Work Text:
Something collides with Henry's head, sending blinding pain through his temple. He lands in the water, instantly plummeting down until his feet touch the bottom. He kicks off and tries to swim up to the surface, but he can’t seem to reach it. He's forced to keep his eyes open even though they burn in the lake water, but it doesn't help. The world around him is spinning in one giant swirl of blue and beige—the lake bottom, maybe? No, he must be near the surface by now; he's been swimming, flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to resurface. His lungs burn with the need for oxygen, but he can't take a breath. He can't.
A bark echoes in his ears—David—and then strong arms are slipping under Henry's armpits, pulling him up, up, up, until his face hits the warm, dry air. Finally safe, he takes a few gasping breaths. And everything goes black.
————————
The first thing he sees is a pair of brown eyes, wide with concern and so soulful he wants to reach for his phone and write down a description of them to use in his next novel. The only thing stopping him is the splitting pain in his head and the way everything is still a tad blurry. He probably couldn’t type a full sentence if he tried.
“Are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance?” The man kneeling over him has a Texan drawl, slighter than most he’s heard in the last week; long, thick eyelashes; sunkissed, brown skin; subtle freckles across his cheeks; and dark curls that seem to magically defy the weight of the lake water. Henry must have died and gone straight to gay heaven because this beautiful man is the most god-like creature he’s ever seen.
He opens his mouth to speak, and that’s when he notices the two dogs licking at his face—mainly because one of them attempts to give him a slobbery French kiss. Eugh. It’s not even David but some curly black dog who’s decided to join in on giving Henry’s face a bath.
“Oh God, sorry. Back off, Charlie, that’s disgusting.” The stranger tugs on the black dog’s collar. He’s named his dog Charlie?
“I…” Henry’s voice cracks. “I don’t require an ambulance, thank you.”
“You’re English!” His brow furrows in concern. “Do you have insurance? Let me at least take you to the hospital; you might have a concussion.”
Henry pays an arm and a leg for some rubbish insurance that won’t even cover his antidepressants. “I do, but that’s really not necessary. You’re too kind.”
“Um, well it’s my fault.” The furrow between the man’s thick brows only deepens.
Henry squints at him. “Sorry? What, pray tell, was your fault?” He only remembers being hit in the head with some kind of ball; it had been inexplicably both soft and hard.
“I’m so, so sorry, I was throwing the ball for Charlie and then…” The man’s words devolve into gibberish, talking so quickly that Henry’s rattled brain can’t keep up. He squeezes his eyes shut against the bright sunlight that suddenly bores into his very skull.
“Shit, hang on.” Henry hears rustling and the light outside his eyelids is dimmed as sunglasses are pushed onto his face. “Take mine.” Henry opens his eyes to find the world dimmed and much more tolerable.
“What were you saying? You were speaking in warp mode.”
“Um, I threw the ball for Charlie and it kind of hit you right as you jumped off the dock. I swear I didn’t mean to throw it that hard, but I guess I underestimated my own strength.” It would normally sound like a casual brag, but Alex looks genuinely bashful. Alex. At some point during his rapid-fire speech, he’d introduced himself, and it seems to be the only information that has stuck.
“Oh…I suppose…” Henry tries to sit up, but his vision swims again, and he drops back down onto the towel when dizziness overwhelms him. “I suppose you should take me to the hospital. Can you collect my things for me? Mine is the green towel beside the beige tote.” There’s movement in his peripheral vision, and it’s then that he realises there’s a small crowd of onlookers gathered around them. One of them has already retrieved his belongings and fastened the leash to David’s life jacket.
It’s a dodgy moment when Alex helps him up and Henry nearly dives face-first into the sand as his stomach rolls with nausea. Alex grips his shoulders firmly and walks close behind him; it’s awfully grim that this is the closest Henry’s been to an attractive man in months and he can’t even enjoy it. Meanwhile, another kind stranger manages their belongings and the two dogs until Alex can get Henry into the car.
Everything after that goes a bit foggy again. “Don’t fall asleep,” Alex says over and over again, but Henry’s pretty sure he’s dozing off in between sentences. Alex tries to talk to him, babbling on about someone named June who’s meeting them at the hospital. David’s still licking his face. Or is that the cool air from the air conditioner? Christ, he’s really out of it. He doesn’t try to open his eyes anymore, not even to see Alex’s very appealing face.
“Do you need me to call anyone?” Alex asks. The car is parked now. David’s not in his lap.
