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“But what tie do you like better?”
“Sweetheart, they are the same tie.”
Henry Sighs as he throws the two ties onto his bed. He reaches out and picks up the phone that had been set on the dresser. His face takes up the whole screen now, and he only looks a little bit annoyed.
“You were the one that insisted on giving me fashion advice months ago. Now you can’t earnestly tell me if you like the gold or white stripes,” Henry Says.
Alex remembers his first comment about hating Henry’s tie over text. He had said it back when he didn’t even know he was flirting. How times have changed
“Sorry, pick the gold, it’s more regal.” Alex emphasizes the word regal, because as much as things have changed he still has to make fun of Henry’s title.
Henry sets the phone back on the dresser. He walks back to the ties laying on his bed. Alex can’t help but admire the view even over video call.
Henry has finished the knot of the tie when he breaks Alex out of his lustful thoughts to admit, “I hate it when you’re right.”
Alex looks at the figure over video chat and begins singing, “My baby is fit like a daydream.”
“What?”
He picks up the beat and sings the rest, “Walking with his head down, I’m the one he’s walking to!”
Henry has returned the phone to his hand. “What the hell are you singing?” He asks as he walks to the bed and lays down on the bed, holding his phone above head.
Alex’s eyes bulge out, “Um, excuse you, I don’t know about you brits but we stand for our national anthem.”
“I can sing the star spangled banner just as well as you, and that’s not it. I genuinely have no idea what you’re singing, love.”
“You do not get to call me that right now,” Alex shoots back to Henry. Henry raises his eyebrow waiting for an explanation. Alex thinks about pushing it a bit more, but ultimately settles on explaining, “Call it What you Want, by Taylor Swift.”
The change in Henry's face is immediate. His raised eyebrow and wide eyes now shift into his deepest laugh. His eyes aren’t open and his grin grows the longer he laughs.
Alex gets up from his couch. He has nowhere to go, but he’s a little shaken by this response. So he just paces between the couch and his bed, “I can’t believe you continue to disrespect the good name of our lord and savior.”
Henry stops laughing and rolls from his back to his stomach. He’s looking at the camera earnestly now, “And how dare you disrespect the love of my life.”
“How am I disrespecting myself?”
Henry lets out a short laugh, “I said the love of my life.”
Alex stops in his tracks. It was two days ago that he had left Henry in London. Three days since they had agreed to do this for real. Since they snuck into the V&A. Sure professing your love to each other isn’t love of your life territory necessarily. But he was pretty sure they were basically there, and he was pretty sure Henry was on that page too.
Henry cuts off the thought spiral and says,“Oh stop looking like Bambi. I’m talking about Harry Styles.”
Alex may have just been compared to Bambi but in an instant he’s filled with something more like jealousy, “I’VE BEEN COMPETING WITH HIM THIS WHOLE TIME?”
“There’s no competition. He wins. Every single time. Out of respect for him and our love I do not listen to HER music,” Henry levels at Alex, who is back to pacing his room.
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I fell in love with someone who isn’t a Swiftie. This is the biggest mistake I’ve ever made,” Alex says.
Henry snorts out a laugh, “the biggest mistake you ever made was liking Taylor Swift after she broke Harry’s heart.”
“Oh my god. You were a directioner weren't you!”
“Of course I am! Those boys are the crown jewels of this nation, and that’s in comparison to my families actual crown jewels.”
Alex sits back down on the couch. And rubs his hand over his face in defeat. “I wish I could say I’m surprised. I just wish you aired out your dirty laundry before you tricked me into loving you. But in a way, it makes a lot of sense.”
Henry sits up in his bed, “I can’t believe I’m getting shamed for loving the most successful boyband of all time, when you think it’s okay to use Taylor Swift lyrics to flirt.”
“She is the greatest songwriter in a generation, second in the world only to Dolly Parton,” Alex says back.
“I guess we are going to figure out a way to agree to disagree on this,” Henry supplies.
“I guess.” Alex looks at the man at the other end of line. He thinks about the magazine he used to look at Henry when he was thirteen. He would have been awkward and madly in love with One Direction at that time. “So what was it like when you met him?”
