Work Text:
I can see the end as it begins
My one condition is
Casual, that was what Henry had said they needed to be when they started this, casual nothing more. Alex had agreed with him, citing the press as the reason, but Henry had quipped back about not being able to afford Alex falling in love with him. They had laughed it off, and Alex had agreed to a casual arrangement between them. Henry had a feeling from the moment his lips had touched Alex’s earlier that night in the red room that there would never be anything casual for him ever again.
Henry had never expected that Alex would have been even the slightest bit amenable to something happening between them. They were friends now of course, Alex’s dislike towards him having been overcome, but they could never be anything more. Henry knew that he and Alex couldn’t ever be anything more than friends with the demands of the crown bearing down upon him.
Henry was already arse over teakettle for Alex, he had been since they had first met in Rio. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that he could have Alex in any form of reality. This though was a gift that he would forever be grateful for, the chance to have Alex for even a short time. As long as Alex didn’t develop any actual feelings for him and they kept it casual he could enjoy his attentions. Alex could experiment with his newly discovered bisexuality and Henry could pretend for the meantime that he could actually have the relationship he really wanted.
Even as Henry left Alex’s rooms high on pleasure he could see the end of their arrangement in the distance. Things between them had barely began but he was well aware of the eventuality of it ending. The moment things started to shift from being casual on Alex’s part Henry would have to end it for both their sakes, Alex would be free to love someone who could love him openly, and Henry would be left with memories to fuel his dreams.