Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Alright. Alright, I can do this.” Henry’s breath puffs out in clouds in the cold air as he squares his shoulders.

“You can do this,” Pez confirms, keeping stride with him.

Henry steps toward the party tent, making it about ten feet closer before he stops mid-stride. “I can’t do this.” His overcoat flaps against his legs as he turns around and starts walking back in the direction of the valet station. But halfway down the walk, he pauses again, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his left fist. “God, this is stupid.”

“The existential crisis you’re having in the snow?” Pez asks. “There are certainly better places to have them. Warmer, too. Like the tent for example.” He ambles back toward Henry and claps him on the shoulder, and Henry rocks with it a little. “You can do this, mate. And do you know why?”

Henry shakes his head.

“Because I’m not going to freeze to death when the woman you promised you’d introduce to me is a mere 50 feet away at this very moment.” Pez gives him a reassuring look. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be better than fine.”

“Easy for you to say; you’re confident,” Henry grouses.

“Confident that things will go well for you tonight,” Pez replies, “if you’ll just get your ass inside.” He blows into his hands and rubs them together to warm them. “Listen. Just… whatever happens in there, say yes, alright?”

“I don’t follow,” Henry says, his brow furrowing. “Say yes to what?”

“Whatever opportunity comes knocking,” Pez says breezily. “You forget, I’ve seen your messages. The booze is flowing tonight, and everyone’s got their best fit on – so opportunity will knock, and you will say yes.”

Henry scrunches his face. “What do you know?”

“I know you’ll pine forever if you let yourself. Don’t do it. Say yes.” Pez starts walking toward the tent. “Don’t disappoint yourself tonight. You’ve got a potential dick appointment waiting.”

“Pez,” Henry hisses. If anyone’s overheard…

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Pez tosses over his shoulder as he approaches the tent.

But the part of Henry that’s loud enough to be heard over the churning anxiety desperately hopes Pez isn’t wrong, so Henry huffs out a breath and trudges toward the tent behind him.

The tent is warm thanks to the heaters interspersed along the outside edge, and Henry immediately regrets the overcoat. He hands it to the attendant at the coat check desk, pockets his ticket, and follows Pez into the crowd within. Party lighting illuminates the tent in hues of green and purple and red and blue, and the DJ in the center of the room blasts music through speakers strategically placed throughout the party. Pez is immediately in his element; Henry would rather go home.

Say yes, Pez’s voice reminds him, and he rolls his shoulders as he looks around the room, seeking –

Henry’s heart flips in his chest as his gaze locks onto Alex, who looks bright and bold and larger-than-life amidst the partygoers, a broad, gleaming smile on his face as he and Nora stride up to meet them.

“Ohhh, look who it is!” Alex exclaims, and Henry feels suddenly, acutely shy. “Nice tie; rocking the orange.”

“Orange?” Henry asks, painfully aware of how his voice breaks a little on the question. He tries, and mostly succeeds to modulate his tone as he continues. “You must be color-blind. This is obviously copper.”

“You are so annoying,” Alex says, but he’s smiling, so Henry squashes down the frisson of doubt that tries to bubble up.

Henry turns to the woman standing next to Alex. “Nora,” he says, gesturing at Pez, “this is my best mate, Percy Okonjo, who’s been begging me for an introduction since the wedding.”

“Miss Holleran,” Pez begins with a suaveness Henry could only dream of achieving, “you are the most exquisite woman I’ve ever seen – ”

Henry’s gaze flits back to Alex, resplendent with his metallic jacket and liquor-bright eyes. He knows he’s staring, but he can’t look away, even as he feels his cheeks heating – and then Pez and Nora walk away, and Alex tilts his head and gives him what almost seems like a playful look.

“I’ve been drunk since Christmas,” Alex announces, slinging an arm around Henry’s shoulders, and Henry lets Alex tuck him in close to his side, feeling his mouth curve into a small, pleased smile. “You gotta catch up.” Alex herds him toward the bar, and Henry ducks his head and tries not to bask too much in the warmth of Alex’s body pressed all along his left side, or the scent of Alex’s cologne, or the strength of Alex’s arm wrapped around him.

Moments later, drinks in hand, they settle at the corner of an L-shaped sofa. Alex begins to describe one of his misadventures with the Secret Service. Within no time, Henry finds himself laughing so uproariously and smiling so broadly that his face hurts, covering his eyes in his right hand, his drink forgotten on a low table in front of them.

Henry can’t remember the last time he’s laughed this hard, but he’s utterly unsurprised that it’s Alex who’s inspired the laughter, and he's utterly, helplessly charmed by him.

“ – and she was mortified,” Alex crows.

Before Henry can respond, there’s a sudden flash of green sequins, and then a woman plops down in Alex’s lap and asks him, “Hey! How are you doing?”

Alex turns to her in surprise and says, “Oh! Hey.”

Henry sits bolt upright, both feet flat on the floor. He feels his eyes widen as the grin slides off his face.

Alex continues, “Good, how are you?”

“Good,” the woman replies. She leans forward, extending a hand to Henry. “Have we met?”

And Henry feels dismissed; it’s a not unfamiliar feeling and just as awful as usual. “Uh, Henry. Um – ”

“That’s Henry,” Alex confirms.

“That's Henry,” the woman echoes, and the way she says his name feels mocking, almost – then the song changes and the woman says to Alex, “Oh my god, we’ve got to dance. Come on!” and something plummets in Henry’s stomach as she pulls Alex to his feet.

“You’re not gonna dance?” Alex asks him, standing in front of Henry as the woman tugs on his arm.

It’s on the tip of Henry’s tongue to decline. Every fiber of his being is aware of the way the woman is trying to box him out of spending time with Alex – but Pez’s words echo in his ears again. Say yes.

Henry stands. “You know, I think I will,” he says, and the broad, toothy smile Alex gives him in response helps him tamp down his anxiety about dancing in an unfamiliar style. He leaves his martini glass behind as he follows Alex to the dance floor.

On the dance floor, Henry sways to the beat for a moment, closing his eyes as he tries to place the rhythm of the song and – yes. It’s bachata – a faster tempo, with a heavier beat, but bachata. For once, he’s thankful for the ballroom dance lessons The Crown had insisted he complete during his youth, because this he can do. He opens his eyes again, taps the woman in the sequined dress on the shoulder, and asks, “May I?”

If she’s shocked when he pulls her in and begins to lead the dance, she doesn’t show it. A glance over her shoulder at Alex, however, causes a slow smile to form on Henry’s face – Alex is stunned. He focuses back on his dance partner, coaxing her into a spin and steadying her when she stumbles a little. “Alright?” he asks.

“You’re a really good dancer,” she yells back over the music.

“Thanks,” Henry replies, and as they turn, their hips swaying to the rhythm, he catches Alex’s eye where he’s dancing solo, and quirks an eyebrow at him.

“Since when,” Alex states, and Henry’s smile widens.

“Since primary school,” he replies. “Ballroom lessons – family obligation, but it was fun.” He leads the woman through another turn and she sways a little on her feet.