Alex’s question seems to break Henry out of his own thoughts as he responds with, “Hmm?”
“Well what was it like when you met him? Were you your awkward and sexually confused 13-year-old self? Oh! Or did you meet him after he went solo and you were a fully realized homosexual madly in love with Harry? Did you write fanfiction about the band?” Alex stops to let Henry talk, because he doesn’t seem eager to talk. Alex could keep going and go into every single detail about when him and Nora went to see the Reputation tour and got to meet Taylor. But Henry has gotten quieter as this conversation has gone on.
“Oh well, um, I’ve never met him, or any of them actually.” Henry sheepishly says.
Alex’s mouth hangs open, “But they are the crown jewels, and you’re the crown!”
Henry seems to think about this. “Well if I met the band it would have been as good as posting a pride flag on my instagram.”
Oh.
Henry never met Harry because it’s not something the buttoned up prince would do. It feels so long ago that Alex didn’t know anything about Henry. That he was convinced the prince was stuck up with no personality. He forgot that that version of him is still what the world thinks of him. To them he doesn’t get fashion advice from his boyfriend, and they don’t know that he probably knows every word of every One Direction song.
Alex is enraged that Henry didn’t get to fangirl over those boys like he deserved. “I’d almost forgotten how little the world gets to see of you.”
Just then, there’s a knock on Henry’s door. Henry looks over his shoulder and calls out “Be right there.” He turns back to his phone and addresses Alex, “It’s Shaan, gotta get going.”
“Alright. You look fly like a jet stream in that tie,” Alex winks.
“That was another lyric wasn’t it?”
“Couldn’t resist. Love you, give Bea a hug for me.”
“Mmhm. Love you,” Henry says before hanging up the phone.
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Alex is in the living room when he hears a crash in the kitchen followed by Henry’s cussing.
When he walks in he sees Henry getting up from the floor and rubbing his shine, “You put this bloody box here didn’t you.”
Alex giggles for what must have been the hundredth time that day. He couldn’t help himself, He and Henry were moving in together, in their own home! There was a lot to giggle about. Alex says, “I’ve been unpacking books for the last 30 minutes, so I think that’s on you.”
Henry goes from nursing his wounded shin to bringing his gaze up to Alex, his face growing more red, “I told you you couldn’t touch the books!”
Another giggle escapes Alex’s lips.
“Alex, I’m serious! They have to end up on the shelves in a very particular way-”
“-Organized by century and alphabetical by title, babe, I know,” Alex finishes for Henry.
Henry crosses the kitchen to the door frame Alex is leaning against and pulls him into a quick kiss. When he pulls away he keeps Alex in his arms. “We did it. We’re here.” Henry starts giggling and leans into Alex's lips and whispers against them “This is our home.”
And how is Alex not supposed to grab his boyfriend’s face and passionately kiss him. Henry responds by running his hands from Alex’s waist up to his shoulders. His left goes into Alex’s hair and he slips his tongue into the other’s mouth. Alex groans and moves his hands down Henry’s back and under his shirt. Henry shifts his lips to kiss the side of Alex’s lips, then his cheek, his chin, his jaw, a kiss on his neck, and another- and Alex start’s giggling.
Henry pushes Alex away, and his hand comes out from under Henry’s shirt. “If you will not take this seriously you can go back to ruining my bookcases.”
Alex raises an eyebrow, “I think you mean our bookcases.”
“Is it too late to undo this? I’m thinking I’d rather like to live alone actually. Maybe never see your face again.”
Alex reaches down and grabs Henry’s hand’s and says, “Come on.”
He leads Henry into the living room, which only has one box left on the floor. The green velvet couch is set up with it’s blue throw pillows and matching blanket draped over the back in the middle of the room. The gas fireplace is on. And the mantle piece above it is filled with pictures of their life together so far. Not the royal photos, or the paparazzi one’s. Photos that are just theirs, from Paris last spring, London in the summer, and Texas in the fall.
They had moved in yesterday but once they had gotten their bed upstairs and set up they had to spend the rest of the day testing it out.
