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Paris had never felt hotter. Well maybe it had, but to Henry this was as intense as it got. The afternoon sun was pelting his back and neck as he leaned closer in the stands, and he could only imagine how Alex felt on the field.
This was the Men’s Rugby finals, Team USA against Team France. The match was close, each team fighting for the chance to win gold. For Team USA, it would be their first gold medal ever in men’s rugby, for Team France it would mean winning on home soil, and that made the game all the more intense.
So the stage was set, each team had their motivation, and it was only a matter of minutes until the winner was declared. The score was currently 16-12 France, but the ball was America’s now and one score could win it all.
Through it all, Henry’s eyes rarely left Alex. He was truly all he cared to see anyways. His fiancé was stunning no matter where he was, but on a rugby field he looked perfect. His hair was tousled and his kit was worn, and yet he still had a look of determination and a spring in his step. Alex played as the stand-off, so he was always in the middle of whatever was happening on the field.
Occasionally that caused anxiety for Henry, as he had to watch the man he loved get sacked by even bigger men, but he always got back up again and for that Henry was grateful.
Even from the stands, Henry could catch the arrogant smirk on Alex’s face. Alex knew they were going to win, and Henry knew it too. France was good, considering they were playing in the finals, but America was even better. America was better because of Alex.
That wasn’t a statement made by Henry because he was ultimately biased towards Alex in every way, it was a statement made by newscasters across the country and world as soon as he made the Olympic team. America had never won a gold medal in this competition, but when Alex was drafted there suddenly became a chance. He was new, surprisingly young at 22, and out for blood.
Alex played rugby at Georgetown University, which led to him and Henry meeting back in freshmen year. It was actually the player banners hanging outside the field that caught Henry’s eye. He had never seen a more jaw-dropping attractive man than the one he saw billowing above him. Alex Claremont-Diaz it said, and Henry immediately typed that into Instagram. Once he found user @theagcd, he knew his life was over.
Alex was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had to shoot his shot, even if it was through a horrible Instagram DM that had him pacing his dorm room out of sheer stupidity. “Hey I saw your banner outside Cooper Field” is what he wrote, and he couldn’t even take it back because not even ten seconds later Alex had read it.
He tossed his phone across the room and was telling himself that he had just ruined all of his chances when he heard his phone vibrate from his bed. Henry leaped across the room to get to it and saw a message from @theacgd. “really? did i look hot?” And another came through after saying “don’t answer that, i know i looked hot” and then a third one saying “but did you like what you saw??”
Henry could’t believe his luck. Surely Alex got messages just like his all the time, and that might’ve been how he responded to all of them, but Henry was surprised he even got a reply at all. Determined to sort this all out he messaged back, “Sorry. I’m sure you get that a lot. But yes, I did like what I saw.”
“i get it a lot, but not from cute boys like you” Was how Alex responded and the rest was history. Alex invited Henry to one of his games and then to dinner after. They talked and Henry learned that not only was Alex incredibly beautiful on the outside, he also was on the inside. He was pursing law, and wanted to work specifically with immigration. He loved helping people, whether it was to get an old lady across the street or giving a stranger his jacket when he saw them without one in the winter.
He liked basically everything about Henry as well. Even when he told him of his tumultuous family life and how it caused him to move overseas, he didn’t pity him. He thought it was hot how Henry was a “mysterious loner” as he called it. He liked Henry’s accent to the point of making him read him to sleep just so he could hear him talk. That was new for Henry, and it took multiple times of convincing from Alex to realize he wasn’t just making fun of him.
Henry became way more invested in rugby than he ever thought he would have, but he was okay with it. He went to all of Alex’s games and yelled at the referee when they did a piss poor job. He became friends with the other players’ girlfriends and even met Alex’s parents at one of his championship games. By the end of it, he and Ellen were clinging onto each other in suspense before grabbing each other into a hug when Alex’s team won.
So everything was going perfectly, and when Alex proposed after they both graduated with their undergrads, Henry didn’t even have to think before saying yes. They both planed to continue schooling, Alex for his law degree and Henry for his English masters, so they bought an apartment in Georgetown near their school. No wedding date had been set yet, especially after Alex’s conversation with him one night in bed.