“I think I’m gonna sit down,” she mumbles, and she disengages to stagger off the dance floor.

“Whoops,” Henry says, his brows knitting together as he watches her stumble over to the sofa he and Alex had vacated so recently. “Should we make sure she’s alright?”

“She’ll be fine,” Alex replies. He steps toward Henry, a gleam of something Henry doesn’t have a label for in his eyes. “Teach me,” he says, and it’s not a request.

Henry hesitates for just a moment, but he catches a glimpse of Pez’s suit as he passes with Nora. Say yes. “Alright,” he murmurs. He points at his feet and says, “Watch,” performing the basic steps at half-speed.

It’s unsurprising when Alex picks up the steps quickly, Henry thinks, given how single-minded he can be when he’s decided on something. What is surprising, however, is the way he continues to regard Henry throughout the mini-lesson, with an almost calculating expression on his face.

“Together,” Alex says after a moment, holding out his hands. “Show me.”

Henry’s heart launches into his throat, and he swallows hard. Showing Alex a dance is one thing; dancing it with him is quite another. “I lead,” he warns, because he never learned to follow in ballroom class, and Alex nods.

“Fine,” Alex says. He makes a grabbing gesture with his hands, and Henry huffs out a laugh and takes them. Alex’s hands are warm, with light calluses on his fingertips, and they’re so large that they completely engulf Henry’s.

Breath hitching, Henry lifts his chin, catches Alex’s gaze, and begins to lead. His pulse speeds up as Alex’s grip tightens on his hands, following the swaying box-step pattern. That Alex is slightly taller than he is doesn’t matter; he’s practiced with ballroom partners whose dance heels made them his height. That unlike his usual dance partners, Alex is decidedly masculine, and Alex fills out his suit to perfection, and Alex’s full attention seems to be on him despite the music and the crowd – that, on the other hand, matters rather a lot.

Henry notes that an audience is beginning to congregate around them, and realizes this can end in one of two ways – so he chooses spectacle over speculation. “Spin,” he warns Alex, and when Alex nods, he guides him through a simple turn that ends with them closer together. The crowd cheers, and Henry’s gaze flits to Alex’s eyes. “Again?”

“Fuck yeah,” Alex rasps, eyes dancing.

Lifting Alex’s arm, he dips under their joined hands, completing a more advanced turn with Alex counterbalancing him. His right hand flattens against Alex’s back, and he pulls their chests flush together so they stand nose-to-nose for a moment, before spinning away again.

Dance has never been this exhilarating or this sensual. Henry’s heart is pounding and his face is flushed, joy and adrenaline and arousal coursing through him.

“Song’s almost over,” Alex says after a few more turns on his part and increasingly more advanced moves on Henry’s.

Henry meets his eyes, and the look on Alex’s face causes his semi-hard cock to jump in his trousers. “Want to give them a showstopper?” he asks, swaying closer until their knees are touching and their hips are only a few inches apart. He gestures with his head at the circle of partygoers who’ve surrounded them.

Alex nods, licking his lips. “Obviously.”

Henry tracks the motion of Alex’s tongue with his gaze, then forces himself to refocus on Alex’s eyes. “Trust me,” he says, and Alex nods again.

Leaning into Alex’s space, he leads him into one last, undulating turn. Then Henry plants his left hand on Alex’s back and his right hand on the left side of Alex’s waist and guides him into a dip.

It’s hard to say what’s louder in that moment – the roar of the crowd, or the thundering of Henry’s heart. They’re both panting, their chests heaving, and when Henry brings Alex back upright and the DJ loops in the next song, they stand there for a moment, staring at one another as the partygoers move back into exhilarated dancing.

“My turn,” Alex murmurs, his slightly glassy gaze on Henry’s, starting to bounce lightly to the hip-hop track.

“Oh good,” Henry replies, glancing around at the other partygoers, all of whom are dancing somewhat like Alex. “Because ballroom lessons didn’t exactly cover this.”

Alex laughs, taking Henry by the waist. “All in the hips,” he says, giving Henry a little shake. “Loosen up!”

I can’t is what Henry wants to say, but yet again – say yes. “Show me how it’s done, then,” he invites.

Alex’s hands are still on his waist, and he instructs, “Bend your knees a little. Bounce to the beat.” He moves Henry up and down. Henry has a sudden, vivid mental flash of other scenarios in which Alex might grip his hips and move him. Chief among these scenarios, they’re alone in a bed together, with remarkably fewer clothes and Henry’s ass stuffed full of Alex’s prick – and Henry feels himself flush as his cock stiffens further.

Henry licks his lips, and Alex’s gaze flicks down to them, then back to his eyes, so fast that Henry wonders if he’s hallucinated it. Then a bottle of champagne is pressed into his hand, and Henry turns to see Pez standing there, a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Two minutes to midnight,” he says nonchalantly. “Thought you might want this.”

“Perfect,” Alex exclaims, releasing Henry and wrapping his hand around the neck of the bottle, trapping Henry’s fingers against the foil-covered glass as he brings it to his lips.

Henry watches helplessly as Alex’s throat bobs while he guzzles champagne straight from the bottle. He turns to Pez, whose smirk has grown to a pleased smile. Pez sidles up to Henry, placing a hand deliberately on Henry’s hip, and says in his ear, “Remember – say yes.”

“Worked so far,” Henry admits, and when Pez pulls away with a light pat to Henry’s hip, Henry catches another hint of that indefinable something in Alex’s eyes. Alex lets go of the bottle, and Henry brings it to his own mouth, hyper-aware that he’s drinking from a magnum that’s just been touching Alex’s lips. He takes a few deep swigs, then lowers the champagne to his side.

Alex leans into his space and murmurs, “Follow me,” heading toward the entrance.

In the spirit of saying yes, Henry follows and soon finds himself outside in the crisp winter air, leather soles sliding on a fresh blanket of snow. He realizes, belatedly, that he’s still holding the champagne bottle, but rather than risk losing track of Alex he carries it along. Hope wars with doubt in his mind as they turn a corner, out of sight of the party tent.

From the tent, Henry hears the countdown start, and then Alex places a hand in the center of his chest and pushes him against the exterior wall of the White House. “What – ”

“You know what,” Alex murmurs, his hands coming to rest on the wall on either side of Henry’s head. “I just can’t believe I didn’t know.” He leans in. “Tell me if I’m wrong.”

In the tent, the partygoers finish their countdown. Against the wall outside the presidential residence, Henry breathes, “You’re not wrong,” cups a hand behind the back of Alex’s neck, and pulls him in.

Alex’s lips, Henry notes, taste like champagne with a hint of the whiskey he’d been drinking before. The kiss is shockingly hot in contrast to the cold winter air and the frigid wall behind Henry. Henry’s hand creeps up into Alex's hair, tugging lightly at the curls on the back of his head, and he makes a little noise in the back of his throat as Alex coaxes his lips to part and licks into his mouth.

When they come up for air, several breathless moments later, Henry murmurs “Happy New Year,” as Alex blurts, “Come upstairs with me.”

Henry blinks, startled.

Alex sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. “I mean, if you want.”

