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Alex laughs outright when Henry opens his front door. “Baby,” he snorts and has to put a hand out when Henry frowns and makes to shut the door in his face. “Hen, oh my god.”
“I’m glad you’re amused,” Henry grumbles as he steps back inside and allows Alex to follow behind.
He’s wearing black socks with those things fancy people wear to hold them up, a pair of plaid boxers and an open dress shirt in what Alex thinks is probably pale blue. His hair is practically shellacked to his head and he’s got a deeply unpleasant look on his face.
It’s hilarious and adorable.
“What’s going on here?” Alex asks him once he’s about to control his giggles. “We’re supposed to be meeting Mom and Leo in, like, twenty minutes.”
“I’m aware,” Henry answers flatly. “I’ve just had several massive detours and this is the result.”
“Tell me what happened while we get you in the shower so we can make your hair … non-Kenlike again.”
Henry scowls but leads the way into his bathroom and turns on the shower. “That was one of the detours. I was trying to put a little gel into my hair, just to tame the flyaways, and my phone rang. And instead of swiping to answer the phone, I squeezed the gel bottle. I tried to salvage it but, well …”
Alex bites his tongue so he doesn’t laugh. “And the pants?” he asks as Henry unfastened the sock holder uppers.
Henry groans. “Bleach.”
“Why the fuck– you know what? No. I don’t want to know about the bleach.” Alex pauses then relents. “Fuck it, yes I do. Why were you doing laundry just before I came to pick you up for dinner with my parents?”
Henry blushes scarlet and avoids eye contact as he finishes stripping down and steps under the spray of the shower. Alex can’t hold back his laughter at the sound of the water bouncing off of Henry’s plasticlike hair.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be coming back here tonight so I thought I might as well get the laundry done. And my foot slipped on an errant sock whilst I was holding the bleach and …” He sighs. “Maybe this is a sign that I’m not meant to meet them.”
“Henry,” Alex says slowly, as if talking to a scared animal, “this isn’t a sign you shouldn’t meet my parents. It’s the product of you being nervous to meet my parents.”
“Well of course I’m nervous,” Henry retorts before growling and squirting more conditioner into his hand. “This isn’t working.”
“It’ll get there, baby,” Alex promises. “Let me just let Mom and Leo know we’re running a little late and to order a bottle of wine for the table when they’re seated.”
“No!” Henry cries out. “We won’t be late. I can’t be late meeting your parents.”
“They’ll totally understa—”
“Alex, I am not going to be late,” Henry tells him seriously as he scrubs his fingers into his hair. “I’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.”
Alex is definitely not going to start a fight with his boyfriend right now so he holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay, babe. I’ll go get some non-bleached clothes out for you.”
“Thank you,” Henry replies in a slightly clipped tone and Alex has to get out of there before he starts laughing again.
-
They make it to the restaurant only seven minutes behind schedule but Henry still whispers an elaborate yet believable excuse for their “inexcusable tardiness”. It involves a slow Volkswagen, a too-quick traffic light and, unbelievably, a little old woman crossing the road against the walk sign. Alex tells him seven minutes is nothing in the Claremont world but his boyfriend still insists on him memorizing the excuse “just in case your mother or step-father asks”.
Alex is so fucking in love with this complete weirdo that he’s not sure he’s going to survive it.
Alex gives his name to the hostess, who smiles and leads the two of them to a table near the back. His mother and Leo look to be just settling in, no wine in front of them yet, and the shithead part of Alex wants to stick his tongue out at his boyfriend because his parents clearly weren’t waiting long. Hell, they were probably late too.
He immediately leans down to press a kiss against his mother’s cheek. “Hi, Ma.” He nods to his step-father with a genuine smile. “Leo.”
“Hey, Sugar,” his mother responds with a smile.
No one says anything else and it’s kind of awkward for a minute before Henry clears his throat and extends his hand. “I’m Henry,” he says and Alex feels like a complete moron. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Claremont.”
“Oh! Right,” Alex cuts in, embarrassed. “Ma, Leo, this is my boyfriend, Henry.”
Henry shakes both of their hands and then the two of them take their seats.
“Sorry we’re a little late,” Henry says, his cheeks pink.
“Nonsense,” Leo says, waving a hand. “Austin traffic is a nightmare on the best of days. With schools just letting out, everyone’s trying get out of Dodge to start their vacations. We got here just a minute before you.”
Alex can’t hide his smile when Henry’s shoulder’s visibly relax.
The waiter arrives and Ellen tells Leo to order the wine because “you don’t sound like you’re tryin’ too hard to pronounce the names” and Alex laughs loud enough to earn a pinch on his thigh from Henry.
Interesting.
“So, Henry,” his mother begins and Alex moves his own hand to Henry’s thigh to try to keep him calm. “Tell me your secret to controlling a room full of six and seven year olds. I on;y had one at a time and they were both hard to handle.”
“I take exception to that,” Alex tells her with a frown.
“That’s nice, Sugar.” She turns back to Henry. “I take it you enjoy working with the younger kids? I worked with older ones before I moved to administration.”
“I do,” Henry says with a nod. “I’ve always found them easier, if you can believe it.”
