Archive of Our Own

Of all the social and political gatherings Henry and Alex were required to make appearances at, a wedding wasn’t the worst. Granted, Alex got a number of warnings from his mother and, of course, Zahra about how there should be precisely zero international incidents caused by him at this wedding. It was the first time he and Henry would attend a wedding since Philip’s and maybe now he would be able to live down the whole CakeGate incident if things went well.

A Duke was getting married, his name was Reginald, because of course it was, and he was marrying a very lovely lady named Elsbeth. Alex did not know them, though Henry did. He and Reginald were the same age and had essentially grown up together in their social circles. While Reginald wasn’t exactly a friend of Henry’s, he was a friendly acquaintance and Henry was happy for him, as the Duke seemed to truly be in love with his soon-to-be wife. Reginald had sent a formal invitation to Prince Henry as well as Alex, and it was the first time they were invited to a wedding together.

They couldn’t possibly turn down such an invitation. They were allowed to attend together, as a couple. When the realization dawned on the pair of them, Alex was giddy and Henry felt his heart racing, as well as the familiar tilt of happiness in his stomach. He still got that feeling whenever Alex looked at him, eyes full of adoration, and said “I love you,” soft and sweet. He got that feeling when they were together at some event and Alex squeezed his hand, and Henry didn’t have to pull away because they were in public. He had it now, when all the formality in the kingdom acknowledged that Alex and Henry came as a pair.

When it became official that the Prince and the First Son would be attending the wedding, the media outlets had a field day. Some made reference to Philip’s wedding while others gushed, wondering what they would be wearing and whether there would be new photos of the couple together. While Henry and Alex had received overwhelming support in their courtship, there were still some people in the UK that weren’t so happy about a gay prince, nor the fact that his partner was the son of the US President. Those people could shove it, Alex had said. Then, together, they looked at an article of the Ten Best Pictures of Henry and Alex Together and smiled at the memories. The article ended with the line, “Will wedding bells be ringing for these two sometime soon?” They both blushed.

Alex spent a week in England leading up to the wedding and it was amazing. It was summer, he had just graduated from law school a month ago, and he cleared his schedule to just relax with his love for a while. Pez took care of everything with the charities and insisted Henry deserved to have a break, as well. They spent the first two days doing almost nothing but laying in bed and learning each others bodies all over again. In the last two years they spent living together in Brooklyn, they were able to finally fall asleep and wake up together on a regular basis, but the times their schedules matched up and they weren’t both totally exhausted were few and far between. It was a luxury to have the time to just be themselves in each other’s company. A luxury that both men fully intended to take advantage of. 

The rest of the time was spent doing a little PR, visiting a few friends they had made recently, and even going on a couple dates together. Of course that meant there were new photos of them grabbing coffee or walking through the park, but they couldn’t spend their lives hiding from the cameras.

“Hey, remember that list?” Alex asked one day, when they were waiting for their coffee and tea order to be ready at a local coffee shop. 

“Which list?” Henry tipped his head, curious.

“Best photos of us together,” Alex whispered back.

Henry puffed a little laugh and nodded, “Yes.”

“Maybe we should give the people what they want.” There was a devilish little glint in Alex’s eyes and it made Henry a little wary.

“In what regard, precisely?” 

“Maybe we accidentally, on purpose, give them a few candid poses,” he shrugged his shoulders and looked up at Henry in a way that he knew the Prince couldn’t refuse.

Henry closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn’t really one to play ball with the paps, but he couldn’t really resist Alex in this moment. Not when he was so content with everything these past few days. “Fine.”

“Thank you, love.” 

After getting their drinks and walking out of the coffee shop, the cameras caught a lovely picture of them together. Henry and Alex were holding hands, fingers intertwined. Both their free hands held a paper cup of their respective drinks. They smiled as they shared a brief kiss just outside the front door. 

That was the first photo. June had texted an article to the pair of them shortly after it went viral online. Alex cheered triumphantly and Henry rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, baby, you can’t deny that is an amazing photo, though, right?” Even though Henry had the article open on his own phone, Alex had zoomed in on the photo of them kissing and showed it to him.

Henry chewed his lip to try and keep from smiling but Alex saw through him. He gave in, “Yes, okay, it is.” He looked back down at his own phone and tapped on the screen.

“You’re saving it, aren’t you,” Alex teased.

“I absolutely am not,” He said, as he absolutely was.

Alex laughed and leaned over the table to press a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek.

The next photo happened while they were out shopping. Even though both men had people who could shop for them, Alex liked to actually go into clothing stores and look around at what was new and chic. They both had suits already made for the wedding, so they were just shopping for fun. Alex had called it “Window Shopping,” and had to explain this concept to Henry, who didn’t quite understand the appeal. 

In the past few months, the pair had taken to holding hands in public more often, because it was basically allowed now, but rarely did they do more than that until The Coffee Shop Kiss. Today, as they walked past shops and Alex turned to look into a shop window, Henry moved to stand beside him. They talked about something Alex saw and liked, then carried on walking. However, rather than just holding hands, Alex had lifted his free hand to hug lightly onto Henry’s arm. When the cameras caught the sight, Alex’s head was resting on Henry’s shoulder as well and they looked like absolute lovebirds.