“You don’t think it’s too – ”

“Soon? No.” Alex shakes his head and moves the hand still on the wall down to Henry’s hip. “We’ve been talking for months, and after that dance – ” He steps back so he can scrutinize Henry’s face. “Do you think it’s too soon?”

Say yes.

“Only because we’ve been drinking,” Henry admits, scuffing a foot in the snow.

“Come up anyway,” Alex urges. “We can sit a respectable distance apart and watch TV while we sober up, and then…” He gives Henry a slow smile. “We can figure out where to go from there.”

Henry wants nothing more than to pull Alex down so he can kiss that smile, and he can feel himself caving. “I have a flight in the morning,” he says, “But – ”

“It’s snowing,” Alex points out. “Sounds to me like your flight’s delayed.” He presses back into Henry’s space, close enough that his frozen breath mingles with Henry’s between them. “It’s freezing out here. Come inside, Henry.”

If Henry tilts his head up just a fraction of an inch, their noses will brush together. “I’ll need my coat,” he says, tilting his head back in the direction of the tent.

The tips of Alex’s first two fingers turn Henry’s face back to him, his thumb settling just below Henry’s lower lip. “Give me your coat check ticket,” he says.

Henry relaxes his jaw and mouths at the pad of Alex’s thumb, and Alex’s eyes darken.

“You’re going to make it very hard to be respectful,” Alex notes roughly. "Give me the ticket so I can get your coat and we can go in."

“I can get it myself – ” Henry protests.

“Optics, Henry,” Alex reminds him. “It'll be a lot less suspicious if I go back in than if you do. Now – ticket.”

Henry tucks his hand into his pocket and grasps the ticket between two fingers, then tilts his head up that extra scant distance, shivering when the cold tips of their noses touch. Even in his wildest fantasies, he couldn’t have imagined the way he feels when Alex’s champagne-bright breath fans across his lips. “Kiss me again first?” he asks, his voice pitched low and soft.

Alex crowds him up against the exterior facade of the White House. The sandstone is cold even through Henry’s woolen suit, but Alex’s mouth is scorching, and when Henry’s teeth scrape over Alex’s lower lip and Alex shudders and presses in harder, Henry can feel the firm line of Alex’s cock against his hip and he moans, disbelieving, into the kiss as his own cock rubs along Alex’s upper thigh through their trousers. Alex wants him. He wants Henry, and Henry’s never once seriously considered that his infatuation might go two ways.

When Alex attempts to pull back, Henry chases the kiss, and Alex makes a sound that’s half-laugh, half-groan as he lets Henry draw him back in. One of Alex’s broad palms smooths down from Henry’s waist over his hip, then tucks under his thigh and hikes it up, slotting their hips together. The other hand skitters over Henry’s trousers, delving into his pocket and tangling their fingers together – and a moment later, Henry finds himself teetering forward into empty space. Alex lowers his foot back to the ground and steps back, a mischievous grin on his handsome, flushed face as he lifts his hand and reveals the coat check ticket.

“Thanks,” Alex says with a wink. “Wait here.” He swaggers back in the direction of the tent, tossing Henry a heated glance or two over his shoulder before he rounds the corner and walks out of sight.

Henry slumps against the wall and looks up at the sky, a sigh escaping with a puff of steam from his kiss-swollen mouth. God, what an arse.

—

Somehow, miraculously, they make it up to Alex’s room in the White House residential wing without incriminating themselves on the security cameras in the stairwell or the corridors. Henry tucks his hands in his pockets, his eyes widening when he feels a familiar item that he absolutely hadn’t placed there. Pez really has been gunning for the wingman of the century.

Henry pulls his hands back out of his pockets and fidgets with his signet ring as they casually stroll toward Alex’s room, trying to keep his hands occupied. He catches himself staring at the lean lines of Alex’s body more than once, quickly redirecting his gaze toward a vase or a painting or a framed document of some sort, until Alex stops in front of a door, taps his phone against the lock, and opens the latch.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Alex says with a sweeping gesture as he pushes the door wide and flicks on the lights, pointing out the various features of his room. “Bathroom’s through there, the closet is there, sofa and TV, bar, desk – ” The door closes, and he turns to face Henry. “Bed…” Alex continues, his voice pitched low, sending a pulse of want through Henry, “... is right behind you.” He toes out of one shoe, then the other, kicking them behind himself on the carpet.

The action brings Alex down to Henry’s eye level, and Henry notes as Alex approaches on sock-clad feet that the warm brown of his irises is flecked with little spots of dark amber, and that there’s a spray of faint freckles over the crest of his nose. Henry gazes, mesmerized at those freckles until Alex blinks and the dramatic, dark sweep of Alex’s lashes grabs his attention.

“Just to help set realistic expectations, I should probably mention,” Alex murmurs, taking Henry’s coat from his suddenly slack fingers and tossing it over the back of the sofa, “that the furthest I’ve ever gone with a guy is frottage.”

Henry can’t stop the little “Mmh,” that bubbles forth in response, and he looks down at his hands for a moment, twisting the ring on his pinky before peering back up at Alex, feeling unaccountably nervous. “Just to help set realistic expectations, I… have gone further.”

A broad, easy smile spreads on Alex’s lips. “Thank god one of us knows what he’s doing,” he murmurs. “I know we said we’d wait until we sobered up, but – ”

“God, please don’t wait,” Henry blurts, and he shivers when Alex runs a hand up his tie, hooks his index finger behind the knot, and pulls Henry toward that smiling mouth.

In the warmth of Alex’s room, with heat radiating between their bodies, Alex’s questing tongue in his mouth, and Alex’s hot breath fanning over his cheek each time he exhales sharply through his nose, Henry quickly finds himself becoming too warm. He unbuttons and shrugs out of his double-breasted suit jacket, letting it fall behind him onto the bed and undoes his cuffs, then deliberately places his right hand on Alex’s hip while the fingers of his left rub over the soft, short hair at the base of Alex’s skull.

By contrast, Alex’s hands are everywhere – grasping at Henry just below his ribs, sliding up to his shoulders, sliding down to his hips, pressing into his lower back, tugging at his shirt where it’s tucked into his trousers. When they slide down to curve over Henry’s ass, Henry gasps into the kiss, and Alex bites softly at his lower lip.

Henry shoves at the shoulders of Alex’s blazer until Alex gets the hint and lets him go long enough to take it off. He takes the opportunity to pull off his tie and unbutton his shirt, then reaches for the buttons on Alex’s black button-down as Alex’s hands find him again, this time skittering over the bare skin of his chest and around to his back. It’s when Henry’s hand brushes against the shape of his mobile as he starts to unbuckle his belt that he draws back with a breathy, “Wait – ”

Alex’s hands withdraw immediately, and his brows pinch with concern. “Are you okay? This isn’t too – ”

“I’m fine,” Henry assures him, placing a hand carefully over one of Alex’s. He gives him a little, lopsided grin and pulls his mobile from his pocket. “It just occurred to me that I should tell my security team where I am before they think I’ve been kidnapped and Grandpa sends an invading force to look for me.”

