s actually the luckiest person on the planet.

“Are you alright, darling?” Henry asks, concerned and eyes soft.

“I broke my phone,” Alex mumbles, mournfully.

“I know,” Henry says quietly, thumb skimming over Alex’s cheekbone. “You called me from your office phone and told me, remember?”

With a sigh, Alex admits what he’s truly been afraid to poke at and give voice to. “I’m going to lose this case, Henry.”

Mindful of their baby between them, Henry nudges him, snatching a campaigning kiss that’s firm and insisting. Fiercely, he whispers to Alex, “A setback is not losing.”

“What smug fucker told you that?” Alex chuckles against Henry’s mouth.

“The one I’m staring straight at,” Henry replies with one more kiss that loiters before it leaves. He then tuts, adding disapprovingly, “Who also seems to want our daughter’s first word to be four-lettered and R-rated.”

Alex reaches out his hand and rests it on her small sleeper-covered back. He’s still fascinated by how amazingly real she is, growing and becoming more of a person every day. She shifts around, attention swiveling to Alex, her mahogany brown eyes shining like new dimes as she drools over her fist that she's fussily trying to feast on.

Teething is starting to upend the household.

“I think she would prefer to curse if she could, if we’re being honest, Henry.”

“Get up. She came down here for a cuddle.”

“Did she?” Alex stands and takes Bianca into his arms when Henry passes her. He velcros her to him, dropping a kiss to her curly head as he bounces her a bit and gets her to chat animatedly with buh, and yes, fuh sounds. “Hey, hey, Binky. Hey, princesa, does Daddy think Papi doesn’t know what he’s up to?”

“And what would that be?” Henry poses, his teasing smile poorly held back.

“You wanted a hand-off because you’ve been home with a cranky baby all day and pounced on the chance the minute you got it,” Alex says, reeling him in with his free hand so he can hold fast to them both. “All under the guise of checking up on me.”

“Caught red-handed,” Henry says, his smile jailbreaking with a laugh that vibrates Alex alongside Bianca’s little heel kicks. Fondly, “Has anyone ever told you you’re quite good at what you do?”

“Some smug fudgsicle,” Alex tells him, thinking of little pitchers and their big ears. With a surge of gratitude, he thinks of his family that he gets to come home to and feel warmed by every day and how desperate he is to not get used to his wonderful husband or their beautiful girl, to never look at them as less than the fairytale-caliber picture they make up. “Who rewrote my life and my dreams in one night with the best love I’ve ever been given and gotten to share.”

“Alex, darling,” Henry starts.

With his heart set in motion, Alex shakes his head and holds Henry tighter, dipping down to Henry’s ear and breathing, “I just—thank you.”

—

maybe a little obsessed with this little family, idk

crossposted to my ao3, where i’m starting a collection of little ficlets i write for firstprince.

[dwell-the-brave]

NEW FIC ALERT - 'A King Is But A Man'

“Whereas by an instrument of abdication dated the 12th day of December instant, Her former Majesty Queen Catherine I did declare her irrevocable determination to renounce the throne for herself, and the said instrument of abdication has now taken effect, whereby the Crown of Great Britain, Ireland, and all other Her former Majesty's dominions is now solely and rightfully come to the High and Mighty Henry George Edward James,” announces the Garter King of Arms. Henry asks a footman to turn it off before they can hear any more. The only sounds in the room are the clinking of teaspoons against china, and the distant boom of the 21-gun salutes. *** Queen Catherine I abdicates.

The fifth (and final planned) part of my Heavy Weighs the Crown series has now started posting. You can find it on AO3 -> Here <-

I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a comment or kudos (or both) if you do.

[nocoastposts]

Praise & Supplication

Alex is always moving, always going, always seeking. He is defiance and brashness tinged with anxiety, but not in these moments. Henry pins him down with a gaze as heavy as his touch, and all of Alex’s motions cease. He is calm, he is obedient, he is pliable. He knows he’ll be broken apart piece by piece, sending waves of heat deep into his core.

or

When Alex gets stuck in his head, Henry helps him let go.

[nhasablogg]

I guess you're all mine when you're sleeping in this bed with me

Fandom: Red White and Royal Blue

Characters: Alex/Henry

Summary: Henry needs Alex to tickle his back most nights to fall asleep, until the tickling becomes a little too ticklish for him.

A/N: Prompted by @iamawolfstarsimp, thank you! It's been four years since I read the book, so please forgive anything that might seem out of character. I hope you enjoy! I can't wait for the movie!

Words: 1k

Alex enjoyed sleeping with Henry - sleeping with as in sharing his bed, fighting for the covers, waking up to his bedhead and kisses - for three main reasons.

The first one was because he adored how His Royal Highness would blink up at him sleepily each morning and smile, actions he did on instinct before his brain caught up with his body and made him try to play it cool, much to Alex’s amusement.

The second was because of how Henry would press his nose into Alex’s throat, nuzzling him in such an adorably human way that Alex would laugh incredulously each time (also maybe because it tickled, a little).

The third and biggest reason was the lengths Henry would go to to get Alex to “help him fall asleep”, as he called it. Usually it involved many distractions, but sometimes it really was just Alex scratching his back until he felt him finally relax under his touch. And while it could be annoying, being yanked out of sleep to be of service, there was something so delicious about a literal prince needing his help with something so mundane.

(They hadn’t talked about why he couldn’t sleep yet - Alex reckoned they would have to one day.)

Henry was melting under his touch that night. Alex hadn’t allowed him to toss and turn for too long before he’d dutifully reached out, fingertips sliding skillfully over the skin, following each bump and curve, up and down, back and forth, and Henry was shivering maybe because he was being a little too light on the hand.

“Is it helping?” he mumbled, eyes closed and much too close to sleep again, hence the light touch, but Henry only grunting in response made him instantly perk up. It had only been a moment and Henry never fell asleep that quickly.

He had his eyes wide open when Alex opened his, looking anything but relaxed. “What?”

“You’re asking me?” Alex blinked once, twice. “Are you okay?”

“Of course.”

“All right.”

“Why do you ask?”

“I just-” Had Alex imagined it? “Nothing.”

“Well, keep going then.”

Rolling his eyes, Alex resumed his petting, feeling Henry tense up under his hand before relaxing, only this time he seemed to tense up again almost immediately. It made Alex want to snatch his hand away, give into indignation or confusion since it would be so easy to get upset over it had he been in the mood, but all he did was sit up and force Henry to look at him.

“It’s nothing,” Henry said, sitting up as well, both of their bodies radiating heat in the already too hot room. “It’s stupid.”

“Well, it can’t be both.”

“Funny.”

“You know you can talk to me, right?” He wondered if it had anything to do with how Henry would lay awake half the night sometimes, staring at the ceiling until Alex pulled him close. “If something’s bothering you.”

