Work Text:
“I’ll break the sound barrier for you”.
Henry ended the phone call reluctantly, not wanting to stop hearing Alex’s voice. The relief he felt in those moments, after a week of excruciating silence, was gone as quickly as it came. The walls around Kensington Palace, the ones that had been closing in on Henry and slowly but painfully suffocating him, were back up. His link to the outside world was removed the second his thumb pressed the red button. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breath, couldn’t leave. He was stuck with no end to the torment in sight.
Henry took a deep sigh and gathered his posture, knowing it won’t be long until he would see Alex again. But he had to be sure he would see him.
He stood up and strode to the door where Shaan was standing, waiting for instructions.
“Will we be expecting visitors soon, sir?” Shaan said, pocketing his returned phone.
Henry nodded, whispering his equerry. “Alex and Zahra will be flying here tonight. They should arrive by tomorrow morning.” Henry grimaced, unsure how to proceed. How do you ask someone to defy direct orders from the King?
Before he could ask, Shaan interrupted his running thoughts. “I will find out their arrival time and meet them at the airport personally.”
Henry looked at him, thankful but apprehensive. “Shaan, I can't ask you to defy the palace, I shouldn't ask you to do that.”
Shaan smiled at him, a hint of a smirk settling into the corner of his mouth. “I won’t be defying the palace sir. They asked for all electronics to be confiscated, no communication to be sent to the White House and for you not to leave. There was no mention about what to do if members of the White House physically came to Kensington. From my position, I can see no direct orders have been ignored so I suppose I will have to do my duties and collect our guests.”
Henry knew Shaan would always look after him, protect him when he needed it most. Henry had had Shaan as his equerry for long enough to know both had been suffering in their own way this last week. His role was to assist and help but how do you assist and help a Prince on complete lockdown?
“Thank you,” Henry said quietly, gratefully.
Shaan nodded, and said quietly, “I wish I could do more.”
***
Henry hadn’t slept, which wasn't exactly something new for him. Shaan had left for the airport in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had a chance to wake.
Henry had instead spent that time pacing, waiting. Henry had bit his nails down to practically nothing, the skin cracked with tiny patches of dried blood. What if they didn’t make it to London? What if Shaan was stopped by the palace guards? What if the King found out and fired Shaan? What if, What if, What if.
Henry leant his head back against the wall, waiting anxiously at the top of the staircase. He felt the panic digging into him again. It had been there all week, a huge rock strapped to his chest, stopping him from taking a full breath. It had sharp edges that dug into his mind and body, taking its hold. He hadn’t had a moment’s respite from the burning rage of his broken thoughts, incoherent, painful and messy. He was exhausted, evidenced by the increasingly darker bruising under his eyes, a stark comparison to his greying skin. He’d also barely eaten this week except for the cornetto Shaan had somehow managed to convince Henry to eat the day before.
He wasn’t sure he heard it properly at first, convinced his mind was creating stories. Alex’s voice.
“Like I said though, really happy for you two. Weird, but I’m digging it.” Alex said from the door downstairs.
Henry ran.
His mind was still catching up to where he was running to, already on the landing before Henry could take it in.
Alex.
Real, standing there by the open door of Kensington. Not imagined.
Not rain soaked like last time, or with a look of disgust like the time before that. The time before everything changed.
Alex. The man Henry loves, looking at him like he had after Henry had kissed him the first time. Shocked and in awe but softened almost immediately.
“Hi baby,” Alex says. He starts to walk towards him, climbing the stairs and Henry races down to meet him. They crash into each other, Henry throwing his arms around Alex’s neck, Alex’s arms around Henry’s waist, catching him as they fall backwards, landing on the stairs with a slight thud.
“I’ve got you, it’s okay,” Alex whispers into his shoulder, holding him tightly.
Henry feels the wet patch forming on Alex’s jacket, feels the trail of liquid running down his leather jacket into his own fingers pressed into Alex’s back.
“Shhh, shhh, I’ve got you, you’re okay,” Alex continues to say as Henry cries, sobs threatening to take over his whole body. Alex is holding the back of Henry’s head, cradling him.
Henry hears the creak of the old wooden floorboards and opens his blurry eyes to see Shaan and Zahra, hand in hand, leaving the room. He’s sure there’s something to talk about there but his mind doesn’t have any comprehension skills apart from Alex in his arms.
All of his senses come into sharp focus as his tears slow and his sobs quieten.
The warmth of Alex finally returned beside him where he belongs.
The smell of Alex’s cologne, freshly applied, hits Henry so suddenly he grips onto Alex even tighter.
“I’ve got you baby,” Alex says again.
Alex untangles himself from Henry’s arms and places his arms on either side of his face. Henry matches his gaze, and more relief rushes over him.
Real, Henry thinks to himself, not imagined.
Alex wipes away new tears from Henry’s face before tilting his head down to rest his forehead against Henry’s.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Henry says, choking out the words. He moves his hands to cover Alex’s, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, taking in every scent of Alex.
“I wanted to come earlier,” Alex says. Henry notices his voice quivered unexpectedly, and the streaks of tears on Alex’s face come into focus. “But the White House wouldn’t let me without proof of invitation from the palace.”
“How did you get it?” Henry responds, moving his hands to rest on Alex’s thighs.
“Shaan and Zahra make quite the team. I don’t ask questions but my mom believed the invite was real, or pretended to believe it. I was not going to ask any questions.”
“Wow,” Henry let out a wet laugh, “did you actually shut up for once in your life?”
Alex moved his hands down to rest on top of Henry’s while laughing at his joke.
“I wasn’t about to risk not seeing you, your Majesty,” Alex says sarcastically. Henry picks up on the sincere undertones of his joke. The what if’s that were plaguing Alex’s mind just as much as his. The worry. The panic. Henry can see it on Alex’s face, the darker bruised skin under his eyes.The desperation in his bloodshot eyes looking like what he supposes his own do.
“I love you,” Henry says, lifting his hand to rest on Alex’s cheek.
Alex leans into his hand, covering it with his own.
“I love you more,” he says, leaning in for a kiss.
I think that’s up for debate, Henry thinks, as their lips touch, desperate for each other.
Whatever they were about to face, Henry knows they’ll at least have each other to face it together.