“Oh, fuck. Bea. My sister. Can you text her for me? She’s back at the house and I’ll need her to come get David.” Henry pries his eyes open and, to his great relief, he at least isn’t dizzy anymore.
“Your dog’s name is David? What, was Percival taken?”
Henry doesn’t have the energy to explain the connection to Bowie to someone with the nerve to tease a bloke he quite literally concussed. “Christ, can you just text her?”
“Yeah, sorry.” Alex at least has the good sense to look embarrassed. He holds Henry’s phone up to his face to unlock it and types out a text. “If I help you get inside, can you manage while I wait in the shade with the dogs?”
“Give me your phone and wallet,” Henry says bluntly. His gut tells him Alex can be trusted with his baby boy, but his raging anxiety disagrees.
Alex’s eyebrows shoot up. “If this is some kind of mugging, you definitely have the most unique tactic I’ve ever seen.”
Bloody hell, do Americans think of anything but crime? “No, I’m just not giving my dog to a complete stranger without some incentive to look after him.” It had felt logical when he first said it. Or has his brain been sloshed around in his skull a little too much for today?
“Oh…got it.”
Slowly but surely, Henry, Alex, and the two dogs in tow make it to the ER entrance without any collapsing or near-vomiting. He’s beginning to think this whole thing is unnecessary and he could have gone home to sleep it off—unless he’s simply grown used to the searing headache. Bea texts him back once he’s checked in and he manages to read it, though it takes him much longer than usual. She’s coming to pick David up as soon as she can get to the hospital. Henry realises he maybe shouldn't have taken Alex's phone now that they have no way to communicate, but he doesn’t dare try to hobble out there to give it back.
It feels like ages that he’s sitting there alone, pinching himself to stay awake, but a glance at the clock by the reception desk informs him that it’s only been half an hour since Bea’s last text when she appears.
“Henry! Are you okay?” Bea rushes over and starts fussing over the bruise beginning to form on his forehead.
“It’s likely a minor concussion; I’ll be fine.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?” Bea sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, a classic tell that she’s trying to hide her nerves.
“No, just take David home. Please.” He can tell he’s being more curt than Bea deserves, but it’s difficult to be patient when his head is pounding and his dog is outside with a complete stranger. He has to swear up and down that he’ll text her updates, but finally she leaves and he receives a photo of David safely tucked into the backseat of their rental car. It doesn’t ease his headache, but he can breathe easier.
“So I just met your sister and learned your name. I can’t remember the middle ones, but Henry suits you,” Alex says in lieu of a greeting when he slips into the seat beside Henry. He has a tshirt on now—when did that happen? Henry’s still shirtless, and of course now that his attention is drawn to it, he’s suddenly freezing in the air-conditioned waiting room. He shivers involuntarily from a combination of the temperature and the horror at being half-naked in an American Emergency Room. “Cold?” Alex asks.
Henry gives the tiniest of nods. To his surprise, Alex scoots closer and wraps his arms around Henry’s back, drawing him in as close as the chair arms will allow. Alex radiates warmth, as though the sun he’s absorbed throughout the day has been stored in his skin, waiting for this moment to share it with Henry. Henry lets out a content sigh and sinks into him, hearing Alex chuckle softly in return. He’s soft and hard all at once, much like the tennis ball that got them into this mess. He wonders briefly if he can work that metaphor into his next novel.
“Don’t fall asleep,” Alex warns, and Henry grunts. He won’t fall asleep this time—he needs to remember every moment of being cuddled by this annoying, perfect man. It’s fodder for his future novels—or at least that's what he keeps telling himself. He stays there, happily ensconced in Alex’s strong arms, as though he's in a very vivid daydream that only ends when the nurse calls his name to lead him to an exam room.
When Alex had agreed to take Liam and Spencer's dog during their vacation, he hadn't anticipated it leading to him nearly killing a man. Especially not a man, who, well…if reconnecting with Liam hadn't forced him to confront his bisexuality, two minutes of having Henry in his arms would have done the trick. Henry had opened his big, blue eyes and looked up at Alex, and he'd thought 'now this is someone.'
He'd noticed Henry earlier in the afternoon—before he'd nearly drowned. The tall, beautiful blonde with the adorable beagle had been hard to miss even at the packed dog beach. Alex had tried not to stare as Henry splashed around with David and coaxed him into jumping off the dock and as the little dog had learned to love it and went back to jump off again and again. The subsequent 'focus on Charlie and not the leggy blonde' approach had directly led to Alex beaning Henry right in the head with a tennis ball.