“Out for a bit of romantic shopping? Check out these latest photos!” the headline read. This time Alex had found it before June did. The photos were being shared all over Twitter and the number of heart-eye emojis attached to Alex’s mentions were astronomical. Henry saved that photo as well. Maybe he was starting to get into the game as well.

The third photo was taken while they made the audacious decision to eat at an outdoor cafe. After ordering and while waiting for their food, Alex was sitting with his chin propped in his hand, elbow against the table. He was gazing lovingly at Henry, who couldn’t help but smile back. There was something very freeing about allowing themselves to be together, in public, and obviously in love without caring that there were people taking photos of them. Henry couldn’t help it, he reached out a hand and stroked it gently through Alex’s hair. 

“I love you,” he said softly, and Alex smiled warmly in return.

“I know,” he replied, ever the Han Solo. 

Henry laughed and the smile on his face reached all the way up to his eyes. 

Later, back in the palace, they got a text from June with another link and the comment, “y’all are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Alex laughed as he opened the link. But once he saw the photo that was taken, he bit his lip. Henry stood behind him, looking at the phone over Alex’s shoulder. It was beautiful. Henry slid his arm around Alex’s waist and hugged him, until Alex’s back pressed against his chest. They both stared at the photograph for a long moment.

“You’re beautiful,” Henry whispered into Alex’s ear and he felt the smaller man sigh. 

Alex turned around in Henry’s arms, returned the hug by draping his arms over Henry’s shoulders, then stood up on his toes to share a kiss with his Prince. 

The day of the wedding finally arrived. After spending the morning lazily making love, they got out of bed, washed up and had breakfast at Kensington. There wasn’t time to go outside and tempt the paparazzi with sweet poses. Back in Henry’s bedroom, they got dressed for the wedding. It took longer than it should have, because Alex couldn’t quite keep his hands off Henry and Henry wasn’t exactly trying to stop him. After finally managing to get their clothes all the way on, Alex took a moment to inspect Henry. 

“You’re so damn hot...” He said, shaking his head. 

Even now, compliments like that from Alex made Henry look away and try not to blush. If it was anyone else, he would be smug or aloof, but the reverent tone in Alex’s compliment did something to Henry.

He leaned down just enough to press a loving kiss to Alex’s lips, then spoke against them, “I have to do something to match your beauty.” 

Alex hummed and closed his eyes, pressing back into that kiss, however brief they had to keep it. 

When it was time to leave for the venue, the pair were ushered into a fancy black car provided by the palace and driven to the church. They held hands in the back seat, Alex leaning against Henry’s side. In the church, they sat up straight, side by side. Bea was there as well, sat on Henry’s other side, followed by Philip and Martha. The service was long and mostly dull. The best bits were when Elsbeth came down the aisle, wearing a glorious and beautiful wedding gown, and the smile on Reginald’s face when they met at the altar. Then it was all rather tedious until they got to the vows. 

When Elsbeth began to speak, Henry felt Alex’s hand slide over his. He turned his own hand palm-up and laced their fingers together. Looking over at his boyfriend, Henry had to smile and resist the urge to kiss him. This wasn’t their moment. He turned back to watch the Duke and his bride. When Reginald spoke his vows, his voice broke and Henry’s hand squeezed Alex’s. He could feel tears welling in his own eyes as he saw Reginald wracked with emotion. In that moment, they weren’t a Duke and Duchess-to-be, they were Reginald and Elsbeth, a man and a woman in love. Henry felt that on a deep level. 

The ceremony ended and everyone stood as the couple made their way down the aisle as husband and wife. Henry took a moment to quickly wipe a tear from his eye and avert his gaze from the stars of the day to look at the sun that stood beside him. Alex had also been crying and Henry let himself have a moment. He lifted a hand to swipe away a fresh tear stain from Alex’s cheek with his thumb. Alex laughed wetly and tipped his head into Henry’s hand. 

“I’m a romantic,” he said quietly with a shrug. 

“Me too,” Henry admitted with a smile. 

They turned in time to see the couple leave the church, then sighed. Henry couldn’t stop himself from wrapping an arm around Alex’s shoulders in a hug until they had their turn to file out of the pews. Alex leaned into Henry, an arm around his waist. There were no cameras around that would be pointing at them on this day, it was the one time when they could essentially fade into the crowd. Bea saw them and smiled, so did Martha. Philip had the decency not to look cross with them, perhaps swept up in the emotion of the wedding and too distracted with his own love for his wife to care what his little brother was doing. Or maybe, just maybe, he was starting to be okay with the whole thing.

Next was the reception, a joyful party to offset the seriousness of the church service. Here, Alex and Henry had to put on their game faces a little more, knowing that they were on camera at all times, so to speak. Perhaps the last few days of courting the paparazzi had done something to them, though, and neither man really put their heart into wearing a mask right now. 

