Work Text:
TW: negative self talk, intrusive thoughts, flinching, skin issues/rash, feeling insecure/gross, rude jokes,
implied: former toxic relationship, being bullied in middle school
Alex and Henry were brushing their teeth and washing their faces in front of the mirror when Alex planted a kiss on Henry's jaw and he flinched.
Alex stopped what he was doing immediately. “Hey, baby, are you okay? What happened?” he asked concerned.
Henry sighed. “You just got too close to my disgusting rash.”
Alex gave him a look. “Don't talk about yourself like that, you know I hate it when you talk about yourself like that. Nothing about you is gross or weird or wrong. You are so beautiful, baby, more than you'll ever realize. Besides, you just have sensitive skin and a lot of allergies, and yes, once upon a time that causes a little rash. Who cares? It's not disgusting, you're human. Skin and skin issues are a part of being human. Don't beat yourself up over something that is out of your control.”
Henry sighed. “But I've put about a million bloody gallons of expensive cream on it, and it's been like 3 months, and it's still not gone, and it covers my entire left side of my neck and a little bit of my shoulder, and it just looks so gross.”
Alex sighed too, “babe, there is nothing disgusting about a few red spots on your neck, you need to chill.”
Henry rolled his eyes at him. “You say that now, but if it doesn't go away soon… you'll dump me for lack of self-care.”
Alex blinked. “I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that. Seriously, Hen, this has nothing to do with self-care or lack of it. Besides, I've seen you apply a million liters of crème on it multiple times a day, I know you take good care of yourself, alright? This kind of stuff sometimes happens, it's okay. It will go away. I can look at it again if you want me to?”
Henry put on a hoodie and put the hood on, so it would cover his rash.
“No, don't look at it again. I don't want you to see me like this.”
Alex groaned.
“For fuck's sake, baby. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't find it gross? Just let me help you.”
Henry rolled his eyes at him.
“You're just saying that to be nice, but deep down you think I look like I have bad personal hygiene.”
Alex sighed and pulled Henry in to a hug.
“Baby, do you care to tell me what makes you think these intrusive, unfair and irrational thoughts?”
Henry sighed. “It's just, the last time I got a rash this bad…it was back when I was still dating Jamie, and he told me-”
Alex groaned, “Hen how many times do I have to tell you that, that dick didn't deserve you?”
Henry smiled at him soft. “Thanks.”
Alex pecked him on the lips.
“It's just the truth, sweetheart. Now let me look at it again, alright? Maybe your genius, husband, can fix it?”
Henry let out a laugh. “Genius, huh?”
“Hey, don't you dare downplay my intelligence!” Alex yelled in fake offense.
Henry grinned. “I wouldn't dream of it. I just think it's cute when you get all cocky.”
Alex smirked, “really? I always think it's annoying when you do it.”
Henry lovingly rolled his eyes at him.
Alex took Henry's hood off, placed a kiss on his forehead, and then gently looked at the red spots on the left side of his neck and the beginning of the back of his left shoulder again.
Then he cupped Henry's face.
“You have sensitive skin, babe, just like you have that beautiful, giant sensitive heart. That is nothing to be ashamed about, okay? I think it's beautiful how comfortable you are being vulnerable around me. You should know for once and all that this relationship will always be a safe place for you and I will always treat you like the king you are, okay?"
Henry blushed and thanked him again.
Afterward, Alex dragged Henry to their bed and grabbed his laptop.
Henry cuddled in to his chest while Alex typed something in online.
Then he showed Henry the screen. “I'm ordering this crème for you, okay? I hope this one is more effective than the others you tried out.”
“Thanks”, Henry mumbled.
Alex kissed his cheek and then closed his laptop and pulled him in to a hug.
“Of course, sweetheart,” he whispered back.
**
(A few days later)
“Have you ever thought about leaving me for this?” Henry asked soft while pointing at his neck.
Alex raised an eyebrow at him, breaking his brain trying to figure out what Henry was referring to.
“I mean your neck is in fact kind of long but so is the rest of your body, so no, your giraffe neck is not a dealbreaker for me”, Alex finally teased.
Henry groaned.
“That is not what I meant!” He all but yelled.
Alex stood up from where he'd been studying at his desk and walked over to his husband, concerned at the sudden lash out. “Baby, are you okay?”
“The rash… Did you ever think about leaving me because of the rash?” Henry clarified.
Alex let out a surprised chuckle while closing the distance between him and his husband.
“Fuck, you got me. Yes, Hen. I was going to tell you over dinner tonight, but now that you're on to me, I guess I might as well come clean. I'm filling for a divorce because you've had that rash for like 3 months, and it's slowly but surely tearing apart our marriage. I'm glad you understand, baby. Let's not make this more difficult than it has to be.”