They came down stairs this morning and the boxes and furniture were everywhere. They had spent all day unpacking. Henry couldn’t stop saying “How the hell do we have so much shit when we are just moving out of our parents?” Alex didn’t have an answer, but kept unpacking the boxes that seemed to appear out of thin air.
Henry took in the room now. The two bookcases in the corner were almost filled. He then looked to Alex who had let go of his hands and gave a gesture to the unpacked room.
Henry says, “It looks marvelous, dear.”
Alex runs around the room looking for something. He picks up his phone from the coffee table and hits play. Henry doesn’t recognize it: It’s some pop synth music with clapping. Then she starts singing “walking through a crowd, the village is aglow.”
Henry tries to speak up, “ALEX! We’ve had this conversation! Please, NO!”
“I can’t hear you babe, I’m too busy having fun.” Alex starts Dancing around the room. His body is shaking and he’s sort of just jumping. He’s mostly just skipping around the room with an occasional flail.
“WELCOME TO NEW YORK! IT’S BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.” Alex sings into Henry’s face once he’s close enough. Henry laughs and let’s Alex drag him around as he bounces around the room chanting “WELCOME TO NEW YORK!”
Once they get in front of the couch and Alex is distracted by his own performance. Henry reaches for the phone and cuts the music mid chorus.
Alex looks scandalized- “You didn’t even let her say ‘you can want who you want, boys on boys.’”
Henry let’s out a puff as a response while he types into the search bar.
A subdued guitar comes out of the speaker now backed by some drums. It’s slower than the song before. Henry sets down the phone and reaches out for Alex’s hands. He swats Henry’s hand so he tries again, this time Alex takes them. Henry pulls Alex in and places his left hand on Alex’s waist and raises Alex’s hand in his right and begins swaying.
Alex is trying to look like a hurt puppy once Henry finally looks him in the eye. Henry begins singing “tell me something, tell me something, you don’t know nothing.”
“No! This is just a sad song. I was trying to be celebratory and upbeat, not somber,” Alex protests but he leans into Henry’s touch and places his head on Henry’s shoulder, and stays swaying with him.
They stay in silence while the song goes on until Henry sings along with Harry, “Ever Since New York.”
Alex quickly drops Henry’s hand and dives for his phone on the coffee table and hits pause.
Henry Protests, “It wasn’t finished!”
Alex goes stern, “You didn’t let me finish my song so I won’t let you finish yours.” He pauses and continues, “Plus I finished my room, and you haven’t finished in the kitchen so you have to get back to work.”
Henry turns towards the door and lets out a faint, “No fair.”
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Alex was sitting across from Henry on the jet. They were on their way from New York to Minneapolis. It took a bit of convincing (and plotting) to get Henry to agree to a weekend in the Midwest the weekend before his birthday.
Alex had enlisted their security details, parents, and friends to make this trip possible. Henry was looking out the plane window looking burdened instead of excited. Which was how Alex was feeling, but he was trying to conceal his excitement and thought he was failing miserably.
Henry turned to him and said “Have you ever been to Minneapolis? It’s March and the weather forecast says it’s supposed to be 20 degrees out. And that’s not even in celsius!”
Alex had not been to the city. His mother had only stopped in the state 3 times to campaign. While it was a midwest state, and surrounded by swing states, Minnesota was decidedly democrat. So, he hadn’t come with his mom to the state before. But that wasn’t why they were here today.
Alex looks at Henry thoughtfully before speaking, “No, My mom never needed me here. And my Texas blood doesn’t agree with it either, but Pez asked us to help him out this weekend, so we will help him out.”
“He’s my best friend, why are you the one defending him right now?” Henry argues in response.
Alex doesn’t tell him that it was because him and Pez were in on this together. That him and Pez were lying to Henry for the sake of pulling off the surprise of a lifetime.
He just laughs and says, “At least you have me to tag along to these events now. And we don’t need excuses. We get to go to charity events arm and arm and support the causes we care about, but most importantly we are able to support our friend: Pez.”
It had been incredibly hard to make up a fake fundraising event for Pez’s philanthropy when Henry worked so close to Pez’s charities. Alex knew this. But he had gotten Henry on the plane and any excuse he was making now was only to milk the surprise.