“I know.” Henry’s face softened. It was ridiculous how soft he could be sometimes when he looked at him. “I promise you it’s nothing serious.”

“But it’s something.”

“It’s embarrassing?”

“Oh? Now I really gotta hear it.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” The sun had set hours ago and Henry had flown in from a brief visit back home only the day prior. He was tired. They both were.

“Fine.” Alex leaned closer and pressed his lips to his temple, smiling when Henry hummed happily. “But if you act weird again I’ll stop petting you.”

“I won’t act weird, I promise.” For some reason he was avoiding Alex’s gaze.

Alex tried to be more aware of how he was touching him when he resumed, what part of his back that made Henry tense up, what spot made his breath hitch. He pretended he didn’t notice it when it started again, realizing how hard Henry seemed to be trying to stop it, and that was when it hit him.

“Oh my god, your back is ticklish.” It wasn’t the first time Alex had discovered a sensitive spot, but it surprised him that Henry still seemed to be able to keep certain tickle spots from him, even after all this time. He was nearly offended.

“It’s not,” Henry said weakly, but when Alex purposefully poked his lower back he let out a sound so delicious that Alex did it again just to hear it.

“That doesn’t sound like a non-ticklish back to me,” he said with a grin and Henry groaned, all too aware of how Alex never let things like these go.

“You’re worse than me,” Henry reminded him in vain, for Alex might be worse but Henry was never able to turn the tables once Alex got him.

“Mmm, at least I’m not pretending otherwise.” That wasn’t true. Henry had to tickle him to pieces three separate times before Alex even admitted to being ticklish.

Henry tried to flip over to shield his back, which would be kind of stupid since his belly and ribs were death spots, but Alex enjoyed the prospect of a new spot more and was on top of him within seconds, knees locking around his hips as he started laughing when Henry swore.

“Get off,” he growled, but the giggle that escaped simultaneously made his words sound very unthreatening. “Alex, I promise you I will get revenge.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Alex poked his back again, this time aiming for just below his shoulder blade. “Hmm, it seems only certain spots are ticklish. Let’s figure out which ones, shall we?”

“Oh my god, please, do-hon’t! Alex, I swear to-”

“Shoulders? Really, Henry?”

“Shut up!”

“Lift your arms a bit for me, darling.”

“You’re so fucking annoying- stop.”

“Back ribs, huh? How about the back of your hips? Let me try that lower back again while I’m down there.”

You’d think this would keep Henry from asking for back tickles in the future, but it didn’t. All it did was make their nights gigglier and Henry fall asleep quicker due to exhaustion.

[ofinkandust]

love them

[pinkamour1588]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue (2023) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Characters: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Cuddling & Snuggling, Morning Kisses, Anxiety, Forehead Kisses, Laughter, Angst and Humor, Sleepiness, Sleep Summary:

“Hey, Henry. Are you awake?” Alex asked, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. “Unfortunately,” Henry sighed into his pillow.

OR

Alex asks ridiculous questions when he can't sleep.

[jmagnabo92]

Loyalty of Friendship

Does it still count as WIP Wednesday if I'm posting it? Who knows!

***

When Henry leaves him at broken-hearted at the Lake House, Alex struggles with returning to life before Henry, but he's lucky to have a good support system with very loyal friends.

***

It sucks that Henry ran away just when Alex was ready to jump and hope it wasn’t a cliff, but maybe Alex was the only one in love here. 

It made sense, honestly.

Alex had made it clear what this was, and he never said that he thought of Henry as his boyfriend.  He crossed that line without checking that Henry was in on it with him. 

It still sucked, but it was fair. 

He let himself get in too deep and that’s what he gets.  Everyone always leaves eventually.

June was right, he should’ve told him that he was feeling things … feeling different about everything… now, it’s too late. 

It’d been awkward with his family when they realized Henry had left in the middle of the night without a goodbye.

It’d been worse when Alex returned to the White House and after a week, his mom had Zahra put him back on First Son duties supporting her campaign.  It was like … actually admitting it was over. 

Henry wasn’t coming back.  He wasn’t changing his mind. 

He’d just left.  It opened a wound that cut as deep as his dad’s leaving while he was at camp.  Next to the one that Liam had left when he stopped answering Alex’s messages – at least, Alex understood now – Liam had stopped because he was protecting himself, his own heart. 

And now, Alex has to protect his heart.

So, he went back to work.  Throwing himself into the campaign once again and ignoring the fact that it didn’t make him as happy as it once did – not when returning to the campaign meant losing his boyfriend.  

***

Things slowly got back to normal.  He focused on getting his mom re-elected despite June’s objections.  He put Henry out of his mind, except when he couldn’t.

It was a month or so after the ‘breakup’ when Alex is back in his room at the White House – a two-day break at ‘home’ for the first time since he started working as First Son and the campaign again. 

June’s sitting on his bed, trying to distract him with articles like they used to do when her phone dings.

She glances at it and rolls her eyes but doesn’t bother to answer back.

“Ooooh, who earned that look?” Alex teases. 

“Look, what look?”

“Come on, June.  You looked at that phone like whoever texted you personally offended you.  Like how dare they have the audacity to text you,” Alex states.  “So, who is it?  What did they say?  Do I have to go punch someone?”

“No, no.  It’s no one.”

June shakes her head and moves to hide her phone. 

Alex frowns.  “June, why are you lying to me?”

“Technically, I’m not lying – you don’t have to go punch anyone,” June assures him.

“I also asked you who it was and what they said.”

“It doesn’t matter, and it’s not important.”

“June.” 

June shakes her head and takes a deep breath.  “Fine, it was Pez, and he wants to hang out while he’s in the states.”

Oh. 

For some reason, he knows that he shouldn’t be surprised.  Of course, Pez, who’s been crushing on June since before he met her would want to hang out with her now that he has, in fact, met her.  Only twice, but who’s counting? 

There’s a part of him that doesn’t want her to still be friends with him because that’s a line to Henry and he doesn’t want that connection there, but that wouldn’t be fair.  He wouldn’t want her to stop herself from being friends with someone on his account.

He could… deal with the awkwardness.  He’ll get Henry eventually and just because June’s hanging out with Pez doesn’t mean he and Henry will cross paths or hear about each other, right?

“Oh, well, you should hang out with him if that’s what you want.”

He tries to hide his mixed feelings about it by returning to the speech that he’d been neglecting for the event in Texas.

“Are you kidding me?”  June scoffs.  “Of course, I’m not going to hang out with him.”

He looks up at her, surprised.  He wants to say something about his conflicted emotions, but instead just asks, “Why not?”