“I’m eligible to compete in the Olympic Trials,” Alex said casually. Henry set down his book and gawked at Alex. “Are you serious?” Henry asked, and a wide smile grew across Alex’s face as he nodded. “Well are you going to do it?” Henry asked and this time Alex just shrugged.
Henry put his bookmark in his book so he could set it aside and fully turn towards Alex. “Do you want to do it?” Henry switched gears. Alex rubbed his face with his hands and groaned, “I want to do it so badly! Of course I want to do it.” Alex’s answers were perplexing Henry and weren’t making any sense. “So then why do you not know if you are going to do it?”
Alex still had his hands covering his face but made a gap between his fingers so he could look at Henry. “Because I didn’t know if you would want me to do it.” Henry’s jaw dropped, and not in the same way it did when he saw Alex’s poster four years ago. “What on Earth are you talking about? Why would I not want you do to it?”
He sat up in bed, so Henry did as well. Alex was fiddling with his fingers, something he did when he was nervous. “Cause if I get into the Olympics then I’m probably going to win and then I might become famous and I didn’t know if you’d like that.” Henry let out a snort but when Alex looked up at him, he could tell he was being serious.
“Oh, love,” He said through a laugh, taking Alex’s hands in his. “I will be okay, I promise. Have you been concerned about this for a while?” Alex nodded, “I know you don’t like people.” Henry brought Alex’s hands up to his mouth and kissed them. “I am sorry to burst your bubble, but you are concerned because you might get some press. Not saying you won’t because if it was up to me and you were in The Olympics, I’d make you the face of the whole damn thing. And even if that does happen, I will be fine, because I will be with you.
“Don’t limit yourself because of me, okay? I want you to do the most you possibly can, and I will support you through all of it. You absolutely need to go to the Olympic Trials, no more discussion.” Alex smiled at him, a soft one that Henry wished he could see forever more. “You’re gonna come with me?” He asked.
Henry scoffed, laying back down in the bed and pulling Alex down with him. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Henry said as he took Alex’s glasses off and set them on his nightstand next to his book. “Of course I’m coming with you.” He turned off his lamp and settled into Alex.
“I love you, now go to bed,” He said, Alex laughing lightly and then kissing him on the head.
In two weeks time Alex and Henry were in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the rugby qualifiers. According to Alex, he had actually already qualified for the Olympic team itself, but the officials needed to see the qualifying members play together before they actually confirmed it. Supposedly if Alex didn’t mesh well, he would be replaced and no longer qualify. That didn’t happen often, but still.
Henry thought that system was a load of bull, yet he wasn’t actually too worried. Even with Alex being the youngest qualifier by four years, he still fit right in. He introduced himself to everyone, he volunteered to help when needed, and of course played phenomenally on the field.
After a week and no surprises, he was confirmed for the USA Olympic Men’s Rugby Team. Henry was in his assumed place in the bleachers when the news was released to all of the original men who qualified, Henry was there to witness it. Ellen and Oscar made the trip to Milwaukee halfway through the week, so they were also there.
The bleachers were filled with family, friends, and fans alike, all of who were cheering for their respective player. Henry, Ellen, and Oscar stood up to clap and cheer, Ellen dragging Henry into a motherly hug of celebration. Oscar clapped him on the back, and then the three of them tried to make it further down the stands to get closer to Alex.
Speaking of which, he was running around the field with his new teammates, giving them hugs and shaking each other in what looked to be an aggressive way, but Henry knew it was brotherly. When Alex got done hugging one of them, he stopped in his tracks and looked around the audience. Henry knew he was looking for them, and when he got to where Henry was he raised his hands to get his attention.
Alex saw him and started running his way. Henry did too, trying to politely shove his way through the throngs of people. He finally got to the barricade just before Alex did, and was soon swept into a hug.
His feet were lifted off the ground as Alex hugged him, and Henry wrapped his arms around Alex’s neck regardless of the fact that he was hot and sweaty. “I’m so proud of you, love,” He said into Alex’s ear. “I can’t believe I did it!” He heard Alex say, and he could tell his voice was a little thick.
Henry pulled out of the hug just a bit, enough for Alex to set him down and for Henry to notice the multiple cameras facing them and the tears in Alex’s eyes and on his face. He didn’t care about the cameras though, he cared about seeing Alex’s tears. Henry’s heart tightened from seeing him cry, but he knew it was happy.