Relief suffuses Alex’s face, then, before the same intense heat returns to his eyes. “You’re spending the night,” he says, his tone brooking no argument.

Henry stares at Alex for a moment, slack-jawed, then takes a shuddering breath and nods. “I’m spending the night,” he agrees. He shoots two quick variations of this to his PPOs and Pez, receiving immediate responses in the form of Understood, sir, from the former and Get it, Haz! 🍆 from the latter, then leans over toward the nightstand nearest the door and places his phone deliberately atop it. He toes off his shoes, leaving them by the nightstand as well, then turns back to Alex, grabs him by the belt, and turns them both so Alex is standing back-to the bed.

Alex’s eyes widen when Henry gives him a shove and he topples backward, bouncing lightly as his back hits the mattress. Henry scrambles onto the bed atop him, pressing down against him, spreading his thighs just enough that their pelvises align and their cocks nestle together in a way that’s so perfect that Henry wishes he’d waited until their trousers were off. Then he kisses Alex again, and Alex’s hands curve around his ass, and Henry’s regret at his hastiness vanishes into the aether.

The skin at the hollow of Alex’s throat, when Henry’s lips and tongue map it, is salty with the sweat that had accumulated on the dance floor. He kisses that skin until all traces of salt are gone, then moves to the line of Alex’s shoulder, then his sternum, then his ruddy brown nipples. Alex arches beneath him and drags him back up for another kiss, and Henry braces himself on either side of Alex’s head, pulling back far enough to ask, “What do you want?”

“Whatever you’re willing to give,” Alex replies. It’s a dangerous answer, some part of Henry recognizes, but a much larger and louder part of him is mildly inebriated and has wanted Alex like this for longer than Henry’d care to admit, sober or otherwise.

Henry sits up on Alex’s thighs and unbuckles his belt, then reaches for Alex’s belt to unfasten that as well. “I’d hate for you to regret this in the morning,” he says, “so I need to know if there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

Alex’s hands slide to Henry’s knees and he squeezes lightly. “What do you have in mind?”

Henry fumbles the button on Alex’s fly for a moment but manages to get both their trousers undone. He gazes down at Alex, at his mussed curls, at the way his shirt is spread wide to reveal his toned chest, at his open fly and his prick straining beneath his pants, and when he shifts on Alex’s thighs, he feels the play of his muscles beneath his ass. “I want to ride your cock,” he murmurs, and Alex’s mouth falls open on a moan.

“Oh my god,” Alex rasps, arching up against him. “Jesus Christ. Thank god I’m still a little tipsy because – holy fuck, Henry, I’m pretty sure saying that sentence is the hottest thing you’ve ever done, and that includes seducing me on the fucking dance floor tonight.”

“I did not seduce – ” Henry protests, but Alex surges up into a seated position and pulls him into a heated kiss before he can finish his sentence.

“You totally seduced me,” Alex says breathlessly when they part. He grins against Henry’s mouth and tucks his thumbs into the back of Henry’s waistband. “And I’m glad you did because if I had a nickel for every time someone’s called me ‘an oblivious dumbass’ – ”

“I imagine you’d have amassed quite a fortune by now,” Henry chuckles.

“Hey!” Alex swats Henry on the ass, his gaze growing calculating when Henry lets out an inadvertent, high-pitched sound. “Oh, we are exploring that reaction later,” Alex declares, shoving lightly at Henry’s chest.

Henry’s brain goes fuzzy at the thought of later, and he has to shake his head to regain some semblance of focus.

“Now get naked,” Alex continues, giving Henry another little push. “I want to see all of you.”

Clambering back to his feet, Henry’s hands fall to the waistband of his trousers. “You, too,” he murmurs, his gaze dancing over Alex’s exposed chest. “I’m not stripping off by myself.” He extends a hand to Alex to pull him up, and when Alex grips Henry’s hand in his own, Henry’s breath hitches at the sensation of Alex’s palm against his. He tugs Alex to his feet.

They’re oddly silent as they remove the remainder of their clothing, each sneaking glances at the other. As he sheds his clothes, Henry folds each garment and drapes it over the back of the sofa, hoping to avoid the most obvious of wrinkles. He plucks a few items from his trouser pocket before the trousers join his jacket, tie, and shirt. Down to just his boxers, wristwatch, ring, and socks, he turns back to Alex, who’s in a similar state of dress and gazing openly at him.

“What is it?” Henry asks softly.

Alex chuckles and shakes his head. “I can’t believe I thought I was straight.”

“You did mention something about oblivious dumbasses,” Henry offers.

“Rude,” Alex protests, but he’s grinning. He bends down to pull off his socks, so Henry does the same. “Moment of truth?” His fingers twitch at his sides, and he gives Henry a nervous smile.

Henry crosses the distance between them and uses his free hand to pull Alex close, feathering kisses over the sharp jut of Alex’s jaw. Alex’s hands drift to his waist as the tension slowly drains from him, and Henry’s hand finds the line of his spine and traces it up and down. When Alex’s sigh ruffles the hair on the side of Henry’s head, Henry lets his hand slip down over the waistband of Alex’s boxers. “Okay if I…?”

“Mhmm,” Alex agrees. Alex’s palms smooth down to Henry’s hips, then lower, until he’s kneading Henry’s ass through his pants.

Nudging their noses together, Henry gasps against Alex’s lips and slips his fingers beneath Alex’s waistband, his fingers exploring the warm, lightly-haired skin where his upper thigh meets his hip. Alex’s ass is equally fuzzy, Henry is delighted to discover, and as he drags his hand around to the front of Alex’s boxers, he revels in the thick, hot weight of Alex’s cock in his hand, and his own cock kicks in his pants. “Alex,” Henry breathes, “can I – ”

“Yeah, do it,” Alex confirms, and as Henry pulls his boxers away and down one-handed, Alex’s hands slip into Henry’s boxers, one hand a hot brand on Henry’s ass and the other, moving a little more tentatively, stroking along Henry’s prick.

Alex’s boxers pool around his feet and he steps out of them, and Henry can’t possibly be faulted for staring. Miles and miles of warm, honey-brown skin is exposed to his gaze, a fair amount of it smattered with dark hair, and fucking Christ, his cock. It curves slightly to the left, long and thick and circumcised, a shade darker than the surrounding skin, the head flushed a lovely, plummy red, a drop of precum glistening at the tip, pubic hair neatly trimmed – all in all, a masterpiece that Henry can’t wait to have inside him. Henry might be drooling a bit; he swallows reflexively when he lifts his eyes to Alex’s again. “Gorgeous,” Henry murmurs.

“Yeah?” Alex asks, a relieved, pleased smile on his face.

Henry nods, trailing the backs of his fingers down Alex’s chest. “Is it alright if I – ”

“Whatever it is, I’ll be pretty upset if you don’t,” Alex interjects, and Henry chuckles. “But before you do,” he continues, tugging lightly on the waistband of Henry’s boxers, “can I – ”

“Please,” Henry replies, and he returns his gaze to Alex’s face as Alex pushes down his boxers, baring him completely.

Alex’s throat works convulsively, and Henry moves his hand to Alex’s side, giving him a clearer view between them.

