Chapter Text
The months of January and February loomed before Alex and mocked him. With no school to attend to -not even a graduation ceremony, as Georgetown held everything in May – and no campaign to focus on, he knew he was bound to go stir crazy.
He made it through the first two weeks of January by hanging out with June and Nora, exercising and catching up on that reading list Henry had sent him back when they’d first started talking.
Then came Ellen’s inauguration, and Alex was beside himself with excitement. He had watched inaugurations on TV, and to be able to actually be there was blowing his mind.
Not only would he be there, but he’d be on that stage watching his mom raise her hand and get sworn in again as President.
To say he was emotional that day would be an understatement. He was a mess. He woke up and was practically bouncing off of the walls with excitement. And then when he put his suit on and walked arm in arm with June down those red carpeted stairs of the US Capitol and looked out over National Mall – at the sheer number of people gathered there - he felt the first knot in his throat. He sat in his seat, gripping June’s hand tightly the entire time, and fought back tears as he watched the performers and listened to the speeches and saw all of those smiling faces in the crowd and thought about how good had actually won and how his mom would have four more years to protect the American people.
When his mom stood and recited the Oath of Office, the tears were finally too strong to fight off. She had originally wanted to shirk tradition and have Alex hold the bible for her, and while he had been honored he had ultimately decided that it would take some of the attention off of her and this was her day. And standing there watching Leo hold that book and seeing his mom’s hand raised, he was relieved that he wasn’t front and center, though he was sure the cameras were watching for his and June’s reactions. They might catch him crying at his seat but at least he wasn’t up front and bawling.
He probably would’ve dropped the Bible and wouldn’t that be a whole new shitshow.
Henry couldn’t attend the ceremony for obvious reasons – while they knew he’d be abdicating, the rest of the world did not and he still needed to hold up his end of the compromise by playing the role of Prince of Wales. And the Prince of Wales could not be seen attending a Presidential Inauguration.
That didn’t stop him from texting and calling Alex non-stop during the party after the ceremony, expressing his support and excitement for him and his family and gushing about how handsome Alex had looked.
And that had devolved into a conversation that led to Alex leaving the party early, dashing to his room and switching to a video call so his boyfriend could see him in his suit again, and so his boyfriend could see him strip out of that suit.
They might not have been able to touch each other again just yet, but it turned out Henry’s voice and the look in his eyes could get Alex there just as quickly as that wicked tongue of his could.
After the inauguration, Alex was back to feeling stumped. What was he to do with all of this free time? There was only so much Nora and June could take of his aimless moping – Alejandro, I will cut you if whine ONE MORE TIME – and he was honestly beginning to annoy himself.
He wanted to get started on his law degree, but that wasn’t possible. Though nothing stopped him from figuring out what textbooks he’d be needing and ordering them early. Gleefully, he held them in his hands when they were delivered and began devouring the first one with his notebook open and a fresh set of pens.
And he wanted to see Henry again. He wanted to see Henry every day. But that also wasn’t possible.
What was possible were brief trips. The Queen was sending Henry to various ceremonies and ribbon cuttings and galas across the world, and while she wasn’t permitting Alex to attend even though he was officially a suitor, dumb hag, that didn’t mean Alex couldn’t surprise Henry at his hotels. When the idea had first formed in his brain, he immediately went to Zahra and asked if she could work some magic to make it possible.
To his surprise, she had pulled out her cell phone and called Shaan directly to coordinate which…okay? Were they friends now?
Huh.
Thanks to Zahra and Shaan’s new friendship, Alex was able to successfully fly to Germany and sneak into Henry’s hotel room. His boyfriend returned from whatever party he’d needed to attend only to find Alex sitting in his suite, swamped in his oversized hoodie and with Bake-Off on the TV. When Henry’s eyes teared up and he rushed across the room to lift Alex into his arms, Alex’s legs wrapping around his waist, Alex knew that he was going to keep surprising Henry like this as much as he could.
So, after Germany he met Henry in Sweden, and in Scotland, and then in Finland, and February turned out to be a pretty great month in the end.
In March came their birthdays. Henry was still obligated to have a family dinner at Buckingham and as his suitor Alex expected that he would be able to join this time. He was more than willing to sit through an evening with Mary and Philip in order to celebrate Henry, but then Henry expressed his concerns about how they would treat Alex and stated that he wanted to keep them as far away from Alex as he could.
Which had led to them having their first mini fight - during which Henry expressed an obligation to protect Alex and Alex expressed frustration with still being hidden away by the Queen even though they were supposed to be able to be open with their love. It was ultimately decided that Alex would indeed attend the birthday dinner beside Henry and led to some very satisfying make-up phone sex.
Alex arrived at Kensington on the morning of Henry’s birthday with a bright smile on his face and Henry rushed to greet him in the foyer.
“You’re here!” Henry cheered happily, capturing Alex’s lips in a giddy kiss.
Laughing as he pulled away, Alex tapped Henry’s nose. “Fuck yeah I am. Happy birthday baby!”