So it was, that the two of them could be found sitting close together, touching one another on the shoulder or arm or chest at any given moment. Henry let himself run his fingers carefully through Alex’s hair, not wanting to mess up those perfect curls. Alex wiped a bit of cake off the corner of Henry’s mouth and they both laughed. They laughed! They laughed and smiled and their faces were genuine with happiness. No posed smiles or fake sentiments. 

Bea caught Henry in a moment when Alex was away speaking with another guest. Henry had been watching him, smitten. 

“You look good,” Bea said, calling his attention over.

“Thank you,” Henry replied, glancing down at his suit.

“I don’t mean the suit, you daft boy.” She gave him a little shove and smiled. “You look happy.”

“I am happy.” 

“Yes, but now I can see it on you,” she explained. “You aren’t hiding it.”

Henry took a deep breath and sighed, “I think ... maybe it’s time to put the mask down.”

Bea raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. 

“Not forever, not always... I’ll still need to be His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales,” he said with a tone of severity. “But not all the time. Maybe sometimes I can just be... Henry.”

Bea smiled in a way that was devastatingly fond. Her eyes even shone with unshed tears. Reaching out, she placed a hand on Henry’s knee and leaned in towards him. “You have no idea just how happy it makes me to hear you say that, little brother.” 

“I’m pretty happy to say it,” Henry chuckled and felt his own voice choked with emotion. 

Standing, Bea leaned in and pressed a kiss to her brother’s forehead. “You should stop sitting here alone and go get your man.” 

“I shall go do just that, I think.” Henry stood and caught his sister’s hand, giving a soft kiss to the back of it. “Thank you.”

She smiled and shooed him away.

Henry strode across the room with all the confidence of the Prince he was, stopping at Alex’s side. The man Alex was talking to turned his attention towards him.

“Your Highness,” he bowed his head respectfully. 

“Henry,” Alex said fondly, reaching out to touch his arm. 

Henry’s attention went to the man, he was sure he knew his name but couldn’t think of it, and in this moment it didn’t matter. “I’m afraid I must steal Alex away from you.”

“Oh, no, of course,” he gestured. “By all means.”

Henry held out a hand to Alex, looking ever so formal, then smiled. “Alexander... shall we dance?” 

Alex’s heart absolutely skipped a beat. He was stunned speechless for a brief moment, a rare event. Rarer, still, for Henry to use his full first name.

“It would be an honor, My Prince,” Alex took Henry’s hand and let himself be led out onto the dance floor. Everyone was waltzing and Alex was thankful now for the lessons he had gotten from Bea on how to waltz properly.

They had spent many lessons together, with her teaching him all the steps, the way to read Henry’s signs as he led, the squeeze of Henry’s hand this way or that, directing their motions. The pair had spent countless mornings dancing in the kitchen of their Brownstone, learning to move together seamlessly. It paid off here, as Henry whisked him away.

Henry wrapped his right arm around Alex’s back, supporting the smaller man’s arm, Alex’s hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Blue eyes looked over to his left and he took Alex’s other hand in his own. Their form was practically flawless and Alex smiled that giddy little smile of his that warmed Henry’s heart. They waited a moment, listening to the music, and waiting for the beat of a new measure. Then, as easily as floating on the water in a Texas lake, the pair joined the other dancers.

They had never waltzed in public before, never having an occasion to do so. They did, occasionally, dance together in less formal settings than this. If their moves garnered the attention of others at the party, neither of them really noticed. While a traditional waltz had the partners looking away from one another, that was one rule they broke here. Alex’s head was tilted up, his eyes gazing lovingly into Henry’s face.

Henry smiled down at his love, only ever looking away to see other dancers on the floor and ensure they didn’t run into anyone. However, for the most part, everyone made way for them. It was only appropriate, really, to get out of the way of a Prince. Alex let himself be led around the dance floor, reading every squeeze of Henry’s hand. They did a few flourishes, a twirl or two, but mostly just for their own amusement, rather than to show off. Dancing was their own thing, not a display. They enjoyed the moment, purely for themselves. 

As the music came to an end, Henry drew Alex in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Alex closed his eyes and sighed into it. The sound of soft clapping reminded them that they were very much not alone in their kitchen in Brooklyn. Henry blushed as he pulled back from that kiss and Alex gave him a cheeky grin. “Can’t wait to see those photos,” he whispered before the pair of them separated and gave a little bow. They left the dance floor, then, returning to their table. 

Bea and Martha were smiling brightly when they returned, swept up in the romance of it all. Bea spoke first, “Looks like my lessons paid off!” 

Alex laughed and nodded, “Yeah, thanks for those.”

“You two looked marvelous out there!” Martha clasped her hands together under her chin. 

“Thank you, Martha,” Henry smiled at her. He couldn’t help but look over at Philip, hoping against hope that his brother wouldn’t be an utter shit in this moment.

“You, uh...” Philip started and cleared his throat. Martha turned to look at him and Henry couldn’t see what kind of expression was on her face. Philip glanced at her, then back at Henry and Alex, “You two move well together.” 

Beside him, Henry could hear Alex stifle whatever sound he was going to make and squeezed the arm he had around his boyfriend to keep him quiet. “Thank you, Philip. It’s kind of you to say so.”