“Well, for one, we’re not actually friends,” June states.  “He’s had a crush on me since before we met, and we’ve only met slash hung out twice.  And both of those times were because of you… so for the second reason, it’s the code.  Friendship of loyalty.  My loyalty will always be with you.  Even if it’s been a decade and we’d been hanging out all that time before the breakup, I would still choose you over Henry’s friend.  It’s like with Nora.  We would’ve had to be friendly because of the whole nonsense trio thing but we didn’t have to be best friends – if you two hadn’t worked out being friends, I never would’ve become best friends with her.  I’m always going to be on your side, Alex… plain and simple.”

There’s a warmth that spreads through him.  He doesn’t want to admit it, but there’s a part of him that needed to know that someone was in his corner.  No matter what.

Even if that meant pushing off the chance to build a friendship. 

“June, I – I want to be able to tell you that you don’t have to do that, but… thank you.”

June reaches over and squeezes his hand.  “You’re my itty-bitty baby brother and I’m always going to be on your side.”

“I appreciate that and I’m always on your side, too.”

“That was never a question.”

***

It’s over.

His mom won.

It’s great… so why is he sitting here outside on the steps, staring up at the night sky wondering why he’s not happier.  He should be happy.  Thrilled even.  His mom won.  It’s what he’d been focused on for more than a year. 

A year-long goal and they won.

They even won Texas! 

Alex’s hard work with regards to Texas meant something, but he just…

“You okay, mijo?”

He jumps, but he’s not surprised when he’s joined on the steps by his father. 

“Yeah, just wanted some air.”

“Thought you’d be celebrating with your ma and sister, another term, it’s great, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s everything we wanted… it’s great.”

“That doesn’t sound very happy.”

Alex shrugs, not looking at his dad.  “You know, I’m not naïve enough to think that being in politics doesn’t come with a cost, especially… considering… but there was a part of me that thought it wouldn’t cost me anything until it was me running.”

Oscar laughs causing Alex to look at him. 

“You’re laughing?”

“Alex, you’ve already been paying the price for your ma’s politics for years – ever since she decided to make you and June celebrities.  You paid the price for your ma and I being in politics when we were gone in D.C., when we got divorced, etc… you were made into someone you weren’t – long before she was even elected… you literally decided to lie to the world about your friendship with Henry and then your relationship with him because of politics.  You were hidden away for months, and you’re just the son of a politician.”

He's right. 

“I just – I always wanted to be a politician, but I don’t …”

“You don’t have to be a politician, Alex.  You’re so intelligent that you can do anything you set your mind to,” his dad says.  “And you don’t have to decide that now, you can make your own choice in your own time.  Right now…”

“Right now… I should be celebrating.”

He nods.  “Yeah.”

“Then, let’s do it.”

***

Despite the fact that he should absolutely be happy – his mom won, again – now that the busy-ness of the campaign is over, he can’t help thinking about Henry.  Especially today. 

The day before Thanksgiving.  A year since he first called him in terror over the turkeys that are once again in his room – sometimes he wonders about why he cares about the spending so much that he’s reliving his worst nightmare, but he doesn’t like wasteful spending.

If only he could call Henry, again.  He made him feel better.  Even if there was that teasing flirting, God how had he not realized?

He reaches for his phone.  Just because Henry doesn’t love him, doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, right?

“What are you doing?”

Alex jumps.  June’s standing in his doorway.

“Uh, being terrorized by mom’s stupid turkeys.”

“No… with your phone.  Were you going to call Henry?”

How the hell did she know? 

“Uh, no.”

“Alex,” she says, sternly as she walks towards the bed and joins him.

He rolls his eyes.  There’s no point in lying.

“I just thought – well, it’s been a while… and Nora and I are friends, and Liam and I made up –”

Liam had shown up on election night with his boyfriend.  They’d talked it out, and Liam had admitted that he missed Alex’s friendship, and that he’d only stopped answering because he needed to get over the hurt before he could be his friend again. 

“– and you think that you and Henry could be friends?”

Alex shrugs.  “Well, I mean, clearly, I’m capable of it.  I’m sure he is, too.  It’s even possible that he’d be easier at it since he always thought of us as just friends…”

June frowns.  “Is that what you think?  That he thought of you two as just friends?”

“Well, with benefits.”

“Alex, no.  That’s not true –”

“Of course it is!  I went to tell him I loved him, and he ran away.  Obviously, he didn’t feel the same way.  We were just – having fun.  I should’ve realized.”

“I’ve never met someone be so dense before.”  June rolls her eyes.  “Alex… I don’t know if this will be easier for you to hear or make the end of things harder, but Henry was in love with you, too.  It was written all over his face the first time that I saw you two together.  You know – when he rearranged his business to be here for your birthday.  Remember, I went with you to the Met.  The way he looked at you, then… in LA, God it was like you hung the moon.”

Alex shakes his head.  “You’re wrong.  If he loved me, why would he run away?”

“Because he can’t come out.”

“Of course he can!  He just doesn’t want to…” he trails off. 

He ran away the first time that he kissed Alex and went on a date with a woman because the queen had set him down on his eighteenth birthday and told him that he couldn’t let his deviant desires reflect poorly on the crown…

Oh.

Henry had told him plainly that he couldn’t – couldn’t come out… and Alex was talking about the next summer and making out and not caring about the neighbors seeing…

Alex doesn’t resist putting his face in his hands. 

“Alex?  What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head.  “Bug, I’m such an idiot.  I was over here worrying about mom’s election because Zahra put it into my head that it would cost her the election if Henry and I were caught… but he told me that the stupid Queen sat him down on his eighteenth birthday and told him to hide his deviant desires and essentially throwing him in the closet forever.”

“It’s not your fault that he wasn’t clear with you –”

“He was, though!  He told me and I just – I guess I ignored it.”  He shakes his head.  “It was fine at first because it was my idea – friends with blowjobs – I did that.  I told him that it was all it could be because of … the election… I never thought that I would … until I was suddenly hit with – my feelings.  I built the wall, and I broke it down, and – and I didn’t even think about whether or not he went along with it was because he needed it too!  I just – it’s my fault…”

“No, it’s not.  Stop that nonsense,” June nearly commands.  “Henry has a voice here that he didn’t use.  He loved you, too, and he could’ve told you that you were more than friends with blowjobs –” she rolls her eyes.  “– I’m pretty sure it was never just that, but he could’ve talked to you about why you could never be out and still be with you and chose not to.  He chose to run rather than talk and just because you changed the rules on him by nearly confessing that doesn’t excuse what he did.”

“But he did tell me.”

