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Alex’s dad is seeing someone.
Alex and Henry have been at the lake house for a little summer vacation for the past few days, along with Ellen, Leo, June, Nora, and Oscar. Alex felt a little bad that his father was the only person there who was single. He didn’t say anything out loud, but he could tell that his dad had been feeling lonely.
But throughout the past few days at the lake house, Alex has been keeping an eye on his father. And in doing so, he’s come to realize that he may have been wrong.
It started with Oscar giving a few extra glances at his phone. Alex had noticed but assumed it was a work thing.
… But then he noticed those extra glances were accompanied by not-so-subtle smiles. Alex tried to justify his father’s behavior using other reasons, but he was kidding himself. It’s obvious.
Oscar is definitely not single.
And honestly? Alex is happy for him. Oscar has been single for years, at this point, and Alex is glad that his father has found a woman that makes him happy, just as Henry makes Alex.
However, as they all sit by the campfire in the backyard, there’s still one thing that’s bothering him—he doesn’t know who this mystery woman is.
Alex glances over at his dad, who is once again, checking his phone. There’s a smirk on his face as he types up a reply.
“Alex?” Henry calls his name quietly.
Alex turns to the blond. “Hm?”
“Are you alright, darling? You’ve been … quiet.” Henry frowns. He reaches out and tenderly brushes away a curl from Alex’s forehead.
Alex smiles, grateful for his incredibly perceptive husband. “I’m okay. Just have some stuff on my mind.”
“Do you want to go upstairs and talk about it?”
Alex shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. We can talk about it later.”
Henry nods. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” Alex responds by leaving a quick peck on Henry’s cheek. The two smile lovingly at each other before rejoining the conversation.
Alex decides to stop dwelling on who his father’s dating for now. He can rant to Henry about it later. He should just live in the moment. They’re here to relax, after all.
~
“Y’all started the party without me?” A familiar voice emerges from seemingly out of nowhere. Everyone looks over to the source of the voice.
“You made it!” Oscar says. He stands up and hugs the other man.
Alex stands up with a grin. “What’re you doing here? Dad didn’t tell me you were coming,” Alex says, glancing at his father as Raf gives him hug.
“Well that’s because I wasn’t going to, it was sort of a … last minute thing,” Raf explains as he pulls out of their embrace. He pats Alex on the shoulder. “Good to see you, kid.”
Alex lightheartedly smacks his hand away and sits back down. “M’not a kid.” Raf chuckles in response and takes a seat in the empty chair next to Oscar.
“Anyone want smores?” Oscar asks a few minutes later. A chorus of “Yes please!” and “Me!” ring out in reply.
“Alright, alright,” Oscar gets up. “Be right back.”
Raf gets up too. “I’ll give you a hand,” he announces and follows Oscar inside, who gives him an amused smile.
Alex frowns. Is it just him or was that weird? Is he imagining it?
He ponders for a few moments, then decides that he’s overreacting.
It takes longer than he would expect for the two of them to come back outside, but Alex decides he’s overreacting about that too.
“You want me to set up the pull-out couch for ya?” Alex asks Raf once they’ve all decided to turn in for the night.
“That’s alright, he can share with me,” Oscar answers. “It’s a big bed, we can fit.”
“Uh-” Alex raises a brow. “Okay … then …” Oscar and Raf both either deliberately ignore or are oblivious to Alex’s confusion. He’s not sure which one it is.
~
“Do you still want to talk about it?” Henry asks once Alex has settled into bed with him.
Alex pulls Henry closer so his chest is against the blond’s back. “I think my dad’s dating again.”
Henry intertwines their fingers. “I see. And … you’re upset?”
Alex shakes his head. “I’m not upset that’s he’s dating someone, I’m just upset that he didn’t tell me.”
“That’s fair. Have you talked to June about it?”
“I mentioned it to her and she said that Dad would tell us when he’s ready.”
Henry squeezes his hand. “And how do you feel about that?”
Alex sighs. Hugs Henry tighter. “I know she’s right. I’m just- I feel like I’m being left in the dark again. Like how everyone left me in the dark when June and Dad left out of nowhere and nobody told me.”
Henry hums knowingly. “This is triggering for you.” It’s not a question, but an acknowledgement.
