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“Well, if it isn’t pop’s very own Prince Charming,” Alex grins as Henry approaches. “Henry Fox. Looking good.” He’s dressed in an elegant blue suit. It’s nothing spectacular, style wise and in comparison to some of the other celebrities at the event, but on him? It’s fucking jaw dropping. His fans, Alex thinks, have to be frothing at the mouth at the sight of him. “To literally nobody's surprise.”
Henry gives a long suffering sigh, but it’s accompanied by a smile and flushed cheeks as he approaches, “Well,” He says, “if it isn’t Alex Claremont-Diaz.” He takes his place on the mark beside Alex and looks him over. “Nice suit.”
Alex smiles, glancing down at the maroon suit Nora had helped him pick out, feeling a little proud of himself. And, as he does most every time he’s in Henry’s vicinity, he almost immediately completely forgets the camera and crowd watching him in order to give Henry all his attention as he looks back up. “I’m touched,” He says, bringing his free hand to his heart, and reminding himself to speak into the microphone in his other hand. “You remembered me,” he says, as if this is his first interview with this particular musician.
It’s not. Though, when he thinks back on it, even the first interview hadn’t felt like the first.
And if the internet's response to that interview were anything to go by, they didn’t think it did, either.
Henry nods his head to the side, “Well,” He says, “Who could forget you?” Alex’s heart does a little dance, and Henry seems to realize what he’s said, because he blinks rapidly, and adds, “Because—your interviews. Are so,” His eyebrows furrow, “Unique?”
“Are they?” Alex quips. “What’s so unique about them?”
Henry seems to think about it for a moment, before tossing a hand out at his side, and saying, “For one, nobody can ever predict what you’ll say next.”
Alex nods, “You are not wrong.” He grins brightly and steps slightly off his own mark, swaying into Henry’s space. He can practically hear Nora’s annoyed sigh as she has to reframe the shot to fit them both in correctly. He’ll hear about it later, but for now, he just wants to get closer to his favorite pop star.
“It’s always something outlandish,” Henry adds.
“Outlandish?” Alex laughs. “Alright, your majesty, what outlandish thing do you think I’m going to say today?”
He tries not to think anything of it when Henry shuffles closer to him. “Are you asking me to make predictable the least predictable man I’ve ever met?” He raises his eyebrows, letting out a laugh. “I think not.”
“Come on, Prince Henry,” Alex chides, swinging towards him, “Won’t you play a game with me?”
Henry’s cheeks go adorably red at his fans’ nickname for him. “You make one fairytale themed album, and that’s it,” He murmurs, smiling. “You’ve got adorable interviewers holding it against you for the rest of their lives.”
Forget a dance, Alex’s heart choreographs a full on three hour NSYNC concert at that comment. “You think I’m adorable?”
He expects Henry to blanch at the realization of what he’s said, but instead he shrugs a shoulder and puts a hand in his pocket. “You’re all right.”
Slowly, Alex grins at him. “You like me.”
“You’re not my least favorite interviewer.”
They stare at each other for a long moment, matching smiles that Alex is trying his hardest not to overthink. But this is how things are with Henry Fox. Ever since their first interview, when Henry called him out for not being able to keep focus, and Alex first addressed him as his majesty.
Nora clears her throat, and Alex glances at her, furrowing his brow. She raises her eyebrows at him, then at the queue of celebrities standing behind Henry who are slowly starting to come this way.
It’s her way of saying wrap it up.
But, Henry’s still smiling that soft smile at him, and Alex is feeling off kilter, and maybe a little reckless.
They flirt. It’s their thing. There’s a subreddit dedicated to their interviews. There are youtube clips that get passed around his family and friends that have well over three million views on them; he and Henry standing on a red carpet similar to this, smiling at each other as they toss barbs and quips back at each other. Different locations, different suits, same smiles.
Last time they’d gone on about their astrological signs; Henry was aghast to discover Alex’s were the perfect match for his own; Alex had been secretly pleased by it and the red flush that spread over Henry’s cheeks and neck.
Alex takes a deep breath, looks over Henry’s shoulder at his entourage of one, his agent, and then back, making a face of faux confusion. “I can’t help but notice you don’t have a plus one tonight,” he says. Usually, Henry’s best friend, Percy Okonjo, can be found five feet away, using these events as a way to network for his charity. But, tonight, he’s nowhere to be seen.