Henry grinned and kissed him again before helping him take his bags to the bedroom. After having an extra-long shower together they met up with Bea and Catherine for lunch. Alex kept his arm around Henry’s shoulders as he chatted with Bea, and he delighted in watching Henry blush as his mom regaled them all with stories of Henry’s birthdays as a little boy.
Bea photographed them at some point and texted the picture to Alex. It was perfect. She’d caught Henry mid laugh – his real laugh, smile wide and eyes bright and cheeks flushed – and there was Alex with his arm around Henry, grinning at him with love clear in his eyes.
Biting his lip, he posted the picture to social media.
Happy birthday to this amazing man. Henry, I love you more than I can express with words and you have made my life so much brighter. You make the WORLD so much brighter by being in it. Keep that smile, baby, it’s so beautiful <3
Thankfully they were alone in Henry’s room by the time his boyfriend saw the post and then sank to his knees in front of Alex, or else his mom and sister would have gotten an eyeful. And if #KeepThatSmileHenry trended on social media for the rest of the day, Alex couldn’t be mad about it.
That night at dinner, Henry kept Alex’s hand clutched in his own and resting on his lap as Philip and Martha sat across from them and the Queen took her place at the head of the table. Catherine and Bea were present as well, of course, and made the whole affair more bearable by keeping the conversation alive. Martha was perfectly pleasant, if a bit dull, but Alex would take it over Philip’s stunted responses and disgruntled glances.
Mary barely uttered a word, aside from her initial greeting of, “Oh, he’s here.”
Henry had downed his glass of wine at that, but thankfully the dinner passed without any further remarks.
When the time for cake came, Alex was confused at the sight of a strawberry shortcake being placed in the middle of the table. Leaning in close to Henry, he whispered, “Since when do you like strawberry shortcake?”
“I don’t,” Henry whispered back. “Gran does. Gets it every year.”
Alex bristled in his seat. What the fuck? “So she gets the cake she wants for your birthday?”
Henry shrugged almost imperceptibly and didn’t respond. Well, that just wouldn’t do. Under the table, he took out his phone and sent off a quick text to Cash.
I need you to go to that bakery again.
…Are you kidding?
Alex? You’re joking right?
Henry blew out the candle to polite applause from Mary and Philip and louder applause from Alex and Bea, and the dinner finished up quickly after they’d all had their requisite slice of cake.
Alex practically dragged Henry back to his room after that and made him sit on the bed.
“Present time,” he sang, grabbing his bags and digging through them.
“Darling, you didn’t have to,” Henry said, a soft smile on his face. “I thought it’d be like New Year’s when we agreed on no presents.”
Alex hummed and turned around with his offerings in hand. Crawling onto the bed next to him, he handed the packages to his boyfriend. “We agreed to that because everything had been so crazy. Now, things are calmer and I want to spoil the man I love,” he said and pulled Henry in by the nape of his neck for a kiss.
Henry smiled against his lips. “You’re so sweet.”
They stayed like that, kissing contentedly before Alex pulled back and urged Henry to open his gifts.
As Henry pulled back the wrapping paper on the first package he let out a soft Oh and picked up the three books gently – Austen, Byron and Whitman. The tomes were quite old and clearly needed careful handling. Opening each one, his eyes grew wider and wider.
“First editions?” Henry gasped excitedly. Alex nodded quickly.
“Mhm. I had Zahra ask Shaan to check if you already had them and he said you didn’t.”
Henry touched the covers reverently and shook his head. “He was right, I don’t. Oh, darling this is too much! I can’t believe you found these – you didn’t have to do this.”
Alex shrugged. “Turns out I really like you and I wanted to.”
Henry swallowed and put the books to the side so he could lean forward and kiss Alex again. “I love you. I love you. I love you. You’re amazing. Thank you.”
Alex preened and ran a hand through Henry’s hair, scratching lightly at the back of his neck. “You still have one more gift.”
Henry scoffed. “The first was too much, Alex, what else is there?” He asked as he began opening the second package. The wrapping paper fell away to reveal a purple and white sweatshirt with the NYU logo across the front.
“Figured this way you wouldn’t have to steal it later on,” Alex teased. Henry chuckled and sat up on his knees to pull off the sweater he was currently wearing. Alex’s eyes drifted to his bare chest and then down to those tight abs and the happy trail he could see just below his belly button. He wanted to follow those tufts of hair down, past the waistline of Henry’s pants and to the deliciousness that he knew awaited there.
Then Henry pulled the new sweatshirt on and broke Alex’s daze. He smirked like he could tell what Alex had been thinking. “Down boy.”
Alex groaned and reached for him. “Baby…” he whined before being interrupted by a knock on the door. Alex pulled back, holding his finger up. “Hold that thought.”
Scurrying to the door, he opened it a crack and saw Cash stood on the other side with a pastry box.
“I hate you,” Cash grumbled.
Alex grinned. “Liar.”