“Will you two be dancing together again, tonight?” Philip asked.

“I don’t know, would you rather we didn’t?” Henry did his best to keep any coolness out of his voice. He wasn’t entirely successful.

“No, that’s... Not why I asked. Just...” Philip frowned, then looked up at his younger brother with a softer expression. “Maybe Martha and I can join you two when you do.”

Henry was dumbstruck. He blinked at Philip and saw that, for once, his brother was actually being nice about their relationship. 

“I think that’d be great,” Alex spoke up now, saving the speechless Henry. “I could go for another spin. Couldn’t you, Hen?”

“Yes...” He nodded, finally. “Yes, I rather think so.” 

Henry and Alex would dance together several more times before the end of the night. Each time, Martha and Philip joined them on the dance floor. On one occasion, Philip danced with Bea and it seemed like maybe the three royal siblings might actually be able to repair the rift in their relationship.

On the car ride back to the palace, Alex rested his head on Henry’s shoulder, humming the tune to one of the waltzes that played that night. Henry had his arm around Alex, fingers idly  twisting through his dark curls. 

“Tonight was nice...” Henry said quietly.

“It was,” Alex stopped his humming. He pulled his phone from his pocket and started scrolling through reports that were trickling in from the wedding. Most of them were about the bride and groom, obviously, but after some searching, he found a few photos of the royal family. “Look at this...” He held up his phone to Henry.

There was a photo of them dancing, Henry and Alex together, Philip and Martha. Bea was dancing with one of Reginald’s brothers. Henry smiled vaguely at it, until he noticed that Philip was looking over at Henry and Alex and smiling. 

“Am I seeing this right?”

“You mean, are you seeing your brother look at us without scowling?”

Henry shook his head, awestruck. “I must regretfully admit... my brother might be human after all.” 

Alex laughed and pulled the phone back, scrolling through again. “Maybe he just needed Martha to remind him how to be human.”

“Hmm...” Henry tipped his head down to kiss the top of Alex’s head. Should he be worried that he needed Alex to remind him, as well, how to be human? Maybe he and Philip were more alike than he thought. That was something he would have to consider on a wholly different day. “Any good ones of us, yet?”

“Still looking,” Alex said idly. “You’d think it’d be easier--Aha!” 

“What?” Henry leaned forward to look down at Alex’s phone. He didn’t hold it up for Henry immediately, because he was too busy staring at the picture. “What did you find?” 

Alex carefully sat up straight in his seat and held the phone where both of them could see. They looked dashing in their photograph, both in their expensive suits, hair perfect, smiling warmly. They were dancing, of course, but their waltz frame was atrocious, because the dance had ended, the music had stopped. Henry had pulled Alex in close and it was moments before they shared the kiss on the dance floor. Alex’s hand had moved up, his fingers barely brushing Henry’s neck. Henry’s hand had slipped down to Alex’s shoulder blade. Their hands grasped together on the other side had pulled a little closer in. Their hips were touching but there was a slight space between their chests. Henry was already dipping his head down, on his way to kiss a lovestruck Alex on the lips.

There were several beats of silence as both men stared at the photograph, studying every pixel. 

“Might have to get this one framed,” Alex finally said, breaking the silence. 

“Might just...” Henry agreed quietly. 

The car halted. They arrived back at the palace and it was time to go inside. “Text me that link,” Henry instructed. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“It’s Sire,” he teased and kissed Alex’s temple. After quickly sending the text, they both got out of the car. Alex pocketed his phone, planning to look for more photos of them later. For now, they walked hand-in-hand, into the palace and all the way to Henry’s rooms, where they rid themselves of those pesky albeit lovely suits and fell into bed. 

They made love that night, not fast and hard and aggressive with pent-up want, but slow and steady and loving. They worshipped every inch of one another, doting, adoring, and ever so warm. Soft kisses were shared between soft moans, and declarations of love whispered reverently after they both came in each others arms. 

The next morning, breakfast was delivered to their room, and Alex was laying on his stomach on the bed, munching on some toast with jam as he scrolled through his phone. By late morning, there was one list of the best photos of the royal boyfriends from the wedding. When he found it, he hopped up and settled next to Henry, who was leaning against the headboard.

Henry held his teacup carefully away until Alex stilled, then leaned against him, their heads together as they looked at the pictures. All of the photographs were from the reception, as they had suspected. They caught moments of them sitting together at their table, smiling at one another. Another picture showed them raising their glasses in a toast, their poses identical to one another and a caption about how they move in sync. A picture caught the moment where Alex wiped the bit of cake off the corner of Henry’s mouth and Henry huffed and looked away as Alex laughed. 

“So undignified,” Henry muttered and Alex scrolled on.

Inevitably, the highest ranking photos on the list were all of them dancing. One had them in a dramatic pose with the caption, “Wow! Eat your heart out, Strictly Come Dancing!” Another showed one of the times Henry twirled Alex. One showed them turned outward, commenting on how attractive the two young non-bachelors were. The number one photo, however, was the kiss. It was the moment after the photo Alex had found the previous night. It showed Alex’s hand holding the back of Henry’s neck. It showed how how relaxed Henry’s shoulders looked when they fell out of the strict waltzing frame. It showed how close they pressed together even in that brief moment. More than anything, though, it was so romantic. It showed just how in love they were.