Now he's tidying his father's deck and preparing enough potato salad for five very hungry people because he'd lost his mind and invited Henry and his sister to their barbecue. He prays June and Nora will be back with the beer soon because they're completely out and he cannot face Henry again while he's still completely sober. God knows what he'll say when he sees Henry's thighs again in a social context.
Calm down. He doesn't know if Henry is interested or even single. Alex knows Henry is queer though—thanks to the Grindr notification that had been staring him in the face when he'd texted Bea the previous day. He's probably not taken, unless it's recent and he's forgotten to deactivate the app…or he's on vacation and cheating on his partner. Alex's gut feeling tells him Henry isn't that kind of person, but spending five hours in an emergency room with someone doesn't quite make you an expert on their character.
"We're back!" The front door slams open and Nora calls out through the hallway. Charlie comes bounding in, skittering along the hardwood floor until he's close enough to jump up on Alex.
"Hey, buddy." Alex lets the bouncing pile of fur kiss him hello and feeds him a few small pieces of bacon from the side bowl. Alex put it in the potato salad one time and Nora spent months signing him up for every evangelical mailing list she could find. "Don't tell your dads," Alex says to the dog.
"Are you feeding him people food again? Liam's going to kill you." Nora says, walking into the kitchen with a 6-pack in each hand. She stops on the other side of the island and sets them down before sliding onto a stool.
"He won't know!"
June trails in behind her girlfriend. "He'll know when he gets his dog back and he's twice the size and won't stop begging at the table."
"Y'all worry too much."
Nora snorts. "Says the kid who's up all hours sweating because he can't pre-read for law school."
Alex flips Nora off and eyes the drinks in front of her, one pack of which looks suspiciously IPA-ish in its purple and pink cans, while June crosses her arms. He raises one eyebrow. "What did you get?"
"Electric Jellyfish." Definitely a fucking IPA. Alex had been hoping for some regular old frat boy beer, and Nora knows it.
"And?" Alex asks. Nora releases a can from the other pack and slides it across to Alex, who takes one look and slides it right back. "Blackberry cider? You're joking."
"Maybe you should have made a specific request," June says with a smirk.
"Juuuune!" Alex whines. "You two are mean!"
The girls look at each other and laugh. June reaches into the tote bag she insists on carrying around with her and pulls out another six-pack: finally some fucking Shiner. June passes one to Alex and he cracks it open with the bottle opener he's had waiting since they left for the store.
"I take it back," Alex says between sips. "You're both kind and beautiful and intelligent and amazing."
"I know." Nora tosses her hair over her shoulder and picks up the rest of the drinks to carry outside. Alex finishes mixing the potato salad and covers it with a tea towel while June gathers condiments and bottles of water. She piles them into her tote so she can help Alex carry everything else to the patio in one trip. It's an infuriatingly good system.
It's still hot out, so Alex presses the beer bottle to his face as he stands in front of the hot barbecue to check on the ribs. The condensation doesn't do much to cool him down, but he isn't sure it would be polite to whip his shirt off right before Henry arrives. June and Nora, on the other hand, are sitting cool as cucumbers, facing the lake with their drinks in hand and Nora's arm around June's shoulder. They all know June can cook—learned from their father at least as well as Alex, but it's an unspoken tradition that Alex does most of the cooking when the three of them come out here. They'll never get him to admit how much he likes providing for them—he wouldn’t be able to guilt them into trips to the liquor store if they knew he wanted to be the designated cook.
There's a sound at the gate, and Alex grabs Charlie's harness just in time for it to fly open. He'd told Henry to meet them around back so they wouldn't have to listen for a knock, but Charlie may think they're intruders. Henry walks in first, followed by David and the young woman Alex had briefly met at the hospital. Alex releases his hold on Charlie once it's clear he just wants to say hello, and the larger dog dashes forward to jump up on Bea.
"Who's this handsome boy?" Bea asks in an accent similar to Henry's. She drops to one knee to give Charlie a scratch behind the ears, and Alex takes stock of her: a green daisy- patterned sundress, short brown hair with an undercut, and a sunflower tote bag on her shoulder. June and Nora are going to adore her.
"That's Charlie. I'm watching him for a friend." Alex introduces the rest of the group to each other, but he's not sure Bea is listening because Charlie's rolling around on the wooden deck and Bea's enthusiastically rubbing his belly.