Cash shoved the box at him and rolled his eyes fondly before ambling back down the hall to his room. Alex closed the door and turned to see Henry had cleared the wrapping paper off of the bed and placed the books on the nightstand. Now he sat cross-legged and watched Alex expectantly, and Alex felt a swell of love in his chest at the sight of him. Making his way back to the bed, he sat cross-legged as well in front of his boyfriend and opened the box.
Henry peered curiously inside. “Cupcakes?”
“Chocolate mousse cupcakes,” Alex corrected. Henry gasped and started reaching for one. “Figured you should have the dessert you actually want on your birthday.”
Henry, who already had a cupcake halfway to his lips, paused and gave Alex a look of pure love. Without saying anything, he leaned in and kissed Alex.
Alex cradled his face, holding him in place. He nipped at his bottom lip then soothed it with his tongue and Henry moaned into his mouth softly.
As he pulled back from the kiss, Henry’s eyes were dark. “You know…I think I’d like to see what my favorite dessert and my favorite person taste like together.”
Oh. Alex’s mouth went dry and he swallowed roughly. “I’m yours baby. Take whatever you want.”
Henry smiled slowly and placed the cupcakes aside. Grabbing Alex, he pulled him into his lap until their chests were flush against each other. Alex’s thighs squeezed against Henry’s sides reflexively and Henry held his head in place by his neck as he kissed Alex – tenderly at first, despite the heat they were both feeling, before turning desperate. Open-mouthed, tongues dancing, teeth biting…Alex began rolling his hips in Henry’s lap and running his hands through his hair, opening his legs wider to try and bring the hardness in each of their pants closer together.
Henry’s hands fell down to Alex’s waist and he broke off from the kiss, panting and pulling back when Alex kept trying to dive back in. Alex whined.
“Slow,” Henry breathed out. “Slow, darling. I’m going to enjoy this,” he whispered. Wrapping his arms around Alex, he moved to lay him down on his back. Alex worked to catch his breath, to slow his breathing, as Henry knelt between his legs and rolled Alex’s sweater up just slightly – just above his navel. Then he reached over and swiped some icing off of one of the cupcakes with two fingers and smeared it below Alex’s belly button. He brought those fingers up to Alex’s mouth and Alex wasted no time in opening up for him, keeping eye contact with his boyfriend as he sucked the sweet chocolate off.
Henry breathed out harshly as he watched, then he pulled his hand back and dipped down close to Alex’s stomach. Alex’s hips bucked slightly and Henry held them down, shaking his head. Looking up and meeting Alex’s eyes again, he said, “I’m going to take my time. Are you going to be so good for me, love?”
Alex felt lightheaded at his words and nodded eagerly. “Yes. Yes, I’ll be good.”
Henry smirked, then brought his mouth to the chocolate above Alex’s waistband and began licking and sucking lightly. He hummed at the taste and Alex’s stomach trembled. He fought hard to keep his hips still, to lay back and let Henry take what he wanted.
That night Henry got to learn what chocolate mousse tasted like all over Alex’s body. Got to lick it off of his stomach, his neck, his chest. Sucked it off of his inner thighs, his calves, and in between his legs. He left hickeys in as many places as he could, marking him up and making Alex writhe until he was pulling at his curls and begging.
That night Alex learned what it meant to let Henry take control completely. To give his body over and do exactly as he was told and nothing else. To not have to think, or anticipate, or plan. It was dizzying and freeing, and in the end he felt like he was floating.
When Henry wrapped himself around Alex afterward, almost protectively, Alex knew he’d never trust anyone the way he trusted Henry.
And when, two weeks later, Henry visited the White House for Alex’s birthday and gifted him a week-long vacation in Paris for the following month, Alex remembered back to their first trip there and realized he’d trusted his body completely to Henry a long, long time ago, whether he’d known it at the time or not.
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Alex turned his head from the window of the airplane and leaned his head back with a smile. He was just a few hours away from meeting Henry in Paris and he couldn’t fucking wait.
Looking across the aisle at Cash, he smirked. “Hey man, you excited to follow us around again?” He teased.
Cash didn’t look up from his crossword. “I can hardly contain myself. At least I knew to bring walking shoes this time.”
Alex chuckled. Then a somber feeling came over him and he turned to face Cash more fully. “Hey…I just want to thank you for all that you did for us. Or well, for putting up with us this past year and however long. You’ve done more than you should have had to and I’m really grateful for that.”
Cash still didn’t look up. “The chocolates have been more than enough thanks, Alex. Just keep them coming and we’re even.”
Alex smiled sadly. “It’s gonna be weird being in New York and not having you around all the time.”
Cash raised his eyes from his puzzle then. “Alex, if you think I’m not going to New York with you, you’ve got another think coming.”
Alex’s heart jumped. “What?”
Cash scoffed. “You really think I’d trust anyone else with you? I’ve already been assigned as your main detail for when you go. You ain’t getting rid of me that easily.”
“Oh,” Alex breathed out happily. “Well that’s…yeah, that’s…that’s good.”