“You alright?” Henry asks when Alex is quiet for longer than he’d expected.

“So, I’m going to need that in my mouth at some point tonight,” Alex says, startling a laugh out of Henry. “Also, how the shit is your dick so pretty?”

Head reeling from the thought of Alex’s mouth around him, it takes Henry a moment to gather a few words in response. “I… thank you?” Henry glances at the bed long enough to toss the items he’s been holding onto it, then pulls Alex closer until the tip of his cock brushes against Alex’s. His breath hitches at the feeling, and he twines his fingers back into Alex’s hair, craning up just slightly to kiss him.

Alex presses even closer and moans into the kiss as their cocks align. He grips Henry by the waist, rocking their hips together in an obscene reprise of their previous dances, and Henry recalls suddenly that this is the furthest Alex has gone with a man.

Henry breaks the kiss, lips trailing down to Alex’s collarbone while his fingers find the softest strands in Alex’s curls, flexing his hips in time with Alex’s pace. “Let’s move this back to the bed,” he suggests. “Just don’t lie down on the supplies. We’ll need them if you’re still up for it.”

“Supplies, what – ” Alex begins, peering around Henry. He spots the strip of condoms and sachets of lube instantly, and his eyes widen in surprise, his rhythm faltering. “Well. You came prepared tonight.”

“Had an excellent wingman,” Henry replies. “He pulled a reverse pickpocket move on me when he gave me the champagne earlier.” With the hand not in Alex’s hair, he grasps Alex’s wrist, drawing Alex’s palm down over one of his ass cheeks. “Do you want to help me prep? Won’t take much. I, um – ” Henry stops, unsure how much to disclose.

“You what?” Alex asks, cupping Henry’s ass in both hands now.

“Cleaned up in the hotel before I left for the party,” Henry admits. “Not that I planned for this, but – ” His next inhale is ragged as one of Alex’s index fingers slips down between his cheeks. “Cleaning in advance does help if, for example, you’re convinced that – nnh – you’re going to go back to your hotel alone at the end of the night after watching a man you find annoyingly attractive swan about looking gorgeous and carefree on the dance floor.”

“Annoyingly attractive, huh?” Alex chuckles. He takes a step toward the bed, pulling Henry with him, laying light kisses down the line of Henry’s throat. “So, what would you be doing in your hotel room had said, quote, ‘annoyingly attractive’ man not caught on to you watching him?”

“What makes you think he did?” Henry asks cheekily. He gives Alex a playful shove down onto the mattress, gentler than the first time, then climbs back into his lap. “Maybe you’re just the consolation prize.”

“Really feels like you need – ah – consoling,” Alex replies, grabbing Henry by the hips and pulling him down so their hard cocks slide together again in a filthy grind.

“Mm, I’m absolutely – ” Henry breaks off on a moan as Alex’s grip shifts back to his ass. “ – despondent.” He rolls his hips in Alex’s lap, rutting against Alex’s cock.

Alex groans and rakes his teeth over Henry’s left shoulder. “How can I help…?”

Henry reaches around Alex for one of the lube packets scattered on the duvet cover. “You could finger me,” he suggests breathlessly, and when Alex’s cock jerks against him in response, Henry tears open the packet. “If you want.”

“If I want, he says,” Alex rasps, biting at Henry’s shoulder before reaching for the packet. “Give me the fucking lube.”

“Do you know what you’re – ” Henry begins, skeptically. If frottage had been the pinnacle of Alex’s experience with men before tonight, then –

Alex snorts as he spreads lube over the first two fingers of his right hand. “It’s 2023 and I’m progressive. Pretty sure I know how to finger an asshole, Henry.” His dark gaze settles on his own hand as he rubs his fingers together to warm the slick, and then he lifts his eyes to Henry’s. “Might not have ever fingered another guy’s, but…”

The sound that Henry makes at the implication of Alex’s phrasing is somewhere between strangulation and surprise. “What d’you mean – ”

“I mean,” Alex continues, his attention dropping to Henry’s lips, “that sometimes when I’m all alone after watching someone annoyingly attractive all night, I like to finger myself while I jerk off.”

Henry’s pretty sure his brain goes entirely offline at this response because Alex has just said it. Aloud. The implication of Alex's previous statement is fully clarified with a single sentence that's made all of Henry's cognitive processes screech to a halt. Then Alex’s hands spread his cheeks and trail a slick path up his hole, and any hope Henry has of a response that’s coherent, let alone eloquent, flies right out the window. He settles for something akin to a whimper instead.

“You like the thought of that?” Alex asks, his breath fanning over Henry’s lips. “Me naked in this bed, putting these fingers in my ass?” His fingertips graze Henry’s hole, and Henry shudders against him, a soft, desperate sound wrenching its way from between his parted lips. “You do like it,” Alex breathes, circling Henry’s entrance with more pressure, rubbing at the furled aperture.

His breath ragged, Henry nods, training his heavy-lidded eyes on Alex’s face as he presses back against those questing fingers. He cants his hips just so and the tip of a finger slips inside up to the first knuckle. They gasp in tandem, Henry’s followed by a throaty sigh at the slight stretch and the heady knowledge that after all this time, he’s got a part of Alex inside him. He presses his forehead to Alex’s, his left hand once again finding Alex’s hair and tangling into it as Alex’s finger retreats, then dips forward again, pressing deeper.

“Please,” Henry gasps, shifting his knees on the mattress. He snakes his right hand between them, gathering their shafts together in his grip, giving them a slow stroke.

Alex tilts his face up, his mouth finding the line of Henry’s jaw. “That feels fucking great,” he mutters, “but go easy. You said you wanted to ride me, and I’m really fucking keyed up already. It’ll be – ” he sucks in a sharp breath as Henry’s hand slips back to the base of their cocks, then drags back up to the tips again. “ – fuck. That’ll be tricky if you make me come all over your dick before you’ve even got the condom on me.”

“Oh god,” Henry moans. “Another finger, then. Go faster.” He tilts his head, his mouth seeking Alex’s, and he rises up just slightly on his knees so he can grind back against Alex’s hand as a second finger joins the first. The stretch is more intense this time, but Henry rolls his hips through it until the ridges of Alex’s knuckles draw nothing but pleased little moans from him each time they slide past his rim.

“How much more – ” Alex begins, and Henry’s lips finally find his again, cutting off his words for a brief, heated kiss.

“One more,” Henry breathes against his mouth, sliding his thumb back and forth over the heads of both their cocks. He releases Alex’s hair and picks up the discarded packet of lube, bringing it behind himself to squeeze out what’s left in it. The cool liquid drizzles over his hole where it’s stretched around the first joints of Alex’s index and middle fingers, and Henry’s breath stutters in his chest.

When Alex nudges three fingers against him, Henry reaches blindly for the area of the bed where he’d dropped the condoms, fingers finding only the soft duvet cover. He pulls reluctantly back from Alex’s mouth to peer down at the bedding, spotting the familiar blue packet after a cursory glance, and his fingers close around it just as Alex pushes slowly, unwaveringly back inside.