The caption for the last photo was simply, “Swoon” along with three heart-eye emojis. The article didn’t end there, though. There was a short paragraph.

We love to see our Prince in love with his American partner, the gorgeous Alexander Claremont-Diaz. Whether they’re window shopping or dancing at a Duke’s wedding. The question on everyone’s mind, though, is: When will they be tying the knot? 

“They sure do like to ask that...” Alex said, and Henry noticed something strange in his voice that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Does it bother you?” Henry asked, curiosity lacing his own tone. He set his tea down on the bedside table to free his hand.

“No,” Alex shook his head. “It doesn’t. Not really.” 

Henry’s brows drew together and he turned to look at Alex’s face. “Speak to me, love.”

Alex smiled up at him and it was such a reassuring sight. “Everything’s fine, baby, don’t worry.” He lifted a hand to cup Henry’s cheek. “I guess I just never thought I would find myself in a position where people would be speculating about when we would get married.” 

“You’re dating a Prince of England, darling. What did you expect?” Henry leaned in and pressed a kiss to Alex’s forehead. Then he pulled back and smiled fondly. 

“I know, I know. I just didn’t think about that part of it. I just kind of... want to be surprised when it happens.” 

“You want to be surprised by your own wedding?” 

“No, idiot,” Alex rolled his eyes and shoved Henry. “I want to be surprised by, like, a proposal. All romantic and stuff...” Alex was looking down, not meeting Henry’s eyes. He was admitting something here, and being uncharacteristically shy.

“So you do want to marry me, then? Marry into all of this? Henry ran a hand down Alex’s arm.

“Obviously,” Alex looked up at him. “But that better not be your proposal. You’re not supposed to, like, ask if I want to marry you before you propose, you know?”

“Are you not? Isn’t it better to know the answer will definitely be yes before making a grand gesture?”

“I guess...” Alex frowned and shrugged. 

“Hey, love...” Henry suddenly worried he was losing his grasp on this moment. He shifted, grabbing Alex by the hips and moving them until Alex was seated in his lap. Henry lifted both hands then, sliding up Alex’s arms until he could hold the other man’s face in his hands. “I love you more than anything else in this world. I want nothing more than to be with you forever.” 

Alex’s brown eyes looked into Henry’s blues and seemed to be seeking out something in that moment. Henry would do his best to give it to him.

“This life... my life, it’s complicated. It’s not easy.” Henry cut Alex off when he opened his mouth to speak. “And yes, I know you know that. But part of me... still worries sometimes, I need assurance just as much as the next man. If I were ever to propose to you and you, for whatever reason said no, I don’t think I could carry on breathing.”

“I would never say no to you, Henry.” Alex spoke quickly. He lifted a hand to run through Henry’s hair, then took one of Henry’s hands off his cheek. He moved it downward until both their hands rested on Alex’s chest, right over his heart. “I belong to you, my heart is yours, now and always.” 

Henry pushed forward, capturing Alex’s lips in a kiss so firm and certain it took his breath away. 

Their trip was supposed to end in two days. They were supposed to fly back to New York and return to their lives there, busy again. Though Henry loved their lives, whether they were spending time here in England at the stuffy palace, or back at their small but comfortable home in Brooklyn, he wasn’t quite ready for the romance of this trip to end yet. He wasn’t ready to go back to the routine.

So it was, when Alex was otherwise occupied doing something with Bea, Henry made a few phone calls, to June, Pez, and Nora. He even managed a strangely routed call to the President of the United States, Ellen Claremont, and then Senator Oscar Diaz. He even called Zahra, at Shaan’s insistence. It would be safer that way, the man had said and Henry gravely agreed. He had a closed door conversation with his mother and Philip. Bea was already aware of his plans. Things were set into motion.

Henry’s heart rate was through the roof for several hours as he made calls and figured things out. Shaan had set up a room at the palace where Henry got to meet with a few jewelers and look at his options. He ended up on a forty minute video call with June before he made a decision. Alex would be back with Bea soon, his sister could only distract him for so long. And then he would have to act all casual around Alex, which was going to be a great feat. 

When Bea and Alex walked in, his sister bounded her way over to Henry, giving him a big hug. “Thanks so much for letting me steal Alex for a while before you guys leave!” 

Henry laughed and hugged her back, thankful for the physical support. She quickly whispered in his ear to ask if everything went well and he nodded before pulling back, smiling. “I survived, somehow, without him.” 

Bea stepped away and waved an arm in Alex’s direction, letting her little brother go to his love. Henry stepped forward and hugged Alex tightly.

“Hey, did you miss me that much?” Alex returned the hug, not used to this kind of greeting when they had only been apart for a few hours. 

“I did,” Henry pressed a kiss to the top of Alex’s head. “Did you two have fun?” 

“Yeah, Bea knows a lot of places in London. I should have let her give me a tour forever ago.” 