“Oh I can believe it,” Henry said as he wiped Alex’s cheeks with his thumbs. “You are incredible, Alex. I love you.” Alex laughed joyously as he pulled Henry towards him again, this time to kiss him.
And if Henry heard the clicking of cameras at that moment, he couldn’t find himself to care. Alex was going to The Olympics, and that was the best feeling in the world.
Later that night in their hotel room, Henry was starting to care. The pictures and videos of their conversation and kiss had gone somewhat viral. Whether it was from the hype of the upcoming Olympic Games, the hype for Alex, or the internet’s obsession with gay men, the moment was on everything from TikTok to People Magazine.
There was a lot of good things being said. People enjoying the sweet moment captured, younger gay athletes happy to have someone to look up to, and even men and women alike commenting on Alex’s looks.
With that being said, there was also fouler things being said. People criticizing Alex, saying how he shouldn’t be allowed to play this physical of a sport with other men while being gay. Saying to Olympic Committee should bar him from competing. How disgusting the two of them were to do that in front of kids.
Once Henry saw things like that, more of them kept coming. The floodgates were now open, and he couldn’t stop it. That was until Alex came out of the bathroom, a pair of sweatpants and his glasses on only, that Henry put his phone away. Alex was too quick though, his lawyers senses coming out.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, and Henry basically dug his own grave as he quickly replied, “Nothing.” Alex gave him a look, walking to the bed and crawling on it before taking Henry’s phone and opening it with his own face. They had nothing to hide, after all.
It unlocked right back to where Henry was on Twitter, the harsh tweets right there on the screen. Alex read them in silence, his brow furrowed for a moment, and then he swiped out of the app and turned Henry’s phone off.
He got closer to Henry, straddling him over the covers. “I thought you said you wouldn’t care,” is what he said, and the hint of guilt in his face made Henry feel more guilty. “I don’t care,” He said, but quickly amended that statement. “Okay I do care, but just a little. And it’s warranted, they’re being mean. But it’s not your fault, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”
Alex rested his hand over Henry’s heart, trying to smooth out his worry. It was something he started doing a while ago, and it worked surprisingly well. “I love you. And I know you care so much about everything and everyone, but I don’t care about what they say. Honestly. And you don’t need to care for me, either. I only care about what you have to say, no one else.”
Henry rested his hand over Alex’s, feeling the lingering warmth from his hot shower. “Sorry,” He said, and Alex smiled. “Don’t apologize,” He said. “Your heart is my favorite thing about you. That and your dick, but you know.”
Henry shoved Alex off of him, laughing. “You are insatiable.” Alex snuggled right back up next to him, nuzzling his neck, “You love that about me, though.”
Alex was right about that, and before either of them knew it they had returned home, just to pack their things and head over the pond. Alex had to stay in the Olympic Village, and that annoyed him to the point that he almost withdrew from it just so he could stay with Henry.
Henry persistently told him not to, he was to experience the full effect of being an Olympian and was to stay with all the others. Alex had always been a frequent poster on social media, whether it’s Instagram or TikTok, but he vowed to post more on them so Henry could see, too.
It was understood that the videos Alex posted publicly on popular apps wouldn’t stay between the two of them, but neither were expecting the insurmountable increase in Alex’s followers and views. He was no longer showing Henry the inside scoops of the Olympic Village, he was showing millions. Commenters stayed to see what it was like to be an Olympian, for Alex’s wit and funny jokes, and because he was just blatantly attractive and they wanted to see him more.
On all of his videos, Alex had tagged Henry. That way as soon as it was posted Henry could watch it. That also meant people found Henry’s accounts and stayed on there to see more of Alex and, surprisingly, because they thought Henry was attractive as well. The two were connected back to their viral photos from the end of qualifiers, and that garnered more attention.
This all happened so quickly, and soon after it did Alex took Henry out for dinner and asked him how he felt. “Is it too much?” He asked. “I can take it all down if you want, I’ll just send you stuff over text.” Henry was surprisingly okay with it, and he said as much. “No, it’s alright. I like seeing people enjoy your humor as much as I do. And you were right, It makes life much easier to not care about the bad things people have to say.”
With that aside, Alex continued to climb in fame. The rugby competition had barely begun and yet Alex already had two million followers on Instagram. Each rugby match increased Alex’s likeliness as at the end of each victory, Alex would celebrate with his team before quickly meeting Henry at the stand barrier and doing some iteration of what they did at the qualifier.
