Chapter Text
Alex doesn’t believe in magic unless it’s the magic of people. Okay, maybe he does believe in it a little, though he would never tell a living soul. Okay, except for his boyfriend. But he’ll still complain about having another stupid reading, even if it’s for “bonding purposes”.
“Don’t act like it didn’t guide you through some hard times,” says Henry as they are exiting Alex’s flat to go over to his. They’re meeting Bea there. “God knows it helped me.”
Alex shrugs. He grabs his black leather jacket, his favourite clothing item lately. “It only brought me trouble!”
“By trouble you mean…?”
“Yes, I mean you, dumbass.”
Alex locks the door and immediately grabs Henry’s hand. It still gives him butterflies, and he can’t get enough of them, enough of Henry. After the first date, it was pretty clear they both wanted the same thing, so they made it official, then the next week Alex updated his family on a) being bisexual, and b) having a boyfriend. They took it well. Bea didn’t need an update about either clause. Why? She claimed she read the smoke and the tea leaves and the cards. Sounds about right.
By the time they arrive at Henry’s, Bea is there too, looking like what Alex has learned is a High Priestess or whatever. It’s a very powerful card in the Major Arcana – yes, he is paying attention. Mainly because it’s important to Bea, and Bea is important to Henry. That’s a perfectly rational reason. Henry fumbles with the keys and it reminds Alex of the time he got the thermos from him, which he uses every day if he has classes. Otherwise, Henry has a coffee machine, and he brews him coffee whenever he needs one. They’ve been hanging out a lot, even if in silence, and it never gets boring. Henry has unpacked all the books he brought over from the Royal Blue, and he might have stolen a few rare editions of law-related books just for him. Alex thinks it’s sweet. And it also comes in handy a lot of times.
The door opens, and David’s welcoming them with happy barks and a wagging tail.
“We’ll take a walk later, buddy,” Henry says as he lets them into the apartment. “Later, lad, alright? Who’s a good boy?” Alex beams looking at them.
“You are so lovesick, oh my god,” whispers Bea to Alex, who’s behind her, closing the door.
“I might have grown fond of the dog, yes.”
“Henry, put on the kettle for us, will you? I’ll prepare the scene!”
Fifteen minutes later they are sitting in the living room, which is not as white as it was two months ago, on the contrary: Henry got covers for the sofa, hung a few pictures, installed a couple bookshelves. And there is an extra laptop charger in the corner for Alex, a pair of silly couple’s mugs, and a dog bed for David. It’s pretty cosy now.
“Are you guys ready to shuffle the deck?”
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” answers Alex, and snatches the Crowley’s deck out of Bea’s hands. He shuffles, and she lights a stick of incense. “It’s Henry’s favourite,” she explains. “I hope you don’t mind, Alex.”
But he is focused on shuffling the cards and doesn’t hear what Bea’s saying. He thinks back to the past few weeks: how they take turns cooking, and there’s homemade food on the table, and how they fall asleep cuddling – and the sex, holy shit. He’s never been so satisfied in his life, both emotionally and sexually. It’s on a different level. He thinks of the exchange of I love you ’s and the deep talks they never seem to stop having. And the silences, the comforting, and very needed silences. He just wishes they lived together, but no, that’s too soon. Right?
“Henry, you shuffle it too!”
Alex turns to Bea. “Wait, are you guys not telling me something? Isn’t this supposed to be my reading?”
“It’s a couple’s reading, sweetheart,” Henry smirks. “Are you in?”
“You don’t get to call me that when you are tricking me into witchery!”
“Oh, shut up and hand me the cards!”
“Make me!”
Henry’s kicking Alex back on the couch, and is leaning over him, and Alex is giggling. Henry pecks him on the mouth and takes the deck from his hand. “My evil plan’s been successful.”
“Get a room!” laughs Bea.
“I was actually thinking he could move here,” Henry says nonchalantly, shuffling the deck. “Half of his stuff is already here, anyway.”
Alex looks at him in disbelief. “Wow, your timing is unbelievable. Telling me you are in love with me on the phone in the middle of an outside church gathering and now you’re telling me in the middle of a reading and in front of your sister that you want me to move in?”
Henry smiles at him. He’s enjoying this, doesn’t he?
“Don’t forget to add to the list that I charmed you back by texting you on a burner phone,” he says and he keeps shuffling the cards.
“You don’t get to sweep under the rug what you just said!”
Henry turns to him, now all serious. He looks into Alex’s eyes, that deep, all-knowing look he puts on when they are having sex, and Alex could scream. God, this man is doing things to him. Then Henry goes, “Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz, would you want to move in with me?”