“Way before the hormones hit,” Ellen responds with a knowing nod. “But harder for them to communicate what they need.”
“That’s actually something we work on in the first few weeks of my class,” Henry tells her and Alex can’t help but smile. He should have known his mother would know exactly which strings to pull in order to make Henry both comfortable and willing to talk. “I give them loads of options. Each of them has a sticky pad on the corner of their desks so they can write something down or draw it or somehow put something on it that signals they need something that they’re not able to put into words. Or that they don’t want to put into words. I had a child two years ago who would refuse to ask to use the toilet,” he says. “It took some time to figure out the best way to signal that but we figured it out.” Henry gives his mother a devastating self-deprecating smile. “Eventually.”
“It sounds like you’ve found your calling,” Leo says as the waiter approaches and pours the wine. Leo tests it and nods so the waiter fills all of their glasses. “And how was it having Delia in your class?” he asks Henry with a curious smile.
“Beneficial,” Alex jumps in with a smirk. “For me, at least.”
“I swear to god if you make one hot for teacher joke tonight I will invite Henry over to the house without you and show him every single baby picture I can find.” Alex stills. “And then ,” she adds, “I’ll text your father and invite him to do the same.”
So Alex is pretty sure he’s reached be on your best behavior territory.
“Delia was great,” Henry says with a chuckle. “Much more like her father than I could have anticipated, but that took almost a year to parcel together. Little bits of her personality at a time and …” He waves a hand in Alex’s general direction and he would absolutely be offended if he wasn’t hopelessly in love with the way Henry’s been able to talk with his parents without being paralyzed with nerves.
“I’m not offended because I know that just means that you love me,” Alex tells him tartly, an impish grin on his face. He looks to his mother and Leo, the grin morphing into an angelic smile. “Did we mention that? That we’re in love?”
“Sugar, the blind man who panhandles at the cross street near the capital can see that,” his mother answers dismissively. Though she’s smiling as well.
Honestly, Alex doesn’t think there’s a way for this dinner to get any better.
After they all order, conversation turns to Leo and his company. Henry seems to be really interested in the development of some kind of software thing that would allow people who have communication difficulties to better interact with others.
“There are programs out there now,” Leo admits, “but a lot of them focus on people who aren’t able to speak. What I’m working on - what my team is working on, sorry - is something that would allow people who can speak but have a disconnect between their brains and their mouths better able to relay what they need. Sort of like your sticky note practice.”
“Is it proprietary?” Henry asks. “Not - I’m not looking to steal from you,” Henry assures his step-father. “Rather, I’m wondering if there might be a time next year that you would be willing to come into the school and do a presentation. Maybe just to the teachers and paraprofessionals, maybe with the students too.” He pauses and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s important to know that just because we don’t all communicate in the same ways doesn’t mean we can’t all communicate.”
Leo smiles. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
“D’s gonna be so jealous,” Alex chuckles.
“Yes, well,” Henry blushes, “I’m sure Mr. Castalazzi will be—”
“Please, Henry, it’s just Leo. You’re family.”
Henry turns so red that Alex wonders if someone will mistake him for a tomato. “Thank you,” he chokes out and Alex grips his hand under the table.
When the food arrives, the conversation dies out just a little bit. Alex is starving because he was pretty nervous for tonight and skipped lunch.
Okay, he was working and trying to make sure he was able to leave the office on time and forgot there was a sanctioned time during the day for him to leave his desk and refuel, but that’s no one's business but his own.
“So, Alex tells us you’re headed back to London soon?” his mother asks after they’ve all had time to eat some of their food.
“Yes,” Henry answers. “To see family. My mother doesn’t leave Clerkenwell much and my sister …” He takes a deep breath and lets it out with a chuckle. “She was here at Christmas and made it perfectly clear that if I don’t show up, she’s going to write a mean song about me and make it go viral. While she’s yet to make good on any similar threats, I’ve no doubt she has the ability to follow through, so I’m not going to test my luck.”
Leo chuckles and nudges Ellen with his shoulder. “Henry’s sister sounds a lot like June.”
“Ugh,” Alex groans, “don’t remind me. I’m going to leave one behind here for another.”
“Beatrice already adores you,” Henry tells him with a laugh. “I’m positive you’re going to get the previously mentioned embarrassing baby picture experience nearly as soon as you and Delia arrive.”
“Is Delia excited about her first international trip?” his mother asks as she sips her wine. “It’s a pretty big deal for a six year old.”
“I don’t think she really understands yet,” Alex admits. “She knows Henry’s leaving and that we’re going to go see him at the end of the month, but I don’t think she really recognizes how long the flight will be and how different it’s gonna be in London.”
“I’m glad you decided to take a morning flight,” Henry tells him. “I know when I was young I could never sleep on a plane, no matter how long the flight. If Delia is too distracted to sleep, I think arriving around her bedtime will be ideal. Then we can take her home and let her settle and sleep on her own.”
Alex doesn’t miss the way Henry calls his sister’s place home. He also doesn’t miss the happy, swooping sensation in his own stomach when he refers to them as a we in regard to his daughter.