Cash chuckled and returned to his puzzle. Alex bit his lip and settled back in his chair, hugging his arms around himself and smiling stupidly out the window.
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Paris in April was stunning. The weather was warming and the flowers were blooming and the air was filled with the scent of delicious foods and Alex was in heaven.
They stayed in the same hotel as last year. The same suite. Alex couldn’t believe Henry had pulled that off, had been so thoughtful. He guessed the staff there were eager to please the Prince of Wales. And this time, they didn’t have to book a separate room for Alex, and Alex didn’t have to hide in the bedroom when food was delivered or housekeeping stopped by.
It made Alex more emotional than he thought it would.
They started out the week by retracing their old steps, heading to the Place du Tertre and stopping at Au Petit Comptoir for some crepes. They strolled down every street with their hands linked and swinging between them, or with Alex tucked under Henry’s arm, and they stopped to look at the art lining the streets. They chatted with the artists, who were both excited to talk about their works and in awe that the Prince of Wales and First Son were there in the first place.
In his periphery Alex could always see someone with their phone out and knew that pictures were being taken. He worked hard to not let it get to him. To tell himself that it wasn’t the same thing as what Richards did. That these people weren’t trying to expose them or steal their private moments away. They were just excited to see two public figures out and about, and Alex and Henry were choosing to be open to world this time when they held hands or hugged or kissed.
He had started seeing a therapist back in February, in between trips to see Henry.
Dr. Fiona Perez – just Fiona to Alex – was a psychologist who specialized in trauma. Ellen and Oscar had worked with him to vet different professionals and she had stood out to him the most because she was younger than the rest, was Hispanic and her professional summary didn’t include the wishy-washy words and phrases he usually associated with therapy and counseling. His instincts were validated when he’d had his first session and she was nothing like the counselor he remembered at the group home. She was professional and competent, yes, but she didn’t let him bullshit her and she called him out when he needed it. She respected his need to focus on the e-mail leaks first and foremost, and the trauma from that. Slowly but surely, though, they were talking more and more about his childhood, and his time in foster care. Only a little bit, here and there, as he was not yet ready to delve into that cesspool. But still. He was feeling more comfortable with her a lot sooner than he’d ever expected.
It was because of the work they had started, and the coping skills they’d been practicing, that Alex was able to breathe through any panic he could feel rising when he noticed the eyes on them and could re-direct his thoughts.
Henry had also begun his own counseling sessions again, with a therapist he had been seeing on and off for years. As they strolled down street after street, and as they made their way to the Pont des Arts footbridge, Alex felt proud of them both.
They were kind of kicking ass.
He knew the bad days would still be there. That two months of therapy wasn’t enough. But it was only the beginning, and they could only get stronger from there.
Standing on the bridge and looking out over the Seine, Alex pulled Henry close by the waist and smiled up at him. His boyfriend had the same look to him that he had had the last time they were here – open and relaxed and carefree and happy. He tilted his head up for a kiss and Henry obliged eagerly, cupping Alex’s face and caressing his cheek gently. Alex sighed against his lips.
“We should come here as much as we can,” he said as they broke away. “Maybe…maybe one day we could have a place here.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “Like, a house? Here in Paris?”
Alex nodded. “I mean, not to live full time, obviously. Our work is elsewhere. But, part time? We could have a little place that’s our own, and we can come here for like a month or two or something and you can write and I’ll stuff my face with good food and - ”
Henry surged forward and kissed him deeply, squeezing him tight until there was no space between them. Then he pulled back and kissed Alex’s cheeks and nose and forehead. “Darling…” he whispered happily, his cheeks flushed and eyes glassy. “I would love that. Truly love that.”
Alex beamed and snuggled into his arms. “Then we’ll do it, baby. We’ll make it happen.”
Along with retracing their old steps, they added a new one. Last time, it would have been too suspicious for the First Son and Prince of Wales to be seen together at the Eiffel Tower. This time, they had no reason to hide.
Standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower as the sunset, hugging one another and trading sweet kisses, Alex didn’t think life could get any better.
Henry stood to the side at one point and raised his phone to take a picture: Alex, with the night sky and the lights of Paris lit up behind him, hands in his coat pockets and his curls ruffled in the breeze. A giant smile on his face as his eyes met Henry’s over the phone.
Henry posted it on social media with a simple caption:
My whole heart in one picture <3
That night they returned to their hotel and had a private dinner in their suite, and later Alex laid his head back against a pillow on the bed as Henry opened him up. He gripped the corner of the pillow and tilted his head back as far as he could as he pushed his hips down on Henry’s fingers and tongue and his stomach clenched with heat and desire. He had only bottomed a few times since they’d gotten together, and each time Henry took care of him until his hips and legs were on fire.
Alex loved being inside Henry. Loved taking him apart with every thrust of his hips.
And Alex loved having Henry inside him. That feeling of being filled by the man he loved, of feeling him cradled within his body. Every time Alex came with his body clenching around Henry’s dick he saw stars.