“It would have been rather difficult when you two were always too busy doing, well... You know, each other.” She protested and Alex laughed. “If you ever left the bedroom I might have shown you the city.”

“We leave the bedroom,” Henry rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. 

“Yes, darling, of course you do,” Bea placated, then changed the subject. “At any rate, I have to go speak with mum about something, so you two have fun.”

“See ya’, thanks again!” Alex called after her and Bea waved a hand over her shoulder. Turning back to Henry, Alex slid his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “So what do we do now? Each other?”

“Tempting,” Henry said, leaning down to kiss Alex’s lips. “But I have reservations for us.”

“Oh, fancy. Where? Do we get to dress up?”

“A restaurant, and yes, we do.” Henry urged Alex to start moving and they went to their bedroom to get dressed. 

They miraculously ended up getting changed in the same room without completely devolving into a tangle of limbs and kisses on the bed. Nonetheless, Henry kept stealing glances of Alex, smiling at him lovingly, and even taking the time to do Alex’s tie for him. Alex, of course, could wrap his own tie into a variety of knots, but Henry just wanted to do it for him. He tied it into a Windsor knot and smiled to himself as he smoothed the tie down against Alex’s chest. “I have a tie clip for you. And cufflinks.”

“I feel like this is turning into a Pretty Woman moment, you dressing me up.” Alex teased. 

“Maybe it is,” Henry winked at him, then kissed his forehead before walking away to grab a couple of boxes. He presented them to Alex, who actually marveled at the fine quality of the accessories. They were made of titanium with matching opal inlays on both the clip and cufflinks. The opals reflected a rainbow of colors when they caught the light.

As Alex worked his cuff links into his sleeves, Henry finished putting on his own tie, tie clip, waist coat, cufflinks, and jacket. He couldn’t help but look over at Alex as he did so, knowing the other man was watching him with only thinly veiled lust. Seeing Henry in a fancy suit had become a weakness of his and sometimes Henry liked to exploit that.

“Nice tie...” Alex said as he came closer, tracing his fingers over the royal purple tie with faintly visible roses, embroidered into the fabric with a slightly different shade of purple thread. 

“You can take it off me later tonight,” Henry spoke, a little breathlessly. 

“Maybe I will,” Alex closed the distance between them and kissed Henry. In that moment, Henry supposed that this would happen even when they were old, grey and wrinkled. They still wouldn’t be able to keep their hands off each other. At least, he hoped that would be the case.

When they finally tore themselves apart, Henry fixed his hair and then ushered them out of the room before the clothes came right back off again. They had a reservation to make, even if he could get away with being late on account of being the Prince of Wales. That was just poor form. A royal car drove them to the restaurant, one of the fanciest locations in London, boasting four Michelin stars. Although Alex would probably be content to be taken anywhere, Henry wanted to mark the special occasion.

As they walked in, the service staff went out of their way to take care of the pair, immediately ushering them over to a private, secluded table, typically reserved for the highest priority guests. Henry had declined the offer for the chef’s table in the kitchen, wanting something a little quieter and more intimate. Once they were seated and wine was poured for them both, Alex looked over at Henry a little bewildered. He was used to fancy things now, after six years as the First Son and two years of dating a Prince, but this moment stood apart. Henry could see it in Alex’s eyes, the way he kept looking around them, then laughing quietly as he looked at Henry. It was precious.

“The head chef here is from Spain,” Henry broached.

“Yeah?” He looked back curiously.

Henry sipped his wine. “I can’t get you proper Mexican food here, and any average shop here, I fear, might be worse even than Taco Bell.”

Alex laughed and nodded, “I don’t think the Brits would know what to do with half our spices.”

“Quite so...” Henry said, affecting an even more posh accent than he typically used. Returning to normal, he said, “But I rang the restaurant and asked if the chef could provide a special meal for us.” 

“You did?” 

“Mm-hmm. He’s traveled all over the world. Obviously cooking in Spain, then trained in France under the best, but he’s taken bits and pieces of every culinary style he’s encountered across the world.”

“That’s cool,” Alex sipped his own wine and noticed that the serving staff hadn’t dropped off any menus. 

“I have it on good authority that he spent two years in Mexico before moving to London.” 

“No way.”

“Yes... way...” Henry replied, finding the words strange on his tongue. Alex laughed at the face he must have made when speaking. “In any case, I asked him to make us a meal of Mexican food, all his favorite dishes, with the one caveat that they must have soul and spice.”

“When did you set this up?” Alex asked, a little awed. 

“A few days after we arrived in London. I know how you feel about our food here, so I wanted to do something special for you. And prove that even English restaurants can provide good food. Under the right circumstances.”

“I love you,” Alex reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers across Henry’s cheek and Henry leaned into the touch.

“I love you, Alex,” he said in return.

The meal went wonderfully. The chef did not disappoint, and Alex was apparently in heaven as he ate. He was gushing about every single thing that came, eyes lighting up when food was placed in front of them, recognizing everything and telling Henry all about what they were eating. The serving staff gave up giving their required descriptions after the first plate was set down and Alex corrected their pronunciation. He tried to be polite as he thanked them but said he would introduce each dish the prince.