June casually addresses Henry with, "So you're the man my brother tried to kill.”
"Hey! It was an accident!" Alex objects.
Henry throws his head back and laughs, exposing his long, pale throat. Finally having an excuse to look at him properly, Alex's eyes trail down the exposed skin of his collar to his chest, where the top buttons of his patterned shirt are left undone. Fuck. Maybe Alex should have been expecting Henry to look even more attractive today than he had when Alex dropped him off after the hospital, but Alex hadn't been prepared at all for the acrobatics his stomach does when Henry catches him looking and blushes.
"It's only a mild concussion. I feel much better after resting."
Bea pipes up at that. "Yes, after I nearly had to tie you down." She turns to June. "This git tried to go for a run this morning."
June shakes her head. "Brothers. Alex tried to vacuum at eight am yesterday and I had to kick him out of the house so he'd stop bouncing off the walls."
Alex catches Henry's eye and gives him a look that he hopes says 'we've made a huge fucking mistake getting our sisters together.' Henry smiles with pretty white teeth and all, so it seems to have worked. He takes a seat at the table and claims a bottle of water, reminding Alex to offer his guests drinks. He lists out the alcoholic offerings as well as the sweet tea he'd brewed the previous day.
"I'll have the sweet tea, thank you," Bea says. She looks at Henry expectantly.
"Erm, I promised Bea I'd try it at least once, so I'll have a small glass of the sweet tea as well, please."
Alex refrains from teasing Henry for never having tried sweet tea lest he cause any cultural rifts between the group. He ducks inside to fetch their beverages, but when he returns, Bea is eyeing the foil-covered ribs on the barbecue with a small frown.
"I hate to be this person, but I think Henry forgot to tell you I'm a vegetarian."
Alex's stomach drops, and the tips of Henry's ears turn pink. Shit. He made ribs for dinner with a vegetarian.
"Fuck. I did forget."
Bea elbows Henry—ironically—in the ribs. "It's been five years!"
"I had a concussion."
"But you recalled Alex's long, luscious eyelashes just fine," Bea says slyly. Oh? Henry was telling Bea about his eyelashes?
June interrupts their bickering, ever the voice of reason. "We have potato salad and rolls as well."
"Yes, sorry, I was just giving Henry a hard time. I'll be fine with the sides." Bea smiles at Alex apologetically.
"No, that's not dinner. I can make you, um…" Alex mentally catalogues the contents of their fridge. "I can make a grilled cheese. Would you like that?"
"Ooh, Alex makes amazing grilled cheese," June adds.
"That would be lovely."
Disaster averted, Alex heads back inside to gather additional ingredients. He's determined to make the best grilled cheese Bea's ever fucking tasted. Luckily, Nora is a bit of a cheese fanatic, so they have a variety to choose from, and Alex cobbles together a masterpiece. It smells nearly as good as the ribs when he gets it on the grill.
By the time everything is cooked and served, the only open seats are across from Henry. It's an absolute tragedy to have to sit there staring at the freckles dusting over his cheeks, wondering if the moles on his neck are present on the rest of his body as well. It does annoy him a little, though, to see Henry eating ribs with perfect posture and barely any sauce on his face. It makes Alex feel like a sweaty pig in comparison, but Henry's own gaze is roaming and appreciative, showing no signs of disgust over his less-than-gentlemanly eating habits.
The food turns out perfect, and the conversation is lively. They learn that Bea is part of a small band that Alex has never heard of but will definitely search up later. Her band has just finished playing as an opening act on the last part of a US tour, and Henry flew down to see the Austin show ahead of their dog-friendly beach vacation at Lake LBJ. He mentions that he’s flying back to New York in two days, and Alex is temporarily floored. What are the chances of a Brit vacationing at Lake LBJ who just so happens to live in New York?
“You live in New York?”
Henry nods. “I moved there with my best mate after uni. I’ve just published my first novel, and I’m working on selling the second one.”
“Yes, dearest Henry abandoned me in jolly old England,” Bea deadpans. June snickers and is about to say something, but Alex jumps in before she can.
“I’m moving to New York in the fall to attend NYU Law,” he says. “I’m actually going up there next week to look at apartments.”
Something flashes over Henry’s face, but then he presses his lips together and whatever it was is gone. “Maybe we should meet for dinner while you’re there,” Henry suggests quietly.