And then he smirks at him. That cocky bastard.
“You know what,” Alex says, “Let’s see what the cards are telling us!”
Henry huffs and turns to Bea. “You better make him say yes.”
“I only read energies, and you both know that.” Bea spreads the deck in front of the boys. “Please, choose four in total.”
So they take turns choosing. Alex picks the first and the third, Henry the second and the fourth card. Bea arranges them in the form of a cross – no, it’s still not a cross according to Alex, but whatever. She makes a deck from the spread-out cards. “We’re checking for the basic energies.” She takes the top and the bottom cards, places them above the cross, then whips out the glittery notebook. She flips the bottom card. It’s a blue person riding what seems to be some sort of bird. “Interesting. Prince of Cups. Romantic times and intimate times. Could mean a proposal of taking things to the next level.” She glances at Alex. “Also, it’s Henry’s card. My deck usually uses this card to represent him.”
Alex goes silent for a moment. “Didn’t I get Prince of Cups when I first met you?”
Bea flips back in the notebook. Her eyes go wide. “Holy shit. You did.”
Henry puts an arm around Alex, who says “Don’t you dare say anything about this to June! This applies to both of you!”
“Sure, darling,” says Henry, but he’s smiling, and Alex tries to seem angry because he knows his girls will definitely hear about this.”
“Alright, let’s go on,” continues Bea, but Alex stops her.
“Wait. Is there a card that symbolises me?”
Bea glances at Henry for approval. He nods. “You are the King of Wands. Or we think you were in the reading he got for grandma a couple of months ago. When you fled the shop.”
“That’s who you got a reading of?”
Henry shrugs. “I had to know how to get behind her. You can’t say I haven’t succeeded. Shall we continue?”
Alex is amazed. He knew there was no one else, but this makes him believe in the cards a little bit more. And Bea does continue, without waiting a moment more. “The top card is Ace of Cups. The way to the heart; being content with what you’ve got, finding beauty in your situation. One of the luckiest cards in the deck. Well, let’s see how it feels about moving in together, shall we?”
And Alex’s heart really shouldn’t be in his throat once he knows what he’ll say, whatever the outcome of this reading, but it kinda told him in advance what happened before, right? And it has helped Henry too. So he moves closer to him. Alex never, ever wants to lose him, and even the possibility makes him anxious. He’d reach for some coffee now, but it’s spirituality. He needs the water in his body.
Bea flips the card on the left. It shows a funny-looking man dressed in green, a yellow tiger latched onto his leg.
“Alright,” Bea begins. “The present situation is The Fool. This just means you’re at the very beginning and you’re still learning about the question – so I would guess each other. I think this means only good. Shall we move on to the next one?”
“Can’t wait for it to tell us we’re doomed,” jokes Henry, but holds Alex closer. God, is he anxious about this too?
Bea turns upside the card on the right. It’s all dark green and dark blue, a shade Alex can’t describe well. It looks like a big storm is about to take place in the card.
“This is Three of Swords, Sorrow.” Henry squeezes Alex. A deck of cards won’t determine their relationship! “It’s what you shouldn’t do. It usually means disappointment and wounds, but in this case, it means you don’t have to be wary of that. You should look for what causes you joy and do that.”
“Phew,” Alex sighs. “That’s nice.”
“And you’re telling me you’re not influenced by some cards!” smirks Bea.
“Shut up and flip the next card so I know what we should do.”
So Bea does. This card is of circles, blue, in the background, red, and a faint cross in the middle. “Six of Pentacles. Support. Acceptance. The beginning of a long-term relationship. I think it’s pretty obvious.” Bea marks it down in her notebook. “Are you ready for the last card?”
“As we can be,” says Henry. Alex can’t help but plant a kiss on his jawline. It makes Henry smile, and it makes Alex smile too. Bea flips the last card. A man’s on it, all gold.
“The Hierophant. Trust. Honesty. Marriage or some kind of alliance. A spiritual experience.”
“We’re definitely having one,” comments Alex. Henry lets out a chuckle, and starts to play with Alex’s hair, but still pays attention to his sister. “What’s the quintessence?” he asks.
Bea makes a quick calculation.
“Fourteen. It’s Art, or in different decks, Temperance. It signifies being forged together, changing together, blending, and harmony. But it’s also a reference to The Hierophant, so he’s pretty powerful in this reading. Look for balance, and trust that it all has a meaning,” she concludes, then adds, “Will you guys be moving in together?”
Henry looks at Alex. Alex hums, and pretends to consider it. Like it’s such a hard thing to decide, and not so fucking obvious by now.
“I think yes,” he says. He smiles. “The cards told me so.”