Henry loved watching Alex explain his food, his culture, and share his joy at it all. He loved how Alex hummed happily as he ate bite after bite, and tried to speak over mouthfuls of food about just how good it was. The chef had prepared a meal fit for a peasant, full of comfort food with heart and soul. It was presented elegantly, of course, but not in any way that would detract from the flavor being the star on the plate. It wasn’t pretentious, it wasn’t over the top, it was simply good food. Alex and Henry fell more in love with each other in that moment.

When they finished the meal, Alex asked if he could meet the chef before they left. Henry wouldn’t dream of denying him the privilege and the restaurant’s maitre d gladly arranged for it to happen. The kitchen staff was quickly warned that the Prince would be coming back but the chef, incidentally, only had eyes for Alex. He was awed to meet a prince, absolutely, but knowing that Alex had enjoyed the meal was more important to him, as someone who prided himself on his culinary reputation. 

Alex and the chef exchanged a few words in English, before both launching into Spanish. Though Henry hadn’t become fluent in Spanish yet, he was trying and understood a few sentences from time to time. They were speaking so quickly, though, that Henry gave up and focused just on the expression Alex wore and the emotion in both men’s voices. It was clear that Alex was praising and happy, the chef looked so elated and proud that he might burst. In the end, Alex surprised the chef with a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder, along with a “¡Muchas, muchas gracias!”  

Henry shook the chef’s hand and offered a soft but earnest “Gracias” as well. It seemed that all three men had made each other’s nights with that one meal. Henry would definitely be bringing Alex back here again. 

After leaving the restaurant, Alex was practically glowing with a bounce in his step. “Thank you so much for this, Henry,” he said, a bit of a Mexican accent slipping into his usual Texas drawl. It happened, sometimes, when he spoke a lot of Spanish, especially after spending time with his father. Henry loved it.

“Of course, mi amor,” he did his best accent, and Alex was too happy to correct it in any way.

“Where’s the car?” Alex asked, curious. Normally the driver would be waiting for them just outside. 

“We’re going to take a walk,” Henry said simply, linking their arms together and turning him to walk down the street. It was a cool summer night and lots of people were still about. It was an upscale part of the city, so everyone was dressed nicely, though none so fancy as a Prince and his consort. Of course, there were PPOs trailing a respectable distance behind them and some positioned on the street up ahead. The evening stroll was planned as well, though not so far in advance as the dinner.

Alex didn’t ask where they were headed, just settled into an easy pace beside Henry, holding his arm happily. When he did speak, his voice was warm, “This has been the best week I think I’ve ever had... No school, no looming work, no international incidents, no having to hide.”

“You deserve a break from all of that.” Henry kissed his temple. 

“So do you, baby.” He lifted his head to kiss Henry’s lips, but not stop them from walking. They smiled at one another.

A few streets later, Henry guided them into a rose garden. Though they hadn’t been there together before, it had been one of Henry’s favorite places as a child.

“This is beautiful...” Alex said, looking around when Henry drew him to a stop. 

“My parents used to bring me here when I was little. All of us,” Henry smiled ruefully, thinking back on the memories. “Bea, Philip and I used to run around playing among the flowers. My parents would sit on a bench over there and watch us.” 

“You’ve never told me about it before,” Alex looked up at Henry, surprised he could still uncover new secrets Henry had hidden away.

“After my dad died... things changed. Bea - well, you know about all of that. Mum became rather absent, Philip became the royal arse he is... was.” It would take some getting used to, thinking of Philip as someone on his side, a brother again. “It stopped being a place of happiness. I tried coming here once or twice, but it always felt wrong somehow. I didn’t want to bring the dark cloud that became my life here and ruin all of those happy memories.”

“Henry....” Alex’s voice was soft. He reached up to cup Henry’s cheek, brushing his thumb just beneath his eye, as if wiping away a tear that hadn’t fallen. Tears that had fallen in the past.

“It’s okay, love,” Henry smiled down at Alex. “I have been back one other time...”

“When?” 

“After you came here and told me you loved me, forced me to accept the fact. After you left and I missed you terribly. I came here and sat on the bench where my mum and dad used to watch me play.” Henry slid his arms around Alex’s waist and hugged him loosely. As always, Alex returned the embrace.

“How did it feel to be back?”

“It was nice... I didn’t know what was yet to come but I felt happy for once. You loved me and I loved you and... whatever that meant for our future, we would face it together.” 

“Yeah,” Alex leaned in and nuzzled their noses together before kissing him softly and surely. 

Henry kissed him back and his heart was racing in his chest, because this was the moment. It was happening.

Alex pulled back and looked suddenly concerned, “Sweetheart, you’re shaking. Are you okay?” He peered up into Henry’s face, checking for tears.

Henry laughed softly, “I’m wonderful, just...” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had prepared all manner of things to say, but now his mind went blank and anything he could think of from his practice sounded too trite or too saccharine. “Alex... Alexander, I’ve loved you with every breath in my body for longer than I can say... Maybe since that first time I saw you in Rio and wanted you so badly that I had to get away. I loved you when you would act like my rival. I loved you when we got shoved into that closet in the hospital.”

