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"As if!" Alex groaned at his phone and quickly closed the site he was reading.
"Did you say something, love?" Henry asked from the kitchen.
"I was just reading about the latest gossip. Seriously they don't even make the effort to come up with original stuff these days."
Alex put his phone down and stood up, stretching his legs. He spent way too much time doom-scrolling.
"Oh? How did we break up this time?"
Alex walked into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Henry and furrowing his face into his neck.
"You are apparently cheating on me with Russel Tovey," Alex mumbled into Henry's neck. "It's so frustrating. Whenever one of us is papped with anyone, we are automatically cheating on the other. What do they take us for?"
Henry shook his head in disbelief and turned the stove off. "Honestly? Russel? Oh gosh, just because he is English and out, and I met him once? It's amazing how much they can make out of something so little."
With a bit of shuffling, Henry managed to turn around in Alex's arms.
"Why are you even reading that shit?"
Alex shrugged. "I don't know. It's better to know what they say. Old habit, I guess."
"That shite is toxic. I steer clear of them, and I advise you to do the same."
"Yeah, but you are not in politics, baby. It was always important for my Mother's campaign what the masses were saying about me. Ratings and stuff, you know. I am a very important tool in reaching a certain demographic."
Henry lifted his hand and caressed Alex's face gently. "Love, you are much more than a tool in your Mother's political machine. And she is already re-elected. There will be no more campaigns. Don't poison your mind with that garbage."
Alex sighed, tilting his face into Henry's hand. "I know that. It's still very hard to unlearn."
Henry pressed a kiss onto Alex's lips, before turning to the stove again.
"That's true, love. But baby steps are a good way to go. Now why don't you set the table for us?"
Alex immediately perked up at that. "Oh, you made dinner?"
Henry was slowly starting to learn how to cook, still figuring stuff out, but he enjoyed experimenting. It was another part of his new life he was eager to embrace now that he had a chance.
"No, darling, I was just standing in the kitchen for the past hour having a lark. Of course, I made dinner. It's something like a fusion pasta or something. Lots of veggies, lots of soy sauce, and chicken with noodles. I hope it's edible."
Alex gave him a look that certainly didn't make Henry's legs shake. Absolutely not.
"I'm sure it will be amazing. I'm so proud of your developing kitchen skills," Alex said with a smile.
Dinner was magical in Alex's very non-biased opinion. Or maybe he was biased, but sue him. The food was polished off in no time, and soon they were settling down on the couch in their living room.
After all the time sneaking around to catch a few hours together, the easy domesticity of sharing a home was a true marvel.
They still had their responsibilities. Henry still had to fly over to Britain each month for a couple of days and sometimes Alex was called back down to DC for an event, but they always came back home to each other. To their home.
For Henry, having the life he never thought he could have was something he was still adjusting to. He still had his bad days, times when he felt like retreating into himself, but sleeping next to Alex did wonders with his insomnia.
Nights like these, when they didn't have to go anywhere were precious in their rarity.
"So, what shall we watch tonight?" Henry asked, picking up the remote.
"Netflix and chill?" Alex asked with a grin. "You can put on anything, I have the feeling we will not pay attention."
Henry opened the app and clicked on the first thing he found, which happened to be Best British Bake-off, his guilty pleasure.
"I don't know what you mean by that," he said innocently. "I'm very invested in my favorite baking show."
Alex leaned over and started to kiss down Henry's neck before the show could even start.
"Hmmm. I'm sure," he whispered into Henry's skin, kissing behind Henry's ear, which was always a sure method to turn him on.
"You are not playing fair, sweetheart," Henry moaned, his head falling back into the cushion of the coach.
"All is fair in love and war, baby."
"Is this another revolution against the Crown from the colonies?" Henry asked in his poshest accent. And regarding his upbringing, he could be very posh indeed. It did unmentionable things to Alex.
"Sad to burst your bubble your Majesty, but we are a free nation now. We upgraded."
Alex pushed Henry onto his back and climbed into his lap, straddling his waist and pinning his hands above his head.
"I accept your capitulation, Your Highness," Alex said smugly.
Henry looked up at him, warm brown eyes and those eyelashes he first fell for all those years ago. He was just as beautiful now as he had been that fateful day in Rio.
"I pray you be gentle with me good soldier," Henry whispered.
"I'm always gentle with a pretty boy like you," Alex said before returning his attention to Henry's neck.
Alex was right, Henry thought. The show was absolutely forgotten in the background as Alex's mouth slowly slid down from his neck.