That night was no different. Henry rocked inside him with a gentleness that matched the love in his eyes, before he really let go and drove into Alex with precision, hitting that perfect spot inside him like it was what he’d been born to do.
Alex grabbed at Henry’s arms, tangled his hands in his hair and gripped tight. He squeezed his ass and took his earlobe between his teeth and raked his nails down his back, causing Henry to thrust into him faster and harder until Alex was wailing and coming untouched, gasping for air and curling his body around Henry as the man chased his own release. He moaned and bit into Alex’s shoulder, grinding his hips into Alex and shaking apart in his arms.
Afterward, Henry soothed the bite with kisses and cleaned them both up, and Alex pulled him in so that he could rest his head on Alex’s chest.
As their breathing settled and the air cooled, they pulled the comforter up and traded lazy kisses. Henry tilted his head up, blue eyes looking into his and Alex let himself imagine their life ahead – days and nights and years of being able to look into those same eyes.
Henry rested his head back on Alex’s chest and whispered, “Remember what you said earlier? About living here part time? And me…writing?”
“Mhm.”
“Do you really think I could be a writer?”
“I think you’re already a writer, baby.”
Henry nuzzled his head against Alex’s chest. “I think…I think I’d quite like to write a book. One day.”
“Then you will.”
He could feel Henry’s smile against his skin as he said, softly, “Then I will.”
Alex smiled up at the ceiling and tightened his arms around Henry. His boyfriend would have whatever future he wanted. Alex would make sure of that.
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PRINCE HENRY AND FSOTUS VISIT PARIS: SEE PHOTOS HERE
TEN TIMES #FIRSTPRINCE WERE COUPLE GOALS
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Alex shifted from foot to foot as he waited in the long line. The ceremony had dragged on, and his graduation robe was making him hot. He and his fellow graduates had sat through speech after speech and now finally their names were being called.
And there were so many.
He sighed as he finally made it to the stage. At least the weather was nice. It was a sunny day in May, the sky a clear blue with a light breeze in the air. He could smell summer coming, right around the corner, and he couldn’t wait.
Summer meant warmth and sunlight and nights spent on the roof of the White House reading or looking out at the city.
Summer meant another trip to the Lake House, and firepits and smores and laughter and hot days spent getting a tan.
Summer meant Henry would be abdicating. It would be announced to the public next month, and Alex was filled with happiness at the thought that his boyfriend would be one step closer to finally getting away from Mary and Philip.
Their freedom was so close he thought he might be able to reach out and touch it.
He looked out over the crowd now and took in the proud faces of his fellow classmates’ family and friends. He had never enjoyed these kinds of things. Whether it was an honor roll ceremony, 6th grade graduation, 8th grade graduation, high school graduation…he’d learned early on to make himself go numb. Because while everyone else had someone to smile and wave to, someone to look for in the crowd, Alex had had no one.
Until now.
Now, he looked to where he knew his family and Nora and Henry were seated. He saw them talking amongst each other, and he made eye contact with his mom who already looked like she was crying and his face broke out into a smile and…
Oh.
This must be what his classmates had always gotten to feel.
“Alexander Claremont-Diaz.”
Shit. Facing forward, he made his way across the stage to the sound of loud applause. Even through the clapping and yelling, he could hear Nora and June and Henry shouting at the top of their lungs for him and he choked on a laugh as he took his diploma and turned to look over at them again. They were on their feet and jumping up and down and Alex’s eyes blurred with tears and he would always have that image tucked safely in his heart.
He finally had faces to look for in a crowd.
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FSOTUS GRADUATES FROM GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMERICA’S FIRST SON?
PART OF THE FAMILY? PRINCE HENRY ATTENDS FSOTUS’ GRADUATION ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT CLAREMONT
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They took him out for a celebratory dinner.
He’d told them he didn’t want a party, and thankfully they’d listened. But they still insisted on doing something and well, Alex couldn’t deny them that.
He hadn’t been prepared for how emotional it would make him to see all of his loved ones so excited for him. He hadn’t been prepared for how excited he himself would feel. Sure, he was proud of himself and had been since he’d finished classes five months ago.
But holding the placeholder diploma in his hands…seeing that degree with his name on it…fuck, it was overwhelming. It was everything he had planned for. It was all he had thought about during those lonely days and nights living with the Hanovers. He’d stare up at the ceiling from his bed and imagine getting his college degree and making something of himself. And then sleep would elude him as the doubt crept in.
Would it actually happen? Could he really get into college? Could he find a way to afford it?
Was he just fooling himself? Was he destined to fall through the cracks like so many other kids who had left foster care?
Alex stood in his bedroom before dinner, everyone else waiting downstairs for him to drop his graduation paraphernalia off, and ran his finger over his name on that sheet of paper. It didn’t look exactly as he’d pictured it – after all, Alexander Ramirez hadn’t graduated, Alexander G. Claremont-Diaz had. But it was still everything he had hoped for. Everything he had worked his ass off for.