“I guess, yeah.”
“Would it be crazy of me to suggest that you tell him how this is making you feel?”
“Oh yeah, you’re a lunatic,” Alex chuckles as he replies, his tone laced with sarcasm. Henry chuckles back. “You’re right though,” Alex continues when their laughter dies down. “I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow.”
Henry brings Alex’s hand to his mouth and places a kiss on his wrist. “Good. I’m glad.”
“I love you, baby.” Alex presses a kiss to the nape of Henry’s neck.
“I love you too, darling.”
~
“Are you serious?” Alex grumbles as he tries to squeeze more toothpaste out of the tube to no avail. He tries a few more times before giving up and throwing the empty tube in the trash.
He leaves the bathroom located inside his and Henry’s room and makes sure to be quiet so as to not wake his husband when he leaves the room. He decides to go to the closest room, his dad’s, to borrow some toothpaste until he can get some more.
Alex presses his ear to the door of his dad’s room. He’s pretty sure that Oscar and Raf are still asleep since it’s still sort of early, and he doesn’t want to wake them up if he doesn’t have to. When he doesn’t hear anything, he slowly opens the door.
The worst fucking idea he’s ever had.
It all happens in slow motion.
Oscar and Alex make eye contact. Alex then registers the sight in front of him. Oscar is sitting up against the headboard. He’s naked. The covers are thrown back. And Raf? Also naked. It’s also worth mentioning that he’s giving Oscar a very … passionate blowjob.
Alex immediately squeezes his eyes closed and turns around. “OH MY GOD!” he exclaims, effectively traumatized.
“Shit, Alex!” Oscar and Raf hastily stop their activities and pull the covers back over themselves.
“I’m just gonna go pour bleach in my eyeballs,” Alex announces, still turned around. He blindly reaches for the door handle and pulls it closed before either of the older men can say anything.
He scurries over back to his room and closes the door, pressing his back to it once he’s done so.
“You alright love?” a half-awake Henry asks from the bed.
Alex stands there frozen, his eye twitching, not realizing that Henry’s talking to him.
“Alex?” Henry says, his brows furrowed in concern. It’s then that Alex remembers Henry’s there. He meets the blond’s gaze.
“I just caught Raf and my dad …” Alex shudders, clearly disturbed.
“What?” Henry says, clearly confused. However, a couple of moments later, Henry’s eyes widen comically, his eyebrows up to his hairline, finally realizing what Alex means. “Oh … um …”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I guess you know why he didn’t tell you now,” Henry cringes.
Alex groans and scrubs a hand over his face. He shuffles over to the bed and plops down next to his husband.
“I had no idea that he was even into men,” Alex says incredulously. “Like, my entire life he’s only ever dated or expressed interest in women. I mean I know people sometimes don’t figure themselves out until later in their lives … I dunno.”
Henry takes Alex’s hand. “It’s alright if you’re shocked. You’re not a bad person for needing to process this. Learning that you don’t know someone as well as you thought you did is a shock. You’re allowed to-”
A knock at the door interrupts Henry. “It’s me, Alex,” Oscar says from the other side of the door. “Can we talk? Please?”
Alex sighs and meets Henry’s gaze. Henry gives him a reassuring smile. “Come in,” he says.
As Oscar opens the door, Henry stands up. “I’m going to get started on breakfast. Alright, love?”
With a fond smile, Alex nods in response. He kisses Henry’s hand before the blond exits the room, leaving Alex with Oscar.
Oscar watches him expectantly, seemingly knowing that Alex has questions, but Alex avoids his gaze.
A beat.
“... Why’d you come to my room?” Oscar asks, curious but not accusing.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve knocked. I-I needed toothpaste and didn’t want to wake you guys up because it’s still kinda early and I didn’t hear you guys talking or the shower running or anything so I thought that I could just sneak in to borrow some toothpaste and I-”
“ Cálmate, mijo. It’s fine.” When Alex doesn’t respond, Oscar continues. “I just-”
“How long has this been going on?” Alex interrupts.
“With Raf?” Alex nods in reply. “Almost six months now.”
“So it’s serious then.” It’s a statement, but he unintentionally says it more like a question.
“It’s serious.” A half smile appears on Oscar’s face. “We love each other.”
