Are you falling in love? I've a feeling you are
Fandom: Red, White and Royal Blue
Characters: Shaan, Henry
Summary: Once Shaan notices Henry's crush on Alex he can't not notice it.
Words: 1.1k
Shaan, despite what people might think, doesn’t spend his days watching Henry. Helping Henry, yes. Being close by and attentive and adapting to what is needed of him from both a professional and a personal standpoint, yes, but he knows the prince needs his space and therefore doesn’t linger unless he needs to. This means it takes him a while longer than he’s willing to admit to realize Henry has a crush on Alex, who always seems to sneer whenever Henry is near. Shaan thinks it might be a problem for only a second before he starts feeling sorry for him instead.
Once he sees it he can’t unsee it. Henry forcing himself to look into Alex’s eyes. Henry fidgeting with his shirtsleeves whenever Alex is near when he thinks no one is looking. Shaan knows that Henry’s gay - got to witness him coming out to him during a very low point when he thought nothing was worth it after his father’s passing. Shaan knows he’s gay and he knows why Henry can’t let it show that he might be falling for the First Son of The United States, but it doesn’t mean that behind the scenes, when he squints and pretends Henry is just a normal 20-something-year-old, it’s not strangely cute how flustered he gets about it. How he seems perfectly fine to never interact with Alex ever again while simultaneously doing everything but somersaults whenever they do.
“Alex is coming, right?”
Shaan looks up from his crossword. Henry’s sitting across from him on the jet, his own face stuck in a book, as if his question was simply a passing thought he’s nearly forgotten about already. But Shaan can see the tint of pink on his cheeks. Can see the way his knee is bouncing.
“I would assume so.” They’re alone in this part of the plane, so neither of them bother with titles or formalities. “I’m sure he will be delighted seeing us there.”
Henry cracks a smile, which makes him look so much younger than he is. Shaan sometimes sees flashes of Henry as a teen, especially when he’s being vulnerable or relaxed. Before the tragedies, when he had an easier time smiling.
“He’s a pain in the arse,” Henry says fondly. They are still teetering on the line between acquaintances and friends, but Shaan expects them to tilt over soon. Expects being dragged to the States more often than not in only a few weeks, which, secretly, he’s quite happy about.
“He can certainly be quite an interesting character.”
Henry snorts and puts his book down. “Tell me about it. The other day he insulted me by calling me pretty. Isn’t that strange?”
Shaan leans back and watches the blush spread over Henry’s face and tries not to smile. “How exactly did he turn it into an insult?”
“He said something along the lines of my face being so pretty he wants to punch it.”
“That sounds like a threat.”
“But then he started laughing.”
“Ah.”
Henry ducks his head, maybe realizing he’s treading dangerous waters. “Maybe it was just an insult.”
“Did you think it was a compliment?”
“No-”
“Did you want it to be a compliment?” Shaan has never tried to approach Henry about his feelings like this before. Not because he thinks he will be overstepping - Henry has spent many drunken nights describing certain activities with slightly too much details to him and Bea - but because he’s not certain if Henry’s coping with this crush by pretending it’s not happening at all. Shaan thinks, rightfully so, that he has enough on his plate already for him to be forcing confessions out of him as well.
But he doesn’t regret what he said, he realizes as Henry snaps his mouth shut. He has a feeling they’re about to see much more of Alex Claremont-Diaz soon, and he needs them both to be prepared for it.
“I, uh.” Henry twists his head to the side, but no one else is around them, and so he turns back to him with a hushed, “Maybe?”
Shaan does smile then. Can’t help it when the prince is sitting bright red in front of him, squirming like a teenager. “Good to know.”
Henry’s laugh is nervous, high pitched and giddy. “God, I’m so fucked, aren’t I?”
Shaan pats his knee. “We’ll figure it out.”
*
Shaan does watch him now, wondering if Henry will be able to handle the blooming friendship. He admitted to how long he’d been crushing on Alex and Shaan mentally facepalmed at not having caught it.
“It’s okay,” Henry said with a laugh. “I was very good at hiding it. I do admit it was easier when we only saw each other twice a year though.”
So Shaan now watches him to make sure his feelings are hidden well enough and hates himself for it.