Alex smiles and says, “I’d like that.” They don’t get to discuss specifics because June jumps in to interrogate Henry about his novels—all queer romances, the first of which has sold moderately well. He speaks about them modestly, but with a kind of shy pride that makes Alex want to buy his book immediately just so he can shower Henry with praise. He’s never read a word Henry’s written, but he just knows he’s going to be completely captivated by his prose. There’s something about Henry that makes you—makes Alex—want to dig deeper to discover the layers of personality hiding underneath his pretty face and polite demeanor.
“I think I’m going to lie down,” Henry says suddenly, interrupting a conversation about June and Nora’s plans to eventually follow Alex to New York.
“Oh no, was it Alex’s cooking?” Nora jokes. Alex tries to kick her underneath the table, but he misses and hits June instead.
“Ow! Watch it, Alejandro.”
“Are you okay, Haz?” Bea asks, ignoring the trio of clowns across the table. Alex gives Nora one last foot jab to the knee and turns his attention to Henry. His eyes are beginning to droop, and he looks significantly wearier than he had only a few hours ago. Alex avoids thinking about how it’s his fault Henry is in this state.
“Erm, I’m getting a little tired. I think I just need a nap. Can I go in and lie down on your couch?” Henry directs his question to Alex.
“Of course. You can adjust the temperature as well. It’s the panel beside the sliding door.”
“There are extra pillows in the closet by the bathroom if you need,” June adds. “If you need anything else, just yell.”
Henry nods and drags himself up onto tired feet. David follows him inside as he plods in through the patio door, and Charlie follows David. The second the door closes behind Henry, June gives Alex one of her patented older sister glares.
“What?”
“Buddy. You should have gone in to help him get comfortable,” Nora says. She reaches for June's cider and steals a sip.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Henry's fine. He's been sleeping a lot is all. It's honestly good considering he's normally a complete insomniac." Bea flashes Alex a reassuring smile, but his stomach still twists with guilt over ruining Henry’s vacation. It was supposed to be a relaxing week at the beach with his sister, not a near-drowning, a trip to the ER, and now a fresh concussion keeping him from enjoying himself.
“Alex, you still with us?” Nora asks.
He snaps his head up. Everyone is looking at him. “Hm?”
“Bea just asked you a question about law school,” Nora says. “And you’re been picking at that one piece of potato for, like, ten minutes. Are you feeling okay?”
“Sorry! What was it?” He shakes his head free of negative thoughts. They all know it was an accident; no one blames him…right?
“Erm, no big deal.” Bea’s eyes are deep and empathetic. Alex has always felt he and June had to be the most attractive brother-sister duo, but the Fox family has ridiculously good genes. “I asked if you have a specialty in mind.”
“I’m aiming for constitutional law, but everyone I’ve spoken to about law school has told me to ‘keep an open mind’ in about fifteen different ways, so if anyone asks, I’m still debating.”
“Alex has big dreams,” June adds. “He plans to be a congressman by thirty.”
“Well—”
Nora interrupts him, “Honestly, if anyone can do it, it’s Alex.”
“I’ve only just met you, but I believe in you,” Bea says, smiling encouragingly.
“Y’all are too nice, but I was going to say I planned to be a congressman by thirty. I’ve been doing some thinking, and, well…” He looks to the side, through the closed patio door. He can just make out Henry’s socks sticking out over the end of the sofa. “...I don’t know if I want to spend all of my twenties breaking my neck to get into Congress by some arbitrary deadline. Maybe I should actually try to enjoy myself.” He’s surprised to find himself opening up to them because he has been thinking about it but only abstractly.
“Hm,” June says, studying him. It looks as though she has plenty more to say, but to Alex’s shock, she and Nora change the subject back to music. Bea has loads of opinions that Alex doesn’t dare try to disagree with—he got into it with a violinist over Beethoven once, and he won’t make the same mistake again. Bea’s sweet, but she looks like she could do some damage if she felt the need to defend her favorite classical musician.
To the shock of no one, Bea, June, and Nora actually have very similar tastes, and Bea promises to send them some playlists when she gets back to her vacation rental. She mentions someone named Pez who turns out to be Henry’s best friend/roommate, and apparently she thinks he would make a great concert buddy for June and Nora. Alex tries his best to engage in the conversation without overtalking, but a green wave of jealousy starts to creep in at the thought of June and Nora spending all their time with someone new. It’s soon time to remove himself from the conversation before he can’t keep his mouth shut and ends up saying something grossly self-centred.