Just then the captain came on over the intercom to let them know that it was time to prepare for landing. And if they looked out the right side (the side the boys were conveniently sat) Minneapolis could be seen.
Alex leans over to look out his window. He can’t believe that there was still snow as far as his eyes could see. But there were also lakes and a large expanse of developments that weren't city-worthy. He was used to seeing vast city landscapes when flying into DC, London, and NYC. But this was a large expanse of suburbs right up until there were city buildings erecting from the ground. It wasn’t a remarkably large city but you could see tall buildings clustered together and a large football stadium. But there were also lakes. From up above, before twilight, He could tell they were frozen.
Alex turned to Henry, he was looking out the window taking in the sight too, “I can’t believe it looks so peaceful up here with all the snow.”
When they make eye contact Alex only nods in agreement. He’s terrified that he is seconds away from ruining the surprise. He had gotten Henry on the plane and what ever happened now didn’t matter. The plan was in motion and was going to play out now. But he still thought Henry deserved the world, and for him that meant keeping the surprise a secret until the last moment, so that meant he wasn’t allowed to open his mouth.
They landed without a hitch and got in the car. After several minutes Henry asks where they were staying. Within a minute they pulled up to the downtown hotel.
The boys wait in the car until Shaan tells them their room is ready. They follow him through the lobby to the elevator and ride it to the top floor.
“What do you think?” Henry asks as he turns to alex. He was in a formal black tie outfit. Alex knew this wouldn’t do.
He looks his boyfriend in the eye before responding, “I would absolutely ravish you after seeing you in that outfit.” He raises an eyebrow to convey the sensual message he was trying to allude to, “But I talked to Pez last week and he said he wanted this to be more of a fashionable event,” Alex pauses, “You can let go and be a little more relaxed for this.”
Henry wasn’t sure what that meant. He had spent so long working to be the emotionless and fashionless prince, he still wasn’t used to being allowed to be himself. He was out. The world knew that him and Alex not only loved each other but lived with each other. But he still didn’t know who he was allowed to be in the public eye.
Alex knew this was going to be hard for him, “Alright, we are not going to get mad, but we are going to weed through the Nora and June approved options.”
Henry looks at him confused but Alex just reaches into his suitcase and removes multiple shirts already in Henry’s size.
Henry looks at the newly arrived accessories and vocalized his distan, “why do I feel like every event I go to with you is my coming out party?”
Alex smiled easily at this, “because it is.”
Alex tosses the shirts on the bed and walks over to Henry to give him a peck on the lips, he stays there and whispers, “but it will be worth it. Promise.”
Henry begins unbuttoning his dress shirt. Alex swatts his hands and unfastens the remaining buttons left. He walks over to the bed and picks up the first hanger from the pile. He takes the Black dress shirt over to Henry. Picks up his left arm and guides it into the left sleeve.
“I know how to dress myself,” Henry teases while allowing Alex to guide his other arm into the sleeve and buttoning it up.
Alex retrieves the red velvet blazer from the bed and throws it at Henry’s face, “There, dress yourself.”
Henry puts on the blazer and approaches the mirror. “You don’t think the red, or the blazer isn’t too much?”
Alex looks over him to see the reflection in the mirror, “I think it is just the right amount. Do you want to try the other options?”
Henry turns to the bed, “Are those sparkles I see?” Alex nods, “Oh no, thank you, I very much like this option.”
Alex says,“That’s what I told Nora but she insisted I brought it just in case.”
Henry turns toward Alex reaching his arms around his waist and pulls him in so that their noses almost touch. Alex brings his arms up around Henry’s shoulder and clasps them together around his neck.
Looking directly into Alex’s eyes Henry asked, “Why do I feel like everyone knows something I don’t today?”
Without breaking eye contact Alex says back, “Oh, because we do sweetheart.” He leans in for a kiss
Henry’s eyes widen and he pushes Alex away, “If you have secrets you don’t get kisses.”
“That’s alright.” Alex retrieves his wallet from the bedside table, “It’s time to go, grab your stuff, we’re on a schedule!”