It’s different when they’re alone and Shaan can hear their laughter through closed doors, sometimes with Nora and June and Pez and Bea. Whatever Henry chooses to display then is up to him, though Shaan has a theory that Henry would rather die than confess to having feelings for Alex. It’s a bit of a shame, because Shaan is pretty certain Alex has a crush on him too, but doesn’t really know it yet himself. But the times he gets to watch them, whether they’re in a booth or walking through corridors, and Alex goes out of his way to touch Henry (which Henry will be freaking out over later, he’s sure), he notices how Henry leaning into the touch doesn’t deter Alex at all. On the contrary he seems to start touching him even more, all arms slung over shoulders and knees knocking into knees and squeezes to sides and thighs once he realizes Henry’s ticklish. Shaan watches his prince giggle under Alex’s hands and is struck with such sadness that he has to keep this hidden.
*
Shaan keeps watching them, mostly to make sure no one catches them. Seeing Henry happy and in love is just a bonus. Because he is 99% sure Henry’s in love with Alex and that their friends with benefits situation is going to ruin him if it ends badly. He watches them and tries to determine if this is simply a good time for Alex, and he feels it isn’t. He feels he’s just as into it, just as invested, and then Henry of course starts pulling back because he can’t for the life of him figure out how he will be able to keep this up while living the type of life he’s living. Shaan hates that he can’t blame him for it.
For a while, before Henry tries to end things, it’s all hotel rooms and secret meetings and flying across the ocean too many times than he can count. It becomes a bit tedious, but Shaan never complains. Not when Henry all but glows every time he sees Alex.
“I’m not glowing,” he protests when Shaan brings it up, and Shaan doesn’t say anything about the way he smiles when he says it.
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inspired by this anon ask given to @steddieas-shegoes because i'm ALWAYS down for lovestruck not-exactly-human-anymore eddie (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ) it's not perfectly written to the prompt with the demon-ness and swaying around the kitchen but it was fun to write!!!
To become more, you must sacrifice that which holds you back.
The things that limit you.
The people.
Henry had become more. He left ashes behind his every footfall and, in turn, became the god that he is, the god he was always meant to be.
Humanity does not share this fate, he is sure. Eleven had proved that even those who have only potential will always bend to the confines of their limitations.
They must have the will to break free of the cage.
The ambition.
Henry walks along, his creatures making way for his path. They shiver and keep their distance, in awe of his control, his power. He almost smiles.
In front of him lies a body, void of life, of purpose.
Perhaps, he thinks as he raises a hand, perhaps he can give it purpose.
Perhaps those who have potential just need his aid to find the will for it.
It takes time, too much time, too much of humanity has tainted this one, but his new creature finally rises.
It stares up at him, loyal and keen. More readable than his other creatures, more cunning, more like him.
Yes, this realm's god has made it in his perfect image.
Stronger, faster, sharper. More powerful than what was, it is perfect.
And even more perfect as he hears the distant shrieks of his creatures. Someone is slaughtering them, attempting to destroy his vision.
Attempting to ruin the world's evolution.
He watches through the eyes of the lone survivor, flying high above the carnage, sees a young, grimy boy, swing a weapon into the neck of his beautiful creatures with a snarl on his face.
The violence of humanity disgusts him.
The boy drops the weapon, running towards another, a girl on the ground. She is weak and will die soon enough, he is sure.
"Robin, Robin, are you - shit, shit, shit, that's blood -"
"Steve, it hurts so fucking bad, I - I'm - oh my god, it hurts -"
"It's okay, c'mere, I got you, it's gonna be okay -"
"Go," he says to his creature, turning his nose when it tilts his head. Still too much humanity. Perhaps not as perfect as himself. "Find the boy. Steve. Ensure he does not get another chance to delay us."
His creature knows what he saw, had seen it with him. It bows its head and begins its flight to the other world.
"Soon," he says, staring up at the thundering skies with an almost-smile. "Soon, it will all burn. Ready...to be reborn."
"No, no, stop, please -"
Steve laughs as Eddie blows raspberries into his neck, long and keen tail wrapped around his wrist.