When he announces he’s going inside to clean up and check on Henry, the three women give him a knowing look. God, this trio is going to be a nightmare together; this much intuition in one place should honestly be outlawed. He’ll never be able to keep a secret again.
He tries to be as quiet as possible when carrying the leftovers and dirty dishes inside, but Henry stirs when Alex closes the door behind him, and Alex freezes. He mentally chants: don’t wake up, don’t wake up, don’t wake up…and Henry rolls over and becomes still once more. Phew. It takes him twice as long as usual to clean up the kitchen because he’s so careful to stay as quiet as possible to not wake up Henry. By the time the kitchen is spotless, Henry still hasn’t made a peep. It’s actually a little concerning—if the guy’s slipped into a coma or something, Alex is going to be traumatized for a long while.
He creeps over to the couch, where Henry is sleeping with David wedged in between his torso and the back cushion, and Charlie is curled up beside his legs. No wonder the AC has been turned down; it looks warm but cozy, and Alex has always believed that a dog’s opinion of someone says a lot about them. Hell, it took longer for Charlie to warm up to taking walks with Alex than it did for him to start snuggling with Henry.
Henry’s definitely breathing, but now that Alex is looking at him, he can’t seem to stop. He’s so beautiful, with his soft brown lashes resting on his cheeks, fluttering slightly as Henry’s eyes move with his dreams. His nose is sunburned to a warm pink, and the freckles dancing across his cheeks seem to have grown more pronounced since Alex last got a proper look. They extend down to his collarbone now and along his defined forearms, and Alex thinks, dangerously, that he’d like to kiss every last one. There’s a peace to Henry right now Alex hadn’t realized was missing when he was awake. Ever since he arrived in Alex’s backyard, Henry’s been one step away from relaxation, like he’s constantly looking over his shoulder—it’s visible in the very way he holds himself, but now it’s nowhere to be seen.
“You know, it’s rude to stare,” Henry says hoarsely, and Alex jumps. How long was he staring at Henry’s freckled arms? How long has Henry been awake?
“I was looking at David,” Alex lies. The little quirk of Henry’s lips tells Alex he isn’t fooling anyone.
“So, you think David is cute?”
“I think David is gorgeous,” Alex answers. Henry blushes, all pink and pretty. Alex wants to scoop him up and never let him go.
If Henry had a pound for every time he’d caught Alex Claremont-Diaz staring at him while he was unconscious, he’d have nearly enough to pay for a trip on the Tube. He’s unsure how long he’d been asleep, but the two dogs are still happily snoozing away, undisturbed by his conversation with Alex.
“You were out for about an hour,” Alex says, as though he’s read Henry’s mind. “Are you feeling any better?”
“A little.” The dull headache is still present—has been since he returned home from the hospital—but he feels like he can keep his eyes open now. He’s a tad embarrassed about his sudden retreat from the gathering, and he regrets missing out on getting to know Alex, but he really was about to fall asleep at the table.
“Do you want me to leave so you can go back to sleep?”
Henry’s quick to shut that idea down. “No. I’d actually love for you to stay and keep me company for a while. Do you want to sit?” He slowly rises to a seated position, jostling David awake, and pats the recently-vacated stretch of couch. He twists to watch Alex sit down behind him, and David climbs over Henry’s legs to squeeze in next to Charlie, who's sleeping half on top of him.
“Something tells me this couch wasn’t intended for two grown men and two dogs,” Alex says.
“Well, that’s awfully homophobic of it.”
“And biphobic,” Alex adds, grinning proudly. Judging by how quickly Henry grins back, he needs to get his hopes under control. He’d thought Alex was queer, but as nice as it is to have confirmation, it doesn’t mean this is leading anywhere. Henry’s not quite lucky enough to meet a gorgeous bisexual man on vacation who happens to be moving to his city and is actually interested in him. Unless the whole minor concussion thing balances it out? It would only be fair.
Something impulsive comes over Henry, and he decides to lie back down, resting his head on Alex’s lap. Alex looks down at him with those wide, brown eyes, but he doesn’t object or seem uncomfortable. Then Alex rests his hand on the top of Henry’s head and combs his fingers through his hair, and Henry can hardly breath from the way Alex is smiling down at him. Don’t scare him off now, Henry’s battered heart reminds him. He has a very painful habit of getting too invested too quickly and ruining his chances before a relationship even starts.