Henry nods. “Astute observation,” he says, that smile still on his face.
And Alex is a fucking sucker for a pretty smile. This pretty smile. So he asks, “Would you like one?”
Now, he’s not expecting anything to come of it, obviously. Henry Fox is one of the worlds biggest names, and Alex is only known as that guy who does interviews for Entertainment Tonight every once in a while. But, he figures, hey, at least it’ll be another cute moment for the internet to latch onto, and for Alex to maybe watch three times a night as he fantasizes about a world where they could be on equal footing and these smiles could be more than just smiles.
But then, Henry says, almost hesitant, “Aren’t you working?”
That’s not a no. And it’s not the casual, humorous dismissal Alex was expecting.
In fact, it almost sounds like a maybe.
Which, maybe, means he’s not imagining the fact that there’s a real connection here beyond what they blow up for the cameras.
His gaze darts to Nora and back so fast he’s not sure the camera even catches it, before he’s saying, “Trust me when I say literally nobody would hold it against me if I abandoned my post to be your plus one.”
Henry’s mouth opens and closes a couple times before he takes a careful step in, probably to Nora’s unending annoyance as she reframes them again. His voice is low; Alex doubts the microphone event manages to pick it up. “Are you asking me on a date, Alex?”
Alex swallows, eyes darting back and forth between Henry’s. “Depends,” he says, successfully managing to not swallow his tongue in the process.
Henry quirks an eyebrow, his tongue darting out to swipe over his lips. “On?”
“Would you like me to?”
Henry makes a show of sliding his gaze down Alex’s body. He tilts his head to the side, and slowly swipes back up, smirking slightly. “I suppose you are dressed for the part.” Alex, speechless for the first time in his life, stares at him. “And, my actual plus one did cancel rather last minute, so there is a seat at the table available.” Henry looks thoughtful for a moment, “If you’re interested, that is.”
“In dinner?” Alex asks.
“Or,” Henry’s eyes roll upwards and then to the side as the corner of his mouth turns up and he wobbles his head. “In me.”
Fuck.
Alex swallows, glancing at Nora. She’s staring at them wide eyed, but somehow unsurprised. He turns his gaze back on Henry, nodding. “I mean,” He says, wrinkling his nose. “I could definitely think of worse people to go on a date with.”
“Oh, you could, could you?” Henry’s grinning at him. “Is that a yes?” When Alex starts to nod, Henry twists his neck around to look at his agent. Alex watches him, stomach and head spinning as Henry instructs him to get him a pass for him. Because this is happening. Alex is going through the doors to sit at a luxurious table with the second hottest blond superstar in the world.
Moreover, he’s going to get to learn more about Henry.
Not the prince of pop, but the man behind the name. The eyes behind the charm.
Henry turns back to him. “Do you need to tell anyone?”
“This is live,” Alex replies, turning to wave at the camera. “Everyone already knows.”
Henry looks to the camera as well, offering a small wave of his own. “Well,” he says, looking back to Alex and rolling his lips almost guiltily. “I hadn’t intended to do all this publicly, but you have a habit of breaking down my expectations rather expertly.”
Alex moves towards Nora, who’s already holding her hand out for the microphone. “Why, Henry,” He says, doing the one thing someone in showbiz should never do: he turns his back to the camera. “Are you saying you were going to ask me out if I hadn’t beat you to the punch?”
“I,” Henry starts, hesitating only a moment before continuing, “May have had plans to have my people reach out to your people.”
“Oh, sexy.”
Henry rolls his eyes and holds his hand out for him. “I’m already regretting this.”
“No,” Alex grins as he’s led toward the front doors. “I don’t think you are.”
Henry hums thoughtfully. “No,” he says after a beat. “I don’t suppose I am.”
HAS PRINCE CHARMING FOUND HIS KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR?
Sparks fly! Entertainment Tonight red carpet correspondent, Alex Claremont-Diaz blew the world's minds this weekend when he and pop icon Henry Fox exited the red carpet together. The two are known for their flirty banter, but Claremont-Diaz amped up the charm and may have bagged himself a Prince Charming for it.
CLICK HERE to see the full interview, but beware, the chemistry is HOT HOT HOT.