They eat dinner at an italian restaurant. They carry a normal conversation about their work, what show they should binge watch next, and about what they know about the city, which isn’t much. They drink a bottle of wine and fight over who had chosen the better entre. Alex seems more excited than he should be throughout the dinner, but Henry keeps that to himself. Towards the end of the meal he reaches for his phone more than once, but never actually picks it up to look at it.
When Henry asks if they should get dessert, Alex finally takes out his phone without replying to him. He reads something, types out a response, then looks up and says, “Nah I think we should walk over to the venue.”
Earlier, Henry was mostly joking with him about him keeping secrets but throughout the dinner it seems more and more like Alex was actually hiding something. Could it have been something to do with his mom? Henry didn’t want to dwell on anything, Alex didn’t seem distracted, he had been over attentive with getting all the details from pez, he even had the girls help pick out a special outfit, and had picked a restaurant walking distance to the venue. How Alex got that passed by security was beyond him.
They take their time putting their hats, scarves, and coats on before heading outside. Alex doesn’t even look at his phone for directions; he just turns right at the corner and keeps walking, Henry’s arm wrapped around his in tow.
They walk in silence, Henry concentrates on staying warm. The night air is cold. A block later Alex turns left and this street seems to be busier with more people. It’s younger girls though, not people in formal wear on their way to a fundraiser. Henry notes this as they walk the next block.
One group of three girls are wearing jeans and crop tops paired with go-go boots. They aren’t even wearing a winter coat, just sparkly shirts with exposed waists. They look about their age, but are clearly dressed for a night on the town (hopefully inside the town, so they don’t freeze to death).
“I think those girls are going to freeze their fingers and toes off soon,” he wonders aloud.
Alex had been stoically looking straight ahead for the whole walk now turns to see the group on the other side of the street. “Jesus, I know Texas gets a bad name, but what the hell are they doing in the Midwest.” He turns his head to continue looking straight ahead, emotionless.
Henry looks at his side profile considering once again what his small irregular behaviors tonight mean. They stop at the intersection and Alex turns to wait for the cross light- and there in front of them is the most horrible fate that Henry could have ever imagined.
“No fucking way!” He looks back at Alex, a beat, “I can’t believe this is happening.”
The light changes and Alex pulls him forward out of his stunned state. In the middle of the crosswalk Henry tries again, “Do you see that Alex?” He unlocks their arms and gestures wildly at the large stadium ahead of them. “HE’S HERE! And we have a FUCKING charity event?”
Alex's expression changes to something unreadable so Henry confronts him, “DID YOU KNOW? Did you think we could be in the same city as fucking HARRY STYLES and it wouldn’t ruin me?”
They enter the crowd of people on the other side of the street and the people pay no attention to the screaming prince.
Alex looks at Henry now, “Of course not, sweetheart.”
Henry stops, Alex continues forward and Henry continues accosting from his place, “This is cruel even for you! You just thought we’d walk by and my heart wouldn’t break into a million pieces.” Henry jogs up to him before continuing, “We could have taken a car and I would have been none the wiser, but you insisted on this walk.”
Alex stops walking then, takes in his hand in his own and looks into his eyes with the softest expression possible. “I’m not going to mention how quickly you assumed the worst of me, because no, I am not cruel.”
Henry opens his mouth to protest but Alex breaks the contact and turns his body forward, inviting Henry to follow his gaze as he lifts his free hand to point ahead. Above stadium entrances are TV’s filled with pictures of a smiling Harry Styles announcing “HARRY STYLES LIVE TONIGHT!” Henry’s eyes shift from the large screens down to the actual entrance- he sees Pez first, standing next to him is June and Nora, and holding a sign that says “Harry, you’re the real crown jewel of the UK” is Bea.
Henry stands still with his mouth wide open. Alex chuckles, he yells “surprise,” and is already pulling him forward to their group of waiting friends. When the pair are close enough to the group their friends are yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY,” as a greeting.
Henry opens up his arms and they all pile into a group hug. His companions are giggling from the surprise. When they pull back from each other Henry is wiping tears from his face.
“I thought I was going to have to murder Alex for walking me right past this and for Pez for planning something in the same city on the same night as this concert.”
They laugh at this again.