“Do you want to watch something?” Alex asks. Henry can feel Alex’s pulse thrumming through his thighs—strong and rapid, but steady. Comforting, just like the rest of Alex's presence.
“No, I'm not meant to spend too much time looking at screens."
"Shit, I forgot. I'm sorry."
Henry watches a mix of emotions cross Alex's face before it settles on guilt. "Don't be. It was an accident." What he doesn't voice are the sappy thoughts floating around in his head: that the concussion was worth it because it brought Alex into his life, that he would risk another brain injury just to wake up in Alex’s arms.
Alex seems to take it upon himself to entertain Henry, so he talks and talks, telling Henry about growing up in Texas and funny stories about June and himself when they were younger. Henry mostly just listens, letting the warm cadence of Alex's voice lull him into a state of complete relaxation. He's still playing with Henry's hair, almost absent-mindedly twirling it between his fingers.
Then the sliding door opens and Bea sticks her head in, smirking at the sight of them cuddled up together. "Sorry to interrupt, Haz. It's getting late, and I think we ought to head back."
Henry reluctantly sits up and untangles his legs from the two dogs, waking David with a scratch behind his ears. David yawns, so Henry yawns, and the domino effect soon has all three adults and two dogs yawning and stretching. Henry feels absolutely ancient for getting tired this quickly after his nap.
"I'll walk the both of you home," Alex offers. "Charlie needs a walk before bed anyway."
They say their farewells to June and Nora, who look incredibly cozy, wrapped around each other and sharing a blanket out on the deck. Henry's heart aches with longing at the sight of them—that's the kind of intimacy he wants in his life. He’s been looking for it since he turned twenty and came out publicly.
Bea takes David's leash and Alex walks them back to the rental, casually slipping his hand into Henry's when they get to the path. Henry keeps his gaze straight ahead so Alex won't see how much it affects him, but when he glances to his right, Alex is positively beaming. Bea and Alex keep up an idle stream of chatter, which is perfect for Henry as he seems to have forgotten English. Were he to open his mouth right now, all that would come out would be a stream of French about how beautiful Alex looks under the light of the moon. He's tempted to ask Alex to stay so they can cuddle in the backyard and look up at the stars, but the short walk has taken it out of him, and his bed is calling his name.
"I'll take David inside while you two say goodnight." Bea turns to Alex and gives him a quick hug. "It was wonderful to meet you, Alex. I hope to see you again someday." She winks at Henry, who tries in vain to stamp down a blush, and whispers something in Alex's ear. Henry can't quite make it out, but Alex's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
"What did Bea say?"
"She said if I hurt you, she'd kill me with her tiny bare hands." Henry doesn't quite know how to respond to that, but Alex smirks. "Well, I added the tiny part.
"I'd listen to her, you know," Henry hears himself say. "And not only because she can be rather scrappy when she's angry."
Alex turns to face Henry, stepping closer and resting his hands on Henry's elbows, his thumbs pressing lightly into the sensitive inner flesh. "It's a good thing I'm not planning to hurt you, then."
Henry takes a deep, shaky breath. The intensity with which Alex is gazing into his eyes makes his knees grow dangerously weak, and he'd prefer not to risk a consecutive concussion. "You'll text me when you reach New York?"
Alex nods. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again."
"As am I." Henry leans in, catching Alex's eyes flickering down to his lips, and places a kiss on the corner of Alex's mouth, mere millimetres from where Henry longs to taste him. He barely pulls back, lingering against Alex to whisper, "I'd kiss you properly, but I'm awfully tired and I might not remember it tomorrow…and something tells me I'll definitely want to remember it."
He turns and walks into the house with his fingers brushing over his tingling lips, leaving a stunned-silent Alex to grip Charlie's leash as he watches Henry go.
Two days later, Alex is boarding a plane to New York, cursing the 19B on his boarding pass—a damn middle seat. So this is what he gets for allowing June and Nora to talk him into leaving early, while knowing full well they only wanted to get rid of him because they couldn't stand to hear him gush about Henry any longer—and if he suspects they may have had other reasons for wanting the lakehouse to themselves, he won't dwell on them. They'd even paid the flight change fee and agreed to look after Charlie for the remaining week.
