Work Text:
“...and they lived happily ever after,” Henry said, finishing the third bedtime story that night. He closes the book and looks down at Gabriela, her curly brown hair against the purple pillowcase and her big amber eyes blinking slowly. Getting Gaby to sleep was a miracle every night; her mind was so curious that she always had so many questions for her parents.
“Daddy, what's a princess or a prince do?” She asks sleepily, fighting off a yawn. Her brow furrows in confusion. “Papá is a lawyer, and he helps people. You are a writer, and you make stories. What do princes and princesses do?”
“Well,” Henry starts as he sets the book down on the nightstand and leans closer to the bed to brush Gaby’s curls off her forehead. “A prince or a princess gets to dress up in pretty clothes and meet people from different countries. They travel and get to go to fancy parties.”
Gaby pulls her stuffed unicorn closer and pushes her face into it, snuggling under the blankets a little. “Oh,” she murmurs. Henry could see the wheels turning in her mind as she took in the information. Her face lit up with an idea. “They get to go to the ball and dance!” Gaby says with excitement.
“Well,” a voice drawls, and Henry turns to see his husband leaning in the doorframe, a tea towel tossed over his shoulder and a smirk on his face. His glasses were perched on top of his head, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, putting his muscular forearms on display. “It depends on the kind of dancing.”
Henry rolls his eyes at Alex but didn't stop the smile that lit up his face at the sight of his husband. “We can't all have encyclopaedic knowledge of early 2000s hip hop, darling,” he informs Alex.
“Oh, but I think you've developed a healthy appreciation for it, sweetheart,” he answers with a wink. Alex takes a few steps forward into their daughter's room and sits at the foot of the bed. Henry watches as his face softens when he looks at Gaby, tucked under her blankets. Alex leans towards Gaby like he was telling a secret and whispers, “Did you know that Daddy is a Prince?”
Gaby’s eyes widen and she turns towards Henry, her mouth dropping open in wonder. “Daddy, are you a Prince? Really?” she asks. She tilts her head in thought. “You do wear some pretty clothes. I really like your blue sweater. It's my favourite colour!”
Henry smiles at his daughter but Alex speaks first. “Yes,” he agrees with a serious tone despite a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “Daddy does look pretty in his blue sweater.”
Despite being married to the man, Henry can't help the blush that flushes across his cheekbones. He still gets flustered when Alex calls him pretty. “Ok, Gabriela, it is time for sleep now,” Henry declares. “We’ve had our bedtime stories. Now, I just have to do one important thing…“ Henry stands from his chair beside the bed and tucks the blanket in tightly down Gaby’s sides, all the way down to her toes. “Oh yes, now you are tucked in as snug as a bug in a rug!” He says before dropping a kiss on her forehead.
Gaby giggles and she watches as Alex stands. “Good night, mi chiquita,” he kisses her on her nose and walks to the door.
“Papá!” Gaby exclaims and Alex pauses at the door, turning around to look at her. “If Daddy is a prince, does that make you his princess?”
Henry couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his mouth. He glances at Alex and the look on his face is priceless. “Yes, Gaby,” Henry said, the smile on his face large and bright. “Papá is Daddy’s princess.” He bit his lip to try to hold in the laughter that threatened to escape. Alex tried to glare at him, but Henry saw how the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards with amusement. He shook his head at Henry and headed back out to the kitchen.
Henry finishes getting Gaby settled, turning on her nightlight and promising to make pancakes in the morning for breakfast. He steps into the hall and leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar, he makes his way to the kitchen.
Alex is standing at the sink, his hands immersed in soapy water. Henry walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Alex’s middle. He tucks his chin over Alex’s shoulder, catching his eyes in their reflection in the dark bay window. Alex smiles at him, and Henry tightens his arms, giving him a hug from behind. He turns his head and kisses Alex’s neck, grinning against the warm skin.
He lifts his head off Alex’s shoulder and looks back at his face in the window’s reflection. His husband is handsome; his hair slightly messy from playing with Gaby and his face covered in a day’s worth of stubble. Henry feels his breath catch in his lungs at the sight. Alex is concentrating on his task, scrubbing Gaby’s dishes from supper, so he doesn’t catch the look of mischief that crosses Henry’s face.
“Did you find your glass slippers yet? Make sure there are no wayward peas under our mattress?” Henry fights to keep the smile off his face, looking at Alex with a worried expression. “I do hope that you are being careful to avoid any suspicious elderly women with poisoned apples and cursed spinning wheels with sharp needles. It’s so dangerous out there for a princess.”
Even though he is watching his husband closely, Henry is still surprised by Alex’s swift movement. Water splashes from Alex’s hands and bubbles float in the air when Alex quickly turns to take a hold of Henry by the waist, the water from his hands soaking into Henry’s shirt. Alex is holding back a laugh, and his eyes are sparkling when he brings his damp hand up to Henry’s face. “Oh, I don’t think I need to worry about any of that,” he murmurs as his thumb strokes across Henry’s cheekbone.
“No?” Henry asks as he wraps his arms around Alex’s back and brings him closer, uncaring of his wet shirt and the small puddle on the floor he steps through. “Why is that, Princess Alex?”
Somehow, Alex’s smile gets bigger and Henry’s heart melts in his chest. “Well, sweetheart, I’ve already found my Prince Charming,” Alex says, his voice warm as he looks into Henry’s eyes. “I’m safe because I’ve already had my True Love’s Kiss.”
Henry laughs into the kiss that Alex presses onto lips. They stand in their kitchen in each other’s arms and continue to live their Happily Ever After.