Chapter Text
There definitely was no turning back, as Miguel didn’t waste any time and the emails were leaked almost immediately after Alex ended things with him. They were ready, however. Alex made a speech — addressing their relationship — to the United States, and when the King got off his high horse and was ready to face Henry, both him and Alex sat across from King James and Philip and refused to keep their relationship secret any longer.
It was terrifying, and exciting, and so fucking relieving. The crowd that formed outside Buckingham Palace to show support for them was just the icing on the cake. That night Henry took Alex to the Victoria and Albert museum, and they danced amidst all the statues; a childhood dream of Henry’s, and like many other of his fantasies he thought he’d never experience, Alex made it come true.
Alex’s mom won the election, and there’s a good chance their little scandal played a hand in that. He doesn’t fully understand politics, but he has heard enough people say Texas hasn’t been a blue state since Jimmy Carter, and he’s fairly certain they are blue, so it really seems they are making History left and right, and it feels amazing. He supposes this is the feeling Alex was talking about that night in Paris.
~
They’re at an after party and Alex has disappeared into the crowd to dance with Nora while Henry gets them drinks. There’s a distinct sound of raised voices that escalates into yelling and arguing; by the time Henry is aware that one of the voices is Alex the whole party has gone silent. “Why are you even here, Miguel!” Alex says angrily.
“Well I was already on the guest list before you decided to go crawling back to tu principito encantador …” Miguel shrugs, giving Alex that smug little smirk he seems to always have on. “I figured I might as well come for the free drinks.”
“Come on,” Nora says. She hooks her arm through Alex’s and starts to pull him away. Miguel sways – he must have already had a few of those free drinks – and takes a step after them. “I wasn’t talking to you,” she adds glaring back at him.
“You know it’s rude to interrupt someone who hasn't finished talking,” Miguel smirks.
Alex scoffs, “You should really take your own advice, then. Besides I have nothing else to say to you, cabrón .”
Miguel shrugs again, turns his smirk to Henry. “Maybe it’s not you I want to talk to…”
“ Vete a la mierda, Miguel ,” Alex says, his voice dropping to an octave Henry’s never heard before; it's threatening and honestly kind of hot, Henry can feel his temperature rising.
“ ¿Qué pasa, Alex? ¿Tienes miedo de que no te quiera si se entera de lo puta que fuiste para mí? ”
Alex’s face falls, and Henry is moving before he even has a second to consider what exactly he is moving to do. It all feels like a blur, but he hears the sickly smack of skin hitting skin, then Miguel is laid out on the floor and there's a dull pain blooming out from Henry’s knuckles. A collective gasp erupts around them, and slowly Henry’s senses return. Nora looks like she is trying her hardest not to burst into a cheer. The rest of the party goers are either pointing and whispering or pulling their phones out and snapping pictures of Miguel. Alex is looking at Henry in utter disbelief. “You- how- did- I didn’t know you knew–”
“Well…” Henry says, waving his hand in a so-so manner. “I understand… una cantidad muy pequeña .”
Alex’s eyebrows fly halfway up his forehead, and Henry think he may have unlocked a kink Alex hadn’t realized he had.
~
Back at their hotel Henry is rinsing off his knuckles – a few were busted from the hit, and there’s a bruise spreading over all of them – while Alex searches a first aid kit for alcohol pads. He takes Henry’s hand and dabs the cuts, wincing as hard as Henry does when it stings. “Sorry,” He says, bringing the hand to his lips.
“Oh I think I’ll survive,” Henry says with a smile, bringing his thumb around to run over Alex’s chin.
“He’s so…” Alex begins, he shakes his head and sighs. “We didn’t even do– He was just trying to get a reaction.”
“It worked.”
Alex laughs. “ Yeah! That was… kind of… really hot. But… you didn’t have to.”
“He deserved it.”
“Yeah,” Alex agrees. “Well I think you deserve a proper thank you.” He finishes wrapping some gauze around Henry’s knuckles and takes his uninjured hand, pulling him towards the bed. They fall together and tangle themselves in each other's limbs; fingers fumbling to undo buttons, and slip off pieces of clothes. “I love you,” Alex says between kisses.
“I love you more.”
Alex pulls back and smiles at him. “I think that’s up for debate,” he laughs, pulling Henry back to his lips.