He couldn’t wait to get the real thing. They wouldn’t mail the actual diplomas out for another month or so but fuck, when they did it was going in the nicest frame he could find.
The dinner was perfect. They had all gone to some upscale restaurant. Paparazzi had been outside, clearly having been tipped off. Henry just gripped his hand tightly as they followed the family into the restaurant, everyone ignoring the calls of their names from behind those flashing cameras.
Alex sat at the table that night and felt an immeasurable amount of warmth and happiness all through his body. He felt giddy with it as he watched Ellen and Leo laughing with each other as they perused the menu, and June and Nora bickering over what wine to choose. Looking to his right, he saw that Henry was leaning away from him and toward Oscar, Oscar’s hand on his shoulder as they had a quiet conversation that he couldn’t hear.
He looked around the restaurant and saw other patrons with their families enjoying their meals. Two tables over, there was a couple with their young son. He was bouncing in his chair while his parents patiently attempted to settle him down. Another table over was a larger family, the kids making a mess of themselves even as their parents and grandparents helped them to eat.
Two years ago he would have been horribly jealous. He would have felt that familiar burst of pain in his chest as he watched on and knew without a doubt that that was something he would never have.
Turning back to his own family now as the waiter came and they began to give their orders, he had to blink back tears and felt his face flush as his parents boasted about him to the waiter. Telling him how they were there to celebrate our son and how proud we are. Henry placed his hand on Alex’s knee under the table and Alex met his gaze, seeing love in those eyes but also understanding, and he knew his boyfriend could tell how affected he was. Alex leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, then closed his eyes briefly against all of the emotions rising within him.
After dinner, they all made their way back to the White House, with Henry staying the night before having to fly back the next day.
Alex felt dead on his feet and all he wanted to do was to burrow under the covers with his boyfriend and fall asleep in his arms. He slipped under the comforter and watched Henry dig through his bags before standing up with two small envelopes in his hand. Alex raised his eyebrows as he noted the nervous look on his face, and the way Henry was biting his lip as he climbed onto his side of the bed.
“What’s that?” Alex asked.
“A present?”
Chuckling, Alex said, “Are you asking me or telling me?”
Henry rolled his eyes. “Telling you. It’s a present. If…if you want it, that is.”
Alex held out his hand expectantly. “Of course I want it baby. Not that you had to get me anything,” he said as he began to open the first envelope handed to him. “But I’ll never turn down a present from you…” he trailed off as he looked down at the paperwork now in his lap. He read the bold lettering at the top and the beginning of the first paragraph before his brain stopped working. He tried re-reading it but his brain had indeed gone offline and he looked up at Henry, mouth dry. “What’s this?” He whispered.
Henry, who was wringing his hands together, cleared his throat. “It’s a deed.”
“A deed,” Alex repeated.
“To a brownstone. In New York. I…I kind of, bought it?” Henry admitted. “My father left me enough money to live as I please, really, and I’ve never touched it but I thought…well, it’ll be what I’m living off of until I start making my own money and…and obviously I’ll need to use it to pay for my own security once I abdicate but…I thought that my first purchase should be something special and…what could be more special than our first home?”
Alex’s mouth dropped open. “Our home?”
Henry swallowed, then, and nodded as he handed Alex the second envelope. Alex ripped it open and stopped breathing as he looked down at the silver key sitting there, attached to a key chain.
“I’d very much like to add your name to the deed,” Henry said quietly and Alex’s eyes shot up to meet his again. Henry rushed to add, “Of course, I completely understand if this is too soon. I would never want to push you into something, and I have no idea if you’ve already made living arrangements. If it’s not something you want then that’s perfectly okay, darling. I just…I wanted you to know that I bought a brownstone, and that I’d very much like for you to live there with me. Whether that’s now or in the future. Whenever you’re ready.”
Alex sniffed and felt his eyes burn hot as Henry spoke. He reached into the envelope and took out the key, feeling along the edges and bringing it up so that he could look at the keychain through the haze of tears. It was shaped like a dog tag and had an engraving: Home, a small heart next to it, with A H engraved underneath. Alex choked on a sob and the tears finally fell as he looked back up at Henry.
“Baby…baby…” He tried to get more out but he couldn’t. Instead, he lunged forward and threw his arms around Henry, burying his face in his neck and sobbing, the key still grasped firmly in his hand. “Of course I’ll fucking live with you. Baby…oh my God…”
Henry held him tight. Rocked him. Soothed him with loving words and kisses to his temple. Alex wished he could express just how much this meant to him. Wished he could explain that Henry had just given him the greatest gift of all.
Because the first place he could remember living in hadn’t been a home. It had been a prison, and he couldn’t stand to think about it for too long. Not even during his sessions with Fiona.
And then he’d been moved around. Group home, foster home, group home, foster home. All of them temporary. At any point, on any day, he could have been told he had to leave and that was that. He could never feel settled. Never let himself think of anywhere as home.
The White House had been the first place to ever feel like a home to him. But again, it was always going to be temporary. There was an expiration date on his family’s time there.