Alex bites out a curse as Henry clenches around his fingers. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “If I die of horny before I get my dick in you, it’ll be entirely your fault.”

Henry reluctantly releases their cocks so he can open the condom wrapper, and he lifts up higher on his knees, grinding back on Alex’s fingers as he pulls the latex disc from the foil. He shuffles back just a tad so he can peer down between their torsos, find Alex’s cock, and roll the condom down the length of his shaft. He blows out a slow breath, his eyes fluttering shut as he focuses on relaxing just enough.

“Alright,” Henry murmurs, nodding.

“Yeah?” Alex asks, his clever fingers slowing.

Henry nods again. “Yes.” He eases up and off Alex’s fingers, grimacing slightly when Alex wipes his hand on the bed. “Ready?”

“Very,” Alex replies, and he leans back on his right hand, making space for Henry to position himself. The other hand caresses Henry’s thigh as Alex gazes intently up at him.

Henry sinks down on the head of Alex’s cock, and the familiar bite of just too much stretch makes him inhale sharply and pause in his descent, breathing into it until the tension drains again. He braces himself on Alex’s shoulders and drops down further, and his breath leaves him in a shaky rush as Alex’s cock carves out a space within him, inch by intense inch.

Alex lifts his left hand from Henry’s thigh to his jaw, smoothing his thumb under Henry’s lower lip, and Henry realizes his lip is trembling from the tension in his jaw muscles. He lets out a slow breath, then cups a hand over Alex’s, biting softly at his lower lip. Alex’s thumb smooths away the bite, and Henry rises up just enough to get a little leverage, then lets gravity do the work until his ass is settled firmly against Alex’s hips and he’s stuffed so full of Alex’s cock that it knocks the wind out of him.

Alex’s throat clicks audibly when he swallows. He carefully hikes up one knee so he can place his foot flat on the mattress, then does the same with the other leg, and Henry finds himself cradled in Alex’s lap.

Henry closes his eyes, struck by the thoughtfulness of the action. His hips twitch forward, the tip of his cock sliding against Alex’s lower belly.

“You okay?” Alex asks, caressing Henry’s jaw with his fingertips.

“I’m okay,” Henry confirms. He meets Alex’s eyes, tips Alex’s face up with a gentle nudge of his index and middle fingers, and then swoops in to kiss him. Alex responds heatedly, and as Henry begins to move, Alex’s tongue sweeps into Henry’s mouth in an echo of the slow strokes of his cock. Henry moans into the kiss, gyrating over Alex’s lap and taking him deep, and his left shoulder hitches as he gathers Alex closer, his fingers tangling back into Alex’s curls.

Heat slowly builds within Henry’s core with each slide up and down Alex’s shaft, and before long he’s breathless, breaking the kiss to pant against Alex’s mouth, only to take his lips again. Henry can’t seem to get enough of Alex’s mouth, of Alex’s cock, of the raggedness of Alex’s breath, of the way Alex’s big hands fit so many different places on his body so well.

Henry pulls back from Alex’s lips again, reluctantly, driven on by a primal urge to take, and take, and take, and he leans back against Alex’s thighs and sets a harder, faster pace. He’s hypersensitive, his hole pliant and fluttering around Alex’s cock, each drive up and in grazing his prostate, and he’s only peripherally aware of the hungry sounds he’s making.

The brush of Alex’s hand over his cheek makes Henry realize he’s clamped his eyes shut. When he opens them again, he’s utterly captivated by the heat that’s darkened Alex’s irises to molten onyx, the sweat beading at Alex’s temples, and the flushed skin at Alex’s cheekbones and upper chest, and can’t help but to kiss him again, the change in angle stretching him further.

Alex’s hands find Henry’s hips, and Henry has just enough presence of mind to bite his lip in an attempt to stifle the whimpers that bubble up when Alex stills him, breaks the kiss, lies back, and pistons up into Henry’s needy body. Henry grabs Alex’s shoulders and tries, futilely, not to completely collapse atop him.

In the next moment, Henry lets out a surprised moan as the world spins before his eyes for a moment. Then Alex is above him, hiking one of his legs over his shoulder, and Alex bites at his jaw as he fucks him deeply and roughly. Henry shoves a hand between them, gathering up his cock to give it a firm stroke. It’s too dry; he lifts his hand to his mouth and licks his palm thoroughly.

“Fuck,” Alex mutters, his dark eyes on Henry’s mouth, and when Henry’s hand finds his cock again, Alex’s mouth descends over his, hungry and possessive.

Henry realizes, quite desperately, that he’s going to come very soon unless Alex eases off, and he gets as far as “Gonna – ” before Alex muffles his wail with another powerful kiss as Henry comes between them.

Henry’s still trembling with aftershocks when Alex’s hands wrap around his thighs, hiking his ass up, and Alex fucks into him hard and fast, chasing his own climax. Feeling absolutely fucked stupid, Henry can do little more than moan and sigh up at him as Alex’s thrusts propel him up the mattress. He runs a hand languidly down Alex’s torso, feeling the sweat accumulating there, then caresses Alex’s treasure trail.

It’s enough. Alex grits his teeth, throwing his head back, and Henry’s focus hones in on the twitching of Alex’s heavy cock in his hole and the prickle of Alex’s pubic hair against his upturned ass as Alex fills the condom.

Alex’s arms are shaking above him, and a drop of sweat falls from the tip of Alex’s nose to Henry’s cheek. When Alex releases his legs, Henry reaches up and catches him by the shoulders, pulling him down and gathering him close as his labored breathing returns to normal. Alex nuzzles mindlessly against Henry’s neck and jaw and shoulder for long moments, and when he lifts his head to regard Henry, there’s a soft look in his eyes that Henry can’t define. He offers Henry a crooked smile and a smacking kiss, then reaches down to hold the base of the condom as he pulls slowly, carefully out, mindful not to cause Henry any unnecessary discomfort.

It twinges anyway; Henry tries not to let it show. When Alex stands and removes the condom, tying it off, Henry watches him pad into the bathroom, listens to the water running for a moment, and closes his eyes, trying to prolong the inevitable. Alex had said Henry was spending the night, sure, but that’d been before – and now that they’d finished, perhaps he’d change his mind.

The bed dips next to Henry, and as Henry opens his eyes again, Alex sits down on the edge, a washcloth in hand. “Can I…?” he asks, gesturing with the washcloth.

“Be my guest,” Henry murmurs, stretching out just a bit, perhaps arching his back a little more than strictly necessary.

Alex’s upper body jerks as he huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “I’m on to you,” he says as he begins wiping away the tacky cum on Henry’s chest.

“Hmm,” Henry replies. “How do you mean?” He knows the smile he gives Alex is nothing short of mischievous; it’s a real smile, gummy and toothy, and nothing like his polished media smirk.

“Making yourself look all cute and enticing,” Alex accuses amusedly, dragging the damp terrycloth down to Henry’s belly. “I know what you’re doing, and let me be the first to say it’s working.”