“I meant when you clearly got closer – texting, calling, emailing – you gave up the campaign for him that is not something that you do for friends with blowjobs and hell, he met dad that weekend, he had have realized what that meant to you.  He had to have felt things becoming more serious… especially when you didn’t take his option to stop so you could go back to the campaign… and all he had to do was say I love you, too, but this has to stay a secret because of the Queen.  All he had to do was tell you or remind you the situation – he didn’t.  That’s not on you.”

Alex shakes his head.  “It doesn’t matter.  That’s not the point.  Understanding doesn’t make a difference here.”

“Then what is the point?  Why were you going to call him?”

“I thought – I am friends with Nora and Liam and it’s stupid, but I miss him.  We didn’t just – we were friends, you know?  Argued over stupid things like how he’s wrong about his favorite Star Wars film and everything else – he understood me, you know?”

“He’s your match,” June says, softly. 

The words hurt because it means he ruined it for them. 

“Right, so – I mean, I’ve done it before… we could go back to being friends,” Alex states.  “So, I thought I’d start with a picture of the turkeys or call him up and tell him that Cornbread has a demon cousin currently living in my bedroom.”

He doesn’t like the look June’s giving him.  Like she’s trying to figure out how to let him down easy. 

“Alex… I don’t think being friends with Henry is a good idea.”

“Why not?  I’m friends with Nora, Liam…”

“You weren’t in love with Nora or Liam.  Hell, you didn’t even know that you were doing anything more than friends do with Liam until recently.”

Alex shrugs.  “It’s not a big difference.  I just have to be a bit careful, but since we live in different countries, it’s not like I really have to control myself in his presence –”

June rolls her eyes.  “This isn’t about whether or not you can control yourself and you know it.  You’ve given him far more than you ever did Nora or Liam and you’re still in love with him…”

“I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

She’s right and he knows it. 

“Okay, well, I can – I’m good at avoiding my feelings.  I’ll put them in a box and ignore them.”

“That’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard!  It’s not healthy and I’m not going to let you do it,” June states, plainly.  “Okay, you want to be friends with him some day, that’s fine – today’s not that day.  Take a leaf out of Liam’s book.  You have to wait until you’ve moved on from him and then, maybe, becomes friends again.”

It’s probably for the best, but there was a part of him that was hoping maybe he could intentionally start something again… something more than friendship.  She’s right though, he shouldn’t go there, again.

Alex sighs.  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

***

“Come on, let’s go party!” Nora says as she bursts into his room some day in December where he’s looking at possible jobs that would allow him to do good in the world. 

He glances down and notes that he’s in his underwear since he’s doing this in bed.  “Uh, I’m not dressed to go out – and don’t you knock?”

“You’re wearing just underwear that’s strange since you normally don’t wear any,” Nora says, shrugging.  “And I don’t need to knock – there’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“It doesn’t mean that I’m not allowed privacy or the decency of someone not bursting in on me –”

“Ouch,” Nora states, arms crossed as she sits on the bed across from him.  “What’s up with you?”

Alex shrugs.  “Nothing.  I’m just busy.”

“Don’t lie to me now, Alejandro.”

Alex shakes his head.  “It’s dumb.”

“If it bothers you, it’s not.”

He closes the laptop and tosses it to the side. 

“I just keep thinking that things wouldn’t have changed if Zahra hadn’t burst on us at the DNC.  Then, I never would’ve told mom, and she wouldn’t have fired me and told me that I had to make a choice – find out if I felt a thousand percent about him.  I could’ve kept going… with what we had… with what he wanted… with what we were both happy with.”

“For how long?”

“I – well, what kind of question is that?” Alex questions, confused.  “That’s not the point I was trying to make.”

“I understood what the point was, but here’s the thing – Zahra invaded your privacy and it sucked – but all she ended up doing is make you face what you needed to face: the fact that you two were in love and you needed to talk about it.”

Alex frowns.  “I’m complaining about her invading my privacy.”

“I know.”

“And we can’t say that we needed to talk about it or what would’ve happened, the point is that we know what did happen and –”

“– and while it’s true that Zahra bursting in was wrong… it doesn’t change the fact that eventually you would’ve gotten there with being so in love you could die, and you would’ve ended up here,” Nora states, plainly. 

“You don’t know that –”

“You want the odds?”

It doesn’t matter if he nods or doesn’t because she goes into the odds anyway.  Statistics are her thing, and she goes into them anyway.  At first, he wants to deny her math, but she’s right. 

The odds were never in their favor of working out.

He shakes his head when she stops laying out the different possibilities, all of which ended here.

And he needs to stop holding onto the possibility of what could’ve been and accept what is.  It all sucks, but he appreciates that she reiterates what June’s been saying about loyalty of friendship that no matter what she and June are on his side and all they want to do is help him through this. 

Going out is apparently her way of helping…

“Alright, you win.  Let’s go out.”

Nora brightens.  “Really?”

Alex nods.  “Yeah.  I’m sure.”

“Great.”

***

Fuck. 

It’s been months … months… he’s thought about trying to find someone to sleep with – that had been Nora’s plan when she randomly announced that she was taking him out –, but that wasn’t going to heal his heart. 

Especially when he finds himself leaving his own New Year’s party to walk out to the same damn tree that Henry kissed him under a year before. 

He hadn’t been all that gung-ho to do the party this year, especially since Zahra suggested keeping up appearances with Henry until June shot her down.  He shouldn’t be forced to see him until he’s ready.  The problem is that Alex wants to see him, he wants things to be back to the way things were, but he’s not going to get that.

So, instead, he’s out here in the snow wishing that he could’ve just stopped himself from ruining things by trying to tell him how he felt.  That’s all he really had to do. 

Then, he might still be with Henry.  It might hurt to love him and never tell him.  To pretend that it didn’t mean anything when it did, but at least he’d still have him in his life.

“It gets better, you know?”

Alex doesn’t have to turn to know that it’s Liam.  He and Spencer had come for the party.  It was great to see him, nice to have someone who knows him – not his profile.  An actual friend.  Something he missed when he lost Henry and hadn’t yet made up with Liam.

“Hey, enjoying the party?”

“Missing the host.”

“Technically, June and Nora –”

“I remember the first one – when you came up with it, remember?”

Alex laughs.  It’d been his idea.  He was always the more outgoing of him and June and Nora, despite easily making friends, wasn’t much of a partier until she met him.  His mom hadn’t been thrilled with idea until June re-branded it with the name it goes by every year rather than what they prefer to call it.

“Right, yeah, but technically…”

Liam gives him a look and he shakes his head. 

“Yeah, I just needed some air.”

“Yeah, I figured.  Like I said, it gets easier.”

“When?”

Liam coughs.  “Maybe when you let yourself be willing to let him go.”

“You think I’m not willing?”

“Come on, Al.”