And yes, there was the house in Austin that he had a key to. He knew that his mom and Leo would likely move back there one day, and he knew that he was absolutely always welcomed there. It had meant the world to him to be given that key. But even that would be temporary – a pit stop if he needed a place to stay in the future if he was ever back in Texas. He was never going to move in there.
But this…Henry had bought a home. Henry wanted to put Alex’s name on the deed.
Alex would never, ever again wake up wondering if he was going to be allowed to fall asleep under that same roof or get shipped off somewhere else. Wouldn’t have to keep count of the days before he had to pack his things up and move on again.
This wasn’t temporary. This was permanent.
They would build a life in that brownstone.
Alex didn’t know how long they stayed that way, but eventually his tears dried up and his eyes felt heavy. He barely registered Henry laying him down and moving the paperwork off of the bed. When Henry went to take the keychain and place it on the end table, Alex sniffed and shook his head, holding onto it tighter.
Henry shushed him and told him it was okay. He turned Alex on his side and snuggled up behind him, pulling Alex back until there was no space between them. He linked their ankles together and placed a kiss to the back of Alex’s neck and Alex melted into the bed, a stray tear escaping as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
When he awoke the next morning, the key was still clutched tightly in his hand, the lines from its edges imprinted on his palm just as they were imprinted on his heart.
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BREAKING NEWS: PRINCE HENRY TO ABDICATE
PRINCE HENRY STEPPING DOWN FROM ROYAL DUTIES: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE MONARCHY?
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The first week of August saw Alex, Henry, June, Nora, Bea and Pez at the Lake House.
Alex watched from his towel on the lawn as his friends and boyfriend kicked and splashed in the water, screeching and laughing. They had spent a whole week there and would be leaving after another day.
The group had all traveled into Marble Falls earlier that afternoon for candy and books, and Alex and Henry had delighted in holding hands as they walked down that now familiar street and raided the candy store like five year olds. Henry had had a gleam in his eye that told Alex he was remembering his wish from last year, just as Alex was, when Alex had come to him on his bad days.
“I don’t know, I have this goal in my head. Of next summer, getting to go back to the Lake House with you and really be free at that point. We could go back to that little town and actually hold hands.”
It was a goal that was so fucking satisfying to have reached.
The whole trip had been a welcome getaway. Henry had been hounded by the press after his announcement a month and a half ago, and Alex had done his best to support him through it as he made his own preparations for law school and the impending move to New York.
The brownstone was coming along nicely. They had had to make adjustments considering their high-profile status – ensure that the windows were replaced with bullet-proof glass, install a top-of-the-line alarm and security system, etc. Henry had added Alex’s name to the paperwork and Alex carried that keychain around with him everywhere he went.
In two weeks, they would finally be able to move in.
They had picked out furniture together – spent late nights on video calls shopping online together and picking out pieces that fit both of their styles. The furniture had been delivered but not arranged in any room. The paint they’d picked out for each room sat waiting for them in pails. They planned to do all of the work of decorating and painting themselves.
Neither of them had painted a wall in his life but…it would be fun. It would be them. The start of their new adventure.
Alex closed his eyes and laid his head back, letting the summer sun continue to warm him. Henry had again attempted to teach him to swim but Alex was ready to call it a lost cause. And that was okay. He didn’t have to be perfect at everything.
His thoughts drifted back to this day last August. One year ago that day, he had been in a courtroom in Dallas. He had been panicking, heaving over the toilet and crying to Henry on the phone. He hadn’t eaten in days and his body was shaking so much he thought it might never stop. He had just shown his dad what his past had looked like, and he relived it all again on the witness stand.
He had faced down Ramirez and he had barely held it together.
Coming to the lake house after that had been a balm to his soul. Spending time with people he loved, far away from prying eyes, had brought him peace he had been desperate for.
He had felt that same peace this past week, and he knew that this place would always have a special place in his heart. It had helped him start to heal in those first few days after facing Ramirez, and it was where he introduced Henry to his father, and it was where Henry told him his plan to abdicate and he and Henry had said I love you for the first time…
Alex was pulled from his reverie by the sound of someone sitting next to him and dripping on him. Peaking one eye open he saw June smiling down at him.
“Hey lazy bones,” she laughed.
Alex smiled. “Gotta work on my beautiful tan.”
June rolled her eyes as she laid back on her towel and stared up at the sky. Alex reached over and linked their pinkies.
They were quiet for a few minutes, and Alex was about to close his eyes again when June spoke.
“This has been a really good week.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah it has. We should do this every summer.”
June turned her head toward him and studied his face. “You mean that?”
Alex raised his eyebrows and smiled at her, confused. “Of course. We’ll make it a tradition. All of us.”
June studied him some more and bit her lip before turning her eyes toward the sky again. “I’d like that,” she said quietly. “I want…I never want to go too long without seeing you, Alex.”
Alex turned onto his side and took her hand fully. “You won’t, June. We’ll see each other all the time.”
She nodded, but Alex could see her bottom lip start to tremble.