Now it’s Alex's turn to smile. No matter how big of a pill this is to swallow, seeing his father in a genuine, loving relationship really does make him happy.
“I know I’m being weird about this, I’m just- this is a lot to wrap my head around.”
Oscar nods. “I know it is. Learning that your father is gay after having been married to a woman would be a lot for anyone.”
Alex’s head snaps up to Oscar’s face. “Wait. You’re gay?” he asks, baffled. “I thought you were bi or something. I mean- you were married to mom so I thought …”
Oscar’s gaze drops to the ground. He stays silent.
“Did you just figure this out?”
Oscar nods and meets Alex’s gaze. “In all my previous relationships, I always felt like something was missing. And with being raised catholic and all, anytime I felt something for a guy I just convinced myself that it was platonic. By the time I became an adult, I didn’t have to convince myself anymore. I just immediately brushed off those feelings, especially after I found your mother. She was the person I felt the happiest with. Even though there was something missing when I was with her too, I didn’t really care.
“But it honestly didn’t even occur to me that I could be gay until Raf. I thought I was just … weird. I didn’t consider the possibility that I might not be straight.”
Alex listens intently. “So how did you consider the possibility, then?”
“Well, Raf and I ran into each other and decided to get coffee … Inevitably, he asked about my dating life and I told him it wasn’t going well because of the reasons I just told you, and he asked me if I had considered the possibility that I might be queer.” Oscar snorts. “And then we went to his hotel room after.”
“Ew, Dad,” Alex cringes.
Oscar laughs and shakes his head. “It wasn’t like that, mijo . We just watched a rom-com and ordered room service because I was kind of freaking out. He was the only reason I stayed sane while I processed everything, to be honest.”
Alex watches his dad with thoughtful eyes. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long to be yourself, Dad. And I thought it was hard to realize I was bi in my twenties,” Alex scoffs and shakes his head.
“I mean, it was difficult. I thought it was too late for me to come out—I mean, I’m in my fucking 60s. But honestly, I’m glad I figured myself out when it did. If I had realized I was gay in my twenties, I wouldn’t have you and June.” Oscar puts an arm around his shoulders. Alex leans into the touch. “I would’ve rather stayed in the closet my whole life than not have had you two.”
Alex rests his head on his father’s shoulder. “It’s never too late, Dad. And I’m glad you didn’t stay in the closet,” Alex says, his tone stern. “I’m happy for you, Dad.”
“ Gracias, Mijo. ” Oscar smiles fondly and presses a kiss to Alex’s forehead. “I’m sorry I waited so long to tell you.”
Alex shrugs. “It’s okay. Honestly, I had kinda picked up on the fact that you were seeing someone. I was really just upset ‘cause I don’t like being left in the dark about things.”
“Ah,” Oscar says knowingly. “I never meant to make you feel like that again, but I’m sorry I did.”
Alex smiles. “Apology accepted. I love you, Dad.”
I love you too, mijo. ”
~
Henry and Raf murmur amongst themselves and a sleepy June rests her head on Nora’s shoulder when Oscar and Alex arrive downstairs. Ellen and Leo aren’t present, probably still asleep.
Raf notices their presence first. Henry second. Nora and June aren’t paying attention to either of them whatsoever.
“You guys talk it out?” Raf asks. Oscar nods. He pecks Raf on the lips. Raf meets Alex’s gaze. “So should I expect a punch or hug right now?”
Alex snorts. “I’m not that mean,” he says as he pulls Raf into a hug. And of course, if he quietly tells Raf as they hug “Hurt him and I’ll kill you,” then that’s no one’s business.
~
“Are you feeling better, darling?” Henry whispers tenderly in his ear whilst they all eat breakfast.
Alex smiles. “Much better. Thank you, mi amor .”
Henry kisses his cheek and pushes Alex’s curls away from his temple. “Of course, love.”
“You two are worse than us,” Raf remarks. The younger couple look over to see Raf and Oscar with amused expressions on their faces.
Alex’s features change into an indignant pout, which makes Henry chuckle. Alex takes a blueberry from his plate and throws it at Raf. Obviously, Raf is not having it and retaliates with a strawberry.
Alex’s dad is seeing someone. And it’s perfect.