Alex shakes his head.  “I think I feel stuck because as long as I’m here, as long as I’m the first son – I might run into him, again, and if I see him…”

“… then you might start up again?  And that’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Alex nods.  “Yeah.”

“Would it be better, then, if he was here?”

“Maybe.”

It’s quiet for a second before Liam says, “Well, he’s not.  And if you don’t want to be the first son, you don’t have to be.”

“My ma just won another four years.”

“Yeah, but – they stopped you from doing the campaign and ‘first son duties’, which by the way is not required or a thing before your ma took over, just because of who you were dating.  It was like a month or two and it would’ve kept going if he hadn’t run out on you – so figure out what you want to do… and go for it.  If that’s a job – a different campaign or going to back to school – do it.  And if that’s ‘quitting’ being the first son – do it.  Whatever’s best for you.”

Alex looks up at the night sky, thinks back to last few months – losing his job, choosing Henry, getting heartbroken, and being useful, again.  Finding out about why Luna ‘defected’ and realizing that maybe he doesn’t want to work in politics anymore, but he doesn’t know what he wants.

He just wants to do good.  He wants to help people.

He thinks back to sitting the LSAT.  To ideas he has with regards to being a lawyer and helping the disadvantage people that have no one to fight for them.

He’s in the best place to do that. 

“Thanks, Li.”

“Anytime.”

***

After that, Alex threw himself into applying for law schools to start in the fall.  He could go to Georgetown, but he figures he needs to leave the White House.  He also casually found excuses not to do First Son things anymore.  June had helped him find excuses – checking out the law schools he was applying to, visiting his dad, etc.  He’s not sure that Zahra or his mom really believes that, but his mom’s so excited that he decided to go to law school that she’s okay with him essentially quitting first son things except the inauguration. 

Until the State Dinner. 

Zahra had once again suggested that Alex should be there … with Henry.  That their ‘friendship’ was still important because people have written about their friendship and how it suddenly disappeared. 

“What does it matter if mom’s already been re-elected?” Alex asks, when he really wants to ask if Henry was really coming.  He’s not sure what he wants the answer to be.  One side – seeing Henry is what he wants, but on the other – it might be better not to see him. 

“Because it’s still important to have strong ties with the UK, and for the public not to question things.  People are suspicious that you went from spending all that time together to not seeing each other in months…”

“Again, what does it matter?  Who cares what the public thinks?  It’s not like my friendship with Henry ever actually impacted the relationship with the UK – so it would just be fake pictures of us pretending once again.”

“So, we know you can do it.”

Alex looks to his mom for support, but she’s not offering up anything.  Great.

“Fine, whatever.  I guess.”

Maybe this is what he needs…

June, who had been texting on her phone, looks up.  “Actually, you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Why not?”

“Because Henry’s not attending the State Dinner, Bea is, and I will gladly pose for pictures with her, so you can leave Alex out of it.”

Alex looks to her, surprised and relieved.  Had she been texting Bea about it?

Zahra opens her mouth to argue or something, who knows, when his mom says, “That works for me.”

“Good.  Then, we can go.”

June grabs his arm and leads him out of the room and to their own rooms before she speaks, “Just so you know, I haven’t been talking to Bea, either.  She falls under the same loyalty rule as Pez, but I knew that Zahra was going to ambush you about the State Dinner – I overheard her and mom yesterday, so I texted her and asked her if they were really going to send Henry here knowing what happened between you.  She confirmed that Henry had never intended to come and that she had volunteered to come in his place.”

He's relieved and disappointed at the same time.  Sure, he didn’t want to have to face Henry, but at the same time, he misses him.  If he knew that they could talk it out and at least be friends (even though June and Liam both make it clear that he’s not ready to be friends with Henry), then he’d be okay to see him, but he doesn’t know how it would go, so… he’d rather not see him.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Here for you, always.”

“Same.”

***

A couple of weeks later, Alex has spent the last week in NYC so he could do his law school interviews.  He feels better every time he’s away from the White House, and despite knowing his name and his position could be part of the reason he’s gotten these interviews, he can, at least, remember that he worked his ass off in school, completing it in three and a half years while being ‘the first son’ and working various campaigns. 

He's earned his spot.

Or at least that’s what June keeps telling him. 

It’s his last night in town.  His interviews here went great, but all of the Valentine’s Day decorations have him thinking about Henry.  Which… is not that uncommon, but he’s hoping someday that wouldn’t be the case.

For now, he’s sitting in the same seat at the same bar in the same hotel that he was sitting in when Henry showed up at the DNC wishing that he wasn’t drinking alone.

Wishing Henry was here.

“Someone looks lonely, mind if I join you?”

Alex would assume the voice is talking to someone else because people usually don’t approach him, but he knows that voice. 

It’s the voice he’s been wanting to hear for months. 

He looks to his left and sure enough it’s Henry. 

He opens his mouth to say that no, he doesn’t mind, but what comes out is, “What the hell are you doing in New York, Henry?”

Henry laughs and Alex can’t help the smile that comes to his face.  It’s really Henry.

“I, er, I know that I am likely not the person you would want to see after I ghosted you again, but, er, I have been going through some changes in my life and I have something that I needed to tell you and I wanted to do it in person.”

“If you’re here to tell me you’re pregnant, the first question I’m going to ask is how,” Alex jokes because he’s a little nervous at suddenly being in Henry’s presence, again. 

“I’d ask how too, so that’s fair,” Henry says, a slight chuckle.  “Do you mind if we go over there to that table over there for a bit more privacy?”

He’s looking around at the people around them, and yeah, they’re starting to get some looks and it’d be better to go to the standing table a ways away from the bar. 

“Yeah, yeah, we can.”

Henry gets a drink and they both move to the table that seems to have a safe bubble of privacy.  He stands with his back to the wall, and Henry joins him a minute later. 

It’s awkward for a second before Henry speaks.

“I know I don’t deserve a minute of your time for the way that I left you with no explanation, but as I said, I have been thinking a lot about my life and everything that I want for my future and with the support of Bea and my mum (believe it or not) I made a big decision and it’ll be aired tomorrow on BBC an early special for Valentine’s Day – it’s an interview and I got an early copy… I’d like for you to watch it.”

It’s not what he expected when Henry said he wanted to talk in person, but Alex nods as Henry hands him his phone with ear buds.

He spares a look at Henry’s hopeful look before pressing play on the video.

There’s a bit where the host does something for Valentine’s Day, and then introduces Henry.  Alex ignores the fluffy back and forth until…

“So, Your Highness, do you have a love in your life?”

“Well, actually, that’s why I am here.  Why I wanted to have this interview.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, see, I’ve been called the ‘Prince of England’s Hearts’ for years now, pretty much since I became an adult, but I’ve always had a secret and that secret is that I could never love any of those women.  I wish I could have, it would’ve made my life so much easier, but I couldn’t and part of that is because I am gay.”