“Hey…” he said softly. “What’s going on?”
She sniffed. “It’s just…I guess it’s just been hitting me lately that you’re leaving. And…and I know you say we’ll still see each other but we’re adults with all these responsibilities and I’ll have my work and you’ll have law school and you’ll be studying so, so hard – and I swear to God you better take care of yourself or I’ll come to New York and beat your ass – and I know there will be holidays but people get too busy to come home for those sometimes and…and I think if I lost you again…if I don’t see you anymore then I don’t know how I’ll handle it. It hurt enough the first time, ya know? And - ”
“June,” Alex whispered, sitting up and leaning down to wipe a tear from under her eye. Licking his lips, he said, “I…I can’t change the past. I can’t even fucking remember what happened, but I know you can and I wish I could make it better. I wish you hadn’t had to lose someone like you did, and so young. I can’t change any of that, neither of us can, no matter how much we wish we could because it was all so fucking unfair. All of it. But…but we can make sure the future is different. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our future is different.”
June sat up and pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees as she looked at him. “Yeah?” She asked, her voice small.
Alex nodded. “Yeah. You’re…you mean so much to me June. We mean so much to each other, right? I mean fuck, you knew who I was after looking at me for like five seconds. You…you didn’t give up on me. You were fighting for me when I didn’t even know you existed. You waited for me to come back when no one else believed it would happen, and I…June, I promise you, I don’t care what I have to do, I will always come back. I will always come back.”
June smiled at him through her tears and reached out. Alex caught her as she fell into his arms and he held her close, letting her cry against him as he fought back his own tears. In the distance he could see Henry and Nora looking at them curiously but thankfully not approaching.
Alex ran his fingers through June’s wet strands and rubbed his hand up and down her back.
“You’re my big sister, and I love you. Always.”
“I love you too little brother. Always.”
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FORMER PRINCE OF WALES AND FSOTUS SPOTTED IN NEW YORK CITY
INTRODUCING HENRY FOX: FORMER PRINCE OF WALES TO GO BY FATHER’S LAST NAME
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Alex stood on a sidewalk in Brooklyn, staring up at the brownstone that was now officially his and Henry’s. It was move-in day. And Arthur Fox’s birthday.
He had worried that this wouldn’t be a good day to take on this transition. Had suggested to Henry that he take a mental health day, remembering how bad things had been last year. But Henry had been adamant, reasoning that it was only appropriate to move in on this day, considering it was because of Arthur that Henry was able to purchase this home – had the means to leave his prison - in the first place.
So, even though Henry looked tired, and his feet dragged somewhat, there had still been a light in his eyes and a happy little smile on his face as they had been driven through the city and to their block.
Alex knew without having looked that a red velvet cake sat waiting in the refrigerator. Cash had whispered to him earlier that he had had it brought in before they got there, as requested. That night, they would light a candle and celebrate Arthur Fox, and their new home, and their new life, and they would thank him.
But for now, Alex closed his eyes and felt the wind ruffle his hair. He ran his finger over the engraving on his keychain. Two keys now dangled from it, the one for the house in Austin fitting nicely next to the shiny silver one that was about to open the door to his future.
The home he was born into and the home he would grow with, side by side.
He had spent a lot of time over the past two years thinking about his future, trying to picture what it would look like. But now he let his mind drift back to the past, and to who he had been. How he had come to D.C. closed off, and afraid to let anyone in. How he had believed with all of his heart that he would go through life alone. That he wasn’t meant to be part of a group, or a family.
He remembered back to what he thought his future was going to be.
He had had a plan. He had made at least 20 lists to come up with that plan. There had been spreadsheets involved.
He had a plan. A good plan, a well fucking thought-out plan and…
It had been shot to hell.
Opening his eyes again, he looked at the front door, and then around the sidewalk at all of their luggage piled up there. He heard Henry talking to Cash and trying to wrangle David on his leash, and knew that soon they would be dragging all of this inside, huffing and laughing and looking around their new place and…
It was okay that his plan hadn’t worked out.
Because in all of that planning - in all of his imaginings about what his life would look like and if he’d make it, if he’d be able to survive – he could never have dreamed up this.
This life, with a man he loved and who loved him by his side. A man who had become a part of him, who saw Alex for everything he was and declared loudly, proudly, that he was going to stay.
This life, with a family who wanted him. Who had always wanted him. Who had held his hand and cheered him on and who had held him up more than once when he felt like he was surely going to crumble to dust at their feet.
It was okay. He was okay.
He felt Henry’s hand slip into his and met his gaze, his heart skipping as those sparkling blue eyes lit him up from the inside. Henry brought Alex’s hand up and kissed the inside of his wrist, right over his pulse point, the delicate skin tingling in his wake.
“Shall we go inside, love?”
His throat was tight and his hands shook as they made their way up the steps and stood in front of their door. Henry slipped his hand down to the small of Alex’s back and kissed the top of his curls before helping to guide Alex’s hand up to the lock.
They turned the key, and Alex was home.