Pez pulls him into his own hug and in a hushed tone tells him, “I’ve been waiting to go to this concert with you as long as you’ve wanted to go.” Henry nods and sniffles a bit more into the shoulder of his best friend.
He pulls back to hug his sister who tells him to stop being a melodramatic sap and cease the crying. He hugs Nora June before turning to his boyfriend and crashing his lips into his. It’s urgent trying to pack all the love he is feeling into one punch of the lips, and he thinks Alex understands because he laughs against him. They break and join hands.
Pez informs them there’s a special security door they have to go through and starts leading the way.
As they walk Alex leans in and whispers, “Surprised?”
“I can’t even form coherent thoughts right now because I’m struggling to understand how you pulled this all off, and that it’s real.”
June pulls Henry forward to start enquiring after the outfit he chose, and to chastise him for not picking the sparkles.
Bea falls into step beside Alex, “I never knew he could have a life as pure as this. When you started dating I was just so happy that he was getting something good out of life, even if it was as little as I thought you were going to give him. But somehow you continue to give him a better and better life. I know he never imagined this kind of happiness, and I never thought it possible.” She looks at her brother laughing with their friends, “This isn’t the first time you’ve given him the best day of his life, and somehow, I know you’re going to top it again.”
Alex is overwhelmed by the sentiment but jokes, “Careful, if you complement me too much it might go to my head, and I’m already unbearably cocky.”
They arrive at the door where the rest of their security detail awaits. They go through metal detectors and leave their outerwear with Shaan and are led through a series of tunnels. The security guard stops outside a door and knocks. Before Henry has time to think that this doesn’t seem like a normal stop on their way to their seats the door opens.
Henry shouldn’t even be allowed to be floored by surprises anymore tonight because standing in the doorway in a lace button up with only the bottom two buttons fastened, tucked into gold sequin bell bottoms, is Harry Styles.
He speaks first “Oh my god, hey guys! I talked to Bea about meeting you all after the show but I just wanted to say welcome and that I’m honored that you, Prince Henry, want to spend your birthday at a show of mine.”
Harry Styles is looking at him, Harry Styles is smiling at Henry. He’s trained his whole life with how to act proper and how to stay in character in front of people. But something has broken in him because all he can do is grab the sign from Bea’s hand and say, “Well you’re basically the crown jewels of the UK.”
Not only do all of Henry’s friends laugh at his blunder, but Harry Styles’ smile widens and laughs with them.
“Well thank you very much. I hope you all enjoy the show.” Just like that he steps back into the room and the door closes.
Henry lets out a loud groan of embarrassment. They all laugh again, but this time Henry joins them. They all continue to giggle the entire walk to the VIP section of the floor seats.
Drinks appear in their hands and Henry finds that he can finally speak again so he raises a toast, “Here’s to you deceitful and beautiful people, I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” They raise their glasses, take sips and they split off into smaller conversations. Henry leans into Alex on his left and whispers, “And when we get back tonight I’m going to fuck you until you’re just as speechless I was 20 minutes ago.”
Alex gulps down another sip from his drink, “And here I was thinking I was doing all of this just to unload you onto the love of your life for the night.”
“I think I found a better love of my life.” Alex brings his eyes up to Henry’s to see a shit eating grin, before Henry leans in and clashes their lips together in another overwhelming kiss. Alex lets this one linger longer and it fades into a more gentle show of affection. Henry brings his arms around Alex’s waist before breaking the kiss, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear he says, “Holy shit, I think this is more of a coming out party then the time we came out on national television.”
June says back, “It’s about time!”
Pez slams his hand against Henry’s shoulder, “yeah, but it’s not as fun as karaoke.”
Nora adds, “There is still a long night ahead that could promise karaoke.”
“Better get me another drink then,” Henry says to her. Nora protests, but Bea easily supplies another.
Henry takes the drink, then turns Alex towards the stage and wraps him in his arms so his back is pressed to his front. The lights go down, and the stadium goes quiet before fans start screaming. A jolt of excitement runs down his spine. Henry open’s his mouth to indulge in this fantasy before a realization smacks him in his face.
“Shit. Does this mean I have to go to a Taylor Swift Concert?”