Eddie sits on the counter, arms wrapped around Steve's neck as he pulls him further into the space between his legs, poking a cold nose into the skin where his neck meets his shoulder.
"Come on, you've proven your point," Steve tries squirming away but the tip of Eddie's tail just swoops in under his shirt to softly tickle his sides, where the bite wounds are still sensitive, and he can't stop the burst of laughter pealing out of him. "Eddie!"
"The demon lord requires more, a much greater sacrifice," Eddie says dramatically into Steve's neck, arms tightening around his neck. Eddie inhales and yells, "It's your pride!"
With a squeal, Steve muffles his laughs into Eddie's shoulders as Eddie tickles him even harder. "Okay, okay, I give, I give," Steve manages to say between his bouts of giggles. "I give, you win, oh Great Demon King."
"That's Mr. Great Demon King to you," Eddie sniffs as he loosens his grip on Steve and hops down the kitchen counter. Brushing off imaginary dust, because Steve and Robin keep this place clean as fuck (mostly Steve since Robin almost got her leg chewed off that one time, but she makes up for it by yelling directions at him), he turns around and pretends to walk away very slowly.
"C'mere," Steve grabs his hand and spins him around, leaning back against the counter with Eddie in his arms. The fake snooty expression on his face melts away when Steve curls a lock of hair behind his pointed ear, cupping Eddie's jawline gently. His thumb strokes his cheek, gliding over the stretched, scarred skin. "Hey."
Eddie's eyes, brown and red and like there's a whole world inside them, soften and he bumps their foreheads together as the purr in his chest starts up. "Hey yourself, handsome."
He's been really cold ever since he came back but he doesn't seem to care much. Steve cares a lot, maybe more than he needs to, and always tries to keep him as warm as possible with sweaters, blankets, whatever works. In this moment though, where Eddie's pressed against him, the kitchen lights making a golden light behind him like some kinda halo (the irony makes him grin), his horns like little upside down vampire teeth. Maybe there was something to the vampire theory, he thinks as he ruffles the curls at the back of Eddie's neck.
"Steve," Eddie sighs, his eyes closing as he smiles goofily, fangs poking into his bottom lip and wings fluttering.
"Yeah?" Steve smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to Eddie's cheek.
"Just wan'ed to say it." Eddie nuzzles into Steve's cheek with the mumble, sighing again when Steve wraps his arms around Eddie's waist, his tail winding up the sleeve of Steve's shirt. "Like sayin' yer name."
Something bubbles up in Steve's chest and he giggles to let it out, the warmth and sweet affection pouring out of him. "Yeah? I like saying yours too."
"Then say it," Eddie's head quickly shoots up and he stares at Steve, the tip of his tail flickering back-and-forth on Steve's forearm the way Tews' does whenever Dustin swings a toy in front of her face. His pupils are massive, way bigger than any human's should be, and it makes his eyes look even bigger. "C'mon, say it."
Steve hums, tilting his head one way, then the other, laughing when Eddie huffs and pouts at him. He leans in closer, pressing a kiss to his nose, and says softly, "Eddie."
The gust of wind that Eddie's wing-flapping causes is so strong it makes the entrance door slam against the wall and makes Steve jump, but he just laughs when Eddie's wings stretch up and around them both awkwardly in apology.
"Think it's time for dinner, angel," Steve whispers into the tiny space between them.
"Call me angel one more time," Eddie whispers back with a glint in his eye. "And I'll show you exactly how unholy I can be."
"Whatever you say," Steve grins and boops Eddie's nose. "Angel."
"That's it!" Eddie hunches down and lifts Steve over his shoulder, bouncing his way around the kitchen. "The Great Demon King has declared no dinner for defiant knights!"
Steve laughs and shoves at the wings crowding over his head, "What if I used true love's kiss to appeal to the judge?"
The bouncing pauses and Steve blinks when he finds himself right in front of Eddie again, his limbs bound by Eddie's tail and hands. Eddie squints at him and sniffs, the snooty expression snobbier than ever. "The Great Demon King rejects your offer and demands five true love's kiss in repentance."
Rolling his eyes, Steve pecks the corner of Eddie's mouth, grinning when the tip of his tail wags back-and-forth again. "Well, when you put it like that, how could I say no?"
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