“Oh,” Henry says. His smile widens. “Good.” He snuggles down into the bed as Alex carefully makes his way further down, wrapping the washcloth around Henry’s flaccid prick and wiping away any traces of semen or lube. Henry glances down in surprise when his cock gives a feeble twitch against Alex’s fingers through the washcloth. When he looks back at Alex, Alex has an eyebrow quirked, and Henry snorts an indelicate laugh. “What? Yours would, too if an annoyingly attractive person was touching it.”

“Ah, so we’re back to ‘annoyingly attractive.’ Feelin’ the love here, Henry,” Alex chuckles.

Henry blanches at the words, but thankfully Alex has moved on toward his thighs with the washcloth and is no longer watching his face. “What would you prefer I call you?” Henry asks, cursing internally when his question comes out a little thready.

“I mean, you did refer to me as ‘gorgeous’ earlier,” Alex hums. He nudges Henry’s thighs slightly farther apart. “So that’s an option.”

“To be fair – ” Henry makes a soft, breathy sound as Alex passes the cloth over his tender hole. “To be fair, I was referring to a specific part of you when I said that.”

“My dick’s attached to the rest of me,” Alex drawls. “So it counts.” He gives Henry one last pass with the cloth, wiping away the stray smears of lube from between his cheeks, then shifts again on the bed, bending down over Henry to give him a sweet kiss on the temple. “Be right back.”

This time, Henry watches appreciatively as Alex saunters toward the bathroom to rinse out the washcloth and drop it in the sink, and Henry doesn’t redirect his gaze when Alex walks back toward the bed. “I suppose,” he murmurs as Alex climbs into the bed, crawling over him and settling on his right side, “that ‘gorgeous’ might be acceptable.”

Alex walks two fingers down Henry’s arm, rubbing along the tender skin at the inside of his wrist. Henry’s unaccustomed to partners who are so tactile, but touch seems to ground Alex, keeping him present. It’s destined to keep Henry driven to distraction, however, if the gentle tickle of Alex’s fingertips up and down his forearm is any indication.

“So how long have you – ” Alex begins.

“Wanted you?” Henry asks, giving him an appraising glance. “Longer than I should probably admit,” he says, and he shifts onto his side to face Alex.

“Was it the London visit?” Alex asks. A look of genuine curiosity graces his features, and Henry wants to kiss the little furrow between his brows.

“Earlier,” Henry hedges, and before Alex can rattle off their every interaction since the moment Henry had first beheld his vibrant, beautiful face in Melbourne, he shuffles toward Alex on the bed and slides a hand up Alex’s chest, then cups the back of his neck. Henry kisses him then, slowly and with a little more sweetness than he’d intended.

Alex returns the kiss while running a hand down over Henry’s ribs and around to his lower back, gathering Henry closer against his chest. Seemingly satisfied with their positions, his hand resumes its exploration, caressing Henry’s hip, then his thigh, his thumb finding the perennially hairless patch of skin near Henry’s knee. “What’s this?” he asks between kisses, tracing small circles over the spot.

Henry turns and glances down at Alex’s thumb on his leg, then returns his attention to Alex’s face. “Polo gear rubs a little too hard there,” he replies, playing idly with the short, sweat-damp hair at the nape of Alex’s neck. “The knee pads have to be strapped on snugly, or they’re useless if something happens. I haven’t grown any hair there in years. There’s another patch on my other leg, and one down by my ankle as well.”

“Your skin’s really soft here,” Alex murmurs, and it’s clear he likes it judging by the way he continues to run his thumb idly along the hairless area. “Also, knee pads? Unreasonably hot, and I’ll absolutely be doing a very specific YouTube search later about those.”

Chuckling, Henry nuzzles in even closer until they have to slot their legs together. “I could just send you some official footage from one of my university matches.” Vaguely, he considers that he shouldn’t encourage further interest on Alex’s end, but he’s feeling uncharacteristically selfish tonight. He can have this for a little while, surely.

“No good,” Alex quips, making a distasteful face that pulls Henry out of his musings. “Official footage would be too… polished. I’ll need shaky cell phone footage taken by a horny bystander for a really immersive experience.”

“Afraid I can’t help you there,” Henry replies. “Typically the Crown’s videographers aren’t categorized as…” He feels an amused smile forming on his lips. “... ‘horny bystanders.’”

“Well they should be,” Alex says, grinning. “Untapped market right here.” His hand curves over Henry’s ass cheek, and Henry’s breath hitches.

“Not sure I’d call that particular market untapped,” Henry says, dryly. He presses subtly back against Alex’s hand and Alex’s grin morphs into something more heated. It’s all the warning Henry gets before Alex flips him onto his back again and settles on top of him. “You’re insatiable,” Henry declares, feeling acutely pleased by this prospect.

“Says the guy whose dick is poking me in the thigh,” Alex replies, slotting their hips together. He rains closed-mouth kisses down the line of Henry’s throat, kisses that grow more heated as he finds the hollows below Henry’s collarbones. “You have no idea how tempted I am to give you a huge hickey,” he admits. “Like I’m fifteen or something, god.”

Alex has no idea how tempted Henry is to let him. Henry’s not even willing to imagine how horrendous it would be to explain away a hickey he’d obtained during a whirlwind trip to the States. “I appreciate your self-control,” he says.

“Hanging by a fucking thread,” Alex mutters, kissing his way down Henry’s chest. His lips graze one of Henry’s nipples and he swirls the tip of his tongue around it, and Henry gasps and reaches for him with one hand, pressing the other hand against the headboard. “Sensitive?” Alex asks, flicking his tongue over Henry’s pebbled nipple again.

“Mm,” Henry agrees. “Feels good, though.” His hand finds purchase on Alex’s shoulder, and he clutches it as Alex continues to lap at his nipple.

“What about this?” Alex asks, pressing a sucking kiss to the tight bud.

The sound Henry makes this time is louder and hungrier, and he arches against Alex, shuddering when the head of his rapidly stiffening cock drags along Alex’s belly. “Yes,” Henry moans.

Alex shifts slightly down the bed, and as he rubs his own erection against Henry’s thigh, Henry feels the reverberation of Alex’s rumbling groan where Alex’s chest is pressed to his abdomen. “And this?” Alex asks, before rolling Henry’s nipple with aching gentleness between his perfect, white teeth.

Henry’s cock throbs heavily as it reaches full hardness, and he feels unselfconsciously feral at Alex’s ministrations, tangling his fingers roughly into Alex’s curls and holding him there against his chest. As Alex continues to worry Henry’s nipple with his teeth and tongue, his hand slides up to find the other nipple, teasing it with his fingers and the edge of his thumbnail until Henry’s ready to beg, but he’s not sure for what.

“Henry,” Alex murmurs, and when he raises his head to meet Henry’s eyes, his lips are red, puffy, and shine with saliva, and Henry has the insane urge to yank Alex back up to him so he can bite them. The urge vanishes a moment later, along with the tattered shreds of Henry’s composure, when Alex continues with, “I want to suck you off.”

Henry’s pulse rushes in his ears as his mouth drops open, and he realizes belatedly that Alex is still speaking, an almost apprehensive look on his face.