He's nervous as he waits to stow his luggage, not so much for the flight but what comes after it—he wants to see Henry as soon as possible, but he needs a good cover story. He can't admit he's so eager that he couldn't wait another five days to see him. That would be a good way to scare Henry off before they even had their first kiss. He's thinking about Henry's lips again when he reaches his row. He practically drops his luggage on the occupant of the aisle seat when he sees who's at the window. There in 19A is none other than Henry Fox. He hasn't seen Alex yet, and he's smiling at his phone as he taps out a message.
"Dude, can you hurry up?" The teen behind Alex asks. Henry looks up from his phone and his mouth falls open when he locks eyes with Alex.
"Yeah, sorry." Alex squeezes through to his middle seat and plops down next to Henry, immediately claiming the armrests for himself.
"Are you stalking me?" Henry asks, his lips curling in amusement. "I thought you weren't coming until next week?"
"No! I just, uh…" Alex quickly tries to come up with a good lie. "I wanted to view some apartments that recently came up for rent. You know, before some fuckin' trust fund kid cosplaying as poor tries to snap them up."
"Right. Of course. And you're staying…at a hotel, or…?"
"Nora's parents have a condo in Greenwich. I know she doesn't seem like someone who's obscenely rich, but her moms are loaded." He's gearing up for a mini rant on generational wealth when he hears a quiet whimper. "Was that David?"
"Yeah, I had to squeeze the poor thing under the seat." Henry moves his legs to the side, and Alex can see David's head poking through the mesh as he looks up at them with the saddest eyes.
"I'm going to miss having a dog around," Alex says without thinking. He's definitely going to volunteer to dogsit for Liam and Spencer the next time they go away.
Henry looks torn for a moment, but he says, quietly, "You can always visit David," and Alex answers with a grin that seems to ease Henry's uncertainty. They’re both dancing around each other, Alex realizes, neither wanting to be the one who’s more invested.
This time, it's Alex who falls asleep on Henry's shoulder, having spent the last twelve hours running around to prepare for the last-minute trip. He'd closed his eyes for about fifteen minutes last night, but he wouldn't count that as sleep, so he naps for most of the four-hour flight. He wakes when they touch down, and Henry is smiling at his phone once again. That doesn't mean anything, does it?
"Bea's just landed for her connection in Chicago," Henry tells Alex, and relief floods over him. Of course it's Bea he's happy to be texting.
"Tell her I said hi," Alex says, yawning. They're taxiing to the gate now, and he's starting to regret having wasted his time with Henry by sleeping. He doesn't want to sit up; Henry's shoulder is too comfortable, so he nestles further into Henry's neck instead and shuts his eyes once more. It's ridiculous that he nearly falls asleep again, but being with Henry makes him feel so safe and warm all over.
"Take your time," Henry whispers. They end up waiting until the rest of the passengers have disembarked to untangle themselves and gather their things. He helps settle David's carrier into the right spot on Henry's shoulder before collecting his own suitcase.
Once they're well on their way into arrivals, Henry asks if Alex has a bag to collect, and he reluctantly says no. It's summer and Nora's parents have in-suite laundry, so he doesn't need much. Now that they're at baggage claim and he's facing their goodbye, though, he wishes he had an excuse to wait with Henry a little longer without looking clingy.
"I guess I'll see you soon? I should go catch the train."
"Right…well, let me know if you need any help apartment hunting? I'm sure I can take some time away from my busy schedule of staring at a blank document," Henry offers. Neither of them moves closer, so Alex says a quick goodbye and walks away before he can embarrass himself.
He drags his feet and keeps looking back, and every time he sees Henry watching him wistfully. Alex wishes he'd kissed him, or at least hugged him, or…fuck it. Alex turns on his heels and marches right back up to Henry.
"Are you well-rested? How's your memory?" He asks.
Henry's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Um, yes? And…good, I believe?"
"Good. Perfect. I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" Henry nods, so Alex drops his bags and reaches for Henry's hips, pulling him down and leaning up until they meet in the middle. Henry's lips are softer than they have a right to be, and Henry kisses back eagerly, reaching one arm around Alex's waist to tug him even closer. It’s well worth the wait; if Henry writes as skillfully as he kisses, he deserves to be the #1 New York Times bestseller every fucking week. Then his tongue traces the seam of Alex's lips, and Alex worries his bones may melt into a puddle right there in JFK.
"People are staring," Henry says when they part, their foreheads pressing together to keep contact while they catch their breath. It seems to be an observation rather than a complaint—he's already closing his eyes and gently kissing the corner of Alex's mouth.
"Let them," Alex says, and he dives back in.
Alex never quite makes it to the Hollerans' condo.