“To be fair,” Alex says with a grin, “I definitely won’t be able to sleep.”
“I don’t think he’s ever fallen asleep on a plane,” his mother says with a laugh. “When he was little I used to think he was sleeping but he was always just staring out the window.”
“If D wants the window seat she’s gonna have to fight me for it,” he lies. The entire table knows he’d give up anything and everything for his daughter.
“When are you coming back?” Leo asks before finishing off the last of his plate.
“Just before D’s birthday,” Alex says. “June basically told me she’s throwing the party and wants exactly zero input from me.”
“Really?” Henry asks curiously. Alex notices the tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “She’s asked me loads of questions so far. And we have a call set up for just before we leave to come home.”
There’s that word again. Home .
Alex wonders if there’s a period of time he has to wait before asking Henry to move out of his place into Alex’s. Just one home for them.
Now is definitely not the time to be thinking about that, though.
“Well she’s rude.”
“She’s the reason we’re able to have dinner with your parents tonight,” Henry points out.
“Don’t logic me, baby. It’s not fair.”
He grins and blushes and Alex meets his mother’s eyes and he knows she gets it. He’s absolutely certain she sees what Alex feels. He’s always worn his emotions on his sleeve but this feels different. It’s like she’s able to see into his soul and know, just as he does, that Leo was right: Henry is family. There’s no doubt in his mind that this is it.
Henry is it for him.
“So do y’all have an itinerary for London?”
Alex sits back in his chair after finishing off his own meal, content to let Henry tell his mom and Leo all about the places he wants to take Delia and Alex. He mentions that his sister will be watching over Delia for a night while Henry takes Alex to a swanky restaurant. He hopes his mother will be up for visitors.
He quietly says he hopes to introduce Alex to his father and Alex might choke up a little because he knew it was something Henry had been considering but he didn’t know how seriously.
Alex tries hard not to feel nervous about it.
They order dessert and coffee - “Earl Gray tea for me, please,” Henry murmurs - and Ellen starts in on a new “bullshit anti-father childcare bill” and Henry is so enthralled that Alex can’t help but chuckle. He meets Leo’s eyes and they share a smile. Henry’s so willing to listen and learn and Ellen is every inch a former-teacher turned legislator.
Alex may be in a little bit of trouble over holidays.
It’s not until Alex receives a text of his daughter in the foreground holding a sign (in Nora’s handwriting) that declares “No Sleep ‘Til Daddy’s Home (said to the tune of the 1986 Beastie Boys hit No Sleep Till Brooklyn)” and a shabbily tied up June in the background.
He barks out a laugh and shows Henry then his parents. “I guess this is our cue,” he says, wiping his mouth and pulling out his wallet.
“Put that away,” Leo says immediately.
“Leo,” Alex starts but he does this thing where he tilts down his head and looks at Alex over his glasses and … yeah, he pushes his wallet back into his pocket. “Thank you.”
Leo settles the bill and then the four of them make their way out into the parking lot, Henry’s hand in Alex’s and his mother’s in Leo’s. It feels good. It feels really good.
When they get to his mom’s car, she pulls Henry into a tight hug and Alex feels a knot of emotion in his throat at the way Henry sinks into it. He wonders how long it’s been since a mother’s hugged him.
Banishing that maudlin thought, he pulls Leo into a hug and then they swap parents.
“Make sure y’all come visit me before you leave for London,” his mother tells him. “If my granddaughter’s jet setting across the ocean, I want to make sure she’s got plenty to keep her entertained.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a put upon sigh. He kisses his mother’s cheek then takes Henry’s hand again. “I’ll call you next week.”
“You’d better,” she tells him sharply before climbing into the car.
Alex and Henry wave as they pull away and then slowly meander to Alex’s car. “You’re walkin’ like you don’t want tonight to end,” he says as Henry’s footsteps slow to an almost crawl.
“Maybe I don’t,” he breathes.
“Then we don’t let it. Come stay over,” he whispers, dropping Henry’s hand putting his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “We can stop at yours to get some clothes and then you can come stay at mine.”
“Really?” Henry asks and Alex can tell how badly he wants the answer to be yes.
“Mmm,” Alex hums and tilts his chin up. Henry catches his meaning and leans down to kiss him softly. “Come spend the night in my bed, baby.”
“Menace,” Henry breathes before kissing him again.
When they finally break apart, they head back to Henry’s to pack an overnight bag - Alex bites his tongue so he doesn’t tell Henry to fill a suitcase so he doesn’t have to leave until it’s time to go to the airport - and head back to Alex’s house.
When he gets the door open, Delia throws herself at him with a delighted, “Daddy!”
He picks her up and squeezes her tight and that’s clearly when she notices his boyfriend is behind him in the doorway.
“Henry!” she screams at a not at all appropriate level. And then she pretty much launches herself out of his arms and into Henry’s. His boyfriend catches her with ease and Alex takes a step back to just take in the sight of Henry kicking the door shut behind him, weekender over his shoulder and Delia in his arms talking a mile a minute about god knows what.
Yeah , Alex thinks, his heart in his throat and a smile on his face. Henry is family.