“Gay?  As in –”

“I am only interested in men.  In fact, I am only interested in one particular man, but before I get into that – erm, I’ve decided to come out today because I spent years in the closet, afraid to come out because I was not sure that I would be supported as a gay prince.  I thought that I had to keep hiding, maybe get married to a woman and figure out how to have children because of certain expectations that come with being a prince.”

He takes a deep breath. 

“I was okay with that because I never thought that I would find a man that loved me as much as I loved him and be able to handle being a prince’s boyfriend.  I knew that if I did find someone that the odds of them being able to understand my life and being able to handle coming out as it wouldn’t be easy would be nigh impossible…”

“And yet, you’re coming out now?  Does that mean that you found someone?”

“I did.  I – it’s a long story, but we met years ago, and I saw him across a crowded room like one of those meet-cute moments in romance novels or romantic comedies, except well, my first thought was that he was this amazing man that was living in a dimension that I couldn’t dream of accessing.  He was free in a way that I never dreamed I could be.  No, I thought if someone liked that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.  So, I had to keep him away from me for my own sanity.  Lo and behold, he didn’t get that memo because it was only in my head and he introduced himself to me, and I – I acted like a complete dunce.  I shook his hand and asked my equerry to, erm, get rid of him.  I was unaware that he heard me, but he did, and it actually started a bit of a rivalry.”

“So then, he isn’t the someone you’ve found?” the host asks, confused.

“Oh, no, he is.  See, we had a bit of a back-and-forth situation where I tried to keep my cool every time we met over the next few years (to make sure that my fancy of him wasn’t obvious), and he thought I was playing along with the rivalry – that I was aloof with him because I thought I was too good to consort with him.  Until, of course, an accident led us to spending some time together where I learned why he seemed to dislike me, I apologized, and we became friends.  This was about a year and half ago, now.”

“So, you’ve been with him for a year and a half?”

Henry shakes his head.  “No, we haven’t.  At first, we were just friends – real friends – we chatted every day about our lives and playfully bicker about things we didn’t agree on.  It was … I thought I loved him when I first met him, but actually getting to know him… I fell so hard so fast, but as far as I knew… he was straight.”

“As far as you knew.  How did you find out otherwise?”

“Well, see, my best friend kept insisting he was flirting with me and there was this party – something happened, and I got jealous, and I kissed him… before fleeing the country.”

“You fled the country?” the host questions, clearly not believing him.

“Oh, yes, and I ghosted him.  I was afraid, I thought I ruined everything.  So, I ran, and I didn’t answer his calls or texts, but then I had to see him again and it turns out – he fancied me, too.  He kissed me and made it clear that I was what he wanted.”

“That’s great, isn’t it?”

“It was great, it was perfect – almost.  Except the fact that we were both pretending that it was just … it wasn’t a fully romantic relationship… hiding it made it seem less like we could fall in love.  I was already in love, and I was okay with that, but we kept growing closer and closer, and I know that he fell in love with me, too.”

The host looks confused.  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No, it wasn’t.  I never wanted to hurt him, but I could sense that he might be happy hiding for a while, but some day he was going to want to come out and I never thought I could.  So, I broke his heart.  I walked away back in August…”

“And yet, you’re here.”

“Yes, well, as I said, I never thought that I would be able to or want to come out, but I haven’t been able to get him out of my head in the few months, and my mum and sister wanted to help me by helping me set up the Henry Foundation for LGBTQ+ community, specifically some youth centers that I’m going to be in charge of.”

“And that’s why you’ve come here today to talk about the foundation?”

“Not exactly.  I came here today – hoping that he’ll see this, so that I can tell him that I’m sorry.  That I regret walking away, especially because I was misguided in thinking that I could give him up when I love him so much.  That I know I don’t deserve his forgiveness, but if he’s willing to forgive me – I’m here, now.  I’m out now, and we could be together – if he wants, if he still loves me, if he can forgive me… I’m here and I still love him.”

The host is kind when he says, “I’m sure that with a big apology like this – that he’ll forgive you.”

“I can only hope.”

Alex can see that there’s more than a few minutes of interview left, but he’s seen what Henry wanted him to see. 

He pulls out the earbuds and looks up at Henry uncertain what to say. 

Luckily, Henry speaks first.

“I know that even after all this, after everything I’ve done, that I have no right to ask this, and I expect that you’ll slap me because that’s what I deserve, but as I said, I’m coming out tomorrow – and I’d like to be on a date in Paris on Valentine’s Day with you… if you’ll give me another chance because I love you and I am so sorry for leaving you like that.”

Alex can’t help it when he says, “That’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it?  A first date on Valentine’s Day?”

The fact is – Henry’s confession is overwhelming.  The idea that he was in love with Alex or thought he was, but reacted out of self-preservation because the evil queen had told him that he had to hide who he is, only for Alex to end up pushing through those boundaries for a benefits situation that was never just benefits.  They were both just pretending that was all it was…

Maybe they believed that they had to – because of the election, because of the Queen – they weren’t honest with themselves or with each other, and even if he says yes… it still won’t be easy.  Being out will help or hurt possibly, there’s no way to tell.  It could still be quite difficult…

He’s got another choice here: jump with Henry off a cliff together or walk away once and for all. 

This was their chance to start fresh and on the right foot.  A real relationship. 

If that’s what he wants.

He looks into Henry’s eyes, and he can see that it’s what Henry desperately wants.  He wants Alex to say yes.  To whisk him off to Paris, to be together, again.

Alex wants it, too.

“I – well, yes, I suppose it is,” Henry admits, a flush on his face.  “However, I’ve always been a bit of a romantic and our last visit to Paris was nearly a year ago and … felt different to the first two times…”

“Because we spent the night together, cuddled all night, had breakfast the next morning…” Alex says, thinking of what he’d been thinking the first time – how those things made a relationship and how they couldn’t do those things if they were just having sex.  

“Erm, yes, that makes sense.  Anyways, yes, it is a bit on the nose, but I –”

The rest of what he says is cut off by Alex kissing him.  It’s not as long or passionate as Alex would prefer, largely because they’re in public.  “Yes.  On one condition.”

“Condition?” Henry asks, dazed.  “Anything, name it.”

“You’re not allowed to ghost me, again.  We try this and it doesn’t work – you don’t get to just disappear, we’re going to talk about it and –”

This time he’s cut off with a kiss. 

“Deal.”

“Good.”

Even though they should be aware enough to not make out at a bar out in the open, Henry pushes Alex’s back against the wall, and kisses him passionately. 

It feels just like the first kiss in his room – he swears that he can feel the wind in his hair, which is added by Henry’s hands in his hair.  One of them moves to the base of his skull and tugs, causing Alex to moan. 