“ – more, um, enthusiasm than actual experience, so I hope that’s okay,” Alex says, his gaze darting between Henry’s face and chest, then skittering down and away.

Licking his lips, Henry rubs Alex’s shoulder. “I – that’s very okay,” he says, his voice throaty and low. “I’m just surprised that you – ”

“What, want to?” Alex drops a little kiss to Henry’s sternum, then the skin just below his ribs, slowly working his way down. “I’ve had my fingers and dick in your ass, Henry,” he murmurs against Henry’s belly. “Why would having your dick in my mouth be a dealbreaker?”

Henry mulls this over for a moment. “You may have a point,” he admits, although he’s had his fair share of past partners who’ve emphasized just this sort of dealbreaker. Clearly in this, like in so many other things, Alex is determined to be different. Henry’s fingers tighten on Alex’s shoulder as Alex’s tongue dips into his navel.

“Just… let me know if I do something you don’t like, okay?” Alex requests as he moves further down the bed. “I want this to be good for you.”

Something in Henry’s chest squeezes at this statement, and he barely has time to process it when he feels Alex’s hot breath ghosting over the crown of his prick and his big hand encircling the base. Henry lifts his head to watch as Alex gives him a tentative lick, and the feeling of Alex’s pink tongue against his glans is enough to make his head drop back again. When Alex takes Henry’s hand and places it deliberately in his hair, Henry moans softly and lets his fingers wind into Alex’s curls.

“You can pull my hair if you want,” Alex murmurs before lapping at him more confidently.

“Unbelievable,” Henry mutters, his eyes fluttering shut as Alex opens for him, taking in the head and giving him a soft, slow suck. Alex’s mouth is warm and wet, his lips soft and plush, and although it seems like he doesn’t know precisely what to do with his tongue, the way he brushes it against the underside of Henry’s shaft makes Henry’s hips twitch all the same. “That’s good,” he mutters, his fingertips rubbing at Alex’s scalp.

Alex makes a soft sound that reverberates around Henry’s cock, and takes him a little deeper, slowly pumping his hand along the base of Henry’s shaft.

Henry fists his free hand into the bedding to distract himself from the urge to thrust up into the warm haven of Alex’s mouth. He lets Alex set the pace, lets him figure out what they both like, and responds with smatterings of praise and gentle instruction between light tugs at Alex’s hair and caresses of his scalp.

When Alex sucks more vigorously on his upstrokes, Henry encourages him with a soft, “Mmh, yes...” and Alex rewards him with an obscene slurp the next time he draws back to the tip.

“Oh, there – ” Henry gasps when Alex points his tongue and flicks it deliberately over his frenulum before taking him deeper, so Alex does it again. And again. And again, until Henry’s chest is heaving.

When Alex moves a little too enthusiastically and one of his canines scrapes lightly up part of Henry’s shaft, Henry reminds him to be careful with a grunted, “Mmf – teeth,” and then he lets out a somewhat desperate moan when Alex apologizes with little, sucking kisses and languid licks to the same spot.

Henry’s thighs twitch with the need to move, but he holds himself as still as he can, basking in the heat of Alex’s mouth. His breath is reduced to ragged gulps for air, and he’s overcome with the need to see, so he uses his free hand to shove himself up onto his elbow. He takes in the sight of Alex’s lips stretched around him, Alex’s flushed face, and the dark slash of Alex’s eyelashes fanning over his cheekbones as he focuses with single-mindedness on getting Henry off.

The arm supporting him trembles as Henry brushes his thumb against Alex’s temple, and then those dark lashes lift, revealing Alex’s dilated pupils. Alex makes a hungry sound around his cock, and Henry echoes with a surprised moan, feeling the tension in his belly, thighs, and groin begin to rocket upward. “You should – ” Henry begins, lowering himself flat onto his back again and shifting his hips minutely. “Alex, pull back if you don’t – ”

Alex huffs stubbornly and sinks down further over Henry’s shaft until his chin brushes Henry’s drawn-up balls, and that’s all it takes.

“Sorry – sorry,” Henry gasps, fingers tightening in Alex’s hair as he comes between those soft lips, his hips rocking gently up toward Alex’s face, and Alex – Alex swallows. For a moment, Henry thinks he might weep.

Once Henry’s finished with aftershocks and his cock is softening, Alex releases him gently, then gives him a look. “I’m gonna need you to take back that apology,” he mutters, crawling up Henry’s body until they’re at eye level. “I made you come with my mouth, and it was fucking hot.”

The fingers of Henry’s left hand feather down Alex’s spine while Henry tucks his right hand between them, finding Alex’s cock. “I – ” Henry begins, but Alex gives him a mulish look and Henry huffs out a laugh. “Very well, apology rescinded,” he murmurs. “Allow me to return the favor?” he asks, giving Alex’s shoulder a gentle shove.

Alex rolls onto his back willingly enough, and Henry situates himself between Alex’s knees, taking in the planes of his body as his hands smooth down Alex’s thighs. Henry, who does know what to do with his tongue, spends the next several minutes lavishing attention upon Alex’s gorgeous cock, pulling out all the stops until Alex’s voice breaks on a groan and he comes, hard, down Henry’s throat.

After, Henry nuzzles into the soft skin of Alex’s inner thigh, pressing a little kiss against a freckle he discovers there. He crawls up the bed to settle next to Alex, and between the two of them, they manage to shove the covers down without getting out of the bed, then slide beneath the blankets. Henry contemplates saying something, but the soft look on Alex’s face has him holding back.

Alex reaches out and rubs his thumb over the ridge of Henry’s collarbone. “When the New Year’s party started I never would’ve guessed we’d end up in my bed at the end of the night,” he admits after a moment. “I’m glad you danced some sense into me.”

“I almost didn’t,” Henry says softly. “Pez is an excellent wingman, though.”

“What did he do?” Alex asks. His eyelids are drooping, and no wonder; even Henry, with his years of poor sleep habits, feels weary in the wake of two orgasms.

“He told me that if opportunity strikes, I should say yes.” Henry shrugs minutely. “So I did.”

“Remind me to get him a fruit basket,” Alex chuckles. His hand drifts down Henry’s upper arm to his elbow. “I still wanna know what you were planning to do in your hotel room when you got back tonight, by the way.”

“Perhaps I’ll demonstrate sometime,” Henry replies, quirking an eyebrow.

Alex laughs again. “Holding you to that.”

Tomorrow the world will be covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Henry can’t think of a better metaphor for the clean slate he and Alex have been presented, upon which to reframe the parameters of their friendship – their relationship, perhaps, is a more apt term. They’ll sit down, maybe over breakfast, and talk about what things will look like going forward. Things will be awkward and likely even frustrating, and they might fall back into bed, or they might both leave dissatisfied.

Tonight, though, the snow patters softly against the windows of Alex’s White House bedroom, and as Henry extends an arm out of the covers and stretches to reach for the light switch, Alex reaches for his hand.

“Happy New Year,” Alex murmurs, his palm sliding against Henry’s.

Henry flips off the light, then settles back in and twines his fingers with Alex’s. “Happy New Year.”