Henry enjoyed every one as if it was the first, he never got tired of congratulating Alex after a win. Each win also meant he was getting closer to a gold medal, something both of them got giddy over.
After winning the Semi-finals against Fiji, Alex didn’t even wait for Henry to get to the bottom of the stands, he hopped the wall and raced up the steps to him. He gave him a bear hug, smothering Henry in himself. “We fucking did it!!” He yelled, and that became an even more viral moment in itself.
It had people questioning whether Alex meant “we” to mean his team or himself and Henry. Alex never confirmed it to the public, but after dinner that night he confirmed it to Henry in more ways than one.
And then they were here. Minutes away from a win, seconds away from taking it all. Henry didn’t care that he looked like the epitome of tacky decked out in all American attire. He wasn’t alone, Ellen, Oscar, June, and Nora all dressed the part as well. Even with the two teams in the Final sporting the same national colors, it was easy to tell which fans were American. They went all out with the stars and stripes, and Henry had never felt so patriotic for a country he technically wasn’t a citizen of.
Alex had the ball and was sprinting across the field. Henry stood up from his seat, yelling encouragements even from far away. Alex dodged the French players, stumbled over one’s attempt to block him and scraped his knee, but got right back up and continued on. He made it to the end goal, and slammed the ball onto it, gaining Team USA five points and the Olympic gold medal.
“Oh my God!!” Henry exclaimed, and he could barely hear himself over the roar of the fans. “Oh my God!!” He exclaimed again as he hugged all of Alex’s family. He looked back on the field and saw the American team members dog piling Alex. He could hear their yells from here, and it made Henry cry.
They all got up again, the last person up gave Alex a hand to get up, and went to shake hands with the French team. Alex hugged all of them, patting them on the back. Until the end, he was forthcoming. He then turned and faced the stands, and Henry was ready. The people around him were too, as they all had phones out recording him.
Henry raced down the steps as Alex raced towards him and he got there before Alex, this time a path being made for him, but as soon as Alex arrived he pulled Henry up higher than he had ever done before, lifting him over the stand barrier to fully hug him. Henry laughed but hugged Alex tighter than he ever had before.
Fans weren’t allowed on the field though, and as an official came over to them Alex said, “He’s not on the field, see?” And pointed down. Alex was still holding Henry, his feet about ten centimeters from the turf. That might’ve still been against the rules, but the official smirked at them and backed off.
In this position, Henry was quite a bit taller than Alex, and he had to lean down to kiss him. It was a deep kiss, one that got mixed with both of their tears. “I’m so so proud of you,” Henry said through tears. Alex kissed his cheeks, “Thank you, for everything. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
That sentence caused Henry to cry more, and he hugged Alex again, putting his face in his neck. Alex set him on the barrier and Henry swung his legs over it to be back in the stands. “I love you,” Alex said to him. “I have to go get my medal.” Henry kissed him one last time, “I love you. Go get your medal. And patch up your knee.”
Alex gave him a look, one of annoyance and endearment, before hobbling over to where his team was with a medic. Henry watched as he sat on a bench and got his knee wiped and wrapped before heading back up to be with his family.
The medal ceremony was emotional as well, Team Fiji coming in to be bronze while France assumed its silver position and America went to its gold. The national anthem played, almost the entire stadium singing along with it.
This was the first time it had been played at a rugby final ever, and it happened to be with the youngest player on the team ever.
After all of the celebrating had officially been done with the team, Alex quickly packed his things, gold medal included, so he could go stay with Henry. Forty-eight hour ruled be damned, Alex was moving out in forty-eight minutes.
He got to Henry’s hotel room and more celebrating was done. Two champagne bottles were popped and drank, and two men were together and happy. The events of their drunken celebration lead to Henry posting on his Instagram, something he hadn’t done since arriving in Paris.
It was a photo of Alex’s bare chest, cut off right before his head. On either side of his chest Henry’s equally bare thighs could be seen. The focal point of the image was the gold medal hanging around Alex’s neck, resting right in the middle of his chest. God forbid any confusion occurred, Henry tagged @theagcd, now verified, in this middle of the medal. Henry simply captioned it, “It stays on.”
They both gained a million followers overnight.