Eventually, Henry needs air and leans his forehead against Alex’s.  “Upstairs?”

“Yes.  One thousand percent yes.”

***

They were quick to make it Alex’s hotel room to pack his bag before their plan to get on Henry’s private plane to Paris, but the second the door closes Henry’s lips are on his and frankly, Alex has been wanting this for too long to focus on packing right now.

Henry’s tongue in his mouth and his hands working to undo his clothing is everything he’s been dreaming about for months.  He can’t resist running his hands all over Henry and it’s only needing air that makes him lean back. 

Henry immediately starts kissing his neck, mouthing at that spot on his neck and no doubt leaving a mark, not that Alex cares.  He loves it. 

“You know … that interview … makes it … so obvious,” Alex pants.  Next to Henry’s lips that’s all he can think about.  Even though he knows that Henry wanted him to know that he was apologizing to him despite the fact that he never said who the man he’d fallen in love with actually was. 

Henry pulls back, his eyes are blown, and he looks like he’s not quite wanting to stop, but he knows that Alex’s mind is only half on what he’s doing to him and that’s not enough. 

“That – that was the point,” Henry says, breathlessly.  “I wanted the world to know that you turned my life upside down just by being you… I didn’t want there to be any question on who I was in love with.”

There’s a warmth that spreads through him at those words. 

“Good.  That’s – good.”

Henry sits on the bed in just his boxers, and pulls Alex into his lap, which prompts them to fall back on the bed with Alex on top. 

He kisses Henry, lightly, before pulling back.  “I – just, why now?  Why not months ago?  I can’t imagine Bea letting you wallow for too long.”

“Well, I – at first, I really thought it was for the best…”

“Because the Evil Queen told you that you couldn’t be gay?”

Henry laughs.  “The Evil Queen?”

“Fitting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”  He shakes his head.  “Anyway, erm, yes.  That part is the problem.  I never could come out without the Queen’s acceptance.  Unless someone outed me and even then, I wouldn’t put it passed her to pretend it was faked evidence or something.  If she could get away with it.”

“She probably could.”

Henry nods.  “So, I was prepared to give you up – I didn’t want to put you through that.  Until Bea finally got tired of my whining and immediately came up with a plan to make me happier.  The plan involved getting mum to be a mum and er, I told her – everything.  She decided to take on the Evil Queen – we don’t need to go into the details of that with you naked on top of me – speaking of… why aren’t you wearing underwear?”

Alex chuckles and grinds down, the only fabric between them being Henry’s boxers.  “I go commando a lot, but I suppose that means she finally won, and you decided a public declaration of your love was in order to win me back?”

Henry flushes.  “I was hoping it wouldn’t be too hard.  Thought maybe you’d be easy for me, what with the way things started between us.”

He’s not wrong.  Alex is far too easy when it comes Henry.  The fact that he’s here, naked, after everything speaks volumes.  As does the fact that he’s perfectly happy to stop talking just to have his way with Henry. 

Henry appears to know what Alex wants without him needing to say it because he flips them and starts kissing Alex passionately. 

It’s everything that he’s been dreaming of since Henry left him in a lurch and honestly… he couldn’t be happier.

***

Although the original plan had been to pack Alex’s bag and get on the plane, they both decided that the plane could wait and decided to spend the evening/early morning catching up on everything they missed and talking things out because Alex did not like the way Henry left him.  He wanted to make sure that he’d never wake up again with Henry having left in the middle of the night.

They’d fallen asleep somewhere around 3AM, and unfortunately didn’t get to sleep long because Alex’s phone goes off at dawn.  It’s not an alarm and he’s unfortunately aware that it’s his Zahra ringtone. 

“Ten bucks says she saw your interview and somehow thinks I should deny that we’re together or at least, used to be,” Alex groans. 

He knows without even answering the phone that Zahra’s going to react the exact same way she did at the DNC, and he hates it.  He was so worried about the campaign that it took Henry leaving and his mom winning again for him to realize that his relationship would’ve never had any impact on the presidency.

The phone stops ringing and he briefly considers just rolling over into the comfort of Henry’s arms before it starts again.  It’s way too early for this, so he declines the call and immediately gets a text.

What the hell do you think you’re doing with the Prince, you little shit? 

Attached is a link to the BBC interview right at the end where the interviewer speaks live, next to him is a video of the previous night where Henry approaches Alex and all the way through their make out session before going upstairs. 

Well, at least there’s no denying it.

“Well, if there was any question before on who Prince Henry fell in love with and came here to apologize to, it’s a question no more.  This video of the Prince and the First Son from the early hours of this morning clearly answer the question – it was none other than Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the United States and one-half of what you used to call the best bromance of the year… perhaps we were easily fooled, what do you think, Lou?”

“I think the situation between the two over the years suddenly makes sense and that we should wish the two nothing, but happiness.”

“I concur, and I’m actually thrilled that I was right about the mystery man in question.  Given the clues, it was obviously the First Son that had stolen the Prince of England’s Hearts’ heart.”

“Yes, and clearly, the Prince has been forgiven – just in time for Valentine’s Day!”

There’s clearly more to the discussion, but Alex leaves it.  “Well, I think that’s a good sign.”

“I agree,” Henry offers, kissing his cheek.  “Although I hadn’t meant to out you.”

“You just wanted to make it obvious that you fell in love me,” Alex grins.  “How could that not out me?”

Henry opens his mouth – probably to apologize – but Alex cuts him off with a kiss pushing him on his back and straddling him as he does.  “I don’t care as long as we’re together.”

Henry grins up at him.  “That’s all well and good because there’s certainly nothing I’d want to do about it now, especially if I’m getting to enjoy the sight of my naked boyfriend on top of me.”

Rather than answer, Alex starts kissing him passionately, letting his hand snake between them to jerk them off together when his phone rings – this time June’s ringtone.

“You should… probably … get that,” Henry pants when Alex leans just a bit away to glare at the offending phone.

“Nah, they know I’m with you so… they should leave us alone.”

The phone falls silent and Alex resumes his task, only to be annoyed a second time by it going off again. 

Frustrated, Alex answers the phone with, “I’m little busy here –”

“Doing Henry?”

“As a matter of fact –”

“I was kidding, I do not want to hear about that,” June cuts in.  “You need to stop what you’re doing and get dressed because I convinced mom to at least conference you in rather than storm your hotel and force you to come back and you should not be naked for that.”

“Why do I have to do it at all?” Alex complains.  “Henry’s out, I’m out and we’re living happily ever after, who cares?”

“Apparently, it’s still something they feel they need to ‘address appropriately’ and ‘handle this presidency-ruining secret’.”

“What the fuck, June?  You don’t really think that, do you?”

