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The silence overtook the room, the only sound audible being the rain beating down on the windows. Inside, beneath the soft golden glow of the lights, stood the two lovers that were stuck in the worst situation possible.
“Hen,” Alex whispered as he stepped closer, his eyes catching how Henry tensed when he uttered that pet name, traveling down to how the prince’s fists were clenched, and Alex wishing he would just turn around and face him.
“ Look at me. Look me in the damn eyes and tell me this meant nothing to you.” Alex continued, the sounds of his own wet clothes and shoes squishing as he walked closer to Henry until he was standing right behind him.
“If you can turn around and tell me that you regret us, that you regret me, I will leave and…” His breath caught in his throat as he said the next words, which felt like knives down his throat, “and you’ll never see me again. Is that what you want, what you desire?”
The silence was suffocating now, broken by the spell of Henry’s own shaky inhale.
“Alex”
Alex’s heart sped up, hoping that this was it. This was the moment he wanted to hear so badly.
Until Henry turned around and Alex saw the tears in those beautiful watercolor eyes.
“No” Alex whispered, feeling his heart sink. This was not happening, this was not supposed to happen to the one good thing in his goddamn life.
He watched as Henry’s face crumpled, and Alex didn’t dare move as Henry reached out and tucked a wet curl behind his ear, his fingers lingering on Alex’s cheek.
“I need you to-”
"Baby-"
Henry shook his head as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"For the love of god, do not call me that right now Alex, please"
"You have a choice"
"That's where you're wrong. I don't." *Henry whispered as he let the tears freely fall, moving back a step as if he sensed the way Alex was dying to touch him again.
"Prince Henry belongs to Britain-"
"And Henry belongs to me! I am madly in love with Henry, not the damn prince that is standing in front of me right now!" Alex was desperate now, the mix of anger, confusion, and downright despair consuming him, making him feel like he was going to die from it.
Henry let out a soft whimper at that and looked down, wiping his tears before he looked back up, and like Alex feared, with the stoic stone cold expression he's seen before.
"Don't do this" came from Alex's lips, his last attempt as he raised a shaky hand towards, too frozen to actually grab Henry’s hand, only being able to pray that Henry would take his hand.
Instead, his life ended with just one word.
"Leave"
Alex just stared at Henry, his hand falling by his side again.
“I’ll consider a second chance Hen” Of course Alex knew he meant it. But that one part of his heart was delusional enough to think that a miracle would happen and he could just rewind the last minute of what Henry decided to say. That he could just have the man in his arms. But alas, Henry just stared back at him with that stupid ice cold look, one he knows is only reserved for interviews, but now him, his heart and his soul had fallen victim to it.
“You really are strong, huh?” He let out a shaky laugh, letting out a few sarcastic chuckles as he started walking backwards towards the door while aggressively wiping his tears away.
“Alright your majesty- oh forgive me, your royal highness. I’ll leave” Alex honestly had no clue where his sarcasm was suddenly coming from in the midst of his heart breaking, but maybe it was a subconscious coping mechanism. He just took one more second to properly look at Henry, knowing that this was very well his last chance at ever seeing him behind his royal guise ever again.
"Goodbye, sweetheart” He whispered as he purposely bowed while maintaining eye contact before turning around and walking out with a heavy heart. He ignored Bea’s confused call for him, Shaan’s quiet confused note of “Alex?”, he just walked straight back out into the rain and entered the car.
“Drive please” Alex whispered to Cash and thankfully Cash just nodded before starting the car. He knew the man would hint to tell him what happened at some point, but right now Alex felt like he would start screaming his head off if a single person decided to start a conversation with him.
Maybe he was just cursed to never have his true love in his current life.
Of course, what Alex didn’t, and would probably never witness, was Henry falling to his knees and curling up against the floor sobbing his eyes out. He would never witness how Henry permanently broke his own heart uttering the one word that felt like poison to his lips.