Alex laughed a little at the memory, but kept listening. Henry pressed on after swallowing.

“I have loved you since I kissed you outside in the cold, and I’m sorry I ran away. I loved you when you kissed me back and then kissed me again in the Red Room. I loved you the first time we stole away together for the night... I loved you in Paris. I loved you the first time we made love and every time we have since then.” Henry was trembling and rambling and he was only slightly aware of the way his voice was wavering or the way Alex’s eyes were shining more than usual. 

“Alex... Alex, Alex, Alex, I could say your name a thousand times and it wouldn’t be enough. I love you, I have loved you, I will love you, I’ll love you forever if you will let me.” It was time. Henry went down on one knee and fished a box from his pocket. He opened it up, showing the ring to Alex and proposed, “Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz, would you do me the greatest honor and be my husband?”

Alex finally let out a choked sob and fell to his knees, throwing his arms around Henry’s shoulders and kissing him. Henry immediately caught his love with arms around his waist and returned the kiss. 

The kiss broke a moment later as Alex remembered he had to speak. “Yes! Yes, obviously yes.” Then he was kissing Henry all over again. Henry stood up, his arms still around Alex, lifting the shorter man off his feet and spinning him around in a little circle before placing him back down again. 

“I... I didn’t think you would propose today, Henry!” Alex laughed and pulled back again, this time so that Henry could put the ring onto his finger. 

“I, erm, didn’t have this planned out quite as long as dinner,” Henry admitted. “But I’m no less serious about this. Alex, I want to marry you, with all my heart.”

“My heart is yours, Henry. Like I said.” They kissed again, now with Alex’s hand pressed to Henry’s chest, the glint of an elegant, white-gold ring catching the light. 

They returned to the palace to tell their families the good news and Alex received another shock to find that both his parents, Leo, June, Nora and Pez were all there waiting to greet them and celebrate. Henry’s mother, Bea, Philip and Martha were there as well. The sisters were the first to hug their respective brothers, followed by the mothers. Pez and Nora took their turns congratulating them both. As Oscar and Leo came over to embrace Alex, Philip approached Henry.

Much to Henry’s surprise, Philip offered a bright smile, shook Henry’s hand and wrapped an arm around his little brother’s shoulders. It was a little bewildering, but maybe, just maybe, Philip had decided to lean into his brother’s life rather than let it drive the wedge so far between them that there was no coming back. Martha came over next and squeezed Henry’s hands happily. She said that this moment was worth losing her wedding cake over and Henry laughed and hugged her. 

Finally, Henry and Alex were released from their loved ones and allowed to return to one another. All the girls fawned over Alex’s ring and complimented Henry on his choice. June smiled knowingly at him but didn’t give away how much she had helped him, letting Henry have this moment. She had a lifetime to hold that over him. Her time would come.

Champagne was opened and glasses were handed out. So many details would have to be worked out and it would be a long time before the wedding would happen. Official announcements had to be made, as well. All of that could wait until tomorrow, or the next day. Henry admitted to Alex that he had arranged for their stay in London to last a few days longer and Alex didn’t complain. 

That night, in their room, they celebrated some more, sharing as many tender moments together as hot and heavy moments. They took each other in, undid one another, and then put the pieces back together just to let them come apart again. It was a night of sleep, sex, and sweet nothings whispered. Eventually, they fell asleep, with Henry pressed up against Alex’s back, holding him tightly, never wanting to let go. Alex stared happily at his ring for a long time before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

No news of the engagement had leaked out the night before. Alex was surprised when he opened his phone in the morning and didn’t see any articles or updates about them, other than mentioning that they were spotted outside the restaurant. Henry explained that the PPOs had swept the garden before they got there and kept any paps away from the private moment. Alex was thankful, this time, not to find his life in the news. Though, a part of him was sad not to see a photograph of their engagement moment. 

Later, while they were eating breakfast at the small table near the bed, Henry’s phone buzzed. He lifted it up and smiled, tapping a few times on the screen.

“What is it?” Alex asked, sipping his coffee.

Henry flicked his thumb over the screen a few times, still smiling, before handing the phone over to Alex. It was a photo album, a collection of pictures from the garden. Henry had stopped on a picture of himself on one knee, holding the ring up to Alex, who was covering his mouth with one hand. 

“How?” Alex looked up from the photo, awestruck.

“I hired a photographer, had her sign a wild number of NDAs and then had her wait at that spot to take photos of us.” 

“There’s more?” He quickly began flicking through the photos. It moved like a slideshow, Alex crouching down, throwing his arms around Henry. The kiss. Them standing and Henry twirling him around. Henry sliding the ring onto Alex’s finger. All of it. It was all there.

“So you’re happy then, I take it?” Henry asked around a broad smile. 

“Over the moon,” Alex said in return. He stood up and moved around the other side of the table to settle in Henry’s lap. Together they looked through all the photographs. Of course Alex made Henry send him the link to the album. Alex decided to make the photo of Henry holding him up just off the ground into his lock screen. Henry chose the one of them hugging each other tightly after the proposal as his own.