“No, of course not,” she assures him.  “But I didn’t think you’d want a repeat of the DNC.”

He glances at Henry, who’s violently shaking his head, and sighs, “Fine.  We’ll be dressed and call in a few minutes.”

“Good,” she says, sounding pleased.  “And Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m happy for you, but I’m still going to give Henry a shovel talk for how he left you.”

She hangs up before he can possibly respond, and he smiles down at Henry, who’s blushing.

“I suppose that I deserve all of the shovel talks that your family wants to give me.  I’m so sorry that I –”

“Hey, it’s okay, honestly.  It’s partially on me, too.  We both share some of the blame for not talking about when our relationship went from fuck buddies to an actual relationship.”

He gives him a light kiss before getting off of him.  “We better get dressed before the meeting – I do not need another nightmare of people bursting in on us (and I haven’t forgiven her for the last time).”

“Good because that was highly unprofessional.  Shaan would’ve never done such a thing.”

“Yeah, true.”

***

The meeting is completely ridiculous.  From Zahra berating them for kissing in public (“you never said anything when it was ‘America’s sweethearts’,” Alex complained) to suggesting that they somehow hide it (“seriously, ma, we were making out in public and even if we could somehow rewind that and erase that evidence, Henry’s whole thing made it really obvious it was me”) and finally landing on “you could’ve at least warned us” (“right because you haven’t know for months that if I ever saw Henry again, I’d run into his arms like one of those romantic reunions in rom coms” – this had caused June, Nora and Henry to burst out laughing ruining the seriousness of the conversation).

It finally ended with, “You should, at least, come home and make a speech addressing the situation.”

Alex laughs, openly.  “No.”

“No?”

“No, it’s not happening.  My love life has no bearing on your presidency, it’s not like I’m the president and he’s the king, he’s literally fourth in line (unlikely to ever be king) and in four years, I won’t even be the figure head of ‘First Son’ ‘cause you won’t be the president anymore.  So, no – no speech, no press address.  Henry and I have essentially come out – it’s pretty clear that we’re in love and he’s taking me to Paris, so… we can’t really stop by the White House.”

“Alex, I don’t think you understand –”

“No, Ma, I don’t think you understand even if we wanted to – which we don’t – we can’t put the genie back in the bottle and it’s not the public’s right to know anything about our love life.  We have the right to privacy and you’re trying to capitalize on our relationship and for what?  Your numbers?  I don’t think that that matters at all anymore.  If we don’t make it a big deal of it, it’ll just be a thing that fades in the background.  Which is exactly what we deserve… to love in peace.  We already let ourselves suffer because of our roles in the world, and we’re not about to keep doing that.”

“I’m not asking you to suffer…”

“But you are asking us to make this a big deal when it shouldn’t be…”

“It is a big deal –”

“No, it’s not.  We’re happy, we’re together and you know what?  It’s no one’s business, but ours!  So, that’s it.  Goodbye.”

He ends the video call and turns to Henry.  “I know we’re still exhausted, but I really want to get on a plane before they try and stop us.”

“Anything for you, love.”

“Good.”

***

Months later, Alex and Henry are having a housewarming in Texas.  Alex had decided on going to UT Austin for his law degree and Henry had decided to use his foundation to help queer youth in Texas.  Of course, it would take time, which is why they’d bought a house with lots of land (and a guest house for their security) to give them the chance to be happy and in love and at peace.

While his mom hadn’t been happy that he hadn’t wanted to make some grand speech about his love for Henry, the fact that he went from Paris to London and stayed with Henry for nearly six weeks until the press chilled out by moving on to something else (and his birthday had passed), made her realize that he’s an adult that can make his own choices.

He had gotten his acceptances and he and Henry had made their decision about Texas in that time, which meant finding a place and getting happily ever after.

He had briefly worried on seeing Pez and Bea that they’d be upset that June and Nora hadn’t been in contact due their loyalty with him, but Bea had said that it was the same reason that she hadn’t gotten into contact either.  Pez, on the other hand, had laughed and said he’d been testing them.

“Testing them?”

“It’s important that we have a boundary, Alexander.  It’s important that you know that you can always rely on them.  I knew that someday you and our dear Henry would end up happily ever after, but I wanted you to know that you have the same loyalty of friendship that Bea and I have with Henry.  It should be a requirement that the people closest to you will always be on your side.  Because you and Henry may have fights and you’ll need support to get through it – to vent without worrying the other half will hear.  We can all be friends, but we should all remember that there are lines when there needs to be.”

“So, you would’ve been disappointed, then?”

“Oh, absolutely.  Don’t worry, dear, I was merely helping you.”

At that, Alex threw a pillow at him.  “Even though I do like the assurance, it’s not your job to test my sister and best friend.  I never expected them to keep that line open even if I told them they could because I know that they’ll always have my back.”

Pez grinned.  “And there lies your test.  You pass.”

It devolved into a pillow fight, but the end result was that everything worked out and they could have gatherings at their new house without fear that it would be awkward.

Alex finishes straightening the banner for the party as Henry comes out laughing at him.  “Do we really need a banner?”

“Yes, yes we do,” Alex assures him from his chair.  “It’s our housewarming, it’s gotta be perfect.”

Henry helps him down and pulls him close.  “It is perfect because it’s with you.”

“You’re such a Prince Charming.”  He’s grinning up at him, so happy and content and ready for this next chapter of their lives.

“Does that make you Cinderella?” Henry teases, as the door rings. 

“Only in that I finally get a happily ever after with Prince Charming.”  Alex gives him a quick kiss.  “Now, come on, Prince Charming, we’ve got a housewarming to celebrate.”

Alex pulls him towards the door as Henry says, “Then, here’s to happily ever after.”

“Cheers to that.”

***

Thanks for reading :)

[onthewaytosomewhere]

FIRST FIC FOR FIRSTPRINCE WEEK !!!

ALRIGHT IT'S THE FIRST of my @thebrownstone firstprince week fics ...

“Did you get my note?” are the first words Alex hears as he walks in the door. Henry is on the phone and walking around the room as if on a mission. “All right, Pez. Thank you. I appreciate it. Please remember this is a secret.”

so ... have a read if ya want ....

[softest-cinnamon-roll]

“But the first time I saw you. Rio. I took that down to the gardens. I pressed it into the leaves of a silver maple and recited it to the Waterloo Vase. It didn’t fit in any rooms. You were talking with Nora and June, happy and animated and fully alive, a person living in dimensions I couldn't access, and so beautiful. Your hair was longer then. You weren't even a president's son yet, but you weren't afraid. You had a yellow ipê Amarelo in your pocket. I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire. And then I was a careless fool, and I fell in love with you anyway. When you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occured to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you. And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?”