Henry shoved him off lightly and rolled his eyes at him.
“Why can't you take this serious?” He asked bitter.
Alex let out a chuckle. “Because it's a stupid question.'
Henry took his shirt off and put the turtle-neck on that he'd grabbed. Which made Alex shake his head furiously.
“No baby we talked about this, according to the internet, fresh air and sunlight will do wonders for your skin. Let's not hide it, okay?”
“But we're about to leave. Aren't you embarrassed to go out in public with a fucking zebra?” Henry complained.
“Oh, and I'm the dramatic one in this relationship?” Alex snorted.
Henry glared at him.
Alex sighed.
“Sweetheart, there are red spots on the left side of your neck. I'd hardly call that zebra skin. Or has your royal Highness been held hostage in a castle his entire childhood? *gasp* You've never seen a zebra in the zoo, have you?”
Henry rolled his eyes at him again.
“Oh, so you have seen them then?” Alex teased.
“Christ, Alex, can't you just answer the question?”
Alex grabbed his hand and dragged him to the couch.
'Yeah okay. Well, baby, let me put it in a way you'll understand.”
Again, Henry rolled his eyes at him. Alex ignored him.
“Okay, so when I was 14, some classmates bullied me with my curly hair-”
“Alex, love, that is terrible.'
Alex hushed him. “I'm not finished with my story, baby… Okay, so I bought all these fancy products to tame my curls, right? But those products were really oily, and it resulted in the skin on my neck becoming really oily from all the shampoo washing over it in the shower. It left the skin in my neck a little yellowish. It looked gross, to me, and made me super insecure. Now tell me, if this happened to me again, would you break up with me?”
Henry sighed. “No.”
Alex smiled, obviously expecting that answer. “Oh, you wouldn't?” he said teasingly.
Henry slowly shook his head.
Alex smirked at him.
“Oh, so I'm allowed to have skin issues, but you're not? Is that what you're saying?”
“But it's been like 3 months”, Henry stubbornly responded.
“H, I walked around with a yellowish neck for like a year before I realized I just needed to change the hair products I used. But if we live a long, happy, healthy life, which I hope we will, this will all only be a tiny part of it. So, who cares?”
Henry groaned again.
“But don't you want me to look sexy?”
Alex looked at him like he'd personally offended him.
“If you're asking me if I'm no longer sexually attracted to you because you have a rash on your neck, I'm driving your ass to the hospital and demanding an mri scan for your messed up brain.”
Henry sighed in defeat. “But what if I told you it spread to my chest a little? I just noticed it in the shower.”
Alex gasped mockingly. “Well, in that case, I'm hiring a serial killer, and I'm having you offed.”
Henry let out a surprised laugh.
“There you go, baby, you look beautiful like that. Now let me look at your chest, maybe I can help?”
Henry nodded.
Alex gently removed his turtleneck.
“Baby, it's hardly recognizable," Alex stated. Then he stood up. “I'll put some of that new crème on it just in case, but I don't think the rash has spread. Those tiny red dots are barely noticeable, I'd have to use binoculars to clearly see them. Which would be a little creepy.”
Henry laughed. “You're incredible.”
“Thank you, baby, but I'm hardly doing the bare minimum.”
Henry chuckled a little, embarrassed. “I guess it was rather stupid of me to even ask if you'd leave me for this.”
Alex raised a playful eyebrow, while carefully rubbing the crème in to the red spots on the left side of Henry's neck.
“I mean… is it a stress rash that you got because you're secretly hiding 7 affairs with 7 incredibly sexy men from me? Because that might change my answer.”
Henry grinned at him, playing along, “6, there are 6 others, not 7.”
Alex gasped dramatically. “Well shit, 6 secret boyfriends? No wonder you got a stress rash!”
Henry mockingly put a hand on his chest. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you're finally able to understand the amount of stress I've been under.”
Alex laughed, while gently taking Henry's hand from his chest, so he could apply some crème on there too.
“There you go baby, you're all taken care of," Alex whispered after finishing applying the crème.
“Thank you, my love," Henry whispered back.
Alex smirked at him.
“You know it could be worse, I actually thought the stress rash happened because you're secretly a serial killer, and you're trying to hide that from me.”
Henry laughed, an all body laugh.
“Christ, you're so annoying.”
“And you're beautiful baby," Alex whispered before kissing him again.
“So are you, my love," Henry whispered back.
“I'm prettier than your other lovers, right? That's why I got a rock, and they didn't, right?” Alex asked jokingly while waving his expensive engagement ring in Henry's face.
Henry laughed again. “Do shut up, love.”